i could never give you peace

Victoria stood in front of her computer, she had been staring intensely at it for the last three hours, so much that she had developed a grueling headache by now.

"Marlowe really? Can you please leave it alone? The doctor told you to take it easy. You can't unwind from work even for a week?" Joe's frustration at Victoria's inability to rest was understandable, she had only requested one week off, even when Sal offered her two, and he had caught her twice in the day trying to read a new paper that had just been published.

"I'm not working Burrow, I promise" Victoria grinned at her laptop screen, while she was sitting on the island on Joe's kitchen, still crashing in his place for the remaining of her rest week.

"I can see you. I'm right here you know?" He smiled as he grabbed a can of sprite from his beverage fridge and opened it for her.

"I'm figuring out how I'm gonna pay for my medical bills. It's strange that I haven't received it yet, but it's going to be astronomical. Maybe I just need to sell a kidney" she paused to sip on her drink. "I could get good money for this kidney, it's in pristine condition, you see" She joked, but he didn't laugh with her, he knew he had to be open with her about his actions but he also knew how that conversation was going to go.

"What? My self deprecating jokes aren't funny anymore? Damn I thought I'd have more time before you found me boring" She tried to joke again, to no avail, Victoria could sense something wasn't right, she knew Joe's facial expressions too well.

"I'm going to tell you something and you're not going to freak out, or get angry or leave this house" Joe firmly told her.

"What? You're starting to scare me" Victoria couldn't imagine for the life of her, what could possibly be the issue.

"I've already paid your bill. In full. Miranda helped me do some research on your health insurance from the university and I'm sorry but it's pretty shitty. It was a lot of money, and I wasn't about to let you drown in debt" Joe blurted out as fast as he could, wishing that Victoria wouldn't have time to react.

She stared at him, no facial expression whatsoever, in complete awe, absolutely in love and grateful for his economical help, but even more embarrassed that her boyfriend had to pay for her medical bills since she was broke.

"Joe.... I, thank you so much I really appreciate your help, but I will pay it back, every single penny, I promise" Victoria felt her heartbeat raising, and tried to hold back tears, the depth of her feelings for Joe was overwhelming, but knowing that he felt the absolute same and would go this lengths to make sure she was okay, was another thing entirely.

Joe grinned, as he reached for her waist, pulling her closer, he connected his forehead to hers, and whispered to her ear:

"You can pay me back when you make more money than I do"

Victoria gasped, pretending to be offended.

"Joe Burrow, you just called me poor. What's worse is you implied I'm gonna be poor forever. And I mean yeah, probably but still, ouch" She chuckled.

"You're not gonna be poor forever. Just for the next year give or take. Then you'll be a stellar scientist with plenty of money and your own lab to yourself" He softly kissed her forehead, not letting go of his embrace.

"The confidence you have in me it's bewildering" Victoria smiled at him.

"How could I not when my pretty girl throws big words at me just like that?" He stared at her, not saying a word, just contemplating the marvelous woman he had in front to him, the words left his mouth before he could have a chance to sugarcoat them "Please move in with me"

Victoria was taken aback by the suggestion, she had contemplated the possibility, of one day living with Joe, but in her mind that possibility existed after a year of dating at least, anything earlier felt too risky, doomed for failure.

"You don't have to say anything right now, it doesn't even need to be in the forceable future, just promise me you'll think about it" Joe tried to regain control of the situation as much as he could. Victoria nodded, smiling.

"I'll think about it Burrow, but you have to know that I'm a hard to please type of girl" She teased him.

"Thai food and trashy TV are the only two things you require" Joe bantered her. "Just don't think about it too much or I'll be forced to move into your house" he continued. 

"You'd give up this palace of yours for my hut of a house?" She replied, unconvinced.

"I'd give up the world for you, no doubts" He said in the firmest way possible. And Victoria knew then, that maybe moving in with him wasn't condemning anything, maybe it was the natural next step in their relationship.

Victoria forced Joe to go to practice the next day, against his every instinct of staying with her, she could only get him to attend by promising to stay in the safety of his home and rest for the entire day he would be gone. Joe knew that he had a responsibility to his team, the Super Bowl was less than two weeks away, and they needed to be a perfectly working machine of a team if they intended to beat the Eagles. "Please call your parents in the meantime, they need to be up to date on what has happened" Joe told Victoria as he grabbed his training bag and phone from the table.

"Yes mom, I will, now go, say hello to the guys for me" Victoria practically had to physically push him out of his house.

Victoria called her parents a few minutes after Joe left, knowing her well being would be endangered after they found out that she had been drugged and in a coma for a few hours. Her mom almost passed out when she confessed, and her dad yelled so loudly at the phone that he actually hurt Victoria's ear. Both of her parents were ready to leave for Cincinnati that second, it took a lot of effort to convince them that she was okay, and well taken care of, they calmed down a little when they found out what Joe did for her, the way he took care of her, and how he even payed for her medical care. After a tough negotiation, they agreed to stay home, and visit on the Super Bowl day, since Joe had gotten tickets for all of them.

Joe parked into the stadium private parking lot for players, still worried about Victoria but trying his best to get his mind in the right direction. He headed into the familiar locker room, to get changed into training gear, he opened his black locker with the bright orange number 9 on it, and slammed his bag in before heading out to the field.

"Hey man, how are you, but more importantly, how is Victoria?" Andrei asked from the other side of the room, as he put his cleats on. Joe felt a sense of warmth in his heart that he was as concerned about his girlfriend's wellbeing as he was for his own.

"She's gettin better each day Ioshi, thanks for asking. I'm truly amazed by her ability to cope with anything. I've caught her trying to work twice already" Andrei chuckled. "She sounds very similar to you when you're obsessing over film"

Joe hadn't picked up on their similarities, even if they had wildly different personalities and professions, they shared many traits at their core.

"I guess she is" Joe smiled and they went out to the field for the beginning of practice.

Ja'Marr, Tee, coach Taylor, Sam, McPherson, everyone on the team asked about Victoria's health, Joe was over the moon to have such supporting teammates.

The practice field, bathed in the golden glow of stadium lights, lay in excruciating anticipation. The air was charged with a palpable energy, a mixture of nerves and determination that hung like a veil over the Bengals.

At the center of this crucible stood Joe, his presence was a magnetic force that drew the team together. He always wore their helmet like a crown, the emblem of leadership and responsibility. With every call, every gesture, he orchestrated the dance of the offense with a maestro's precision.

Receivers cut sharp angles, linemen formed an impenetrable wall, and running backs surged forward like thunderheads on the horizon. Each play was executed with a meticulousness that spoke of countless hours of practice they had endured for the entire season.

Zac Taylor, a figure of stoic authority, barked commands. His voice cut through the crisp night air, a steady anchor in the tempest of the impending Super Bowl. He knew that every decision, every adjustment, was a brick in the road to victory.

Joe's throws were a symphony of power and precision. The football sliced through the air, a beacon of intent seeking out its target. Receivers, hands outstretched like sculpted statues, snatched the spiraling orb from the sky with an almost reverent grace. They were a deadly combination.

As the final whistle blew, the team gathered, a circle of warriors bound by a common purpose. Joe's voice, a steadying force, rose above the din, spoke of unity, of discipline, of the legacy that awaited them on the hallowed turf of the Super Bowl, it awoke a burning passion and desire to seek out the ultimate glory, regardless of what it costed them.

After several hours of training, Joe felt physically demolished, like had been ran over by a train. The only thing that kept him going was the thought of his lover laying on his bed, the things he wanted to do to her were not suited to be spoke out loud.

A voice took him out of his own thoughts.

"What's the word on the Kansas Police Department?" Ja'Marr asked.

"Nothing yet. I'm getting anxious brother" Joe replied, as a knot formed in his throat.

"I don't want to add insult to the injury, but I get it. It just seemed so premeditated, the whole thing doesn't strike me as an incident, or a random selection. I think someone went after her" Ja'Marr stared intensely into Joe's eyes, letting him know how serious he was about his theory.

Joe felt the most primitive, overwhelming sense of fear and despair he had felt on a while. The thought of someone specifically targeting Victoria was too scary, it petrified him, but mostly it angered him. Anyone who wanted to bring her harm would have to go through him first.

"I'll keep a close eye on her, and I'll call the KCPD as soon as I get home. I even asked her to move in with me" Joe got a little nervous about saying this to Ja'Marr seeing that his initial reaction to his relationship with Victoria hadn't exactly been kind.

"Good man, that's amazing. I know I misjudged her, but I know how much she means to you, and I'm glad that you're finally settling down" Ja'Marr grinned at Joe.

"I mean she still has to say yes but I'm sure she'll come around"

"Maybe she needs a little bit of that Burrow magic, you know? Make her feel like a goddess in bed and there's no way she'll say no" Ja'Marr bantered Joe, and the pair laughed.

"I'll keep it in mind" Joe closed his locker and headed home for the night.

Victoria actually fulfilled her promise and rested instead of trying to get some more work done. It felt nice, even for a little bit, to give her mind a break.

Joe arrived home, tired and sweaty, the thing he wanted more in the world was a shower, he quickly said hello to his girlfriend and ran upstairs to his bathroom. He was just going to apply shampoo when the door was unlocked, and Victoria appeared in the doorway, naked. She smiled at him, walked towards the shower and asked. "May I join?" Joe could barely speak at the sight of her. "You have to... rest" he gulped. "Well the doctor didn't say anything about this" She quickly got on her knees, taking him into her mouth, his dick already hard and ready for some action.

She licked and swallowed him until she felt his release near. Joe moaned uncontrollably, screaming her name as he felt her soft and warm mouth surrounding his dick, the combination of physical pleasure and the steam from the hot shower was enough to make him feel like he would pass out. He felt her stop what she was doing and in a quick movement, he lifted her up from the floor, she wrapped her legs around his waist and he stared thrusting into her, while she played with her clit, both of them feeling their climax near. Joe wanted to hold back as much as he could, to maximize the time inside of her, but was unable to keep going for long. Victoria came when she saw the muscular frame of Joe trembling with pleasure, and felt his warm release filling her up.

They both smiled at each other, continuing with the shower, this time they took the time to enjoy the hot water, having fun as they softly cleaned each other, lovingly hugging and kissing.

Victoria left the shower wearing a silk pink robe that Joe had gotten for her, to try and make her feel at home, she heard her phone ringing, and picked up without even checking who it was.

"Miss Marlowe? It's officer Phillips, from the KCPD. I'm calling to inform you on an update from your case. After profiling everyone who was waitering at the party, someone didn't check out, we couldn't localize them at their contact information. The thing is the waiter was registered as being originally from Cincinnati" Victoria felt lightheaded, her eyes wide open, she felt her blood go cold.

"Uh.. can I call you back?" She asked, barely able to speak.

She hung up the phone, and a worried Joe stood behind her.

"I need to tell you something and you won't freak out, Joe" Victoria knew it was time to confess.

"Around two weeks ago, I thought I saw someone walking around the hallways of the lab. It was dark and very late at night, I was alone, and no one was supposed to be there. Now officer Philips called to say that one of the waiters from the party went off the grid and he was listed as being from Cincinnati and now I'm really scared"

Joe just stayed in place, not saying anything, pale as a ghost.

"And you only thought of telling me that now?"