When the music had died down, and the party was over, everyone slowly made their way home. Joe smiled at Emmie as he closed the door for the final time that evening. The smell of alcohol lingered in the air, and a little on their lips. Just enough to keep them feeling tipsy.
"Goodbye my lovebirds." A very drunk Kevin called through the door, before the sound of Dani hushing him and pulling him away.
Joe stood in the centre of the lounge, spinning slowly with a smile on his face. Taking in the last little moments of his birthday. Emmie smiled at him. When he finally stopped in front of her, he grabbed her hands, to keep his balance.
"I have something for you." Emmie whispered, watching his face light up once more.
Joe raised an eyebrow, watching her rush to the kitchen, where she reappeared with a perfectly wrapped gift. It was small, wrapped in a silver foil, with a bow tied to the top. Emmie watched him smile as he took it from her hands.
"You made it impossible for me to find you something." She laughed.
Joe smirked at her, sitting down on the couch as he held the gift in his lap. He began to open it, but considering he was still a little drunk, his hands kept slipping and it took him many tries to eventually peel the paper back.
"Stupid paper." He mumbled, earning a smile from Emmie.
"Hey, don't mock my wrapping skills." She teased.
He pulled the gift from the paper, to reveal a small blue book. The first thing he noticed, was that it was almost identical to the book Emmie had been using a few days back in the music room. It was heavier than normal, the covers noticeably being hardback. Joe stroked his hand over the cover, flicking through the pages to find it empty.
"It's for your music." Emmie explained, her voice soft. "You have a lot of meaning behind your songs, so I thought you could keep all your ideas safe."
Joe smiled to himself, and then looked over at her. Her face looked worried, as if he was about to disregard everything she had said.
"If you don't like it, I can take it back." She rushed. "It was just a thought, and I-"
"-Em." Joe stopped her, placing his hand on hers. "I love it."
"Really?" She gave him a hopeful smile.
"Of course." He reassured her. "Gifts are all about meaning, right?"
Emmie smiled at him, relieved that Joe was pleased. He toyed with the pages, deep in thought.
"I've got some amazing songs to go in here." He tapped the cover, grinning at Emmie.
"That was fast." She laughed.
"No, no." Joe stopped, "I wrote them a while ago."
He reached for her hand, pulling her onto her feet and leading her to his bedroom. Emmie stood in the doorway, rifling through the many papers that lie scattered around. After a few minutes, he finally found what he was looking for. Joe handed her the papers, as she sat on the edge of the bed. He set the empty book down beside her, letting her read the lines.
"Wait." Joe stops her. "I want you to hear it."
Emmie hands the papers back, suddenly curious to what Joe was about to do. He held the song in his hands, his palms sweating as he quickly became nervous.
"Comeback to me, baby I'll come back to you." He sang softly, not wanting to look her in the eyes.
"Light up the world like only you can do." But that line hit him. The line he wrote that perfectly described the girl sat before him. He slowly glanced up at her, a sparkle in his eye as he continued.
"If you're lost on the way, then I'll get lost too. Come back to me, baby I'll come back to you." Joe wanted to stop there, but his heart wouldn't let him.
"Wherever you are right now, know somehow. I'll be on the way like a bat out of hell. Heaven knows I'm proud, but I'll turn 'round. Baby if you stay then I won't let you down." He looked up again, smiling at her.
"Oh, whatever we've done, whatever we'll do. Baby if you come back now, I'll come back to you." His voice became quiet at the end, as he looked up, awaiting a reaction.
Emmie smiled hearing the song Joe had written. He had a way with his words. The pure emotion that went into the song was undeniable. Joe really had a special gift in songwriting.
"Joe.. It's beautiful." She told him, her green eyes locking onto his brown ones.
"You were my inspiration." He admitted, his voice quieter than normal.
"I was?" She asked, glancing down at the paper, and then back at him.
Joe nods in response.
"You're special to me, Em. And I seriously don't know where I would be, without you. That's where the song came from."
"Well then I love it even more." She grinned. She felt butterflies, knowing the song was written about her. Although it held a hint of sadness, the new meaning behind the song meant more to her.
Joe flopped back onto the bed, stretching out his entire body. The alcohol was clearly beginning to make him feel drowsy.
Emmie pulled at the outfit that clung to her body, the fabric beginning to itch after having wore it for so long.
"Do you mind if I take a shower?" She asked, after a moment of silence. "I should probably change out of these clothes."
"No, go head." Joe told her, a tired smile on his face, as he lie there with his eyes closed. It would be no surprise to if she found him asleep within the next few moments.
She returned a while later, dressed in the clothes that she had stolen from Joe's closet. Seeing as she had came here, completely unprepared to stay, it was the only option. Emmie trailed into the room, drowned in his shirt that hung just above the knees. Her hair was tied back into a messy ponytail, a few stray hairs hanging in front of her face.
When Joe caught her eye, he quickly broke away from the sleepy state he was in. He cleared his throat, instantly sitting up on the bed, running a hand through his hair. Emmie guessed she just caught him off guard.
"Sorry." She mumbled, referring to her outfit, "I couldn't find anything else."
"No-" Joe stopped her, his voice breaking slightly. "No, that's fine- You look fine." He quickly looked away.
Joe had no idea why he was suddenly being awkward. It wasn't as if it was the first time he had seen her in his clothes. But last time, it wasn't just a shirt. And he couldn't help but let his eyes wander back to her small body.
Emmie wandered over to where his book lie. She smiled, noticed he had already began to organise his music inside. And it looked better than she could imagine. He had all his ideas planned out, lines to different songs, with all their meanings surrounding them.
"Sorry if it was weird." Joe spoke from behind her. She quickly turned around to face him, closing the book.
"Asking you to stay." He continued. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable." He looked down for a moment.
"No." Emmie told him simply. "You didn't. Besides I think it's best that someone stays with you, considering the amount you had to drink." She let out a small laugh.
Joe quickly frowned at her.
"I am completely fine." He joked, although his voice told them different.
"Sure you are." She nods, shaking her head with a smile.
"I managed to sing you a song." Joe continued, "How could I have done that if I was drunk."
"Joe-" Emmie laughed, "You've spent the entire night singing LA Baby and Burnin' Up with your brothers. I think that speaks for itself."
Joe couldn't help but smile. He'd had the best evening surrounded by his family, and it had only gotten better, starting with the girl in front of him.
"Whatever you say." Joe smirked, holding his arms up to surrender. She chuckled, climbing onto the bed where he sat.
Joe repositions himself, making room for her to sit beside him. As he does, he knocks into her slightly, their arms brushing together. They both look up, noticing the short distance between them. But neither of them chose to pull away. Instead they stay there, continuing to look at each other, getting lost in a daze.
"Hi." Emmie smiled, breaking the silence. Her voice barely over a whisper.
"Hey." Joe smiled back, the same warmth in his voice.
"I can't believe you wrote a song about me." She shook her head, watching the way he never took he glance away from her.
"You must mean a lot to me." He smirked.
"I guess I do." Emmie agreed, looking away from him as she smiled. When she looked back at him, she noticed his eyes elsewhere.
"Have I ever told you, you look good in my shirt." Joe spoke in a low voice, his eyes wandering across her body as she sat before him.
"Have I ever told you that you're such a flirt." Emmie giggled, poking his arm.
"You like it." Joe challenged, smirking at her.
"Maybe I do." Emmie mumbled back, with a shrug.
Joe couldn't help the feeling growing in the pit of his stomach as she looked him up and down. He watched as her eyes made their way back up to his.
Emmie had no idea where this sudden rush of confidence had come from, but there was no going back now. She wanted to blame the alcohol, but she knew that it was slowly wearing off. Joe on the other hand, couldn't complain. The alcohol still lingered in his lips, but he couldn't tell if the head rush was from the substance, or the girl next to him.
It was as if everything fell into slow motion. Joe looked at her, reaching forward, to twirl a loose strand of her hair between his fingers, before gently tucking it behind her ear. His hand traced her skin, feeling the softness beneath his fingers. Emmie followed his movements, feeling the butterflies in her stomach once more.
"Joe." She whispered.
"Em." He replied, his voice not much louder than her own.
His hand stayed there, not wanting to pull away. And Emmie didn't either. She watched his eyes wander her face, landing on her lips. And eventually back up to her eyes once more. She smiled weakly, unable to help the affect he had on her.
And then ever so suddenly, he began to lean in. With no hesitation this time. He glanced at her once more, before pressing his lips to hers. Emmie was taken back for a moment, but couldn't deny the passion on his lips, whilst he held her. She leant further into him, wanting more, as his hand became tangled in her hair.
After a long blissful moment, the pair finally pulled back, their expressions soft, as Joe rested his forehead on hers. A comfortable silence fell over them.
For once in his life, Joe was speechless. He sat there with a smile on his face, looking down at his hands. He couldn't believe what had just happened but he was glad it did. He felt Emmie's gaze on him as he stared at the rings on his hand.
"You've got pretty eyes." She told him, as he looked back up to meet her gaze. Joe couldn't help but grin, as he let out a small chuckle.
"You're adorable." He wrapped an arm around her as she bought her hands up to her face, burying herself into the side of his neck. Joe pulled her into a hug, rubbing her shoulder as they both continued to laugh. He was glad that things hadn't instantly turned awkward between them.
But he couldn't help but wonder what this would mean for them.