anything for you kat because you’re the bee’s knees sweetpea. :D

78: “hold me and never let me go.”

ten months. 

ten months, web has been with joe. it’s been absolutely incredible, more than everything web had ever imagined, don’t get him wrong, but he wanted to move it to the next level.

not marriage or moving into together or even getting a fucking pet together. 

no.

he just wanted to be able to hold joe’s hand around their friends. to be able to kiss joe no matter where they were. most importantly, he wanted to not feel the hot shame that coursed through him every single time joe pulled away from him when they were out in public or with people they knew.

it was starting to make web feel unwanted and unloved even though he knew how much joe cared about him and their relationship.

that’s how he finds himself sulking in the corner at ron and lip’s new years eve party.

he knows that joe isn’t going to kiss him at midnight and the spiked punch sit sourly in his stomach at the thought.

he couldn’t understand why joe was so cautious about their friends knowing about them.

still sulking, he watches the minutes tick by one by one until it’s near 11:25, joe nowhere in sight and everyone well on their way to drunk and talking with one another. after five attempts to pull him into conversation, everyone gave him his space for which he was simultaneously grateful and upset.

he’s about to get up and just leave when ron throws himself onto the couch beside web and stares at him.

normally, any of the other guys would immediately break down and start talking, but web was closer to ron than the others so he just continued to sulk.

“not leaving, webster.”

web smiled, “you’re annoying, you know that?”

“i do. now spill.”

“it’s j…just nothing,” he sighed.

“it’s joe. we all know. the only reason you’re upset these days is because of him.”

web looked to ron, “you all know what?”

“that you’re together. knew since the day you came out wearing each other’s shirts after toye’s birthday party. you guys aren’t stealth. no matter how much joe wishes to be, he’s as transparent as cling wrap.”

web let out the breath he’d been holding. 

“i don’t know why he’s so scared.”

web looked at his watch: 11:38.

“did you ever think to ask him, dumbass?”

web looked at ron and couldn’t help himself, “ask him? my god ron you’re a genius! let me go ask the man i’m in love with, who is more afraid of commitment than you were before lip, why he doesn’t want our friends to know that we’re together. gee, let me think.”

ron didn’t look angry, more amused and he was staring directly behind web’s back.

web closed his eyes and ground his teeth.

“he’s behind me isn’t he?”

ron just kept laughing and left web alone on the couch. the spot wasn’t vacant for too long before joe filled it with body heat and tension.

joe was staring at his hands, shaking slightly and sloshing the liquid in his cup around. web grabbed the cup and put it on the table before joe could make a mess. always looking to take care of joe before he can even think of it. 

“thanks.” joe whispered.

web checked his watch: 11:46.

“no problem,” web responded and then they just sat there, barely touching and not speaking.

web could feel joe’s eyes on him but in order to keep himself together, he fought to look back until…

“web…david…look at me.”

web closed his eyes and took a deep breath before looking at joe.

“yeah?” he opened his eyes to see so much longing and turmoil in joe’s eyes.

“you’re in love with me?”

web couldn’t fight with himself or his shame anymore, he just gave in to all of it.

“of course i do, joe. for as long as i can remember, even before we were together, i knew. i love you.”

there web had said it. and now his entire heart lay bare for joe to with as he pleased. and he waited.

and waited.

“fuck.”

that was all joe said and web would be lying if he said he wasn’t heartbroken that joe didn’t immediately say it back, but he hadn’t expected anything at all so he guessed that something was better than nothing.

web looks back down at his watch: 11:50.

he doesn’t look back up.

“look joe, i don’t expect anything from you. i don’t want you to say it because you think you have to or if don’t mean it. if you want leave, i understand that too. i just need to know one thing.”

he looked at joe who was still staring at him.

“why didn’t you want any of them,” he gestures to the rest of the party, “to know? w-were you that ashamed of me?” web’s voice shakes and he knows he sounds desperate, but if he’s going to lose joe, he needs to at least know the answer to this question.

“is that what you…” joe starts and moves closer to web because their friends got louder as the new year drew closer.

“david,” he grabs web’s hand and holds it with his own, “i-i’ve never hand something like this and i’m not used to all of this…the emotions and feelings and needing to touch and be touched by you constantly. it scared me. but you completely changed my life and what i thought it meant to be happy and just how happy i could actually be.”

his hand gently pulls web’s head up so he could look him in the eyes.

“and don’t you ever, for one fucking second think that i would ever be ashamed of you or what we have. it’s everything to me. you are everything to me, web. and i’m sorry if i made you feel like you were anything less than my entire life.”

web let two tears fall from his eyes before wiping them gently.

“web, i…”

“ten, nine, eight…” the party trailed off.

joe stood up and pulled web with him.

“joe?” web asked hastily, heart beginning to race.

“three, two, one!”

everything went silent the moment joe’s lips latched onto his, it was the only thing in the world that mattered to web in that moment.

he memorized everything, the slight catch of joe’s lips, - a little cracked from the dry weather - the salty taste of joe’s skin where his bottom lip met his chin, and the feeling of absolute completion anytime joe held him like this.

they pulled apart and the silence continued on until both men finally opened their eyes to see their friends staring at them with smiles and amused look.

“fucking finally,” tab screamed and the rest of the group shouted in joy before returning to the party.

joe laughed, giddy and happy and in love.

hands still wrapped around web, he leaned in close.

“i love you too, david.”

web smiled and pulled joe’s arms tighter around him.

“hold me and never let me go,” web whispered into joe’s ear, kissing it lightly causing joe to shiver.

“never.”

and joe kissed him again, sweetly and soundly, in front of those they held most dear. 

web always remembers that kiss in particular because it’s the same way joe kisses him after they say “i do.”