abyss ↣ joe sugg au

thirty seven

Joe and Charlotte were back at that same pub, same sofa, same drinks order and same sickeningly sweet couple sat in front of them. Tyler was looking at the gold band around his finger from every angle, smiling with satisfaction as he moved his fingers. 

Troye rolled his eyes and lent forward to pick up his beer, only to be tugged back with a whine from Tyler, "Come back." 

"You're disgusting." Joe scoffed, stroking his fingers through Charlotte's hair where she lay along the length of the sofa. Charlotte reached an arm up to swat Joe. He just lent down to chuckle into her hair line.

"Well, Joseph. Tyler and myself were going to invite you to be the paid photographer for our wedding, but you've just made it pretty clear that you won't be wanting to capture pictures of the two of us and our disgustingness." Troye quirked an eyebrow.

"What is this?" Joe gasps. "Are you all ganging up on me now? I apologize profusely." Joe bowed forward, hand on heart. 

Tyler suppressed a giggle and Troye elbowed him in the rib. 

"The offer still stands you muppet." Tyler manages through a laugh. 

"Then I'd be honoured." Joe's grinning from ear-to-ear and Charlotte might want to kiss it off him a little (a lot).

They chatted happily about it for a while, until Joe kicked his heels into the ground and announced, "Right lovebirds, we're going out front for a smoke." 

"Who's the disgusting one's now?" Tyler shouted after them as Charlotte let herself be pulled out the pub. When they'd lit up on the patio, feet tangled on the spare chair around the table, Joe smiled around his cigarette and lent his head back to exhale it upwards. 

"Why're you so happy all of a sudden?" Charlotte knocked her heel into Joe's.

"Is there a reason not to be? Here I am, Summer's evening enjoying a cigarette with my gorgeous other half having just landed myself a paid job photographing my best friend get wed to his little lover-boy and I'm going to make sure you're chief wedding planner - get you warmed up for the celebrities." Joe's grin was so wide that the black of his lip ring contrasted so greatly against his teeth. Charlotte found Joe's sudden confidence endearing, but then again, what did she not find endearing about Joe? It had become such a normal aspect of her life now - just wanting to kiss Joe all the time, just wanting to be held by him and for him to whisper love you into her lips despite his hideous morning breath. 

"You're kidding right? Have you seen them two? They wouldn't let me anywhere near their wedding arrangements." But Charlotte was grateful for the thought. Despite telling Joe over and over again she wasn't going to become a wedding planner, she had secretly warmed to the idea, but she wouldn't let Joe know that. 

The thing is, she actually liked her job at the restaurant. The pay was decent and it made her feel better that she was actually contributing something. Some locals remembered Charlotte from when she was a little kid, and she tried not to notice when she caught them looking at her with pitying eyes. They tipped her often and bantered with her a lot and it made her feel welcome. If she had to work their forever, she wouldn't be unhappy, but the idea of travelling places with Joe, experiencing things together and getting paid to do so did seem slightly more appealing. 

It reminded her though, that she was due at the restaurant in half-an-hour and she had to go home and shower first. Joe offered to go with her but she refused, knowing Joe needed some 'lad' time, even though Troye and Tyler were lacking in whatever it was you needed to be a proper 'lad.'

Joe kissed her sweetly goodbye and promised he'd be by the restaurant at eleven to pick her up. She was grateful for these moments, when it felt like they were allowed to live a normal life. They had mutual friends now, they both had work and they had each other and at times like now it felt like enough. More than enough, even. 

I SHOULD REALLY STOP WITH AUTHOR'S NOTES BUT I GET SO WORRIED BUT SHIT IS ABOUT TO BLOW UP AND IM SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU GUYS NOT LIKING IT BUT IVE JUST HAD IT PLANNED FOR AGES AND I DONT REALLY KNOW HOW TO APPROACH IT. I KNOW PROPER BOOKS DON'T GIVE YOU A 'HEADS UP' BUT I FEEL LIKE THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS ARE GOING TO BE VERY CONFUSING BUT YOU JUST HAVE TO BARE WITH IT