Hold Me Close And Don't Let Go

The Realization

Y/N's POV:

Telling the story to Joe was oddly satisfying. I mean, yes, he is my best friend but it for the first time after the break up it felt like everything really would be alright.

But then something else happened.

Something I couldn't really explain.

When Joe hugged me and mumbled comforting words to me, it consoled me and did more than that. I felt this reaction that shouldn't have been taking place in the first place. I couldn't pinpoint what it was but it wasn't something I felt towards him before.

I shook the thought from my head and broke the hug. We talked a lot after that. I could feel him trying his best to distract me and cheer me up. That alone made me feel better.

That night I went through all of my social media, looking for and deleting any trace of Mark. Even though I was still hurting, erasing those things somehow made me feel better. "I am never going to talk to him or think about him ever again," I promised to myself that night. He wasn't worth it.

*the next morning*

The next day, I woke up to the delightful smell of food being cooked. I got up from bed and leisurely waked to the kitchen.

"Mornin' sleepy head," Joe beamed.

"Good Morning lil joe," I said and half-successfully stifled a yawn.

Joe went back to cooking breakfast.

"Since when do you cook?" I asked teasingly.

"Recently learnt to. Had to really. After moving here, I have become all alone," he said pretending to be extremely sad and wiped a invisible tear.

"Yeah sure," I laughed.

"Yeah I'm serious."

I stopped laughing.

"I thought you were dating,"

"No, it was over after the first week, we really didn't get along that well."

Joe had had only one serious girlfriend ever and after that every girl was just a a fling or a one night stand. He never seemed to build a connection with them. So it was no surprise to me that this one didn't work out as well.

"Awwh, Joe when will you find 'The One'?"

'I dunno, no one gets me as well as you do I guess," he joked.

Though it was meant to be a joke, I couldn't stop feeling a little special.

"Oh haha, so funny! But I can't be your girlfriend Joe" I joked back. Why can't I?

"You broke my heart Y/N," Joe said pretending to be heartbroken.

I laughed. We joked like this all the time but it felt different this time.

We had breakfast, Joe avoided talking about Mark and I couldn't have been more thankful as to how well he understood me.

Joe's POV:

I cooked breakfast today to lighten Y/N's mood. I think I succeded. We had breakfast and then I headed off for a meeting and Y/N stayed back to work on her designs.

The meeting took all morning and when I finished it was tw in the afternoon already. I bought lunch on the way home.

I walked into the apartment to find Y/N laying on her back on the couch with her laptop. She heard me enter and put her laptop to the side.

Her eyes lit up when she saw I had brought lunch.

"Thank God! I was starving!" she said.

"I knew it," I said chuckling.

"You know me well then," she said and winked.

That somehow made me blush within. It had me getting that same feeling I got from that hug. What was happening?

I pushed the feeling aside and focused on taking the boxes of food out.

We had lunch and then she went to working on her laptop and I too was on my laptop, editing. We sat on the couch across each other.

Once our knees brushed against each other and I couldn't help but experience that same familiar feeling.

After working and talking for hours, Y/N suggested we go out tonight.

"Where do you wanna go?" I asked.

"Umm, how about...a club?"

"Yeah okay, then let's get ready yeah?

"Yeah, I won't be long," she said and got up.

"Yeah sure you wont," I laughed sarcastically. She was going to take her sweet time and that was no news to me.

After an hour or so, we headed to the nearest club.

Inside there was music blasting, all the new hits. Y/N moved her hands to the beat and danced a little while going through all the people on the dance floor. I couldn't help but notice how good she looked, with her tight black dress emphasizing all the right places and accentuating her tanned legs. Her hair loose and straight.

I turned my attention to something else when I saw her looking towards me. Had she seen that I was looking her up and down? God, I hope she didn't or else she might think I am a perv.

I felt myself getting red out of embarrassment at the thought.

We danced our way to the bar and ordered our usual. She looked like she was enjoying and I was happy that she was. It was reassuring to see that she was moving on.

She had her first drink and ordered another, then another and another until it was getting a little out of hand. I stopped her and suggested that it was enough. She just pouted. I could tell she was not almost wasted but was still quite drunk. I couldn't help but smile at her childishness which doubles when she is drunk.

I had barely finished two drinks when she rushed to the dance floor. She danced until her heart's content. I wasn't much of a hardcore dancer so stayed at the bar watching her.

I was ordered a third drink and turned to see Y/N dancing with some hunk. He was totally eyeing her shamelessly and Y/N(as stupid as she gets when she's drunk) didn't even mind it. As a friend it was obviously my duty to prevent my drunk friend from hooking up with some random person but seeing her with him triggered jealously.

I didn't know why but I was angry to see them together. I walked over to them and put my arms around Y/N, who was still dancing.

"Sorry mate, she's with me," I said forcing a smile.

"Gotcha bud," he said and walked away.

I was glad he walked away. It wouldn't have been pretty if he wanted to start a fight or something.

I intertwined my fingers with Y/N's and lead her to the backdoor of the club. She stopped me midway.

"Joe I want to stay and dance," she said, her words tipsy.

"Please Y/N, you are very drunk, let's get you home before you take someone else home," I said, chuckling under my breath.

She pouted yet again and made an adorable sad face.

We walked home and she held onto my arms. After walking for a while she stopped.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I don't know Joe, am I not worthy of love?" She asked and then looked right into my eyes. Her eyes were filling with tears.

"Yes you obviously are, love," I said and held her chin. "You are an amazing girl and you deserve the world."

"You really think so?" she asked, with a slight smile.

"Oh I know so," I said and as we gazed at each other, I could feel something between us. Something I had been longing to find for so long. Something that I think I found looking into those striking hazel eyes.

Then it happened. I don't know if it was the drinks or just the atmosphere we were in, but it happened. We kissed, in the dimly lit street with cars passing by us and occasionally honking. We kissed.

Author's Note: Next update will be up in a few days.