𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘪𝘯'𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘫𝘶𝘮𝘱 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦

SPRINGS IN THE MATTRESS

FLOYDTAB : ma'am if you're not too busy, could I get an imagine with Liebgott? Angsty -> fluff please!! Thank u so much, ily

"tough day?"
"you can't imagine." you slid the limey bartender some change across the bar as he poured you another glass of whiskey. it was a numb shock, the death of a loved one. you almost expect it, but not quite, because somewhere in your soul you think that it could never happen to your family. your brother. it was a sickly feeling of shock to your stomach, then you had to try and navigate your emotions back to normal. that in itself was like playing catch in the dark. when you'd received the news that your brother had been killed, it was as though your whole life had shattered into a million tiny fragments, that you wished upon over and over again, sparkling and broken. finding out that someone you loved so much was dead, it was as though a part of you had died. you couldn't sleep, you couldn't eat, you couldn't even find the guts to tell joe. you were supposed to tell the man you loved everything, but you couldn't tell him that your brother was dead. if you didn't tell anyone, it was as though it hadn't happened.

"you can't drink away your problems." he said, sliding you your glass. you said nothing as you stared him straight in his eyes and downed the glass. "i can't? watch me." the glass was pushed towards him. "another."
"no, i think you're finished."
"give me another fucking drink, or i swear to god i'll blast your damn head off!"
"i'll take it from here." joe liebgott's hands were on your shoulders, and before you could say 'fuck you, joeseph d. liebgott' you were out of that pub and in the cold aldbourne night. "get off me joe!"
"what are you playing at? what are you—"
"i don't have to tell you anything—"
"you're such a pain in the ass—"
"joe get off me—"
"you're behaving like a child—"
"MY BROTHER IS DEAD!" joe blinked a couple of times before you broke down into a stream of tears. "it's hurts joe!" his arms were around you, grasping you. you felt that if he let go of you, in his mind, you would dissolve. soft kisses in you hair, hands running through the strands over and over, gentle murmurs that vibrates in joe's chest. these were the things you focused on. "you wanna head outta here?"
"yeah."
"alright, come on then." you leaned heavily on his arm as he led you back through aldbourne. when you missed the turn towards the stables, you made a slight whimper to indicate where you were going was wrong. joe replied: "not going there." before continuing to lead you up to a small hotel.

"single or double?"
"double. please." joe rubbed your lower back soothingly. the receptionist looked sceptical, but joe payed her and she said nothing as she handed over the keys. joe thanked her and you both trailed up to room #3. "we've never slept in the same bed, huh?"
"no." your voice was hoarse and joe gently opened the door and motioned for you to enter before him.
"nice joint, huh?" he watched as you nodded, placing your jacket on the back of a moth-eaten armchair, the patchwork material dim like the rest of the faded room. you sniffled slightly, and joe felt guilt wrench at his gut. why couldn't he make you feel better? he couldn't know how you felt, he'd never gone through it, but he wanted you to know how much he loved you. he sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling out a pack of smokes and lighting up two. he held one out for you to take and you grasped it with trembling hands. "you wanna sit? hmm?" he made sure his voice was gentle, rather than condescending, because he wanted you to know he didn't mind either way. you instead lay down on the bed, lip quivering, and as joe joined you he felt sobs wrack your body.

the joint wasn't nice. there were springs in your back and the room smelled musty, there were damp patches everywhere and the cool breeze came through the windows. joe, was there with you, however, wrapping his arms around you and stroking back your hair. you wanted to kiss him, telling him how grateful you were to have him, but you felt too sad to speak. it was like there was a weight on your chest, and your lungs just wouldn't allow anymore than shallow breaths. being alerted by the sudden spark in your breathing pattern, joe sat up and started shushing you. "here, c'mon y/n, breathe." he inhaled deeply, and you tried your best to copy him. steadying your breathing went well, but it didn't do anything to stop the tiny cracks in your heart. when a family member dies, you can't rush your grieving. it comes slowly.

joe held you the whole night, lovingly rubbing circles into your back, asking every now and then if you needed a drink. although it was a godforsaken hotel room, in those few hours you and joe spent together, it was as though you had found a safe haven together. you pulled the covers right up you you chin as joe pulled you further into your chest. "better, sweetheart?"
"yeah. thank you." he knew what you were thanking him for, you didn't need to say it. you were thanking him for being there, for always being there for you. things weren't going to get any better, but you dropped off that night knowing things weren't going to get any worse.