NFL Imagines

🕸 Joe Burrow 🕸

Requested by joeyschick

Title: Up In the Attic
Warnings: Talks of the plot of the horror movie Black Christmas

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Sunshine shone through the living room windows, baking you in its warm glow. A book sat comfortably in your lap where you were curled up on the couch. Joe was in the kitchen munching on some cereal and watching film for next week's game.

It was one of those rare days where he was off. Zac told his quarterback that he had been working too hard, that he deserved a day off to spend time with you. But Joe being Joe, he could never stay far from football. He promised that he would finish watching some film and join you on the couch. He liked when you would read to him, so he was really looking forward to alone time with you.

He had a headphone in one ear, wanting the other ear to be open to hear if you called him for anything. You were lost in your book, the world around you gone. Your house could be on fire and you would never know.

A strange sound reaches Joe's ear and he looks over at you, brows pulling together when he sees you unmoving, eyes locked on the book. He shrugs and goes back to his film. Not a minute later, he hears it again and looks back over, but again, you're the exact same. Huffing, he decides to ignore it the best he can.

It only gets more annoying and he can't take it anymore. "Babe, could you please stop making that sound?"

Your focus breaks and you turn your attention to him, eyes expressing confusion. "I'm not making any sound. People don't normally make much sound when they read unless they read out loud."

He pulls his earbud out and listens closely, making a face when he hears it again. "What's that sound then?"

"What does it sound like?" You ask, putting your book aside to stand up and walk towards him.

"Like something is scratching the floor."

"Let me listen."

Your home grows quiet. Even the freezer, which never fails to sound like the roof is caving in when you ask for silence, doesn't start making ice. Everything was silent and still. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse— (I'm sorry, I had to)

You hear it, recognize the sound, and your blood runs cold. "That's not scratching...That sounds like footsteps."

Joe tilts his head back with a frowning brow, bright blue eyes boring into the ceiling. He listens, poking his tongue around inside his cheek in deep thought. A lump in his throat bobs as realization sets in.

"It's coming from the attic."

You thought about taking off out the front door, never looking back, but you had more self control than that. A mix between fear and disbelief crosses your features and you look up, frightening guesses of what's up there plaguing your mind.

"Footsteps are coming from the attic?" You ask, though you already know the answer.

Joe says nothing. Instead, he steps around you and heads toward the stairs. You stand there for a moment, surveying the situation, before turning to hurry after him. 

"Where are you going?"

A look is thrown over his shoulder and directed at you. You only caught a glimpse of it, but the sassy response you got confirmed the look you had seen. "To see what's making that sound in the attic?"