burning red • joe burrow

004

trigger warning: tiny mention of abuse

tara's flight to cincinnati was today. she's only ever been on a plane twice in her life, and it has been years since it happened.

she wasn't allowed to go anywhere, finn wouldn't let her. but there are so many places she wants to go.

tara was ready a little bit before she needed to be ready, so she knocked on joe's door.

"yeah?" joe said once he opened the door. tara had her bag with her, she was just waiting for joe.

joe yawned and then he remembered. "shoot. shoot shoot shoot." he said. he let tara in, he was scrambling around to get ready, he probably forgot.

tara was standing there, watching him run around like a manic. he went in the bathroom, and after about five minutes, he came out. without a shirt.

tara noticed but then quickly turned around. "it's not that big of a deal, tara. i'm not naked." joe said chuckling.

tara turned back around once he had a shirt on. if they didn't leave like right now, they would be late for their flight.

"okay," joe said taking a final look around the room to make sure he didn't forget anything. "i'm ready."

• • •

once they got to the airport and thought tsa, they were waiting at there gate. surprisingly, they were early.

"how many times have you been on a plane?" joe asked, trying to make casual conversation.

"twice." tara said. "and i haven't in a really long time. only to fly from louisiana to la and then i went back to go to my parents funeral."

"they passed away?" joe said. joe was pretty close with tara's parents.

"yeah," tara said. "a couple of years ago. they died in a car crash."

"i'm so sorry, tara." joe said. truthfully, joe felt horrible for tara. the past few years of her life haven't been the greatest, he could arguably say they've been the worst.

"well," tara said shrugging her shoulders, she still missed her parents. "at least they didn't have to live without each other. i couldn't imagine if who ever i was in a relationship died before me. or anyone i'm close with."

"well don't die before me." joe said. he put out his pinky so that they could make a promise.

"you can't die before me either." tara said, wrapping her pinky around joe's.

this promise was pointless. everyone dies eventually. even the sunniest beach deals with the sunset.

but nonetheless, the promise was made and from this day forward, they will do their best to keep that promise. only if they could control it, that is.

• • •

the plane made its way to the runway. they were towards the front of the plane. tara was sitting in the window seat, as joe was sitting in the middle seat. the isle seat wasn't being occupied.

joe grabbed a hold of tara's hand. he knew she didn't have the best feeling about planes, she told him that when they were younger.

he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, letting her know it was ok. she smiled at the contact, but was still looking out the window.

once the plane was at the cruising altitude, joe closed his eyes to go to sleep. he didn't, though. he thought about things. tara.

he wondered if she was still the same person she was back then. he used to know everyone about her. the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled, the way she talked when she was excited, how she would always shift her weight back and forth on her feet when she was nervous or standing too long.

joe knew every crease and end of this girl. but he couldn't help but wonder if they were still the same.

he couldn't help but let his mind wander to finn. he couldn't imagine hitting someone out of frustration every day. especially tara. how could someone do that to someone they love?

joe didn't know if finn loved tara, but who couldn't? he knew he did. just like how people love their friends.

joe loves all his friends. but the more he thought about it, the more different his love for tara was compared to his love for jamar and charlie.

then he realized, he didn't love tara. he was in love with tara.

joe opened his eyes. he had a strange look on his face. tara furrowed her eyebrows. "you're my best friend." joe said.

everyone could tell what it was, except for tara. he is in love. you could hear how loud his heart was beating in the silence.

on the way home, joe has never felt his heart beat this fast or hard in his entire life. joe burrow is in love with tara butler and he has been his entire life.

• • •

once the plane landed, tara had never been more happy to be away from a place in her entire life. she hates planes.

once they grabbed their bags from baggage claim, they made their way towards the exit of the airport.

tara had 4 bags, considering her entire life is in those bags, joe had one. tara was wheeling 2, joe was wheeling 3. somehow, he was doing it with ease and tara was struggling to do two.

tara followed joe to the car. someone was sitting in the drivers seat. "i'll take these." the guy said taking tara's bags from her and putting them in the trunk.

before joe went to put the other bags in the trunk, tara shot him a confused expression. she got into the back of the car.

it was nice, black leather seats. the two of the guys got back in the car. "hi," the guy said reaching his hand to the back seat to shake tara's hand. "i'm jamar chase."

"i'm tara." she said with a smile, shaking his hand. there is a slight chance she remembered jamar, but the time she spent away from louisiana and life in general outside of finn.

flashback

"tara!" finn said pushing the girl onto the hard concrete. "just shut up!"

tara fell and hit her head against it. hard.

once she got to the hospital, she was told she had slight brain damage. she wouldn't be able to remember certain things.

"i think cincinnati might be better that los angeles." tara said with a laugh, taking in the city in front of her.

"no way," jamar said. "la is one of the best cities in the world."

"it gets boring after a while." tara said shrugging her shoulders.

"you were freaking out over the hollywood sign not even 3 days ago." joe said.

"shhh." tara said. "nobody has to know." she whispered, holding back a laugh.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

cinci tara is here