Cup of Joe | A Joe Jonas Fanfiction

c h a p t e r t w e n t y f i v e .

Time stood still.

The air around her buzzed.

Blood roared in her ears at the level of tension and hesitation that settled between them.

January wind swept across the porch, cracking her lips and sending a chill up her spine while it tugged at the soft waves in Joe's black-brown hair. Everything crackled with the electricity that passed through their uncertain gazes. Winter opened her mouth to speak, but her throat was constricted and not a single sound left her lips.

What was she to even say?

While she gaped at him, dumbfounded, she failed to realize that her mom had come up behind her.

"Winter, close the door, honey. It's freezing out and - " Her mom's eyes finally settled on Joe Jonas. "Oh my."

Winter snapped her mouth shut and shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts. "Mom, this is Joe."

"Please, come in!" Her mom ushered him in. Behind Joe's back, her mom gestured wildly to Winter while trying to understand what was happening.

"Joe, this is my mom."

With a brilliant smile that lit up the whole room, he shook her hand with his free hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Clayton. I apologize for showing up unannounced but I wanted to surprise Winter for her birthday."

"Call me Gwen. She certainly seems surprised!" Gwen wiggled her eyebrows at her daughter.

Joe laughed with a gentle tone while he turned his attention to Winter, his warm brown eyes glistening with unspoken emotion. "These are for you." He offered her the oversized bouquet that was filled with an assortment of blush pink flowers.

"Peonies." Winter caressed the velvety petals between her thumb and forefinger while actively avoiding his gaze.

"Your favorite."

Gwen glanced back and forth between Joe and Winter and seemed to understand that they needed a moment to themselves. "I'm going to head back to the kitchen. Joe, will you join us for dinner?"

The way Joe stared at Winter seemed to imply that he wanted her approval. "If you'll have me. I don't want to impose."

"Impose? Not at all. You gave our girl a home while she was in New York those weeks. It would be my honor." And with that, Gwen left them alone in the living room.

A welcomed silence washed over them. Joe shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back onto his heels. He was the first to speak.

"Hi."

It was uttered through a soft exhale as if the simple greeting held the weight of the world behind it. There was no real explanation as to why their recent argument had such a negative impact on their communication. A nagging at Winter's heart screamed that it was her own inability to trust due to the abusive end of her life with Nolan, but she still wasn't ready to face those facts yet. To heal, you have to clean the wound.

"Hi." At long last, she lifted her eyes to meet Joe's and she felt the world shift beneath her feet. There was a hopeful gleam to his expression.

"Happy birthday, Winter." One of the corners of his mouth curled in a soft smirk. "Were you surprised?"

Blink. Blink.

Winter peered at him through her downturned lids. "That's an understatement. I thought your album dropped today."

"It does." He replies matter of factly.

"So...then why aren't you at the release?"

A quizzical expression darkened his eyes. "The release happens at midnight. It's pretty much just a button that opens sales. Of course it's a big deal, but they don't need me there to drop the album."