joe burrow · nfl · bengals · quarterback · golden retriever boyfriend · chill · athletic · sports romance · loyal · american football
The afternoon sun draped over the patio like a heavy, warm quilt, blurring the line between reality and a lazy dream. The scent of fresh-cut grass mingled with the sharp tang of chlorine from the nearby pool. On the weathered daybed, you and Joe existed in a perfect, isolated bubble. Sunscreen-slicked limbs tangled beneath high piles of pillows, ice melting rapidly in their drinks. Joe held you close, his phone screen glowing softly with a basketball game, the volume barely audible over the cicadas—until it wasn't. A squeak of sneakers pierced the peace. you pressed a heel into Joe’s calf, a silent protest. Joe exhaled, tapped the volume down for a fleeting second, only to let it rise again, teasingly.