Joey made his mind up he picked up all he needed and headed for Lauren's house he knocked on the door and sighed he waited a few minutes and knocked again he turned to leave when the door opened Joey turned and smiled at Lauren who didn't look very happy "Hey there, well I bought you these flowers, and this I'm sorry teddy" he smiled holding him up Lauren stared and slammed the door in his face Joey turned angrily and walked down the steps, he then changed his mind and walked back up "Lauren, I am sorry about what I said" he shouted. A few minutes later he glanced through the window and saw Lauren sitting on the sofa "I'm still here! In case you were wondering!" he yelled he waited another while and opened the letterbox "Please talk to me I am sorry!" Joey was still kneeling on the ground when Lauren opened the door again Joey stared at her and realised he was still kind of in the letterbox he laughed nervously and stood up quickly he picked up the flowers and the bear and walked into the house "For you" he smiled handing her the flowers "I'm not really a flower girl"
"Yeah I know that you're too tall for that gig" he smiled, Lauren raised an eyebrow "Sorry that joke was bad" Lauren nodded in agreement "Yes it was" Joey smiled and handed her the teddy bear "I know you love teddy bear's all girls do" Lauren took it off him "You sure you don't want to keep him?" Joey shook his head "Not my style babe, although he is cute" he smiled "You're a big softie you know that?" Joey smiled "Yeah and you're half decent when you're not hammered" Lauren stared around sadly Joey sighed "I'm sorry about what I said last night-"
"No, I'm sorry" Lauren interrupted, Joey stared "I shouldn't have drank that much, you were trying to talk to me and I was really having none of it, so I'm sorry I was just really nervous no one has made this much of an effort with me ever" Joey stared awkwardly "Yeah, so how about we give this another try?" Lauren nodded "I'd like that" Joey smiled "Right so same time same place?"
"Yeah see you then" she smiled closing the door after him she had never felt this way before even though she only knew him a short while she was slowly falling for him.
Joey walked through the square he was stopped by Peter "Well?" he asked "Yeah we're going out again tonight" he answered "Did my idea for the presents work?" Joey nodded "The teddy bear did anyway, she's not a flower person" Joey walked off as Jay walked down "Is he ok?" Peter shrugged "Don't know, but Lauren is going out with him again" Jay stared "He's not feeling guilty about this?" Peter stared at him "No of course not, besides who'd fall in love with Lauren?" Jay stared "Well you did, when you were younger" Peter glared at him "That was an unnecessary bring up from the past" Jay stared confused "It wasn't unnecessary, you asked who'd fall in love with Lauren so I thought it was a valid point to point out!" Peter shook his head and walked away "Oh come on I didn't say anything offensive!"
Lauren smiled as she got ready this time she had more willpower as she realised Joey might just be into her as much as she was into him, little did poor Lauren know her sister's boyfriend was paying him to be as into her as she was into him, she walked out the door and smiled as she met Joey "You look way better than you did this morning" he smiled "Well you know I try" she blushed Joey smiled and held the door open for her they were in Beale's again Joey pushed Lauren's chair into the table and smiled as he sat opposite her.
Abi knocked on the door of Jay's as he texted her to meet him and Peter there, he answered the door and smiled letting her inside "You wanted to see me?" she asked "Yeah come in, sit down" he ushered Abi sat down and stared "Alright Abs, to keep this going we need to know stuff about Lauren, so what does she like?" Peter asked "Alcohol" Peter rolled his eyes "I mean band wise or something" Abi's eyes trailed off "I don't know...I think I remember her mentioning You Me At Six once" Jay nodded and wrote it down "Anything else?" he asked Abi shook her head "That's all I know" Peter stared "Seriously? That's all you know about your sister?" Abi shrugged "I- don't, yeah that's it"
"Yeah well that was the first and only time!" Joey answered "Wait, you're telling me you punched your own dad?" Lauren laughed "He was asking for it" he smiled "Come on like you haven't wanted to hit a family member before?" he defended "Well I have thought about hitting Abi" she laughed "Yeah why is she so against you?" he asked "When our mum left we kind of fell apart, that's when I started drinking and that's when all the fights started" Joey stared "How long ago was that?" Lauren thought "About, 3 years ago" Joey stared "You've been drinking like that for 3 years!? And you've never been hospitalized?" he yelled "Nope" she answered Joey stared "Well I know it's none of my business, but I know this alcohol councillor, he might be able to help" Lauren stared "You're right it was none of your business"
"I just don't want anything bad to happen to you" he replied "Why has this conversation taken a turn for the serious?" she questioned Joey smiled and stood up "Let's go" he took her hand and walked outside he walked her to her door "Our first successful date" he smiled "Yeah, well you know they say third time lucky" she replied "I wouldn't count our first night together as a date seeing as you ignored me, yelled at me and got sick on me!" he recalled Lauren stared "I'm sorry about that, I tend to shut out my feelings" Joey smiled "It's pretty obvious I forgive you" Lauren stared "What do you like about me?" Joey's eyes trailed off as he thought of an answer "You're different" he replied Lauren leaned forward Joey panicked and hugged her before she came closer to him "Goodnight" he replied walking down the steps, Lauren stared at him walking away and sighed before closing the door behind her.
N/A: Will Joey ever fall in love with Lauren the way she fell for him