Promise

Hey, it's me... Deejae. [: Sorry the oneshots have been so scarce lately. I guess life's been taking its toll on us. The other DMGs are in colleg whilst I just started and already, it's been a bitch. :P So here's another one. I bring you, Promise.

Burying herself deep into the corner of her couch, she hugs her knees to her chest and tightens the fleece quilt around her body. She curses herself for deciding to watch the late-night horror movie channel. Her eyes flicker over to the digital clock on her entertainment system and the neon numbers mockingly dance across her eyes.

2:27. She desperately wants to sleep, but the movie is playing nonstop; she doesn't dare to move out of her warm seat on the sofa. The movie has been playing for nearly half an hour and the villain of the movie has just killed his seventh victim. She hates that she's turned on this movie and she wonders how on Earth she got to this channel and decided to stay on it.

Suddenly, there's a sound; a soft, almost inaudible knock.

Her head snaps to the left as she looks towards her door. With the late hour, her blinds are shut and the curtains are drawn. She can't see any shadows, but she knows something's there. It's been only two weeks since she moved into this new apartment and she's never encountered any strange occurrences in the middle of the night.

Her heart races, almost as if threatening to beat out of her chest. She reaches for her remote on the coffee table and jumps when a screech emits from her television screen. Her own scream rings in her ears, sounding loudly over the movie. She hears yet another knock and she goes weak at the knees, thinking her death is also soon to come, much like that of the movie's protagonist.

"H-Hello?" Her head cranes to the side as she almost recognizes the soft voice. She waits a moment before moving, turning off the television and looking in the direction of her door. The voice says hello again and once her name falls from the lips of the owner, she knows who it is. Wrapping her arms around her blanketed self, she walks lazily to the door and opens it.

"Joseph, what are you—" She stops. Not only that; to her, it's like her entire world just stopped completely.

Tears? Crying? No. That's not possible.

"W-We're over." His voice is heavy and desperate, the second word cracking with the sorrow in his voice. No words that have ever fallen from his lips have ever sounded so grave.

"Come in here," she says, pulling him by the shoulder and into her home. Without an invitation, not that he'd need one, his arms wrap around her waist and his forehead falls onto her shoulder. His sobs are deep and his breathing is erratic as he cries. "Tell me. Tell me what happened."

He nods into her shoulder, looking up and away from her. She shuts the door quietly, sitting down on the couch and watching him nervously toy with his thumbs, rolling one around the other repeatedly.

"Stop," she tells him, shaking her head and placing her hand over the both of his. "Just stop it. Tell me what's going on."

"Millie. She says we're… oh, my God." His hands fly over his face, his palms cupping his eyes as tears spring from them once again.

She sits quietly, looking at him sympathetically. This isn't the boy she's known since kindergarten. This isn't the boy who threw sand in her hair at recess. This isn't the boy who cheated off of her spelling test in middle school. This isn't the boy who ran into her house those many, many years ago screaming at the top of his lungs, "We got it! They signed us!" This isn't the boy she sees on television and on tour and on news stations.

It's not him. This is a different boy. He's broken.

Amelia broke him.

She doesn't dare speak, a lump growing in her own throat as she watches the boy in front of her collapse in her living room. Slowly, his protective walls are crumbling at his feet as she sees one of his very rare vulnerable moments.

"I caught her with a friend of hers. Well, she said he was a friend of hers." Her name falls from his lips, a plea of desperation in disguise. "Can you believe that?"

"Joseph, I'm so sorry," she says. "I know… I know how much you hurt."

He nods, wrapping one hand around the other. Silence envelops them and he finds his breathing coming back to normal. Looking around cautiously, he sighs. It seems like hours later before he finally speaks.

"Can I use your bathroom?"

Five simple words, but his voice is so heavy and miserable. She nods to him, pointing down the hall. He gives a pathetic smile in response before standing and dragging himself to the restroom. The light turns on and illuminates the hallway before the door shuts behind him.

"Wow…" she finds herself muttering once she hears the sink turn on. Her eyelids start to grow weary as she falls into a light sleep. She doesn't hear the bathroom door open ten minutes later, nor does she hear her own bedroom door open.

-:-:-:-

Joe walks into her room, smiling at the lack of cleanliness. He then remembers that she just moved in, and frowns when he remembers how he broke his promise to help her move in. He had wanted to experience with her the joy of moving into her very first home away from her parents.

His tour had become too hectic. His life had become too much of a maze, even to include his best friend.

His eyes scan the room and fall on a framed picture from two years ago. It was a photo of the party she and her family had thrown in congratulations for his and his brothers' successful signing to Hollywood Records. After a handful of months spent drowning in their own doubts and thoughts of what was to come of their future, their savior had finally arrived. But through all the bouts of self-doubt, Joe had to think of who had always been there for him and his family.

She had been there. Through thick and thin, she was there.

His nimble fingers brushed over the mahogany finish of the 5x7 frame but just as quickly as he had moved to pick it up, it hit the dresser with a loud thud.

-:-:-:-

A dull sound coming from her room has stirred her awake. Removing her arm from over her forehead, she props herself up on her couch and looks down the hallway to her room. She sees a shadow moving in and out of the light and she stands to her feet to investigate.

"What are you doing?" she asks tiredly, resting her body against the doorframe.

"Counting my blessings and reevaluating my life."

"Oh, really?" she smiles, walking over to him as she watches his eyes run over the picture again and again. "That was such a good day," she adds, pointing at the picture in his hands.

"The party? Yeah, it was."

They are silent as she wraps her arms around his waist and leans her head on his shoulder. She notices the puffiness of his eyes have left his face, and she kisses his cheek softly.

"If I'm completely honest with you," she says, her voice almost inaudible, "can you promise me that you won't be mad?"

Joseph clears his throat and swings an arm around and over her shoulders. "Mad at you? Never."

She smiles. "Amelia never… she never deserved you. I remember that one week I spent with you guys on tour; all she did was boast about how lucky she was to be dating Joe Jonas. She didn't really care much for the guy behind the fame. You shouldn't be hurting so much because of her, Joe. I know it hurts, b-but… she never really loved you."

Joe is silent while he looks at her, shifting his weight between his heels. He loosens his grip on her and turns so they're face to face.

"You mean she never really loved me the way you do?"

She's silent. Her jaw drops slightly as she looks at him, shaking her head with a nervous, "N-No, that's n-not what I meant a-at all."

Resting one hand on her waist, he takes the other and tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She takes in a shaky breath when she feels the warmth of his palm on her paling cheek. She counts the seconds it takes for his face to meet hers and her body trembles as she feels his lips gently touch hers. She feels his mouth close around her bottom lip and before he can continue, she pulls her lip between her teeth and turns away from him.

"Y-You're just hurting right now," she says, scrambling around her room as if she'll be able to find a reasonable explanation for her edginess hiding somewhere on her walls. "I don't want to be 'that girl'. I'm not going to be the rebound girl. I'm s-sorry."

She hears her bed creak and she turns to see Joe sitting on the edge of it. His thick eyebrows are knitted together in confusion and she tilts her head to the side.

"I-I'm sorry," she says again. "I'm so, so sorry."

"First of all, stop stuttering," he chuckles. "Secondly, you have no reason to apologize; I get what you're saying. But I think it's my turn to be honest with you. The reason I feel so miserable because of this breakup, the reason I feel so much… pain? It's you; you're the reason," he says slowly, thinking of each word carefully before he says it.

"Why? Why me?" She doesn't know whether to be relieved or hurt. Yet another moment of silence fills the atmosphere and they can both feel the tension.

"She always knew that I didn't love her. She knew that what she and I shared was nothing compared to what I felt for you."

Shock. Complete and utter shock. She doesn't know what to say, doesn't know whether or not to move, doesn't know how to react. Her breathing becomes erratic and she feels a spontaneous leak of tears come from her eyes.

"Why are you cr—"

"I don't know!" she exclaims. "I—this is too cliché. You can't tell me that I've been in love with a boy for this long, only to find out that he's in love with me, too? This can't… no, this can't be happening."

"But it is." She had no idea that he had stepped in front of her. Her body is numb as his fingertips press into her elbows. Her body doesn't react when her legs are pressing into his own and his lips are suddenly covering hers.

"Joe," she breathes, his hair brushing against her forehead as his lips move down her jaw line. "I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing," he says. His warm, nimble fingers rest on her waist and he moves her camisole higher, revealing her bare stomach. Guiding her arms out of the clothing, she bites her lip when the cool air hits her breasts.

Slowly, they both move for the bed, Joe gently laying her down on the bed. With his legs on either side of hers, she plays with the hem of his shirt and tugs up, telling him she wants it off. With their upper bodies left completely visible to the other, they smile nervously.

Having been in this situation multiple times in her past, she's surprised at just how awkward she feels. She doesn't know whether it's because Joseph's her best friend, or if she's just scared of making a stupid mistake. Her thoughts are interrupted when she realizes neither of them has moved.

"You don't want to do this, do you?" he asks, his cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"Joe… Joe, no, that's not it at all." Her palms cup his face gently and she feels every breath as it hits her skin. "You've never done this before and I feel like I'm taking advantage of you or something."

"Or something," he says with a smile. She shakes her head and sits up, immediately feeling uncomfortable when he kneels up and she comes face to face with his torso, a defined bone leading to a hidden place where no other girl has ever laid eyes on.

"You've made that promise and—"

"What is marriage but a promise of love between two people? A marriage is nothing more than a ceremony for show."

He's not making any sense. Either that, or she doesn't want him to.

"This stupid thing," he says, pointing to the tiny circle of silver around his left ring finger, "is indeed a promise to remain celibate until marriage. But looking at you and having thought about this for quite some time—"

"You've thought about this moment?" she asks, incredulous. He nods and continues.

"Why do people get married?" He doesn't wait for an answer. "People get married as a promise of love and commitment. But I feel that if two people love each other enough, marriage is just something to seal the deal, if you will. I love you so much and maybe you think that I'm just being nonsensical because of the breakup, but… if it was up to emotions, Amelia and I have been broken up for months now."

Finally, he's making sense.

"Joseph, I don't think I've ever loved anyone, nor can I ever love anyone as much as I love you."

She feels a yearning in her core and she wants him more than she ever could've imagined. It's more than just lust for her, and she knows he feels the same.

His lips reattach to hers and he softly runs his hands over every inch of her uncovered body. She flinches when the rough pads of his fingers come into contact with her erect nipples and she moans into the heated kiss when he does it again. Her tongue finds entry into his mouth and she feels an uncontrollable urge to groan as he sucks on it. Her heat is evident through her plaid pajama pants and she feels almost embarrassed by the slickness between her legs.

She feels a pull on the elastic of both her underwear and the pants and before she can even think, the pieces of cloth are already at her ankles. Busying his lips with the sensitive skin of her collarbones, he pulls off the last of her clothing and buries himself in the scent of her neck.

"Your s-skinny jeans," she gasps.

"What?" he asks, pulling away from her and watching an expression of subtle pain wash over her face.

"Your jeans scratch," she replies, crookedly smiling at him as she points to the denim scratching lines into her thighs.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he says sincerely. His fingers seem to knot as he tries to undo his jeans, but he looks nervous when her hands cover his.

"Let me do it." Pulling the silver button from its place, she undoes the zipper and bites her lip when she hears a breathy moan escape his throat. The zipper hits the bottom of its trail and she slides her fingers into his pants, cupping the bulge gently.

"Oh, wow," he hisses, jumping when her nails scratch at the material of his boxers. She smirks, pushing the jeans and boxers off of his hips at the same time. "That… God, it feels so different when—"

He doesn't finish his sentence, catching himself before he says something embarrassing and completely revealing. Completely nude, they look at each other before she points at the top of her bed.

"Get under the covers," she says. Doing exactly as he's told, he pulls the comforter from under her pillows and covers the both of them with it. With his arms on either side of her, he attacks her lips once again. She fold her legs up and her knees bring the comforter up and off of his waist. She feels his hardness pressing into her and she opens her eyes.

Her sight catches the faint pinkness of her walls, the plush toys surrounding her bed, and the relatively immature decoration of her bedroom.

"I don't think this is how you e-expected it to go, huh? You first time, I mean? I'm sorry it's not perfect."

Using every ounce of willpower it took to pull his lips away from her stomach, Joseph looked in the direction of her gaze. Brushing a hair away from over her eyes, he smiles.

"Anywhere is perfect as long as I'm with you. Who is what's important, not where."

Kissing her again, he trembles when he feels her fingers dancing down to his hips. A hand wraps around his length and he nips at her bottom lip. Pumping her hand up and down slowly, she notes the expressions on his face and smirks.

"I'm ready if you are," she says slowly, trying not to be obvious about her shock at the size of his length.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You can't. Just… just g-go slow."

His swollen lips leave wet kisses on her neck and he whispers, "Take me."

Grabbing hold of his hardness, she uses her legs to pull him in, leading his erection into her. His tip moves past its boundary and she winces. He doesn't move, afraid to death that he'd hurt her.

"K-Keep going, but go slow." He nods and does as he's told, slowly pushing in until he had nowhere left to go. Her thighs are at his hips and she's surprised when he pulls out and back in slowly.

The pain doesn't take long to subside and soon enough, she's moaning into his hair. His tongue dances across her collarbones, his teeth occasionally meeting the sensitive skin. Pumping in and out of her, he lets out a groan when her legs adjust around his waist, adding more friction.

"Joseph, r-right there," she instructs him, feeling him hit a spot inside of her that makes every nerve ending in her body catch on fire. Taking a fist of hair behind his neck, she pulls when she feels him hit just the right spot. "Oh God," she groans.

"Oh wow," he breathes. "You're soaked. I-Is that supposed to h-happen?" he asks innocently. She nods in reassurance and he mutters, "O-Okay, good."

Comparisons float through her mind and she realizes that no one has ever made her feel this good; no one has ever made her emit such a moan that was so filled with pleasure, it was ungodly.

"Joe, touch me, please," she moans, her hands coming off of his body and scratching at her fitted sheets.

"I-I don't know how," he says sheepishly. "You have to, ahhh, you have to show me."

Her eyes open for just a few seconds as she searches for his hands. Finding one, she rests it on her waist and places his thumb on the sensitive nub between her wet folds. She feels his shoulders flex as she lets out a loud squeal.

"Fuck," she gasps. The curse word falls from her lips and somehow, erupts an explosion within Joe that makes him go faster. Rotating his hips to an indisputably gratifying angle, he thrusts into her quickly.

"Oh God, ohhh," she groans, feeling her walls start to tighten around Joe's throbbing member. His thumb rotates quickly, timing perfectly with each thrust and each rotation of his hips.

Her toes start to tingle and goose bumps start to form on her back. Feeling his hips hit hers, she's lost in a fit of bliss as her walls crash down around him. Never has she felt a string of pleasure so good in her life. Her body writhes underneath him as he continues to pump in and out of her. His thumb stops rotating and he leans on his palms, his hands on either side of her. A large smile plays on her lips and she finds herself giddy with gratification.

She then realizes, "You didn't—"

"I-It's okay."

"No, it's not."

Pushing his shoulder, she moves until she's on top. Resting his back on a stack of pillows, Joseph holds her hips still, his body reacting to the new position.

Slowly lifting herself up and off of his hips with a smirk, she pushes back down onto him, making him yelp.

"Oh, shit," he hisses, biting his lip as a wave of pleasure comes over him. "D-Do that again, p-please."

She does it again and rotates her hips in a tight circle, feeling his member move inside of her again. Her eyes shut tight and she feels his length throbbing inside of her. She watches the shadows of his face as he smiles, the lamp on the bedside table illuminating the both of them. He looks down, watching himself disappear inside of her and he believes he's never seen or felt anything more amazing.

"Like that, ohhhh wow," he groans, feeling her hips moving up, down, left, right. He can't think and he can't feel anything other than his nerves being pleased by every one of her movements.

She feels herself tightening again and she rotates her hips left and right, up and down as she feels he's ready to explode. Kissing the corner of where his jaw meets his neck, she sucks and forms a harsh hickey the size of a bottle cap.

"Just keep… oh, my God," he screams, spilling every ounce of what he has to offer into her. A small mess falls down onto his hips and she collapses on top of him, his climax making her reach her own.

"Jesus Christ," she breathes, kissing up and down his neck. She climbs off of him, leaning into him and pulling the comforter over their bodies. "I don't think I've ever—God, you owned that," she laughs.

He lifts his left hand, the silver band catching the light and glaring at both of them. Wrapping his fingers around hers, he kisses the top of her hand and breathlessly says, "I love you more than anything in this world. Nothing will change that."

He takes off the ring, looking at it before slipping it on her ring finger. She doesn't know the reason as to why he's done this, but she's too tired to care at the moment; she'll ask him about it in the morning.

All she knows right now is that they've created a whole new promise… together.