#and it's gotta be either one of her parents or cameron that just watches her

[lilyharvord]

ur tags on the maven and corianne post literally have me losing my mind. amazing, exquisite, show- stopping

thank you (((((: I reread them today and they have all the caliber of an ADHD caffeine filled rant, but I agree. I love the idea of their interactions. So much so, I may actual buck up and write it sometime soon. We'll see.

[rafesveryrealgf]

Where this flower blooms | chapter 2

(Rafe Cameron x Heyward!reader)

Warnings: NON CANON, curse words, sexual references/sexual innuendos, slightly toxic (not really) relationship, smut, forbidden relationship, underage drinking.

Synopsis: he’s an asshole, but he’s so hot. It’s a shame he’s also your brothers biggest foe.

A/N: read part 1 for context

Kiara and Sarah somehow convinced you to go to a party with them on The Cut, which your brother Pope, John B, and JJ would also be attending to. Your parents wouldn’t have let Pope go if you weren’t with him so he was happy he had Sarah and Kiara there to help convince you to go.

Before you got to the party you all pre-gamed at The Chateau which you were low-key grateful for because there was no way you were hanging with these guys all night, sober. You all knew it would be a terrible idea to drive to and back from the party, drunk so, you all decided to walk. It wasn’t that far anyway so, nobody protested.

It looked like everyone at the party was already wasted by the time you guys even got there.

The boys had went their separate ways from you, Sarah and Kiara. And as you scanned over the party you noticed Topper and Kelce. You knew Rafe couldn’t have been far. Wherever those two were, Rafe was sure to be right behind.

“Fuck, my brothers here.” Sarah cursed.

Kiara stood on her tippy toes to follow Sarah’s gaze. Sarah slumped a bit, not wanting her brother to see her, knowing he’d either snitch on her to their father or taunt her for the whole night.

“Does he ever have a shirt on?” Kiara questioned with a disgusted face.

“Nope.” Sarah answered.

“I mean, we kinda are at the beach.” You chuckled.

“True.” Kiara frowned.

“Guys we gotta move, I can’t let him see me.” Sarah held one hand over her face as if he wouldn’t be able to recognize her figure or hair if he had seen her.

You all moved through the little crowds of people to try and get as far as you could.

“Sarah!” John B yelled with his hand up and waving her over.

Rafe heard his sisters name being called and looked at John B to follow his gaze.

“Shit,” Sarah said, ducking even lower.

You and Kiara attempted to hide her in front of you both as you walked but Rafe saw.

Rafe’s face was even as he walked past the bonfire and through the crowd over to his sister.

“Get up, dumbass.” He said. “I see you.”

Sarah cursed herself for not hiding better.

You and Kiara now stood besides Sarah, Kiara giving Rafe a scowling look while you were scared for Sarah.

“What are you hiding for? Huh?” Rafe questions, furrowing his brows.

“Didn’t want you to snitch.” She says, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I don’t give a fuck about the shit you do,” He spit. “And you know that.”

Topper and Kelce had made their way over, now standing slightly behind Rafe.

“Bullshit Rafe! You snitch on me every chance you get.” She spit back.

You, Kiara, Topper, and Kelce watched as the two siblings argued.

“Yeah, when you piss me off.”

“You’re an asshole, Rafe.” Sarah scoffs. “Why are you even on The Cut.”

He ignored the last part.

“Yeah, whatever.” He looks down at Sarah’s bare legs. “And those shorts are far too short, cover up. Before some fucking pedo, or some shit, gets your ass.” He spits one last insult at his sister before he looks you up and down.

“How about you go put a shirt on, asshole.” She responded.

He gave his sister the middle finger before him, Topper and Kelce decided to walk back to where they came from.

You all feel relieved when he walks away.

“I hate him, so much.” Sarah says, as all three of you walk over to the guys.

They were sitting on a log, around the bonfire when you walked up.

“What was that about?” John B questioned.

Pope looked up at you. “Rafe wasn’t talking to you, was he?”

“No, no. He was talking to me.” Sarah blurted. She didn’t want Pope to get riled up for no reason and cause a scene.

“Just being his typical, grade A asshole, self.” Kiara added.

“Whys he even here?” JJ asks while playing with a stick in the sand.

“Seriously.” Kiara scoffs.

Sarah shrugged.

“Let’s just stay as far as possible from him.” You add, not really knowing what to say.

Everyone nods.

“I’m gonna get a drink, anyone want anything?” You say.

Only JJ and Kiara said yes. You nodded before making your way to the keg.

You grabbed three red solo cups, and began to fill them up one by one, setting the firstly filled cup on the portable table that held up the keg.

“Following me again?” A familiar voice says from behind.

A shirtless Rafe makes an appearance when he stands beside you. You look up for a second then back down at the keg to make sure you didn’t overfill the cup.

“Absolutely not.” You roll your eyes.

“Keep rolling your eyes like that and they’ll get stuck back there, ya know?” He grins.

“Good,“ you respond. “Then I won’t have to see you.” You shrug.

The second cup had been filled so, you placed it on the table next to the first filled cup.

He lowers his head, chuckling to himself at your smart remark.

“You always have something smart to say.”

“You were a dick to Sarah.” You grab the last cup and continue to fill it up.

“Yeah? so what? She’s my sister.”

“Pope doesn’t talk to me like that.” You shrug.

“Sarah’s a drama queen, alright? She deserves to get humbled once in awhile. That’s why I exist.” He points to himself then throws his hands up in defense, with a smile.

You chuckled a bit at his words. He wasn’t wrong, Sarah was dramatic at times, but you loved her for it.

“You have a pretty smile.” He says softly, tilting his head. “You should smile more often.”

Your smile disappeared at his random words, as your cheeks turned slightly red.

you were taken aback, honestly.

He was absolutely drunk because Rafe giving compliments? Was not something you’d ever seen before.

You stared at him for a second, not knowing what to say, then looked back down at your cup that was overflowing with beer, as the liquid flowed around the rim and onto your hand then sprinkled onto your feet. You quickly pulled the cup away from the keg and sat it on the table.

“Shit,” you cursed.

Rafe looked down at the liquid spilled onto your feet and hands. “oh shit.” He said, before quickly grabbing napkins that sat next to the keg.

He dropped on one knee and began cleaning the liquid off the tops of your feet.

“Thank you.” You murmured.

It was weird seeing how soft Rafe was with you when he treated his sister like shit.

“Don’t worry about it.” He nodded as he stood up, throwing the napkins in a trashcan next to the table.

“I gotta get back,” You said, pointing your thumb over your shoulder towards your group.

He nodded. “See you around.” He grinned.

You nodded back and picked up the solo cups to bring back to Kiara and JJ. One solo cup rested in the crease of your elbow since your hands were occupied with the other two.

“Took you long enough.” Kiara joked.

“I spilled it all over me.” You leaned down handing her the solo cup, then walked up to JJ, handing him his.

“Idiot.” Pope said, playfully.

You and the group had been at the party for about an hour now. Everyone was now, out of their mind, drunk.

Everyone was nursing their own drinks. Kiara was leaned onto Pope and Sarah was seated next to John B, Leaving you and JJ to fifth wheel together

“I’m going for a swim.” You say, belching as you stand up.

“Did you bring your bathing suit?” Pope asks, slurring his words.

“No. But what’s the difference between a bathing suit and underwear.” You shrug with a frown.

“So true.” Sarah points at you with half closed eyes like you had just said the realest thing.

Well in her drunk mind, you had.

You began to pull your shirt over your head.

“Yes! Go Y/n!” Kiara cheers you on, also slightly slurring her words.

“You’re so sexy!” Sarah yells.

You let a big cheeky smile form across your face as your brother covers his own.

“It feels illegal to watch you strip into your under garments, please.” His hand was still covering his face enough for him to not see your figure undressing.

John B also covered his face out of respect for both you and Sarah whileJJ sat back with a big drunken smile on his face.

You flung your shirt over your head a few times then threw it, God knows where.

That shirt was expensive.

You slowly slid down your shorts to give your friends a little show.

Sarah and Kiara were laughing uncontrollably.

Rafe, from afar, caught wind of what was going on and watched as you slid your shorts down, revealing your laced underwear.

“No way I’m sitting here for this,” Pope said. “I’m getting a beer.” He stood up. “John B, JJ, c’mon.” His hand still covering his face as he waved for his friends with his free hand.

“Y’all be good.” John B, yelled (mostly talking to Sarah) as he followed Pope.

JJ hesitated, enjoying the show you had put on, but eventually followed the guys so he wouldn’t get lectured for staring at his best friends little sister undressing herself.

You were now only in your bra and underwear, getting yourself hyped up to jump into the freezing water.

“You got this!” Sarah yelled.

You peaked over your shoulder and smiled at your friends that were a few feet away as you dipped your toe in the water.

Rafe was standing with Topper and Kelce not listening to a single word they were saying as he still watched you from afar, amused by your enthusiasm.

“Dude, are you listening?” Topper’s question was quickly answered when he followed Rafe’s gaze and realized you were who he was eyeing.

“Oh nah,” he dragged out, punching Rafe’s shoulder. “Don’t even.” He chuckled.

“What?” Rafe snapped back into the conversation.

“That’s Heyward’s sister.”

“Yeah, so what?” He shot back.

“She’s a pogue.” Kelce added, noticing what was going on.

When Rafe looked back at you, you were splashing around in the water.

“Not like I’m trying to get with her.” Rafe spit.

“But you’re eye fucking her, dude.” Kelce said, chuckling along with Topper.

“I mean I get it, she’s hot for a Pogue, but-,”

“Shut the fuck up, Topper.” Rafe says, cutting him off.

“No way,” Kelce dragged out. “You got a thing for Heyward’s sister?”

Rafe snapped his head to Kelce and furrowed his brows. “No.” Was all that came out.

“Right,” Topper said slowly, not believing Rafe’s answer.

[blank-house]

heyy i was wondering, since we already know Cam really likes music (especially kpop), if we could know what the other characters' taste in music is like? mostly how often they listen to it, what genres they like and whatnot. just out of curiosity :)

and what about movie genres? we know Deja and MC often watch movies together while Deja paints her nails, but does she care for the genre? and everyone else?

really loved the demo, i can't wait to see how the game develops. thank you and everyone who's working on this game for all your hard work 🫶

D'aww thank you for the kind words! Motivation up up!

Music Tastes

Haha now for your ask, we actually have a scene for players in the extended demo regarding this! It's a bit of a spoiler in the context of the scene's theme so I won't disclose it quite yet (sorryyyy gotta wait for the extended demo first ahdakldh) but I can say this:

Elio and Cameron often listen to music. For Cameron, it's because it's one of their favorite pastimes. Plus, in their opinion, music makes the commute to and from campus faster.

Elio on the other hand listens to music a lot because of the dance team. Anddd because he's dabbled a bit with playing (if others haven't seen the previous post yet, he's our guy with a ton of skills so he actually knows how to play a couple of instruments).

Though they've got their reasons, Cameron's definitely coming out on top with the highest stats on their Spotify wrap.

Third would be Reynah and actually you don't get to learn about her favorite type of music since she's not in the scene so I will disclose her favs! She's big on old school music, early late 1980's and early 1990's! Anything goes within that time frame, hip-hop, pop, rock, ballads, etc.. She does listen to modern music, but she's got a couple of fond memories of her parents playing older tunes during car rides so they've stuck with her.

Deja, Percy, and Jamie have their favorites of course but their numbers don't come as close to the other three.

Speaking of music, we curated some playlists about the cast! Some players already came across the playlists on our art director's Spotify that is catered to the idea of them, so songs that give off Cameron, Deja, etc. energy. And I actually got to work on making playlists about the music they'd listen to.

You can listen to the first since it's public. This is what the some of the dev team members listen to for the Keyframes vibes when we're working! And you can check out their page for specific cast members. But I'll share the ones about their music taste when I get them done!

Movies/Media Taste

Oh movies is a cute thought!

Unfortunately, Deja doesn't care to watch movies, hence why she opts to do her nails during it. She's got a habit of looking things up ahead of time as well so "watching" isn't something she likes to do. That being said, she likes mystery genres or things that she can think about-- because the twists and themes are still interesting to her even if she spoils it for herself lol

Cameron's got their favorites when they're by themself but they're big on anything and everything with company! Ghibli movies are a good thing to shout to get their attention (they've seen Ponyo like too many times to count haha). Cringey stuff are a safe and hilarious genre for them to put on when they crash at your place, too.

But since MC is a part of their dynamic trio, a lot of what Deja and Cameron watch is ultimately shaped by MC's likes too! Since Deja doesn't have too much of an opinion and Cameron's down to watch anything, your likes are their likes! Granted they'll tell you if it's reallyyyy bad because that's what friends are for lol

Reynah's not too big on films either- but in the way that she just doesn't watch them by herself. Usually, it's other people inviting her to watch one, and she's always happy to tag along and share any opinions about the viewing (they're usually in good light if not critical). That being said, she does have her favorites! It's just hard to say she likes one genre when she hasn't seen everything and she's found gems across multiple genres.

Reynah, at some point probably: I love Night at the Museum, does that mean I like fantasy or comedy the best? Nope!

For the guysssss, you can expect foreign movies (Japanese, Thai, and Euro movies are often exchanged since they've got their favorites from childhood), and romcoms and early '00-'10 movies. The latter is because they firmly believe that's the best era of movies. Home Alone, Lord of the Rings, 27 Dresses, The Last Holiday, etc, etc.

Percy, at one point: They just don't make 'em like they used to.

Elio, shaking his head solemnly: Kids these days won't get to know true movie magic.

Jamie tilts his head: Sorry, what's High School Musical?

P & E: WHAT

Aha yeah, Jamie didn't grow up watching the same things they did. He knows some of them like LOTR but that's just because it's a big franchise. Before his roommates educated him on early American romcoms and feel good movies (which included an HSM marathon and the entire soundtrack on repeat at their place), Jamie stuck to the classics/big names- things that have left a mark in cinema history like the Godfather and the Breakfast Club.

That kind of media is actually what he, Deja, and Reynah bond over. It's the symbolism or the overarching theme that tends to keep their interests so they'll have discussions about it if it comes up. Ah, and, horror. All three of them are completely unbothered by it as a genre and boy are there plenty to talk about the human psyche and behavior there.

If I had to summarize everything:

Jamie, Deja, and Reynah like films that invoke thought. Especially as people who don't often watch movies.

Meanwhile, Cameron, Percy, and Elio are all for the ones that evoke emotion. It's a good movie if they cry. It's a good movie if they're shouting at the screen. It's fantastic film if they get to do both!

Other things about movies for them:

Percy won't watch any horror- nope don't even think about asking him to.

Elio will look at a stunt or a choreography in a film and attempt it himself at least once.

Jamie is the first in his seat with a bowl of popcorn when the guys are doing their movie nights. He also has a sour view of Howl from Howl's Moving Castle since some people have said he looks like the character.

Cameron would suggest repeats a lot during your movie nights- their favorites are their favorites for a reason.

Deja rarely reacts to movies- but she will never recover from Grave of the Fireflies.

Reynah, freshman year, had been invited to 18 different playtimes at the town's cinema over the course of two months and, yes, she saw all of them.

~*~*~*~

And that's it! Wah, my responses are getting longer and longer... haha you guys let me know if I'm ever dumping too much about our cast and I'll hold back. But thanks for the lovely ask!

[nattikay]

Have you already read Avatar: The High Ground, and if so, what do you think about it?

I finally got to read it just the other day actually! Though I’m probably gonna have to read it again because tbh I found it a little hard to follow at times; the art style makes it a little difficult to differentiate between some of the characters.

That said though, here’s some thoughts/observations from my initial read, under a read-more since it contains spoilers (not only for The High Ground but also potentially for the movie itself since it’ll discuss a few fan theories):

Lo’ak failed his first attempt at Iknimaya and wonders if it has to do with him being “too human”—he’s sensitive about this because while Neteyam and Tuktirey look pretty much like native Na’vi, Lo’ak looks more like an avatar, which a lot of the other Na’vi seem to lowkey judge him for (I doubt he’s outright bullied per se, at least not in the Omatikaya clan, but he does express that “everyone assumes my failure is because I’m too human”), which in turn makes Lo’ak very self-conscious and he’s a bit angsty about it. Based on what we’ve heard so far, it seems this perception as “outcast” will be a major part of Lo’ak’s arc in the movie.

Kiri has been raised by Jake and Neytiri since infancy, she loves them very much and does consider them to be her “real” parents; however, she is aware that she’s adopted. She doesn’t show a ton of curiosity about her biological parents in The High Ground, however, in a preview clip for WoW we do see her curiously watching some of Grace’s old video logs and addressing Grace’s inert avatar as “Ma”, which raises a lot of questions about her origins and how much she knows about them. Which brings us to the three main Kiri-origin theories.

We know for sure thanks to an interview with Cameron that Kiri was “born of Grace’s avatar”; however we’re not really sure what exactly this means. There are three main theories:

One is that Grace’s avatar happened to be pregnant when she died, and Kiri is simply her biological daughter, with a random clan member being her father. This one, while I guess technically not impossible, I find by far the least likely as it just seems out of character for Grace to have been gettin’ it on with a random clan member (plus the whole “mating for life” thing and the fact that unlike Jake she hadn’t been properly inducted into the Omatikaya clan and thus wouldn’t have been permitted to take a mate among them).

Also the fact that Kiri looks so similar to Grace makes me skeptical that their connection is as simple as biological mother/daughter. If you look at Jake and Neytiri compared to their biological kids, each one of them has a completely unique striping pattern. Kiri’s, however, is exactly identical to Grace’s. Plus the fact that they’re played by the same actress, which again seems too intentional to be merely a regular daughter. There’s gotta be something more going on here.

The second theory is that during the attempted consciousness transfer Grace’s avatar was somehow impregnated by Eywa immaculate conception style. This theory is intriguing in that it would certainly explain Kiri’s uniquely close connection to Eywa; however, the main issue with it is that we’re not sure if that’s something that’s within Eywa’s scope of abilities. I mean, it might be—we just don’t really know for sure at the moment.

The third theory is that Kiri was some sort of clone of Grace’s avatar that somehow received its own consciousness (possibly through Eywa shenanigans), or some sort of early recom prototype. This is the one I’m currently leaning toward most because we know for sure that it’s possible in this universe and would explain the identical stripes etc., though because of her special connection with Eywa which seems to be very important I’m not fully discounting the second theory either.

tl;dr Kiri is a huge mystery owo;

Moving on: Spider. Despite being initially marketed as “Jake and Neytiri’s adopted human son”, it seems that, unlike Kiri, Spider is not really formally adopted into the Sully family so much as simply being very close friends with the kids. He refers to Jake and Neytiri as “Mr. and Mrs. Sully”, not “Mom and Dad” like Kiri does. In the comic we learn that his biological mother, a solider named Paz Socorro, died during the final battle of the first film and his father is unknown, thus leaving him a war orphan. He is technically currently living with a human foster family in Hell’s Gate, though emotionally he connects more with the Na’vi than the humans. We also learned in a recent interview snippet with his actor that Spider was raised exclusively by humans until the age of four, hence why unlike the Sully kids he does not speak English with a Na’vi accent (though he is also fluent in Na’vi). He seems to be particularly close to Kiri in the comic, as well as to Lo’ak according to other sources.

Neytiri…doesn’t like Spider much. She doesn’t trust him due to prejudice against humans, and tends to blame him when the kids get into trouble (which Spider is rightfully bothered by). Jake, meanwhile, mostly feels bad for the kid and wants to cut him some slack/give him a chance.

also worth mentioning that the comic confirmed that Spider’s real name is Miles Socorro. Friendly reminder that “Miles” was also Quaritch’s first name. Make of this what you will��

[specialability]

House MD S02

House MD Season 2 done. I think this is when the series was established enough that they flipped the format from the story being mostly about the patients and then the doctors or another patient is the b-plot to focusing on the doctors and the patients are just there to move along the character development. We got:

(cw for brief mention of incest / child rape / transphobia)

House buying a motorcycle in proper midlife crisis fashion

Wilson divorcing his 3rd wife and briefly moving in with House

we almost got House/Stacey and then Stacey left :(

we got Steve McQueen (a real hero)

the Cameron/Chase one night stand

House's parents and some more backstory revealed (he was an army/air force brat)

a mildly interesting narrative frame where they explored the story of the case via Chase retelling it to Stacey and a disciplinary board

House using LSD to stop a self-induced migraine (gotta try that some time)

Incestual child rape of a intersex girl whom House insists on misgendering (I'm pretty sure this ep is high on a lot of people's HateCrimes MD list)

Some really toxic lesbians lmao I gotta say I liked how this one turned out

Corrupt cop vs Foreman, not at all subtle but quite good actually. I think Omar Epps did a great job with it. Stretching out the "I think it's this!" -> patient gets worse -> "This time for sure!" -> patient gets worse cycle across two episodes is a bit much but the interpersonal bits are more entertaining.

Cuddy going on fertility treatments, House gets jealous that she (almost) hits up Wilson but not him and not-so-subtly trashes all her other sperm donor options (she does not ask him for his sperm either, which I personally think is a very correct decision)

And of course the finale, David Shore's foray into directing. It's always fun when tv and movies use editing and cuts between scenes to emulate gaps in memory or hallucinations, due to the fact that when we are watching tv and movies we just accept that he was in his ICU and then on the stairs, that's how video storytelling works. I do generally think it's a bit lazy whenever authors want to dig into a character's psyche so they chain them, literally or figuratively, to their opposite, someone who basically gives them a lecture on themselves. But this time I don't mind because in the end House was basically psychoanalysing himself. Moriarty is his own repressed doubt and self-loathing.

I'm not going to count, but I'm pretty sure every single couple that comes in to this hospital and is treated by House ends up breaking up. Except this season's lesbians. And they were going to break up. There should be like an informed consent form - if you consent to be treated by this doctor and his minions you WILL have any existing romantic relationships completely destroyed in exchange for saving your life.

I also do think it's interesting that they make up this thing about the ketamine coma curing his chronic pain... when ketamine is actually IRL found to sometimes cure depression and there are current clinical trials going on. Trials I would like to be in. Meanwhile I am waiting around to hear about a psilocybin trial... Anyway,even if it didn't cure his chronic pain it might have done something about his mood, but you have to do multiple treatments over months. That's just not dramatic enough though, we gotta get him pathetic and grumpy again ASAP because the show is riding on it

[inkandpen22]

The Princess and The Pogue (Pt. 8)

Pairing: JJ x Female!Reader / Topper x Female!Reader 

Word Count: 4.1k

Warnings: smut, swearing, underage drinking, drugs 

Part Summary: Y/N must attend the dinner her parents planned. After, she and Topper attend Kelce’s party. 

A/N: not proof read bc school is life rn but I wanna keep updating. ALSO DANG TOPPER IS SPICY IN THIS!!!!

Masterlist

Your dad hands the keys over to the valet as the other Club worker opens your car door and offers you his hand. You accept, slipping out of the SUV gracefully. Rhett meets you, offering you his arm for which you take and follow him inside. 

"I can't breathe," you inhale shapely. 

"Hot?" Your brother guesses as he buttons up his blazer. 

"No, this satin dress doesn't give at all and Mom made me get a size smaller because she thought it made me look thinner," you grumble, tugging at the unforgiving fabric. 

"She's probably just trying to punish you because of the whole diabolical with Crystal," he points out. 

"Oh, I know she is, she hates that some of her and Dad's friends saw it. They wouldn't shut up about it when I got home," you whisper between the two of you as you cross the threshold into the Club. 

You stop in the lobby with your parents a few feet ahead at the hostess podium with Sarah's parents and Topper's mom. You spot Rafe at the bar with a scotch in hand, Sarah nowhere to be seen. If she managed to get out of this dinner you'll be royally pissed, mainly jealous. 

"Where were you last night anyway?" Rhett’s brows scrunch together. 

"After Topper dropped me off I went over to Sarah's," you lie without a hint of hesitation. 

"What?" He frowns in confusion. "But after lunch Rafe, Kelce, and I went back to his house? Rafe said Sarah was with that John B kid.” 

"Yeah, I picked Sarah up before you guys got there and we hung out for a little bit. After, I dropped her off at John B's," you conjure up as you go. 

"So then where did you sleep?" Rhett inquires, pressing further. 

"On Mars, Rhett!” You snap, much to your brother’s surprise. “Jesus, Mary, and the damn camel," you curse under your breath. 

"Why do you swear all of a sudden? It's not polite, especially in this setting," he hisses between his teeth, checking around for any prying eyes. 

"Because maybe I've lost my marbles or PMSing, you pick," you bite back quietly. 

"Whatever, I'm going to go grab a drink," he huffs, holding his hands up in surrender. "You should do the same," he suggests before disappearing toward the bar and lounge. 

You linger in your spot, observing your fellow Kooks go about their business in their fancy dinner attire. You honestly wonder if some of them ever leave the Club or if they keep closets in the locker rooms. 

“One gin and tonic,” Topper announces as he appears beside you with two glasses. 

“God, I love you," you mumble, taking the drink from him and immediately taking a sip. 

He rubs his hand up and down your bare arm. “You seem tense." 

“I’m practically in a corset!" You roll your eyes. 

“You look amazing,” he compliments with a charming smile. 

“Thanks...” You sigh, unsure of where you two stand. 

After this afternoon, after... well... everything said, you don't know the dynamic between you and Topper. Despite the uncertainty, you still depend on him to get you through this dinner. You feel as though your only friends at the table are Topper and Sarah, and even those two don't like each other. 

“Geez Topper...” You huff in disapproval. 

“Sorry! But you gotta admit it’s not exactly the Four Seasons...” He chuckles. 

“Hey Y/N!” Sarah greets, appearing from the bathroom. “Where did you get here?”

“Minutes ago and I’m already over it,” you grumble.

“If you need a ride to John B’s, he’s picking me up after,” she offers.

You exhale deeply, glancing between her and Topper, unsure of what to say. Yes, you have plans with JJ, but you also aren’t confident in speaking about it in front of Topper.

“Yeah, I’ll think about it. I might want to run home first or something,” you satisfy her and remain vague.

“Topper! Y/N! Sarah!” Your dad waves you guys over as the hostess prepares to seat you all. 

“I’ll see you guys out there, I’m going to grab a drink!” Sarah announces before dismissing herself. 

You and Topper begin toward the doors leading out to the patio, a few yards behind your families. 

“Kelce is after a party later, would you maybe wanna come with me?” Topper offers with a smirk.

“I’m supposed to..." You catch yourself before you mention JJ. "Maybe for a little bit.”

“You’re supposed to meet him?” Topper predicts correctly, making you awkwardly take a sip of your drink and avoid his gaze. “Maybe if you drink enough you’ll start seeing two and The Cut wouldn’t look like utter shit," Topper insults passive-aggressively.  

“I’ll come and have a drink, but that’s all!" You agree to go with Topper to the Kelce's reluctantly. "I don’t want anything that Rafe has up his sleeve.” 

“Noted," Topper gives you a reassuring smile.

"Wait," you halt, giving Topper's arm a slight squeeze. You feel the overwhelming need to speak with Topper for a second before you all gather around a table like one big interconnected family. "Do you know?”

“About what?” The boy frowns in confusion. You glance over at your family anxiously, watching everyone disappear onto the patio outside. Topper takes your hand in his and turns to you. “Y/N, what is it?” 

“That our parents practically have the wedding favors picked out," you rush out nervously, unable to fully believe that this is your reality. 

Topper exhales deeply, his eyes falling to the floor. He does know. “My mom has made some interesting passive comments lately," he nods. "I suspected but I wasn’t positive.” 

“My mom spoke to me before we got here," you describe, checking around the room for any eavesdroppers. "She wanted me to gloat, hang on you, and basically show the Camerons that we’re... I don’t even know...” You shake your head frantically. 

“Together,” Topper finishes your sentence. 

“It sounds so ancient but ‘promised to each other,’" you explain in greater detail. "It’s insane! I mean, we’re only in high school!” 

"You don’t have to do anything!” He comes up with a game plan to get you both through the evening. “Let’s just continue as we have been. They’ll be satisfied and we won’t be losing our willpower.” 

“Okay,” you swallow hard with a faint nod. 

“It’ll be okay," Topper reaches up and cups your cheek comfortingly, peering into your eyes. He leans forward, planting a gentle kiss on your forehead. 

__________________________________

Well into the evening, Kelce's house is packed to the brim with teenage Kooks and some tourons that snuck their way in. Music blasts from the speakers in the ceiling and water from the pool are scattered across the tile living room. Everyone's in their bathing suits, traveling in and out of the water. Cups litter the floor and various conversations overwhelm the ears. On the balcony, you find yourself leaning against the railing watching people jump off the roof into the pool below as Topper does lines with Rafe on the coffee table just a few feet away. Your bare stomach exposed by your bikini presses against the cool glass railing, keeping you awake. 

"Come on, Princess!" Rafe waves you over, overtly intoxicated. "Got enough for you!" 

“I don’t want anything Rafe!” You remind him. 

“You will," he chuckles, not believing you for a second. "Once you start drinking you always do. You could just skip the innocent act and let yourself go.” 

Topper rises from his seated position and walks over to join you. He wraps his arm around your waist, pulling you into his side as he leans against the rail. He sniffs a few times, making sure all of the coke remains inside. 

“One more drink and we’re leaving,” you tell Topper quietly between the two of you. 

"I know," he nods, planting a kiss on your temple. “We’ll go.” 

You turn toward, peering down at the people as they mess around in the pool. Topper stands behind you, his arms gripping the railing on either side of you. His chest presses to your back as he leans down and plants a kiss to your neck. You tilt your head to the side, granting him better access, causing him to smile against your skin. You’re not sure why you get this way with him when you drink. You’ve thought it over a million times over the years. Is it because it’s what you soberly want but are too afraid to admit? Or, is it because it’s a way to let go? Either way, you and Topper become insufferable whenever you two get too deep, which why you refuse to do anything. If you get any deeper... well... Bermuda is a prime example. 

1 hour later.... 

The drinks slip by you and you quickly lose track of the number. Tequila shots, margarita mix, gin, and coke, everything's mixed. The music has become louder, the colored lights have become brighter, your senses are doing their best to remain active, but your mind is fading. You love this feeling, not having a care in the world. The weight that your parents have placed on your shoulders has long disappeared. Half an hour ago, you and Topper were sharing a joint with Kelce on the roof and now you two are caught in a beer pong tournament.You're slowly starting to lose interest in the game, eager to jump off the roof into the pool as you've seen daredevils do all night. 

"Come on, Top! Please!" You tug on the boy's arm, pleading with him again to jump off the roof with you. 

He does his best to focus on the game at hand, the ball in his hand to take a shot. He squeezes your hand and brings it to his lips for a quick peck. "One second, Baby." 

Drunkenly, you rest your forehead against his bicep, waiting for him to take his shot. Topper tosses the ball, making it into the final cup and the rules call for no redemption. 

“We win!” Topper cheers, causing you to lift your head. Again! The champions!” 

“Woohoo!” You giggle, raising your cup in the air.

Topper wraps his arms around your waist and picking you up. You wrap your legs around his waist as he spins you. He tilts his head back, exposing his sharp jawline as he peers up at you. Staring into his eyes, you two are so immersed in each other that you get carried away and your lips meet. Neither of you is in the right mind to comprehend it, but this is a pattern. You two get intoxicated on a mixture of alcohol and drugs and your natural touchy friendship gets an intensity boost. 

Kelce whistles at the sight of you, urging you guys on. “They act like they’re not together, then they do that!” He not so well whispers to Rafe. 

"Same shit, different night," Rafe grumbles, clearly jealous. He silently wishes he was Topper. He would give anything to have a chance with you. “I wonder how Rhett would feel learning his sister is a slut for his best friend.” 

Kelce shoves him on the shoulder. “Don’t be an ass. Besides, Rhett knows Topper has a thing for her.” 

“But does Y/N have a thing for him or is it just sex?” Rhett challenges, watching you two and hating it. 

Topper lets you down as your lips part. His hands slip down your waist to rest on your ass, giving it a slight squeeze. You bite down on your lower lip, your attention on Topper's smirk.  

“Hey Top!" Rafe pulls Topper's attention and tosses him a metal canister. "For you my friend!" 

Topper pops open the old Altoids container to reveal a pile of color tabs. "Aw no," Topper laughs, tossing his head back. 

“Woah woah woah!" You place your hand over Topper's before has the chance to even think about taking anything. You glare at Rafe, "what is that?” 

“Candy,” Rafe snickers sarcastically. He rises from his seat position and stands before you, taking the tin from Topper. “Here take one," the boy offers with raised brows.  

You push the container back to Rafe. “No, I said I didn’t want to do anything tonight!” 

Beside you, Topper reaches into the container, selects a square piece carefully with the provided tweezers, and places the rainbow paper on his tongue. 

“Try it, Princess,” Rafe pressures with a smirk. 

You glance between Rafe and Topper. The blonde gives you a wink. "You'll feel good," he assures you, rubbing his hand up and down your spine slowly. 

You think it over for a second to the best of your ability. You said you wouldn't do anything hard tonight, but you also don't want to sober up anytime soon. You feel too good. You wish you felt this way all the time. You love yourself when you're carefree. On a whim, you give in and pick up the tweezers to select a piece. You place the bit on your tongue, earning a mischievous smirk from Rafe and words from approval from Topper. You don't know much about what Rafe does, but you know from watching that it takes a while for stuff like this to kick in, so you wait. 

Thirty minutes later... 

After taking swim minutes ago, you and Topper seek some privacy away from the party antics to dry off. You two travel up to the third floor of the house in the dark, this part of the house practically untouched by the people below. You shuffle along the floor in the hall in search of the balcony. You nearly trip of the runner, but Topper catches you by the waist. 

“Oh shit!” You gasp. Abruptly, Topper squats down and tucks his arm under your legs. You fly up and he begins to carry you bridal style. “Topper!” You giggle. 

“Like a proper princess, let me carry you up the tower!” He jokes. 

“You’re ridiculous!” You laugh as Topper navigates his way through Kelce's room toward the screen door leading outside. 

You tilt your head back, letting your hair flow as Topper carries you out onto the balcony. The night breeze and salty scent of the ocean fill your senses. Whatever Rafe gave you is immaculate. You've never felt so connected to the world before. Suddenly, Topper releases you, letting you fall onto one of those massive round loungers with a squeal. You lay back onto the lounger, pondering the sensation of the soft fabric beneath you. 

“You’re exquisite,” Topper admires, towering over you with a gawking look on his face. 

You prop yourself up on your elbows with a smirk. "You too." 

Topper plops down beside you, sliding to be close to your side. His fingertips glide up and down your arm. “How are you feeling?” 

Your eyes fall shut with a grin. “Like I’m on a cloud," you describe in a whisper as you ponder the sensation of his warm fingers on your cool skin. “You feel on fire. So warm...” 

“Do you like it?” He asks in a whisper and you can feel the warm breath wave over your cheek. 

You hum, focusing on every detail of his touch. You exhale deeply as Topper brushes his lips across your collar bone and planting a kiss on your skin. 

“Do you regret us?” He whispers. You don't see it, but Topper watches you intently with a softly broken expression. He hopes you don't. God, does he want to beg you to be his, only his. 

You shake your head, breathless. "No." 

Glad to say the least, Topper moves his attention to your neck, kissing and sucking hard on the sensitive skin. His hand roams your waist down to your inner thigh, making you inhale sharply. Your back arches off the lounger and toward his hand between your legs. You crave to feel more of him. 

“Are you sure?” He checks quietly in your ear. 

“Yes,” you exhale, too overwhelmed by the pleasure growing inside you to focus on his questions. 

As you kisses Topper, you chase the sensation he’s giving you. You're addicted to the way he makes you feel. Topper's lips travel down from your jawline to your chest. The memories of winter break, Bermuda, every intense moment you and Topper have ever shared are your driving force right now. As Topper leaves a trail of affection down your collarbone to your chest, he begins to untie your bikini. Then, your thoughts fixate on JJ. His face flickers across your mind. Physically, you want Topper, but all you can think about is JJ. You wonder where he is, what he's doing, if he's thinking about you. 

You're so far into your own thoughts that your body goes through the motions subconsciously. You're partially distracted by your thoughts of JJ, but the drugs and alcohol also cloud your mind. You're not entirely sure how things escalated, but deep down you're not shocked. It's you and Topper, you've never been fully satisfied when it comes to one another. You can't help but to feel everything, pondering the glorious and overwhelming pleasure as Topper thrusts into you. 

You bite down on her lip, restricting yourself from accidentally whispering JJ’s name. “Topper,” you pant, focusing. 

“Say it again, Beautiful,” Topper pants, planting a kiss to your chest as he picks up his pace. 

“Please Topper,” you whisper breathlessly. 

“God, you’re so perfect,” he grunts, finding himself getting closer with each syllable leaving your lips. 

Topper is your greatest addiction. He’s everything you're supposed to want. He’s utterly devoted to you and secretly you crave his attention. You roll your hips, making him go deeper inside of you, much to his surprise. 

“Fuck Y/N,” he moans in your ear. 

“Holy shit,” you mutter uncontrollably. 

“You always feel so good," Topper swallows hard. "I’ve missed this. I’ve missed you.” 

Your nails graze down his back, knowing how much he loves that. “Keep going, I’m so close,” you plead, needing him closer though you know that's impossible. 

“That’s it, Beautiful," Topper guides. "Cum for me,” he demands more than requests. 

“Yes, Topper!" You moan, chasing the high. "Yes!” 

“You’re gonna make me cum,” Topper whispers against the skin of your neck and planting a kiss on your jawline. 

He lifts his head, meeting your gaze. The moment is intimate and draws you two together. You nod, staring into his eyes. “Cum for me." 

You feel Topper finish inside you, a sensation you've experienced almost a dozen times, but it's never enough. Knowing that you can make Topper feel so free and satisfied sometimes keeps you awake at night. Topper  settles down on the lounger next to you, panting. 

You glance at one another, meeting each other's gaze as you catch your breath. You two laugh, in disbelief of what just occurred. 

“Wow!” Topper chuckles. 

You raise your brows, in awe. “I know." 

“And I thought we wouldn’t outdo Bermuda,” he recalls. 

“I swear Bermuda was the Twilight Zone or something," you giggle. "I only remember flashes of it.”

Topper's eyes grow wide and he places his hand over yours. “Do you remember when we found Rafe with that Brazilian chick!” 

“Oh my God!" You gasp, turning onto your side to face him. "They were on that nasty leather couch that Kelce spilled the grenadine all over!” 

“We were off our asses most of the time,” Topper remembers, pulling you into his side. His arm wraps around you like a protective blanket. 

“Facts, we didn’t see Rafe or Kelce for most of it," you add with a snicker. "I think my brother slept out by the pool every night." 

“I honestly don’t even remember Rhett after the plane landing," Topper confesses, his eyes flicker up to the stary sky. "Plane lands, a week goes by no recollection of Rhett, see Rhett on the plane.” 

“You’re kidding!” You gasp. 

“Dead serious! I swear we left him at the airport,” Topper elaborates with a wide grin. 

“He carried you home from the bar that third night!” You remind him. 

His eyes grow wide, utterly surprised. “I thought that was you!” 

“How could it have been me?!” You swiftly counter, laughing harder than you have in a while. 

“That’s why I was so confused!” He reasons. 

“You’re insane!” You struggle to say between fits of laughter. 

You two share in your laughter, not having had a moment like this in a while. You guys have had so much going on that the last time you truly felt at peace together and free to let go was Bermuda. Had you known that coming home would've meant the end of your two's peace of mind, you're not sure if you would've left. You rest your cheek against his chest, settling in comfortably. 

“I’ve missed this. I’ve missed us this way,” he confesses softly. 

“I forgot how good it could be,” you admit with a content smile. 

 Topper glides his fingertips up and down your spine. “Well, I guess that proves it then.” 

You lift your head, resting your chin on his chest to meet his gaze. “Proves what?” 

“It’s JJ,” Topper sighs, giving you a knowing look. 

Your brows scrunch together in confusion. Swiftly, you shuffle through your memories of minutes before, did you say JJ's name? You're almost certain you didn't. You did everything in your power not to. “What do you mean?” 

“I can tell," he shrugs, bringing a hand up to brush your hair away from your face. "It felt great but also different than before. I knew when I had you. I don’t anymore.” 

Your eyes fall to your hand resting on his chest, avoiding his gaze. He caresses your cheek lovingly, despite knowing the truth. “I’m sorry, Topper...” you mumble, full of guilt. 

“It’s okay," he tries to reassure you. "You can love two people at the same time, just in their own way.” 

"I just..." you sit up, frustrated and unable to fully put into words what you're struggling with. Topper sits up beside you, rubbing your back. "When I'm with JJ I'm this one person and when I'm with you I'm completely different! I'm not sure which one is the real me." 

"You don't have to have all answers, just take it day by day," he advises reasonably. "Right now, let's just forget everything else and be here. Nothing can bother us here." 

You exhale deeply and Topper guides you to lay back down. You two stare up at the sky in each other's arms, the faint sounds of the party below not invading either of your minds. The warm night's air breezes by, coating you in a shield of peace. 

“Do you think ten years from now we’ll still be doing this?” Topper wonders. 

“Kinda wanna be married by then,” you giggle. 

“I know, I’d be your side hoe,” he clarifies. 

You swat him on the arm. “Topper!” 

“What!” He laughs. 

“You can’t plan on cheating on your future wife!” You argue playfully. 

“But it’s you, you don’t count!" He reasons. "It’s the Y/N Hall Pass. My wife is wife, obviously my life partner, but you’re... well you’re you," he adds gently, unsure how to describe it. 

“Wow, that’s real flattering,” you joke. 

“You know what I mean!" He rolls his eyes but struggles to hide his amusement. "You know that movie you made me watch last month uh... My Best Friend’s Wedding!” He remembers. You hum, of course, you do, you love that movie. Topper continues, “well, you’re my Julia Roberts.” 

“You want me to try to break up your wedding?” You question, wondering where he's going with this. 

“No, no! Well... if you really think she’s not the one but that’s beside the point," he shakes his head. "I’m talking about what Cameron Diaz said in that elevator scene.” 

“He’s got you on a pedestal and me in his arms,” you quote, predicting his intention. 

Topper tucks his finger under your chin, making you lift your head to meet his gaze. His eyes pour into yours with such intensity, you know he means whatever he's going to say with the utmost certainty. “No one can compete with you, Y/N. Whoever I end up marrying, if I end marrying anyone, they’ll have to be okay that.” 

You lean forward, gently pressing a kiss to Topper's lips. You're not sure if it'll be your last one, but either way, it reminds you of a farewell or closing note. Topper deepens the kiss, bringing his hand to the back of your head, pulling you in. It carries more passion and longing than any other kiss you two have shared, and you've kissed a lot over the years. 

After a couple of minutes under the stars, you and Topper agree that it's time to return to the party before anyone comes searching for you. 

"Wasn't a bad last hoorah if you ask me," Topper concludes as he helps you tie up your top. 

You spin on your heels to face him, bringing your arms to rest on his shoulders. "We really went out with a bang, pun intended." 

"If he ever breaks your heart, I'm first in line," he winks, bringing his hands to your waist. 

You lift your hand to his cheek, caressing his cheekbone with your thumb. "I want you to be happy, even if that's not with me." 

He scoffs, holding back his emotions. "Why does it feel like we're breaking up?" He tries to laugh it off. 

"In a way, we are..." You admit, causing Topper to look at you with surprise. He hadn't expected you to agree, though deep down, he hoped you would. 

He slips his head to the side and presses a kiss to your palm before lowering your hand to rest within his. "I'm slowly coming to terms that it may not be you, though I always imagined it was. I sorta feel like I'm starting from scratch. Whenever I envisioned my future, it was with you. Now, the face is blank. I have no idea what's going to happen," he confesses with a breathless laugh, a hint of worry behind the sound. 

"How exciting!" You encourage. 

"Always the optimist," Topper chuckles, before draping an arm across your shoulders and guiding you toward the doors. "Us ending up together would've been too easy anyway. I hate being predictable," he frowns in disgust. 

"Agreed, far too simple," you nod. 

Topper pauses before the door leading out to the hallway. Once you two leave the safety of the third floor, this time you've had alone will be over. Things will never be the same once you close this chapter. Topper peers down at you, longing to tell you. “You know I’ll always be there for you, right?” 

You nod slowly, certain of his words. “Me too, Topper.” 

He leans down, planting a long kiss on your forehead and you can feel the struggle behind the action. Everything about this is bittersweet. “I love you." 

“I love you too," you whisper. 

_________________________________________________

Masterlist

Tags:@starkeythinker @bethii1 @thegunnerkelly @cc13723things  @hockeybabe87​ @jolomez​ @plutooryectors 

[mayraki]

“Manipulating bitch”

jj x reader

not my gif! credits to the owner.

summary: her kook cousin is staying at the cut for a couple of weeks, and after she flirts with jj, y/n gets jealous. but she’s never going to admit it.

note: this came out longer than I expected😂 hope you enjoy!

MASTERLIST

“Fuck my life!” You said after entering John B’s house. The rest of the Pogues turned their heads to you while you sat down at the couch and covered your face with your hands.

“What’s wrong?” Sarah asked concerned.

“Dude, don’t.” You heard Kie say. “In my years of knowing her, I learned that you don’t have to get closer to her. Just talk from a far.” You heard JJ let out a little laugh and you gave everyone the middle finger.

“Kie, I don’t think you’re going to be so happy about this either.” Kie furrowed her eyebrows and you sighed.

“Two words.” You said lifting your index and middle fingers. “Manipulating. Bitch.”

Kie’s face changed completely. “No...” you nodded and she face palmed her forehead. “Ugh!”

“Exactly.” You said getting up and grabbing the blunt you had on your back pocket and light it on fire.

“Who’s this ‘manipulating bitch’?” Pope asked and you turned to him.

“She’s my cousin, unfortunately.” You sat down on the counter. “She’s going to stay with my family for three weeks. Three!” You said putting your fingers up. “Apparently, she’s being a total brat and her parents want her to live the ‘Cut’ life. Typical! I don’t know why my dad keeps putting with his brother’s bullshit.” You said giving the blunt a good smoke.

“She can’t be that bad.” Sarah said.

“Oh baby.” Kie shook her head. “You innocent little baby.”

“She’s the worst.” You said and Kie nodded. “One day, my parents wanted me to take care of her, and because I didn’t let her go to a party, she set my bed sheet on fire.” Pope gasped and Kie nodded next to him. “Yeah, and that’s not even the worst thing. Another time, she tried to get me in trouble. She didn’t want to go this fancy party her parents were having so she jumped into a bush and blamed me, saying that I pushed her.” You clenched your jawline while having the memory on your mind.

“Yeah, she’s baaaad.” John B said.

JJ walked to your side and let the smoke in his mouth get out. “Ok, but, is she cute?” Kie rolled her eyes annoyed and you punched him in the arm. “Ouch!”

“The next one will be on your face if you say something like that! Don’t even think about it, JJ.” You pointed at him and got up from the counter.

“Jealous?” He said with a smirk and you let out a laugh.

“In your dreams, Maybank.”

~

“Hi Y/n!” Your cousin, Kim, said when she got out from the car. She quickly ran up and gave you a big hug. You patted her back and took a step back to free yourself from her. She always liked to pretend to have a good relationship with everyone, so they would do things for her if she asked. But you didn’t fall for her tricks since you were three and you were starting to think for yourself. “So good to see you!”

“Yeah.” You said sarcastically and you mother gave you a killing stare. You shrugged your shoulders and as you were about to walk inside your house, Kim’s voice stopped you.

“Y/n, could you carry my bags upstairs?” She asked with a sweet voice and you turned to her.

“You have arms, you can do it yourself.”

“Y/n!” Your mom gave you a serious look and you sighed.

You walked to her and grabbed her bags, giving your mother a sarcastic smile.

‘This is going to be fun!’ You thought sarcastically.

~

“I can’t believe my parents are making me stay here.” Kim said while looking around your old car with a disgust face.

“Well, and I can’t believe my parents are making me hang out with you.” You said in a whisper and you thanked the music for being loud enough for Kim not to hear you. You didn’t want to hear her high pitch voice.

“Where are we going anyway?” She asked while changing the radio. You bit your lower lip tying to not argue with her about it, you absolutely didn’t like when people touched your stuff.

“To my friend’s house.”

“You have friends?” She asked and let out an annoying laugh. You sighed and made the grip on the steering wheel stronger.

After arriving at John B’s house, you got out from your car and walked towards the front door without waiting for your cousin. You needed a good smoke.

“Wait for me!” Kim said but you were already inside. Pope, Kie and Sarah turned their head to you and then looked behind you. Kie rolled her eyes and continued with what she was doing before, which was smoking a blunt.

“Oh, I need one of those.” You pointed at Kie and she handed one that was on the table. You light it on and took it your mouth. Your body relaxed immediately and you let it fall on the couch.

“I don’t think your parents would like the idea of you smoking.” Kim said on the door and you rolled your eyes. “I’m going to tell them tonight. Or, if you... let me sleep in your bedroom, I’ll pretend I never saw you.” She said with a proud smile but you let out a little smile and locked eyes with her.

“I wouldn’t waist your breath, they already know.” You said taking the blunt to your mouth.

“You must be Y/n’s cousin, I’m Pope.” Pope said getting up and giving her his hand for her to shake. But she looked at it with disgust and after hesitating, she shaked it.

You turned to Kie and then rolled your eyes. She did the same and then turned the other way.

“Kiara, nice to see you again.” Kim said with a fake smile and Kie just nodded with the blunt on her mouth. “Sarah Cameron, nice to finally meet you.” Sarah gave her a little smile and you lost your thoughts while giving the blunt another smoke, until Kie sat down next to you on the couch.

“This place is a mess!” Kim said walking towards the kitchen and opening the fridge. “What a girl gotta do to get a glass of water around here? Jesus!”

“Dude, why did your bring her here?” Kie whispered.

“If I’m going down, I’m taking all of you with me.” You said and turned your head to where Kim was, now moving her phone around the room trying to get reception.

“Ugh! This doesn’t work! How do you guys live here?!”

“Where are John B and JJ?” You asked Kie and like a calling spell, they both entered the house.

“Finally! You guys took your time!” Pope said while helping the guys with the bags on their hands.

“Well, the grocery store it’s not as close as you guys might think it is.” John said.

“And, we had to carry this bags on the motorbike. It’s not as easy as it looks!” JJ defended himself.

“Well, the food is here and that’s all I care about.” Kie said with excitement and you let out a little laugh.

You didn’t got up from the couch and you noticed Kim was looking at JJ with a smirk on her face. She was watching him, more specifically, his arms. He had a shirt with no sleeves and you could easily see his muscles. And the fact that he was carrying heavy stuff and putting them away, his arms were more enjoyable than normal.

John B and JJ were so occupied with the groceries that didn’t noticed Kim in the room, until she walked to JJ and stood next to him.

“Do you have a motorbike?” She asked and for the first time, he turned to her. He looked confused at her trying to figure out who she was, but when he turned to you, he remembered.

“Yeah, I do.” He said and she bit her lower lip.

“That is a nice shirt.” She said touching his shoulder. Your heart dropped and you clenched your jawline without thinking about it.

At this point, everyone was looking at your cousin and JJ, Kie was trying to not rolled her eyes for the fifth time since she came into the room. Pope and John B were staring at you and waiting for your reaction. Sarah was still helping JJ with the groceries, but Kim was making it difficult since she was in the middle of the kitchen trying to get JJ’s attention. But he was too busy focused on the food and not paying attention to her compliments.

Everyone went back to putting the groceries away after noticing that JJ was, basically, not giving a fuck about Kim. You couldn’t keep your eyes away from her and follow her every move.

That’s when she, sneaky as possible, took a piece of bread and throw it on the floor in front of JJ.

“Oh, let me grab it.” She said with a smile. She kneeled down, giving JJ a perfect view of her ass. He widen his eyes and looked up. He let his arm go up in the air and giving everyone the look of ‘I don’t know what the fuck to do’.

“Not on my watch.” You whispered and walked over to where JJ was. You let your arm rest on his shoulder and when Kim turned to JJ, she locked eyes with you and then rolled her eyes.

“Can we go home now?” She asked annoyed.

“You can go, I’m staying here.” She gave JJ a last look with a smirk and then walked towards door. But stopped once John B talked.

“We have to get the beer for the party tomorrow.” You nodded and then looked annoyed at Kim, who was still on the door.

“Is there a party tomorrow?” She asked with a smile on her face.

“For you? No.” You said with a fake smile and then grabbed a beer from the fridge.

“Oh, well, I don’t think mom and dad are going to like the idea of you going to a party without me. You know, since you have to hang out with me. You don’t have a choice.” A proud smile appeared on her face and then locked eyes with JJ. “I’ll be there.” She winked at him and then walked away.

You sighed and without looking away from where she left, you said “The manipulating bitch, ladies and gentlemen.”

“She is the queen of the kooks, I never thought that I was going to meet someone that I hate this much.” Pope said.

“And she was all over JJ!” Sarah said sitting down next to John B.

“I mean, can you blame her?” He said with a smirk and then walked to where you were standing.

“I told you the next one was going to be on your face if you said anything.” You said and he lifted his hands on the air.

“Not my type.” He said and you sighed. “You know my type.” He pointed at you and your stomach turned.

“No brain?” You said and everyone laughed, but JJ just shook her head.

“You just called yourself a no brainier.” He winked at you and then walked to his room, leaving you confused and with a heart going full speed.

~

The music was loud as always when there was a party on the cut. People had beers on their hands and some of them were dancing around. You had your feet on the sand while talking to Kie about some girl that she was seeing.

“Then ask her out!” You said after taking a sip of your beer.

“I think I will!” She said nervous. Something caught her attention behind you and she rolled her eyes. You turned to where she was looking and you saw Kim entering the beach.

“I didn’t think she was actually going to come! She hates this kind of parties.” You rolled your eyes and took a bigger sip from your beer. You watched her walk into a group of people and how she stopped once she was next to JJ.

“I think now we know why she came.” Kie said and you sighed. You hated the fact that your annoying cousin was interested in one of your friends, especially if it was JJ. “Dude, relax your face. It looks like you want to kill her.”

You didn’t noticed that your jaw was clenched and the grip on your beer was stronger than before.

“It’s just... she’s so annoying!”

“You usually don’t let her get to you, expect if she’s with JJ...” she took a sip of her beer and you turned to her.

“What are you trying to say?”

“Maybe... maybe, you’re jealous that she’s flirting with him.”

You furrowed your eyebrows and shook your head quickly. “Me? Jealous? What? No! Why would I be jealous?”

“C’mon, Y/n! You like JJ! Maybe you two don’t know it yet, but there’s something going on there.” She pointed at your heart and you shook your head.

“No, there’s nothing going on. And you know the rule! No Pogue on Pogue.” You said taking the beer to your mouth.

“Fuck the rule! We made it when we were kids, doesn’t mean anything now. Besides, I think he-” she was about to say but was cut off my JJ appearing next to you.

“How are my favorite ladies?” He let his arm go around your shoulders and you took a sip from your beer trying to hide de fact that you were taking about him seconds ago.

“Fine! I’m going to get another beer.” Kie said before giving you a wink and walking away. You gave her a serious look and she just let out a little smile.

“So, where is your admirer?” You asked JJ.

“I have no idea. She keeps following me, but I told her that I was going to the bathroom. At one point I thought she was going to ask me if she could come.” He said and you let out a laugh.

“Yeah, if she wants something, she’s going to get it.”

“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint her, but she’s not going to get this.” He pointed at himself and you couldn’t help but let out a little smile. “But I like the fact that you get jealous when she flirts with me.”

You opened your mouth in surprise. “Why is it today? I’m not jealous JJ!”

“Oh, admit it! You couldn’t control yourself when she practically made a private show for me yesterday.”

You let out a laugh. “Sure, JJ, if it makes you feel better. Then yes, I was so jealous that I wanted to rip her hair out.” You said sarcastically and a proud smile appeared on JJ’s face.

“I knew it. You loooove me.” You let out a laugh and turned to where a group of people were now screaming in excitement. You noticed that they were celebrating that fact that they won a game of beer pong.

“Wanna play?”

“Don’t waste your energy, princess, I always win.”

“Is that a challenge, blondie?”

He locked eyes with you and he let out a smirk. “Bring it on.”

As you were walking to the beer pong table, with JJ’s arm around your shoulders, your cousin, stopped you two by standing in your way.

“Am I interrupting something?” She asked innocently.

“Yes.” You said annoyed.

“We were about to play some beer pong.” JJ said while making you walk again but after two steps he stopped. “Would you care to join us?” He asked to her, but without breaking eye contact with you.

“What?” You asked and Kim got excited. You realized that JJ was trying to annoy you and prove that you were jealous. But your proud self was never going to let him win. “You know what? Yes, Kim, join us.”

“I’ll play with JJ!” She said following him to the other side. You gave JJ a proud smile when he rolled his eyes.

“Kie! Play with me!” You called her and she nodded with a smile. “We better win.” You said to her in a whisper when she got next to you.

You grabbed the ball on the table and prepared yourself to do the first shot. And like you expected, the ball went perfectly inside a cup.

“Drink up, blondie.” You said and gave Kie a high five.

JJ did the second shot and it went into the cup. “Your turn, princess.” He said proudly and you grabbed the beer cup.

It was Kie’s turn, and fortunately, it went into the beer with no problem. This time it was Kim’s turn to drink, and she did it after giving JJ the look ‘Yeah, I drink. I’m cool’. You rolled your eyes and when it was her turn, she looked at the cups on your side and then turned to JJ.

“Can you help me?” She asked bitting her lower lip and JJ furrowed his eyebrows.

“Kim, you just have to throw the ball! C’mon!” You yelled at her but she didn’t look at you. It was obvious that she wanted JJ to do the classic ‘let me help you’ move and get behind her really closely. JJ walked to her and grabbed her hand, but staying next to her.

You let out a big smile when you noticed JJ’s actions and tried to not let out a laugh. She throw the ball after JJ gave her corrections, but she failed and the ball went into to the sand.

“Maybe next time, Kim.” You said pretending to to feel sorry for her. She rolled her eyes and then walked to the side of the table.

The rest of the game went normal, you and Kie got every shot and you were up by one. Everytime Kim and JJ would get a shot, she would go and give him a celebrating hug. You would try to ignore to stop yourself from pushing her away.

I’m not jealous. You kept repeating to yourself every five seconds. Somehow, not even you believed that statement this time.

“Ok, last shot. If I get this, we win.” You said grabbing the ball Kie was handing to you.

“Wait, we have to think of something to get if we win.” JJ stopped you and you furrowed your eyebrows.

“Like what?” Kie asked.

“Maybe, if you guys win, we” JJ pointed at himself and Kim “will buy you two dinner.”

You nodded “And what about if you win?”

JJ stood there thinking and a big smile appeared on his face. “Kim. You can choose whatever you want. But, if we win, Y/n has to go on a date with me.”

“Wait, no, it has to be a share price.” Kim complained and JJ shook his head.

“This game has no rules, so I can do it.”

You stood there without knowing that to say. Kie walked next to you and whispered in your year. “Dude, just say yes. We’re going to win anyway. You never miss.”

“Alright.” You nodded and JJ gave you a smirk. You lifted your arm and got ready to throw the ball.

You had two options, win, and get free dinner. Or, lose, go on a date with JJ and, for the first time, see Kim not get what she wants. JJ had a smirk on his face while his arms were across his chest. Kim was biting his lower lip annoyed and you let out a little smile.

Me and JJ on a date. You thought and your stomach turned. Am I about to do what I think I’m about to do? You knew that JJ asked you on a date because he wanted to annoy Kim as much as you did. Why other reason is there?

You sighed and the ball left your hand when you throw it. You watched the ball fly across the table and it looked like it was going to go into the cup perfectly. But it landed next to it, making it’s way to the sand after hitting the table.

JJ lifted his arms into the air celebrating with a proud smile on his face. You bit down your lower lip trying to fight the smile that wanted to come out. Kim just let out a simple ‘ugh’ and then walked away. A little moment of proudness came into your body. You turned to Kie who had her arms across her chest while looking at you with a lifted eyebrow.

“I’m sorry.” You said getting closer to her.

“Oh, c’mon. We both know you did it on purpose.” She tried to sound mad but a little smirk appeared on her face. She shook her head and when you tried to say something, she cut you off. “Don’t argue with me.” She winked at you and then walked away when JJ appeared next to you and let his arm go around your shoulders.

“Let’s just pretend you didn’t do that in purpose. And the fact that you got to annoy Kim was just a good side effect of your loss.” JJ said and you rolled your eyes but then a little laugh came out of your mouth. “Just admit that you were jealous?”

“What? Why would I admit something that’s not true?” You crossed your arms around your chest.

“It is true. I would admit it. If I had a cousin that had a thing for you, I would be fuming.” He said and you stood there processing what he just said to you.

“What?” That’s all you could say. JJ just shook his head and a smirk appeared on his face.

“You’re never going to admit it, do you?” He asked and you shook your head.

“Never.”

“Well, you lost anyway, what are doing then? I can ask John B for his boat and...”

“Wait, are we actually going on a date?” You asked.

“Yes, why would I ask you on a date if I didn’t want to go on a date with you?” He asked confused.

“I don’t know.. you wanted to annoy my cousin?”

JJ let out a little laugh. “If I wanted to annoy her, I would’ve kiss you right there in front of her. But that’s something that I want to do later.” He winked at you and then walked away, leaving you, for the second time, with a mind full of thoughts and a heart beating faster than ever.

[collecting-stories]

Self Sabotage - JJ Maybank

Request: Hey babe ♥️ can I request 71. “Look I know we don’t know each other that well but I’m still worried about you.” and 123. “If I asked you to stay, would you?” With jj? Just some pure fluff and hear eyes

A/N: Told you I wrote this twice 😂

Pink Kush (the sequel) | Outer Banks Masterlist

✰ ✰ ✰ ✰

The party was strictly kook. You had gone to Neptune 09er’s lengths to ensure that the “coded” party message that you sent out to ‘kooks only’ made it clear that there were no pogues allowed at this most elite summer celebration. But nothing could keep away the Outer Banks’ most notorious rabble rousers. It shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone that pogues crashed the party, or even that they found the party. Walking passed your house was enough indication that there was something going on. If Scarlett wasn’t practically dating one of Peterkin’s deputies, she the whole thing would’ve been shut down. But it never was and the pogue crowd always showed up.

And maybe it would’ve been fine except the blond one couldn’t keep his mouth shut and Rafe was equal parts dick, especially when he was drunk. You weren’t even sure what had started the fight. You were in the kitchen with Sarah, who was ostracized, blamed for inviting the pogues that showed up, and generally ignored by other kooks at the party, when Scarlett came in, fuming.  

“I swear to god!” Scarlett cursed, grabbing a bottle off the counter, “these pogue losers are such fucking...” she groaned.

“What?” You asked, looking over at her. It was only then you realized the wealth of people who had started to congregate near the back door. As if something was drawing them there. Behind the thumping of the stereo in the living room you could hear it. The sound of shouting. “What is that?”

“That fucking dumbass friend of your boyfriend’s!” Scarlett said, directing her comment at Sarah.  

“What?” Sarah headed toward the crowd and you followed, pushing through people only to be let out into the backyard. There by the pool, Rafe was shouting at JJ, cursing him out, threatening him. They’d get close enough to shove the other but not anything more serious than that. “Rafe!” Sarah shouted, catching her brother’s attention.  

He turned to look at her and JJ took the opportunity to tackle him, knocking both of them into the water. Rafe surfaced first, grabbing JJ’s shoulders and shoving him under the water, clearly prepared to drown the pogue.  

“Topper!” You yelled, catching his attention, “get your fucking friend!”  

Some of the other pogues were at the water’s edge, trying to reach them without actually going into the pool, a strategy that obviously wasn’t working. Topper got in, grabbing Rafe and pulling him back enough that he released JJ, the other boy practically unconscious as he floated in the water. Years of life guarding at the Island Club’s indoor pool had afforded you the ability to know CPR like the back of your hand and you ran over to help as two guys pulled him out of the water.  

“Move,” you insisted, pushing your way through people and falling to your knees beside him. You leaned over JJ, pressing your ear to his chest for a moment before laying your hands over him.  

“You know CPR?” One of his friends asked, hovering your space as you counted out compressions.  

“Yes.”  

You apologized to the guy, Pope as you later learned, for snapping once JJ had sputtered out the water he swallowed, throwing himself forward and laying his head back down on your lap, pressing the side of his face into your thigh. You brushed hair off his forehead out of instinct, trying to cradle him against you too.  

“Are you okay?” Pope asked, helping JJ to sit up. You patted his back gently, moving around so you were on the other side of him.  

“Do you wanna go inside?” You asked. The crowd of pogues and kooks standing around watching hadn’t dispersed, hovering around trying to gauge if JJ was alright. Pope glanced around as Kiara came through the crowd to help. A little too late but she still weaseled her way in between you and JJ, helping him to his feet.  

“That would be good.” Pope said, wrapping his arm around JJ while Kiara stayed on his other side, helping him walk into the house with you. You could hear Pope telling JJ that they were taking him inside.  

The downstairs was mostly crowded so you led them upstairs, JJ managing by himself, pushing Kiara and Pope away when they tried to help him. “I’ve got it.” He insisted.  

“My room is right here.” You said, letting JJ pass you into the room, his wet footprints tracking across the wooden floor. Kiara hovered in the door while Pope went in after him.  

“Thanks,” Kiara finally said, somewhat awkward. To be fair, the two of you weren’t friends and you had spent the better part of the school year ignoring her for the likes of other kooks closer to your own tax bracket.  

“I’ll get a change of clothes?” You offered, not sure what to do now that JJ was in your room, just standing there in the middle of the room, soaking wet. You crossed the hall to your parents’ room, grabbing a pair of sweatpants and one of your dad’s old college shirts. When you came back into your room JJ was standing in the same place, a cut on his forehead, just above his eyebrow, bleeding. He kept wiping at it as if that would stop the bleeding. You held the clothes out for him, “here. There’s a bathroom right there.”

“Gotta love the kook life.” JJ muttered, grabbing the clothes and heading for the bathroom.

“Glad your recovered enough to be an asshole.” You snapped back.

“Hey,” JJ turned around at the door, glaring at you, “I didn’t ask to get fucking drowned by your douche bag friend.”

“I didn’t invite you to this party!” You said.

“Guys!” Pope snapped, stepping in between the two of you, “just...JJ go get changed.”

“I’m gonna grab some water bottles,” Kiara announced once JJ was in the bathroom, “might help sober him up.” She gave Pope a pointed look and he nodded.

“I’ll go with you.”

“Oh cool, just leave me here.” You replied, sitting down on your bed and rolling your eyes. Neither of them said anything, just headed out of the room and down the stairs to grab water bottles from the fridge.  

You stayed there until JJ finally came out, drying off his hair with a towel. “I left my clothes on the sink...”  

“I’ll throw them in the dryer.” You shrugged, “Look I know we don’t know each other that well but I’m still worried about you. Are you sure you’re okay?”  

“I’m fine.” JJ replied, tossing the towel in your hamper.  

“You gotta have a death wish.”  

“What?” He asked, looking over at you.

“Rafe’s fucking psychotic JJ, he would’ve killed you, ya know?” You pointed out, “if he didn’t show up uninvited to every party I wouldn’t have anything to do with him.”  

“Yeah.”

“Don’t say ‘yeah’ like you don’t believe me.” You said, “you don’t know me.”

“And yet you’re so concerned.”

“I am concerned!” You huffed, crossing your arms and looking away from him. “You almost fucking died out there...I literally did CPR on you and you’re gonna bitch at me? Look, I’m just trying to make sure that you’re okay.”  

JJ shrugged, sitting down in your desk chair and spinning it around once before facing you again. He had come to the party with everyone after he heard Sarah mention it to Kiara. It would’ve been fine, they got in unnoticed and mingled with some kooks without any trouble at all, but JJ was still fuming from a fight with his father and had, admittedly, being looking for a reason to pick a fight or get blacked-out. He saw Rafe and it was like the answer to his prayers. He started the fight and when Rafe tackled him into the pool and he hit his head on the side he’d honestly been happy to just let himself get wailed on, the older Cameron could’ve drowned him and he would’ve been thrilled.  

“Your still bleeding.” You noticed, getting up from your bed and going into the bathroom, grabbing the first aid kit from the cabinet.

He said nothing as you cleared some books off your stool and pulled it over so that you could sit in front of him, opening the kit on your lap and pulling things out. JJ sat still, tensing when you touched his face, pushing still wet hair out of his face so that you could clean out the wound and bandage it. You weren’t sure if JJ had sobered up at all or if he was still somewhat drunk, if he’d been drunk at all or just out of his mind. Either way, you could imagine him walking back down into that party.  

“This might sound crazy but, if I asked you to stay, would you?” You asked, pressing the bandage over his cut.  

“Why?”

“Cause I honestly don’t think you should be alone right now.” You replied, “but what do I know?”

JJ frowned, biting on his tongue, “did Kie and Pope go back downstairs?”

“Yeah.”

He nodded, they were at the edge of their patience and he knew that. They’d been putting up with and taking care of his reckless behavior for the last few months if not years. They probably left altogether or at least were staying downstairs so they didn’t have to take care of this. “You don’t want to deal with this.” JJ replied, an offering of an out to you.  

“Let me decide that?”  

-

Taglist: @heavenlymama @vindictive-hearts @alexa-playafricabytoto @dontjinx-it @randomficsandshit @niamhobrien @strangerthanfanfiction713 @tovvaa @freckled-and-daydreaming @harleylynn @bibliophilewednesday @dpaccione @bolaurel @poguestyleskye @beautyandthebleh @under-a-canyon-moon @teamnick @stevie-buck @bijleegiregi @vitaminekabc @minigranger @teamnick @just-smile-darling @obxsummer @damonsalvawhore27 @isqbella @tomzfrog @fangirlvoice @phantompogues @98starkeys @ilovejjmaybank @lemur46 @khiaraaa-in-spacee @babygal-babygal @niya-savage @divvrx @princess-of-the-fandoms @thecaptainsgingersnap @jenjie @yourprincess-maybe @wowmaybankk 

[jjmaybanksbaby]

Where It Leads (Rafe Cameron)

Summer IV

Part 07: Crashing Down

series masterlist | previous part

summary: A jarring family emergency forces you to consider the future of your relationship with Rafe Cameron.

a/n: I'm a little bit emotional about this series ending because I've had so much fun writing it! Enjoy the last part and, as always, please come share your reactions with me in my inbox. Okay, that's all from me!

word count: 2.1k words

Rafe Cameron knew how to text. He was somehow witty, charming, and hilarious all in less characters than a single tweet. Texting with most boys was like talking to a brick wall: single-syllable answers, unironic uses of punctuation, asking “What are you wearing?” before even listening to how your day went. Though, to be fair, Rafe had asked that same question a few times, which always earned him a sarcastic answer in return. Well, except for that one time.

You’d been forced to spill the beans about your dreamy summer romance to Alice and Kensie after one of Rafe’s funnier texts almost made you pee yourself laughing at the lunch table.

“Oh, so he’s a stud muffin,” Alice announced, peering over Kenzie’s shoulder at the photo on your phone.

“Please god don’t call anyone a stud muffin ever again Al,” Kenzie replied.

“What? The 80s are like making a comeback.”

“Yeah, not that,” you countered and Alice huffed.

“He’s totally hot though,” Kenzie said, handing the phone back to you. “And I kinda hate you for not telling us about him.”

You looked down at the picture. Rafe was kissing your check while you grinned up at the camera, the golden hour lighting made the whole thing look rather enchanting. It was your favorite picture of you and him.

“Oh shit,” Kenzie said causing you to look up from the phone. “You’re like in love in love with him.”

“What? No,” you protested. Yes, your brain corrected.

Kenzie glanced over at Alice for backup.

“Besides, I wasn’t hiding him. I just didn’t know if there was anything there to...tell,” you finished.

“I wish I had a handsome summer fling with spectacular cheekbones,” Alice sighed.

“Don’t let your boyfriend hear you saying that.” Kenzie chucked a fry off her tray at Alice who dodged it expertly.

“Oh, please. Matty knows I would dump his ass for someone who looks like a young Chuck Bass any day of the week. Gimme your phone. I wanna see the photos again y/n.”

“I seriously don’t know how you and Matthew have been together for two years,” Kenzie replied.

“Are you kidding? They’re practically made for each other,” you added.

“The phone, please,” Alice interjected. “I wanna thirst over your mans while my boyfriend is sucking up to his English teacher so she doesn’t fail him. Of course, I told him he needed to actually read Wuthering Heights and not just sparknotes it. But did he listen? No. I picked a real winner y’all,” she finished, taking the phone from your outstretched hands. “You sure Rafe doesn’t have any brothers? Not even like a half-step brother?”

So yeah, going great. Against the odds of three thousand miles, the whole thing was somehow working. Long-distance friends with benefits? Check. Well, except for those moments when that nagging feeling in your stomach came back and you’d start overthinking everything. His texts would sit, unread in your phone for days or even a whole week, slowly sinking to the bottom of your messages.

Then came the call from the Kildare Country Hospital in the early hours of a foggy April morning. You should have gone to sleep hours ago but were still up, desperately trying to cram Maria’s lines into your brain while also texting Rafe. The Sound of Music opened in three weeks and your director had already chewed you out twice for not being off-book, something about being an upperclassman and the lead, and what kind of an example were you setting for the rest of the program. Big speeches were kind of your director's thing, you learned to just ride them out.

Around 1 a.m. your phone ran with an incoming FaceTime call from Rafe. You pressed the green acccept button, a smile spread across your face as Rafe’s own filled the screen.

“Hey Broadway Star.”

“Hi Rafe.” The dim lighting of his bedroom made his feature especially striking. “What are you still doing up?”

“Can’t sleep. Plus you’re up too so. How’s the memorizing going?”

“Shitty,” you replied, closing your binder with a sigh. “I’m too tired to do anymore of it tonight anyway.”

“You know, I was thinking I could come to Oregon for your opening night?”

“Really?” The possibility of Rafe sitting in the audience made your heart race.

“Yeah, why not? I’ll ask Ward if I can borrow the plane that weekend and I bet Sarah’ll want to come too. I wanna see my girl kill it. I miss you.”

“I miss you too, Rafe. You know my friends think you’re hot.”

“Oh, do they?” Rafe replied, rolling over onto his back in his bed.

“Don’t let it get to your head, Cameron.”

The home phone ran but you ignored it, much more invested in your conversation with Rafe. The second time the hospital left a message. Your Nonna’s heart had given out. The prognosis wasn’t good. She had barely any time left.

Your heart dropped as the words echoed over the speaker of the answering machine.

“Rafe,” you said, cutting him off momentarily. “I gotta go. I’ll call you back later. I gotta-” you ended the call before Rafe even had the chance to respond. You dropped your phone on the kitchen table, dashing up the stairs to your parents’ bedroom. Your father was booking a flight for your mother back to the Outer Banks minutes later.

The end had come so quickly, so unexpectedly. It was almost like that made it harder. There'd been just enough time for your mom and uncle to get to the Outer Banks, sitting on each side of your Nonna as her final breaths passed through her lungs. Now, everyone was there to say goodbye one last time. Uncle Austin and his fiancé. Your mom and dad. Both your siblings. The entire population of Figure Eight.

☼☼☼

Rain drizzled down from the dark, gray clouds looming overhead. It was as if Mother Nature was mourning your Nonna too, hiding the sunshine away.

Three baby ducks followed their mama into the man-made pond at the edge of the cemetery. You watched their tiny feet kick up small waves disturbing the peaceful water and the tears silently slipped down your face.

The cars were waiting to take you back to your Nonna's house for the wake. The same house with the for-sale sign now stuck in the front yard. The for-sale sign with Rose's patronizing grin that you were starting to really hate. Your dad had handled that. Listing the house. He'd handled most of the funeral arrangement's actually because your mother had been too sunken into her grief to make any decision. Sending out the invitations, picking out your Nonna's casket, choosing the flowers. Your mother clung to him during the entire funeral, weeping into his shoulder.

“Y/n?” Rafe's voice called out from behind you and you turned to see him walked toward you. He’d stood at the back of the church with his family during the funeral. You had longed for him to be sitting in the first pew next to you, to have had his hand to hold onto to ground you, but it hardly would have been appropriate. Your Nonna would have sooner risen from the dead than have had a Cameron front row at her funeral.

As soon as he was close enough, Rafe reached for you, pulling your body tight into him. Your head landed on his chest and the sobs came moments later. God, he always smelled the same. He just let you cry, holding you close, smoothing his hand over your hair.

“I know you’re selling your grandma’s house but I was thinking you could stay with me for the summer," he said as your tears began to slow. It was hard to imagine that you wouldn't return to the Outer Banks once school let out. It was the first week of May already and you could feel the tourist-attracting town waking up. But selling the house just made more sense. Your older sister was already living her life in New York, a real adult life. Next summer, you'd be moving out too, headed to college. The house would sit empty for eight months out of the year, your family couldn't keep it and your uncle certainly didn’t want it. Selling it just had to happen.

You stepped back, slipping out of his embrace. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Rafe.”

“Why not?”

“Cause we’re like Romeo and Juliet.”

“I copied Cleo’s notes for that unit," he joked, trying to lighten to damp mood. “Plus I was never a fan of Leo DiCaprio so I didn’t finish the movie either.”

“It means we’re not supposed to be together, you and me. And whenever we try, the universe rips us apart. We hurt each other.”

Rafe shifted awkwardly on his feet, clearly wanting to reach for you again but stopping himself from doing it. “But I can't lose you.”

You reached your hand out, brushing away a strand of hair that had fallen in front of his eyes. “Oh Rafe, don’t you get it? You never really had me.” You stood up onto your tiptoes to kiss him just like you had the first time three years ago. Rafe barely parted his lips, kissing you back gently. Your hand cupped his face, your thump stroking over his cheek. It was a goodbye. Both of you knew it. It was an ending and this was your closure. You pulled away, your hand falling away from his face.

You couldn’t bring yourself to say the actual words. Your eyes fell to the ground. You needed to walk away now. You side-stepped Rafe but he grabbed your waist, turning you back around to face him.

“So that’s it? You’re not even gonna try to fight for us?”

“What even is there to fight for, Rafe? I’ve been fighting for us for the past four years. If we were supposed to be together that car wouldn’t have crashed into ours, I wouldn’t have fallen for Evan when I did, we wouldn’t be having this conversation at my Nonna’s funeral. What? Are we supposed to do long distance for all of college? I hardly know who I am right now. I have no idea who I’ll be in the next four years. Our future selves might not even like each other. I’m not gonna wait around for you Rafe and I would never ask you to do that for me.” You twirled the small, star charm between your fingers, a nervous habit you'd developed over the past year. His eyes dropped down to your neck momentarily and his adam's apple visibly bobbing as he swallowed his next weeks.

“You were it for me, you know. I tried to give a fuck about anyone else but I couldn’t get your gorgeous, stupid face out of my mind. I only wanted you.” Rafe paused gauging your reaction “I was falling in love with you.”

Your eyes wandered over his stoic expression. “The feeling was mutual, Rafe Cameron.”

He dropped your wrist but you both stood, not moving or saying anything. “Do you wanna walk me back to the car?”

“Yeah.” He reached for your hand, interlocking your fingers. Your other hand held onto his bicep so you walked together through the graveyard back to the parking lot.

The moment felt precious and delicate, like the fragile china your Nonna used to collect. You wondered what would happen to all that china.

Rafe placed a chaste kiss on your lips before opening the door of the car.

“I’ll miss you,” you said, the words hanging in the air meaning so much.

“Me too,” Rafe agreed.

You wanted one more kiss, one more passionate declaration of how much this all had meant but that would make leaving Rafe so much more impossible.

You climbed into the car, dropping Rafe’s hand in the process.

“See you around Cameron.” You knew it wouldn’t happen but it felt better than a goodbye.

He smiled back. “Maybe so.”

Perhaps Rafe was right and you’d both end up at a small liberal arts college in California taking the same second-year Econ class with a professor who always smelled like weed. Perhaps the stars would align and two of you would realize the universe wasn’t trying to keep you apart. It was just waiting for the right moment to show you that the love you had for each other was the soulmates, forever and ever kind of love. Perhaps you would get married and Sarah would be your maid of honor, of course. You’d buy back your Nonna’s house to raise your troubling-making kids in. Perhaps, you would find your way back and wake up each day and choose each other again and again.

Or perhaps, he'd always be your right-person-wrong-time. And, in the end, the passing days will steal away your memories of the blue-eyed boy from the Outer Banks.

taglist! @oreoenthusiast13

[starksweasley]

the art of being afraid

pairing: jj maybank x fem!reader, pogues x platonic!reader

summary: the three times jj told you he loved you, and the one time you said it back.

note: this was inspired by the song “she’s not afraid” by one direction! also, send requests/messages/criticism/anything to my inbox; i’m open to pretty much anything :)

warning: angst, swearing, tears, underaged drinking, fluff

word count: 4.9k+

The full moon illuminated your room as you rushed to get ready for tonight’s rooftop party. You hummed as your hands delicately brushed blush onto the apples of your cheeks. Under the moonlight, you could have been mistaken for a greek goddess. You were swiping on a layer of dark red lipstick when the sound of a knock against your window startled you. You whipped around to see a golden-haired boy with a cheeky grin plastered onto his face as he balanced his body over the edge of your balcony. 

“JJ!” In your haste, you struggled to unlatch the lock on the window. The moment it was open, JJ hopped into your room with his hands behind his back. “Hey, baby,” he greeted as you hurried to close your bedroom window before anyone in Figure Eight noticed something strange and decided to spread rumors about you. 

“How the hell did you get up here? My room’s on the third floor!” You exclaimed.

JJ shrugged. “I climbed. Easy.”

You stood with your mouth open and a hundred scenarios ran through your head, all revolving around what could have happened if he had fallen from the third story of your house. JJ, well versed with the look in your eye, immediately decided to change the subject. He brought out his hands from behind his back and showed you a singular rose that looked like it had been plucked from your yard. “I came to give this to you.”

You gently plucked the flower from his hand. A thorn pricked your thumb but you didn’t mind. “It’s beautiful.”

“I know. It reminded me of you,” JJ responded without missing a beat, causing heat to creep up your neck. The boy’s hands lingered near yours and you leaned closer, desperately wanting to feel his skin against yours. 

“Would you zip up my dress?” The black dress you were wearing hugged your body exquisitely. The top was cut a little low, just enough to tease the golden-haired boy beside you.  You turned so JJ could pull up the zipper you couldn’t reach no matter how much you stretched. The boy sharply inhaled when he saw your bare back. His fingers danced on your soft skin and a shiver ran through your body, causing JJ to chuckle. “I didn’t know I had that effect on you, L/N.”

You huffed. “Shut up and pull the zipper, Maybank.” Your words came out annoyed but they didn’t phase JJ in the slightest. He simply pulled up your zipper and moved his hands so they rested on your hips. You hummed at the contact. 

JJ began to slowly sway and you followed, your hands shooting up to hold his to your body. The two of you blissfully danced to the music in your heads and you closed your eyes, letting your body feel every small movement. JJ’s lips pressed a kiss under your ear. “You know,” he whispered, “we could dance like this all night at the party if we told everyone about us.”

Your body froze under his hands. “J, you know we can’t do that.” You turned just in time to see your favorite boy’s face drop at your words. Your heart skipped a beat at the sight. 

JJ’s hands dropped from your hips and your body felt cold without his touch. His gaze fixed itself on your neck, refusing to meet your face. With a sigh, you brought your hands up to gently cup his cheeks. “Baby, look at me.”

JJ’s cerulean eyes finally met your Y/E/C ones. “I want to tell people, J, you know I do. But if the wrong people find out, we wouldn’t be able to be us anymore. You understand that, don’t you?” JJ nodded but his eyes had left yours again. “Well, uh, I gotta go,” JJ muttered before removing himself from your grasp. “See you at the party?”

He was already climbing out the window when you answered, “I’ll be there in ten.” The golden-haired boy sent you one last smile before disappearing into the night. You stared at the spot you had last seen him and couldn’t help but think his smile had been a little less bright than usual. After a moment, you decided that you were probably just imagining it. You hurried to put on your heels and check your appearance in the mirror one last time before noticing the rose that lay forgotten on your bed. On impulse, you picked it up and tenderly tucked it into your hair.  

You snuck past the service entrance at the back of your house and moments later, your feet were padding through the warm night sand next to the pool. The party was down the street on the terrace of Sarah Cameron’s house and you walked absentmindedly, the route to her house engraved in your brain because of the hundreds of times you had gone there over the years. 

Sarah was a Kook princess, but you were the Kook princess. You never meant to draw attention to yourself, it just seemed to naturally fall upon you. The Kook lifestyle was everything to you until you met JJ Maybank. He was wild and so beautifully chaotic: everything you ever yearned to be. The golden-haired boy had pulled you into his world and before you knew it, the galas and the boats didn’t matter so much anymore. You had a foot in both worlds, longing to jump into the deep end with the Pogues but unable to break the chains of Kook pressure.

The moment you stepped onto the terrace, you felt every eye in the room trace your movements. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary so you simply tilted your chin up higher and looked for a familiar mop of blonde hair. You spotted the Pogues in a corner with Sarah and smiled with relief, about to head their way when a hand closed around your arm. You looked behind you to see Rafe Cameron grinning down at you and suppressed the urge to roll your eyes.

“You look gorgeous tonight, darling.” 

You yanked your arm from the tall boy’s grip and took a couple of steps back for good measure. “I don’t want any coke, Rafe,” you seethed through clenched teeth. “I suggest you go find a touron to hassle and leave me alone.”

You turned away, thinking he would leave you alone but Rafe Cameron was no quitter. “C’mon, darling,” he urged, “Don’t be like that. Just one drink.”

“I said no.”

Rafe was getting irritated now. “What, are you fucking some dirty pogue down at The Cut? You know I could make you feel so much better.” His hands were on your arms again and you felt your heartbeat speed up. His grip tightened and you were about the scream to cause a scene when an arm wrapped around you from behind and wrenched you away from the Cameron boy.

“She said no, Cameron.” JJ’s sea breeze scent invaded your senses and you immediately relaxed with his touch. Rafe’s eyes moved from your face to the point where JJ’s body was linked with your own and something shifted behind his eyes. “Maybank? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, Y/N.” 

You sharply inhaled at Rafe’s accusation. If he knew, it was only a matter of time before everyone else connected the dots. You swiftly untangled yourself from JJ’s arms and lightly shoved him away. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The moment those words left your lips, you hurried away from the pair and immersed yourself in the mess of party-goers dancing in the middle of the terrace. 

No matter how many tequila shots you drowned, the dejected look on JJ’s face from when you pushed him away in front of Rafe continuously popped up in your head. The alcohol in your bloodstream slowly unraveled the tension on your mind and you found yourself swaying your hips with a bottle of cold beer clutched in your hand. In the middle of the crowd, you felt hands all over your figure but you really couldn’t care less. The feeling of sweaty bodies pressing against yours in the dark only exaggerated your intoxicated state and you began to lose yourself in the music. However, your bliss only lasted for a few minutes before the bottle of beer in your hands was suddenly snatched away. 

“Hey!” You slurred. A scowl formed on your lips when you noticed JJ frowning down at you with the nearly empty bottle in his hands. You quickly reached for it but he moved faster, downing the last bit of alcohol in it and tossing the bottle into the nearest trash can. 

“That was mine, asshole!” You drunkenly exclaimed but JJ ignored you. “Shut up and dance with me.” 

JJ’s hands comfortably found your waist and you interlocked your hands behind his neck. Even in the blackness of the night sky, looking into his striking eyes was like being splashed with a bucket of cold water. Suddenly, you didn’t feel so drunk anymore. Your hands began to loosen from around his neck but the boy tugged you even closer to him.

“J, we shouldn’t be doing this,” you whispered. “Not here.”

“We’re just dancing, baby. People dance at parties,” he calmly responded but you shook your head. “Someone’s going to notice something. We can’t risk it. Not now; not after everything we’ve been through.”

JJ’s eyes turned stormy as his heart wrenched in his chest. “All these other guys, they can’t tear their eyes away from you, Y/N!” The frustration in his tone almost made you flinch. “Why don’t you want everyone to know that I’m the only one that gets to take you home?”

It was too dark to see if anyone was watching but only a few inches away from JJ’s face, you noticed a single tear roll down his flushed cheeks. Your hands gently cupped the golden boy’s face for the second time that night. “I want to tell everyone, J. I swear I do. I just can’t. But baby, that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.” You paused, waiting for him to respond but he stood with his lips pursed tightly. Your hands dropped to your sides. “JJ, if my parents found out- fuck, my life would be over. And the rest of the Kooks, they wouldn’t take to us lightly either. You saw how Rafe acted tonight-and he didn’t even know anything!”

JJ had heard enough. “Why do you care what they think?” His hands furiously tugged through his golden locks as he found the right words to voice. “I don’t give a fuck what anyone on this damn island says about us Y/N, because I love you.”

Your breath hitched in the back of your throat. Before you could even think about his words, JJ’s mouth was crushed on yours. Shrouded by the darkness of the night, you felt your stomach twist into knots at the feeling of his soft lips on your own. The urge to draw his body impossibly close to yours filled your muscles; you wanted to hold your boy there and never let him go but you couldn’t. He had said that he loved you. Someone in this screwed up world loved you. For some reason, you couldn’t wrap your mind around the thought. It wasn’t real. Something in your heart told you it couldn’t be real. The realization hit you like a flash of lightning and you suddenly pushed away from the boy in front of you.

JJ’s lipstick-stained lips pouted in a frown and his hair was unruly from where you had run your fingers through it. You desperately wanted to push the stray locks from his forehead but you couldn’t bring yourself to touch him again. “I-I have to go,” you stuttered.

“What? Y/N, what’s wrong? Tell me what’s wrong, baby-”

“I said I have to go, JJ!” You roughly pushed away the hand he had reached out to you and turned on your heel. JJ’s voice echoed after you, calling out your name, but you couldn’t bear to turn around. Seeing his face might have convinced you to actually believe him.

That’s how you left him that night: lips swollen, mascara smudged, and heart racing in a million different directions.

. . . 

The Pogues could tell something was wrong. You and JJ were usually attached at the hip and the whole town knew it, but now you seemed to be avoiding JJ like the plague. If the blonde boy was going to be somewhere, you refused to go. Your friend circle had grown limited over the years, and avoiding the only people you could call family wasn’t good for your health. Every time Kie and John B. showed up at your doorstep to haul you to the beach, they found you with an (almost always) empty bottle of tequila clutched to your chest. 

JJ wasn’t much better off. He still surfed daily and showed up for his shift at work with Pope, but the light behind his eyes was dimmed. No matter how much Kie pestered JJ to tell her what had happened or Pope tried to pull you out of your bed, neither of you relented. 

Although the pogues couldn’t pull you out of your head, Sarah Cameron had other plans. On a hot Thursday night, she barged into your room with an enormous bowl of popcorn and Kie in tow. “Y/N!”

You were laying in bed with your eyes closed and music blaring into your ears. Rolling her eyes, Sarah yanked out your headphones. Your eyes widened at the sudden intrusion. “Sarah, what the-” But Sarah wasn’t having any of it. “You can get up yourself or I’m going to haul your ass up. Your choice.”

You looked at Kie with a “is she kidding right now” look but Kiara simply shrugged; everyone knew the Cameron girl wasn’t accustomed to the word “no.” It must run in the family.

With a heavy sigh, you sat up and made room for the other two on your bed. They settled in on either side of you and Sarah plopped the popcorn on your lap. You greedily scooped a handful in your hands; you couldn’t remember the last time you had eaten a full meal. Kie uncomfortably cleared her throat. “Y/N, what happened between you and JJ?” 

You didn’t answer, licking butter off your fingers and flipping through your favorite movies on Netflix. Kie exchanged a concerned glance with Sarah and the two proceeded to frown at you. “JJ hasn’t been, well, JJ this week,” Kiara cautiously continued. “He smiles but his laughs sound hollow. His eyes don’t shine anymore, Y/N. He needs you.”

You didn’t realize you had been crying until you felt the moisture on your cheeks. You hastily wiped it away. “I don’t wanna talk about it. Can we just watch the movie now?”

The minutes passed by slowly. You tried to focus on the movie playing on your TV but all you could see were your friends’ concerned faces. You were just about to kick them out and call it a night when a frantic knock on your window drew you out of your haze. 

“What the hell?” Kie and Sarah chorused together. “Who’s at your window?” Your chest tightened. You didn’t need to open the window to know who was behind the glass. You slowly undid the latch on the window to reveal JJ, his face covered in the moon’s shadow. The two of you stared at each other. Your mouth opened but immediately snapped shut when you realized you didn’t know what to say to the boy in front of you. 

Sarah peered around your shoulder and a slight gasp escaped her lips. “Oh.” She backed away from you, grabbing Kiara’s hand and leading her out of the room. “Let’s go, Kie. We have to, uh-” She tripped over her words but her voice had already drifted out of your mind. The only thing you could hear was the heavy rise and fall of JJ’s breath, slightly out of rhythm after the three-story climb to your room. 

“Can I come in?” JJ’s voice sounded small, almost broken. You didn’t respond, simply opening the window wider. The golden-haired boy hopped into your room and you thought you heard him utter a small groan when his feet slammed onto the floor. When JJ moved into the light, you sharply inhaled. Dark bruises scattered his face and neck. Even though it looked like it was cleaned, the cut on his lip burned a bright red. JJ’s lip trembled and you didn’t stop to ask questions before throwing your arms around him. You tried to be gentle so as to not hurt him but his grip on you tightened, leaving not even an inch between your bodies. 

Warm tears fell down JJ’s cheeks and onto your shoulder. “My dad, he-he-damn it I can’t Y/N-” The golden boy sniffled and you felt tears pool in your own eyes. JJ always crashed at your place or the Chateau on nights the whole gang kept John B company. You never asked why but you knew something at home bothered him. Now you knew. It was his dad. His dad abused him. The whole time you had known JJ, you wanted nothing more than to protect him and now you felt like you had failed miserably. If JJ had been at your place, maybe he wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Maybe he would have been just a little less broken.

JJ’s sobs grew louder and tears were shamelessly falling down your cheeks. You softly pressed your lips under his ear. “Shhh, baby. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” JJ nodded against your neck as you soothingly combed through his hair. “C’mon, J, let’s go to bed.” You supported the boy’s weight as he stumbled over his feet and landed on the bed with a quiet thump. You furiously wiped away the wetness on your cheeks before he noticed. 

JJ rested his head on your pillow, breathing in your scent and sighing in content. You delicately immersed yourself in the covers next to him, careful not to irritate any of the boy’s wounds any further. The two of you laid like that in silence while JJ’s breathing returned to normal. His hand slowly itched towards yours and the slightest brush of fingertips sent sparks flying up your body. 

“Y/N?”

“Mhm?”

“Can you hold me?” JJ’s voice broke.

You turned your head to look at the defeated boy. “I don’t want to hurt you, J.”

“You could never hurt me.”

“Ok.” Your voice was almost as small as his. You gently pulled his head onto your chest and wrapped an arm around his middle. One hand lightly pulled at his hair and the other traced shapes on his abdomen under his grey tank. He didn’t say anything for a couple minutes so you assumed he had fallen asleep, but his head shifted on your chest. “Y/N?”

“Yeah, JJ?”

He retreated back to silence. You weren’t sure if he really had dozed off this time or he just didn’t want to say what he was about to say. After several moments, the golden-haired boy took in a rattling breath and a small smile graced his features. “I love you.”

For reasons you couldn’t quite put your finger on, you felt your heart begin to sink cowardly. JJ wanted to love. He wanted to be loved. But he couldn’t love you. You had never been loved by anyone. How could this perfect boy change that? You gently shook your head against the smushed pillow. “It’s not real, JJ.”

JJ’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What’s not real?”

“You don’t love me. You just think you love me because you want someone to love. It’s not real. It can’t be,” you whispered in the dark.

JJ wanted to argue. He wanted to grab your shoulders and shake you until you realized how damn much his heartbeat for you. Hell, sometimes he thought it beat only for you. But the night’s events had taken a toll on his mind and body and he couldn’t do anything but softly hum, “You’re wrong, Y/N. You’re just scared. Why are you so afraid to fall in love?”

Perhaps JJ had fallen asleep that instant, or maybe he waited as long as he could to hear your answer. Eventually, he succumbed to his fatigue. Still, as you held the sleeping boy in your arms, no answer appeared in your mind. You spent the whole night trying to find it, but the sun came up and you were still as oblivious to your heart as you had been under the light of the moon. 

. . .

As far as the Pogues could tell, everything was back to normal. You inserted yourself back into your social life, regularly surfing with the boys and crashing Kook parties with Kie and Sarah. JJ wore long sleeve shirts in an effort to cover up the battle scars only you’d seen, but the twinkle behind his eyes was back. On the outside, it seemed as if you and JJ had mended whatever it was you had broken in the first place. On the HMS Pogue, he laid his head on your lap like he always did. During late nights at the Chateau, you two shared a can of beer while your legs intertwined on the recliner as they always did. 

But you knew that nothing was the same. JJ stopped coming to your house. The sheets on your bed felt cold and uninviting without the golden-haired boy’s saltwater scent all over them. At night, you longed for his sweet kisses but when you turned you were met with nothing more than an empty pillow. He hadn’t come out and said it, but you could tell that he didn’t want to do it anymore. JJ was always around you, but you weren’t Y/N and JJ anymore. You were just Y/N, and he was just JJ. Nevertheless, the ache in your heart dulled as you learned to push it away from your mind. For now, ignoring the problem felt like the best way to face it.

The summer sky boasted a brilliant orange and a calm breeze settled over the coast for the night. You found yourself laying against JJ’s chest on a hammock as the sun slowly descended into the ground. Sarah was sprawled over John B and Kie held Pope’s head on her stomach as their hammock rocked back and forth in the wind. No one said a word; it was hard to rip your eyes away from the changing colors of the clouds. 

As the sun sunk down and the stars emerged, the Pogues one by one made their way back into the Chateau, leaving only you and JJ gently swinging in the breeze. His hand was tangled in your hair and you intertwined your fingers with his, wanting to sustain his warmth against your skin. You signed in content. “I miss you,” you whispered. 

JJ sharply inhaled. In a flash, his hands left your body and he was ungracefully pulling himself from the hammock. “Hey! Where are you going?” You questioned as you hauled yourself up into a sitting position. The boy's hands hastily ran through his hair, something you noticed he did when he was upset. “I can’t do this anymore, Y/N!”

Your stomach dropped at his confession. You knew what was coming but you couldn’t help but ask, “Do what, J?”

His eyes widened as if he couldn’t believe you were asking the question. “This, Y/N. Us! I can’t keep pretending like we aren’t broken, like everything’s fine.”

“We are fine,” your voice cracked but you don’t think JJ noticed. He stepped forward so aggressively you flinched, but all he did was bring his palms up to hold your face. “Do you know what I’m doing right now?” His thumbs swept over your cheekbones. “I’m holding my entire world in my hands. You. That’s it. That’s all I need because I love you.”

Your lip trembled. “JJ-” You softly started but he wasn’t finished yet. 

“But I can’t go on like this anymore, Y/N. I can’t keep holding you like this, no matter how bad I want to, if you don’t tell me how you feel.” He paused and took a deep breath, as if it was physically hurting him to say these words. “You keep saying it’s not real, and maybe it’s not. I’ve already learned throughout my life that I’m not capable of love. But you’re just as messed up as I am.” JJ’s hands tightened around your face. “You’re not afraid of scary movies, and you’re not afraid of all the attention. You’re not afraid of running wild with me, but you’re so damn afraid of being who you’re meant to be in this world. You’re afraid of falling in love.”

You wanted to open your mouth to argue. To yell at him for causing the pit in your stomach to widen. But you couldn’t, because you knew he was right. A whimper escaped your lips at the realization. “JJ, I don’t want to be broken,” you breathed.

A small smile appeared on JJ’s lips. “It’s ok to be a little screwed up, baby, because who isn’t?” The boy in front of you took a deep breath as his smile faltered. “But I can’t be with you. Not like this. It hurts a little too much.” His hands dropped from your face and your skin tingled from the loss of warmth. “Goodbye, Y/N.” JJ pressed a kiss on your forehead that was so light you barely felt it. And then he was gone. 

You sat in shock for several seconds. You knew this was coming, so why did it hurt so much when it finally hit you? “JJ?” But the blonde wasn’t anywhere in sight. That’s when your throat wrenched out a sob, a sound so absolutely heartbreaking you could practically feel a piece of you wither and die. You regretted it. All of it. How could you ever feel the same way again?

JJ’s blue eyes were the only ones with oceans deep enough to captivate you for hours on end. Every time his fingers found your skin, it felt like tiny fires erupted in every place he touched. When his lips pressed on yours, the whole world stopped spinning and god, you could have stayed that way forever. And his heart. Oh, his ever fragile heart. It was the most beautiful thing you had ever gotten to know on this planet. And now it wasn’t yours anymore. Fuck. You had screwed up big time.

You thought about what the blonde boy had said before he left. You were scared. Scratch that, you were fucking terrified. Terrified to admit how your heart had grown to beat in rhythm with another’s. You and JJ were both broken pieces that fit together magnificently; that’s how the universe had willed it to be. In that moment, you knew exactly how you felt. 

You leaped off the cold hammock and ran. Where would JJ be? His house? No, he wouldn’t have gone to face his father. The Chateau? No, he would want to be alone. The beach. He had to be at the beach. You sprinted until your feet were on fire and even when your muscles burst into flames, you kept going. Your feet whistled through the sand until you saw him. His back was to you, and he was watching the reckless waves with a beer can in his hands. You were sprinting but you couldn’t get there fast enough. “JJ!” Your breathless voice carried in the wind and JJ’s head jerked around. “Y/N?” His eyes were red. Had he been crying?

He stood up and your feet flew past the last couple yards before you slammed into him. A small grunt left his lips but he didn’t complain. Instead, his arms wrapped around your shaking form tighter than they had ever held you before. Your arms wound around his torso and you pulled away slightly to see his face. His eyes were bloodshot and his nose was red but he looked like the most beautiful thing you had ever seen. One of your hands flew to cup his jaw and the other wound itself in his unkempt golden locks. You looked right into his cerulean eyes before whispering, “I love you.”

JJ’s eyes widened in shock. “What?” 

“JJ Maybank, you are capable of love. You know how I know that?” You laughed as he shook his head. “Because I fucking love you. And-” But JJ’s lips crashed against yours and the words immediately died on your tongue. You moved against his body, holding him as close as humanly possible as a million butterflies exploded in your stomach. JJ tasted like saltwater and strawberries from the tears that covered both your faces and the flavor of your chapstick. 

The golden boy pulled away, lips swollen but curved into a breathtaking grin. His arms were still wrapped snugly around you and you leaned closer, kissing away the tears that lingered on his cheeks. “Let’s tell everyone, J. I’m not afraid of what they might say anymore. When it comes to us, you’re the only thing that matters.” JJ softly breathed in; he wasn’t used to someone loving him this way. He gently grabbed your chin and pulled your face up so his eyes were on yours once again. “This is all I ever wanted. I’m holding the entire world in my arms.”

You smiled and JJ swore your face was brighter than every star in the sky. “Well, I’m holding the entire universe. And I’m never letting it go.”

[general-kenobi357]

Someday Soon-Chapter 5

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Fem!OC

Summary: John B creates a plan to get the Pogues back together to find the gold. At Midsummers Iz takes a leap of faith that she might regret.

Note: Can anyone tell me why I struggle to much to write a two sentence summary that makes sense, meanwhile I can plan out and write a book in a week. The math is not lining up. Also on an unrelated note, I wrote in that Iz is wearing JJ's Mom's dress they found, since I figured that we haven't seen JJ's Mom so she could be the same size as whoever you imagine Iz to be :)

Word Count: 4k

🔅🔆🔅

All morning I had been pacing around my room, I hadn’t slept all night. John B was MIA, JJ had been arrested and I had no idea how to help either of them.

Suddenly a sharp knock on my window dragged me out of my thoughts, as I practically jumped out of my own skin. Realizing it was JJ and John B, I made my way over to the window.

“Jesus, you two. You scared me half to death.” I told the pair as I opened my window.

“Sorry, Sweetheart.” JJ apologized with a smile on his face, as I got closer to him I noticed the fresh bruises on his face that he hadn’t had yesterday. I didn’t have to ask where they were from as my stomach turned just thinking about Luke Maybank. “We’re getting outta here, you coming?”

“Uh yeah.” I replied, grabbing my bag before climbing out my window. No one else was home but I knew that the cops who were staking out John B’s house were probably also watching the front of mine.

“John, Iz, hurry up. Come on, come on, come on.” JJ rushed us as we all wadded through the water to reach the HMS Pogue.

Once we had all climbed in, John B turned the key, starting the engine and we were off. I sat catching my breath as we watched the Château fade into the distance.

🔅🔆🔅

“First, I almost get strangled to death by Kooks, and now I'm on the hook for 30 grand.” JJ explained bringing John B up to speed on everything he had missed. “We should just dip.”

“Okay, where do you wanna go?” I asked half on board, other than my Mom and Emmy I wouldn’t be leaving behind much.

“Yucatan.” He answered confidently.

“Yucatan? Seriously?” I asked, slightly less on board now that I realized how serious he was.

“No, I'm dead serious right now. Surf all day, and then we can just live off lobsters we catch with our bare hands.” JJ reasoned.

“You just wanna leave 'cause you got your ass beat?” John B spoke up.

“You didn't see the photos.” JJ shuddered.

“Think about it. They're willing to kill for the gold, then it's gotta be out there.” John B said, still holding out hope.

“Have you lost your mind?” I asked, I couldn’t believe he still thought we could find it.

“One hundred years, man. One hundred years, people have been tryin' to find this Royal Merchant, and no one succeeded. And you think you are gonna be the one that actually finds it? When will you get it in your thick skull? If you keep goin' down this road, you're gonna end up just like your dad!” JJ demanded, his voice getting louder as he moved closer to John B.

“I can't give up, you guys!” John B explained, his face full of guilt at the mention of his father.

“What happened to your dad wasn’t your fault.” I spoke softly, resting a hand on John B’s shoulder. We all knew about the argument John B had had with his father before he disappeared, hell I had heard it from my house.

“It doesn't matter whose fault it is! Do you not understand that? I can't give up on the hunt, you guys. I don't care who's out there, who's gonna try to kill us. Do you understand that?” John B told him. “Look, I've got a plan. You comin' or what?” he asked looking between us. “Four hundred million, JJ. How much do you owe in restitution?”

JJ looked back at me before following John B back to the Pogue where he began explaining his plan.

🔅🔆🔅

‘This is an awful plan’ was all I could think as I rang the doorbell at Kie’s house. John B had explained to me that I would go to Midsummers with Kie and make sure JJ got in fine, so that he could deliver a note to Sarah Cameron. I had asked why I couldn’t just deliver it if I was already there to which John B explained I would have to distract Kie so that she wouldn’t find out Sarah was involved. I was about to ring the doorbell again when Kie’s mother opened the door.

“Oh, Isabella.” She said, the smile dropping slightly from her face. “How are you?”

“I’m good thank you. Um Kie invited me to join her at Midsummers tonight, so I’m here to get ready.” I explained holding up the old dress we had found in JJ’s attic, I assumed it had been his mother’s.

“Oh really?” She asked, pasting a clearly fake smile on her face. “She didn’t warn me.”

“Well, she asked me weeks ago, maybe she forgot to tell you?”

“Of course, come in. Kiara’s in her room.” She said opening the door wider.

I walked through the huge house and towards Kie’s room, I wasn’t over here much but it always reminded me of the house my parents used to have which was just down the street from here.

“That’s not a party face.” I teased as I walked into Kie’s bedroom where she was sitting at the end of her bed. She looked up with a scowl before realizing it was me.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, pulling me into a hug. “Here to break me out?”

“Unfortunately I’m here to break in.” I responded.

“Kiara, you didn’t tell me that you had invited Isabella to join us.” Kie’s mom said as she walked into the room. “Here, we ordered a couple extra hair pieces, I’m assuming you just brought the dress.”

“Oh, yeah. I didn’t know those were a requirement.” I answered with an awkward laugh.

“Well, we're leaving in 30 minutes.” She said leaving the room again.

“Hair pieces?” I asked, I couldn’t help but smile as I turned to Kie who was laughing at my question.

🔅🔆🔅

As much as I didn’t want to be there, I was amazed at everything I saw as we entered the club. I couldn’t believe that the Kook’s were spending their nights dancing without a single worry meanwhile my house still had no power or hot water going to it.

“Oh there’s Pope.” I pointed out to Kie as we made our way outside.

“Excuse me, sir. Do we have to shuck these ourselves?” Kie asked in a terrible English accent. “'Cause it might mess up my costume.”

“We wouldn't want that now, would we?” Pope responded, playing along once he realized it was us. “That accent was bad.”

“It was.” She agreed as we all laughed.

“You ever seen this many Kooks in one place?” I asked, looking around the crowded club.

“Yeah. Last year.” Pope informed us. “We're in the lion's den.” He stated, he was still pretty shook up from his last visit to Figure Eight. “Hey, have you two heard from JJ?”

“Uh yeah, he should be joining us shortly.” I told them cryptically. “I’m gonna do a lap.” I said before I left to give the two some space.

I made my way over to the bar hoping that they would be willing to serve a minor.

🔅🔆🔅

The bartender that the Kook’s had hired didn’t seem to care who she served and had poured me a rum and cola without a second thought. I had already downed one and was now taking a second drink with me as I walked closer to the dance floor to watch all the Kook’s. As I finished my drink I noticed someone walk up beside me.

“You know somethin’ tells me you aren’t 21.” I heard JJ accuse as I set down my now empty glass.

“What?” I laughed while he took my hand and led me to the middle of the dance floor. “They would never serve a minor, that might tarnish the clubs perfect reputation.”

“You look beautiful, Sweetheart.” JJ complimented as he spun me around before pulling me back to him.

“Yeah you clean up alright.” I teased him. “What is this a clip on bow tie?”

“Yeah John B made me wear it.” He explained looking down at his feet.

“I’m just teasing you, it’s nice.” I smiled. “I wasn’t sure how long I’d survive without you here.”

“Eh, you woulda been fine. I’m sure the Kook instincts that you’ve suppressed, would kick in eventually.” He told me, I couldn’t stop laughing at everything he said but I figured that was because of the two drinks I had just downed.

“I’m so happy to see you, I could kiss you.” I confessed boldly, after we danced in silence for a minute.

“Why don’t you?” He asked, a smile playing on his lips.

So I did, before I could think about the repercussions or about what would change. I closed the gap between us as our lips met. For that one perfect moment everything seemed alright as I melted into the kiss.

But as I pulled back it all shattered, JJ’s face had a look of shock written over it as his arms dropped from around me.

“I have to go, find Sarah.” He explained turning to go search the rest of the dance floor, while I stood watching him go. Immediately I regretted what I had done, I wondered if I had just lost my best friend as I watched him disappear into the crowd.

After snapping myself out of the trance I was in, I pushed my way through the crowd looking for Kie, hot tears threatening to spill over onto my cheek. I had just kissed JJ, something I had wanted to do for years and yet it felt like the biggest mistake I’d ever made. I found Kie after a minute talking to some Kook I didn’t recognize.

“You’re gonna have to excuse us.” I apologized as I pulled Kie away and towards the edge of the party.

“What’s up.” She asked once we had stopped, the smile dropping from her face once she finally looked at me.

“I kissed JJ.” I answered, my voice quiet.

“What.” Kie blurted out, shocked.

“He showed up and we were dancing and he was complimenting me and I had just been drinking and so then I told him that I was so happy I could kiss him and he said <why don’t you> so then I did and then he ran away.” I rambled.

“Oh honey.” Kie muttered, pulling me into a hug as the tears finally left my eyes, trailing down my cheeks and onto her shoulder. “JJ is dumb, okay and I’m sure he has no idea what he did. You said John B had a plan so he probably just had to do that, right?”

“Yeah.” I answered unsure. “But what if this messes up everything?”

“It won’t. I promise.” Kie reassured me as she wiped away my tears. “Come on let’s go get something to eat.”

Kie led me back through the crowd, her hand never leaving mine as we went back to the table her parents were sitting at.

🔅🔆🔅

Sitting next to Kie, I was eating some kind of fancy food that I had forgotten how to pronounce when we heard shouting from behind us. Turning to see who it was, we saw JJ being escorted out.

“Look... look, man, I can walk myself.” JJ tried to explain. “I got legs. Can you see that, brother? Come on. I really appreciate what you did back there. Let me just walk out by myself.”

“What the Hell?” I heard Kie’s Dad mutter from behind us as JJ was pushed past our table.

“It's okay, everybody! Do not panic.” JJ addressed the crowd. “Leave it to the men and women in uniform. Let's hear it for them. Rose! You look like Lady Liberty.”

“Let go of him! You can't boot him! I invited him here. I'm a member of this club.” Kie told the guard as we both stood up. But the guard continued to lead JJ through the crowd away from where we stood.

“Hey, mandatory power hour at Rixon's, Kie, Iz.” JJ pointed to us. “Pope, you as well, all right?”

Kie looked at me with a smile before grabbing my hand.

“No. Kiara! Hey, Kiara!” Kie’s parents yelled as we ran off to join the boys.

With all of us ditching the party, the Pogues were reunited.

🔅🔆🔅

“Hey, guys. So, like, my dad's already gonna kill me.” Pope told us as we gathered around the fire John B had made. “So what's this mandatory meeting about?”

“Might as well tell him, man, before we're gaffed.” JJ said to John B.

“You ready for this?” John B asked looking at us all. “So, the gold never went down with the Royal Merchant.”

“Oh, my God. Here we go again with this.” Kie rolled her eyes from her spot beside me.

“No. All right, wait. Hear him out, okay?” I said, hoping John B would get on with his explanation.

“It's been here the whole time.” John B told us. “It's on the island.”

“I'd like to voice my skepticism.” Pope spoke up.

“I'm sure you would, Pope, but can I please present you with my evidence, sir?”

“Proceed.”

🔅🔆🔅

“Okay, so, guys.” Pope began after John B explained everything he had learned. “What's the plan?”

“Good question.” John B answered. “Sarah Cameron's coming tonight. She'll bring an original survey map…”

“Hold on.” Kie stopped him, I could feel her tense up beside me. “Sarah? Wh-why Sarah?”

“Um…” John B started, stumbling over his words.

“This is gonna be good.” I muttered.

“Sarah, um, she... she got me into the archives in Chapel Hill yesterday, and that's where I got the letter.”

“You were in Chapel Hill with Sarah Cameron?” Kie asked, shocked.

“He was mackin' on her.” JJ told us.

“I wasn't macking. I wasn't macking on her, okay? I was using her for access. I was trying to get into the archives.” John B attempted to explain.

“There was access all right.” JJ muttered.

“Is that a yes?” Kie demanded. “You let a Kook in on our secret? What about Pogue Lyfe?”

“I was just using her for information.”

“Why don't I believe you?”

“I'm trying to make us filthy rich here. Okay, so that we can pay off a boat, or... or, uh... send you to autopsy school to study dead bodies, or move to Hawaii. Look, you guys know me. Do I look like the type of person to fall for Sarah Cameron?”

“Uh... Do you want us to answer that, or…” I asked him.

“Look, you don't know her yet. I do!” Kie explained. “You can't trust her.”

“What did she do to you, exactly?” John B finally asked, we all were curious, she had only told me pieces of the story before.

“She's like a... like a spitting cobra. First, she... she blinds you, and then…” She stopped as Pope poked holes in her analogy. “Listen to me! Whatever we get, she's gonna try to take.”

🔅🔆🔅

The lights of the van turned on as we stopped at the Hawks nest, waking me up again, it felt like days since I had last slept well making it easy to doze off.

“All right.” John B said, turning off the van. “So, uh, I think I'm gonna do this one by myself... tonight.”

“Really?” Kie asked, shocked.

“What?” John B asked as if he had done nothing wrong. “I don't want to spook Sarah with the peanut gallery.”

“I just don't understand why we're involving her at all.”

“Kie, we're not involving her, okay?”

“Promise me nothing's happening between you.”

“Nothing is happening, Kie.”

“That was really believable.” I spoke up sarcastically from the back of the van as John B climbed out.

“A hundred percent believable.” Pope said, backing me up.

“Anyways, um... I'm gonna take care of business.” John B concluded before closing the door.

“We'll just sit here…” Pope started.

“...in the hot-ass car.” JJ added.

“Kiara, holding onto your grudge is like drinking poison and thinking Sarah will die.” Pope informed Kie after a few minutes.

“Exactly.” JJ added backing him up. “You alright back there?” He asked me.

“She’s great JJ. Really doing awesome thanks to you.” Kie responded for me, which brought a smile to my face as I drifted off to sleep again.

🔅🔆🔅

I woke up again when the rest of the Pogues started to scramble out of the van, which is when I heard Sarah Cameron screaming for help. I got up with my friends and we all went running to go see what had happened.

Everything was a blur when we finally found them.

John B was lying on the ground as Sarah cried over him. He was moving but barely as Pope rushed back to get the van and get him to a hospital. After we got John B to the hospital a nurse told us to go home and that he would be fine. After some convincing we all finally left. Pope drove us all to our houses, the ride was silent.

🔅🔆🔅

When I entered my house it was dark and everyone else had probably been asleep for hours, I went straight to the bathroom to get ready for bed. As I walked back into my room from the bathroom, I heard a knock on my window. But from inside my dark room I couldn’t see anything, I figured it was just the wind until another unmistakably human knock shook the window. Grabbing the flashlight which was my only light source I crept closer to the window, worried about who might be knocking.

Once I got to the window though, JJ’s golden hair lit up on the other side of the glass. I pushed open the window before taking a step back so he could climb through.

“What are you…” I started to ask before he interrupted me.

“I um, I wasn’t sure where to go. I’d rather not be at home right now.” He explained, looking anywhere but my face.

“Oh, yeah. You can stay here.” I knew he didn’t want my pity but I couldn’t help the sad expression my face held.

“Listen, Iz. I’m really sorry, I shouldn’t have run off after we kissed. I just-I wasn’t sure what to do.” JJ began rambling, this time it was my turn to interrupt him.

“Can we not tonight? We can talk about it later.” I was too exhausted to have a serious conversation. “I just want to go to bed.”

“Oh okay.” He responded, I walked across the room to my bed before I watched him take one of the blankets off the bed and begin laying it out on the floor.

“JJ, what are you doing?” I asked, rubbing my eyes.

“You said you wanted to go to bed. I’m making myself a bed.” He explained confused.

“You’ve been beaten up how many times this week?” I asked. “I’m not making you sleep on the floor when there is more than enough room in my bed.”

Without another word he stood back up and made his way to the other side of the bed. Once he was under the blanket I turned off the lamp before turning so I was facing him. I could barely make out his features, the only light coming from the bright moon outside, but I knew he was there.

“Can you tell me a story?” He asked, I smiled, his question reminded of when I would help put Emmy to bed.

“About what?”

“Hawaii, tell me about what it’s going to be like.”

“What are you moving with me?” I joked.

“Well, if you’ll have me.”

“Of course I will.” I stated before pausing to think about what our life would be like if we could move to Hawaii. “We could buy a big piece of land, with a waterfall and a path that leads right to the beach, and we could build a little house right beside the waterfall.”

“You mean I could build us a house.” He interrupted, trying to be realistic even as I told him a story about our imaginary future.

“Hey I’m the one telling the story.” I complained. “And besides I’ve been getting good at holding tools, I could probably identify upwards of five different tools.”

“Okay, proceed.” He stated, impatiently waiting for me to continue.

“We could spend all day surfing and get a hammock, the best that money can buy.” I continued, adding random details.

“Do you think our friends will visit?” I heard him ask sleepily.

“Yeah, we’ll have a little guest house on the other side of the waterfall for them. John B can bring Sarah, I’m sure they’ll get married as soon as they possibly can.” I said, imagining all our friends grown up.

“Oh definitely, he’s already in love with her.” JJ added.

“And I’m sure that they’ll have a herd of children that follow them around everywhere they go like little ducklings. And Kie and Pope will be together.”

“That is if Pope ever works up the courage to ask her out.”

“That or Kie will just give up waiting and ask him out.” I joked before going back to my story. “I don’t know if they’ll have kids though, I think that they’ll just be the really cool uncle and aunt for awhile.”

“What about us? Are we gonna get married and have kids?” JJ asked after a minute.

“Well that depends if you ever propose.” I pointed out thinking about our future.

“Maybe I’m waiting for you to propose to me. Ever think about that?”

“No I hadn’t.” I paused for a minute before I kept talking. “JJ Maybank will you…”

“Hey, hey, hey. I’m only sixteen, at least take me out on a date first.” He interrupted my question.

“How do you know that I was proposing you didn’t let me finish.” I explained before asking the question again. “JJ Maybank will you, pass me some more of the blanket, you’re really hogging it and I’m getting cold.”

“Oh that was just cruel.” He pouted, as I laughed at my dumb question.

“What you didn’t even want to be proposed to yet.”

“Well I wasn’t going to say yes but I would have liked you to ask.”

“Oh my gosh.” I shook my head at him before I continued to talk about our family. “I think we’d have three kids and they would all look exactly like you. A girl, who is ridiculously smart and kind and helpful. And twins, boys, who are absolute terrors.” I paused looking at JJ whose eyes were beginning to close. “But every night, just as they fall asleep. They look so peaceful and you remember why you love them so much.”

Once I had finished talking I turned so that my back was facing JJ before I finally started to drift off to sleep. As I closed my eyes I felt a warm arm snake around my waist and pull me closer while JJ nuzzled his face into the back of my neck.

“Jade, Jesse and Jacob.” He mumbled, his breath fanning across my neck. It took me a minute to realize he was naming the kids that I had just described.

“Of course you would want all of their names to start with J.” I smiled, on the brink of falling asleep.

“It’s the best letter of the alphabet, Sweetheart.” He responded just before I fell fast asleep.

🔅🔆🔅

[hiatuswhore]

I’ll Wait

• The Beach by The Neighbourhood (Instrumental)

• Hurt By Johnny Cash

Seeing John B’s face all over town people were going mad wanting to be the one to receive the twenty-five thousand dollar reward.  Being forced to stay home by your parents you didn’t understand why they were worried about you running after him anyway.  You and John B broke the no Pogues macking on Pogues rule.  The rule was in place for situations like these, the break up was messy and ugly.  Last you spoken to any of them was the beginning of summer and that was weeks ago.  Walking up the stairs with a strawberry-banana smoothie the process of making it was all over your shirt.

“Think I’m going to hit the hay early,” You called out for everyone in the house to hear.  Stepping into your room scrolling through Instagram it felt like your heart stopped when a hand came over your mouth.  Throwing your elbow back as the person released their hold you quickly grabbed your bat, “Dad!”

“Don’t swing! Don’t swing!” John B whispered holding his hand out and you kept the bat up.

“You got sixty seconds before my Dad comes up here gun and all,” You said quickly still holding the bat up.

“I didn’t do it I swear.  You know me. Please (Y/n) I didn’t,” He said, glancing at your door you could hear your father nearing.  Pinching the bridge of your nose you scolded yourself as you knew what you were about to do.  Opening the door only enough for you to stand in the doorway you smiled at your father who was holding his shotgun and not far your mother had her phone in her hand prepared to call the police.

“Hi Daddy,” You said leaning on the door-frame as you smiled at your father.

“You screamed,” He said and you smiled sheepishly before chuckling and looking at the floor.

“I thought I saw a mouse but you know I leave my pairs of socks everywhere balled up,” You said and in the corner of your eye, you could see John B behind the door sighing in relief.

“You gotta buck up baby.  With your ex on the loose I’m on edge you cannot scream like that,” Your Dad said leaning in kissing your forehead you mumbled another apology and a goodnight.  Closing the door you pressed your ear to the surface waiting to make sure your parents actually walked away.  When they were gone you let out a sigh in relief, looking at John B you were conflicted.

“So either I’m an idiot hiding a murderer or I do know you and I know when you’re lying and you’re not,” You said and he took a seat on your desk chair.

“I don’t have a tell,” He said and you rolled your eyes wrapping your arms across your chest.

“You don’t I just know it’s something in your face I just see it.  You were lying that night and that’s why I left but you’re not here for that.  So you’re gonna tell me what the hell is going on and if you lie I scream and my father comes back and I will not save you,” You said looking at him with cold eyes you did not want him to know you still cared.  John B likely could tell you were bluffing but still he nodded his head. A big part of you wished you did not still care about him but you did.  Watching him carefully as he explained the Royal Merchant, the gold, his father, and Ward Cameron there was not a second you thought he was lying.

“I just need somewhere to hide tonight and then I’ll figure something else out,” He said and now it was his turn to watch you carefully.  Contemplating everything you knew your family would not believe you if you had them listen to his story so he would have to stay in your room.

“Fine, you can stay here.  At the top of my closest is still some of your clothes if you wanna change and I can make you food if you want,” You offered but he shook his head, excusing yourself so he could change you went into the bathroom.  Closing the bathroom door and sliding down it your eyes were welling with tears.  You missed each of them dearly but John B held a very special place in your heart.  Looking in the mirror your eyes were red the evidence of your tears was crystal clear.   Turning on the shower and locking the bathroom door you decided to wait until you looked okay again.  When you returned to your bedroom you were glad John did not say anything about you not changing.  It was obvious you had not showered.   Giving him a pillow, your sleeping bag, and some warm blankets he had a pretty cozy set up on the floor next to your bed.  

“Goodnight,” He said and you stared at your window shutters looking at the moon peaking into your room.  You could feel him watching you but you said nothing.  The silence in the room was nearly suffocating as neither of you were sleeping, “If you knew I was lying why’d leave?”

“Because you were hurting John.  Can’t help someone that doesn’t want to be helped so I didn’t I knew you were grieving your father but you became mean.  Even Kiara wasn’t around and those things you said you pushed everyone away and I just I couldn’t handle it,” You explained quietly without any malice or anger.  Looking down at him with the moonlight illuminating your face it made him smile.

“I’m sorry,” He said still smiling softly as he looked at you.  Looking back at him your eyebrows furrowed at his smile.

“What could you possibly have to smile about right now?” You asked but he only stared at you without a word.  Staring back at him you were starting to feel self-conscious under his gaze, “What? Is there something on my face?”

“No, you just look beautiful,” He said still staring at you with that soft smile and you looked back at your shutters.

“Thanks,” You said fighting the smile that was threatening your lips.  Turning over with your back towards John B you were intending to go asleep.  Laying there a feeling was nagging you, at the very pit of your stomach.  Turning back over after some time John B was just staring at the ceiling, “Lay with me?”

Looking up at you he smiled again before nodding his head.  Standing up sitting on the edge of the bed as you slid over his body overtook most of your twin bed.  Turning laying half your body on top of him you rested your head on his chest.

“Why didn’t you ever come and try to fix things between us?” You asked breaking the silence you could feel him looking down at you but you didn’t dare lookup.

“I was scared.  You’re right I did say terrible things to you and I thought you hated me.  I guess a part of me hoped you would come back like Kiara had,” John explained, staring forward you could see the picture frame behind all your knick-knacks.  The picture was of all of you on your Dad’s boat.  Your mother took it and had it developed for each of you.  Letting the familiar silence back into the room you had asked all that was on your heart, or at least that is what you told yourself. Do you still love me? You wanted to ask but the question would not leave your lips as you laid there, “When this is all over maybe we can start over?”

Looking up at him it was almost as if he was in your mind, reading all your thoughts.  That’s what made you fall in love with him to begin with.  He always knew when you were worried or upset and he always knew what to say.

“I’d like that a lot,” You said and both of you stared at each other.  John watched you and his mind was swirling just as much as your own was.  Do I tell her I still love her? He wondered but it was like he was paralyzed.  Breaking the standstill you laid your head back down and it was not long before sleep found you.

The next day waking up with your head on your pillow you wiped your eyes sleepily.  On your nightstand was a note.

We can’t start over until I’m no longer a fugitive.  I’m gonna fix all of this for us so there can be an us  - Yours always 

For the first time, you were frustrated being on lock-down by your parents.  Texting the others none of them responded only making you worry more.  When the rain began to crash down and the beautiful blue sky turned black is when you had enough.  Sneaking out of your window getting on your bike it did not take you long to find your old friends and the police.  Sitting with them as you leaned on JJ you were filled in on everything.  You had worried they would not accept you but John B failed to mention it was their idea for him to come to you.  Sarah Cameron was there as well willing to vouch for the truth but no one would listen.  Officer Shoupe walked in with a few others.

“(L/n) we have John B on the radio if he continues in that storm it could be deadly. From what I remember that is your boyfriend talk some sense into him please,” He said going with them when you got to the other tent water covered every area of your body.  In there was Ward Cameron as well, glaring at him the FBI agent began explaining what they needed you to do.  You had no intention of trying to herd John B back.  If there is anything you knew is that he would not come back to be pinned for something he did not do.

“J,” You said pressing the button and then releasing it.  Waiting patiently you continued to glare at Ward Cameron.

“(Y/n),” He said and you smiled at his voice but you could feel your eyes welling up.

“I won’t stop until everyone knows the truth,” You said staring at Ward as a tear escaped your eyes.  Feeling your chest tighten up you knew this was a temporary goodbye but it did not hurt any less, “So you do what you have to okay because I will be here waiting for you. I’ll wait.”

Being pulled from the radio as they tried convincing John B to come back it did not matter.  He heard exactly what he needed before going straight into the storm.  Being brought back to the tent with the others they were worried but you reassured them as the worst was yet to come.  All three of your friends huddled around you in attempts to keep you warm.  

“Once a pogue always a pogue,” JJ said whispered into the group hug and you all chuckled. You dearly missed your friends, you missed the solidarity. This peace you were feeling lasted for at least twenty minutes or so.  Then Officer Shoupe and others returned.  The look on his face made your stomach turn.

“What?” You asked and he looked at you the same way you had looked at John B when you believed his father was dead.

“Did you find them?” Pope asked standing at your side while Kiara was at the other and JJ towering behind you.

“No,” Shoupe said and a nagging feeling rose to the back of your neck.

“So they got away,” Kiara said but Shoupe’s face spoke volumes for you.  Your eyes were welling up but it was not real yet, you needed to hear him say it.

“We lost them. I’m sorry,” Shoupe said and you stumbled back as there was a ringing in your ears.  You could somewhat hear Pope asking for clarification but he was just delaying his own reaction, “He took an open boat into a tropical depression, Pope.”

“So he’s dead?” Kiara asked as JJ was holding onto you and you were still holding this sliver of hope.

“We don’t know,” Shoupe said watching you carefully as you visibly crumbled. Letting you go JJ began to lash out and the others were screaming for him to stop.

“JJ stop it!” You screamed shoving at his chest he remained unfazed. Everyone’s movement halted as you stumbled to the floor.

“(Y/n),” Kiara said and you looked up at her with tears rushing and they were all watching. Hands trembling as you brought them to your lips in disbelief followed by a sardonic chuckle.

“I didn’t—I—No please no.  I didn’t tell him I love him and I do love him,” You cried arms rushed around you. Looking up it was your father and you watched as all of the parents poured into the tent.

“What is it sweetie,” Your mother asked and through tears, you cried he didn’t do it, “It’s going to be okay.”

“Mom he’s dead and I didn’t tell him that I love him,” You cried as both your parents held onto you tightly. Walking to your friends you all embraced each other and it felt as if you could not breathe, “Pogues for life.”

Pulling back from the hug Kiara, Pope, and JJ all glanced at each other before looking back at you.

“Pogue’s for life.” 

Outer Banks Masterlist

[just-jordie-things]

The Night We Met - John B Routledge

word count: 12,948 warnings: swearing  summary: John B falls for a girl that’s visiting the obx for the summer, but unbeknownst to him she isn’t a Touron, she’s a Kook in disguise. (a/n): so I'm writing for OBX now :)) enjoy  (also yes I'm aware I've written a fic with this song before leave me alone) ___

[ i’ve been searching for a trail to follow, again, take me back to the night we met ]

John B could recognize someone from the OBX from a mile away.  With one glance, he’d know their name and status.  But the people from the island made it easy.  Kooks stood out like a sore thumb, especially when they were on The Cut.

And when it came to the Tourons, well, they tended to out themselves.  They just always wore something with Outer Banks printed on it.  It made him laugh.

But then there was this girl, a girl he knows he’s never seen before because he definitely would have remembered her.

She was pretty, she was beyond pretty, she glowed even in the dim lighting on the coastline.  And despite being new, because John B had convinced himself she had to be new to the island, she was laughing and talking with a couple of Tourons like she’d belonged here.

He couldn’t tell if she was a Touron herself, she wasn’t in typical tourist attire.  She was in a pair of shorts and a bikini top covered with a short sleeved button down that she left unbuttoned.  It suited her.

“Hey bud, you trying to waste our beer?” Pope called, and the clap of his hand on John B’s shoulder shook him from his haze.

It was then that he realized he’d been pouring himself a drink, and when the cup in his hand was full, he kept on pouring, too distracted to notice the beer spilling out over the cup and all over his hand.

“Oh, shit” He muttered, cutting off the flow of the keg right away, and bringing the cup to his lips to take a couple of long drinks.

“Are you giving googly eyes to Tourons?” Pope asked with a chuckle, following his friend’s line of sight to see who he was staring at so intensely.  “I thought you were done with the fuck and go stuff”

“Don’t call it that” John B said in a slight gasp after drinking as much beer as he could.

“That’s what JJ calls it,” Pope shrugged.  “So, which one do you like?” He asked, looking over to the small group again.  “The blonde? She’s kinda cute I guess.  I’m not sure that wearing socks and sandals on the beach is a very redeeming quality though”

“No,” John B rolled his eyes.  “I wasn’t making googly eyes, I zoned out”

“Right.  But really though, which one is it?”

John B just shook his head, deciding it was better to ignore Pope until he went away or gave up and changed the subject.

He took another drink of his beer, and cast a quick glance to the mystery girl again.  When he found that her eyes were already focused on him, he almost choked, but recovered and swallowed thickly, and lowered his cup.

She must have seen the way his shoulders had shot upwards at the awkward cough, because she was laughing now.

“Her?” Pope asked, nudging John B’s side with his elbow a bit excessively.

“Shut up,” John B muttered back, praying to God that the cute new girl didn’t see.  “Maybe.  But that doesn’t mean anything!”

“What the hell? It means everything, it’s been forever since you’ve had a thing for a girl! For anyone!”

Pope was rambling, as he did when he got excited, and even though it was embarrassing, John B couldn’t blame him.  He wasn’t wrong, after all.

“Is she a Pogue?” Pope asked, eyeing the girl that was chatting with the Tourons again.  “She can’t be a Kook, can she? Maybe she’s a Touron too, that kinda sucks-”

“You do realize I haven’t spoken a word to her, right?” John B reminded with a chuckle.  “I don’t even know her name”

He starts to fill his empty cup with more beer, because there’s no way he’ll make it through a whole night of Pope’s wingman-esque pestering without a buzz.

“Well you should ask her” Pope says with a shrug.

“Yeah, because I love walking up to pretty strangers and asking-”

“Or you could just ask now, because she’s coming up to you”

“What-?”

His head shoots up and there she is, walking right up to him with a sweet looking smile and her red solo cup in hand.

She’s even prettier up close.

Pope’s elbow digs into John B’s ribs again, and he realizes she’s been standing in front of him for a solid three seconds, just long enough that the silence in the air is awkward. “Hi”

John B completely freezes.  Usually he’s fine at casual conversation.  A how are you? Maybe even where are you visiting from? Or at least asking if they want beer, seeing as he’s manning the keg.

But all he can muster right now is a hi.

“Hi,” The girl responds, laughing quietly, and it feels like she’s trying not to laugh more.  “Um, could I get a refill?” She asked, holding her empty cup before him.

“Oh! Yeah! For sure!” John B responds, shaking his head to get out of his dumbfounded stupor.

Her smile widens as he takes her cup and presses his thumb on the noz.  

Usually his confidence is through the roof, but right now he feels like he has to take in a deep breath before asking her the most basic of questions.

“Did you just move to the island? I feel like I haven’t seen you around before”

Her eyes meet his and she opens her mouth to speak, but it takes her a second to collect her thoughts before she gives him an answer.

“No, I’m a tourist,” She says, but she seems unsure.  “My, uh, family thought it’d be a good place to spend the summer, so…”

She shrugs, not knowing what else to tell him.

“Oh, alright” John B nods, a bit disappointed, and she could tell.

“What?” She questions, her brow raising in curiosity.

“You just don’t look like other tourists,” He tells her, “You look like, I don’t know, you’re from around here”

“Is that a compliment?” She asked with a nervous laugh, and John B laughed with her, nodding his head.

“Yeah, absolutely,” He says, and hands her back her cup.  “Well, either way, welcome to the Outer Banks”

“Thanks…” She replied with a smile, fishing for his name.

“I’m John B” He extended his hand with the introduction, and she gladly shook it.

“I’m (y/n),” She replied.  “Thanks for the beer”

Did you just thank him twice? She thought to herself and mentally face palmed, but he didn’t seem phased by it.

“Yeah, no problem, it’s a party,” He replied.  “But… I’ll see you around?”

Her grin nearly stretched ear to ear at his hopeful question.

“Maybe you will” She said cheekily, before turning and heading back to the group of Tourons she’d previously been mingling with.

Pope, who had been standing next to John B for the entire interaction, silently watching the pair shyly introduce themselves, whacked his friend hard on the arm.

“Dude! She was fucking cute!” He told John B maybe too loudly.

But no one around them paid them any mind.

“You should go back and talk to her!”

“I can’t, I gotta keep an eye on the keg” John B said, but his eyes drifted back to the girl.  (y/n).

“I’ll watch it, you should go flirt with her some more.  Or at least, start flirting with her, your game wasn’t that great to be honest”

John B was the one to nudge Pope in the ribs this time.

“Last time I left you in charge of the keg, everyone nearly got alcohol poisoning.  You know half the job is to make sure no one drinks too much, right?”

“Whatever,” Pope rolled his eyes.  “Everyone had a good time”

“JJ passed out in the sand”

Pope pursed his lips, making a pssh sound while shaking his head.

“It’s JJ.  He lived.  And don’t be shy dude, just go up to her and ask for her number, it’s not like you haven’t done it before”

“Yeah, but, she’s a Touron” John B shrugged, like that was reason enough to just drop it completely.

“Fine.  I’m just saying, she could have been the greatest love story of your life”

Pope helped himself to another cup of beer before leaving John B alone, and heading off to find Kiara.

John B rolled his eyes good naturedly.  Pope was always so dramatic about these things.  But ever since him and Kie had been dancing that line between friendship and relationship, he’d been more romantic than usual.

Glancing back to (y/n) one last time, he smiled as he watched her double over in laughter at something one of the Tourons must have said.

Pope was just being his drunken romantic dramatic self.  She was just a cute girl on the island for the summer.  That was it. ___

[ and then i can tell myself what the hell i’m supposed to do // and then i can tell myself not to ride along with you ]

“John B?”

He’d just gotten off of Ward Cameron’s yacht, ready to go back to the Chateau and collapse from exhaustion when his name was called.

And of course it was her, the pretty Touron from the beach party last weekend.  Of all the people that could catch him after scrubbing an entire Kook boat top to bottom, it had to be her.

“I thought I recognized you,” She said with a smile, approaching him more confidently.  “This your boat?”

“Oh, god no,” He laughed and shook his head.  “I work for a Southsider, it’s his.  I just have the luxury of tending to it”

(y/n) nodded, glancing back up at him.

She was in a swimsuit and a lacy kimono that almost touched the ground.

“Going for a swim?” John B asked, desperate to have more than a passing casual conversation with her.

“Well, my parents wanted to go boating, but decided to change gears and go without me,” She said.  “So I was just going to go down to the beach” She nodded off behind him in the direction she was heading.

John B’s brows furrowed.

“There’s a better beach up that way,” He gestured behind her.  “You’re heading to the Pogue beach”

“Yeah, that, um, was the plan,” She nervously explained.  “The Kook beach is always crowded and the people there…” She didn’t finish her statement, just laughed quietly.

He couldn’t explain it, but that brought a smile to his face.

“So you’ve been informed on the class system on the island already, huh?” He asked.

“Kinda hard not to hear about it” (y/n) answered.

“Well, since you’re clearly so wise and have chosen the Pogue beach, I’ll escort you there” He offered.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I gotta head back that way anyways, so it’s no problem,” He said.  “That is if you don’t mind?”

(y/n) grinned another one of her wide grins, nodding her head enthusiastically.

“I wouldn’t mind one bit” She told him.

The pair ended up talking through the entire walk towards the north side of the island.  John B told her all about his father’s disappearance and all his wild theories about where he could be, and (y/n) seemed very into it.  She offered him her own ideas and indulged him in even his craziest of ideas.

She definitely had a bright mind full of strange but creative views.

She was interesting to talk to, John B felt like he could walk and ask her strange questions all afternoon.  She’d told him about her family, about how being an only child meant they went on a lot of vacations, hence her visit to the OBX.  She told him her plans for the future, her dream college, her dream job, she even told him about a secret runaway plan she’d come up with when she was a kid, and how she still fantasizes about it.

“Why would you want to run away? You sound like you have it made” John B had laughed at her intricate plan.

“Freedom, John B, freedom,” She had replied, tilting her head back and basking in the sun as she daydreamed.  “Being the only child means the attention is on me, constantly, and I don’t think I can spend the rest of my life living up to other people’s expectations of me, you know?”

John B nodded, smiling down at her.  He completely understood.

“Well.  If you’re going south, I’ve got a boat” He told her.

“You do?”

“Yeah, the HMS Pogue,” John B told her proudly.  “But to be honest with you, I don’t think she’ll make it all the way to the Keys”

(y/n) laughed, and shrugged her shoulders.

“Thanks anyways”

It was no surprise for John B to find his group of friends already at the beach when he’d arrived with (y/n).

“John B!” JJ called out, throwing his hands in the air like they’d been waiting on his arrival.  “Who’d ya bring?”

John B glanced nervously to (y/n) as they walked up the group, but swallowed his nerves and introduced her.

“Uh, this is (y/n),” He announced.  “She’s visiting for the summer”

“A Touron, eh?” JJ smirked, and tipped his hat at the girl.

“That’s JJ, pay him no mind,” John B said to the girl at his side.  “Actually, ignore him completely, you’ll be better off”

(y/n) giggled, but stuck her hand out to the blonde boy anyways.

“Nice to meet you”

JJ’s eyes flickered to John B out of confusion, but still shook her hand.

“How formal of you,” JJ laughed before dropping her hand.  “You sure she’s not a kook, JB?”

“JJ, do you ever shut up?” The only girl in the group spoke, standing up from where she’d been sitting at the shore.  “Definitely in your best interest to ignore him.  It’s what I do.  I’m Kiara by the way”

(y/n) smiled as the girl stuck her hand out, but when she went to shake it, she pulled her in and hugged her.

“And I’m a hugger” She added.

“I see that” (y/n) laughed.

“It’s just good to have another girl around,” Kiara explained, and turned to John B  “Please tell me she’s hanging out with us today”

John B looked down at (y/n), who was hopefully giving him puppy dog eyes.  He laughed.

“Yeah, if she’d be into that” He answered.

“I’d be very into that,” (y/n) corrected.  “I;m dying for entertainment on this island.  Your party was a week ago and I’ve been bored ever since”

“Let’s go fishing!” Called the one boy that hadn’t introduced himself to (y/n), but she recognized as John B’s friend from the party.

“Fishing? Really?” Kiara asked him, dumbfounded.  “You have one chance at the perfect first impression on the new girl and you want to go fishing?”

She rolls her eyes as he shrugs lamely, staring at her as though asking what was wrong with his suggestion.

“That’s Pope, he’s the greatest and worst person you’ll ever meet” Kiara spoke.

(y/n) nodded, stifling a laugh at the grand introduction.

“Awe, come on Kie, you know you love me” Pope retorted, wrapping his arms around her shoulders from behind her.

“I wouldn’t mind if you went fishing,” (y/n) shrugged.  “Any excuse to be on the water is good enough for me”

“Great!” Pope exclaimed, and before she knew it, John B’s friends were taking off down towards the docks.

“They’re a lot,” John B said, deciding to linger behind them as he walked with (y/n).  “But they’re great, trust me”

“I can tell,” She replied kindly.  “I like them”

John B smiles, feeling relief that his friends were up to her standards.  Not that it should matter, but it did a little bit.  Some part of him really wanted (y/n) to get along with his friends.

“Good” He said quietly. ___

[ i had all and then most of you, some and now known of you ]

John B was cute, (y/n) had decided that the night she met him.  She’d been side eyeing him all night, watching as he topped off people’s beers and laughed and joked with quite a few.  But she’d also noticed the difference between his interactions with Pogues and Tourons versus the Southside Kooks.

(y/n) had learned about the separation on the island not ten minutes after moving to the Southside a month or so ago.  The neighbors had popped over to introduce themselves to her and her family, and the son had immediately told her about the classes, and about Kooks and Pogues.

She hadn’t cared much for some random rich kid’s input, and did her best to ignore him after he warned her not to go anywhere near The Cut.

You live on the Figure Eight.  Be proud of your accomplishments.  You’ll just make your family look bad if you start hanging around with scum like Pogues.

Despite brushing him off, the words had stuck with her.  And she was reminded of them again when she’d met John B last weekend.

It wasn’t a good idea to lie, lying never worked, she’d seen enough movies and read enough stories to know that they not only didn’t work, but they completely backfired.

And as she lounged on the HMS Pogue and watched John B and JJ argue over where the best spot in the marsh to fish was, she just knew this would end in disaster if she didn’t come clean and tell them the truth.

But they hated Kooks, and she liked John B so much already, and she just wanted him to like her for her, not because of her status on the island.  What did status have to do with anything important, anyways?

So she enjoyed her time with the group of Pogues as to it’s fullest.  She got to know each of them as they played dumb games and drank and smoked while out on the water.

She learned that JJ had a habit of swiping things that weren’t his, but that he was a sociable and funny individual with a hard of gold.  Even if he acted like a little shit sometimes.

And that Pope was into pathology, and that he was hoping to get a merit scholarship to go to school to study.  He was an oddball, but he was genuine and it made him easily lovable.  She also picked up on his not-so-minor crush on Kiara.

As for Kiara, she was surprised when she learned that she lived in the Figure Eight.  But as soon as Kiara called herself a Kook, the boys shut it down, and explained that she was half Pogue half Kook, and that she renounced the Kook half of herself.

So as soon as (y/n’s) hopes were lifted for being accepted by the group as a Kook, they were quickly shot down.

“Alright, enough chatting,” JJ called, dropping the anchor at a spot that he and John B were finally able to agree upon.  “It’s fishin’ time!”

While Pope and JJ excitedly got out their gear and baited their hooks, Kiara wandered off to watch them do their thing and distract them for the fun of it.  Leaving (y/n) alone with John B at the back of the boat.

“Are you glad you went on vacation just to watch a couple of losers fish?” He’d asked when he sat down next to her, making her giggle.

“Surprisingly, yes,” (y/n) answered.  “I’m glad to have met all of you”

He smiled at that, and her heart fluttered a bit in her chest.

She rested her arm on the side of the boat, her head in her hand as she gazed at him fondly.  He may not have been able to read her expression, but he still felt warm under her stare.

“What?” He asked, and (y/n) shrugged her shoulders.

“I don’t know” She answered honestly, and finally dropped her gaze to her lap.Her fingers fiddled with the lacey material of her kimono, before she pulled the fabric around herself to better cover her exposed skin.

“Would you maybe want to throw a party with us?” John B asked suddenly, and her brows furrowed as she glanced back at him.

“Throw a party? Like together?” She asked, and he nodded back at her.  “You just had one, do you usually party every weekend?”

“Well, no, but I thought, yaknow, it might be fun” He stammered over his words and shrugged lamely, but (y/n) found it endearing.

“Yeah, it would be fun,” She agreed.  “Sure, then.  When?”

“This weekend, Saturday night, I suppose,” John B suggested.  “I’ll see if we can get a keg or two by then”

“Sounds good,” (y/n) said eagerly.  “But what else do you do for fun around here?”

“Surf, smoke…” John B started to list the things him and his friends did for a good time, but his list quickly faltered.  “I guess that’s it”

“Oh come on, there has to be a few hidden gems in the Outer Banks,” (y/n) pushed.  “You can’t just surf and get high all the time, can you?”

“I think I just proved that I can” John B replied matter of factly.

(y/n) burst into giggles, which were contagious enough to have him laughing with her.

The other three at the front of the boat watched fondly as their friend tried his best to flirt with the new girl.  They’d tried not to make it obvious that they were watching their every move, but they just had to watch.

“Do you think he’s gonna kiss her?” Pope whispered, watching as John B moved closer to (y/n).

“No.  He doesn’t have the balls” JJ replied.

The trio held their breath as they watched, but John B didn’t make another move.

“They did just meet,” Kiara said.  “Maybe he can’t tell that she likes him”

“How could he not?” Pope asked, gesturing to (y/n).  “She’s literally batting her eyelashes at him- oh look!”

Kiara slapped a hand over his mouth before his loud voice could draw the pair’s attention away from each other.

John B had reached forward, his fingers brushing over her cheek, and Pope began to smack at Kiara’s arm enthusiastically.

But then he pulled away.

“You had an eyelash” He said.

JJ, Kiara, and Pope simultaneously rolled their eyes, and went back to fishing.

“He’ll never make a move,” JJ said.  “She’s only here for the summer, and John B’s kinda a pussy”

“Don’t say that,” Kiara sighed.  “I think he really likes her, and it’s obvious she likes him too.  I think it could be something”

“Yeah right” JJ rolled his eyes.

But when he looked over at (y/n) and John B again, they were talking quietly, leaning towards one another, like they were trying to keep their conversation private.  And he wouldn’t admit it, but he kind of thought Kiara could be right. ___

[ take me back to the night we met ]

When the sun started to set (y/n) let John B know that she needed to head back to her hotel, which was only a lie because she was staying at a hotel.  She’d actually gotten a text from her mom saying dinner was in an hour and she was expected to be home by then.

John B had been an absolute gentleman and offered her a ride, which she just couldn’t turn down.  So she gave him the directions to a hotel that was closest to her house, and let him drive her.

“You’re staying pretty far on the Southside,” He’d said when he parked outside of the hotel.  “You’re not gonna go Kook on me, are you?”

She laughed, shaking her head at him.

“I’ll try my best not to,” She said softly.  “But I don’t know, sounds pretty luxurious”

It’s quiet for a minute before she finally calls it and decides to get moving.  Lord knows her parents would be furious if she missed dinner.

But she paused after getting out of the van, and looked back at him before she shut the door.

“I had a good time today,” She told him.  It should have been an easy thing to say, but she found that her throat still tightened with anxiety waiting for his response.  “I, um, would like to hang out again”

John B smiled back at her, nodding his head.

“Yeah,” He agreed.  “You free tomorrow?”

She was surprised by the question, and that he wanted to see her again so soon, but she grinned back at him excitedly.

“Yeah”

“Want to come down to the Northside beach again?” He asked her hopefully.  “JJ and I were gonna surf for a bit, but then we could like… get lunch? Or something?”

He was drumming his hands on the steering wheel, biting his tongue and holding his breath as he waited for her answer.

“Yeah,” She said again, nodding back at him.  “Yeah that sounds… great”

“Okay then, wanna come by around eleven?”

“Works for me” She agreed, trying to bite down on her lip to keep from smiling too wide.

“Great, I’ll see you tomorrow then” John B did a happy little drum roll on the steering wheel, making (y/n) laugh as she stepped back, about to close the car door.

“I’ll see you later, John B” She told him before shutting the door.

She gave him a wave for good measure, which he returned before driving off.

And then when he was far enough away, she began her trek home.  The four block walk was worth it. ___

[ i don’t know what i’m supposed to do haunted by the ghost of you // oh take me back to the night we met ]

The rest of the week she spent most of her days with John B and his friends, but mostly just John B.

They got lunch almost every day, and would take their leftovers to the beach to feed seagulls and mess around.  (y/n) would come by in the mornings and watch him surf with JJ and Pope, and even though she didn’t surf, she’d hang out on the sand and read or just watch John B the whole time.

It felt like every minute she spent with him she fell harder, to the point where she couldn’t even look at him without smiling and blushing like a schoolgirl with a crush.

They got close and knew almost everything about each other, even spent most of their alone time asking any random question they could just to get to know each other better.

Saturday rolled around, and the party they’d decided on throwing was kicking in full gear.  Kooks Pogues and Tourons all showed up in the masses, eager for any party that had free beer.

She’d been chatting with a few Tourons- asking where they were from, revelling in the dream of living somewhere away from her.  Even though her dream of running away had quickly changed over the course of one week- when John B had found her.

“I must say, you sure do know how to throw a hell of a party, Miss (y/l/n)” He told her in his best southern accent.

She quickly forgot about her small talk and turned to him, grinning brightly and raising her half-full red solo cup towards him.

“Well, Mister Routledge, don’t go givin’ me all the credit,” She replied in her own fake accent.  “I happen to be co-throwing this lil’ shindig”

“Oh are you? Who should I be thankin’ then?” John B asked, dropping the accent, and pretending to look around.  “Because you seem to be drinking alone”

“Well I’m not alone anymore,” She said sweetly.  “Where ya been?”

“Around,” John B shrugged.  “Actually just got back from making sure JJ didn’t pick a fight with Topper.  He’s one of the Kooks that like to come around here just for trouble” He explained.

“Well, good thing we have big strong law enforcement like you around here, then” (y/n) teased, and stepped forward to poke at his chest before taking another sip of her drink.

She didn’t miss the way his cheeks flushed red, and decided to not step back again.  She kind of liked the close proximity anyways.

“Very cute,” John B rolled his eyes, and (y/n) grins up at him.  “How’ve you been doing? Hosting seems to suit you well” He nodded towards the group of Tourons that she’d been talking to.

His brow furrowed a bit to see a couple of the guys from the group still staring at her.  But as soon as they caught sight of John B’s glare they collectively decided to hang out somewhere else on the beach.

“What was that?” (y/n) asked, about to turn to see what he’d been staring at, but John B was quick to switch subjects, putting a hand on her shoulder to direct her attention back to him.

“Want a refill?” He asked, nodding to her nearly empty cup.

“I’d love one” She said, and the sparkle in her eye made him forget about the stupid Touron boys.

“I’ve got better stuff than cheap beer inside, actually,” He suggested.  “If you’d rather”

(y/n) eagerly nodded, and followed him up the beach and towards the Chateau.  She liked the way his hand rested on the small of her back, guiding her to the place she’d been hanging out at all week.

“I’ve got a question for you” She declared when they went inside.

“Shoot” John B responded, digging through his cabinets in search of the rum he had to hide so JJ wouldn’t steal it.

(y/n) pulled herself up onto the counter, casually crossing her legs as she watched him pour her a small glass.

“How come you can’t stand Kooks so much?”

“That’s a pretty easy question, (y/n/n),” John B chuckled as he handed her the drink.

She looked down at the amber liquid, swirling it around in the glass before taking a sip.

“Look it’s not as bad as it sounds,” He explained.  “But guys like Topper, and Rafe and Kelce, they’re just… they’re terribly privileged and horrible people”

(y/n) couldn’t argue with that.  She’d heard enough stories and witnessed enough interactions to know that the Southside kids treated Pogues like shit.  John B was right, it was an easy question.

“Um.. does that bother you?” He asked after a beat of silence passed, and she hadn’t looked up from her drink.

She finally glanced up, meeting his eyes, drowning in the way they looked like melted hershey bars.  Maybe she was a little tipsy- but she just wanted to stare into them forever and ever. But right now he looked worried that he’d upset her, so she shook it out of her system.

“No,” She mumbled unintentionally.  “No, of course not”

She was lying through her teeth, but it was easy when it came to the alcohol in her bloodstream and the fact that she earned a soft smile from John B.

“Okay, good” He said, mostly to himself.

“Topper’s a tool anyways.  Maybe you should’ve let JJ get a few licks in” She added for good measure.

John B chuckled a bit, throwing back some of his own drink.

“Last time I let that happen, JJ pulled a gun on him”

“A gun?” (y/n) repeated, her eyes nearly bulging out of her head.

“Long story,” He chuckled quietly.  “He was never gonna do anything, but still.  He’s got a rep now”

(y/n) stared at him with wide eyes, and while she wanted nothing more than to sit here all night and listen to his long story, something told her it was for the best that she didn’t know just yet.

“That’s pretty insane,” She whispered, and downed the rest of her rum.  “Thanks for the drink by the way”

“Yeah, ‘course” John B smiled back at her, and finished his own glass, before stepping forward to set it next to hers.

He was closer to her now, much closer, if he shuffled even a little bit forward he’d be standing between her legs.  He was trying not to look directly at her, even though he could feel her eyes practically burning into his.

The music from the speakers outside was muffled and drowned out inside the house, sounding distant, like maybe they were underwater.  The song playing had just hit the chorus and the crowd started cheering as they scream-sang along.

They had no idea that just up the path and inside, a real moment was happening.

When he finally mustered the courage to look at her, he felt warm to the stomach at the way her own eyes met his.  There was something about the deep (y/e/c) of her eyes and the way her lips immediately turned upwards when his gaze fell on her that made him think he could maybe fall in love with this girl.

He had a feeling he could fall completely and hopelessly in love with her.

Her eyes flickered over his features, landing on his mouth and lingering there for maybe a moment too long, but she didn’t care.  She just smiled wider and looked back up to his eyes.

In a moment of drunken confidence, she reached her hands out, and grabbed onto his, pulling him closer to her.

“I’m really glad I met you, John B,” She whispered softly, the words escaping her in a breath.  “I can’t help but feel like you’re going to change my life”

They were bold words for a girl he’d only met a week ago, but they did make his heart do a somersault.

“Yeah, I get that feeling too” He whispered back, his eyes flitting back and forth between hers.

Her head was tilted back at a slight angle to properly look at him, and it would be so easy to wrap his hand around the back of her neck and pull her towards him until their lips met-

“Wanna go outside?” He asked before his imagination could take him too far away from the present.

Even if he did have the guts to make a move on her like that- he couldn’t do it while she was clearly intoxicated.  It wouldn’t be right.

And besides, when and if he did make a move, he wanted it to mean something.  Not just some drunk kiss at a party.

“Sure” (y/n) nodded, and John B helped her off the counter.

When he let go of her hand as they headed for the door, she reached out and took it again, walking quickly to be at his side.

He smiled down at her, realizing how much shorter she was than him, and how adorable it was.

His fingers slid between hers, locking their hands together more securely, and she rested her head against his arm as they walked.

They didn’t go far, and decided to just sit on the front steps of the porch and watch the party from a distance.  Their hands still linked, and (y/n’s) head still on his arm.

“I think we’re pretty good at getting a party going,” (y/n) said before yawning.  “Everyone seems to having such a good time”

John B nodded in agreement.  Him and the Pogues had thrown some pretty killer parties before, but he had to admit, (y/n’s) ideas of setting up drinking games and having a spot for anyone to add their music to the playlist currently blasting were genius, they really kept the whole thing going later than they usually did.

“Yeah, we could do this every summer,” John B spoke, before shooting up and realizing that was probably too forward to offer.  “I mean- if you want, if you come back next summer”

(y/n) lifted her head from his arm, staring at him with an expression he hadn’t seen on her before.  He didn’t know that she was going through mental turmoil of the lie she was too deep into.

“Yeah,” She finally spoke up, nodding her head slightly.  “That would be really cool, if you don’t get bored of me by the end of this summer”

What the hell was she going to do when summer ended? Why hadn’t she thought of that when she’d told him she was just a tourist? Was she just supposed to go off the grid and stay locked up in the house through the fall and winter? She truly hadn’t thought any of this through.

But she hadn’t planned on getting so close to John B.

“Are you alright?” He asked, his free hand coming to rest on her arm.  He’d caught the way her brows had furrowed, and her eyes were a bit glossy.

“Yeah, sorry,” She shook her head, and as quickly as she looked like she could have burst into tears, she looked completely fine.  “Actually, um, John B…”

She licked her lips, trying to find the right thing to say.  She had to come clean.  The longer she waited and continued to lie, the worse it would be.  She couldn’t keep decieving him and getting away with it.

It had only been a week, but she just knew there was something between them.  Something genuine and powerful- she was convinced she could fall in love with this boy.

But when she looked up at him, she just drowned in those warm and kind brown eyes, and all thoughts of the lie she was caught in went out the window, and she was swarmed with warm, butterfly-ish feelings.

“I didn’t plan on you,” She murmured.

He seemed a little confused by her wording, but the anxiety he had when she paused washed away.

“I… I really didn’t plan on meeting someone like you- or meeting anyone at all, actually,” She admitted, still whispering.

They were the only two people around, but she couldn’t ring herself to speak at a normal volume.

“I just… I just really like you…” She finally confessed, rolling her lips together as she stared at him and waited for him to say something.

John B opened his mouth, a smile spreading across his lips, but he was at a loss of words.

“And I just don’t want to fuck this up” She added in an even lower murmur.

He shook his head at her, a soft laugh escaping him and his hand squeezed hers.

“You couldn’t possibly do that,” He told her, which was sweet, but it wasn’t all that reassuring.  “I really like you too”

“You do?” She whispered out like she was surprised, and he chuckled, nodding his head.

“Yeah,” He confirmed.  “And I’d really like to kiss you,”

She grinned back at him, leaning just an inch closer to him.

“But I won’t” He finished, and laughed again at the way her features screwed into confusion.

“What? Why not?” She asked.

“Because, I really like you and I really think that we um… we could be something,” He told her.  “And I don’t want our first kiss to be on a drunk whim, I want it to be for real”

The corner of (y/n’s) lips turned upwards at the sweet sentiment.  John B truly was a gentleman and a romantic at heart.

“That sounds nice,” She murmured.  “But fuck that”

And without any other warning, she let go of his hand, and slid her hand around the back of his neck, pulling him towards her and planting her lips on his.

Despite his romantic gesture of a speech, he gave up on it completely, reaching for her hips and pulling her closer against him as he kissed her back.

(y/n) smiled against his lips, all worries leaving her mind as her free hand cupped his cheek, meeting his rum coated lips repeatedly until she kissed the flavor away.

When they finally pulled away, she was gasping for air, both of her hands firmly planted on his cheeks and their foreheads resting together as they collected their thoughts.

When their eyes opened and met, they broke into wide grins, knowing that they both felt the same way, and that was a life-changing kiss.

John B couldn’t stop himself from wrapping his arms around her tight and kissing her again. ___

[ when you had not touched me yet, oh take me back to the night we met ]

“John Booker!” (y/n) scolded,  “Why on earth did you think I would like to climb a bunch of stairs? This doesn’t feel like first date material to me”

John B just laughed, tugging her along behind him so she’d move faster.

“I promise, this is going to blow all first dates out of the ballpark,” He said.  “And we’re almost to the top”

He’d told her he was taking her to one of the best views on the island, and while she would have been happy to do anything with him, she was getting pretty tired of climbing all these stairs.

Finally, when they made it to the top of the lighthouse, she understood why he’d brought her here.

It was a beautiful view of the ocean, and the sun was just starting to set, painting the sky in oranges and pinks, and water in purples and glittering blues.  It was definitely a romantic spot, and John B was right.  No other date she’d ever been on even compared to this one.

“It’s wonderful,” She told him sweetly as they stood at the large paned windows, both admiring the views.  “You win”

“I win?” John B repeated proudly, wrapping his arm around her side and drawing her against him.  “As in, I win all of it? I win dating?”

She looked up at him, sticking her tongue out playfully.

“You win” She said again.

“What do I win?” He asked, and she responded by leaning up and kissing his cheek.

“There you go buddy,” She said with a giggle.  “You’re a winner”

“Maybe the boyfriend title?” He asked, and her lips broke into a grin.

“Yeah,” She agreed, turning in his hold so her chest was pressed against his.  “Boyfriend sounds pretty damn good to me”

She was leaning up on the tips of her toes to kiss him properly, but he spoke before she could do so.

“Well then I really am a winner”

She only hummed in acknowledgement before leaning up the rest of the way and slanting her lips over his gently.

His hands slowly wrap around her hips, drawing her in against him while her own hands thread into his long locks of hair.

She sighs when they pull apart, staring lovingly into his eyes, admiring him wholeheartedly.

“I’ve got a question for you,” John B says, and she nods, waiting for him to continue.

They’re still holding each other close, so close that it’s easy for him to steal one more quick kiss before finishing his thought.

“How come you didn’t already have a boyfriend?” He asked.

“Didn’t need one” (y/n) answered simply, shrugging a shoulder.

John B smiles back at her, and one of her hands slides from the back of his head, splaying over his cheek, her thumb tracing his lower lip.

“I wasn’t really into the dating scene,” She admitted.  “But then I met you two weeks ago and here we are” She says with another shrug.

“Here we are” He repeats, before leaning down and connecting their lips again.

They made out at the top of the lighthouse until a guard catches them, and hollers for them to get out before he calls the cops on them for trespassing.

“Didn’t think to tell me this was private properly?” (y/n) scolded her boyfriend as they escaped, making a break for the van that was parked not too far from the lighthouse itself.

“I didn’t know they had security!” John B retorted, grabbing her hand and pulling her with him so she’d run faster.

She just laughed at him as they ran. ___

[ i had all and then most of you... ]

There was one night that she was able to convince her parents to let her stay out all night.  She’d made up some story about a sleepover with a friend, and how it was important for her to go because she needed to make serious friends on the island

And when they agreed, she’d packed a bag and headed off to John B’s.

They’d been officially dating for a month now it was well into July, and they couldn’t have been happier.  She fell more for him every day, and with every day that they spent together, she swore she could spend forever with him.

Currently, they were lounging on the sofa after a long day of swimming and surfing.  John B had tried and failed to teach (y/n) to surf, and by the end of the day, she’d just sat in the sand and admired him from afar.

They were exhausted now, pretending to watch whatever was on tv, when they both were half asleep on each other.

John B had sprawled out on the couch cushions, (y/n) half laying on him, half squished into the back of the couch.  Her arm was thrown over his torso, and her opposite hand tangled in his hair, curling the strands around her fingers repeatedly.

His heart was beating against her ear, and she found that the pace of her own heart steadied to match his, until they beat in sync.

“You want to get up and go to bed?” John B mumbled, turning his head to look at her.

Her head was on his shoulder, and her hand fell from his hair when he moved.

“No,” She whispered back, eyes lazily wandering over his face.  She’d almost had every feature of John B’s face committed to memory.  “I just wanna lay here with you”

She wiggled closer to him, one of her legs tangling into his, and John B grinned at how cuddly she was being.

They hadn’t changed, (y/n) was still in a bikini covered by one of John B’s shirts she’d stolen earlier, and he was still in swim trunks, but neither of them bothered to move, too wrapped up in each other to care what they slept in.

“It’s not very late, sweetheart,” John B hummed.  “Are you just gonna go to sleep?”

(y/n’s) heart fluttered delightedly at the nickname.

“It’s easy to go to sleep when you’re holdin’ me” She mumbled back, her eyes fluttering shut.

John B gazed at her fondly for a moment, loving how peaceful she looked, like nothing made her calmer than being in his arms.  (Which was true)

“Alright then” He sighed, wrapping his arms more securely around her, feeling her shift closer to lay more on top of him.

“Thanks for letting me spend the night, love,” She murmured, her lips brushing over his collarbone as she spoke.  “And for lettin’ me sleep on ya”

He chuckled, sending a deep vibration from his chest to hers.

“Anytime,” He whispered back.  “You should stay over more”

“I should” She agreed in a murmur.

“Maybe the rest of summer…” John B continued.  “Since I don’t get you for very long”

(y/n) was only able to offer a soft ‘mhm’ in return, as she began to drift off.

“(y/n),” John B spoke, one of his hands smoothing over her hip, gaining her attention before she could pass out.  “I’ve got a question for you”

“Yes, love?” She hummed, still in the midst of falling asleep.

“What are we gonna do at the end of summer?”

Her heart began to beat faster, losing it’s sync with his.

She lifted her head from his shoulder, looking down at him worriedly.

“I don’t know,” She whispered.  Her hand reached out to come through his hair smoothly.  “But I don’t want to think about it right now”

He nods in understanding, and she lays back down against him.  He wraps his arms around her a little tighter this time, holding onto her like she’ll disappear if he doesn’t.

“We’ll talk another time then” He said, and she hummed in sleepy agreement.

“For now just… hold me” (y/n) murmured.

She could feel him nod as his arms slid around her back, keeping her firm against him.

They both laid there for a long time, holding onto one another in silence before falling asleep.  Both had wandering and racing minds, but worried about the opposite things. ___

[ ...some and now none of you. ]

Two months in, it was nearing the end of August, and John B knew that his days with (y/n) were even more numbered than before.  He’d been trying to spend every waking moment with her in a feeble attempt to have a year’s worth of memories in only two months.

(y/n) had adored spending her days with the mop headed Pogue, every morning she woke up with a feeling of purpose and an extra beat in her heart.  She was always quick to eat breakfast before scrambling out the door, trekking up to the north side of the island.  Some days she’d even run there, and some days she’d leave early just to walk a little slower and enjoy the sights the island had to offer.

Her fantasy of running away from home had completely morphed into something else since meeting John B.  Now the destination she had in mind for her escape was just two miles away, and he was currently waiting for her arrival.

She carried a tray of coffees in her hands, and there was a matching sack of donuts in her bag, which would hopefully suffice as a peace offering to John B’s friends seeing as she’d stolen him away from them for most of the summer.  They didn’t really mind, but still, she wanted to leave a lasting good impression on the group.

Just as she was about to cross the invisible boundary between the Figure Eight and The Cut, someone called out to her.  At first she’d ignored it, because she didn’t know anyone on this side of the island, so they had to be yelling for another (y/n), right?

But when her name was called out again, she turned to find the owner of the voice, surprised that they had in fact been reaching for her attention.

It had been the neighbors’ son, Kelce, she’d learned his name.

When he’d captured her attention, he jogged up to her, but this did nothing to aid her confusion.

“I thought that was you, haven’t seen you around much,” Kelce told her, but she furrowed her brows, wondering where he got the notion that he would be seeing her at all.  “Where have you been all summer?”

Just as she was about to supply him with a decent enough answer, he seemed to notice the direction she was heading.

“You’re not heading out to The Cut, are you?” The boy asked with a rude sneer.  “That’s Pogue territory (y/n), you should really stay on this side of the island.  It’s safer over here anyways.  And nicer”

(y/n) fought back the urge to roll her eyes.

“I think I can handle myself, thanks” Was all she said, before turning to continue her walk.

“Woah, hey, wait, I didn’t mean to offend you or anything,” Kelce was quick to jump in front of her, stopping her in her tracks.  “Just trying to look out for you, that’s all”

“It’s not necessary,” (y/n) told him, getting annoyed now.  “I’m going to meet my friends and-”

“You’ve got friends on the Northside?” Kelce asked, snickering.

Now she rolled her eyes.

“Yeah.  And a boyfriend for that matter” She declared, pushing past him and hoping he’d just leave her alone if she ignored him.

“Well damn, does your boyfriend know he’s sleepin’ with a Kook?” Kelce called.

She wished she hadn’t stopped, she wished that his trashy remark hadn’t affected her at all.  But it had.  It pissed her off and she almost threw the drink tray down on the ground in a fit of anger and frustration.

“Don’t call me that,”

There was more of a snap in her voice than she’s ever really had before, and as she whirled around to glare at the idiot boy who was still bothering her, he flinched just a little bit.

“And why the fuck do you seem to think that me and John B is any of your business? Get it in your ignorant little head that I have- and I want- nothing to do with you or your trust fund friends”

She all but spit at him, feeling a bit of relief in telling him off.  Maybe it was a bit much, but she didn’t care.  She felt better, and now she was going to go enjoy breakfast with her boyfriend and friends.

“John B huh?” Kelce spoke, surprising her.  He just had to get the last word in? “He sure is Pogue Number One, isn’t he?”

Keep walking, (y/n) told herself, her grip on the coffee tray tightening as she did her best to ignore him.  Don’t give in, that’s what he wants, you’ve said your piece, now keep moving.

“He sure is gonna be pissed off when he finds out, sweetheart!” Kelce called, not bothering to follow her, knowing that his words would be enough to set her off.  “But when you come crawling back to this side of the island in tears, you let me know!”

He made a loud kissing sound, and (y/n) decided it was in her best interest to pick up the pace.

She got to John B’s place quicker than intended, she was going to stop on the beach to feed the plain donut she’d gotten to the birds, just to kill a little time, and also because she loved feeding them.  But she’d skipped it this morning, and went straight to the Chateau.

John B was surprised to open the door and see her, he hadn’t been expecting her for another half hour, but it was a good surprise.  Especially when he saw the drinks she’d brought.

“(y/n/n), hey- oh sweet, coffee!”

He’d eagerly grabbed the drink he knew was his, about to take a sip when she’d leaned up and pressed her lips to his in a quick but surprising kiss.  Just as quickly as she’d initiated it, she was standing flat on her feet again, an unreadable look on her face.

“What was that for?” John B asked, the same dopey smile on his face that always appeared when she kissed him.

She loved that dopey smile.

“Just felt like it,” (y/n) hummed.  “Can I come in?”

“Yeah, course,” John B stepped aside to let her in through the door, drinking his coffee.

They’d only gone out for coffee a few times, maybe three, but she had still remembered his order perfectly.

“JJ’s still asleep, and Pope’s doing homework in the kitchen, we’re just waiting on Kie to get here and then we’ll go out on the boat” John B told her, guiding her into the house.

“I’m not doing homework!” Pope called from the kitchen.  “It’s a crossword puzzle”

Both John B and (y/n) laughed quietly at him, and tried their best to hide it, but failed completely.

“I’ve got coffee,” She told him, quickly trying to apologize for teasing him.  “What’s your poison?”

Pope made his pick of the bunch, and told (y/n) she was forgiven, for now, but she knew he was only messing with her.

“So you’re here early,” John B said, lounging on the sofa while (y/n) set the drinks on the coffee table.  “Today’s not the day you run away, is it?”

“John B, I come here every day,” (y/n) chuckled.  “No, I’m not running away.  I just… got up early and figured I’d head over” She shrugged.

It wasn’t a complete lie, but something about the way her eyes shifted to look anywhere but at him told John B that there was more to the story.

He stood from the couch, crossing the room to stand with her so that when he spoke quietly only she would hear.

“Hey, are you alright?” He’d asked, his hands smoothing over her shoulders and down her arms.

“Yeah, it’s nothing” (y/n) answered, knowing she wouldn’t be able to hide her feelings from him, so there was no sense in lying about them.

“Did something happen?” John B asked, his brows furrowing as his mind wandered off to the worst case scenario.

“No, nothing happened, I’m fine,” (y/n) told him with a light laugh.  “Just tired, promise”

He wasn’t sure he believed her, but he didn’t want to push her and annoy her, so he didn’t.  Instead, he just nodded, and kissed her forehead before pulling her with him to lounge on the couch.

She sat closer to him than usual, drinking her coffee in silence, and enjoying his presence next to her.  John B alone was a comforting force, whether he knew it or not.  By the time that JJ woke up and Kiara arrived, she’d calmed down, and nearly forgotten her run-in with Kelce this morning.

But every once in a while throughout the day, it pestered her in the back of her mind.  A nasty little voice reminding her that time was running out, and she couldn’t keep up the charade forever.

The group had taken the HMS Pogue out on the water for the day, so that Pope could fish, Kie and JJ could smoke in peace, and leaving John B and (y/n) to do whatever they wanted.

They currently were lounging on the back of the boat, their feet in the water as they relaxed and talked, their favorite pastime.

“Do your parents ever get upset that you spend all your time with us?” John B asked out of nowhere.  “I mean, you are on a family vacation after all”

(y/n) bit her lip before shaking her head.

“No, not really,” She replied, which was true, her parents didn’t seem to care at all that she was never home.  She’d figured they were just happy she’d made friends so quickly.

She hadn’t actually told him she had a boyfriend, though.

“Most of the stuff they want to do I don’t really have interest in,” She told him.  “And I think they’re just glad I have friends to hang out with instead”

John B nodded, but she could see the little smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“What?” She asked him, but he didn’t say anything.  “What John B? What’s that look for?”

“Friends, huh?” He asked her, and she rolled her eyes.

Even though her sunglasses shielded her eyes, he could still tell she’d done it.

“Really?” She asked, pushing the sunglasses on top of her head so he could see the bored look on his face.

“So they don’t know about me, huh?” He asked, his smirk widening a bit.  “I’m kinda like… your dirty little secret”

(y/n) rolled her eyes again while John B laughed at his own words.

“Really?” She asked him again.

“Yeah really,” He said.  “So what am I? Your summer fling?”

He was only joking, but there was a slight sting to his words.

“No, of course not,” (y/n) said seriously.  “You’re my boyfriend”

He knocked his shoulder against hers.

“I’m only teasing, sweetheart,” He told her softly.  “No worries”

“I know, I just- I don’t see you that way, is all,” She told him.  “You’re my boyfriend.  That’s so much more than just a summer fling”

He smiled at her, pecking her cheek before nodding in agreement.

“Alright, honey” He said, before sliding closer and wrapping his arm around her so that she could lean against his side.

It was quiet as they sat there together, kicking their feet in the calm waters.

“I should tell them about you” (y/n) said suddenly.  

John B wasn’t sure if she was talking to him or herself, but he looked down at her as a smile appeared on his face.

“Really?” He asked, and she nodded, glancing up at him.

“Yeah, really,” She repeated.  “I want them to meet you, and, I want you to meet them,”

John B mistook her shaky voice for nerves, rather than guilt.  

“Would you- um- would you maybe want to come over and meet them tomorrow?” She asked nervously.

“Yeah,” John B nodded, smiling wider.  “I’d love to meet your parents”

A shaky smile pulled on (y/n’s) lips, and she let out a slight huff as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

“Okay,” She responded.  “But… um… promise it won’t change anything?” She asked.

John B’s brows furrowed as he looked down at her again, but her eyes were trained intently on the water.

“Of course it won’t,” He told her sincerely.  “How could it?”

(y/n) didn’t say anything right away, just shrugged her shoulders.  It was hard to remind herself that this was the right thing to do.

“I just really like you,” She admitted quietly.  “And I don’t want to fuck this up”

John B recognized her words from the night of the party, the night he’d kissed her and they confessed their feelings for one another.

“You couldn’t possibly do that,” He reminded her.  “Promise”

(y/n) squeezed her eyes shut tight, leaning further into John B’s side.  Her arms wrapped around him loosely as her face buried itself into the crook of his neck.

He dropped a kiss to the top of her head, not realizing that she was clinging to him in case it was the last time she got the chance. ___

“So what are your parents like? How should I act?” John B asked, excitedly drumming his hands on the steering wheel as he drove (y/n) to the hotel.

She’d walked down to John B’s place this morning like she did most mornings, they had breakfast and fed the seagulls on the beach like they did most mornings, and then they got in his van and headed back to the Figure Eight.

“They’re normal people,” (y/n) answered, watching the way his fingers tapped uneven patterns on the wheel.  “Just be yourself, I know they’ll like you as much as I do”

He looked over at her, that lovesick smile on his face that made her heart erupt into butterflies.  She smiled back at him, leaning back against the headrest as she admired his features.

“You’re not nervous, are you?” She asked him, reaching for one of his hands and pulling it away from the wheel to hold in her lap.

“Well, I’ve never met a girl’s parents before.  Not like this, anyways,” John B admitted.  “So, yeah, I’m kind of jittery”

(y/n) smiled sadly, although he was watching the road again and didn’t notice.

She pulled his hand up so that she could kiss the back of it, her thumb caressing over his lovingly before dropping it to her lap again.

“They’ll love you” She told him softly.

John B put on his turn signal to turn into the hotel, and (y/n’s) breath hitched in her throat.

“Actually, you’re gonna keep going straight” She told him, her stomach doing flips and her heart racing a million miles an hour in her chest.

Is this a stroke? I think I’m gonna have a stroke.

“Oh, okay,” John B replied casually, flicking the turn signal off and continuing on the road.  “We’re not meeting them here?” He asked.

She could only manage a slight shake of her head.

“No,” She mumbled.  “I’ll give you directions”

John B was confused, but he went along with it, and followed her directions into a neighborhood on the Figure Eight.

Meanwhile, (y/n’s) leg started bouncing, her foot tapping against the floor of the van in rapid and jerky movements.

Even then John B hadn’t asked any questions,.  And even when she had him pull into a driveway, it hadn’t hit him yet.

“So, um, this is me”

John B’s brows furrowed as (y/n) got out of the car, waiting for him to join her outside.  He looked out the windshield at the grand mansion that looked like all the other mansions on this side of the island.  Crisp and clean, probably thanks to the work of Pogues.

He got out of the van, eyes still focused on the house as he walked up to (y/n).

“What do you mean?” He asked.

Deep down, he knew exactly what she meant.  But the denial he was facing presently, was strong.  So strong that the facts were thrown right in his face, and he still couldn’t fully comprehend what was going on.

“My parents are inside,” (y/n) said, reaching her hand out towards him.  “Wanna go in?”

John B blinked, and finally looked down at her.

The guilt was written all over her face.  He recognized it now.  That expression she’d wear sometimes that he couldn’t quite decipher, the way she’d suddenly get quiet and fold in on herself, this was why.  Because the lie was too much for her to bear.

“You’ve got to be joking,” He said, and she shook her head.

She was chewing rather aggressively on her lip, definitely bruising it.

“(y/n), come on, tell me this is a joke”

“It’s not,” She mumbled back.  “I- we- um-”

“You live here?” John B asked, gesturing to the mansion behind them.  “You live here, on the Figure Eight- no, worse- on the island, you’re not just here for the summer?”

She shook her head.

“Jesus Christ…” John B muttered, running a hand through his hair.

“John B, when I met you, I-”

“Why’d you lie about it? Did you pity me?” He asked suddenly.

“What? No! Of course not!” (y/n) shrieked.  “John B, I told you that I hadn’t planned on meeting you at all, when I told you I was a Touron-”

“You wanted me to like you? Is that it?”

“No! Well, I mean, yeah, kind of, but I just wanted you to give me a chance and it spiralled and-”

“Why wait till now? Why didn’t you tell me? It’s been two months (y/n/n)”

“I know…” She said, ducking her head so she didn’t have to see how angry and hurt he looked.

“Why didn’t you tell me the night we met? And hell, if you were going to lie about it, why didn’t you tell me the night we got together?”

“Because I didn’t care! Kook, Pogue, it didn’t matter to me,” (y/n) explained.  “I liked you for you and I- I wanted you to like me for me, where I live shouldn’t have determined-”

“No, you lying to me about it for months is what determined this” John B spat back at her, geturing lamely between them.

(y/n’s) heart broke, and her hands began to tremble.

“What do you mean?” She mumbled.

“I’m done.  We’re done.  I’m out of here” John B shook his head as he went back to the van, whipping open the door a little harder than he needed to.

“Wait, John-”

“I don’t want to hear it, (y/n),” John B grumbled as he got in the van and slammed the door.  

He glanced at her through the open window, but quickly looked away, shoving his key into the ignition.

“I can’t even fucking look at you right now” He said, and it was the last thing he said to her before driving away, probably heading back to The Cut to tell his friends about the bullshit he’d been living th elast two months.

(y/n) stood in her driveway, watching with teary eyes as he sped off, probably leaving skid marks on the road.

She fucked up.  She did exactly what she knew would happen, but the consequences were so much worse than she thought they would be.

John B was long gone by the time she dragged herself into the house. ___

It was weird, spending the next couple days alone, at home, no one to talk to, and no motivation to go anywhere.  The last two months had been the best time of her life, going out every day, enjoying the sun, going on little adventures, falling in love, it could have been memories she looked back on fondly.

But instead she was laying in bed, crying herself to sleep for the fourth night in a row, broken hearted.

It was her own fault, she knew that.  She knew she had brought this on herself, but it still hurt like hell.

She missed him so much her heart ached when she thought of him.  And then that ache spread over her whole body, until she couldn’t bother to get out of bed in the morning.

Or the afternoon.

Or the evening.

Tonight was one of those nights.  The tv was on, playing reruns of some sitcom she’d seen a hundred times before.  She hadn’t been watching for the past three or so episodes, too wrapped up in her own angst to care about a character’s struggles.

It was late, very late, maybe two in the morning.  (y/n) hadn’t checked the time in a while, but it felt like she’d been laying there for hours now.

And despite knowing she shouldn’t, she had dressed herself in John B’s sweatshirt, again, hoping it would provide a little comfort to help her sleep.

It hadn’t.

She was only reminded more of her mistakes, and it hardly smelled like him anymore.  So any chance at gaining a little relief was crushed.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she cried harder into her pillow, hoping to drown out the sound so that her parents didn’t hear her sobbing from the study downstairs.

Her parents hadn’t really taken notice of her odd behavior.  They didn’t think twice about how she didn’t go out in the past couple days like she had all summer.  They didn’t hear her cry herself to sleep.  And they definitely didn’t notice that the sweatshirt she’d been wearing for four days straight wasn’t even hers.

It hurt a little, but she preferred it that way.  It was easier to hide everything from them than to come clean and fess up to everything.  She wasn’t sure they’d give a shit anyways.

Tap tap tap.

She ignored the incessant tapping at her window, brushing it off and assuming it was just a tree branch hitting the side of the house from the wind.  It was annoying, but she didn’t want to get out of bed to correct it.

Tap tap tap.

She pulled the hood of the sweatshirt over her head, and then grabbed an extra pillow to push against her ears, drowning out the consistent tapping.

Knock knock knock knock knock.

Finally, she shot up, about to storm over to the window and break off the branch that was keeping her from properly crying herself to sleep.

But as soon as she got out of bed, she realized it wasn’t a branch at all.

It was John B, sitting on her roof, kneeling in front of her window, tapping away to get her attention.

Her heart stopped for a solid five seconds, and she stood frozen in place, staring at him in shock.

For a moment, she told herself he wasn’t even real, that her broken heart was playing tricks on her.

But then he gave a small wave, beckoning her over to him to let him in, and she practically tripped over herself running to the window, unlocking it and shoving it upwards.

“I thought you were asleep,” John B said before anything else, and her breath hitched in her throat as he leaned over her windowsill.  “Can I come in?”

She nods, stepping back so he can climb inside, and she shut the window behind him.

He’s looking around, seeing as he’s never been in her room before.  He’s never really been to her house either.  But having him here now, even if she didn’t know why, felt good.

“What um… what are you doing here?” She asked quietly, before wiping at her eyes, hoping she didn’t look like she’d been crying for almost a week straight.  “How’d you know this was my room?”

“I didn’t,” John B chuckled bashfully, shoving his hands into his pockets.  “I kinda just climbed your whole roof, peeking in all the windows like a creep.  I’m hoping your neighbors didn’t see me”

For the first time in a while, (y/n) cracked a smile.

“You’re lucky my parents didn’t see you,” She said with a sniffle.  “I don’t think they’d be too fond of a boy sneaking around their property at this time of night”

Looking at him made her want to cry again.  Or throw herself into his arms.  Maybe both.  But she still wasn’t sure what he was doing here.

“So look, I- I have some things I need to say to you,” John B said, cutting to the chase.  “I’ve been thinking, and talking to Kiara a lot because she’s smarter about this stuff than I am,”

(y/n) nodded, wringing her hands together as she waited patiently for him to speak his thoughts.

“I’m still… mad… that you didn’t tell me you lived on the island,” He started slowly,  “But not because you’re a Kook! Well- you’re not a Kook- but you know- I mean you live on the Figure Eight and all but you’re not one of them, I get that now, I should have seen that before but I was just so mad and- and I’m sorry that I pushed you away, that was fucked up,”

She didn’t say anything yet, because she wanted him to be able to get all his thoughts out on the table without interruption, so she just nodded her head again.

“But I- I realized that you… you really made my whole summer something I wasn’t expecting, I wasn’t expecting to- to meet someone like you and I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with you especially so quickly but I did and I- I just don’t want to lose you, these last couple days really fucking sucked”

He let out a sigh as he looked at her, waiting for a reaction.  His shoulders slumped like he’d finally let out the tension he’d been internalizing for the last four days.

“You’re in love with me?” (y/n) asked softly, a real smile stretching across her lips, slowly lighting up her whole face.

“Yeah,” John B answered quietly.  “Yeah, I’m like, crazy in love with you”

She stepped forward, her hands reaching up to cradle his jaw, relishing in how warm his skin always felt against hers.

“I missed you,” She murmured, her eyes flickering between his.  “And I’m sorry”

“I’m sorry too,” John B exhaled, his own hands reaching up to grasp onto her wrists.  “Start over?” He asked hopefully.

(y/n) shook her head, her smile softening as she gazed at him.

“No,” She murmured.  “I wanna pick up where we left off”

He seemed to like that idea, because he grinned, and met her halfway in a kiss.

She was reaching all the way up on the tips of her toes to kiss him properly, her arms wrapping around his neck, and his winding around her waist, pulling her just slightly off the ground so she was more level with his height.

When they parted, she laughed quietly, her eyes filling with tears again.  They were tears of relief now, but he still noticed.

“I don’t ever want to be apart again,” He told her, one of his hands brushing through her hair before landing on her cheek, his thumb gently swiping away a few tears.  “Now that I know you’re here to stay, and I’m not gonna lose you at the end of the summer”

She nods back at him, giving him another kiss.

“You don’t have to lose me ever,” She murmured.  “I love you too, John Booker”

Their grins were so wide it was hard to kiss again, but they made it work anyways.

He finally sets her back down on the ground after a few more kisses, and she pulls him with her into her bed.

“Stay the night?”

“Your parents won’t notice?” John B asked, already getting under the covers with her.

“Trust me, they won’t” (y/n) assured him.

It wasn’t until he was about to wrap his arms around her again that he noticed what she was wearing.

“Is that mine?” He asked, tugging at the worn material of his sweatshirt.

“Mhm,” (y/n) hummed, squirming closer so she could lay against his chest.  “I’ll give it back tomorrow though”

“You can keep it” John B said sweetly.

“Nuh uh, I don’t really want it anymore” She mumbled back.

“Why not?”

“Doesn’t smell like you anymore.  I’ll trade it for something else”

Her eyes fell shut as she started to doze off against him, finally feeling comfort and relief in his arms.

He smiled down at her, pressing his lips to her forehead, and lingering there for just a few extra seconds.

Pope had been so, so right that night that he’d met her.  She was absolutely the greatest love story of his life.

[ take me back to the night we met ]

___

xoxo ~ jordie

[ghostiewriter]

chapter one | tale of a slightly unstable teen hero

Summary: JJ is starting to gain recognition around New York as the new hero in town. However, some complications arise with his new chemistry partner. Oh, and turns out he isn’t the only bloke around here with powers.

Warnings: John B is a simp, I feel like that needs a warning tbh. Umm there’s a lot of swearing (I’m Scottish, don’t judge), again some violence and fighting, also some cute ass moments between JJ and his mum so enjoy that

Word Count: 8.1K

A/N: Sooo there’s finally some Jiara in this chapter!! Hope you enjoy👀and I’m not responsible for any feels caused by JJ and Georgia Maybank!!

masterlist // taglist // ao3

“Spider-Man does it again! Report of our favourite web-slinging hero saving the day once again after a fatal accident left an apartment complex on the corner of 5th and 36th street in flames. The teen hero arrived at the scene not long after the distress call was made to the local fire department and managed to rescue over twelve people that were trapped on the top floor. New York thanks Spider-Man once again.”

JJ grinned as he leaned back in his seat, sparing a smug look towards John B in the driver’s seat. JJ didn’t usually carpool with John B but it was getting colder and his extra-curricular activities were wearing him exhausted by morning. Plus, the last time JJ skated to school when he was half asleep, Pope had to pull him out of a trash can. Turns out raccoons can be very territorial and did not appreciate the blond taking a small visit into their home. He was pretty sure he still had scars on his back from some of those little bastards.

“Three weeks on the job and you already have a little fanbase,” John B commented, reaching over to turn the radio down a little since the reporter moved onto some irrelevant news neither of the boys cared about. “Soon you’ll have a swarm of fangirls chasing after you while you fight crime.”

“Don’t be jealous, JB,” JJ grinned, both arms behind his head as he looked at the passing view. “I’m sure one of my groupies will slum it down for you.” He teased, only laughing when he felt the flick on his forehead.

As much as he hated to admit it, JJ had seriously enjoyed the past three weeks. They were intense, impulsive and unpredictable. Just how JJ liked his life to be. It wasn’t easy at first though, it took a good few attempts before the people of New York actually labelled him as a hero. Maybe it was because he was some young bloke who popped out of nowhere with abilities that no could really understand. Or maybe it was because he was going around in a red ski mask, blue shirt, a red vest with an awfully drawn spider on it and some blue joggers. He looked like a right on idiot, especially with the chunky goggles Pope added to his costume. But if it kept his identity secret, then so be it. The last thing JJ wanted was a bunch of journalists swarming his apartment, especially since he wanted to keep this whole alter ego away from his parents. In fact, he wanted to keep it away from anyone who wasn’t John B or Pope.

It was safer that way.

“At least that’s one more that Pope.” John B said nonchalantly.

“As if, dude!” JJ scoffed, grinning at the distressed—and fairly high pitched—‘WHAT’ that came from the brunette. “Oh, c’mon, Pope created a whole ass bat signal for me! You just sit there and look pretty! Pope gets at least two groupies.” He said with a shrug.

It was true. JJ knew Pope was smart, but this was next level. After realising that JJ wasn’t getting the recognition he needed to be labelled a ‘superhero’, Pope had come up with the ingenuous idea to infiltrate the police radio stations. Not only did they have full access to updates on crimes around the city, but Pope even felt a little fancy and made it so JJ would get a notification sent to his phone the second there was a job for Spider-Man. That boy was way too smart for his own good, but JJ was grateful for it.

“Aw, you think I’m pretty?” John B asked with a teasing grin.

“Yeah,” JJ smiled, reaching to place his hand on John B’s shoulder with a squeeze. “Pretty fucking ugly.”

John B’s smile instantly dropped as he scowled at JJ, who was happily snickering at the sudden change in mood. “Whatever, Spider-boy.”

“Yikes, low blow.”

The rest of the journey was spent in a similar vibe, except with JJ checking his phone every five minutes. He couldn’t help it, but the past three weeks had been some of the most exciting in his life. JJ had been labelled the troublemaker his whole life, the one that was throwing pencils into Mrs Ramirez’s curls because they looked like little hoops. Or even just doing his damn best to avoid the work he was given. It was a force of habit. JJ’s brain was running at a million miles a second. Nothing could hold him down, keep him entertained for longer than thirty minutes at most. And his teachers had constantly reminded him that his impulsive nature and high energy would lead him nowhere good in life.

All JJ had to say to them now was a massive ‘FUCK YOU!’ because how wrong they were. It was those qualities that made JJ the perfect hero. He could react quick to a sudden change, he was always on his feet, he had found something that not only could he channel all his energy into—but he was damn good at it as well. John B and Pope had warned him that it was best to keep himself humble, to not get too arrogant. But who was he kidding? JJ made a pretty fucking bomb superhero and everyone loved him. It seemed like he deserved to feel arrogant, to soak in his time in the spotlight. He enjoyed every single second.

So, can you really blame JJ for checking his phone, wanting an excuse to put that mask on and do the one thing he is good at? Except for skateboarding. Everyone knew JJ was the best skater in Queens.

Unfortunately, there was no sudden crimes that JJ could use as excuse to ditch school. A true tragedy, if you asked him. It seems like he will just have to suffer through another day of learning things that either happened way too long ago, didn’t make sense to him or he just truly didn’t care about. Which just happened to be basically every subject—excluding wood-shop. Except he was taken out of the class because apparently making mini bongs for birds is not okay. Who would’ve thought.

“I don’t see what the issue is—it’s a fool-proof plan!” John B argued as the two boys made their way through the corridors of Midtown High. Only stopping once they reached John B’s locker where he exchanged his books and JJ checked out the hallway for anything that caught his eye.

“Bro, you have a ten-year plan to end up with Sarah Cameron,” JJ stated bluntly. “And even then, you end up as her second husband—“

“No one can prove what happened to the first.”

“It’s fucking sad, JB.”

“It’s a solid plan.” John B stated simply and shrugged his shoulders, deciding to ignore JJ as he rolled his eyes, muttering something about John B being a ‘hopeless fool’. John B only grinned wider and glanced at his watch before whispering a small ‘shit’ to himself. “I gotta go, see you at lunch.” And with that, John B was zooming his way down the corridor.

“You know it’s really creepy that you plan when you bump into her!” JJ called down the corridor, but he doubted John B heard him. “Like really fucking creepy…like restraining order level creepy!

Once he noticed John B’s head turn the corner, undoubtedly on his way to ‘coincidentally’ bump into Sarah Cameron, JJ calmly made his way to his first period class, not in a big rush to get there.

**********

You see, after the incident in wood shop and many others after that, the school had taken the decision to move JJ into a class they deemed more valuable of his time. Chemistry. Stick the ADHD kid in a room full of chemicals…seemed about right. However, JJ was being transferred half way through the term with absolutely no knowledge in chemistry other than how to make a Molotov cocktail. Therefore, he didn’t really see an issue in showing up to a class he was already hopeless in. His teacher disagreed.

“Mr Maybank, it’s nice of you to finally join us.” Mr Marino—a middle-aged bald man who had looked as though he had been through one too many divorces and contained most of his knowledge in the form of his beer belly—commented as JJ entered the class.

“Oh, you wouldn’t believe what happened to me!” JJ sighed dramatically.

“Let me guess: your alarm didn’t go off.”

“It was my pet monkey, sir. Has a mind of its own.”

“Your pet monkey?”

“Yup, his name is JB. Nasty wee guy but I keep him around, he’s a good laugh. Could do with a shower though.”

“Take a seat, Maybank.”

“I can feel the love.” JJ grinned before he turned to look at the class. It was set up with eight workbenches, two seats at each. His eyes scanned over each one before he caught an empty seat at the back-left workbench, the only empty seat—and just his luck it was next to the curly haired beauty for the trip.

JJ was starting to think he might actually enjoy this class.

“We just keep meeting, sweetheart. I think it’s a sign.” JJ whispered to her as he took his seat next to her, definitely sitting a little closer than he had to. He tried not to smirk when he noticed her subtly moving away from him. JJ always loved a challenge.

“Or a punishment.” She replied bluntly, not even sparing JJ a glance.

“Aw, is this how it’s going to be for the rest of the year, princess?” JJ muttered with a pout. He tried not to smile when she finally turned to look at him.

“Rafe got a concussion.” She hissed.

“So?” JJ frowned.

“So? You caused it!”

“And I should care because?”

“He is banned from the football team for six weeks!”

JJ stared at her blankly. “And…?”

“He is the captain!”

“Boohoo, they’ll survive without him.” JJ shrugged, leaning back in his stool as he flashed her one of his usual girl-charming smiles. “But hey, if you’re really stressed out about it, I’m sure I can help you find a way to relax.”

“You’re a pig.” She stated with a small huff, stubbornly turning to face the front, planning to not even give him the chance to redeem himself. Trust me when I say Kiara is an open person, always there to give people a second chance. But JJ Maybank was not one of those people. In the three times she had met him, he had been nothing but a shameless flirt who had no care for the world beyond his sex life. She could be judging him too quickly, but in her defence, he hadn’t given her anything else to work with.

However, Kiara assumed her behaviour was clear enough that she didn’t want to talk to him, that she could gladly go the rest of the year without willingly speaking to him. But this is JJ. Hyperactive, unable to sit still JJ. He didn’t get the hint.

“So, do anything interesting this weekend?” JJ asked her, that classic smirk of his on his lips. But she didn’t answer him. Instead, she kept her gaze on Mr Marino and his oh-so interesting talk on bond orbitals within an atom.

JJ raised his eyebrows when he received no reply from her. “Giving me the silent treatment now? That’s a bit rude.” He commented.

“So is giving someone a concussion.” She stated.

“Do you want to know what I did?” JJ asked.

“No.”

“Geez, princess, no one ever taught you manners?” He teased, taking the pen he was spinning between his fingers to gently poke her arm. She only huffed and moved her seat further away.

“Okay, alright, fine! I get it…” JJ trailed off, and Kiara couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. But she spoke to soon. She heard the scrape of a chair and suddenly she could feel the warmth of JJ right beside her, their elbows just touching.

“Is there an issue, Mr Maybank?” She heard Mr Marino call out but the boy next to her just shook his head, that mischievous glint shining in his eyes.

“No, please carry on, Alan.” The blond replied, his fingers tapping against the worktop counter.

Kiara sighed. She knew very well that she could put her hand up and complain, or even ask Mr Marino to change seats after class ended. But she was stubborn, and she would be damned if she gave JJ that satisfaction of knowing that he got under her skin.

This was going to be a long year.

**********

“She called me JB! That basically takes three years off my plan!”

“Dude, I don’t know if this is really sad or creepy now…” JJ grimaced. He had spent the last fifteen minutes listening to John B and his ‘coincidental’ encounter with Sarah Cameron. And if he was being honest, he was concerned for his friend. And his stomach…this boy needed to let JJ eat his lunch before he had to hear one more comment about how ‘yellow is totally her colour’.

“I mean, it just compliments her complexion so well! C’mon, how many people do you know that can pull of yellow and not looked totally washed out!” John B argued. But JJ just met him with a blank stare.

“When the fuck did you become a fashion expert?” JJ spoke up, his nose scrunched in confusion.

“I took a class once.”

JJ looked at him with his mouth agape. “Who the fuck are you?”

“Piss off, I wanted to learn how to dress better.”

“Says the guy that wears horrible thrifted Hawaiian shirts.” JJ deadpanned. John B only rolled his eyes and turned his attention back onto Sarah.

JJ followed his line of sight towards Sarah Cameron and her group, and he was shocked at the sight. He noticed the usual people in their uptown outfits and obnoxious laughs he could unfortunately hear from his seat. But it was the sight of his chemistry partner looking quite cosy under Rafe’s arm that caught him off-guard. His eyebrows furrowed a little, but hey, JJ should have seen this coming. The uptown kids like to stick with each other. Yet, JJ couldn’t help but find the sight quite uncomfortable to look at—Rafe had that effect on people. It was a surprise he managed to score…JJ paused. He had spent a whole hour with her and yet, he didn’t even know her name.

He nudged John B, yet neither one of them looked away from the group. “Hey JB, who’s Sarah’s new chick?”

“Who?”

“The pretty curly haired one standing next to her, dumbass.”

“Oh…I don’t actually know—“

“—Kiara Carrera. Relocated here from Kernersville, North Carolina. Her father owns a large chain of restaurants around the country. She is also the only junior other than yours truly doing three AP classes, including environmental science, biology and English.” Pope finished, panting a little considering he had literally just ran into the cafeteria and heard the last few words of their conversation.

JJ looked up at Pope with a mix of awe and fear. “What, you forgot her national insurance number as well? How the fuck do you know all that?”

“The school files.” Pope answered easily as he turned his laptop around and with the screen facing them, JJ decided he was definitely a little scared of Pope.

“Those are meant to be locked away in some super, secret network thing!” JJ hissed, only to be met with a smirking Pope.

“As if, it’s easy as fuck to hack something as amateur as the school’s firewall. Could do it with my eyes closed.” He grinned at the two of them. “Why, JJ? Hiding something from us like…I don’t know…your middle name being Belinda.” He snickered.

“YOUR NAME IS BELINDA?!” John B gasped, looking at JJ with wide eyes.

“Shut up, would you!” JJ hissed at the both of them, leaning over the table to flick John B on the forehead. “I was named after my grandmother.”

“Aww, Grammie Belinda.” John B cooed. JJ only glared at him.

“Hey, Grammie Belinda was a saint, don’t disrespect her like that.” JJ huffed, pointing a finger towards John B. He then turned to Pope who had made himself comfortable in the seat next to him.

“Why were you asking about Kiara?” Pope asked JJ, snatching a few chips from his plate. JJ swatted his hand away but didn’t stop Pope from doing it again. “Does JJ have a little crush?” He teased, pouting a little.

“Piss off,” JJ laughed as he nudged Pope with his shoulder. “She’s just my chemistry partner.”

“Ooh, so you guys have chemistry together?” John B grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Fuck off, JB. Go back to stalking your little uptown princess.” JJ commented, returning the grin as both friends shook their head. They both knew the other meant no harm.

“Well, if you two little lovebirds are done having your moment,” Pope piped up, both boys looking over at him. “I need you to meet me on your rooftop at nine sharp tonight.”

“Damn, Pope, finally taking me out?”

“You wish, Spider-Boy,” He grinned, but the look he was giving made JJ a little nervous for what Pope had hidden up his sleeve. It could honestly range from a pet raccoon he befriended to creating some weird Frankenstein bug. “Just be there.”

John B pouted. “What about me?! Is this where I become the third-wheel?”

**********

“Mama?”

“In here!”

JJ dropped his bag by the couch as he made his way to the kitchen, the soft sound of the click telling him the door shut behind him. He sniffed the air as he walked in, seeing his mum at the stove and grinned a little, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“What’s for dinner?” He asked, peeking over her shoulder.

“Spaghetti,” She hummed, a soft smile on her lips as she peeked a glance at her son. “How was school?”

“The usual,” He answered with a shrug as he made his way to the fridge, grabbing a bottle of water before heading towards his usual spot on the counter. “Teachers still don’t appreciate my comments, Pope said smart things I didn’t understand and JB was a love-sick puppy.”

She grinned, shaking her head a little. “I find John B’s attempts to woo that girl quite admirable actually,” She commented. “It wouldn’t kill you to be a hopeless romantic every once in a while.” Yet, she only laughed when she saw JJ’s face scrunch up in disgust.

Despite JJ’s reputation for being an adrenaline junkie who loves to live life on the edge, these were actually his favourite moments. The little moments he shared with his mum, just the two of them. It is one of the few moments in his life where he feels relaxed, no expectations or pressures. And as sappy as it sounded—and no offence to John B and Pope—but JJ wasn’t ashamed to admit that she was one of his best friends, one of the few people in his life he truly cared about. People like her are the reason he enjoys being Spider-Man, because despite the shit people in the world, there were some genuinely good people out there, like Georgia Maybank.

It was hard to believe JJ and Georgia Maybank were related. She was a sweetheart, the type of woman who would take time out of her own life to volunteer at local food shelters despite having just done a twelve-hour shift at the hospital. She is the type of woman to buy flowers and hand them to strangers on the street just to brighten someone’s day. She is the type of woman who would work her ass off to give her son all that she could, despite the struggles she faced with the bills and rent because her son was her life. She was the opposite of JJ’s hyperactive self.

But boy, did they look very similar. From the sandy blonde hair the two of them shared, to the bright blue eyes, to even the exact same smile. JJ really was a carbon copy of his mother. And there was a small part of her, one she would never outwardly admit, that adored the fact JJ looked so much like her. Like a primal mother instinct, she loved her son and she loved that everyone knew he was her son. She would be damned if someone ever asked her to hide that.

Georgia was the type of mother that had that warm aura around her, the one that made you just trust her with your life. The hugs she gives just makes you want to stay in her arms forever, because everything is just better with Georgia Maybank. JJ knew that and he always reminded himself of that. No matter what shit he gets into, no matter how much he may envy the uptown kids—none of them will ever have Georgia Maybank and he would gladly flaunt that.

He may not have designer clothes or a fancy car to drive to school. But they don’t have Georgia Maybank, dancing around barefoot in the kitchen while she badly sings along to some old 80s song that is playing on the radio, just to make him crack a smile.

JJ grinned as his mother grabbed his hand, pulling off the counter before they jokingly began to waltz around the small kitchen, some classical song playing from the small radio that sat on the counter by the stove. JJ only laughed as he apologized for stepping on her toes again, but she didn’t mind. She just smiled and continued to dance.

“Why do I have to do this? I’m starving, woman!” He whined playfully as he twirled his mum around a few times.

“Because, JJ, one day you’re going to have a beautiful girl—or boy, I won’t assume—that will somehow fall for that charm of yours,” She spoke softly, placing a hand on her son’s cheek, a proud glint in her eyes when he rolled his eyes at her statement but still had a small smile on his face. “And I will be damned if I don’t teach my son how to sweep a girl off her feet.”

“Nothing says romantic like stepping on a girl’s toes.” He stated bluntly.

Georgia only laughed and ruffled his hair before she turned back to the stove. She grabbed two plates, putting in a larger portion for JJ—which with his new transformation wouldn’t actually be enough but he will sneak out during the night to eat the leftovers when she’s asleep—before placing them on the small dining table in the corner, gesturing for him to join her.

The rest of the dinner was fairly uneventful, simply just JJ telling her about John B’s updated seven-year plan with Sarah Cameron and Georgia sharing any particularly interesting stories about patients she had to deal with during her shift. JJ really let this dinner sink in. As much as he loved his mother, her inability to say ‘no’ and be so giving kind of bothered him. Because she had taken up extra shifts for a few of her colleagues due to something about the ‘stress of wedding planning’. JJ had been seeing her less and less—and though it was good for his recent Spider-Man shenanigans—this dinner made him realise just how much he missed her. Just a nice, wee dinner with his mum, nothing else. And everything seemed to be going well, until he heard the radio presenter’s voice flowing through the kitchen.

“Locals say that Spider-Man is the next best thing to happen to New York since deep-fried pizza! But I don’t know, Janet. I mean, who is this kid? Where did he come from? There just seems to be a lot of unanswered questions with this so-called hero. Can we really trust some prepubescent boy who probably spends his day with his head in a textbook? It just doesn’t seem—“

The radio presenter was cut off by Georgia turning the volume down. “People can’t appreciate a good gesture anymore.” She huffed. JJ watched her closely as she finished off washing the last of the dishes before turning to face him, a small frown on her lips.

“I think he’s doing the city a favour.” JJ said half-heartedly with a shrug.

Georgia nodded, her fingers gently fiddling with chain around her neck, well more specifically the gold ring attached to it. “I know but,” She sighed. “What a shame, putting all this pressure on a poor teenage boy. Oh, I feel bad for his parents!”

JJ coughed a little. “It could be his decision, you know.”

Georgia continued as though she hadn’t heard him. “I could only imagine how stressful it would be have your son out there, throwing himself at danger.” She shook her head as she made her way to where JJ still sat at the dining table. “Promise me you wouldn’t do something so careless?” She asked sweetly, gently cupping his face in her hands as she looked down at him.

Now, JJ knew there was a teasing tone to her words. She wasn’t being serious because, how could she? Her son being a superhero with crazy powers? Not possible. She and JJ shared everything and it was because of that he couldn’t help but feel a wave of guilt wash over him. He hated lying to his mum, he hated keeping secrets from her. They were always close, JJ never felt the need to hide things from her. There was always such a comfortable vibe between them. But he knew how she would react if he told her the truth. He knew she would freak out and make him stop. And JJ didn’t want to stop. As much as he hated the guilt that bubbled inside him, he pushed it away and gave her a grin.

“Of course not, I would come up with a better name than Spider-Man.” He joked lightly and closed his eyes when he felt his mum press a kiss to his forehead. He nuzzled his head slightly as he wrapped his arms around her, resting his head against her stomach. He smiled softly when he felt her hands running through his hair, just like the way she used to do when he was younger and struggling to fall asleep. He tried to hold back a yawn.

“That’s my baby boy.” She said with a gentle laugh.

“Mama, I’m a not a baby! I’m a man now.” He whined but he didn’t pull away from her grip just yet. He missed his mum’s hugs, sue him.

“You’ll always be my baby boy.” She commented with a small shrug.

“Yeah, yeah,” He murmured. After a few moments of silence, he looked up at her, giving the best puppy-dog eyes he could. She was always a sucker for those. “Can I go hang out with JB and Pope tonight?” He asked with a sweet smile.

She rolled her eyes but nodded. “Just be back before your father gets home.”

**********

JJ rubbed his hands together as he stared at the view from the roof. New York looked absolutely stunning this time of year, especially at night. The sky was pitch black, and it should’ve seemed daunting. But the bright lights of the city illuminated everything. It was mesmerising, a sight that JJ would never get tired of seeing. And with his newly discovered powers, he found something therapeutic about swinging around the city and being surrounded those bright lights. It felt like he was swinging through the stars—he obviously didn’t share that with the boys, they would take the piss out of him. Speaking of which…

“Where the fuck is he?” JJ hissed, turning to look at John B who only shrugged in response. As much as JJ liked New York at night, it was cold. The lower body temperature caused by the spider bite really didn’t help the situation. He had a hoodie and a jacket on and still the light breeze was making his teeth chatter.

“I don’t know.” John B shrugged. JJ rolled his eyes in annoyance. It was 9:15pm and JJ was about five minutes away from freezing to death.

Just then, the rooftop door opened and a wild Pope was sprinting towards then, panting heavily as he ripped his backpack off and quickly unzipped it. Words were leaving his lips but between the panting, neither of them could work out what he was saying.

“Dude, calm down, breathe!” John B exclaimed. Pope nodded and took a minute to catch himself.

“Your lives are gonna change forever!” He grinned before looking at JJ. “Strip.”

JJ raised his eyebrows. “What?”

“Strip.”

“Dude, it’s like fifty fucking degrees, I am not gonna fucking strip!”

“Stop whining and do it!”

JJ huffed and started to take his clothes off, muttering some very…colourful phrases towards Pope. However, he didn’t get much time to question his friend’s demands because the second he was stripped down to his boxers, he had a bunch of fabric thrown at him.

“Wait…is this…?” He trailed off, looking at Pope with a new look of excitement shining in his eyes.

“You bet,” Pope grinned. “Say hello to your brand-new suit, Spider-Man.”

JJ excitedly began to pull the suit on, suddenly forgetting all about his theatrics with the cold. But Pope wasn’t done with his surprise.

“The suit is a total upgrade!” He began, his hands moving wildly as he spoke. “The fabric is strong but flexible. I have added small web-shooters to go over your spinneret glands so you can have a more direct shots. There are a few extra things I’ve added like a small heater to keep you warm and a few sensors, so we can keep track of your vitals. Oh, and for us—” He paused before handing John B a silver bracelet.

John B looked at the bracelet in confusion. “Uh, thanks?”

Pope only grinned and showed John B that he was wearing a similar bracelet. He slipped it off before unclipping a small oval shaped device from the middle of the bracelet. “This is the coolest part,” He nodded for John B to copy his movements. “To be honest, these took the longest. I had JJ’s suit done like two weeks ago but—”

“And you made me wait this long? Dude, I looked like a weirdo running around in joggers!” JJ groaned, but there was no real hostility in his voice.

“Just put on your mask, dude!”

JJ rolled his eyes but didn’t answer as he slipped the mask over his face. He was a bit surprised at how easily he could see through it, way better than the goggles he had before. The suit was a perfect fit—props to Pope after it took an hour to get all of JJ’s measurements. The material was tight and breathable, practically clinging onto JJ like a second skin. Oddly enough, he felt far more comfortable in it than his last costume. Pope clearly liked the colour scheme, having kept the red and blue palette but with a massive spider on his chest, with lines wrapping around him to look like a web. He looked totally badass, he felt badass. He felt like a proper hero from one of those comic books and posters Pope has around his room.

“So, how do I look?” JJ asked, flexing as he gave the boys a little spin. Pope only grinned, proud of his creation. John B gasped, clearly just as hyped as JJ was.

“Dude, your ass looks great.” John B commented, causing JJ to snort.

“When does it not look great?”

“Guys! The last surprise!” Pope piped up, causing both boys to stop staring at JJ’s ass and instead turn to him.

“These little guys,” He said, nodding between the small oval devices in his and John B’s hands. “Are gonna help us keep in contact with you while you’re swinging around. Little ear pieces so we can help you out and keep tabs on you if you need any help.”

“Where’s my bracelet?” JJ frowned beneath the mask.

“You don’t need one, dumbass. Your ear piece is connected into your mask!” Pope grinned proudly. JJ let out a scoff, shaking his head.

“Pope, you fucking genius!” He yelled, and he pulled his friend into a tight hug. John B, feeling a little left out, quickly joined the hug.

“This is so cool, dude, now we are like an actual team!” John B grinned.

Pope was the first to pull back, looking at JJ with a wild look in his eyes. “I think it’s time for Spider-Man to show the city his new look.”

JJ grinned under the mask, already beginning to take a few steps back. “I think you’re right.” And without a second thought, he left himself fall off the edge of the building.

On that October night, New York watched their own hero swing through the streets, letting the cheers and whoops of the strangers sink in. They watched their hero in a new light, a more professional one. The next day, he was no longer that kid running around like some wannabe. He was Spider-Man, the new saviour of New York and a beloved hero.

It was wild what a good new suit could do for your reputation.

**********

“Did you see the pictures The Daily Bugle released?”

“He looked so hot!”

“I’d let him save me any day!”

“You don’t even know what he looks like…”

“So? Have you seen those arms? Nothing else matters!”

JJ couldn’t help but let the smirk on his face grow as he walked through the corridors of the school. It was the day after his new suit reveal and he wasn’t going to lie, he was soaking in all the attention. He was particularly enjoying the twitter thread that was made about his ass. John B didn’t lie, his ass did look good in this new suit.

He continued his way through the sea of students before he made it to his chemistry class, not surprised that people were still talking about Spider-Man. His eyes instantly glanced over at Kiara, who was sitting at their workbench scrolling through her phone.

He grinned as he quickly past the other students and sat quite comfortably in his seat. His eyebrows raised slightly when she didn’t react at first to his appearance. His curiosity got the best of him as he leaned towards her, peeking over her shoulder to see what she was looking at. Now, JJ won’t lie to you, but when he saw her staring at pictures of Spider-Man, his ego definitely inflated a little. Okay, maybe more than a little but you get the point.

“You a fan?” He couldn’t help but ask, trying to keep his smirk to himself.

Kiara quickly snapped her head to look at him, slamming her phone down screen first onto the desk. “Can you mind your business?” She huffed, trying to calm her heartbeat a little. She didn’t even hear him come in, which is odd since usually you could hear JJ from a mile away.

“Aw, c’mon, Kiara! I thought we were besties now.” He grinned to her, wiggling his eyebrows a little. He leaned forward on the desk, bringing him a little closer to her. His forearms were pressed against the desk, his body leaning on them. She noticed how close their hands were. But after yesterday, she refused to left JJ get under her skin again. Or at least let him see how much he is bothering her. So, she stayed where she was, not moving back like he expected.

“You know my name.” It wasn’t a question, more a statement.

“Surprised?” He whispered, smirking a little when he noticed he wasn’t moving away. JJ risked it a little more and moved a bit closer.

“Took you long enough.” She replied with a shrug. JJ’s grin only widened.

“Oh yeah, counting down the days, princess?” He raised an eyebrow. He noticed her lips quirk a little, like she was fighting back a smile.

“You wish, pretty boy.”

“You think I’m pretty?”

“Shut up.”

“I think someone has a little crush, Kiara.” He grinned at her, only to witness her roll her eyes and push him away.

“In your dreams, Maybank.”

“Oh, you’re definitely in my dreams, Kiara.”

She rolled her eyes again but didn’t bother replying this time. She instead focused her gaze on the front of the class as Mr Marino entered the room, beginning the lesson. But if she had glanced over to the blond sitting on his right, she would’ve seen he was smiling throughout the whole lesson.

**********

“Thank you, dear!”

JJ nodded his head a little in acknowledgement and gave the older woman a small salute. “Always here to help, ma’am.” He said, handing her the small handbag that he had just rescued from the hands of some man who had tried to steal it from her.

“Aw, you’re really starting to win over the senior citizens.”

JJ rolled his eyes when he heard Pope’s voice through his earpiece. “Dude, I think she pinched my ass.”

“Lucky you, older woman, that’s hot.”

“JB, shut up.”

JJ snorted a little at the bickering, extending his arm out before he was swinging between the buildings with no trouble. He had been using any free time he had lately to be out in his suit, getting used to all the cool, extra bits that Pope had added. And he won’t lie, the boy really outdid himself. JJ felt like a total badass, being able to swing around and save people and feel like a real hero. He also enjoyed the change in attitude people had with him. He was Spider-Man, the city hero. He was appreciated. He was wanted. Not something JJ felt very often.

“Anything happening around town?” JJ asked, his eyes scanning the streets below, waiting to see any conflict. He couldn’t help but feel as though there was a part of him that was on edge. He couldn’t really explain it, it was like a bad shiver down his spine. It was a similar feeling he felt before that bank robbery fiasco a few weeks ago. It was a nasty wee feeling, one that had him on alert. Something was wrong, he didn’t know what. But he could sense it.

“Nah, everything seems to be fine. Maybe you should take a break, you’ve been swinging around for, like, three hours. You need to rest, dude.”

“What?” JJ muttered, so quiet that the boys on the other side barely heard him. That couldn’t be right, he can feel it. Something isn’t right, something bad is going to happen. “Guys, are you—”

He was cut off by a series of screams.

JJ’s body was reacting way before his brain did, like his hero side just leaped into action at the alert of any distress. He was swinging as fast as he could, his arms burning a little as he got closer and closer to the sound of those screams. He could hear his blood pumping in his ears, could feel his heart rate pick up. The adrenaline coursing through him, making him forget about the burning in his muscles from the three hours of patrolling he had done.

“That’s fucking weird, there is no police reports coming through.”

JJ ignored the voices coming through the earpiece, his whole body feeling rigid as he crouched on top of a building, looking at the carnage below. There, in the middle of the square stood what looked like a moving black cloud. Civilians were screaming and running away, but the black cloud just remained. His eyes narrowed slightly, like he was waiting for it to do something, to lash out. But it didn’t. He opened his mouth, ready to ask Pope if he was just imagining something when he heard the black cloud speak.

“Spider-Man, oh Spider-Man! Come out, come out wherever you are!” It spoke in a raspy, demonic voice. Whatever this way, it wasn’t human. JJ may have failed biology, but he knew that for sure.

“JJ, don’t. We are have no idea what this thing is. It could be a trap—”

“I got this, Pope.” JJ muttered, ignoring his friends’ pleas to think this through as he swung down, landing a couple of feet away from the black cloud. “You called?”

Suddenly, in the middle of the cloud, JJ swore he could see lips begin to materialise. He frowned beneath the mask but didn’t move away. His fist was clenched at the side, ready to react if the cloud tried anything.

“Ah, we finally meet, Spider-Man.” The cloud spoke again. The voice sent shivers down his spine. JJ pushed away that feeling of discomfort. Something about the cloud felt familiar, but he couldn’t tell what. It was like an annoying itch he couldn’t reach.

“Am I supposed to know who you are?” JJ questioned. “Look, dude, if you’re a fan, I appreciate it, but you don’t need to scare away a whole block of people to get my attention. You can just ask for an autograph like everyone else.”

“JJ stop provoking it!”

“You’ll know me soon enough.” The voice replied ambiguously. JJ furrowed his eyebrows together. Whatever this cloud was, it was being far too vague for JJ’s liking.

“PEOPLE OF NEW YORK, I SPEAK OUT TO YOU!”

JJ winced, clutching his ears. His body was on high-alert, his ears sensitive to pick out any small noise or rustle. He looked at the cloud and then at his surroundings, noticing how every screen—every phone, every billboard, every electrical compliance in this vicinity that he could see—was projecting the black cloud. It was broadcasting to the whole city. JJ couldn’t help but wonder where the fuck the hidden camera was. How was it doing this?

“YOU LABEL THIS KID AS YOUR HERO! YOU TRUST THIS CHILD WITH YOUR LIVES! YOU ARE FOOLISH!” The voice boomed, suddenly the black cloud began to form tentacles that were slithering from whatever was at the centre of it. “LET ME SHOW YOU THE TRUTH! LET ME SHOW YOU WHO YOU HAVE TO PROTECT YOU!”

JJ was a little too distracted by the concept of a cloud broadcasting to the city that he didn’t even notice one of the tentacles slithering towards him. It wrapped itself around his leg before swinging him into the nearest building.

JJ let out a small oomph as his body made contact with the brick wall. He could hear yelling in the distance, the sounds of people screaming. But nothing was overpowering the ringing in his ears as he slowly dragged himself to stand up.

“JJ, GET UP! JJ!”

“Jesus fucking Christ,” He muttered, blinking a few times before he turned back to look at the cloud. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise and quickly rolled over to the side, the tentacle that threw him smashing into the wall not even a second later. That rush of adrenaline hitting JJ again as he quickly swung out of there, not even looking behind him until he knew he was a good distance away to assess the situation.

“IS THIS WHO YOU WANT PROTECTING YOU? A COWARDLY TEENAGER? C’MON, SPIDER-MAN! LET’S SEE WHAT YOU’VE GOT!”

JJ swore under his breath, trying to catch up with his thoughts as he watched more tentacles appear from the cloud. “Where the fuck are they coming from?” He muttered before swinging down to a lower building rooftop, crouching at the edge. He narrowed his eyes as he extended his hand out, shooting a web towards the centre of the cloud. There had to be something solid within this thing, something he can grip on to, something he can fight. But he was met with nothing. “Fuck.” He frowned before he began to crawl down the side of the building.

“You seem a bit jealous, mate!” JJ called out, watching as all eight of the tentacles seemed to snap their attention towards him. God, that was scary. “Don’t you have to tell me some wild origin story before you kill me?”

“MY AIM ISN’T TO KILL YOU, SPIDER-MAN. NOT YET!”

“Oh, that’s really reassuring, thank you so much.”

“I WANT NEW YORK TO SEE HOW PATHETIC YOU ARE. HOW USELESS THEIR SAVIOUR IS.”

“A bit of an odd wish, if you ask me.” He murmured to himself, quickly snapping his wrist before swinging around the black cloud. He watched as the tentacles reached out for him, just grazing him as he swung between the buildings.

“JJ, FIGHT BACK!”

“How the fuck do I fight something that isn’t solid? Get a vacuum? If you have one big enough, please do share. Call the ghostbusters or something!”

He heard more screams, some closer than he expected. He assumed everyone ran off, but when he turned his head to the side, he noticed a man standing there, frozen in fear. More importantly, he saw a car heading straight towards the scared man.

“Shit, shit, shit,” JJ yelled as he quickly yanked his web, spinning around and landing in front of the man, his hands extended out in front of him. Seconds later he felt the impact of the car, the weight and momentum it came crashing in at hit him strong enough to make him slide back a few feet. “Go, dude!” He yelled at the man, who had finally come to his senses and thanked JJ profusely before sprinting away. JJ groaned and threw the car away from him, huffing slightly.

“HOLY SHIT, JJ! THAT WAS A CAR!”

“Oh, no shit, Sherlock! I thought it was Barbie’s Dreamhouse.” Only JJ would be sarcastic while his life is in threat.

But it was that sarcasm that distracted him long enough for one of the tentacles wrap around his ankle, yanking him down from the small jump he had taken so the web he was currently gripping snapped with ease, preventing him a quick escape like he planned. He didn’t even have time to scream before he noticed the tentacle bringing him closer to the middle of the cloud, his eyes widening slightly.

He wiggled around in the tentacle’s grip, trying to find a way out but it was relentless. He wasn’t sure what was real or not, not sure if he imagined screaming in his head or if he actually did as he was dropped into the centre of the cloud.

Then, he felt nothing.

JJ was vaguely aware of his surroundings. He didn’t know if his eyes were open or not, but it was dark. He tried to move his arm, but it felt constricted, like he was swimming in something really thick. His brain was screaming at him to call out for Pope and John B, to move his hands and swing out of here, to do something. But another part of JJ felt completely content in this situation. He couldn’t explain it, but something washed over him, like a massive electric shock that made him aware of just how…familiar this seemed. It was similar to the feeling he had earlier.

He felt safe, understood.

And then that feeling was gone.

Suddenly, JJ found himself being thrown around in circles, something holding a tight grip on his ankle. But soon enough, that let go too and JJ was soon flying through the air, too out of it to even react fast enough to web onto something or soften his eventual crash.

JJ felt the air be completely knocked out of him, his body bouncing off the concrete a couple of times before he rolled over. It took him a few attempts to finally open his eyes, take in his surroundings, to see he was in some dingy alleyway. He turned his head to the side, briefly seeing a black blob in the distance. He could hear some muffled yelling.

“HEED THIS AS A WARNING, SPIDER-MAN. NEXT TIME WE MEET, IT WILL BE OUR LAST!”

JJ vaguely furrowed his eyebrows together before turning his head to stare at the blue sky above instead. When the ringing and the muffling was over, he could hear the screams of his friends coming through the earpiece.

“JJ! JJ, PLEASE FUCKING ANSWER, DUDE!”

“JJ, ARE YOU DEAD?!”

“WHY WOULD HE FUCKING ANSWER IF HE WAS DEAD!”

“SHUT UP, I’M FLUSTERED!”

JJ frowned a little, his whole throat felt dry and numb. There was also a metallic taste in his mouth that told him he must’ve bitten his tongue at some point. God, he hated the taste of blood. “It…It felt…”

“OH MY GOD, JJ!”

“IT FELT LIKE WHAT BUD? YOU GOOD?”

“It felt just like me.” He finally got out.

Then everything went black.

[barrysjumpsuit]

blindsided - oc x rafe cameron (ch. 2)

me??? posting chapters two days in a row???? (who is she)

part one

word count: 3k

warnings: abuse and mentions of past abuse, cannabis use, cocaine use, mentions of sex, plot/timing holes (just dont think abt canon too much it’s pretty loose)

synopsis:  christy is a lifelong resident of the outer banks. after a series of hookups with rafe cameron, kook royalty, she’s smitten. what she doesn’t know is about what her boyfriend and brother are involved in behind her back

a/n: really enjoying how this is coming along bc i’m totally just making it up as i go. ya boy jj makes an appearance in this one!! and BARRY!!!! next chapter has more plot i PROMISE 

 --------

The sun was about to set as Christy arrived home.

“Home” was a relative term. She lived in a trailer with a leaky roof, messy yard, and weird smell. Strange people she didn’t know were always there, and it was hard to truly feel at peace when she was there. The only thing that kept her coming back, especially after getting with Rafe, was her brother. 

Barry truly was the only thing she had left. The two of them had always been as thick as thieves – they still were, but their own respective businesses had changed them. Christy just grew and sold a bit of weed. She made a couple hundred bucks here and there, mostly targeting tourists. Barry’s dealings were much more illegal, and all the bad things that came with selling blow naturally happened at her house. 

She could hear the crackling of a fire as she rounded the corner of the trailer. Barry and a couple others sat there, whooping and hollering. “Look who finally decided to make an appearance,” she heard her brother yell. He raised a beer in the air as if to make a toast. “My favorite sister!” 

“Just making sure you’re not twitched out somewhere, B,” Christy said back, not altering her path to the door. Right as she went to pull open the screen door, someone pushed it open, stumbling out of the trailer. “Excuse you.” 

“Watch your mouth when you speak to me, little girl,” the man growled at her. 

“I’m the one who lives here,” Christy replied flatly, not budging, and the man suddenly had her pinned to the wall of the trailer, a forearm pressing against her throat. 

“Yo Luke, lay off of her!” she heard Barry call. Her hands were grabbing at Luke Maybank’s arm, her eyes forced to meet his. His pupils were blown up and delirious. “What the fuck, man!” 

Barry pried Luke off of her, and Christy leaned against the cheap railing on the front steps to catch her breath. “Get the fuck out of here,” she heard Barry tell him before he turned to her. “Bro, you good? Where have you been the past few days?” 

“I’m fine,” Christy said. Her heart felt like it was going to beat through her chest. Barry reached out to grab her shoulder, but she instinctively flinched away. “I’ve been staying with someone.” 

She was aware of Barry watching her as she pulled open the screen door and went into the trailer. It was hot and stuffy. Inevitably, somewhere, something was growing mold, and they would have to deal with it like they had to almost every other time a storm knocked out power. It made her feel guilty as hell, knowing she was staying with Rafe in his kook mansion, while her brother was stuck here, alone, with whatever coked out friends he had with him. 

After deciding there was nothing she wanted to eat, Christy made her way through the messy living room and down the hallway to her bedroom. She kept the door locked. Fishing the key out of her back pocket, she unlocked the padlock and stepped into her bedroom. 

Her plants were moved hastily in front of her window, since the power knocked out the lights they normally sat under. They took up most of the space in her bedroom, and they also occupied her parent’s old bedroom. Christy couldn’t be bothered to water them; she just took off her shirt and laid on her bed, sweaty and with nothing to do. 

She rolled over, pulling out an already loaded bowl and lighter from her nightstand. Pushing herself up, Christy brought the pipe to her lips and lit up, breathing deeply and bringing the smoke into her lungs. She blew out a thick cloud, almost having to cough. The greens were strong but tasted good. She took another hit, then another, before leaning back and closing her eyes. 

It was almost unnerving to think about how quickly she had fallen for Rafe. They sporadically hooked up throughout the past couple years. A lot of times they were each other’s rebound. Other times, it was at parties. Despite being from the Cut, Christy was often welcome at kook parties, going where her brother wouldn’t dare going to move product. She didn’t like having a middle man. Grow, harvest, sell, consume. That’s how she liked her bud to go. 

She knew Barry and Rafe had a history. But Barry has beef with a lot of people, and so did Rafe. Christy didn’t side with either. Rafe hadn’t paid Barry enough, failing to hold his end of the deal. But Barry had ripped Rafe off, knowing his family had more than enough money to repay him. It spiralled from there until they fought and beat each other an inch from death. Since then, Rafe had cleaned up his act as well as sobered up, and she hadn’t seen him at her place since. It was better that way. She didn’t have to worry about the crossover between her relationship with him and her relationship with her brother. 

Barry was a shitty person. Everyone knew that. He moved more cocaine than anyone else on the island. It was impossible for him to hold onto a relationship for more than a week or two. He had a temper, and a mouth and fists to back it up. Despite this, Christy knew he was her lifeline, and she was his. Whenever they had to run errands or go anywhere on the island, they tried to go together. Safety in numbers. 

Both of them had people that hated them. 

Barry more so than Christy, but they both had enemies. It was just how the politics of drug dealing worked. Christy mainly targeted tourists, playing her cards smartly. In and out, one and done. She premeasured the bud into $10 bags, or as joints using cigarettes. It was a big hit. At each kegger she went to, she could usually pull two or three hundred bucks. 

Christy took another hit before inspecting her pipe. A friend of hers had blown and crafted it for her birthday this past winter. It was a swirling design of pinks, yellows, and oranges. It looked like a sunset; every night, she would smoke on their west-facing dock and watch the sunset. 

Except tonight. The sky was dark by the time she made her way outside. Barry was no longer by the fire, which was dying. Two of his buddies were still there, laughing at something funny only to them. Christy walked past them, down the dock and onto their little boat. She sat down next to Barry, their shoulders lightly touching on the small bench seat. 

Her mind was still racing, and she lit her bowl again. “You’re not going to that kook party tonight?” Barry asked, his voice still with its disinterested tone. 

“Nah. With the power out I’m not sure how much bud I’m going to able to get through this. They need light to grow.” 

“I’ve been rotatin’ them in front of the windows for you. And watering them,” Barry said. She could tell he was coming down from a high he had likely been riding all day. 

Christy could also tell he brought this up for a reason. 

“How much short are we?” she asked quietly. “I can see if I can pick up extra shifts.” 

He shook his head beside her before putting his head in his hands. “I don’t know man, but we’re short. Fuckin’ Agatha fucked us over, man. I can’t get any more for another couple weeks and I don’t have much left.” 

“A lot of mine won’t be ready to harvest for a few weeks. Shit, B, why didn’t you tell me?” 

“It’s not like you were here,” he said. His words stung, and I knew he was right. “It’s not like you’re ever here anymore except to smoke pot.” 

“Barry,” Christy said, trying to be as stern as possible. “I’ve been working every fucking day. Agatha scared people away, so I’m not making good tips. It’ll bounce back soon, okay? I’ll make ends meet. Every time I come home you’re just blitzed to high heaven off your own product. You’re as guilty as I am.” 

Her brother’s shoulders shook with a laugh, and he wiped his nose with a forearm while she took another hit. “I suppose so. You’ve got something on your neck, by the way. Who’s that from?” 

Christy stiffened and almost launched into a coughing fit, and Barry knew he caught her. He looked over at her, expecting an answer after she exhaled the smoke. “Some tourist I met the other night at a kegger. Thought he could strike a deal with me.” 

“Hmmm,” Barry mused. She couldn’t tell if he was buying it or not. “You’ve gotta be careful with them tourons and kooks, never know how they’re gonna use you.” 

The weed had hit her enough so that Barry’s words didn’t fully register in her brain. “They’re always up to something,” she agreed. The swaying of the boat underneath her was an odd feeling and she leaned back in the seat, throwing an arm on the back of the seat behind Barry. 

The stars were brilliant on the south side of the island, with no light pollution to drown them out. Two nights ago, she and Rafe sat on the roof of the Cameron house, looking at the same sky, but the lights were so bright you could see only a handful of the stars. 

It was the simplicity of being a pogue that Christy liked. She didn’t have to worry about her social life or schedule outside of work. She didn’t have to worry about her image. She didn’t have to worry about businesses or making people happy or petty things that Rafe worried about. She could do what she wanted, when she wanted.

With the sky stretching endlessly above her, she felt like she was inside a dome. Like she was in a snowglobe. Agatha was the shake, mixing everything and everyone up. Now, the snowflakes were settling into new positions. Some were unstable, perched on plastic trees or people or houses, bound to fall to the ground. Some were already on the ground, back to their original positions. Others still, small little pieces of glitter, swirled around in the liquid inside. 

She didn’t want to inevitably settle back into her old life. It was too mindless and mundane. Wake up, work at The Wreck, sell weed to tourists, hook up with random people. It was repetitive. Christy wanted something with meaning and risk. What was the view like, perched on top of the tallest tree in the snowglobe? Sure, it had potential to fall back to the ground like all the other pieces of snow. But there was also potential to stay there, seeing things no one else could and experiencing something it hadn’t experienced before. 

Maybe Rafe was her tree. Holding her up with supportive branches, his roots deep into the soil of Tannyhill. He was here to stay, at least for now. 

Maybe it was Christy’s turn to join him.

--

By four in the afternoon, Christy was done with her day. 

She woke up early, tending to her plants before locking up the two rooms and heading to work. The morning shifts were her favorite. Less asshole tourists and more local residents. Christy knew them well, making polite small talk with the older people and getting plenty of tips. Working at The Wreck was nice. It gave Christy a sense of anonymity, making her feel less like a pogue and more like a normal person. For her work shifts she cleaned up nicely, interacting with people who didn’t know about her relation to Barry or her side hustle. 

After Christy clocked out for the afternoon after her ten hour shift, she shouldered her backpack and lazily threw her apron over one shoulder. Under her work clothes she wore her swimsuit, ready for an afternoon of surfing with Rafe and his friends. 

Stepping outside into the bright sun, she saw Kiara talking with her friends. Christy liked Kiara – she was one of her closer friends, but their relationship didn’t touch the bond she had with those three boys. Christy was friendly enough with them, and she gave them a wave as she walked past. 

“Hey, Christy!” 

A voice called out behind her and she turned around to see JJ jog up to her. John B rolled his eyes as he left the group to follow Christy. “Yeah, JJ?” she asked. 

“Hey, uh, we’re going to have a kegger at the Boneyard tonight, if you’d like to come. I’d like to do some business with you.” 

“How much you want?” Christy asked, ignoring any euphemisms people often use when asking for weed. “You better claim yours now, I’m running low.” 

“You and everyone else on the island,” JJ said, smiling. “Five grams?” 

“You got it, I can bring it to you tonight.” Christy pulled her cigarette carton from her pocket, taking one out and lighting it. “By the way, tell your father it’s rude to assault people at their own home and my brother doesn’t want to see him again for some time.” 

JJ’s face dropped. “What did he do? Did he hurt you?” 

She blew out the smoke before answering. “Pinned me against a wall. Nothing that hasn’t happened before, but… B’s stressed out and it won’t be good for either of them or for us if he sees him any time soon.” Christy lowered her voice slightly. “If he needs any blow, let me know and I can be a middle man. Okay?” 

“He’s a piece of shit,” JJ muttered, not answering her question. 

“JJ,” Christy said sternly, and JJ’s wandering eyes returned to meet hers. “Give him my contact information. I’ll deal with it so you don’t have to. Okay?” 

“He’s not your problem,” JJ said, but Christy knew she got through to him as good as she could. “Thanks, Christy. I’ll see you tonight?” 

“You got it,” Christy answered, giving him a playful salute with the hand that held her cigarette. At that, they turned away from each other and she started off to where she told Rafe she would meet him to go surfing. 

The cigarette gave her a slight buzz. It felt like a warm hug, enveloping her. That little bit of pep was what she needed, coming off an early morning and long shift. Pretty soon, the pavement turned into sand, and she could see several figures ahead holding surf boards. 

“How was work, baby?” Rafe asked as she walked up to them. He pulled her into a kiss before she could answer. Christy’s hands rested on his bare shoulders, standing on her tiptoes in the sand to reach his lips. 

“It was good,” she replied. “Glad I’m here and not there, though.” 

Kelce fake gagged at her words, and Rafe rolled his eyes at him. “Fuck off, Kelce,” Rafe said, kicking sand towards him. Rafe was wearing his sea foam green board shorts, the color glowing against his tanned skin. 

“He’s just jealous,” Christy cooed, walking away from Rafe to give Kelce a hug. “It’s okay Kelce, I love you too.” 

“Oh wait a second, was that the L word?” Topper asked, breaking Christy and Kelce apart. Topper looked from Christy to Rafe, raising his eyebrows. 

Christy looked at Rafe, who jumped in. “Sure was, Top,” he said nonchalantly. “Now can we shut the fuck up and get into the water?” 

Kelce gave Christy a confused look at Rafe’s short temper, and Christy just shrugged. They had brought her board, which she left at Rafe’s house. After taking off her clothes, much to the boys’ delight, she slipped the band around her ankle and the four of them started towards the water. 

It was a good evening for waves. The water was refreshing, and it was nice to do something normal after Agatha. Rafe’s idea of a date defaulted to a ride on the Druthers, as if to wow her, followed by expensive wine and sex on the boat. It was nice, and she enjoyed it, but Christy had had sex on plenty of boats and it was never her favorite thing.

Surfing with Rafe and his friends was much more up her alley. She was a good surfer, and Rafe knew it. While they were on the water, Topper and Kelce gave him shit for having his ass owned by hers. Christy countered right back, pointing out that she was also owning their asses. It gave her a small victory: something she was better at than the kooks.

They tired quickly, and Christy mentioned the kegger at the Boneyard. “Bring Sarah, it’ll be like a double date,” she told Topper, much to Kelce’s dismay. “And Kelce, look at you. You’re gorgeous, all wet and glistening and half naked. Just stand in the water like that tonight and the girls will be all over you. I’ll make it my personal mission to find you someone.” 

The kooks were never one to turn down a party, especially one with easy pickings for both fights and girls. Topper called Sarah while they were walking back to Rafe’s truck; they put their boards in the bed and Christy climbed into the front seat, while Topper and Kelce crammed into the back of the cab. 

“She’ll come,” Topper reported. Rafe dropped off Kelce before driving to the Cameron estate.

Topper left to find Sarah, while Rafe took Christy to his bedroom. “Can I shower?” she asked, and he nodded. 

The Camerons had hot running water. Another thing she didn’t have on the Cut. It brought up those conflicting emotions again, as she remembered hearing Barry grumble about not being able to shower, which was a very non-Barry thing to complain about. Christy had insisted he use some of the distilled water she had for her plants, but he refused. 

She would have to swing back home before the party tonight to get weed, both for JJ and the tourists. Not much was left – she wanted some to keep for herself, but she needed money. 

Christy really didn’t want Rafe anywhere near her place. 

She just had to hope Barry was out, and that no one was there, or things could get bad.

----

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[mychemicalficrecs]

could i get a rec list of long (30k+) frank-centric any pairing fics? (preferably not in first person, and if there's smut with bottom frank)…weirdly specific but at least i know what i like?

Being specific is totally fine! Depending on what it is you’re looking for, it can even be super helpful :) I originally thought this would be difficult, but it turns out I already had all of these in my bookmarks. It didn’t specifically check for bottom!Frank though (sorry).

Frank-centric Longfic

Gerard Way's (Vampire) Detective Agency by jjtaylor, Pennyplainknits, mainly Frank/Gerard, 164k, Mature. Pete, in Decaydance Mansion, with a yarrow stake. Frank and Gerard, in the greenhouse, with a plant of questionable origin. Bob, everywhere you look, with a gang of assassins for justice. Vampires, valets, pamphlets, haunted furniture, dub-thrall, disembodied voices, zombie couriers, and sinister rituals.

Nightswimming by waxjism, Frank/Gerard, 141k, Not Rated. My Teenage Romance

Unholyverse by Bexless, Frank/Gerard, Ray/Mikey, 187k, Mature, Explicit. Religion! Horror! Exorcisms! Piercings! And Gerard is a priest.

Illyria (King and Country) by tabulaxrasa, Frank/Gerard, 57k, Explicit. Today, they'd woken up and Gerard was King of Illyria. Frank hasn't really been a stable boy since he ended up in the archduke's bed, but now Gerard's exile is over and he's king. Frank has to survive court, politics, and scheming nobles to figure out exactly what he is now.

Stunning Someone by morbid_beauty, Frank/Gerard, 82k, Explicit. Frankie, a tattoo artist living in Brooklyn, has basically everything ze wants...except, like, someone to cuddle with at night. As lame as that sounds. Gerard, an art student living in Manhattan, meets someone of questionable gender and starts a friendship with an unrequited crush. (Or: the one where Frankie is genderfluid, Gerard is kind of ignorant to much of the queer community, and sometimes you just fall for a stunning someone.)

Envision the Magic by innocent_wolves, Frank/Gerard, 69k, Teen And Up Audiences. Gerard is a talented magician, responsible for much of the success of the famous Envision Destiny cruise ship. He's also one of those people. You know, one of those people who just seem to take up all the space they come across with their arrogance and confidence. You wouldn't wanna touch their personality with a 10-foot pole, but still people admire them. That is beyond Frank. Working behind the cruise ship bars and seeing Gerard pretty much every day, he can't understand what's so great about him. Besides, everybody else doesn't have to deal with his snide remarks and rude comments. Because if there's one thing Gerard seems to love, it's the act of constantly pestering Frank.

Truths That He Learned by gala_apples, Frank/Mikey, Patrick/Mikey/Pete, Ashlee/Patrick/Pete, 37k, Explicit. It's Frank's senior year, and it seems like he's constantly having new experiences, at least half of which come as a complete surprise to him. He falls in love, comes out, and has sex, not necessarily in that order.

Fit to be tied by maryangel, Frank/Gerard, 56k, Explicit. Frank is a bartender. Gerard is an alcoholic. They were clearly made for each other. Also, Frank is a werewolf.

Only Going One Way by ataratah, jjtaylor, Frank/Gerard, 73k, Mature. Crossover with due South. Constable Gerard Way of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Detective Frank Iero of the Chicago PD team up find Mikey Way in a city where bowling alley score cards hide secret codes, where the good guys are either lying or undercover (and sometimes lying about being undercover), and where criminal bakers make drug-laced frosting.

James Cameron Got It Wrong by ladyfoxxx, Frank/Fun Ghoul/Party Poison, 57k, Explicit. In which 2005!Frank and Fun Ghoul get it on. Then Frank accidentally winds up in 2019.

Rock and Roll Never Looked so Beautiful by corruptedkid, Frank/Gerard, 58k, Explicit. Gerard Way is a rising solo artist, set to become the next big thing in the alternative scene. Frank Iero is a trashy punk with a reputation of his own as the frontman of Pencey Prep. When their paths cross, a love story is born, only to come crashing down when Gerard hits it big. As Gerard ascends to the A-list, Frank adjusts to life on his own. He almost manages it - until two years later, when fate puts him face to face with Gerard once more. Everything has changed, but the connection between them is still there. Their story has ended once before, but if they're lucky, they just might make a new one.

I never told you what I do for a living. by not0-fuckin-kay, Frank/Gerard, 60k+, PG-13 to NC-17. Frank Iero, male nurse at Pete Wentz's private hospital and possibly more to one new patient he can't keep his eyes off of. When a new pateint is brought in with amnesia, just days before Christmas, and with nothing but the clothes on his back and a strange drawing, it's left to Frank to find out who he is and what happened to him. When he does, it changes Frank's life forever, as he's thrust into love and health scares he never thought would complicate his life. This is the story of how he tries to make it through, juggling his job and his love-life and just trying to make things better. With Patrick the doctor, Bob the ward supervisor, Travis the unlikely therapist, and Mikey, the sometimes wannabe homicidal geek.

and me here on the ground by ohnoktcsk, Frank/Gerard, 32k, Explicit. Frank's worked hard to build a life for himself in the city of Jersey, where dragons swoop and dive over the river, and every day is divided by the ringing of the city bells. He knows the streets of the city like he knows the the tattoos on the backs of his hands, and he's content with what he has: a job as a bike courier, friends who love to give him shit, and a crush on a professor of art history at the local university. But he's also got a secret—one he's been running from for a long time. But all it takes is one delivery to a mysterious, quite-probably-magical bookshop to show Frank that there are some things you can’t outrun. Especially since he’s finally found a place that he doesn’t want to leave.

Companion by onceuponamoon, Frank/Gerard, 34k, Explicit. A workplace AU. There’s a dude sitting in one of the high-backed chairs opposite the reception desk. Mostly obscured by a fake ficus plant between them, the guy probably wouldn’t have been noticeable save for the lazy sprawl of his legs, the Chucks contrasting against the floral rug.

Your Heart The Only Place That I Call Home by dear_monday, Frank/Gerard, 30k, Explicit. When Frank and his crew of morally ambiguous ethernauts (pirates, as Imperial law would have it, but that's such an ugly word) fetch up on the doorstep of the fabled Sanctuary, they aren't expecting to find much - least of all a long-lost brother, a garden in a box and the key to an ancient riddle.

Give Me a Reason by mistresscurvy, Lindsey/Frank/Jamia/Gerard and most variants thereof, 38k, Explicit. July 2007. Frank is fucking stoked for the next tour. This one will be the best ever, because his wife's gonna be with him the entire time. They've been married for less than six months, and he still can't fucking believe he got to marry her. This summer is going to rock. But life never happens as he plans.

In Repair by autoschediastic, Frank/Gerard, 33k, Explicit. "Shit," Frank mutters, and shoves both hands through his hair. He looks around the kitchen like he's gonna find what he should do scratched into the old linoleum, then looks back at the bot. He gnaws on his lip. Fuck it. He already knows what he's gonna do. He's just gotta do it. Getting down on his knees, he braces a hand on the edge of the crate and leans over the bot. It's dressed in a plain white tee and matching drawstring pants like an escaped mental patient. Frank rolls his neck and cracks his knuckles, shaking the ache out of them before carefully laying his palm against its cheek. He's pretty sure his voice is steady when he says, "Activate." Nothing happens. Fucking shitty packaging-- the thing's busted. But Frank keeps his hand where it is, jumping a little when he feels the surge of energy beneath it. The robot's skin goes from room temperature to lukewarm, then warm. Frank watches it open its eyes, the light behind them adjusting until they're a pale sort of brown. It looks at him and asks, "Am I dead?"

Promises, Promises by silentdescant, Frank/Gerard, 31k, Explicit. "Sources on our investigative team say this was a bank robbery gone wrong, and that, when faced with a police task force surrounding the building, the suspect grabbed the nearest person and is now holding that young man at gunpoint as he makes his getaway."

Cover To Cover by silentdescant, Frank/Gerard, 32k, Explicit. You've Got Mail AU. Frank owns The Shop Around The Corner, which specializes in classic and rare books, and Gerard is opening up a large branch of Way Books & Café down the street. They meet online and fall in love.

Love: The Package Deal by jjtaylor, Frank/Gerard, Lindsey/Frank/Jamia/Gerard, 30k, Mature. Gerard gets a special kind of amnesia. Frank gets to reexamine his idea of acceptable relationship structures. Lots of people fail to communicate effectively, but they all sure remember how to kiss.

Let The Darkness Lead You Home by rivers_bend, Frank/Gerard, 49k, Explicit. Vampires are in charge and most of the humans on earth are prey, so Frank Iero's parents have him train as a cyber tech to protect him. Leaving the family he's born into may have saved his life, but his parents never could have expected the lengths he'd go to in order to find a new family to call home.

Gross roomies by turps, Frank/Mikey, 36k, Explicit. Frank loves living with Mikey. Sure, the apartment is a mess, the kitchen's a toxic wasteland, and there's something growing in the refrigerator that's just a day or two away from becoming sentient, but other than those minor inconveniences, it's all cool. Or it is until Mikey decides to embark on a journey of sexual discovery and adventure and Frank's left at home with nothing but the fridge monster for company. To make matters worse, Mikey insists on telling Frank everything he does with his new kinky friends, right down to the tiniest detail. And now suddenly Frank is best friends with his right hand and he can't stop thinking about Mikey in ways he never has before. The really big problem, other than suddenly being in lust with his best friend, is that Frank isn't sure why.

Of All The Hidden Corners by moneyes, Frank/Gerard, ~44k, PG-13. An epic, adventurous tale filled with alternate universes, lords, mischief, magical powers, snark, boyfriends, and luck of the bad kind.

Church of Hot Addiction by spleenjournal, 0nlymemories, Frank/Gerard, Frank/Mikey, 36k, Adult. When Gerard Way gets transferred to Our Lady of Peace in Arlington a few weeks into his Senior year, he thinks it's his chance to be cool. Too bad his idea of "cool" is no cooler than it was in 3rd grade, even if there aren't any green tights.

Paradox 'verse by stoplightglow, Frank/Gerard, 42k, Mature. You know the saying. The best part about hitting rock bottom is that you get to meet a hot psychic.