I've been obsessing over this couple latley, so I decided I might as well give this oneshot a try. First JONAS fanfiction. Hope you enjoy. :) Oh, and I have a Nalex fanfiction with Smithie, I know...but, in the show, I think these two would make the best couple. (Altough, yes, I understand that Joe and Stella will end up together, but I don't care. The cuteness of this couple is undeniable.) So anyway, enjoy. Reviews are loved. :)
Two Worlds
--
beautiful dawn, light up the shore for me .
--
Joe Lucas liked Stella Malone.
Everyone thought that, of course. It was always that way between them. The whole best friends 'with benefits' thing. And he never complained. Stella was pretty, smart, and, well, they worked together.
So when was it that he started to fall in love with someone else?
He wasn't so sure, as was no one else. No one knew about the feelings he had started to have, and he planned on not telling anyone, either. Being in love with this girl would ruin everything—so he denied it.
But her eyes, every time they shone when they met his—her smile, which brightened up his day—just everything about her seemed so surreal.
But Stella would not only kill him, but her as well. Nick would definitely kill him (he had started crushing on her, too. Way to be a brother, right?) and Kevin—well, he was Kevin. He wasn't really the brightest, which meant it was going to be hard for him to keep a secret.
And Frankie would blackmail him with it.
So no, he kept his feelings to himself, even as it killed him inside. Watching Nick flirt in that not so obvious way he had. Making her laugh. How his guts wrenched inside at the sight.
But no, he had to plaster a smile on his face.
How did it all start? Well, the little things. Macy was obviously Stella's female best friend, so she always seemed to be around her.
The day he knew he had started falling for her was a different day.
Joe leaned against the locker next to Stella's as she put her books away.
Joe looked around. "Wow," Joe said, and Stella glanced at him.
"What?" she asked. Joe bit his lip.
"It's just, Macy's usually here…next to you…drooling all over me," he told Stella. Stella rolled her eyes and shut her locker, looking at Joe.
"Get over it, Joe," she said. "And Macy is not here because she…stayed after class," a hint of a smile appeared on Stella's face. Joe raised an eyebrow.
"Macy? After class? She has great grades, I don't see why…" Joe trailed off as he saw Macy walking out the doors with a guy next to her, Macy giggling and the guy smirking.
Joe blinked. "Oh," he said, trying not to scoff. Stella looked at him, then behind her. When she saw the sight of them, she grinned and squealed.
"Yay!" she said, turning back to Joe. "Those two have been in love with each other since, like, kindergarten," Stella gloated. "It was a matter of time. I'm so happy for Macy!"
Joe wasn't feeling too well, though. His stomach was twisted and he felt like punching Stella—which was way out of character for him. His reaction to this was very unexpected.
"Oh, yeah, you must be thrilled," Joe said, a little more sarcastically than he had intended to. Stella blinked and looked confused, but Joe waved her off. "I have to go," he said through clenched teeth. He took his bag and quickly ran towards the opposite exit of the school to avoid running into Macy and that other guy.
--
Joe was staring at the paper in front of him, without one word written on it. Why couldn't he think? Usually, when he wanted to write a song, all he needed in his head was Stella. But right now…she wasn't helping him.
All Joe could think of was the image of Macy and that other guy. What was it that bothered him so much? Did he know the guy from somewhere else, and he was just trying to protect Macy?
Yes, of course, Joe convinced himself. Please, Macy still didn't get over the whole 'JONAS' obsession she had. But when she could calm down, she was just about the sweetest, smartest, most perfect girl…
Joe threw the pen in his hand down and groaned. No! He couldn't be. There was no way in heck he could be falling for Macy. It was just the confusion, that's all. He liked Stella. Yes, he did. He liked Stella and Stella liked him. It was all good.
And then everything went crashing down on him.
Nick came in and greeted his brother in that usual way of his, but Joe decided not to greet back. He would sound too strangled. No, he would rather not say anything.
"Joe?" Nick sounded hesitant. Joe tried not to huff in annoyance and looked at Nick.
"Yes, brother?" Joe asked him, trying to sound like his normal self. Nick bit his lip for a few moments, and Joe didn't push it. The silence made Joe calm down a bit more before freaking out about how he was falling hard for someone he wasn't supposed to be falling hard for, to put it simply.
"I think…I—" Nick sighed. "I think I like another girl." Nick finally spat out.
Joe groaned. Not again, he begged. Nick always had a tendency of moving too fast, falling 'in love', and then getting his heart broken. And it seemed like he didn't get the fact that it was always going to happen this way until he found someone who loved him the same way.
"Nick," Joe warned, but Nick waved him to be quiet.
"No, Joe, listen first," Nick said. "This isn't like all the other times. Because…because it's not like all the other girls," Nick said slowly.
Joe was puzzled, but decided not to say anything. He was intrigued.
"This is not an ordinary girl," Nick continued. "And you can trust me when I say I didn't take this fast, because, well, it came more of a shock to me than to anyone else," Nick explained.
Joe's stomach fell. He thought he knew where this was going. And oh, God, he didn't like it. No. Why, why did life have to hate him so much?
"Joe, I think I'm starting to like Macy." Nick stated, not meeting his brother's eyes.
Instantly, Joe swallowed a shriek of frustration, tried to hold back his tears of anger. Of course. Of course it had to be Macy, out of every girl Nick could have, he chose to have a crush on Macy. Stella's best friend. Joe's new crush…
But it was all making sense now. Macy had always seemed more into Nick. She always seemed to get more nervous around Nick, hit him more (was that good or bad? Both, considering the circumstances.) and smiled her beautiful smile even more when Nick was close to her…
And of course, Joe had to notice it now?
Joe stayed silent. He stayed impassive. If he dared open his mouth, he knew he would tell Nick things he would regret saying later.
Not soon, but later.
Nick looked at Joe. "No, please don't make fun of me, Joe. I know it's weird, but, hey, I mean…she's very pretty," Nick said. Joe gritted his teeth. No. Macy's beautiful. "And she has a great personality…" She's perfect, Nick. "And it's like it's meant to be, she's JONAS's number one fan," No, she might as well be yours. Without saying anything, Joe just shrugged and stood up, grabbing his note pad and the pen he had thrown to the ground before and went to his room, where no one could bother him.
Joe let tears fall down his cheeks. They could have been sad tears, they could have been angry tears, confused tears, but Joe didn't care then—he just cried.
Not the overly emotional cry—even in a situation like this, Joe maintained his, well, semi-cool. He held in his sobs and just let the tears out.
So he was falling for his girlfriend's best friend and brother's new crush.
Wasn't he the best?
--
Joe glared at Nick's direction, looking at him making his stupid 'moves' and Macy. He didn't deserve to be with Macy, to make her laugh. That was his job, he claimed it. He wanted it.
Macy was laughing so hard, and surprisingly, she hadn't hurt Nick once that day. Which only made Joe feel even sicker.
Joe groaned and decided to stop giving himself pain, turning around and opening his locker to block the view between him and Nick and Macy.
"Hey cutie," he heard behind him, and his heart stopped. Stella. Great. Just what he needed. Apart from total outrage, an unconscious guilt trip.
Joe took a deep breath, plastered a smile on his face and turned to Stella. "Hello there," he said, trying to sound like himself in so many ways. When in so many others, he wasn't.
"What's up?" Stella grinned at him, and held his hands. Oh nothing, Joe thought. I'm just in love with your best friend, who also happens to be my brother's latest target. No hard feelings, right?
"Not much," Joe lied, smiling slightly. "I got an A on my history test." He tried, and Stella squealed.
"That's great!" Stella hugged him and Joe hesitantly returned it. When Stella pulled back, Joe had merely touched her back. Stella looked to the right.
"Ooh, looks like your brother and Macy are really hitting it off," Stella said. Joe wanted to scream. He didn't need to be reminded. "Who knew Nick would fall for Macy? I don't think I can think of anything else more surprising," Stella mused.
Oh, don't bet on that, Joe thought sickly. Joe shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. "I guess they are," Joe said. "I don't really see how they'll work out, though," Joe said, then quickly regretted it as Stella widened her eyes in surprise.
"And why not?" Stella said, for the first time in the two weeks that Joe had started liking Macy sounding suspicious. Joe quickly tried to cover it up.
"Uh, because, you know my brother, when do you think he'll have the guts to ask her out?" Joe asked Stella. Stella's suspicious face quickly cleared and she grinned.
"Oh, my God, that's so true!" Stella said. "I know! We have to double date!"
"Yes, see, I knew—wait, double what?" Joe looked frantically at Stella, silently begging she didn't say what he thought she did.
"It's the only way Nick and Macy could date," Stella pointed out. "Come on, it'll be fun! I'll be right back," and she left without waiting for Joe's opinion.
Which of course, was a big, fat, non enthusiastic NO.
--
The day of the double date came so quick that Joe wanted to punch the calendar and kill 'father time'.
Stella had spent hours trying to find Nick the right outfit, then other hours to find Macy the right outfit, so he had spent some time alone, just thinking about how more things could go wrong.
He was in love—no more denying it, what was the point?—with Macy. So in love, in fact, that every time she just smiled at him pain was present in his heart. He couldn't handle seeing her with Nick. He wanted her just for him. Her brown eyes were so deep he wanted to fall into them and stay there. Her lips, so smooth and always formed in a smile—he wanted to reach for them, capture them with his own…
"Joe!" Joe jumped and looked at Stella wearing a simple aqua dress with her hair up in a bun and very little make up. Had she spent so much time planning the outfit for Nick and Macy she'd forgotten about herself? It didn't matter; Stella always managed to look cute.
"Are you ready?" Stella said, slowly, and Joe nodded. Stella smiled and grabbed his hand.
They entered the Italian restaurant Stella had chosen for that night. Joe tried to act as happy as he could, but the fact that he was going to witness a date between his love and his brother wasn't making the situation so easy.
"Joe," Stella hissed. "You're blowing me off too much tonight. Is everything okay?" Stella asked, concern all too visible in her voice.
Joe nodded slowly. "Just thinking," Joe whispered. "Don't worry, I'll be good," Joe promised Stella. He hoped, though, that he could keep that promise.
Stella nodded slowly, eyes narrowing only slightly, but brushed it off as they walked over to their table.
Nick and Macy were already seated, talking quietly to each other. Joe tried not to make a fist at the closeness of their faces—Joe's heart was stabbed repeatedly, but he was used to it now.
When Nick spotted Joe and Stella, he stood up, and Macy did the same.
That's when Joe ran out of breath.
Macy looked beautiful—her dress was short and light pink, simple, yet on her it looked amazing. Her hair was loose and curled, her eyelashes longer with the mascara she rarely ever wares.
In short, she looked simple to any bystander who glanced at her—but to Joe, she looked perfect. It was only her in the room, and his heart was about to jump off his chest.
Stella had to give him a gentle pull before he started walking towards the table again, and they took their seats. Joe sat in front of Nick to make it easier for himself. He wouldn't be able to stand looking at Macy all night, even if that was what he wanted to do. What he really desired to do.
"This is a great place, Stella," Macy admired, smiling at Stella. Stella grinned.
"I know. My uncle brought me here for my seventeenth birthday," Stella explained, and Macy nodded, then looked at Joe.
No, Macy, look away before I grab you and never let you go, Joe begged her silently.
"You look great Joe," Macy said, unusually quiet. Joe could swear he saw a blush, but decided it was probably only him. Joe smiled.
"You look…amazing," Joe said, and they both stared at each other, small smiles on each of their faces.
Stella cleared her throat, which brought both of them back to reality. Joe looked away, trying not to yell in disappointment. For a moment, he thought Macy could feel the same way towards him. But then he saw Nick, and those hopes went down the drain.
Nick cleared his throat. "So, uh, why'd your uncle bring you here, Stella? Why not your family?" Nick asked.
Stella glanced at Joe, then at Nick. "You know what, let's not get into that right now. So, uh, Nick, when did you realize you started liking Macy?" Stella asked Nick, and Macy blushed, but still looked at Nick.
Nick smiled softly and looked into Macy's eyes. "I guess it was when, I don't know, she smiled," Nick said, and left it at that.
Joe couldn't take it anymore. "When she smiled?" Joe laughed once without humor, and Nick, Macy and Stella looked at him in shock. "Please! It's not only when she smiles, Nick! Don't you notice when her eyes shine around you? Or how she doesn't need make up to make herself look beautiful? Or how when she wants to win a game, her face is calm and concentrated? Or how she knows everything about you, but," Joe paused, but no one at the table made any attempt to stop him. Joe looked straight at Macy, suddenly feeling like it was only the two of them in the room.
"But that makes you even more crazy about her. It doesn't creep you out; it's cute, in a way. Or how she bites her lip every time she's confused, or how she narrows her eyes when she knows you're lying, or how she hugs you to make you feel better when you're down, how her little clumsy acts make her seem sophisticated in her own way, or how when she's outside in broad daylight, the sun seems to hit only her," Joe had unconsciously gone from a loud protest to a whisper.
"Or like now, how it only seems like it's her in the room when she looks at you." Joe finished.
Macy's eyes had been welling up with tears the whole time Joe had been talking.
"Wow," Joe was brought back by Stella's word. "Joe…"
Joe finally realized what he did. He had revealed his feelings in front of the two people—three—whom he had tried so hard to hide them from.
Joe stood up without a word and walked out of the restaurant.
He walked and walked, tears falling out of his eyes. He didn't care where he was going. He just wanted to get as far from the restaurant as he could. To not think about Macy or Nick or Stella.
Suddenly he stopped. He couldn't take it. It was too much, damn it. It hurt him, it made him crazy. He sat down on the sidewalk in the middle of the night, crying, watching people stare at him. Occasionally, someone would ask if he was okay.
And his response was always no.
After what seemed like hours, he heard high heels quickly walking towards him, then stopping close to him. He rolled his eyes, and, with a shaky voice, said, "I'm fine, Stella. Can we talk about this later?"
"I don't think we can," Joe's eyes snapped upwards to find the love of his life, mascara running, looking down at him with a slight smile.
Joe gaped and quickly stood up. "Macy, I—" Macy shook her head.
"I can't believe what you said back there," Macy told him. "I…I'm still in a bit of shock, so don't say anything else," Macy warned him. "Joe…I don't know when you started feeling this way. No, I mean, yes, I mean, I hope you do feel the way I think you feel about me because if you didn't I would feel really stupid if I say I feel the same way." Macy looked at Joe and Joe felt his heart speed up.
Did Macy mean she loved him, too?
"I don't know, I mean, I knew it was wrong," Macy explained quickly. "You were dating Stella—kind of—so I knew I couldn't do anything about it. And plus, I'm your brother's age, so I didn't think you could see me that way. And then the opportunity with Nick came along, and I thought maybe I could get over you with him, I mean, he was Nick Lucas, your brother, the second best thing next to you," Macy whispered. Her voice was shaky. "But seeing you tonight, it's like all the effort I put into liking Nick was for nothing. Because I knew that I couldn't love anyone but you, Joe."
Macy finally stopped talking and looked at Joe. Joe couldn't believe it. Macy had loved him for so long and he needed to see her with another guy to figure out he had always loved her too?
Joe looked down and took a deep breath. "You, Macy Misa," he finally said. "Are the only thing that cannot get me out of this hypnotism," Joe whispered, and Macy smiled. "But you know what?" Joe said. He brought his hand up to Macy's cheek and leaned in closer, their lips only inches away. "I really like it." Joe said, before closing the distance between their lips.
The only thing that mattered, the only thing that existed, was Macy. Electric waves ran throughout his body, shocking him in the most pleasurable way anyone could shock you. The way his lips fit into hers perfectly made every stab in the heart, every minute apart, every distant look, seem worthwhile.
Because Macy was everything Joe needed. Everything Joe wanted. She was his drug—the one that no matter how hard he tried to quit, she would always be there.
And he wouldn't have it any other way.
--
Years later Joe is sitting in a hospital couch, in the same room as his wife. His wife is asleep, her breathing even, and it calms him.
A smile is plastered on his face. Even with sweat and soaked hair she manages to look beautiful. She manages to look peaceful.
Joe looks down and at the beautiful baby girl he cradles in his arms. She, too, is also asleep. Joe grins. The similarities between his baby girl and his wife are endless. And he wouldn't have it any other way. He had prayed he would have a beautiful baby girl—another Macy, his wife. And he has been granted what he asked so much for.
"You're as beautiful as your mom," Joe whispers to the baby girl. He smiles slightly, trying to contain his leaps of joy as he stares at the baby's still body, feeling her breathe deeply in, deeply out. So calm, so peaceful.
Joe now has two loves, he realizes. His first, one true love—Macy Misa—with whom everything had worked out.
And his new second love, Payton Lucas, so small and fragile in his arm—a part of Macy, a part of him—the proof of their love.
Joe Lucas not only has two loves.
He has two worlds.
--
there is nothing else in the world,
i would rather wake up and see with you .
--
The song is 'High' by James Blunt. I hope you enjoyed it, because I loved writing this. :) Again, reviews are loved.