SANTA TELL ME ( JOE KEERY ) [SLOW UPDATES]

TWELVE

CHAPTER TWELVE - NIGHT SIX

THE pair walked side by side, so close their arms slightly touched, brushing past as Ariana animatedly threw hers back and forth with her steps. Ariana let out a tired sigh that morphed into a yawn, forcing her to raise her palm up to her mouth.

"Tired?" Joe asked, smiling as he looked over at her, his own hands wedged into his pockets.

She nodded with a breathy laugh, "It's been a tiring day, and my bed is calling my name"

"So that's what that noise is, thought I was hearing things" He said with mock relief as he placed his hand on his chest to show his relaxation.

She shoved him playfully with a roll of her eyes and a infectious smile, "Shut up"

They walked in comfortable silence for a while, smiles still lingering on their faces as they began to climb the stairs. The fatigue was obvious in Ariana as she slugged up each step and couldn't help but yawn again.

"My father loves you" She giggled, as they turned the corner at the top of the stairs and made their way to Ariana's room, since he'd offered to walk her. If Joe was honest, he hadn't offered just because he wanted to (which he did); but also because he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible - not leaving until he had to - and he also had something he wanted to do, now being the only perfect time he could think of actually doing it.

"I'm so lovable, that's why" He smirked with a raised brow as he shook his hair from his eyes. After another yawn she rolled her eyes and shot him a look with a smirk of her own, that he stared at for a little too long.

"That you are" She admitted, wandering in front a few steps ahead, holding her arms out like she was walking a plank. Joe felt enchanted as he watched her, and before they knew it they'd reached her door. Both of them feeling it had come too soon, but they wouldn't admit it.

"Well thank you for walking me, I totally would have got lost without you"

"It's just my duty as your father's new favourite person" He smirked, cocking an eyebrow and playfully saluting.

"You're never going to let that go, are you?" She sighed with a laugh to which he replied with "of course not, it's an honour" as he walked backwards away from her with a playful, toothy grin that seemed to falter at the edges.

She turned and unlocked her door, smiling to herself. Since her back was to Joe she didn't realised he'd stopped in his tracks, lingering a few steps away from her. He was half turned, with one part of him stuck there begging him to do what he was thinking of (that he had been for a while now, with it even plaguing his dreams), whilst the other half told him to go to his room and forget about the idea completely.

The first determined half won, flooding his whole body with a strange sense of numbness and confidence as he asked in a voice stronger than he expected, "Ariana?" 

"Hmm?" She mused, her hand still hovering on the doorknob; she hadn't managed to open the door yet but her keys still hung, swaying in the lock.

"Can I do something?" He whispered, his confidence was already starting to waver and he dug his nails into his palms to knock it back into him, in a hope to stop him feeling so dizzy and anxious, but also in preparation for whatever her answer would be.

"That sounds weird but okay" She laughed, her shoulders stiffened slightly in confusion and scared anticipation. 

She had finally turned around to look at Joe who stood as still as a statue in the middle of the corridor. She widened her eyes at him faintly in the silence, to convey that she was still waiting for whatever this 'something' was. But then he quickly stalked over to her, his limbs rigid and stick like. He walked fast as not to give him a chance to talk himself out of it (which he knew he would). He kept internally telling himself this was easy, it was just an audition. And like an audition, he could either be accepted or rejected. He just hoped it wasn't the latter.

After only four large steps, he was in front of her and he took her warm face into his cold palms, causing Ariana to shiver for an array of reasons now; and quickly planted a firm, long kiss on her lips. Another chill ran over her body and she smiled into his mouth, resulting in him doing the same as his nerves left his swarming mind. She didn't feel tired at all now, instead completely alight, like his soft lips had filled her with a weird energy that relaxed every muscle and replenished her better than any sleep ever could. Still slightly surprised, she didn't know what to do except stand plank-straight and keep her eyes closed. But when he pulled back, their faces still so close that their noses brushed and each other's hot breath stroked their flushed cheeks; she rested her own hands gently on his face, her fingertips tickling his hair. She pulled him even closer so their lips now just barely touched as she whispered to him with a heavy tone and achingly wide, irresistible smile,

"You can do that  again if you like, Joe"