We'll Watch the Stars Together Now

Joel Kanitz & Tay Jardine fanfic.

Tay Jardine’s POV.

Joel and I were laughing so hard when we hopped out of the Mayday Parade tour bus, our breaths barely heard as we struggled to breathe. He had a hand to my back and I had my arm around his shoulders. Tonight, we were going bus hopping from one tour bus to another and attempt at joining in their parties.

“Tay!” Joel said to me, his eyes glinting in the moonlight. “We should try Pierce the Veil’s next!”

I nodded a bit and grinned. “Why not?” I was calm already, but my heart was still pounding inside of me. “But I’d rather stay on top of their bus. People like going on top of it ‘cause it’s easy to climb on…”

Joel shrugged and smiled at me. “I’m fine with anything really, Tay,” he said softly and offered his arm. “Care to be escorted to the tour bus with a moustache?”

“It’d really be my pleasure.” I took his arm and we excitedly headed off to the bus.

“Joel! Don’t you dare touch my ass, okay?” I shouted down at him, my hair whipping at my face from the wind. “Just support me!”

“I get it!” he shouted from under, squinting at me. Joel had his hands on my hips, securing me before I made the final jump to get on the roof.

I squirmed a bit, slightly uncomfortable with the way Joel was holding me so firmly. “Three… Two… One…” I pushed up with my legs and clambered to the top of the bus. I think I kicked Joel’s hand to the bus when I was trying to get to the rooftop. I peered down and heard a soft groan.

“Tay, that kind of hurt,” Joel grumbled, then climbed up, careful not to hurt his hand.

I frowned and took his other hand and pulled him up. “Are you okay?” I wondered softly. When both of us were somewhere in the middle of the roof and sitting, I gently touched parts of his hand to check for a bruise.

Joel flinched when I pressed the middle of the back of his hand. “I think you found the bruise,” he said weakly and pressed closer to me to check.

I stared at it a bit more, the pale moonlight not helping. “Joel…” I pressed his hand repeatedly, but the reactions were late. “You liar!” I shouted with a slight smile.

Joel was chuckling next to me. “I was testing you.”

I scrunched up my nose. “Testing me for what?”

“How fast you would respond if I got hurt.”

I shifted my weight a bit, thoughtfully. “I respond fast, I guess?” I asked, unsure about myself. I leaned back to my hands and stared at the stars, thinking.

What if, Joel likes me and all the little antics he’s been up to are just ways of trying to get me to notice him? I thought to myself, but laughed at the thought of him actually wanting me.

Joel lifted an eyebrow at me and glanced over to the stars. “Look, I see the North Star!” I exclaimed, attempting at pointing at it.

I squinted my eyes and moved closer to him, trying to see what he was pointing at. “Joel, I don’t think that’s it… I think it’s that one over there,” I said, pointing at a star to the right of it. “It’s much brighter.”

“No, I really think you’re pointing at a firework or something,” he mumbled, lightly slapping my hand away. “Don’t you see that blinking airplane over there? A bit more to the right of that is the star I’m talking about.”

“No, that’s not it!” I squealed, and pushed his face back gently. “Like I said, it’s the one to the right of that star you’re talking about!”

He laughed a bit and rocked back to me and flailed an arm in the direction of his star. “You’re wrong, Tay!

I could feel Joel pressing his face nearer to mine, just to make sure I was looking at the right thing. I felt my face heat up a bit and I moved my right hand a bit to the right to come nearer to him. I lifted my hand and pressed it down hard, sadly, on Joel’s hand.

He shouted and we both fell back, stunned. “Hey!” Joel fell closer to me, his head in the crook of my neck, our faces so near to each other.

I inhaled a sharp breath and stared at him, my arms too floppy to move from the position we were in. I could feel his fingers slowly grasping mine in a tight grip, his heartbeat pounding in the veins of his wrist.

I could feel my own heartbeat racing, blood drumming in my eyes as Joel’s hair swept back, his face coming nearer to mine. I tensed up, my eyes squeezing shut as I waited. His hand grasped my hand even tighter now.

A few heartbeats passed, then I felt a short breath on my lips. “Got you.” Joel pecked my lips and let go of me, sitting up. He laughed loudly, a wide smile on his face.

I was furious, pushing him away and swearing. I was slightly surprised no one came out from the bus under us to shout. Tears welled in my eyes and when I felt like my arms couldn’t handle it, I broke down in front of him, curling into a ball of depression.

“Joel, how could you… You bastard!” I screamed at him when he said my name softly. It was the way my father used to say my name when he caressed me as a child, coaxing me to walk to him. It reopened a wound, and more tears fell down. “Dad…” Sniffles shook my body, and I felt Joel’s arms hold me tight, his soft lips gently kissing the tears away.

“Tay, it’s alright… I didn’t mean so much to hurt you in that way… You know I wouldn’t do that kind of thing to you…” He held me tighter, cocooning me with his body. “Please, don’t be mad at me anymore…”

I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing, but Joel kept wiping them away and telling me the sweetest things I’ve ever heard from anyone. He made so many promises to me that night, just to prove how much he cared for me. He wouldn’t even let go of me when I kissed his hands back, telling him to let go already. I felt embarrassed for breaking down right there, but I knew there wasn’t really anyone else I could trust to be with in a situation like so.

Joel had a hand wrapped protectively around my head, and the other went to my back. His legs secured me in his grasp. I was sure he didn’t feel comfortable because I was lying on his arm like a pillow, but he did it all for me.

“Joel,” I whispered my voice hoarse from sobbing. I craned my neck to look at him.

He wiped the final tears from my cheeks gently, taking my hand in his. “Are you okay now?” he asked me.

I nodded a bit and nuzzled closer to him, pressing my forehead to his chest. “Thank you… For staying all this time with me, even though I was a real ass earlier…” I moved a bit and kissed his collarbone, the closest patch of skin I could get to without hurting my back or neck.

Joel let go of me a bit, letting me adjust into a more comfortable position. “Tay, you’re the strongest girl I know. You don’t let anything get into your way, but there’s always a time strong people have to lie down and let the world come crashing down on them.” He kissed my forehead. “I was just there to protect you from the world.”

“I know,” I replied, a small tear running down my cheek. “I love you for that, and for everything you’ve ever done for me.” I gave him a tight smile.

“You’re welcome, Tay,” he said, his voice saying my name so perfectly, as if he really were to say my name.

I squirmed a bit and smiled, more naturally now. I slipped my arms around his neck and pulled him lower to me. “I love you.”

“Hey! You finally said it!”

“It’s my second time saying it, Joel,” I laughed a bit and pecked his lips softly, shying away after with a bright blush.

I could see his lips turn upwards in a small smirk. “A kiss for every time each of us says ‘I love you’?” he suggested.

I smirked back and laced my fingers behind his head. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” I repeated over and over, giving him small kisses all over his face and neck. I wasn’t too sure, but I could feel Joel’s skin heat up from under my touch, his heartbeat beating faster. I finally whispered in his ear afterwards, “I’m hoping nothing’s going on down there.”

Joel’s body heat up more and I could see his eyes a bit wide. “Tay, no.” He looked away, shy to say any more.

“I’m just kidding!” I giggled and punched his arm a bit, making him laugh sheepishly. “Don’t be so shy, Joel. You’re the man!”

Joel stuck his tongue out a bit. “Fine!” He pulled me closer and bent down, kissing my softly.

There was a faint trace of alcohol in his mouth from the bus-hopping we’d be doing. I didn’t mind too much though, all I really wanted was to spend the whole night with Joel here, doing the silliest things and being happy together.

“Joel?” I asked softly, warm in his hold.

“Yeah?”

“Can we go bus-hopping tomorrow?” I looked up at him and smiled a bit.

“Anything you’d like to do.”

“Let’s do it every night, then.”

“I think that’d be nice.”

I kissed his nose. “And we can just cuddle here together on the top of buses afterwards, re-confessing our love and just being the most adorable couple on Earth.”

Joel smiled and stroked my head. “That’s perfect.”