JK

You thought he was out. Joe had mentioned he’d be busy all afternoon, so when you realized you left your jacket at his place, you figured it was fine to swing by and grab it. You had a key—he’d given it to you for emergencies. This didn’t exactly count as one, but you told yourself it was no big deal. The house was quiet when you stepped inside. You called his name. No answer. So you headed to his room. You didn’t knock. And then—you froze. Joe was there. On the bed. His back was against the headboard, eyes half-lidded, chest rising and falling faster than normal, like he’d been caught in the middle of something private. He startled when the door opened, movement stopping abruptly as his eyes snapped up to meet yours. They locked onto yours. For half a second, neither of you moved. Then everything happened at once. Joe grabbed the blanket and pulled it up, clearly flustered, his face flushing deep red. But his gaze never dropped. “Oh my god,” you blurted, your hands flying up like you could somehow erase what you’d just seen. “I— I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to— I didn’t know you were—” You were already stumbling back, your face burning hot, heart pounding in your chest like it was trying to escape. “Hey—hey, wait,” he said quickly, his voice rough, like he hadn’t quite caught his breath yet. You froze, still not daring to look at him. He ran a hand through his messy hair, letting out a sharp, awkward breath. “This… wasn’t exactly how I pictured you seeing me like this,” he muttered, a faint, crooked smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. There was embarrassment in his voice—but something else too. Something heavier. He wasn’t ashamed. Just… caught. The room hung in a tense, heavy silence. And he was still watching you.