no strings attached - j.b

talk to me

Joe took it upon himself to listen to his boys and really seek the clarifying conversation with Phoebe. They should talk things out. What had really happened at the party on Friday. What else had caused the conflicts.

There was only one problem with the whole thing. He hadn't seen Phoebe once this week. She had contacted him once to tell him she wouldn't really have time this week. No explanation why, no "but I'll try to make sure we can see each other."

He had even tried to intercept her Tuesday at the Facility somehow, but that hadn't worked either. Paige had told him that Phoebe had some things to do around the building today and she couldn't tell him exactly where she was either.

She said she could tell her that Joe was looking for her, but Joe denied it. He didn't want to distract her from her work and said goodbye to Paige again, who told him at the end that Phoebe would be working in the office on Thursday and if he still hadn't reached her by then, he could stop by.

By now it was Thursday and since Joe had still seen Phoebe, he really had no choice but to follow Paige's lead and go see Phoebe in Paige's office after practice and his meetings.

"Oh, it's you, hey. Have a seat" she smiled at him and pointed to the chair as Joe entered the room before turning back to the computer screen. "What's going on?" she asked.

"I...wanted to talk to you" Joe nervously kneaded his hands while Phoebe a bit absently turned her gaze from the computer to the laptop sitting on the table in front of her. "Ok, uh, if you don't mind me working on the side, we're welcome to talk now" she mumbled before typing on the keyboard of the laptop.

"Yeah, no...problem. I don't want to distract you from your work" Joe mumbled. Actually, he had a very big problem with that. The conversation was important to him. He wanted Phoebe's full attention, but what could he do? After all, he couldn't ask her to stop working and drop everything for him.

"Okay, fine, so what do you want to talk about?" Phoebe asked. She still didn't look at him. Her eyes wandered back and forth between the two screens, tapping there on the keyboard, moving the mouse here. Joe knew he probably only had 50% of her attention.

"I miss...seeing you this week" Joe mumbled. "Oh, really?" for a few seconds Phoebe looked up and gave Joe a surprised look before taking her eyes off him again.

"Yeah, I mean, we haven't seen each other since Saturday. You stood me up Sunday after the game. You texted me that you couldn't make it all week. I just...I'm used to seeing you regularly" Joe shrugged.

He looked at Phoebe, waiting for a response, but she just looked from one screen to the other, typing away stressed on the keyboard. "fuck" she mumbled softly as she now hurriedly scrolled the computer's mouse across the screen.

"Phoebe?" Joe asked, confused. "Yeah?" her head shot up and looked at Joe. "did you hear what I just said?" He asked. Phoebe sighed. "I'm sorry, Joe. I...I wasn't listening" she admitted softly.

"Of course you weren't" Joe mumbled annoyed and leaned back in his chair as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Joe, look, I'm really sorry" she looked at him with a guilty conscience.

"It's all so much right now. Paige wants me to have this done by tomorrow morning at the latest because it needs to get on all the social media channels ASAP and I'd put it off until later, but I'm already so far behind with college stuff that I can't put that off too" she explained.

"Behind with college stuff? What have you been doing all week if you don't have time and you're still behind?" Joe asked skeptically. "Studying, writing essays. Our professors have no mercy on us right now" Phoebe groaned.

"So you're fucking Luca now?" Joe raised an eyebrow questioningly, still eyeing her skeptically. "What, no of course not, what makes you think that?" Phoebe asked, confused.

"Well, you said you've been busy studying all week. That means you saw Luca all the time, after all he is in your study group" Joe clarified. "Joe..." Phoebe sighed "...you have to finally stop seeing Luca as your enemy. I've told you enough times that we are nothing more than friends"

"Maybe you should give me less reasons to make Luca my enemy. Maybe stop putting up videos of you dancing with him or stop dancing with him at all" Joe got louder.

"I wasn't even the one who put the video up, Joe. It was Jasmine. Do you really think I would put up a video like that of myself after knowing how much you hate it?" Phoebe sighed.

"Then why are you even dancing with him if you know it fucks me off?" Joe yelled back. "It's complicated" Phoebe groaned. "There was a girl at the party who was hitting on Luca all the time and he asked me if I could help keep this girl away from him. That's why I danced with him" she explained.

"And you immediately bought his story and rubbed your ass against him?" Joe asked skeptically. Phoebe groaned. "Joe, he's my friend. I trust him. Why would he lie to me?"

"Why wouldn't he spin a story like that to get you to dance with him? After all, you've already made it clear to him several times that you're not going to sleep with him" Joe asked.

"Joe, what do you want me to do, huh? Stop seeing a friend just because you have a problem with him? We're not a couple, your words. I'm allowed to hang out with whoever I want" Phoebe scowled at him.

Joe sighed, "You know what? You're right. We're not a couple. I shouldn't be mad at you. It's just...." He got quieter before stopping altogether. "What is it, Joe?" Phoebe, a little surprised by Joe's sudden gloom, stood up and leaned against the edge of the desk in front of his chair.

"Oh, nothing, forget it. You're right, we're not a couple" he mumbled, trying to get up, but Phoebe pushed him back in the chair. "Talk to me. I don't like it when we fight all the time" she looked at him gently.

"Alright" Joe sighed "I...I know we're not a couple. But...well, we've entered into this friends with benefits thing and I just...I wish we would see each other more often" he admitted.

"More often? We see each other two to three times a week, don't we?" Phoebe asked, surprised. "Sure, but how often of those are you sober? How often do you stay for more than a few hours and disappear again because you have things to do or take off before I'm awake again? How often do I have to leave because you have something else to do for your classes?" Joe asked.

"You want me to spend more time with you when we see each other?" Phoebe looked at him. "Yeah, maybe. I mean, why can't I just stay there when you have to do stuff for your classes or why can't you stay with me? I just don't want you to leave right away every time" Joe shrugged.

"oh, Joe" Phoebe stroked his face before sitting down on his lap. Immediately Joe wrapped his arms around her while Phoebe smiled at him. "I mean, we can try. I can't promise you it'll work, but I'll do my best, okay?" she looked at him questioningly.

"That's enough for me for now. Maybe I'll be more relaxed about Luca when...I see you more" Joe smiled back. "I'm glad we could talk, Joe" Phoebe pressed a kiss to his cheek before getting up and walking to the door.

"Do you have any plans for today?" she asked curiously. "No, why? You want to try it out right now and keep me here while you work?" Joe asked laughing. "Yeah, that too. But before that I have another idea" she grinned as she turned the key in the lock and walked back to Joe.

"Paige has been gone for a couple of hours. Everyone knows I'm busy and not to be disturbed and the cameras haven't been working since noon yesterday. So what do you think..." she pulled Joe up to her by the collar of his sweater. "....If we take advantage of the loneliness a bit?" she grinned at him.

WHO-DEY 🧡