To The Only Boy I've Loved Before

No One Like You

A/N oh boyyyyy this is the main chapter I wrote this fic for so I hope everyone's ready

Lauren wrapped her coat tighter around herself as she walked out into the cold air, wishing she'd thought to put on some warmer layers. She spotted the back of Joey's head and the bare expanse of his shoulders, and took a calming breath.

"All by yourself out here?" she asked, walking around from behind him.

Joey looked at her, but said nothing.

"So what, now you're ignoring me?" she asked when it became clear he wasn't going to respond. She was starting to feel nervous. Why had she thought this was a good idea? There was no way he liked her back.

 "Oh, I'm the one ignoring you? That's funny," he muttered, avoiding her eyes.

She sat gingerly on the edge of the hot tub. "Well, I'm sorry that I didn't want to be around when Melissa was all over you," she said, unable to hide her jealousy.

"Oh, and I'm supposed to be sweet to you after you just don't sit next to me on the bus ride out here?" Joey shot back.

"Shouldn't you be thanking me? Seeing as you got to sit next to who you actually wanted to?"

"You know, for someone who's so smart you can be so dense sometimes," he said through gritted teeth.

"What?" she said, surprised.

"Yeah, I wanted to sit next to you, Lo," he said, his voice suddenly going soft. "I even packed gluten free snacks from that cake shop you like, I asked Jaime where to get them from."

"But that place is all the way across town," she said, her brows knitting together.

"I know," he said exaggeratedly. "So if I went all the way across town to get you something that you like, then that means..." He waited for her to answer, looking at her expectantly.

"That you must really like cake?" she suggested.

He grinned and splashed at her.

"You are impossible."

Lauren hadn't bothered to put shoes on, not expecting to be out here for so long, and her feet were starting to freeze. She turned and dipped her feet into the water, and now she was sat directly facing Joey.

"I'm sorry I didn't sit next to you," she whispered, looking sincerely into his eyes.

"It's okay," he said, waving a hand casually.

They stared at each other a little while longer, and the warmth in Joey's eyes made Lauren's mind up for her.

She slipped her coat off and slid gradually into the water, making her way over to Joey slowly as she adjusted to the temperature of the water.

Joey raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh. You're coming in. In your nightgown."

"Well, uh, I didn't bring a bathing suit," she said, her cheeks hot.

She kept moving forwards until she was a few inches away from him, never once breaking their stare.

"Hi," she breathed.

Joey smiled crookedly, staring at her almost in wonder.

"There's no one like you, Lo," he said in a low voice.

And then he grabbed the back of her thigh, pulling her up so she was straddling his lap.  They were both grinning, looking into each other's eyes, their faces so close Lauren could see each of Joey's individual eyelashes. 

Her tongue darted out involuntarily to wet her lips and she saw Joey's eyes flick down to them and then back up to meet her eyes.

Without even really realising it they closed the gap, and his lips were on hers, as soft as she could have imagined. They kissed slowly at first, testing the waters, Joey's hands just lightly brushing her sides as if he was scared to hold her.

She brought one of her hands up to cup the side of his face, pulling him even closer to her, so he deepened the kiss, his hands holding her waist securely as he pulled her flush against his body.

His lips tasted like home, something indescribable but utterly comforting. She tried to memorise the feeling of his lips moving against hers, although she knew she would never be able to forget, and she wondered what they would feel like on the rest of her skin.

They broke apart and he grinned at her. Something must have crossed Lauren's face as she thought about the fact that she was beginning to fall for him, hard, and Joey must have noticed, because he asked her "What?", still gazing at her as if he was seeing her face for the first time.

"Nothing," she murmured with a shy smile, and then their lips met again.

Lauren's hands trailed along Joey's arms, and she felt him shiver. He pulled her even tighter into him by the small of her back, allowing Lauren to feel every inch of him against her. Her thighs pressed closer against him, and Lauren only now realised how long she had been craving this physical contact with Joey. She moved her lips harder against his and felt Joey's intake of breath.

She opened her eyes slowly as they pulled apart again, to see Joey wearing an expression of awe that matched the way she felt. They both started grinning stupidly at each other.

"I guess the no kissing rule has gone out of the window, huh?" Joey said.

"Well, we don't need it anymore," Lauren said slowly, running a hand through his hair and then letting her hand come to rest at the side of his face.

"And why's that?" he asked, his thumbs rubbing slow circles into her skin and making it hard for her to think straight.

She brushed a thumb over his lips.

"Because this is real," she whispered, gazing straight into his eyes.

She saw his eyes darken as his pupils dilated, and he leaned in to kiss her again, his arms wrapping around her while she placed her hands on his chest. It was only the fourth time they'd kissed - well, fifth if you counted the time she jumped him to avoid Darren, which Lauren didn't - but it felt so familiar, so natural, so easy. 

Joey's tongue brushed across Lauren's bottom lip and she gasped, tensing against him.

She felt his heart rate pick up under her palm, and grinned against his lips. 

He rested his forehead against hers with a groan, his eyes closed but a wide smile on his face.

"You'll be the death of me, Lopez," he muttered.