Impractical Jokers: [Joker]xReader Collection

Joe x Reader - You're My Favourite

[SMUT WARNING.]

You don't bother meeting his eyes as he kneels in front of you and grins. There's no energy left in you to return it, no motivation to pretend any more; a glassy eyed stare bores past him and burns into the far wall as you try to ignore him and, better yet, the crippling loneliness that eats away at you.

"You can't ignore me forever."

Ah, Joe Gatto. Resilient, sometimes annoyingly so, and it takes everything you have not to crumble under his compassion. Begrudgingly, your [E/C] gaze flickers to look at him and lock on his, and they're just as beautiful as ever, all ocean and gemstone and you could get lost if you let yourself--

But you don't. Instead, you turn away from him and mumble, "Leave me alone, Joe."

The words sting him more than he cares to admit for he cares endlessly about you. The pair of you are in unknown territory, a scary 'I-don't-know-where-I-stand-with-you' circumstance that has the pair of you treading on ice whenever you're around anybody but each other. He wishes it could be easier... and yet it isn't, perhaps because you're so guarded and he has no idea what to do about it.

Joe sighs and picks himself up, perching on the end of the couch and laying a hand on your shin. Leg twitches under his warm fingers and, after kindly reminding yourself how to breathe, you proceed to bury your face into the couch. You're not in the mood and yet you can tell already that he's going to work around it.

"[Y/N], please talk to me," he speaks up, voice as tight as your chest as it constricts at the sound of his hurt. Trying not to put too much thought into it, you reluctantly sit up and turn to him with a look of begrudging sadness. You try not to show it around Joe for he's far too receptive to it; it damages him, hurts him. The last thing you need is to cause him grief.

"I'm just tired," you quietly murmur, pulling your legs up and tucking them underneath you as you look at him with a pitiful countenance. "...tired of being nobody's 'favourite', you know? I know it's dumb, just-- it's dumb, forget it.

For a short while, nothing is said and you feel you've insulted him in some way when all he does is stare at you. Keen [E/C] eyes watch him, watch those bright blue eyes clouding over as he tries to comprehend how you can feel so lonely when he's there with you.

"[Y/N]," Gatto murmurs, surprisingly delicate as he shifts closer to you. Swallowing hard as his knee touches yours, you avert your gaze to stare at your hands which wring in your lap with a nerve you haven't felt since your younger years. Can't quite bring yourself to look at him, can't quite bring yourself to ignore him - you're stuck either way. The latter wins out when you feel warm fingers settle on your face and it is with hitched breath that you slowly turn your head to look at him.

The chance to say anything slips by for a feather-light kiss is pressed to your mouth. Stunned, and frankly, a little frightened by the unexplored territory, you sit rigid in his gentle grasp and blink rapidly as he pulls away. Brain swimming with questions, you glance up at him imploringly - and all but gasp when you see a shift in those fascinating eyes of his, all upturned waves and thunder.

"Never feel second best, [Y/N]," Joe breathes, nose bumping lightly against yours as he leans in once more. Your breath catches in your throat and you're left to close your eyes lightly as his lips touch yours once more. He's never there for too long and that makes you ache for him, your mouth slowly moving against his as hands shakily reach for the fabric of his shirt and clutch it. When he feels that, well, he's spurred on by desire he's held back for what feels like decades, bodies coming together as if they were always meant to.