Emmie woke up with a smile on her face, tangled in the sheets, with her arm stretched out over Joe's back. He lie on his front, facing her side, eyes shut with a small pout on his lips. She admired the way his curls fell forward, over his forehead, but not quite in his eye. He looked so calm. So comfortable.
She let out a small sigh, watching the way Joe's breathing was slow and heavy. She wanted to reach out, and feel how soft his curls were, between her fingertips. But she knew better than to wake him from the peaceful bliss he found himself in.
She stretched her legs out, feeling slightly more awake than she had been a few moments ago. She glanced around the room, the sunlight creeping through from the opposite wall, creating layers of light throughout. She felt the mattress dip beside her, as Joe let out a soft groan, rolling to the over side of the bed, taking the covers with him. She stifled a laugh, shaking her head with a smile, watching as he made himself comfortable in his sleep, tightly wrapping the sheets over himself.
She carefully pulled back what was left of them, instantly feeling the warmth disappear as she was careful not to wake Joe. The tips of her toes touched the coldness of the wooden floor, as she sat on the edge of the bed, feeling the softeness of the sheets around her. She took one more glance over at the brunette happily curled up within the covers, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Emmie slipped away from the bed, padding over to the bathroom where she quietly shut herself inside, staring at the reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a complete mess, slightly frizzy on one side from when she had slept on it all night. She attempted to flatten it with her hands but it was no use. The humidity probably wasn't helping either.
She smiled to herself as she fixed her appearance, splashing cold water on her face to brighten her skin. She brushed her teeth, combed through her hair, before deciding it was the best she could get for early in the morning.
She wasn't sure how long she had spent in front of the mirror, but it was long enough for Joe to rise from his sleep. When she wandered back into the room, he was sat up, leaning against the headboard with a tired smile on his face as his eyes met hers.
"Hey." She smiled, watching as he stretched his arms out in front of him, before resting them behind his head.
"G'Morning." He rasped, smiling back just as willingly.
"Sleep well?" She asked, feeling amused as she remembered how adorable he had looked moments before. Joe pouted at her, catching on to her teasing, but decided not to ask.
"Not too bad." He mumbled with a smirk, letting out a yawn. His eyes fluttered shut as he attempted to let himself fall asleep again. Emmie smiled, stepping towards him, sinking down onto the bed beside him, making him jump at the impact. His eyes shot open and he glared at her.
"I'm tired." He told her, a slight whine in his voice.
"Joe, we've slept in enough already." She grinned, glancing at the window, the sun already beaming down into the room.
"Five more minutes.." He mumbled, shutting his eyes again as he folded his arms over his chest.
"Joe." Emmie smiled, trying to stop him. She reached out for his arm, but he grasped her hand, quickly pulling her onto his lap so that she was straddling him. Her eyes widened in shock as he smirked at her. She attempted to roll away from him, but he kept her put.
"Stop moving and let me sleep." He gave her a lazy smile, a humorous sparkle in his eyes. He placed his hands on her shoulders, pulling her down to lay on his chest as he wrapped him arms around her.
She smiled into him, deciding to relax for a moment. Joe's body was warm, and she felt comfortable within his grasp. When she looked back up at him, he was already looking down at her, his lips curling up at the corners. Emmie reached up, running her hands through his messy bed hair, tangling her fingers in his curls. He smiled appreciatively, leaning his head back slightly.
Emmie caught his glance, slowing her hand to a stop as their eyes stayed locked on one another. She gave him a small smile, as he did the same. Joe readjusted his position, sitting up a little more, leaning in slightly as he did so. He pressed a soft kiss on her forehead, before pulling away and tilting her head up so he could reach her lips.
She instantly smiled, kissing him back, running her hand down to the back of his neck. It was a short but sweet moment. The two of them completely captivated by each other. But it wouldn't last long.
Only seconds later, a knock at the door came, and without thinking, Kevin barged inside the room. Quickly regretting his mistake.
"Good morn- Oh great!" He stopped himself in the doorway, quickly spinning around so he was no longer looking at them. "Why does this always happen to me?"
Joe chuckled, hearing his brother mumble under his breath. He kept his grasp on Emmie's hips, smiling at her as she glanced between the two.
"Good morning Kev, how'd you sleep?" Joe spoke sarcastically, clearly trying to tease him. Emmie gave him a look, but Joe just shrugged it off with a giggle.
"Do you two have to make out whilst I'm in the room?" Kevin asked, turning to face them once again, but shielding his face with his hands.
"Did you have to interrupt our make out?" Joe shot back, a wide grin on his face. He couldn't help but snicker to himself, watching Emmie's face drop as the two brothers scolded each other.
"I came here to tell you, Nick's hired that yacht we were discussing." Kevin nodded to Joe, "We'll be leaving in around an hour."
"We'll be there." Emmie interrupted, before Joe could think of anymore snarky comments. He pouted at her, crossing his arms like a child.
"Okay great." Kevin thanked her with a smile. "And Joe.. Please put a shirt on."
Joe silently mimicked him, as Kevin left the room, quickly shutting the door behind him. Emmie brought her glance back to Joe, letting out a small laugh as she realised how childish those two boys could be.
She removed her leg from his side, rolling off the bed and rising to her feet beside where he lay. Joe raised his eyebrows at her, as she reached out to grasp his hand.
"C'mon." She grinned, "You need to put a shirt on."
Emmie repeated Kevin's words with a chuckle. She pulled Joe onto his feet as he groaned from the loss of warmth of the covers.
•.•.•.•.•
Emmie smiled to herself, walking hand in hand with Joe, as they neared the rather large yacht awaiting them at the dock. He wore a floral blue button up shirt with longer black shorts. Although he chose to leave the shirt undone, explaining that the heat was too much for him. His hair had been styled within seconds, running a hand through it to perfect his fluffy curls. He had also stolen Emmie's glasses from her head, complaining that she wasn't even wearing them- so of course he had to instead.
They noticed Nick, leaning against the railing that surrounded the decking of the boat. He waved them over, everyone else already on board, greeting them at the entrance. The water rippled, making the boat rock gently as they stood beside it. Kevin held his hand out for Emmie, helping her on, whilst Joe stood beside her, holding her waist so she wouldn't fall. She thanked the both of them, smiling gratefully before noticing Danielle and Priyanka. Once Joe boarded safety, Emmie rushed over to her friends, pulling each of them into a hug.
"Isn't this beautiful?" Priyanka smiled, glancing out at the water. "I can't believe the boys had planned this and didn't tell us."
"I could get used to this." Dani grinned, admiring the interior that stood before them.
The yacht had definitely been one of the boys' best picks. It had a white surface with light wooden floorboards on the bottom deck, the end of the boat completely open, with no railings. An open doorway led them inside the boat, with the entire view of the ocean on show through the tinted windows.
There were two sets of stairs that would lead to the second floor that sat a small mini bar and a rather large cream leather couch. A wide table stood before them, piled with many empty glasses. The whole space was lit up, with bright lights buried into the walls. Round the front of the second floor stood the wheel that would steer the boat, and 3 cushioned sun beds that faced out to the waters.
The girls smiled in awe, completely amazed with the boat they stood on. Emmie carefully climbed the staircase, her eyes wide at the selection of drinks behind the bar. She sank down onto the couch, leaning her head back as she smiled, inhaling the ocean breeze. She heard footsteps follow her, and soon enough Joe appeared by her side. The others quickly clambered over to the minibar, where they all began to open different bottles, pouring the contents into multiple glasses.
Emmie tilted her head to look at Joe, who held a warm smile on his face. He reached for the glasses that rested on his nose and slides them back onto her face, making her smile. She looks up through the tinted frame, to see Kevin wandering towards them with two filled glasses. He handed one to her, and she smiled gratefully, sniffing the contents in hopes to figure out what it was. But it was no good.
Instead, she took a sip, feeling the instant burn of alcohol wash down her throat. She coughed at the impact, watching Joe and Kevin chuckle under their breath, in which she glared at them in response.
"May I ask what's in this?" She questioned, clearing her throat. Kevin smirked a little, before glancing back at the others who continued to gather around the bar. He turned back to look at her with a small shrug.
"Ask the bartenders over there." He nodded towards them, watching as Dani and Priyanka clinked their glasses together before taking a shot.
Emmie shook her head with a smile. She knew those three probably weren't even paying attention to what drinks they were mixing. But at least they were enjoying themselves.
Around half an hour passed and the boat had left the dock. The boys taking turns behind the wheel, until they agreed they were out far enough to only be surrounded by the land in the distance. Emmie, Priyanka and Danielle lay in a row together on the sun beds at the front of the boat. A warm breeze brushed over them, the ripples in the waves creating the perfect sounds in the background. Emmie smiled to herself, her eyes closed behind the tinted shades that she continued to wear. She was quite surprised that Joe hadn't attempted to steal them back- considering how much of a liking he had taken to them before.
She could hear the boys somewhere in the background. Kevin had brought out his guitar and Joe was busy singing to himself- louder than he probably realised. She loved the fact that they were all finally getting along once more. Even Nick had been more involved with their banter, and the girls were happy to see it. Of course it would take some time to really bring their relationship back, but this was a good start.
Eventually it went quiet, and knowing the boys- that was never a good sign. The music died down, and Joe's voice was no longer the centre of attention. Emmie frowned to herself when she realised, but chose not to think anything of it. That was until the warmth of the sun disappeared and was replaced with a dark shadow that towered over her.
She squinted, looking up at the person that stood over her. Joe grinned, a mischievous look on his face.
"Fancy a trip into the ocean?" He asked, a sudden smirk appearing on his face.
"I..uh-" She began, but Joe quickly reached down, picking her up before she had the time to process it. He held her by the waist, over his shoulder so she had no choice but to let him carry her away. She squealed at the sudden movement, watching as Dani and Priyanka sat up, smiles on their faces as they watched it all happen.
"Joe!" Emmie called to him from over his shoulder, but the only response she got was a low chuckle.
He finally placed her back onto her feet when they reach the edge of the boat. She gripped his arms for balance, watching him smirk at her once more. She raised her eyebrows at him as he place his arms around her waist once more, picking up her and making her scream as he pulled both of them into the water.
Once they resurfaced, all that could be heard was the cheers and clapping from their friends. The girls were laughing from the barrier they stood at, Kevin whooping from the couch and Nick cheering them on from beside him. Emmie gasped in shock, still trying to get used to the sudden temperature change, feeling Joe grasp her hand from under the water. He let out a giggle pulling her into a hug. She leant into his embrace before he helped her back onto the boat, water dripping from every inch of their bodies.
"What is it with you and water?" She asked, shaking her head with a laugh, referring to their moment from the day before. Joe looked at her with an amused smile as he shrugged to himself. He ruffled his hair, in attempt to dry it as he followed Emmie back to where they sat.
Many drinks and tipsy jokes later, the six of them sat around the bar, deep in conversation. The sun had finally dried the seawater from Emmie's hair, although it looked a lot more wild than it had before. Joe sat beside her, his hand resting on his knee as he drank from a rather tall glass. She didn't know how much that had actually drank in the past hour, but she was starting to feel the affect it had on her.
Her mind felt numb as she watched her friends joke around with each other. Kevin stumbled over to the shelves behind them, where multiple alcoholic drinks were locked inside. He grabbed the first one he saw, wandering back over to the table where the others sat, popping the lid and taking a rather large gulp- straight from the bottle.
A gasp was heard from Joe, and then he reached out to take the bottle from his brother. Kevin grinned at him, handing it over as Joe walked towards the barriers that overlooked the ocean. Emmie watched intently, wanting to make sure he was safe, and wouldn't fall. After all, Joe didn't have good balance when he was drunk, no matter how much he chose to deny it.
He grasped the bars with strength, grinning
to himself as his eyes stayed focused on the waters below. He couldn't help but feel more than happy with how well everything had been going recently. He had spent more time with Nick since arriving in Cuba, and he was glad. He was finally on the way to getting his little brother back.
They had spent some time together during the day whilst the girls were busy sunbathing, Kevin playing the guitar whilst they brainstormed a few lines for some songs they had been planning. Joe had missed the company of Nick when writing, and now his ideas came to him much easier than before. Everything almost felt normal again.
He was broken from his daze when a hand gently touched his. He glanced back from the ocean, smiling at Emmie when their eyes met. She held her camera in her other hand, leaning forward to snap photos of the view before them.
"Everything okay?" She asked, slight concern on her face.
Joe nodded in response.
"All good." He told her, making her smile again. He spun round to face her properly, his back now leaning against the railings behind him. He glanced down at the bottle in his hand, bringing it to his lips as he smiles at her through a sip.
Emmie quickly brought the camera up to face him, smiling through the lens as she took his photo. Joe caught onto this quickly and stuck his finger up at her, the bottle still in his mouth. He pulled it away, giving her a devilish grin as she shook his head at him. She hoped the photo hadn't come out too badly, as she had been taken by surprise from his reaction. But she knew, every photo of Joe, was a good photo.
The sounds of their friends calling them back over to the group, broke off their little moment. Joe smiled at her again, holding his hand out for her, intwining their fingers as the wandered back over. Kevin rested his guitar on his lap once again, strumming a few notes to brighten the mood.
Emmie smiled to herself. The past few days had been some of her favourites. Spending time with her friends had been really uplifting for her mental health, and she was glad she here with them. She glanced around at the joyful expressions on everyone's faces. She was so grateful to be surrounded by such positive people. People who truly cared for her. People who meant more to her than anything else. She could get used to all of these new memories she was making, and she knew they would be ones would never forget.
And she still believed, that meeting Joe was one of the best things that could've happened to her.