A/N Y'all really thought?
Lauren walked into the coffee shop on Monday morning, ready to start her second month of shifts. The shop had come under new management over the summer, and Jaime had convinced her to reapply for a job there.
It wasn't at all the same without Joey, but it was nice to spend some time with Jaime again, especially since she had enough sense to avoid the topic of Joey altogether.
There wasn't a day that went by that Lauren didn't miss him. Everything reminded her of him, whether it was waking up every morning with an empty space beside her, or putting on the ring he bought her for Christmas, or walking past a student wearing a U of M beanie. Plus, he had sent her countless texts every day since he left. She hadn't opened any of them, though. She wasn't going to pretend that they could make this relationship work, when he'd made it very clear that he didn't even have the intention of coming back to visit her, and he hadn't given her any impression that he wanted her to come out and visit him either.
She didn't hate him for it. She'd been happier than anything while the relationship had lasted, but who could blame him for taking the opportunity to go to LA and kickstart his acting career, which she was sure he would have every success in. She couldn't expect him to prioritise her over that.
She was cleaning up some of the tables on autopilot. She picked up a napkin and was about to throw it in the bin when she noticed something written on it. She unfolded it, her hands shaking.
'Some things are worth it.'
The slightest movement in the window caught her eye, and she looked up to see a familiar tall boy with a crooked jaw, hair slightly longer than the last time she'd seen it but still the same brown, and the biggest grin on his face. He raised his hand in a wave.
The napkin fell from her grip as she sprinted out the front door, throwing herself into his arms. He lifted her off her feet and she wrapped her legs around his waist, burying her head in his neck. He laughed, and the sound was music to her ears.
"Are you really here?" she asked with tears streaming down her face, removing her hands from around his neck so that she could hold his face in her hands.
He tightened his grip on her, his nose brushing against hers as he pressed his lips against hers. Lauren leaned forwards into the kiss, desperate for the sensation of his lips, and Joey stumbled backwards before balancing them.
"I'm really here," he whispered against her lips. They gazed at each other, foreheads pressed together, and Lauren could have counted Joey's individual eyelashes.
He set her back onto her feet, but Lauren immediately missed the physical contact so she pushed up onto her tiptoes, and Joey smiled as he kissed her back.
"I thought you were never coming back," she whispered as she fell back to her feet, grabbing hold of his hand with both of hers.
"As if you could keep me away," he replied.
"But how- why- what-" she asked, the shock hitting her full force.
She looked over her shoulder, realising that she'd completely abandoned her work, but before she could say anything Joey said, "I got Jaime to agree to cover for you."
She looked up at him in admiration. He picked up her backpack, which she hadn't even noticed he had, and started leading them down the street towards her apartment, explaining how he'd had every intention to come back to her. When she hadn't answered his texts, he'd flown in anyway and gone straight to the coffee shop to ask after her with Jaime.
"She didn't say anything to you but she could see how upset you are. She almost killed me when I showed up for what I'd done to you. But then I explained that I was always going to come back, and she agreed to help me surprise you."
She shook her head, unable to process everything that he was telling her. Then she frowned.
"If you always planned to come back then why didn't you just keep the damn key?" she demanded. He had no idea how much that had broken her heart.
He looked softly down at her. Maybe he did have some idea.
"I had to at least stay with my parents for a little while. I knew if I had the key to go to your place I would have been straight on a plane back."
She stopped, wrapping her arms around his neck. He put his around her waist, his hands carelessly untucking her shirt from her shorts as he seeked the skin underneath it.
"I missed these shorts," he said in a low voice.
She replied by twisting her hands into his hair and pressing herself even closer to him.
He gave into the kiss for a while and her body melted against him, but then he broke away. "I'd really like to keep kissing you, but your apartment's only two minutes away," he said, raising an eyebrow at her so that she would get the hint.
Lauren's eyes widened and she started walking as fast as she could, Joey laughing as he easily kept up with her strides.
Her lips were back on his the second she shut the door behind them at her apartment. He dropped her bag to the floor, his fingers nimbly working to undo the buttons on her shirt. Piece by piece their clothes fell to the floor, until they were naked together in their bed. Joey pressed his lips to her thigh, sucking on the skin, and Lauren didn't have the presence of mind to tell him that the bruise he planned to leave would show if her shorts rode up. But that didn't matter. Because it was worth it.
Lauren opened her eyes hours later, her head laying on Joey's shoulder. They hadn't moved from her bed since he got here, both soaking in each other's presence for the first time in so long. Through the window she could see the sun beginning to set, casting orange rays across Joey's face. She could stay there forever in his arms and not need anything else.
"How long are you staying?" she whispered, not wanting to break the peaceful spell they seemed to be under.
"As long as you'll let me," he whispered back, his fingertips trailing across her skin.
"Forever," she murmured, half jokingly, pressing a kiss to his collarbone.
He slid his hand down her arm to her hand, holding it tightly in his. His thumb ran over the cool metal of the ring he had given her, and he twisted it round her finger.
"I mean it. I never want to leave you. I don't think I could."
She gazed softly into his eyes, not finding a trace of doubt there.
"But, LA. Your parents," she said, still wanting - no, needing - him to be sure he knew what he was promising.
He let go of her hand only to cup her face, instinctively brushing her hair back.
"Some things are worth it," he said, and he'd barely finished getting the words out before Lauren rolled over on top of him, fiercely kissing him.
She giggled, feeling almost drunk with love for the boy under her, the boy who'd come back to her, the boy she got to live the rest of her life with.
"What?" he asked, grinning fondly at her.
"I'm so in love with you," she said, leaning down again to kiss him as if to accentuate this.
"Good, because you're stuck with me now," he replied, his arms wrapping around her.
In the years to come they always made sure to remind each other that things were worth it, even though neither could possibly regret a moment of their lives together, whether that was when they moved to LA together and adopted a dog who proceeded to pee on every inch of the floor in their new apartment, or when they went back to Michigan to visit Jaime who proceeded to (lovingly, they hoped) kick them out of the coffee shop because they wouldn't stop making out, or when Lauren spent almost her whole month's paycheck on ingredients for her Christmas baking.
Or even the inscription on the inside of both their wedding rings.
A/N This actually is the end this time! Thank you so so much to everyone for reading and commenting, I really enjoyed getting to write a multichapter and I don't know when the next one will be, but rest assured there are a hell of a lot of oneshots in the works. Love you all! Oh and how could I forget this is dedicated to Sophie and Lenita and our Richpez solidarity
