Lois gawked at the person at the door.
Oh, what she couldn't give to be listening to Justin and Lauren shhh each other right now.
Anything was better than standing at this door, this with person on the other side.
And of course, she looked like shit. Her hair sticking out in every direction. Wearing her flannel jammies with little ducks on them. And she was pretty sure she had a jelly glob on her boob. But she wasn't about to look down and check.
"Who's at the door?" she faintly heard Justin yell from inside the apartment.
She couldn't answer him. The only thing she could do was stare. Occasionally, she blinked. And that was a great achievement to her at this moment.
She heard Justin say something else, and Lauren shhh him again. A few seconds later, Justin jogged up behind her, and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the person on the other side of the door.
The person smiled nervously at Lois, before doing the same to Justin. "Hey."
Lois said nothing.
Justin regained his composure the quickest, stepping up to stand beside Lois. "Hey, man."
Lauren stood up from the couch, coming to the door. She stopped a few feet from Lois and Justin, and glared unhappily at the man on the other side.
Joey didn't miss the death look Lauren was giving him, and grinned nervously at her. "Hey, Lauren."
Lauren didn't respond. Her eyes shot daggers at him. If eyes could actually shoot daggers, that is.
Justin took a few steps back, to stand beside Lauren. "Uh, should we be going somewhere?"
"Like where?" she asked, her eyes still locked on Joey.
"Um, I don't know. We have to do something. Somewhere else. Anywhere but here." he said, his eyes pleading with her to stop glaring at Joey that way.
"What? What do you want to do?" she asked, finally turning to look at him. The death look she was giving Joey was now directed at Justin.
Quickly, he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "Sex."
Lauren looked at him like he was insane. "Are you serious?"
Justin stuttered. "Um, uh, yeah. Yeah, lets go." Grabbing Lauren by the arm, Justin practically dragged her through the living room and into her bedroom.
As the door slammed shut, Lois could hear Lauren bitching at Justin. "What the fuck is wrong with you? You think you're gettin' anything tonight you're out of your mind!"
Normally, Lois would have laughed at what just happened. But right now, she knew that if she laughed, she would probably just throw up. If she opened her mouth, she would throw up. If she blinked too fast.......throw up.
She blinked several times quickly just to see. Nope, no throw up. She was good to go.
Joey shifted his weight back and forth while he stood at the doorway nervously. Finally, he mustered the courage to say something. "Can I come in?"
Lois didn't respond at first. She only stared at him a while longer, before her look of shock turned to one of hurt and anger. "Why?" she spat. "So you can yell at me again? Call me a liar? Blame me for everything you've done wrong?"
Joey closed his eyes painfully at her words. "I deserve that."
"Yes, you do. And so much more. But unfortunately, I don't have a pool of honey and a swarm of angry bees handy, so this will have to do." Giving him one last glare, she took a step forward, and stomped on his foot. Reaching up, she pulled his hair quickly before turning around and pushing the door closed.
Before she had the chance to close the door completely, Joeys foot stuck out, blocking her attempt.
Much to her surprise, she heard Joey laugh on the other side of the door. "You are too much, you know that?" he laughed. "You always do that when you're flustered and mad at someone."
"What?"
"Pull their hair." he said affirmatively. "You just get all flustered, so instead of punching, you pull their hair."
Lois opened the door, allowing Joey a few steps inside the apartment.
"So, you think you know me so well, huh?" she said, giving him a hard look.
Joey smiled at her feisty stance. "Actually, yes, I do."
"Fine." she nodded. "Then you will know that I'm about to do this."
Before he had a chance to move, Lois threw her arm out and punched him hard in the nose.
Joey groaned, clutching his face. Stumbling back a few steps, he hit the wall.
"Guess you don't know me as well as you thought, huh?" Lois said angrily.
Joey sniffed a few times, his eyes watering. Rubbing his throbbing nose, he looked up at her. "Well, you always were full of surprises."
Lois shook her head at him. "What the fuck do you want, Joey?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't want to fight anymore."
"Neither do I." he said, pushing back from the wall to take a step closer to Lois. As he approached her, she moved back.
Lois glared at him hard, her eyes warding him off as best they could.
"I want you to know that I'm sorry." he began, stopping when he noticed her backing away from him. "For the rest of my life, I will regret the things I said to you. You are the most important person in my life, and I betrayed you. I didn't trust you the way you deserved to be trusted, and I wouldn't blame you if you didn't forgive me."
Lois' face didn't soften. Her arms were still wrapped protectively in front of her, her eyes stone.
"But I also want you to know, that I believe you." Joey said, taking another step forward. He smiled inwardly when she didn't step back from him. "I think I believed you all along, and that is why I freaked out. It scared the shit out of me to think that you would actually want to be with me, because that would mean that I would have to admit that I wanted to be with you too."
Still, Lois didn't respond. But Joey could see in her eyes, that she was hearing everything he said. She was hearing it perfectly clear.
Taking another step towards her, he continued. "I was scared. I was terrified to tell you how I felt a long time ago, incase you didn't feel the same. I told myself that it was because I didn't want to lose what we had, or that I didn't want things to be ruined between us. But that was just an excuse. Honestly, I was scared. So I told myself I felt nothing, and I stayed your friend." Taking another step, he looked down at her. "But I'm not scared anymore. Not that way, anyway." he whispered. "And I don't want to just be your friend."
Lois' eyes stayed lock on his, her face still hard and cold. But Joey could see in her eyes that she was breaking. All he needed was a little more.
"You don't know what you want." she whispered.
"Yes I do." he said. "And I can see that you are just as scared as I am. Because now, we cant hide behind our jokes. Our pranks. Or our ways of telling people we are just friends and nothing more. We cant hide behind our history anymore. Everyone knows that we love each other, Lois. All we have to do now, is admit it to each other."
Joey saw the tears well up in her eyes, and he almost smiled.
"I already admitted it." she said softly. "And you walked away from me."
"I know," he said, taking the final step up to her. Now, standing right in front of her, he reached out and placed a hand on her cheek. Running his thumb under her eyes, he smiled. "But I'm not walking away now."
Before he had the chance to second guess himself, and without a thought in his head, Joey leaned down to her. Moving his hand to the back of her neck, he urged her closer to him. He saw the quick look of fright flash through her eyes, but she did not pull away. Her eyes watched his lips, until the last possible second. And before she had the opportunity to say something stupid. To yell at him. Or even to pull his hair. He kissed her.
She had always wondered what it would feel like to have him kiss her this way. She had seen him kiss other girls in the past, and always wondered what it would be like. And now, she could honestly say that it was better than she had ever thought it would be.
Wrapping his other arm around her waist, Joey pulled her closer to him. Reluctantly, Lois reached her arms up, wrapping them around his neck. Almost on their own accord, her hands began to run through his hair, pulling him even closer to her. Joey took her signals, and deepened the contact.
Lois' mind was racing, her heart was pounding, and her knees went weak. She also had to pee, but that wasn't important right now. She would be damned if she was going to let her tiny bladder ruin this moment.
Pulling back slightly, Joey placed a few tiny kisses on her lips before pulling back completely to stare down at her.
Lois' eyes remained closed for a moment, before opening to stare at his chest. She was almost afraid to look up at him. She didn't know why, but she was scared.
Joey wasn't about to wait, and placed a finger beneath her chin. Rasing her eyes to his, he smiled at her.
Catching her breath, Lois shook her head. "You didn't say anything."
Joey smiled at her. "You saying that that didn't mean anything?"
"No, it meant something." she corrected. "But it doesn't say anything."
Joey sighed, smiling at her humor. Running his hand over her cheek, he grinned.
"Lois," he said, his voice low. "I love you."
If Lois had heard him, she didn't let on. She only continued to stare at him, as if waiting for him to say it again.
Joey looked at her strangely for a moment. Just as he was about to say something else, she reached up quickly and pulled him down to her. Kissing him frantically, Lois was taking control of the situation. She had never been one to let the man handle everything, and she wasn't about to start now.
Joey was caught completely off guard, but he wasn't complaining. Kissing her back, he fought the urge to laugh at her persistence.
Finally, Lois pulled back, her breathing quick and ragged. Wiping her eyes, she smiled up at him. "Ive always want to do that." she grinned.
Joey shook his head. "And I'm glad you did. Phewph." he laughed, wiping his forehead.
Lois laughed, as Joey pulled her to him. Burying her head in his chest, Lois took comfort in his hold.
Less than an hour ago, she thought she had lost him forever. She had accepted the fact that she had been honest with him, and that he didn't return her feelings. She had planned on moving on with her life, and took comfort in those around her. Justin and Lauren had been there for her through the entire ordeal, and she knew they would always be there for her. Brian had been a greater support system than he would ever know, and she didn't want to think about what she would have done if he hadn't forgave her and supported her.
But now, she didn't have to worry anymore. She didn't have to restart or rebuild her life, and she didn't have to worry about staying friends with the guys around Joey.
Now, she had more than she ever thought she would. Now, she had what she dreamed of.
She had him.
Pulling back, she smiled up at him. "Just remember who said it first."
Joey laughed. "Oh, I have a feeling you wouldn't have let me forget it."
"Damn right, focker."
Joey laughed, as he kissed the end of her nose.
"Can we come out of here now? We're dying in here!?" Justins voice called from Laurens room.
Lois laughed, as Joey yelled back. "Yeah, com'on out."
The second the words left Joey's mouth, Justin was out of the room, quickly followed by Lauren.
Justin rushed over to Lois and Joey, and quickly pulled Lois away. "Just remember, I let you write focker on me." he said. "Don't go thinkin' you can just leave me behind now that you have him."
Lois smiled at him. "Aw, I don't think I could ever replace you, focker." Kissing him on the cheek, she hugged him. "And thank you, J."
Smiling into her neck, Justin returned her hug. "Anytime, Lolo."
Lauren approached Joey, a mock look of warning on her face. "And you," she said, pointing at him. "If you ever, EVER, think of hurting her again, you will have to answer to me. Do you understand me? And believe me, I am far worse than Lois when I'm mad."
"That's true, man." Justin called. "I still have the scar on my butt from when I told her she had ugly feet."
Joey laughed, reaching out to pull Lauren towards him. Rubbing her head with his knuckles, he laughed. "NO problem, Lala. I don't plan on screwing up anymore."
Punching him in the side, she wiggled her way out of his hold. "Good. Just make sure you don't!"
Walking up to Lois, Joey pulled her away from Justin and wrapped his arm around her. Smiling down at her, he sighed. "I think I would kick my own ass if I screw this up."
"There wouldn't be anything left of it when I was finished, Fatone." Lauren said, as she wrapped her arms around Justins waist.
Smiling at Lois and Joey, Lauren sighed.
She figured that it was over. That there was nothing left for them to do to fix the disaster that had occurred, and their only option was to support Lois and help her move on.
But thankfully, they wouldn't have to bother.
Smiling down at Lauren, Justin leaned to whisper in her ear. "They're cute, huh?"
"Yeah." Lauren said, smiling at the happy expressions on their faces.
"So," Justin said, pulling back to give Lauren his best seductive grin. "Shall we have the sex?"
Lauren laughed, pushing him away from her. "You go and start without me."
Justin faked hurt, before throwing Lauren over his shoulder. "How about no?" he said as he waved good night to Lois and Joey, and headed for Lauren's room.
Lois and Joey giggled as the door closed behind them. Looking down at her, he winked. "Shall we?"
Lois groaned, pushing him away from her. "Don't even start."
Joey laughed as he tackled her and threw her on the couch. Laughing, she tried to push him away. "Joey, dont! Don't! I have to pee! Don't make me pee myself!"
"Aw, but what if I wanna?" he asked, pausing his assault to grin down at her.
"You're a pain in the ass, you know that?"
"Yup." he nodded. "And you're perfect."
"You didn't used to think so." she said, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Yeah, I know." he nodded. "But isn't it funny that nobody's perfect, until you fall in love with them?"
