Joe's POV — 6 Years Ago
I looked around the room, my chest hurting when I saw all my friends and family throughout the house. Tomorrow, I was going to LA to start my acting career. About two months ago, I got the role of Steve Harrington in Netflix's new show, Stranger Things.
"Feeling nostalgic?"
I turned around, a smile instantly forming when I saw Y/N behind me holding a soda.
"It's hard not to," I chuckled. I looked down at my own can of soda, unable to get rid of this weird feeling in my stomach.
"Are you okay?" Y/N asked, her voice dripping with concern.
"I'm fine," I cleared my throat.
She sighed as she put down her drink. I didn't resist when she took mine and put it on the counter next to hers. She then grabbed my hand and pulled me to the backyard. Y/N let go of my hand, turned me around, and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Talk to me."
"I'm fine," I tried to say again but Y/N shook her head.
"I know you, Joe," she sighed. "Something's bothering you. Spill it."
"It's just. . ." I hesitated. I stalled by walking over and sitting on the bench. "I feel weird about leaving tomorrow."
I looked up to see Y/N smiling sadly. She walked over and sat next to me, instantly grabbing my hand.
"You're not excited about Hollywood?"
"I am," I stuttered. "I just didn't think about all that I was leaving. I'm not sure if I'm really going to be able to actually walk away."
"Your family's not going anywhere," she teased. I looked over at her, my breath getting caught in my throat.
"I was thinking more about you," I said, dropping my voice.
"Aww, Joe," she cooed as she leaned in and rested her head on my shoulder. "You'll never lose me."
"I hope not," I sighed. She looked up at me with her knowing pout.
"Joe," she whispered, "I'm serious. You're never going to lose me. Besides, if either one of us were to leave the other it'd be you leaving me."
"What?" I panicked. She looked up at me and instantly read me. She sat up and turned toward me.
"Be realistic, Joe," she said gently. "You're moving to LA. Your show is going to take off and you're not gonna look back."
"Please don't think that," I said quickly. "I don't care how popular this show gets. I could never not look back at you, Y/N."
"Joe," she tried to calm me down, "it's fine. You've been working hard for this. I'm proud of you. I hope you know how proud I am of. . ."
I cut her off by grabbing her face and smashing my lips to hers. She gasped in surprise but she didn't pull away. I felt like my entire world erupted as our lips were pressed together. Slowly, I took the chance and deepened our kiss. My stomach did flips when she responded exactly how I hoped she would. When reality hit me, I broke the kiss. I studied Y/N's face, trying to figure out what she was thinking.
"I could never walk away from you, Y/N."
Present Day
It's been four years since I left home. The first few months I was filming, I texted and called Y/N all the time. But as time went on, I got busy with filming and Y/N went to school. Even though I was reaching out to her, doesn't mean I'm not thinking about her. I am. Constantly.
Whenever I filmed a scene with Steve and Nancy, I thought about Y/N. When I kissed Natalie, I thought about Y/N. When I walked into my empty apartment after a long day, I thought about Y/N. I was constantly thinking about Y/N.
Even as I walked through Comi-Con, I thought about her. I froze when I looked up and saw a girl who looked exactly like my Y/N taking pictures. I was about to go talk to her, but I was pulled away and led to our next panel. I couldn't focus on anything. I was constantly scanning the crowd for any sign of Y/N.
Suddenly, a flash went off. I turned towards it and held my breath. Time seemed to slow down as the photographer slowly lowered the camera. When they did, I was looking at my Y/N.
Y/N lifted her hand with a shy smile on her face. Damn, I loved that smile. I didn't want to wave back. I wanted to jump off this stage, take her in my arms, and spend the rest of my life with her.
I watched as she sent me a wink before going back to work. Y/N got a job straight out of college working for a small magazine. She worked her way up to the biggest teen magazine in LA. She must be taking pictures for the magazine.
Throughout the rest of the panel, I watched Y/N. She took pictures of my cast and the fans. Suddenly, she pulled the camera away from her face again with a teasing smile. She waved the camera at me, silently telling me to smile.
I looked straight at her and gave her one of my award-winning smiles. She slightly rolled her eyes as she brought the camera back up and took my picture. When she lowered the camera again, she mouthed a quick 'thank you'. I could almost hear her saying it.
Y/N walked out of the room, leaving me dying to jump off this stage and run after her. Instead, I was ushered into a back room. I spent the entire briefing meeting thinking about my best friend.
My mind drifted to the last night I talked to her. I've thought about that night a lot. Part of me wonders what would have happened if I hadn't left the following morning. Would we have been together? Would we still be together? Would we be closer to spending the rest of our lives together?
"Alright, guys," our manager Tony said. "We leave in an hour. If you insist on going out there, be careful. We have security but they're spread pretty thin."
The second I heard I was allowed to leave, I sprinted out the door. I ignored the excited fans as I searched for my Y/N. When I saw her, she was taking pictures of a group of fans. I ran over to her, not bothering to call out her name.
When I got to her, I grabbed her elbow and spun her around. The second she was facing me, I pulled her into my chest and leaned down, smashing my lips onto hers.
She was surprised but slowly started kissing me back. Once she started, she deepened the kiss. When I broke the kiss, I smiled when I saw the surprise on Y/N's gorgeous face.
"Joe?" She gasped. I laughed when she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me closer. "I was wondering when I'd ever get to see you again."
"I promised I would never walk away from you."
Y/N looked down at our shoes, hoping it would hide her blush. It didn't but I loved it. I love being the reason she gets all shy and embarrassed.
"Shouldn't you be talking to fans or answering weird questions?" She asked, still studying our shoes.
"I'm all done," I shrugged, tightening my arms around her waist. "Plus, I'm not needed for anything else today."
"So you're free?" She asked under her breath as she slowly lifted her head.
"I'm all yours."