Hey guys! I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with ideas for You Just Don't Know It. So to get some ideas flowing, I decided to start writing a collection of one shots that are...you guessed it. MOE. I can't seem to get enough of this couple lately.
This first one shot may seem a bit rushed. My mom gave me a time limit on the computer and I was struggling to finish it up before then. I promise, the one shots to come will be better (well, some at least).
OH. And one last note. Each one shot will have NOTHING TO DO with the one before it, unless I specify before hand. And no Disney, I don't own anything.
Twenty-one year old Miley Stewart rummaged through her closet while struggling to balance the phone on her shoulder, pressing it to her ear. "I am so excited for tonight, Joey." she slurred, picking out a black v-neck top, satisfied with her choice.
"Uh, yeah! M-me t-too." Twenty-four year old Joseph Gray stuttered.
Miley bit her lip, "Are you okay, Joe? You've been a bit…distant lately. When you came over to my dad's house for breakfast this morning, you didn't even laugh at him while he was doing his sunrise yoga out on the deck. You always laugh at that. It's usually the main focus of your jokes before 10:00 am."
"Y-yeah, well, you see, I've just been…"
"Did I do something wrong?"
Joe's eyes widened. "You didn't do anything wrong, baby girl. You're perfect. I'm just a little preoccupied with a couple of things. I'll see you tonight. I love you."
"Yeah, I love you." Miley said plainly. "I'll see you then." As soon as the bland monotonous sound signaled that Joe had hung up, Miley tossed her phone onto her bed and sighed heavily. What has gotten into that boy?
"Calm down, Joe. You look like you're about to wet your pants." Kevin said, slightly amused at his brother's odd behavior.
Joe nearly slammed his mug full of beer onto the countertop. "I'm nervous, Kevin."
Kevin raised an eyebrow. "For what? The New Year's party? You're a partying machine, Joe."
"No, not that." Joe said with a hint of annoyance. He played with his purity ring before looking Kevin in the eye. "I'm going to ask Miley to marry me."
"Congratulations, dude! Do Mom and Dad know?" Kevin asked excitedly, ignoring the looks of uneasiness on Joe's face.
Joe shook his head lightly. "No, no one knows. Well, except for you and her dad."
"Don't worry, man. You know she's going to say yes. You guys have been together for what, five years? That's impressive, especially for you, Joe."
"You never know what's going to happen, Kev. She could just turn me down in a heartbeat, and I'll be scarred for life. I'd never be able to show my face again." Joe explained.
Kevin couldn't help but feel sympathy for his brother's worries. The least he could do was attempt to give him a little boost of confidence. "If you're so unsure of her answer, then why are you asking her?"
"Because…" Joe began. "I love her, and I know she loves me too. She laughs at all my jokes, even when she doesn't think they're funny. She's the only girl who doesn't put me down for being so clumsy. Whenever she's able to go to one of our concerts, she's always in the very first row, cheering her cute little head off. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, Kevin."
"There you go," Kevin smiled. "If all those things are true, it should be no problem to ask her."
"But what if my nerves get the better of me? I'll probably be too nervous to even say anything, let alone ask her. I'm going to ruin everything."
Kevin wrapped Joe in a brotherly hug and patted his back. "Everyone gets nervous, Joe. It is a very nerve wrecking question, I would know."
Joe scowled. "How would you know? You're not the one asking Miley to marry you tonight."
Kevin stared at his younger brother. "In case you forgot, I've been married for three years, Joe."
"Oh yeah!" Joe exclaimed, as if the past three years came flooding back to him. "So there is someone I can go to advice for, besides Dad. How'd you get through the nerves Kevin?"
"I was just as nervous as you are, maybe even more. Remember that time when I dropped one of Mom's favorite glasses?"
Joe chuckled, "Yeah…"
"Well that was the day I was going to ask Lex to marry me."
"So that's why you were acting so paranoid that day! Dude, you were shaking like crazy. You could've caused an earthquake, man."
Kevin shot Joe a nasty glare. "The point is, I was nervous too. So nervous that I almost didn't ask." Kevin glanced down at his wedding ring. "But I'm glad I did. If I didn't, I wouldn't be married to the most beautiful woman in the world, and I wouldn't be the father to the cutest baby girl I've ever seen. You can do it, Joe. And who knows, maybe in a couple of years, you and Miley will have your own little bundle of joy."
Joe stared into space, as if he were seeing into his own future. He cracked a small smile, "Maybe…"
"What do you think, Lilly?" Miley asked, holding a pair of dark wash skinny jeans to her legs.
Lilly nodded with satisfaction. "Very simple, chic, and stylish. I like it."
Miley collapsed onto her bed and let out a loud, dramatic sigh. "Something's up with Joe, I can just feel it."
"Have you guys been fighting?" Lilly asked with genuine concern, taking a seat next to Miley on the bed.
Miley shook her head. "No, he's just been really quiet and reserved, lately. The bipolar opposite of what he usually is. He seems really out of character, and I'm worried."
Lilly stroked Miley's hair soothingly. "Don't worry, Miles. I'm sure he just has a lot on his mind, that's all. He'll probably get back to his normal self at the New Year's party tonight. You know he loves parties."
"Let's hope," Miley said dully. "I haven't caught a glimpse of the old, carefree Joe in weeks." Miley blew a chunk of hair out of her face before her eyes wandered to the engagement ring that lay settled on Lilly's left hand. She smiled, "So have you and Oliver set a date for the wedding yet?"
A gentle smile tugged on Lilly's lip. "No, not yet. We're really hoping to have a September wedding, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen. My mom is going to be having her 50th birthday dinner and on top of that, my grandparents are going to be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary." Lilly sighed dreamily. "Can you believe it, Miley? Fifty years of marriage? It's amazing."
"Yeah," Miley smiled weakly. "It is."
"I just hope Oliver and I will be able to celebrate something like that, fifty years from now." Lilly cooed as she began fingering her engagement ring.
Miley stared at the platinum band. "You are so lucky to be engaged, Lils. I've been waiting forever for Joe to ask me."
"It'll happen, Miley. I'm sure it will. You and Joe have been together longer than Ollie and I have."
"That's exactly my point, Lilly. It's been five whole years and he still hasn't asked me. What's taking him so long?" Miley huffed.
Lilly chuckled. "Just give him some time, Miley. You and I both know that he'll eventually get around to asking you. You and Joe will get your happily every after, just be patient."
Miley shook her head in sadness. "With the way he's been acting lately, that time's never going to come."
"Come on, Audrey. Smile for Daddy, please?" Kevin asked, pleading to his eighteen month old daughter.
"No!" the stubborn one year old shrieked.
Kevin sighed as he turned off his camera. "Fine. You win this time, little one."
Denise laughed at her son and granddaughter, shaking her head. "Good luck trying to take that picture, Kevin."
"Too bad she inherited Lex's stubborn ways, huh?" Kevin asked, scooping up his daughter with one arm.
"I heard that!" Lex yelled from her spot in the kitchen, attempting to clean up the mess Oliver had left behind when he dropped a box of champagne glasses.
Towards the front of the Oken household, Miley pulled up to the curb, shutting off her engine and stepping out of the car. She made her way to the passenger door, opening it and carefully taking out the bottles of champagne Oliver had sent her to pick up. After locking the door, Miley carefully treaded towards the door. Not bothering to knock, she opened the door and stepped in slowly.
"Hey, who's the stack of champagne bottles with legs?" Nick called out.
"It's Miley," her muffled voice replied. After setting down the champagne bottles on one of the tables, she glanced around the house. "Wow, Oliver. Your place looks really nice. I'm surprised you could get it to look this way."
"He didn't," a voice said from the kitchen. A frazzled Lex stood up, holding a tray full of broken pieces of glass. "I did. Oliver asked me to come over and supervise his decorating. I ended up doing everything."
Miley chuckled, "Well, in that case, you did a great job Lex." Miley's eyes circled the room once more, finding Lilly and Joe bickering over the last chocolate covered strawberry. Miley smiled, from what she saw, Joe seemed to be in his normal state of mind.
"I thought you were on a diet! You said your goal was to lose ten pounds!" Joe exclaimed.
"No, Joe. You've got it all wrong. That's my New Year's resolution. And we've still got about an hour left." Lilly said matter-of-factly.
Joe smirked. "Well it looks like you could use a head start."
Lilly gasped. "Fine. You can have it. But I'll be the one with the last laugh when I'm ten pounds lighter!"
"Yeah, yeah, Lilly. When you're ten pounds lighter I'll be sure to celebrate." Joe said sarcastically before Lilly stomped off. Just as he was about to pick up the chocolate covered strawberry, Miley walked up to him.
"Hey," she said casually, kissing him on the cheek.
Joe smiled, though Miley could still sense a feeling of uncertainty in his expression. "Hey." He fiddled with something in his pocket. "You excited for 2014? 2013 was a big year."
Miley grinned at him, "Well, I'm hoping 2014 will be an even bigger year."
"And why is that?"
Miley tried to play it off by shrugging. "I don't know. Maybe Hannah will have another concert tour. Or maybe I'll have a new…commitment of some sort?" she asked, attempting to drop a subtle hint.
Joe didn't seem to catch her hint, simply replying with a nod.
"Daddy!" a voice shrieked in between a fit of laughter.
Kevin, who was tickling Audrey, was glad he could get her to smile for the first time in weeks. She had been going through some sort of grumpy phase lately, and even the slightest grin was enough to send Kevin over the moon. "Lex, she's smiling! Get the camera, quick!"
"I got it, I got it." Lex said, zooming in on her husband and daughter. The next few seconds were followed by a click and a flash, along with a very happy looking Kevin. "Adorable," Lex smiled as she looked over the picture.
Miley watched as Kevin and Lex went gaga over their daughter, feeling a sense of jealousy flow through her veins. "Look at that," Miley said. "If one little smile is enough to make them that happy, I can't even imagine a whole lifetime with a kid."
"Yeah," Joe said absentmindedly. "Me neither." He continued fiddling with the item in his pocket, his eyes darting towards the clock. 11:27 PM.
Thirty-three minutes.
In just over half an hour, Joe would ask the question that would either make him or break him. He spotted Miley's father on the other side of the room, and decided he needed another boost of confidence. "Robbie Ray?" he asked nervously.
"Yeah, son?"
"Do you think you could talk some sense into me? I've never been so nervous in my entire life." Joe confessed.
Robbie Ray chuckled. "Now you listen here, boy. You're not the first boy concerned over popping the question, and you certainly won't be the last. It is completely and utterly normal for you to be shaking in your boots over this. But you've got nothing to worry about. If I know anything about my baby girl, it's that she'll say yes in a heartbeat."
"Yeah, but—"
"No 'buts' son. Trust me; it will all be worth it in the end. I was about your age when I asked Miley's mother to marry me. I was shaking more than one of them California earthquakes, but I still asked. The minute I got down on one knee and looked into her eyes, seeing that smile spread across her face, there's no feeling like it. Once that ring is resting on her finger, you'll wonder why you were nervous in the first place."
"I guess you're right, sir." Joe mumbled.
"Sir? Son, you're about to propose to my daughter. If she says yes, which I'm sure as heck she will, you better start calling me Dad!"
Joe laughed nervously, "Right. See you later D-Dad."
Joe spent the next twenty minutes in Oliver's home office, pacing back and forth. Why on earth are you so nervous, Joe? he asked himself. You've performed in front of an audience of thousands plenty of times. Surely you can ask one person a question. Suck it up, whimp! Joe glanced at the clock.
11:57 PM.
"Joe!" Nick called from the den. "We're going to start the countdown soon. Get your butt out to the backyard!"
How very welcoming Nicholas, Joe thought sarcastically. He checked his pocket, making sure the ring was still in place, before stepping out into the cold winter air. He spotted Miley handing out champagne glasses to everyone.
"Jackson!" Miley scolded. "Don't drink your champagne now! Save it." she snapped.
Jackson mimicked her before sneaking another sip from his glass.
"Here we go, the best for last." Miley grinned as she handed Joe the last glass.
"Thanks," Joe said as he shifted his weight uncomfortably.
"Two minutes everybody!" Oliver announced, holding up two fingers for emphasis. "Jackson, I can't believe you finished your drink!"
Jackson shrugged, "Oops."
"Kevin, are you setting up the timer?" Lilly asked, fidgeting with her ring. Boy, did she love that thing.
"Mhm." Kevin said, holding up a monitor that displayed how many minutes and seconds were left until the new year. He placed it on a nearby table and picked up a sleepy Audrey before standing next to Lex.
Joe stared at the red neon digits of the timer, as the seconds spiraled down. Before he could notice, there were only twenty-three seconds until the new year.
"Gosh, I'm so excited!" Miley squealed. "Another year to come, let's hope for the best!"
"Seventeen seconds!" Oliver screeched excitedly.
Miley attempted to move to the front of the crowd of party guests, hoping she would be able to get a better glimpse of the fireworks that would be going off from the local park. She began squeezing her way through the crowd until a soft hand gently pulled her back.
"Miley," Joe breathed. "I need to tell you why I love you."
She giggled a bit before nodding. "Okay…?"
"10…" the crowd began.
"You laugh at all my jokes, even when they aren't funny."
"9…"
"You're the only girl I know who finds my clumsiness attractive."
"8…"
"You come to every local concert I have, even if you have other plans."
"7…"
"You wake me up at 2 AM so we can dance in the moonlight."
"6…"
"When I'm sick in bed, you bring over a bunch of foreign ninja movies."
"5…"
"You and I both agree that there's a distinct difference between soups and chowders."
"4…"
"You trusted me with your Hannah secret."
"3…"
"You have one of the greatest senses of humor…ever."
"2…"
"You don't get too upset when I mix my dark laundry with your whites."
"1…"
"An amazing girl like you actually gave a guy like me a chance."
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" the crowd erupted with loud cheers and applause.
Miley grinned, looking at the scene around her. When her eyes attempted to retreat back to Joe, she was startled by the fact that she couldn't find him. Her breath was caught in her throat when she noticed him down on one knee, holding out a velvet covered box. Her eyes glistened and she brought her hand to her mouth.
"And for all those reasons and more," Joe began, before taking a deep breath. "Will you marry me?"
Miley shrieked in excitement, jumping up in down in an over exaggerated manner. But the guy of her dreams had just asked her to marry him, so she had good reason behind her actions.
"Is that a yes?" Joe asked, his voice slightly shaking.
Miley brought Joe back up to her level, stroking a loose strand of his hair behind his ear. She attempted to laugh, but she was crying. She smiled wildly, "Read my lips." She threw her arms around his neck pushing her lips into his, sealing the deal.
