always-reading

[always-reading]

i’m gonna cry

the boys are separated for the first time since charlotte passed away and rafe doesn’t understand.

from my fractured ties universe. read story here

warnings: grief, mention of a dead parent

notes: rafe is 7 and jj is 5 in this blurb! they are also brothers in this universe for anyone new reading 🫶🏻

rafe didn’t know how he felt. or rather, he did he just didn’t know how to explain it. his little mind couldn’t comprehend such a huge change in his life so suddenly.

charlotte had just passed away and ward didn’t hesitate to pack up rafe’s things out of the room he shared with his little brother, jj.

jj and luke had watched the whole time ward muttered to himself and snapped at rafe to help him gather his belongings.

ward would mutter things like,

“we don’t have all day.”

“the cuts dangerous, son. i should’ve got you out of here a long time ago.”

“strong boys don’t cry.”

and normally, rafe would stick his chest out and agree with his dad. he’s the oldest, he had to be strong. he was strong. his little brother was watching, he couldn’t let jj down.

but this time? he was sad.

his mom was gone.

forever.

at least, that’s the way ward explained it to him and now rafe couldn’t stop thinking about never seeing his mom again. or how he wouldn’t share a room with his baby brother anymore. who was going to save jj from the shadow at night? that was rafe’s job. he couldn’t protect jj from ward’s house. and now jj was all alone too. he didn’t have rafe or their mom. just like rafe didn’t have jj or his mom either.

rafe just wanted to go home. with his mom. with his baby brother. even if jj was super annoying it felt wrong not having him close.

he remembers his mom sitting him down a couple weeks ago and saying, “this island isn’t kind, rafe. one day you’ll understand that. they think jj is… less than you because he has a different dad and that’s not true my sweet boy. you have to remember that. so when the boys in town pick on him, it’s up to you to watch out for him. to remind them that he’s not less than. and neither are you.”

he still didn’t quite understand what she meant because he had always seen jj as his little brother. nothing else ever came to mind but he had heard a few new terms in the last couple of days that was making his mind start to question.

ward and rose kept muttering “pogue” and “kook” and he didn’t know what those words meant but he knew “pogue” couldn’t be anything good with how his dad basically spit the word out of his mouth like it tasted bad.

rafe didn’t know what to do with himself. he felt lost. scared. alone. and the room he was currently in, his new room, felt uncomfortable.

there wasn’t a huge toy box in the corner stuffed to the brim. there wasn’t a fort in the middle of the room him and jj built one night while they were suppose to be sleeping. there wasn’t a bookcase full of his favorite books. he even missed jj’s orange lava lamp that use to be on their shared nightstand.

it all just felt wrong.

but ward told him this was where he would be staying. this was his home now.

but rafe knew it wasn’t. it couldn’t be.

because his little brother wasn’t here.

his mom wasn’t here.

and they wouldn’t be.

no matter how much he wished for it.

tagging my fractured ties babies: @yesshewrites1 @bee-43 @xoxo-ada @imsiriuslyreal @marleymarleymarleymarley @freyawhitexxx1 @arabellamaybank @papercranesandinkstains @onelonelybitch @pr3tty-pink @xoxosblogsblog @justdamnpeachy @laniirackssss @okay1723 @anacamofficial @always-reading @luvrclub @partywithjay @niaunoffical @moonywhisp3rs @mariamadison6-blog @wrtzia @jaes-last-words @faephoria @lmaowhatt @voidangxls @reeseswirl @isinpfortvdmen @hotvampdragon @jjslvt @smokahontas-113 @starkeyslove @yourmomdotcom42069 @moustacherryismyhusband @barnesboo1967 @akobx @emelia07 @stanseventeen @st8rkey @sabrina-carpenter-stan-account @ilovedrewstarkey27 @certifiedjjsimp @kittluzbills

[always-reading]

pinterest hates me and want me to die

[always-reading]

propaganda i'm not falling for:

straight remus lupin

the MCD tag on ao3

kittywater

lily evans hate

the marauders hated peter

dumb sirius black

halloween 1981

the new hbo tv show

james cheating on lily

straight marlene mckinnon

[always-reading]

people with breasts who don’t want to wear a bra aren’t doing anything wrong by going braless and quite frankly their boob situation is none of your business to begin with.

wearing a bra is a personal choice just like wearing any other garment of clothing is. no one is under any obligation to harness their breasts—they are not being “disrespectful” or anything else negative by not wearing a bra. you, however, are being disrespectful if you give people who prefer to go braless shit for doing so.

if you have an issue with it, stop looking at their chest and mind your own damn business. problem solved.

[always-reading]

I LOVED THIS SO FKN MUCH

piss off your parents

chapter thirty four - still pogue trash

two months later…

liked by 600 people!

ynstjohn: love it here

sarahcam: imy!!!!!

↳ ynstjohn: I MISS YOU!

kelcee: boi no pic credits?

↳ ynstjohn: no but thx for asking!

jjmaybank: miss u pretty girl

↳ ynstjohn: 🩷🩷🩷miss u

johnbroutledge: muahahaha

↳ jjmaybank: shut the hell up

kiaracarrera: pls come home soon i cant live without you

↳ ynstjohn: one more month! ill be home for thanksgiving

user: ugh ur so cute

↳ ynstjohn: <333

her phone

your phone buzzes the second you hit the bed, kicking off your shoes and reaching for the blanket draped over your desk chair.

you've had three classes today, plus two hours of studying, and a club meeting mixed in. you're exhausted.

when you see jj's name on your screen, you smile. his conversations were always your favorite way to end a night, anyways.

when you swipe up into the conversation, your smile drops.

'dont freak out but im outside your dorm rn'

your heart races, your mind goes blank. and then, absolute chaos.

youre scrambling for your keys, nearly knocking over a laundry basket and some things off your desk in the process. your pulse is in your throat, your smile tugging wide and unstoppable.

but before you rush out, something catches your eye. taped to the middle of your bulletin board is a piece of paper, edges curled, ink smudged a little at the corner.

still pogue trash, still yours. you're gonna do great. — love, jj

it’s the note he had slipped into your things before you left, a small piece of him to keep with you when you unpacked your dorm room.

you stop. it hits you kind of hard. but youre smiling again because right now, youre at your dream college, happier than ever. and in just a few seconds, you're going to see the boy you're so deeply in love with.

the distance was hard, especially for jj. but between the facetimes and texts and hand written notes he would send you in handwriting so poor you could only laugh, there was never a moment you thought you wouldnt make it.

your phone buzzed again and youre snapped back into reality. with your id and keys to your dorm in hand, you go bounding down two flights of stairs to the lobby of your dorm.

the doors of the dorm swing open, and for a brief moment, everything around you blurs. the world outside is bathed in the warm amber glow of the streetlights, and the air is thick with the scent of rain.

you step onto the sidewalk, the chill of the evening air brushing against your skin, and you stop, suddenly aware of how quiet everything feels. and then, you see him.

he's leaning against his truck, hood pulled up over his messy blond hair, hands tucked into the pockets of his worn zip-up. it's barely enough to ward off the chill of october, but he’s here. jj maybank. the boy you’ve spent the past two months missing. the boy you've spent the last four loving.

“jj!” it comes out breathlessly, an exhale of laughter mixed with disbelief. he looks up just as you reach him, and before he can say anything, you’re crashing into him, arms going around his neck, pressing into the warmth of his body like you’ve been waiting forever for this moment.

"hey, bunny." he murmurs into your shoulder, turning his head to press a single kiss to your neck.

your hands move instinctively to his face, grabbing his chin to meet your eyeline. you trace the lines of his features like you’ve missed them more than you could ever explain. and then you kiss him.

when he pulls back, he looks at you with that familiar, crooked grin, eyes soft but full of something undeniable.

"you know," he says, accompnied with a grin, "i thought i could play it cool, wait 'til you came back... but honestly? i was dying to see you. couldn't hold out another minute."

you smile, fingertips brushing his jaw. “you never were very good at playing it cool, anyway.”

jj laughs under his breath, that familiar, boyish sound that makes your chest ache. “not when it comes to you, no.”

he kisses you again, quick, full of something desperate and lovely. the kind of kiss that makes the world go silent, leaving only the certainty that fills your chest. this. him. forever.

and somewhere, miles away, your parents are probably pissed about this.

perfect.

end.

masterlist

note from the author - omg im crying. thank you so much for staying along for the ride, there's enough love in my heart for you to fill oceans. i hope you guys enjoyed this book and the characters as much as i did writing them 🥲🥲

taglist - @dr3amgrlll / @murdockcastleslut /  @jjmaybankmylovee / @smokahontas-113 /  @abigailovesz / @enchantedstarfish / @reeseswirl / @lmaowhatt / @moonywhisp3rs / @dylsdaily /  @idli-dosa / @bloodofadoll / @cokewithcameron / @mariamadison6-blog / @rrosiitas / @always-reading / @sunflouer04 / @bambigirl10 / @mirellef2001 / @wasiasproject / @kissesandmartinis / @gublerstylesobrien1238 / @isinpfortvdmen / @sabrina-carpenter-stan-account / @mjwashere / @sideboobrry11 / @ameliacione13 / @wrtzia / @sanriobuny / @dramagodesss / @luvrclub / @yesshewrites1 / @ayy1234567 / @doesnt-care / @rainingcecilias / @4jjsbank / @blythee1

[always-reading]

AHHHHHHHHHH IM FKN DYING THIS IS SO GOOD

piss off your parents

chapter twenty three - somethin’ stupid

at first, when you thought he wanted to drive you somewhere. you hesitated. but once you looked, actually looked, you realized the twinkie was the date.

the side door creaked open, revealing the blankets and pillows scattered across the floor in that messy, endearing way only jj could manage. warm fairy lights looped lazily through the ceiling. a bowl of popcorn sat between a pile of candy bags, like he’d cleaned out an entire gas station just for you.

“what is this?” you asked, taking a few steps closer to get a better view.

you looked at him, and couldn’t help but let the butterflies and warmth rise to your face, breaking out in a smile.

“welcome to the twinkie cinema, where you can watch any movie you want as long as it isn’t the notebook.” jj grins, then waves his arm to usher you inside, throwing himself in and closing the door behind you.

you remembered that time he told you sarah made all their friends sit down and watch the notebook. jj said he’d been traumatized from it, couldn’t stop crying for an hour.

“do you like it?” he asked. he met your eyes for a second, before turning behind him and grabbing a bag of sour patch kids, tearing the bag open.

“love it.” you couldn’t even try to hide the swoon, you were pretty sure it was painted all over your face.

you'd only been watching to all the boys i've loved before for maybe, maybe twenty minutes when jj cut in.

"we should take tips from this, you know, to make our relationship more convincing."

you turned to him, shaking your head as you smiled. "you think so?"

"i mean, the back pocket thing is genius. and i can start writing you little notes. they might be really hard to read 'cause i got shit handwriting, but i'll do it."

"no, we need something that's just for us." you let out a breathy laugh, then shifted to get more comfortable. both of you picked up on the inch closer you were.

us. us. the word made jj's vision go blurry. he wanted to laugh at himself on how easily he got worked up when you did the simpliest things, of what had become of jj maybank, pogue, bad news, playboy.

your smile lingered, soft and easy. you glanced back at him, brows raised when you saw the look on his face. “you okay? you’re doing that thing again.”

jj blinked. “what thing?”

you shrugged, "that spaced out look, like you're not all here."

he let out a soft laugh. but it was shaky, strained "yea, something like that."

because what was he supposed to say? that the twinkle lights hitting your shoulders made him want to forget his name? that your laugh had lodged itself somewhere permanent in his chest? that every single thing you did, every look, every word, made him want things he had no business wanting?

fake. that’s what this was supposed to be. there was nothing fake about this. nothing fake about the way you were looking at him right now, letting all your thoughts cloud in your eyes.

“seriously,” you add, your hand coming to his bare arm and rub it reassuringly, “is something on your mind or—”

he couldnt do it anymore, couldn't hold back and tell himself not to do something stupid. partically, because he couldnt find a reason to not do what he was about to do, even if there were hundreds.

he leaned in, surrendering, letting it finally take over. no more thinking. no more hesitation. just you.

the first press to your lips was soft at first, testing.

you froze for a heartbeat, like the world had stilled. and then you kissed him back, one hand coming up to the side of his neck and braiding itself into his hair.

jj had kissed before, hell, jj had done much more than kiss before. but this one burned. it was warm and a little shaky, full of all the things you weren’t saying.

it was stupid. and risky. and he already knew it was going to wreck him, but he didn’t stop.

he kissed you like he’d been waiting all summer, all year, forever. he pulled you into him like it was life or death.

each moment was sweet and unhurried, filled with giggles that lingered between your lips. smiles that whispered against each other, thumbs brushing softly across cheeks and necks and collarbones.

when he finally pulled away from you, you sighed. "was that to make our story more convincing?"

he smiled, "nah, that was for me." then dipped back down to you.

liked by 500 people!

ynstjohn: date night!

sarahcam: sobbing

sarahcam: did u force him to watch the notebook? 😏

↳ jjmaybank: it’s banned in yn and i’s household

jjmaybank: i’m still not over u eating all the red sour patch kids 😐

↳ ynstjohn: but you like the blue ones!

↳ jjmaybank: i like u more

johnbroutledge: i’m stealing this idea

kelcee: 🥲🥲

cleoanderson: OMFG?

kiaracarrera: how did jj come up with this 💀

↳ jjmaybank: i’m a romantic now get used to it

her phone

his phone

masterlist | next chapter

taglist - @dr3amgrlll / @murdockcastleslut /  @jjmaybankmylovee / @smokahontas-113 /  @abslvrs13 / @enchantedstarfish / @reeseswirl / @lmaowhatt / @moonywhisp3rs / @dylsdaily /  @idli-dosa / @bloodofadoll / @cokewithcameron / @mariamadison6-blog / @rrosiitas / @always-reading / @sunflouer04 / @bambigirl10 / @mirellef2001 / @wasiasproject /  @bee-43 / @kissesandmartinis / @gublerstylesobrien1238 / @isinpfortvdmen / @sabrina-carpenter-stan-account / @mjwashere / @sideboobrry11 / @ameliacione13 / @wrtzia / @sanriobuny / @dramagodesss / @luvrclub / @yesshewrites1 / @ayy1234567 / @doesnt-care / @rainingcecilias 

[always-reading]

LIVE LAUGH LOVE SOFIA

FRACTURED TIES PART 13

► masterlist◄

social media au, 18+ mdni

pairings: jj x kook!reader, rafe x kook!sofia

warnings: swearing, mentions of sex (no details)

summary: By the time Charlotte Langley was 24, she was a proud mom of two sons, Rafe and JJ. While the two boys had different dads, that didn’t stop her from raising them together and teaching them that a blended family could still be a family. The two boys grew up inseparable, always looking out for the other. Life was perfect. But when Rafe turned 7 and JJ was barely 5, Charlotte found out she had a fast growing cancer. The death of the boys’ mother sent the town reeling and what use to be a happy blended family was no more. Ward cut off all contact with the Maybanks and Luke followed suit. Without their mother there to bridge the gap, the brothers grew up resenting the other. Now the two brothers constantly face off in Kildare’s motocross races, the one thing they still share from their childhood. It’s also starting to piss Rafe off that JJ keeps eyeing his childhood best friend. Two brothers. One island. Here we go.

Notes: our girl is ✨feeling✨ this was precious and my motivation for this story is back in full swing! next update will be the race 💕 also redoing the theme so disregard all the reblogs i’m about to do lol let me know your thoughts/theories/concerns! 🧡

taglist: @yesshewrites1 @bee-43 @xoxo-ada @imsiriuslyreal @marleymarleymarleymarley @freyawhitexxx1 @arabellamaybank @papercranesandinkstains @onelonelybitch @pr3tty-pink @xoxosblogsblog @justdamnpeachy @laniirackssss @okay1723 @anacamofficial @always-reading @luvrclub @partywithjay @niaunoffical @moonywhisp3rs @mariamadison6-blog @wrtzia @jaes-last-words @faephoria @lmaowhatt @voidangxls @reeseswirl @isinpfortvdmen @hotvampdragon @jjslvt @smokahontas-113 @starkeyslove @yourmomdotcom42069 @moustacherryismyhusband @barnesboo1967 @akobx @emelia07 @stanseventeen @st8rkey @sabrina-carpenter-stan-account @ilovedrewstarkey27 @certifiedjjsimp

[always-reading]

KISS KISS KISS

piss off your parents

chapter twenty two - baby, if your love is in trouble

her phone

you wanted your mom. even after all the bad things she's said to you these past couple weeks, you just wanted to tell her everything. let her tell you it'll be okay.

so, you tip toed down the stairs until you found her standing over the sink in the kitchen.

"momma." you barely spoke above a whisper, standing at the edge of the counter in the dimly lit room.

she looked up from the dishes, giving you a soft smile. "you okay?"

you started to nod your head, then sighed and shrugged. she let out a deep breath and tilted her lips up, reassuring you.

"things with jj are...complicated right now."

just like that, her whole face changed, shoulders stiff, jaw tight, her hands stilling in the sink.

“yn.” her voice was low, warning. “don’t.”

you swallowed. “i’m not trying to start anything. i just...i needed to talk.”

“and he’s who you want to talk about?” your mom shook her head, voice rising. “i thought we raised you better than this. you’ve got college coming up, real plans, a future. what are you doing getting mixed up with someone like him?”

“he’s not—” you paused, biting the inside of your cheek. “you don’t know him.”

“i know enough,” your mom cut in sharply. “he’s been in and out of trouble since he was a kid. that’s not someone you build a life with, bunny, that’s someone who wrecks it.”

your chest tightened. “i didn’t come in here to fight with you.”

“then what are we doing here? because it sounds like your mind’s already made up.”

you hesitated. she stepped back like she’d been slapped. “unbelievable.”

“it’s not like that,” you say quickly. “it’s...complicated.” there's that word again. complicated. frayed at the edges.

“oh, i’m sure it is,” her tone was harsh, mocking. “and what do you want me to say? congratulations? i hope he doesn’t screw up your life too bad?”

“i just... i think i like him more than i expected to,” you admitted, barely above a whisper.

“well, i expected more from you,” your mom fired back. “and i hope, for your sake, he’s not just using you the way boys like him always do.”

you stood frozen in the doorway, blinking back the sting in her eyes.

“you think he’s something special now,” your mom snapped, “but give it time. boys like him always leave, usually right after they’ve done the damage.”

you went to say something, but let your mouth hang open for a moment like an idiot. you looked down, then turned and all but ran out of the kitchen and straight out the front door, grabbing your keys on your way.

her phone

you didn’t even get out a hello.

“you on your way?” he asked the second you picked up his call. his voice was low, steady, grounding.

“i’m ten minutes away.” you sighed into the car.

“just, uh, hurry okay? i know you hate this kind of rain.” he was talking so quietly you could barely hear him over the rain pelting against your car.

of course it was raining. stupid outer banks and it's stupid summer storms.

you gave a small smile, even though he couldn’t see it. “you remember that?”

“course i do.”

there was a short pause, then his voice softened. “you wanna about know the first time i saw you?”

you blinked. “what?”

“just humor me.”

“…okay.”

“it was at the gas station., off the highway.”

you blinked again. “seriously?”

"yea, i was inside grabbing shit and i turned down the isle and...there you were, holding a slurpee cup probably the size of your head."

you made a face, already half-laughing. “what flavor?”

“all of them,” he said immediately. “you did that psychotic thing where you mix every single one.”

you groaned. “oh my god.”

“no, wait, it gets better. you took one sip, made a face, and handed it to your friend like ‘nope, never mind.’ and then you went right back to make another one.”

you laughed, he continued. “i didn’t even know your name back then, but i couldn’t stop looking."

the words lingered, an unspoken meaning tucked somewhere between them, like he wasn’t just telling a memory. like it was something else entirely. a confession, wrapped in disguise. quiet. careful. real.

"i've just," he paused, "been thinking about that lately."

it was true. sure, he’d been telling you the story to keep your mind off the weather conditions, but he had been thinking about it. he remembers everything, down to the color of the beat up sambas you were wearing that day.

“and you remembered that?” you asked, stunned.

“yeah,” he said. “i mean…yeah.”

you pulled into his driveway right as he said it.

you didnt expect him to be sitting on his front steps, waiting for you, phone pressed to his ear as he watched your car shut off.

you barely made it to the bottom step before his arms were around you, pulling you close. the hug wasn’t rushed or forced, it was safe, strong, like he was trying to bind you to him. you could feel the tension in his shoulders, the way he held you tightly, like he was both relieved and desperate.

his cheek rested gently against your temple, and for a moment, everything was just the sound of his breath and the steady beating of his heart beneath your ear.

when you pulled away, you went to head up the steps, but he stopped you.

"were, uh, we arent going into the house." he gave you a nervous smile, almost like he's trying to hide the anxiety beneath it.

you gave him a confused look, one that made his eyes flicker up to the forehead line.

he shrugged his shoulders when his lips flattened into a line, then turned his head and gestured towards the twinkie.

"c'mon, ‘bout time i took you on a real date."

masterlist | next chapter

taglist - @murdockcastleslut /  @jjmaybankmylovee / @smokahontas-113 /  @abslvrs13 / @enchantedstarfish / @reeseswirl / @lmaowhatt / @moonywhisp3rs / @dylsdaily / @idli-dosa / @bloodofadoll / @cokewithcameron / @mariamadison6-blog / @rrosiitas / @always-reading / @sunflouer04 / @bambigirl10 / @mirellef2001 / @wasiasproject /  @bee-43 / @kissesandmartinis / @gublerstylesobrien1238 / @isinpfortvdmen / @sabrina-carpenter-stan-account / @mjwashere / @sideboobrry11 / @ameliacione13 / @wrtzia / @sanriobuny / @dramagodesss / @luvrclub / @yesshewrites1 / @ayy1234567 / @doesnt-care

[always-reading]

The tragedy of Regulus Black

[always-reading]

I FUCKING LOVE THIS OMG

if you could give us a general ootd of each characters in your au, what would your readers tend to wear? 🍀:)

AAAAA I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS QUESTION 🫶🏻

ponyo!au, featuring goldfish!reader x cliffbythesea!matt

20thcenturygirl!au, ft 20thcenturygirl!reader x 20thcenturyboy!chris

theoffice!au, featuring officecrush!reader x officeworker!matt

spitfire!au, featuring archer!reader x kidflash!matt

almostlove!au, ft sexhotline!reader x goldenboy!chris

hallwaycrush!au, ft hallwaycrush!chris

emergency!au, featuring barista!reader x nurse!nick

emergency!au, featuring doctor!reader x firefighter!matt

emergency!au, featuring detective!reader x detective!chris

compromise!au, ft rose!reader x matt sturniolo

i have too many au's so i'll reblog with the last two:>>

what's everybody's fav fit dshjbdsj

[always-reading]

Some people say “you can enjoy The Marauders without shipping Wolfstar.” And yes, you can. But why would you choose to live such a joyless, empty existence?

[always-reading]

IM SCREAMING

springsteen

jjmaybank x touron!reader

Seventeen years old or twenty-seven, it didn’t matter, you still loved JJ Maybank.

Warnings: none!

First of my country songs series, listen to the song!!! (Give country a chance, I’m begging you)

It had been almost ten years since you last saw him. You could still remember like it was yesterday, though. You were freshly seventeen and were spending the summer on the Banks with your family.

The first time he saw you was when he was passing your beach house in the Twinkie, along with his other friends. John B called a hello out the window and JJ turned his head to watch you play with your little cousins in the front yard until he couldn’t see you anymore.

You were stuck in his head like a piece of bubblegum. Sort of like the one you were popping in your mouth when he first drove by. He memorized the way you looked, the way your white top made your tan skin shine, how your cut off jeans made his fingers tingle. The Ray-bands that were stuck in your messy hair, fresh from the ocean. You were wearing flip flops and still, JJ couldn’t get enough.

He made up stupid reasons to take the Twinkie, drive it across town and down your street, hoping to get another glance at you.

When he did, he pulled onto the side of the road. You were getting out of your car, an iced coffee in one hand and a bouquet of flowers from the supermarket in the other. He thought you looked like a dream.

“Are you new?” He called out the window, swallowing the nerves. He felt like he was talking to a celebrity. Something told him he wouldn’t be as nervous to talk to an actual celeb as he was calling out for you.

“I’m here for the summer. Who are you?” You replied.

“JJ. Would you go to a party with me tonight?”

“Are you going to murder me after, JJ?”

The cute blonde sticking his head out of the Volkswagen Touran was grinning ear to ear at your response. He shook his head, then you smiled, too. You shrugged your shoulders and agreed.

“I’ll pick you up at seven. You’ll be here?” He yelled, smacking his head against the door, it made a loud sound from the metal of his rings.

“I’ll be here. See you tonight.” You smiled and turned to walk up the stairs to the front door.

Fourteen days later, you were pretty sure you had fallen in love. For the first time, you were feeling something like you could jump off a cliff and no matter what or where, JJ would be at the bottom to catch you. Maybe you were just being a silly teenager, but you were certain that’s what love felt like.

JJ would take you to the old shipyard and find a container to sit on and watch the ships sail out onto the ocean or take you to his friend Kiara’s restaurant where you would sit and talk as a date until Mr. Carrera forced you guys out.

At the end of everyday, he’d take his sweet time driving you home, taking the far way around the island. He’d make you so late your parents would be angry every time you got home. You didn’t care, neither did he.

“Don’t go.” You whined one night. Sitting in the Twinkie, in your driveway. It was the third week of summer, it was a hot and sticky night, the ac was blowing your hair in a way that made JJ think you looked like an angel. He gave you a sickly, sweet smile that made you want him to kiss you. You had only known JJ for three weeks but when he kissed you, it felt like it had been years. He kissed you so sweet, he put his hand on your cheek and pulled you over to sit closer to him. It was the best kiss of your life.

At twenty-seven, you still thought about him like the last time you saw him was the day before. You wondered if now, at twenty-seven, JJ would think about you too when he would hear a song from Bruce Springsteen. That summer, at eighteen, JJ was obsessed with him and Snoop Dog, saying he wanted to smoke like Snoop and sing like Bruce. He certainly smoked enough to run with Snoop Dog but you used to laugh and cover your ears when he sung along to the radio.

You were back in the Banks, in the same house on the same street, almost ten years later. The same family you were with the last time were there, except your father. When he died six months ago, he made you promise to start a tradition of making good use out the the house he paid an expensive mortgage for. So there you were, with the same cousins you used to play with in the front yard, now the same age as you were the last time.

When you saw him, he was driving by in a beat up, black Jeep. You were unloading things from your white BMW, the one you had been dreaming of buying since you graduated college from Clemson. He hit the breaks so hard the hodgepodge of items on his passenger seat went flying. You dropped your bags back into the backseat.

You almost couldn’t believe it was him. He was so handsome, the same blonde hair and pretty blue eyes, just all grown up. He let his arm hang out the side of his car as you walked over. You caught sight of your name, tattooed into his wrist. It had faded since you last saw it. He had gotten it a few weeks before you left that summer. You could remember the god awful look your mother gave you when she saw your name, tattooed on the pogue boys wrist as he shook her hand for the first time. You also remembered you didn’t care what she thought, all you could think about is that when he got it, you were holding his hand and he was telling you how much he loved you.

“Is that you, JJ Maybank?” You wrapped your fingers around the door handle and pulled it open, not thinking about what you were doing. You had guessed you just wanted to see him, all of him.

He smiled and it’s like you were sent back into time, the first time he smiled at you, in the same driveway. He nodded, stepping out the car that was still running. JJ needed to see you too, without a stupid door in the way. He wanted to see what ten years did to you.

He grew taller. Even at seventeen when sleeping at the Chateau, he would complain about not being able to rest because of his growing pains. He used to pull you into his body and tell you to kiss it better.

JJ thought you were even more beautiful than you were at seventeen. At eighteen, he thought you were the most beautiful girl in the world. At twenty-eight, he knew you were the most beautiful woman there was.

That night, he took you out to The Wreck, where Mr. Carrera greeted you, telling you all about Kiara’s successes in Australia. ‘Born in the USA’ played over the speakers in the restaurant. JJ sang along to the lyrics.

“You haven’t gotten any better at singing.” You laughed over the Bruce Springsteen song.

“Yea, I quit smoking too. So there goes both my dreams.” He shook his head, looking up at you through his blonde hair.

“What’s your dream now?” You head your head in your hands, watching him think. His eyebrows furrowed anytime he thought hard about something. You learned that about him early on.

“Move out of my apartment, I’m barely there anyway. Get a nice house on the water and surf a ton. Open up my own surfboard company. Probably marry you, too.”

He took you by surprise. You found yourself thinking the same thing, though. Time didn’t seem to matter when it came to you and JJ.

That summer, you spent any free time with JJ. When he bought the small warehouse to start his business, you were there when he signed the lease. The first surfboard he made was for you. When you got sick as a dog for a week, he was there. You learned how good JJ was at making chicken noodle soup.

Three years later, on the other side of town, the nicer side of town, JJ and you walked along the beach. Your house was just a few hundred feet down. It was a dark blue, with a wrap around pouch and had a hammock you laid in when the sun was setting.

Your boyfriend’s business took off, he was shipping surfboards across the world daily, with lots of orders waiting for him. Your career in marketing was taking off well.

He proposed to you three years after twenty-seven. On the beach your dark blue house rested on. With a ring he saved up his entire life for.

At seventeen, you thought that summer would be the last time you saw JJ. At thirty, you wanted to laugh and tell her she was a silly teenager. You wanted to tell her that her cliff jumping love was real, and it lasted.

[always-reading]

Happy birthday to James Fleamont Potter, who has an ego the size of a lake, but a heart to match it.

[always-reading]

I WANNA FKN CRY

weight - @wolfstarmicrofic - word count: 297

“Moons, I have an important question.”

Remus looked up from his book, only half paying attention. Because, since getting together a month ago, Sirius asked ‘important questions’ a lot. Some of them included, but were certainly not limited to:

Would you love me if I were a worm?

Would you love me if I turned into a dog and ate all of your homework?

Would you love me if I lost all my teeth?

Would you love me if I was bald?

And, Remus’s personal favorite, and the one that confused him the most, would you love me if I was never born?

Of course, Remus answered yes to all of these, because he’d known Sirius for almost five years, so he knew how to placate him. 

So he expected this question to be the same.

“Would you still love me if I dressed like a girl sometimes?”

But now, Remus gave his boyfriend his full attention, because the question seemed to hold more weight. 

“Of course I would, baby,” he replied earnestly, looking over and meeting Sirius’s eyes. “Do you…really think I wouldn’t?”

“Dunno,” Sirius mumbled, playing with a loose thread in his blanket. “You don’t think it’s weird?”

Remus chuckled and moved to sit next to him, grabbing his hand. “I think you’re weird. But however you want to dress, I’ll always think you’re stunning. And I’ll never stop loving you. I promise.”

Gray, tear-filled eyes finally met his own, and Remus momentarily was breathless. “I’m still a boy,” Sirius murmured.

“Even if you weren’t,” Remus swore, “I love you for you.”

At this, Sirius smiled a bit. “What if I were a snail?”

Remus froze and let out a long-suffering sigh, then grabbed a nearby pillow and hit Sirius over the head with it.

[always-reading]

Some people say “Not everything is about Wolfstar.” They’re wrong. Everything is about Wolfstar. Even things that aren’t. Especially things that aren’t.

[always-reading]

. me 🤝 james potter talking during movies

[always-reading]

Marylily