warnings: angst & fluff, mentions of blood, mentions of violence, police,
//Please read at your own risk, it’s nothing too graphic but could be upsetting and I really don’t want to upset anyone. Also, anything remotely graphic will be after a Keep Reading note, but there is foreshadowing at the very beginning.
The only thing you could focus on was your hands.
They were shaking. Shaking more than they would when hyped up on caffeine. Sure there was a lot more you could focus on besides your hands. Like the blue lights flashing in your peripheral vision. Or the unfamiliar voice in your ear. Or the sting of pain every time you moved your mouth. Or the weight of a blanket draped on your shoulders. Or the wind that was piercing through your thin jumper and leggings. Yet, all you could focus on was your hands. Oh, how you wished Joe’s hands would reach out and hold onto them until they stopped.
Instead, his hands were mindlessly tapping on the steering wheel along to a song he would later turn off immediately if it played on the radio. The only thing he could focus on was the smell of Chinese food that wafted throughout his car. The flashing red and blue lights that sped past him meant nothing. It was New York City, cops were part of the environment. The brief acknowledgment towards the cop cars speeding past brought up memories of when Y/N first arrived in NYC.
“Joe, what kind of neighborhood do you live in? I thought you said it was safe, ” you asked concern written all over your face.
“What do you mean?” He asked looking up from the lunch menu.
“There are so many-,” You began to say but a siren followed by flashing lights sped by, so you just nodded towards the street. “,-cops”
“You shouldn’t have anything to worry about unless you’re a criminal… Oh, you’re a criminal aren’t you?” Joe asked raising a brow, biting back a smirk.
“No! I’m offended you thought I could ever do something illegal,” you gasped placing a hand on your heart to show how much offense you took. “You’re the one that they’re really after, I’m just the distraction,” you winked.
From that day on you and Joe would always joke around that the police were out to get the other. Joe would tackle you and pin your arms behind your back so that the police would “have an easier time”. You always gently pushed Joe towards the cop car and yelled,
“Run Joe, run before they catch you.” Though you could never get through the sentence without laughing.
The joke even went so far as you guys dressing up as Bonnie and Clyde for one of Bohemian Rhapsody’s Cast’s Halloween parties, and when Ben showed up as a cop and ‘arrested’ Joe you lost it. Ben just ended up handcuffing Joe to him for the entire night, which ruined your “couple” costume but made Ben’s a whole lot better. There was definitely a few posts about it on Instagram. No one could get enough.
It was after that night you realized you had a crush on Joe. Mazzello seemed to fit perfectly in place of L/N. Of course, nothing was done about the crush. Both of you were afraid of ruining what you had.
A phone call brought Joe’s attention back to reality. The phone could wait, Chinese food could not. Again. And Again. After the fourth time, he hastily picked up. He always hated being on the phone while driving.
“Hello,” he said pressing the phone to his ear.
“Hey, Joe, I just wanted to let you know that you got the role!” his manager said cheerfully.
“What no way! I’m driving right now but I’ll call you back as soon as I get home!” Joe said hanging up. Now he was even more ecstatic to get back to the apartment and tell you. You had been solely platonic roommates for 6 months now, and always the first person to find out each other’s new roles. Originally you had come to audition for roles in movies and Joe, who you had met on the set of Bohemian Rhapsody, had offered to let you stay at his apartment. It was only supposed to last 2 weeks for auditions. But after that random Wednesday night, you were in 'The Big Apple’ for another 6 months at least. When Joe’s lease ran out, you found an apartment to share and the rest had been history. Of course, living with someone lead to learning a lot more about them than you had wanted, but neither of you was bothered by the newfound knowledge. However, both of you never figured out that the other shared the same nonplatonic feelings.
Joe had been trying to figure out when and if he could ask you out on a proper date, this was his idea. Chinese food and a movie, with a small bouquet of flowers to make it official. If it all backfired he could say the flowers were for the apartment. Right?
His thumbs tapped the steering wheel quicker, the radio still off from his phone call. The sounds of sirens ringing in his ears. Not-unusual for a Friday.
Parking in an empty spot a block down the street he was too caught up in hunger and anxiety that he failed to notice the blue lights flashing in his peripheral vision.
After that everything seemed to move at lightning speed and slow motion at the same time. The flowers in his hands dropped on the pavement. They landed with a bounce that sent yellow and white petals flying. The distinct crinkle of the wrapping filled the air as a passing car’s wheels crushed the flowers further into the asphalt. His hands flew at miraculous speeds whipping out his phone speed dialing your number.
Every sense coursing through his body was heightened. The feeling of his phone pressed against his ear. The ringing tone bore through his skull. His feet pounded on the street. Your voicemail message making the knot in his stomach grow. He thought he was going to puke.
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