#john b outer banks imaging

[morgandr]

Imagine:

Going to the Outer Banks for spring break and befriending a couple of people who you help find the lost treasure of their home town.

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(PHOTOS FOUND ON PINTEREST!)

(Outer Banks DR)

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(TAGS)

[samandcolbyownme]

So since you’re doing Outer Banks stories (I think) if it’s alright with you can you make a JJ Maybank x Fem Reader story?

My Shirt | JJ Maybank

Warnings: SMUT18+, strong language, sneaking around, smoking weed, flirting, kissing, teasing, biting, scratching, hair pulling, unprotected sex, creampie, mentions of skinny dipping, general filth

“Thanks again, JB.” You say as you pull up to the Chateau, “Sorry it so sudden, but you know how it goes.” John B hums on the other end of the line, “Just as long as you’re safe, okay. Stay as long as you need.”

You park and sit back with a sigh, “Thank you. I just got here now, so I just wanted to let you know.” You put your phone on speaker, setting it down so you can unbuckle.

“You should just move here, y/n. You know your mom can’t force you to do anything.”

You get out, taking your phone with you, “I’ve thought about it. I just- I don’t know. We can figure it out when you get back. You have a trip to enjoy. Tell Sarah I said hi.”

You hear him tell Sarah and she takes the phone, yelling a quick, “Hiiii, y/n!” John B takes the phone back and laughs, “anyway. I told JJ to stay away, but you know how he is.”

You laugh, smirking at the thought of JJ coming over when it’s just you.

“Just tell him to go away or I’ll kick his ass.” John B pulls you from your thoughts and you laugh, “I’ll do what I can, JB.”

“Don’t tell him I told you this, but JJ always keeps a joint in the drawer to the right of the sink.” John b says and you smirk, “I always knew you were my favorite cousin.”

“It’s cause I am.” John B laughs, “Alright, plane is ready to go. Call me if you need anything.” You say your goodbyes and you make your way into the house. You look around, shaking your head at the man made mess.

“Boys will be boys.” You roll your eyes with a laugh and you walk into the spare room. You toss your bag down on the bed and go over to the basket that has all the stuff you forgot each time you were there.

You pull out a grey shirt, tilting your head as you try to remember if it’s yours or not. You shrug, tossing it on the bed before you take off your sweatshirt.

This time, you didn’t really have time to grab anything you really needed, you took off with the literal clothes on your back and few others you could grab during your fit of rage, all while you argued with your mother, also John B’s aunt.

John B knows how she is, but he also understands why you keep going back, so he’s there whenever you need because you grew up together. Even though you’re just cousins, it really seems like you were brother and sister.

You kick off your jeans and pull the shirt down over your body, the hem just barely covering your ass fully.

You grabbed your clothes and the duffle and make your way to throw everything in the washer. You look around, shaking your head as you make a mental note to buy more laundry detergent tomorrow.

After spending time cleaning up and throwing more stuff in, you start the wash, biting down on your lip as you bend down to take off your underwear. You toss them in with the rest of your laundry before closing the lid and making hour way to work on the kitchen.

As much as you respected John B and his wishes to not mack on his friends, you were hoping JJ decides to break the rules and show up.

As you’re working on clearing up the counter, you freeze as you hear a knock on the door, “Yo, Yo.”

You bite your lip, smirking as you continue to scrub the bowl in your hand.

“Yo.” JJ says as he slowly rounds the corner, “Oh that’s right, John B’s with Sarah, in another country.”

You turn around and his eyes move down your body, “Yeah and you’re not supposed to be here.” You smirk, turning back around.

“Wait, is that my shirt?”

You look down, and as soon as he says that, the image of JJ in this shirt pops into your head and you feel heat rise in your cheeks.

You dry off the bowl, reaching up to open the cupboard. As you rise to your tippy toes, the grey shirt slides up, revealing your bare ass to him.

He groans lowly, trying to cover it up with clearing his throat, “And only my shirt?” He blows out air, a quiet fuck escaping his lips.

“Sorry, Jayj. JB must have just thrown it into my basket by accidental.” You say over your shoulder and he shakes his head, licking his lips, “I didn’t say it was a problem, sweetheart.”

You smirk, rinsing your hands off, “That’s a shame..” you turn around, crossing your leg in front of the other as you grip the counter, “Because I was going to tell you that you needed to take it off of me yourself if it was.”

He tilts his head and lets out a sigh, “Now that you say something, get that fucking thing off right now.” He walks over to you, his hips pin yours against the counter behind you.

You look up at him, giggling slightly as he pulls the grey fabric up over your body, revealing what he’s always pictured while his hand strangled his own cock.

“Fuck, y/n.” He slides his hands up and down your arms before he moves them to cup your cheeks, “Fuckin’ beautiful.”

You smirk, licking your lips before you look down at his shirt, “I think you’re a little behind, Maybank.”

He chuckles, looking down, “Yeah, I guess so. Let me fix that.” He pulls his shirt over his head and tosses it down, “C’mere.”

He pulls you into him, spinning you around to walk you back to the couch as his lips crash onto yours.

You moan against his lips, pulling yourself closer to him, “Jayj.” You whimper out, “Please, touch me. Do something.”

“Mm.” He kisses down your neck, “Needy for papa J, I see.”

You gasp as you feel his hand slip in between your legs, sliding up and down between your wet folds, “All I need to know.”

JJ smirks and crashes his lips into yours as two of his fingers thrust inside of you.

Your back arches off the couch and your nails sink into his skin as he swallows your moans, “J-“ you whimper out, “J.”

“Does that feel good? Hmm?” He asks, peppering kisses all over your face as his fingers curl upward, “Gotta tell me what you like, sweetheart.”

“T-that.” You gasp, walls clenching around his fingers, “Feels so good, Jayj.”

His lips move to yours as he repeats the action, which has you squirming under his touch, begging for him to stop even though you really don’t mean it - and JJ keeps going, working you towards your first orgasm, “Are you close? Your pussy is squeezing my fingers for dear life.”

You bite down on your lip, nodding your head, “Oh, fuck, y-yeah.”

His lips find yours and you moan into his mouth. He swallows them with ease, glancing down to watch your cunt swallow his fingers, “Fuck, you’re so worth the lecture.”

He crashes his lips into yours and you become a whimpering mess under him as you cum. Your body tenses under his and he groans against your lips, “That’s it. There we go.”

You moan louder as JJ’s thumb rubs lazy circles on your clit, sliding your hands up to his hair. You whimper, pulling him back down to kiss you again, “Please, fuck me.”

“Never thought I’d hear those words in my life.” He pushes his hips between your thighs and his cock slips into you, making you both gasp out in shock that things finally happening.

“Holy mother of fuck.” He groans as he kisses you roughly, his cock pushing into you fully. You cry out with pleasure as his thrusts pick up immediately.

Fast and hard.

Your eyes roll back as his hand comes up to lay on the side of your neck, “You sound so pretty.” He kisses back your jaw, “You look so pretty.”

He moans lowly, “Fuckin’ pussy is taking me so goddamn well.”

How slides his hand over, gripping your throat tight - and your phone rings.

You try to turn your head and JJ moves your head back, “Don’t worry about that right now.” His lips fall to yours, distracting you until it rings again.

He looks over and grabs it, handing it to you, “Answer it. It’s John B.”

Your eyes go wide and you sit up, but JJ pushes you back down, “No. I’m going to eat you out while you talk to him.”

You answer the call as JJ moves down your body, “Hello?”

“Hey, we landed, just thought I’d call and see how you’re doing.” John B says on the other end, “You didn’t clean up did you?”

You take a deep breath, “I just.. woke up from a nap.” You bite down on your lip as JJ’s tongue works it way into your pussy, “And yeah.. I did clean up.”

You try your hardest not to let any whimpers or moans slip because JJ was phenomenal at this. His tongue swipes around your cunt as his fingers rub harsh circles on your clit.

“You didn’t have to do that.” John B laughs, “But I appreciate it. I ne-“

“More laundry stuff. Noted.” You force a laugh to cover up the moan that’s desperately trying to escape, “I’ll go tomorrow.”

You bring your hand up, covering your mouth as you close your eyes.

“Did JJ show up? I tried calling him, too but he isn’t answering.”

“Haven’t seen him.” You lift your head, watching as the blonde between your legs absolutely devours you, “Which… is..” you squeeze your eyes shut and breathe out, “Surprising.”

“I’m sure he’ll show up, but you know the drill.”

You roll your hips, biting down on your lip to compose yourself, “With you constantly drilling it into my head, how can I not?”

He laughs, “Alright. Let me know if you hear from Jayj.”

“I will.” You roll your eyes, praying that John B will just hang up, “Have a good trip.”

“Will do. See ya, y/n.”

“Yep, bye.” You pull the phone away, hanging up before you reach down and grab JJ by the hair, “You motherfucker.”

He laughs, reaching down to grab your hips, “I’m only fuckin’ you, baby.” He smirks and flips you over, lifting your hips so he can reinsert his cock into you and you moan out loudly, “J-Jayj, please.”

“So needy.” He lifts a hand, allowing it to slap back down onto the skin of your ass, “I fuckin’ love that.”

He leans down, wrapping your hair around his hand and pulling you to sit up a little before his thrusts fall back into being hard and fast.

You reach up, holding yourself up on the arm of the couch as you cry out, “Yesyesyes, right there, JJ!”

“That’s it, baby.” He throws his head back, groaning out before leaning down to peck the back of your shoulder, “If only JB knew just how much of a little slut you were for me.”

“He would explode..” you laugh slightly but it turns into a moan, “Fuck, J.” You tilt your head back and he rests his forehead against it, “You close again?”

“Uh huh.” You nod slightly, “Need all of you.” You push your hips back to meet his thrusts and JJ groans, “You want it, you gotta earn it.”

He sit down on the couch and pulls you back into his lap. Your legs move to either side of his hips and you sink back down onto his cock.

He leans forward, kissing up the valley between your boobs, “So fuckin’ beautiful.” He leans back, hands sliding down your sides, “Fuckin’ look at you.”

You start to bounce, eager to get him to his point of spilling everything inside of you.

You needed him, maybe it was the forbidden love label that your over protective cousin slapped on JJ, but you could go crazy if you didn’t get it.

“Ridin’ me like a pro. Fuck.” He leans back, eyes trailing down your body to stop and fixate on your body meeting his with each bounce from you, “Jesus, fuck.”

His hands grip your hips and he looks up at you, “Gimme one more, sweetheart. One more, and I’ll give you want you want.”

Desperate for his release, you grip the couch behind his shoulders and continuously slam your hips down, moaning out constantly as you work yourself to your own orgasm.

“Fuck there you go.” JJ bucks his hips up, “just like that, keep it goin, baby. Keep it goin’.”

Your lips meet his, swallowing each others moans as you feel him finish inside you, “Jayj.” You whimper, “Feels so good.”

His pulls you into his body, arms wrapping around you as he kisses your head, “How was that, hmm?” You nod against his neck, “Amazing, Jayj.”

He rubs your back for a few minutes before he giggles to himself. You sit up, tilting your head as you look at him, “What?”

He licks his lips, laying his head back, “You have ever gone skinny dipping?”

You shake your head and he raises his brows, “You want to?” You bite down on your lip and smirk, standing up to wrap a blanket around your body, “I’ll race ya.”

You take off for the door and JJ is instantly behind you, laughing and still naked as can be, “Don’t let me catch you.”

——

Let me know what you thought! Thank you so much for reading! I truly love each and every one of you. See you in the next one! 🖤

Likes and reblogs are majorly appreciated!

[lovelyjj]

maybe a mix of “i’m just afraid” and “tell me the truth”? 🫶

avoidance

jj maybank x reader

wc: 1.4k

a/n: I lowkey hate this.

You and JJ were the best of friends. You did everything together. He was your person you told everything to. He was your partner in crime. There were no secrets between the two of you.

You and JJ were on the couch that was on John B’s porch, enjoying the rain. The rain was blanketing the outer banks in water, soaking the grass and trees.

“I love the rain,” you stated.

“Really why?” JJ asked.

“I don’t know it makes me feel less alone, like the sky is crying with me.”

“That’s a really good reason,” JJ replied.

“Thanks,” you smiled.

“You want to dance?” JJ asked with a goofy grin on his face.

“In the rain?” You questioned surprised.

“In the rain,” JJ confirmed.

“Ok.”

JJ got up and reached his hand out for you to take, which you gladly accepted. The two of you went out on the grass and JJ held onto one hand. Then he put one hand on your waist and you put the hand not holding his, on his shoulder.

You guys danced and he spun you around and you got soaking wet. You were having a lot of fun though. You were having a blast and so was JJ.

When you were finished JJ ushered you inside as you giggled.

You both changed into dry clothes and afterwards JJ had an idea.

“Let’s make some hot chocolate,” JJ announced.

“Yes please,” you answered.

JJ whipped up two mugs of cocoa and you both sipped yours quietly.

“Tastes good,” you whispered.

“Wanna watch a movie?” you asked JJ.

“Sure,” JJ replied.

You both settled into John B’s living room and put on spider-man. You ended up falling asleep on the pullout couch.

——————

A couple days later you were all going out on the boat. The day was bright and sunny perfect for going out on the water.

JJ was looking at you in your bikini top. He knew he shouldn’t be looking at his best friend like that but he couldn’t help it. You looked hot and JJ could hardly look away from your chest.

You were oblivious to JJ’s ogling. You were happy to be on the boat with your friends.

“I can’t believe the weather is so nice,” you spoke.

“Yeah it’s perfect,” Pope responded.

“I thought it would be windy out here on the water,” JJ said removing his attention from your breasts.

“Hope we can catch some fish,” John B announced.

“Should be able to,” JJ commented.

While the boys were fishing, you Kiara and Sarah were on your phones. You were looking through your photos and you noticed how many you had of you and JJ.

There was one of you two at the beach with the waves in the background and a pretty sunset.

“Can I post this J?” you asked.

“Let me see it.”

You handed your phone to JJ and he took it. He scanned the image and smiled a genuine smile.

“Yeah that’s a good one. Go ahead fire away.”

You gave him a smile and decided to post the picture.

After a while you got a few comments. One was from Sarah that said, “Goals.”

You ignored it because you didn’t want to draw attention to it. The last thing you needed was people assuming your in a relationship with JJ cause your not. Your just friends and that’s all you ever will be.

—————

You were spending more and more time with JJ. Sometimes with the other pogues and sometimes just the two of you.

You were starting to catch feelings for him. You didn’t know how or why but being around him brought out the best in you. You started to fall in love with your best friend. You were scared you’ve never felt this way before. And what if he doesn’t love you back.

You decided to go to Kiara and ask for her help. She was working at the wreck, so you made your way over there.

“Hey Kie, I need your help,” you hesitated.

“Yeah sure y/n whatever you need,” Kiara replied.

“Here let’s sit down,” Kiara said as she directed you to a small table by the window.

You sat across from her and she gave you a kind smile with kind eyes.

“What’s up,” Kiara started.

“Well um I’ve sorta had these feelings for a certain someone and I’m not sure what to do about it. I just know I don’t want to tell them,” you began.

“Why don’t you want to tell them,” Kiara asked.

“I’m just afraid,” you bit your lip.

“What do you have to be afraid of?”

“Well first of all he could not feel the same way. He could reject me. He could laugh in my face. The list goes on,” you threw your hands up in the air.

“JJ wouldn’t do that,” Kiara raised a brow.

“How do you know it’s JJ?” You asked.

“Oh come on, who else would it be.”

“You’ve got a point.” you laughed.

“Speak of the devil,” Kiara whispered as you turned to the sound of the door opening.

JJ sauntered in to the wreck, Pope, John B and Sarah following suit.

“The gangs all here,” Kiara exclaimed.

“I need to go,” you whispered to Kiara.

“What why?”

“I just need to, ok!”

You slipped out the back door leaving the rest of the crew utterly confused.

—————

You have been avoiding JJ. It’s not that you wanted to, you hated the distance between you and not seeing him but you didn’t know how to act around him anymore.

You were getting worried because you thought JJ was on to you. Now JJ was getting worried because he hasn’t seen you in a while. He figured that you were mad at him. He hated it.

When the pogues would hang out all together you would not be there. You would miss the activities they had planned.

It was getting harder and harder hiding your feelings from JJ. You would always blush or your heart would beat really fast. So your only option you decided was to stop hanging out with him.

JJ was confused because of your absence. He was going to get to the bottom of this. He was determined.

He assumed you would be at your house. So that’s where he showed up. He knocked on your door a few times and after a few minutes you came to the door. You were shocked to see JJ standing there.

You wanted to run back to your room and hide. You were embarrassed by your actions. Just all of a sudden ghosting him. He didn’t deserve that.

“Hey um so I miss you. A lot. And I think we need to talk,” JJ scratched the back of his neck.

“Sure.”

You stepped outside and closed the door behind you.

“I need to know why your avoiding me,” JJ insisted.

“I’m not avoiding you.”

“y/n.”

“Ok ok I’ve been avoiding you because I didn’t want to see you.” You nervously crossed your arms and looked down.

JJ wasn’t buying it. “No. Tell me the truth.”

As you looked into JJ’s pleading blue eyes you felt your stomach flip. You couldn’t lie to him even if you tried.

“Fine. You want the truth? The truth is I’m in love with you. And I don’t know how to act around you anymore. I assumed you didn’t feel the same way so to save myself the rejection, I avoided you.”

“You thought I wouldn’t feel the same way?” JJ questioned.

“I’ve been in love with you for years,” JJ confessed.

“Really?”

JJ nodded his head.

“I can’t believe you did all that.” JJ said surprised.

You took a step closer to JJ and he took your face in his hands.

“Come here,” JJ whined.

You didn’t need to be asked twice. You leaned in and JJ placed lips on yours. Instantly you felt electrifying sparks shoot trough you. Your stomach erupted with butterflies. The kiss was gentle and delicate. JJ was excited and you were giddy.

Your lips were crushing together and moving against each other. JJ was feeling warm all over. Your hands were resting on JJ’s shoulders. One of JJ’s hand rested on your jaw and one hand snaked lower to your butt squeezing lightly. This caused you to gasp, allowing JJ’s tongue to slide into your mouth.

After making out you pulled away breathless. You wore a big smile and JJ laughed.

“You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.” JJ broke the silence.

“I’ve missed you too,” you responded.

“Will you be mine?” JJ asked.

“Yes, I’ll be yours,” you exclaimed.

JJ picked you up and spun you around, your laughter mixing together to create a sense of harmony and happiness. Since you and JJ were best of friends your romantic relationship will only flourish because you loved each other wholeheartedly.

[miguelschamp]

labyrinth

pairing: drew starkey x actress!fem!reader

summary: drew calms your anxiety at poguelandia

warnings: secret relationship, mentions of anxiety, mentions of slightly harmful coping techniques, other than that, complete and utter fluff :)

you look around at the fans surrounding you. you were at poguelandia. the event being held to promote season three of outer banks.

you were apart of the main cast. you played a teenage girl that had been apart of the pogues since the very beginning. being best friends with jj and john b first and slowly adding in pope, kie, and sarah.

to say events like this gave you anxiety would be an understatement. it was all you could think about since you heard about it from your manager.

you were so scared of doing something wrong. literally anything could ruin someone’s image when they’re in the public eye.

you had been doing well so far, but as time went on you could feel yourself becoming increasingly anxious as it set in just how many people had come to see you.

you tried mingling with madison and jonathan to hopefully clear your mind and bring your mood up, but it wasn’t working.

luckily, madison had noticed your behavior and discretely called over the one person who could help you when you got in your head like this.

drew.

you look around as some fans call your name. you give them a smile and blow them a kiss which made them erupt in screams and shouts of praise.

you chuckle softly as you turn back toward madison and jonathan. you take a deep breath as you start to pick at your hands. a habit you’ve had the majority of your life. it was also a habit that you were trying to get rid of since it only ended in small cuts and bruises littering your hands.

“hey.” you hear. you look up as someone cups their hands around yours pulling them away from each other.

“drew ?”

“hey, what’s going on ?” he asks softly

you shake your head, “nothing.”

“you sure ?” he says. you notice that he hasn’t let go of of you.

“oh my god, drew and y/n.”

“are you guys dating ?”

“we love you guys.”

you turn toward the shouts. speculations of you and drew being together have spread over the internet like wildfire since the first season of outer banks. at first, they weren’t true. you guys really were just friends, but after awhile they were.

you and drew started dating just before the release of the second season, but you two agreed that you wouldn’t post your relationship all over the internet.

seeing as most of your lives were on full display no matter how badly you wanted to avoid it, you wanted this to be just between yourselves for as long as you possibly could.

yours and drew’s relationship was more than you could ever ask for. he treated you amazingly, making you feel as if you were the only girl in the entire world.

“hey.” he says quietly. you turn to him noticing that he’s gotten a lot closer. “don’t worry about them it’s just you and me right now.”

“i don’t know what happened. i was fine and then i wasn’t.”

“that’s okay.” he nods, “you’re doing amazing.”

“no, i’m not. this is my job and i can’t even do it without feeling like my world is caving in on itself.”

“everyone deals with something, baby. trust me when i say that you’re not the only actress dealing with this. you’re doing the best you can, alright ?”

you nod slowly as you look down at your hands. he still hadn’t let go.

“you’re gonna have to let go soon so no one says anything.” you mumble, but he heard you due to how close he was.

“i don’t care.” he says. “i’m worried about you right now.”

you look up at him catching his blue eyes shining through his glasses. “i’m okay.”

as drew looks down at you, he knew you weren’t fine. you were just trying to make him feel better about your situation. so, despite what you two had agreed to, his hand cups your jaw softly.

your brows furrow, but you instinctively lean further into his hand. you’re taken aback when he leans in and places a soft kiss on your lips.

you’re too enamored by drew to hear the gasps and murmurs of the fans that saw you guys. madison and jonathan smiling at each other at you two finally being together in public.

as drew pulls away, what just happened finally dawns on you. “drew-“

“i know.” he says, “i care more about you than what people have to say about us.”

you smile softly as he rubs his thumb across your cheek. you nod to yourself as you grab his hand that had been resting on your cheek.

you lean up and place a kiss on his cheek that earns a smile from your boyfriend. as you stand in front of him, drew gushes.

“i’m never washing this cheek again.”

you giggle as he wraps his arms around you pulling him into his chest. planting a kiss on your head as you two sway together.

your worries and anxieties washing away as you’re held by the man you love. and now everyone else knew it, too.

[yiiyiiwrites]

Pope x burnt out, overachieving Kook

She’s got a supportive family, so her downfall from the top felt so much harder. The abrupt drop, she wasn’t expecting. She’s been hiding in her room for half the summer. Too scared to ruin her families image.

The one comfort to her at the moment is a fan account she runs online with another person who she met online. They both love the same sci-fi books, even go back and forth between the direction of the next book. Their admin names hidden beneath their favourite characters.

Little does she know, she’s messaging Pope Heyward. Fellow geek, thats had the same love for the books. They read a few chapters a week and talk about it over the weekend. Character flaws, messages written in a language only the readers would understand.

Mid summer on the hottest day of the year, she reveals hers worries. Pope’s too smart though, he picks up on everything figured out who she is as soon as she shares with him. Before he can reply, she’s logged offline. His response deleting in the face of her absence.

Pope’s been online a bit too much. His friends keep telling him to come outside and away from his room. She hasn’t been online since, he would know. Even if he was with the Pogues he’d be checking the fan account on his phone. Hoping she’d appear online.

She answers the door after the storm, Pope standing under the porch with a bag of groceries in his arms. She thanks him and takes the bag from him. Her gaze wandering to the fan t-shirt and a smile tugs at her lips for the first time in a long time. They exchange a few comments about the book, surface level nothing too detailed. Pope too shy to reveal himself as he stares at the now shut door.

When she pops up online, he can’t help but smile. She mentions the guy who she sparked a conversation with and jokes that it could have been him and she wouldn’t have known. It is an obscure book that wasn’t that mainstream. An old sci-fi from the eighties with a terrible front cover that both made them laugh and want to read it.

It’s not until they bump into each other at the library and go to grab the same book. It’s the new released book and it’s the only one there. Both gripping the book, her neck craning to meet his eyes. The lit phone screen in his hand catches her attention, the fan page glaring at her in the dingy lighting of the rows of books. His reply still in the bubble and not yet sent. It’s then when she realises who he is.

They hang out in the library, laughing at how they’ve been right in front of each other. Numbers exchanged, notes scribbled in the book as they take a turn to read a few chapters before returning it to the other.

It doesn’t stop there though. They make it a tradition. Meeting at the library, picking a book to share between them for the next few weeks. Silent giggles in between the aisles of books and stealthy unwrapping of snacks. The librarian telling them to be quiet even though they’re the only ones left in there.

When Pope introduces her to the Pogues, she easily fits in well. She might be a Kook, but she’s just like Pope. Heated debates between Pope and her cause the other Pogues to bet on who will win.

They both like to play the sci-fi card game (the one from their favourite book), which the others can’t quite seem to understand. She makes up a simple way to play all whilst it can still be played as it’s supposed to. She only plays for trades, lost her expensive sunglasses to JJ who wears them every day now. Traded bracelets with John b and lost her bike to Kie (who refused to take it, she does give Kie rides though so she sits in the front basket).

You can read the other outer banks character prompts with burnt out over achiever kook on my profile. - Yiiyii

[oddlykilledghosts]

I Want You To Like Me - Rafe Cameron x reader (Part Two)

Summary: You're a pogue by choice, kook from birth. The friendship that you have with the other pogues is undeniable, no one questions their loyalty for you or your loyalty to them. So when a certain King of the Kooks takes interest in you, it's only right to turn him down. Right?

Such a long part and so little Rafe…in the next parts I swear I will write more for just him, but it’s been so fun to be a part of the pogue friend group for now (but seriously next part will focus heavily on solely Rafe don’t worry) Very ‘domestic’ (loose way to use the word) view of the pogues this chapter, you get to see the ins and outs of their friendship a little more with reader

Word Count: 6.5k

Pairings: Rafe Cameron x reader, John B x Sarah Cameron, platonic!Pogues x reader

The Chateau was quiet when you walked in. You hadn’t expected the other Pogues to be there, but a part of you hoped Kiara had left the party at Tannyhill and would be waiting for you on the couch on the screened-in porch with that look on her face that said she knew what you had been up to. You kind of wanted her to scold you for taking that ride home. For kissing the eldest Cameron. You wanted Kiara to kick your logic back into its rightful place where it had abandoned it’s station back at the party (and in Rafe’s car) and agree with her that even the thought of fraternizing with him was wrong. Even if it meant she would be angry with you. 

The thought of your best friend lingered in your mind as you stood aimlessly in the front door of the Chateau. Frozen, you could picture her different reactions. Mostly the angry ones. And then the nicer ones. Your eyes flickered to the chairs in front of you as dreamy images of Kiara floated into your view. Her face changed as you imagined the various scenarios, none of them ending up well whether nice or angry. Desperately you wanted to confide in the girl, to have someone to talk this through with. But you knew that the anger that came with it would not help you work through what were beginning to be some very confusing feelings. For some reason you bargained with yourself, saying that the anger would be better. That it would give you a better sense of reality than this idea of Rafe could.

But then you looked around the screened-in porch and sighed, picking up a bandana that had been left on the chair nearest to the door. Of course you wouldn’t tell her. And you hated yourself for it. You wanted to hate yourself for liking Rafe as well. For liking the conversation you had with him in his car and for kissing him because you wanted to. But somehow you only hated how you didn’t hate yourself. You twirled the bandana between your fingers, thinking about how Rafe probably didn’t mean any of what he said. You figured he was bored and made it all up (although you doubted he would lie about Wheezie). You also doubted he was going to brag about a measly drunken kiss to any of his friends. It would be more likely he would never want to talk about fraternizing with a pogue ever again. If he did talk, he would say offhandedly that it was a mistake and that you were wrong about the whole situation. There was no worry this was going to escape Rafe’s lips and spread to the likes of the other Kooks of the Outer Banks. So really, the harm in telling Kie would have no benefit. It’s not like you were actually “in love” with Rafe Cameron now. It was a kiss. A crush from over a year ago. And it didn’t mean anything. Yes, you nodded to yourself as you held the bandana, wringing it in your hands. You were right, Rafe is an asshole, and pretending he’s not just for a night isn’t going to change his behavior. He’s going to keep being Rafe Cameron and wishing that he’d miraculously evolve into a better person won’t change that. There aren’t enough shooting stars in the world.

“Okay,” You breathed in, talking to yourself even though no one was around to hear (especially because no one was around to hear). “No Kie. Got it.” You looked down at the bandana in your hands and started smoothing it out against your thigh, and then folded and tied it into a headband. You figured it was JB’s and knew he wouldn’t mind if you borrowed it. Maybe you just needed to borrow John B’s assuredness for a day or so. Just as you did with JJ’s hat. JJ was right, maybe the feelings can transfer. You reached up to your head ready to retrieve your friend’s accessory and patted the top of your head. Shit. 

JJ’s hat was gone. Of course it was gone. By JJ’s logic, the hat held all the power. And all of his dumbassery. And you had been wearing it at the party. Then in the car. Where you kissed Rafe. Maybe the wrong trait was transferred? Is that possible? This is JJ logic that is being discussed here. 

You needed to get that hat back. 

Slipping the bandana over your head - because if there was anything to do when you need guidance was to follow JJ logic (please do not ever do this) - you pushed yourself into the kitchen hoping the bandana was leeching John B of all of his good qualities and in turn giving them to you. Sorry JB. 

__________________

The search for your phone was the first thing on your agenda. You liked to think that your friend, JJ, would remember to tell the other pogues that you had left the party. However, in his state, you doubted that he would be able to relay the message to your other friends. This would cause a problem if you weren’t able to reassure the worried pogues (once you found your phone) that you had not in fact been murdered on your way home and that you were as fine as you had ever been (leaving out the parts that weren’t convenient to your case). The hope was to find the phone before they even realized you were gone. The second, more inconvenient hope, was that you would be able to contact Rafe before anyone else found a certain Pogue’s infamous red and gray hat on the floor of his passenger seat.

You tried your hand between cushions and between spaces on the bookshelves. Then you even dared to look through some places in the messy kitchen, which no one had thought to clean up since the last misadventure in cooking. While you looked, you tried to clean up as best you could - being a good house guest and all - but it was mostly a lost cause (and technically some kind of torture). 

You usually tended to leave your phone in odd and awkward places, especially when hanging out with the Pogues…but this was crossing a line. You truly wanted to believe that it was somewhere obvious and you were just being stupid. For all you knew, it had fallen into the marsh from earlier in the day. 

Walking across the kitchen, you were finally ready to call it quits and sink yourself back onto the pull out couch in the next room when you heard it. You were hoping it had been your phone. But then more noise. Shuffling feet. What seemed like some very loud attempts at whispers. Sinking into the wall, blending in with the old wood as best you could, as if you were an intruder in the house, your hand instinctively went out to the table where misplaced cutlery were scattered and dirty (from what you assumed had been an attempt to make mac and cheese that had gone wrong). Pulling your hand back to your chest after successfully snatching one of the items, you felt a little calmer with a makeshift weapon. To fend off an intruder or drunk teenagers? Maybe both? You were easily on edge anyways.

So maybe you were drunker than you thought. You kept checking back in your head, how many drinks did you have? You couldn’t have thought it was that many, could you? Partier or not, drinking with JJ always loosened you up a bit. There was that game you two always played. What was it? Something about keeping track of drinks while betting to do more…you shook your head in defiance, he had made that up ages ago, it wasn’t an actual game set with actual rules. No way to be sure. But this did mean, if you were drunk, that you could blame the Rafe of it all on the alcohol.

“What are you doing?”

“AHHHHHHHhhhhh!” A scream jolted through your veins and through your mouth as you were disrupted from your scheme of blaming your “affliction” on your inability to hold your alcohol. Your weapon, now jutted out from your body towards the direction of the voice, suddenly looked weak as you realized it was a spatula. You looked up at where the sound came from and your eyes fell upon a familiar face. “Oh.” You said, suddenly disappointed you weren’t going to save The Chateau from uncertain death. “Hi, John B.”

Another face rounded the corner and entered the room, wiping at her hands with one of those souvenir towels JJ had stolen from the country club (don’t tell anyone). “Who was screaming?” Her face first found John B and then just as easily landed on you, with your spatula and her boyfriend’s bandana in your hair. You just hoped you didn’t look as suspicious as you felt you looked. 

The girl, who you hadn’t seen at Tannyhill, had her signature gold necklaces on and they gleamed softly even in the overhead lights of the kitchen. Her presence shook you a bit, as unexpected as it was to see an old friend you barely talk to arrive in the house of your new friend. It also surprised you to find she was wearing a shirt the two of you had picked out a couple years before. Yellow always looked so good on her, and you could tell she had barely been drinking as her skin faintly glowed with that morning’s tan.

It was a clear contrast to John B, who was in his signature pogue attire. His gray bandana hung loosely around his next and a button up hung on his shoulders with most of the top buttons undone. He looked so familiar and so comforting and so different than how the girl now felt to you. Which was foreign.

“And Sarah. Hey.” You looked between them wondering whether to be angry or glad they skipped the rest of the party and ended up at The Chateau with you. It crept into your mind that Kie would want you to be mad. Inviting Sarah into the pogues’ space, whether it be John B’s house or not, was almost sacrilege. It was making it real. But then, like a pang in your lower rib cage, Rafe entered your mind. That kiss. You weren’t allowed to be angry. You were doing the same, if not worse, to the pogues by getting in that car with Rafe. This was the time to be understanding. Maybe Kie wouldn’t understand at first, but you had to. You put down your spatula and leaned against the table where it had first been. “I was looking for my phone.” When the couple looked confused, you continued, “To answer your question, JB.” 

John B held back a little laugh, slowly realizing that you weren’t going to pummel him for having Sarah Cameron with him, “With a spatula?”

“I thought you were an intruder!”

“Yeah you were really gonna get me.” He let out a light laugh. He had been drinking too, but not enough to get shit-faced. He was in his happy little buzzed bubble and it definitely had something to do with the other girl in the room.

You could tell Sarah eased at her boyfriend’s laughter and the tension in the air shifted into something more comfortable as she spoke, “Why are none of the lights on? We thought no one was home.”

“I was conserving electricity! The kitchen light is on. Don’t act like your electricity bill it’s a worry of yours, Routledge.” You paused and then added, “I’m drunk, don’t expect me to have clear logic.”

John B stepped forward and made a show of feeling your forehead with the back of his hand, as if this would show definite proof, and said after he made a big shrug, “Results inconclusive. Drunk? Maybe. Stupid? Definitely.” You eyed him suspiciously, you knew John B well enough to know when his words were laced with something more. He was smart enough to keep whatever it was to himself with Sarah in the room, pogue business and all. That was a line you wouldn’t be able to let him cross. At least seeing as you didn’t cross it first. 

Absentmindedly, you pulled at your crop top as an anxious tick and then you poked an eye at Sarah quickly and changed the subject back to your phone, “Can you guys help me look while you’re here? I need to find it.”

John B muttered under his breath a short laugh that sounded like, “I’m sure you do.” While Sarah spoke up again, pulling out your phone from her back pocket, “We already did. Although, it is dead. I would think to be suspicious of you and John B, seeing we found this in his backpack but-” 

You cut the girl off, practically leaping into her arms, but you stopped yourself a few feet short and accepted the phone back like a normal person. You don’t usually leap into the arms of ex-friends unprompted. “Thanks, Sarah. Seriously.”

Sarah smiled but said, “Don’t thank me, JB totally saved the day. He grabbed your phone by mistake. It was in something called a ‘Twinkie’?”

You silently cursed JJ for doubting you. Of course you had dropped it in the Twinkie; who goes anywhere without their phone these days? 

“Well…” Sarah and John B started at the same time. And then it hit you. They left the party to come here thinking no one was home. Crap. You couldn’t just leave. Sure, you had your phone now but you also had at least some lecturing to do on Kie’s behalf. But your house on Figure Eight was far away on the other side of the island. You wouldn’t make it without being maimed. 

“Seems like I totally foiled your devious plans. That’s too bad.” You looked around awkwardly, trying to signal to John B that either he find somewhere else to snuggle up with Sarah or she hit the road. “Wait, how did you get here?” If they took the Twinkie, they’d have to circle back for the other pogues anyway. Win-win. 

“I drove.” Sarah answered. You internally groaned.

Sarah looked between you and the pogue leader. When she locked eyes with the boy there seemed to pass over them quickly, a silent understanding only a pogue would be able to pick up from watching the back of John B’s head. “But I have to get back anyway, Ward is going to be home tomorrow and I don’t want Wheezie to be the only one left cleaning up at Tannyhill.” You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding and wished you could give Sarah a hug. She was being too kind to you, but you’re sure John B had already prepped her on all of his friends (and to be kind to all of them - overtly so). She was being a good girlfriend, and a part of you wished you had been a better friend.

She hesitated before kissing John B lightly on the cheek and then she was gone. Her presence in The Chateau, only lingering by the smell of citrus and floral perfume.

Which left you alone with John B. Who didn’t look happy now that your buffer and his girlfriend had left the premises. And yet, you had only found out they were dating hours ago. Very normal, Y/N. Act cool.

________________________

John B spoke first after running his fingers through his hair. Not once. Twice. His voice was stern as he spoke, but it came out more as a whisper than actual words. “Your phone isn’t dead, by the way.” His words sounded heavy, more tired than mad. 

You looked at the glass brick in your hands, turning it over and holding the power button until the light on the screen flashed white and stayed that way. Heart beating in your chest, you chose to stay silent.

“When I found it,” John B started again, “We were already on the way home and it was going off like crazy.” You looked at him quizzically as he put his weight against the wall opposite you, leaning against the frame casually with his arms now crossed. “A lot were from JJ, just trying to make sure you had found your phone and that you had gotten home safe.” He paused and looked past you onto the ground where there was an old beer stain on the floor boards. “But another-”

“Was from Rafe.” You finished for him.

“Yeah.” He said, his lips in a straight line of disapproval. “I turned it off and told Sarah it had died before-”

“She could see.” You let out a little hum of defiance and turned your gaze as well to the beer stain near your feet. It looked like when Plankton from Spongebob got squished, eye and everything, and you wished you could smile at it. But here you were, caught and guilty before your only friend who would probably understand. And yet, the air felt stiff. As if the words that were being said hung in the air and made no room for anything else. You spoke again, feeling even worse at your choice of selfish words, “What did it say?”

John B let out his own huff and took in a deep breath, “What did you want it to say, Y/N?”

When you had looked up both your eyes met. His were lost and confused and yours were so similar. And yet the intention behind the feelings were so much different. You threw your hands up in defeat, “I don’t know John B. I don’t. I think I left JJ’s hat in his car so maybe-”

“You did what?” His eyes bulged, obviously surprised at your confession, then he shook his head slowly, “Let me backup. You were in his car?”

“You were in Sarah’s car.”

“That’s different.”

“Is it?”

“Sarah doesn’t torment pogues.”

You skipped over his statement and asked, “How did you think I got here?”

“By being responsible?” This time he was the one that held up his hands in defeat. “But clearly I was wrong.” He retorted, letting out a small and angry scoff. You didn’t drink and drive. You didn’t walk. You had been responsible. Heat boiled in your cheeks, and your arms shook a bit as you stood there so mad, no, angry, that he could break the rules and you couldn’t. That he could be angry with you, when you had shown understanding just minutes before. When you had agreed they would go to Tannyhill for him.

“I’m not allowed to kiss kooks but you are?!” Your hand went up to your mouth as John B’s eyes glared at you, burning tiny little holes into your own retinas. His scowl spoke more than enough words as you let out a soft, and sad, sentence, “What did the message say, John B?’

Your phone was heavy in your hand, but you wanted to hear the words come from the mouth of the pogue in front of you. You wanted to hear him say whatever made him despise your actions so much. 

Then it rang. High School Lover by Cayucas started bleating from your phone, playing mindlessly as the silence rang out between you and your friend, signaling that someone was calling you.

Despite John B’s heavy protesting look, you picked it up and answered, “Hello?” You sighed and then smiled at the receiver. JJ. He had somewhat recovered from his moldy bread fiasco and was checking up on you. “Yes, J, I’m fine. I’m with JB. I got home safe. No stay as long as you want. Seriously. We’re good. How’s Kie? Okay, good. Bye.” At least, that’s all that John B could hear of the conversation. You hung up the phone and looked at him pointedly, “What? Thought it was going to be Rafe?”

He held back a relieved smile with leftover crumbs of anger and said, “Yeah. A little.” Then as if he was lifting a weight from the room, John B stood up straight and walked over to the fridge, grabbing a case of beers and motioning you to the living room.

The call from JJ had changed the atmosphere. It had changed John B’s mind. Maybe it reminded him of something. Of what, you didn’t know, and clearly weren’t willing to ask and disrupt the soft and fragile balance of things. But something in him switched, and decided to possibly side with you. Did he sense the same shift in you when he arrived with Sarah? When you didn’t mention to JJ that Sarah had been here, as you would’ve if she was any other girl?

JJ had sent an unknowing olive branch between you and John B, and the world screamed at you to take it.

You stood still for a moment, watching him walk away with the peace offering. For a second you wanted to just drift off to sleep and to steep in your feelings as long as possible before having to actually deal with them. But then you thought better of yourself, you knew something deep down was dragging towards making a bad decision. A decision that would lead you towards the ‘King of the Kooks’, Rafe Cameron. And it was better to have an ally if life was going to go down that road. And some part of you already knew (deep deep deeeeep down) what you were going to choose. So you followed him into the living room, ready to sit down and have a ‘peace offering’ beer.

When you plopped yourself next to John B on the worn out couch, you smiled (a bit as your own peace offering) and chided him about the beers, “I don’t think drinking more will help us solve this.” The couch already smelled heavily of weed and had a few beer stains of its own. And yet it felt so much like home you wanted to wrap yourself in it. You were a pogue through and through. You could live on this couch, and you had in the past. It was something you had to get to know to love.

“I didn’t think you wanted to solve this.” He laughed a bit with a hint of sharpness to it, although the tension in his shoulders from earlier dissipating as he took a sip from the bottle.With ease, he relaxed into the couch and knit his eyebrows with his next comment, “What do you even see in him?”

Sighing, you fiddled with John B’s bandana which had remained on your head, “Ugh. Maybe nothing? Who knows. I don’t want to be one of those people that is all gushy over how ‘he’s really nice to me’ even if he’s a dick to everyone else.”

The boy reached over to the top of your head, pushed your fidgeting hands away and put the bandana back in its place. Instead of looking gentle, as the small gesture would have implied, he looked cocky with a small grin eating away at the corners of his mouth. “But that’s true, so…”

You punched John B hard on the arm, hoping it would knock some sensitivity into him for this conversation. “Yeah, okay? He’s attractive, that helps. But he’s also so, I don’t know…protective-”

“You mean possessive-” John B stopped you as you held up your fist again in a silent warning. “Hey, that first one hurt.”

“There’s a lot of things. He’s not easy. But maybe I don’t want ‘easy’. It’s not like we’re getting married. It was one kiss-” You didn’t want to confide too much in the boy. Especially not that you had thought about kissing Rafe many times before. You’d thought about how he needs someone to listen to him. Someone to care. You knew what that felt like.

The brunette across from you was now practically choking on his beverage while laughing, a pathetic excuse for karma. When he regained his wits, he said, “One? Here you had me thinking you guys had been hooking up for awhile-”

You felt your eyebrows furrow. Now that John B didn’t seem so openly vexed it was easier to be clear about your feelings. “What made you think that?”

“His message?” John B looked your clear confusion in the face and then grabbed your phone from your lap as if in a big show of victory. Unfortunately, he knew your password (all the pogues did at one point or another) and let himself into your phone. Then, as he turned the screen to show you there it was. Plain and simple. 

Rafe:

Can we meet tomorrow? Need to see you

Then below it:

I liked talking to you tonight

You snatched the phone from the boy’s hand and closed it in an act of simple humiliation. The first message clearly did sound like a hook up text, and yet you protested aloud, “That could mean anything.” The second message however, seemed foreign coming from its messenger. Too vulnerable. It seemed like something he thought you wanted to hear rather than something he would actually say. But the last few hours had warped your view of him somehow, and it felt more genuine than you would’ve liked to believe. You could feel yourself putting hope into this (whatever it was), and even you (pogue opinions aside) could tell that that wouldn’t be good. Guilt surged over you, for the fact that John B had read it when it was just meant for you. There was one thing you knew for a fact and that was that Rafe wouldn’t have said that if he knew he had an audience. 

“Not when I know for a fact you don’t text Rafe Cameron. Ever.”

“You didn’t even know it was reciprocated.”

John B smiled smugly, “I do now.” 

You hit him again (just for good measure) and grabbed yourself a beer.

______________________

Waking up the next morning was not what you had expected. You didn’t remember much after finally coming to a standstill with John B the night before but you did know you had one hell of a hangover. Your head pounded as if hammers lived excitedly in your brain. The first thing you noticed was that your futile attempts of covering the room with sweet perfumes had already been overtaken by the smell of weed. When you finally got up the energy to look around the room you found Pope was in bed with you, still clothed and probably as hungover as you were, snoring noisily. It looked like he had crashed here without thinking and still had an empty solo cup duct-taped to his left hand. Smiling, you watched as he slept for a moment watching his chest go up and down with his breath. He looked so peaceful sleeping there, totally passed out from drinking. This guy was going to change the academic world. You knew it. 

Then you groaned loudly as you tried to sit up, the bed creaky wildly underneath you (which led you wondering how JJ had gotten away with so many discreet hook-ups in this room), and still made an effort to not wake your sleeping friend. 

When you got to the doorway,  and it too creaked deeply as you opened it, you stole one last glance at the peaceful Pope. “Sleep tight.” You whispered, and closed the door. “Don’t let the admissions office bite.” Ha ha. Scholarship joke.

“What are you doing?” A voice sounded behind you.

Kie.

Turning around swiftly, you flew into the arms of your best friend and hugged her tightly both as a term of endearment and second to keep you from plummeting immediately to the floor after such a quick movement. Muffled into your hair, you heard her mumble, “Someone’s friendly today?” close to your ear.

While still keeping your hands on your friend’s shoulders, you pulled yourself away from the girl and steadied yourself from becoming woozy. The bathroom was too far to make it in time. “Just missed you. A lot happened.” Kie was wearing another one of her signature chokers and looked ready for the day. Her hair was put up into a messy bun and you could tell she had already been up for hours, which made you envious but mostly just because you felt so awful and already wanted to go back to sleep.

Her eyebrows raised, “Did it? I heard you left early. Get lucky? Score some free weed from a kook?”

Almost like a match being lit, you felt your eyes widen at your mistake. “No. I meant not a lot happened. It was very boring. All too much of the same. Little of this. Little of that.”

Kiara chuckled good-naturedly and pushed what was in her hands to your eyeline, ignoring your blubbering words. “Drink, Y/N/N.” She held up a very green mason jar you figured she had whipped up that morning. You liked green smoothies. You liked kale juice. All very good for you, and while it depended on the other ingredients, it usually tasted alright. This was not alright. And it was not a green smoothie or kale juice. When Kie opened the lid, the smell attacked your nostrils as if it were on a mission. Is this what Kie makes the boys drink after a party? Apparently you had never been drunk enough to need to go through with her little concoction. You were always very happy to let them drink their magic juice after downing too many plastic cups the night before and get on with the day’s activities. 

You could tell Kie had noticed your disgusted look because she added, “Seriously, drink up. It’s not as bad as it smells.”

She lied.

However, Kie was kind enough to help you change out of last night’s clothes and get ready for the day before JJ got back from early morning surfing. The sad thing was, she was actually able to make you look cute and presentable. You kept on the choker you had borrowed from her the day before and played with it on your neck as you struggled to keep down breakfast. “I think I’m dying.” You managed to croak out in between bites of cereal. You felt guilty just sitting there, letting her help you. Hopefully to Kie, it was just another day of picking up after the pogues, and she wouldn’t notice your additional Rafe induced moping.

At this moment, John B walked in freshly showered but still somehow smelling of beer, and said, “You look like it.” He still worked for the Cameron’s in the mornings and was already dressed and ready to make his way over there, Kiara hadn’t said anything about this arrangement, though she was probably thinking of something snarky.

You stuck your tongue at him and feigned shock, “And you don’t, surprisingly.” You were about to mention how maybe Sarah Cameron had this effect on him, but kept your mouth shut as Kie closed the fridge.

“Neither of you do, my magic is working.” Kie retorted. 

“And yet, the feeling has yet to go away.” Another groan from you.

This time, Kie and John B answered at the same time, “It will.”

John B made his way over to you while Kie was busy making another magic drink for Pope, when he finally awakened. “So, Y/N, are you going to pick up that important package today?” He coughed at the end as if to hide the words that had escaped his lips. Convincing John B, very convincing. 

At first, you were foggy, with sleep and the hangover you thought John B was being stupid. If you sent a package anywhere, it would be to your house in Figure Eight. The pogues would just rip it apart here, and to go pick it up someplace would just be a lot of work in the long run. “What are you talking about?” You spat back at the boy, still carelessly eating your cereal.

“The hat.” John B spoke through his clenched jaw and teeth.

“Oh.” You said plainly, thinking back and shifting through your hazy memories of the night before. 

“So are you?”

The magic juice suddenly did seem to be working as you shrugged and said, “I didn’t really think about it.” And yet your heart raced under your ribs as you silently panicked. See Rafe? Today? After a hangover like that? You scooped another dollop of cereal into your mouth before you could say more. 

“It’s important to-” He stole a glance at Kie who was still busy, “get it back before he notices. And he’ll notice when he’s done surfing.”

He was right. That was JJ’s lucky hat. It went everywhere. It had been on his head for years. It couldn’t just be claimed to be lost. It was important. JJ wouldn’t just let it be tossed aside. He would be crushed. That hat held JJ logic, JJ confidence, and JJ magic. You had to get it back.

Unfortunately, Rafe probably already torched it as a way to rid his car of anything ‘pogue’ that lingered.

“Clear my dishes, Routledge, I’ve got a call to make.” Just to be sure, you took one last bite of cereal before rushing off to the backyard where you could at least have the wind from the harbor offer you some privacy. 

“This isn’t a movie, Y/N/N, stop with trying to be cool.”

“Shut up.”

You heard Kiara ask where you were going as you exited, but John B backed you up with some bullshit story. It wasn’t good to lie, but it felt good to be a team. Anyway, it wasn’t unusual for the pogues to be bouncing around The Chateau like ping pong balls.

_____________________

John B’s backyard always felt more like home to you than your own home on Figure Eight. The wind always blew just right through your air, bringing with it the smell of the ocean. And now, as you stood outside fumbling with your phone the air sobered you while still throwing your hair a bit wildly around your head. Your favorite spot, in what was probably the whole world, was that old striped hammock. You watched it sway in the wind, left to right, as you dialed up Rafe’s contact.

Ring. Ring. 

Your phone pressed against your ear, you waited for Rafe to pick up the phone. Doubt stirred within you about whether he would actually answer your call (depended on whether last night was a fluke), but you had loose threads of hope. After getting outside, you had checked your phone and been reminded immediately of the texts Rafe had sent you the next before. He wanted to see you today, right? That meant answering his phone would likely be in the cards. 

He picked up on the fifth ring, right before it went to voicemail.

“Yeah?” The voice on the other end sounded preoccupied, and the thought of hanging up and fleeing back to Kiara and John B in The Chateau flit through your mind. Voices could be heard, muffled, in the background and the familiar gust of wind you were experiencing was also hitting his phone. 

“Hey, it’s Y/N.” 

Cautiously you waited for Rafe’s response on his side. You could hear he was saying something to someone on his side while covering the receiver of his phone, but it sounded a lot like, “Give me a minute, okay?” Then after a couple quick seconds he put the phone back up to his ear and did the best at showing emotion as the boy could with a plain, “Hey.”

Holding back an instinct to apologize, you simply asked instead, “Are you busy?” Feelings of vulnerability felt much more real and much more easily felt as the sun beat down on you in the open air. 

“No,” He answered quickly. And then, “I’m at the range with Top and Kelce.” A pause. “You never texted me back.” You could tell he felt it too. The vulnerability in the daylight. Although probably less so than you. But it was there in the way he talked. Gentle, and foreign to him. Last night had changed something between the two of you. Less angry and more…wanting. 

“I wanted to talk about that actually.” This time you paused. An uncertainty surrounded the both of you, connected through a phone on different sides of the island. “Plus, I left something important in your car and I definitely need it back.”

Rafe scoffed, “You mean Maybank’s hat? That’s important?” 

Suddenly, a wave of protective instinct flooded over you and you held your ground, “So you know what I’m talking about. Good. Glad we’re on the same page.”

“And what about the date?” Rafe’s voice was quieter when he said this, hoarse and a little bit of harshness hid his sensitivity. 

“What date?” 

“The one I texted you about.”

A laugh naturally came out of your mouth as he said this, “Is that what that was?”

A stern, “Yes.” He was now holding his ground. 

“I didn’t realize you were so bad at this, Cameron.”

“And I didn’t realize you were so annoying, Y/L/N.”

“No no keep going, this is really giving you points.” You meant to sound at least half as menacing as he did, but it came out with a laugh. A giggle. Anyone else listening could’ve sworn you were twirling your hair on the other end of the phone. 

You heard him shake his head through the phone and held back another smile. “I can’t just ask you out in those plain words, don’t forget who our friends are, Y/N.” Your smile loosened. He was right. John B had already seen the texts. Now imagine Topper. Or Kelce. Or Kie. JB had just assumed the two of you were hooking up, which was one thing altogether. But dating. It’s too intimate, no matter how far it’s gone. 

“Are you ashamed of me?” You made sure to let out a laugh with the question to keep it light-hearted, but you genuinely wanted to know his answer. Although, you doubted he would tell you the truth. This could all be a well thought out ruse for all you knew. You pictured the kooks laughing at you. The fact that you thought Rafe was genuinely interested.

“A little.” Rafe held back a smile at this. “You?”

“Oh, ashamed of you? Definitely.”

“Ha. Ha.”

“Rafe-”

“Yeah.” Not a question. 

“This isn’t a good idea.” There was a part of you that needed to say this. That needed to scream from the rooftops. That needed to get the sense knocked into your head because here you were having a playful conversation with Rafe Cameron. 

He let a laugh out of his nose, careful not to alert his friends. “Yeah, okay. Meet me at Tannyhill at noon.” Then, before you could say anything. “Don’t worry, Sarah won’t be home so she won’t be able to tell anyone.”

Then he hung up.

Shit.

Major shit.

Were you going to go? Of course you were.

☆taglist: @totallynotkaibiased @asimpwriter @kriss-harrington @parkershoco @the-marvellous-vivi @sarahlizzie @craftyalmondghostflap @siriuslysmoking

[offt0wonderland]

Outer Banks Fanfiction

Rafe x fem OC + JJ x fem OC

Word count: 5k

Summary: A new Kook moved to the Outer Banks with her family. She spent most of her summers in Wisconsin indoors, never daring to get close to other people - but when she met the Pogues, everything changed; she found a group that she belonged in, even if she was technically considered affluent. But before she knew it, she couldn't help but fond of the reckless blonde-haired boy named JJ ... Although, without her knowledge, her parents have other plans. Rafe Cameron is wild and undisciplined, always out and never home. The Colisl's and the Camerons conjured the notion that an arrangement between the two could hopefully bring Rafe back to the ground - but what happens when she ends up falling for both?

That was it – that was the very last straw: there was no way in hell I was showing up to some ignorant party, especially after Rafe explicitly told us not to. There was absolutely no decision or path within this bonfire that could possibly lead to a good butterfly effect in the long run. Maybe it was pessimistic of me to think so, but from the paltry comments my friends would make about Rafe to the limited time I had just spent with him, Rafe wasn’t one to shy away from expressing his hatred towards the Pogue’s. I can’t imagine what the other Kooks would do too if they shared that same innate abhorrence.

I couldn’t help it anymore; my dissent was already flowing out of me like some kind of river. “Sarah … I don’t think –.”

The instinctive words that left my mouth were soon overshadowed by John B. “I don’t know Sarah … I’m not 100% sure I want to be around any kooks right now.” Sarah peered up at her boyfriend as he talked, her head tilted, and eyes narrowed.

“I could be around some kooks,” My eyes shot over towards JJ as he began his statement, a look of utter shock written clear across my face due to the tilt of my eyebrows – at least, until he finished his comment. “If I get to punch one of them in face.”

My face softened, a sense of relief washing over me once I realized the intentions behind JJ’s desire to be around such repulsive individuals. But once my brain finally caught up with the notion of his declaration, my heart rate increased substantially. Inside my mind were constant images, visible pictures of people tumbling all over the ground near the fire as blood sprayed from open wounds. I didn’t want to be surrounded by a sea of Kooks to begin with and knowing that someone’s fist would most likely connect with my jaw because JJ decided it would be a fun game to knock a Kook out, only solidified my desire to stay cloistered.  

So, as soon as the group became silent, I continued my assertion from earlier. “We should stay here.”

“I agree with Belles – if we go, it’ll just wreak havoc.” I smiled at Pope, the only one who had common sense whenever it came to … well, anything.

“I guess we could just skinny dip instead,” JJ’s eyes trailed over to mine as he spoke, his irises resembling the color of ice. “Belles what do you say?” I didn’t react much to his comment, mainly because I had become accustomed to his immodest jokes – although this time, with the way his attention glazed over me, it felt rather more like veracity than banter.

“Come on guys, please.” Sarah’s eyes glanced between all of us. “Topper intentionally didn’t invite me, and this is by far my favorite party of the summer.”

Once Toppers name was part of the puzzle piece, John B’s unsure demeanor was replaced with hubris – or was it a plan? “Actually, I changed my mind,” His voice took Sarah by surprise. “A Kook party kind of sounds fun.”

I was too astonished to form a coherent sentence; only three words were able to glide off my tongue. “Wait, who? what?”

JJ on the other hand was absolutely giddy. He hurdled as close as he could to us, his hair ruffled from the wind and his lips twisted in some sort of wicked smirk. “Hell yeah! Now that’s that I’m talking about!”

“Guys, this isn’t a good idea …” Pope’s voice trailed off once he noticed Sarah was already halfway to her car.

The two of us realized pretty quickly that there was no point in debating anymore, because once again, she had everyone following her plan.

I internally groaned at my friend’s incessant stubbornness, trying hard to hide the irksome mien that was begging to display on my face. My feet dragged across the overgrown path; my arms wrapped tightly around my body to shield myself from the wind that was attempting to keep me stationary. Nonetheless, I trudged forwards, eyeing my friends who seemed to eagerly await the disaster that was bound to unfold.

Sarah had thrown herself inside the car, the engine roaring back to life once the key had been turned. Her eyes were squinted; a smile tugged at the ends of her lips. It was almost as if she had no sense of awareness – like she couldn’t see past her own wishes to understand that not everything goes accordingly to plan. I mean, it was one thing for us to crash our friend’s boy’s night, but another for us to show up unannounced at a party full of strangers … or more accurately, her ex-boyfriend’s get together.  

Yet everyone kept this horrendous plan in motion.

John B was quick to call shotgun, his body hopping into the seat directly next to his girlfriend. Sadly, with the passenger spot now taken, that meant it was up to the three of us to decide who was destined to sit in the middle: the worst position to have due to its narrow leg room. Pope wasted no time in claiming the right side, sprinting around the car, and securing his seat next to the door.

JJ and I pushed ourselves against each other, framing away from the left entrance so neither of us would be forced to be sandwiched between two people. “I’m not getting in the middle JJ.”

“I’m not getting in the middle either.” He retorted.

We continued to wrestle, shove each other as much as we could to try to win – but we both had no luck in that division. JJ huffed lowly, his hands creeping down my waist until they wrapped firmly around my hips. The tips of my fingers quickly shot over his, ready to pry them off my body; however, before I could even feel his skin underneath mine, I was somehow fully inside the car. He slid his grip away from my pelvis and towards the back of my thighs, pushing me further inside until he had enough room to sit next to me, solidifying the idea that I was now stuck between two morons with absolutely no space.

“I hate the middle.” I whispered under my breath; my body now leaned forward to keep from touching their figures.

JJ ignored my complaint and outstretched his arm behind my chair, his hand loosely falling between Pope and me. He cleared his throat, preparing to speak up during the quietness that now surrounded the group. “Should we grab Kie?”

Sarah, who was in the midst of backing out, slammed on her brakes. “Shit! Can someone text her?”

“I can,” Pope grunted. “Only I think she won’t want to go.”

Honestly, it would be a smart move on her part to stay home, avoid the catastrophe that was about to happen. But instead, she fell into the trap. Kie had texted Pope back, agreeing to come with us. She was somehow prepared to sneak out of her parent’s house, clamor into the already crowded car, and risk a grounding just to be part of the dumb decisions Sarah and most of the boys had made.

My head rolled back against the headrest, my eyes flickering between the left and right window of the car as Sarah now directed the automobile away from JJ’s home and towards Kie’s residence. I couldn’t exactly read the speedometer from here, but from the quick passing of scenery it was apparent she was going above the limit – as if she couldn’t wait any longer to dance around the bonfire. I ignored the rising sensation of nausea, observing as the plants changed from bushy to clean kept, the main indication that we were now in Kook zone. It was an odd feeling being able to tell the difference between Kook and Pogue just from terrain, but that’s how it was … It was like were on two different planets even if our beaches were the same.

Once we finally got to Kie’s house, she seemed to already be prepared; her body was sat neatly on top of her wrap-around porch, a small duffel bag was thrown over her shoulder, and a cute multi-colored bikini top shined underneath the moonlight. Her fingers tugged at the ends of her denim shorts while she stood up, her feet now making their way down the driveway and towards JJ’s side.

The moment she threw open the door to expose the lack of seats, I spoke up. “I’ll get in the trunk.” It was a harmless idea, the perfect opportunity to get me away from the two bodies squeezing me into a pencil; although, as I turned my body around, preparing to climb over the seats to lay down, Sarah halted me.  

“Uh, actually the trunk is full …” At first, I thought she was messing with me. Trying to give an excuse in hopes that it would force JJ and me to get closer … but she wasn’t. There, piled in the back, were three large cardboard boxes filled to the brim with what I suppose is special cargo.

“Well what the fuck are we supposed to do now?!” Pope’s voice raised slightly.

“Shhhh, shut the fuck up Pope.” Kie snapped, looking up at her home to ensure that no lights had turned on from the noise.

Sarah shrugged her shoulders, her eyes now following JJ who decided to take matters into his own hands. “I can scoot over, and Pope can sit on my lap.”

“I’m not sitting on your lap,” Pope quickly retorted. “Belles you can take one for the team, right?”

My eyes widened at my friend who had just spoken the most brainless idea into existence. Hastily, I turned my attention to Sarah, terrified to see what look she had on her face – and just as I thought, it was the expression of a lightbulb going off. “That works with me!” Sarah gleefully added.

“Wait -” Again, I got cut off.

“We need to hurry; I seriously don’t want to be a waiting duck for my parents to see me hopping into a car.” Kie appeared to have no care about this scheme, trying to rush this venture as fast as she could so we’d hit the road.  

JJ immediately took that into account, not waiting for any more comments; he slithered underneath me, his hands back on my hips as he tugged me down onto his lap. It was merely an innocent act, a decent action that was caused by the lack of room we had in the automobile. But still, my cheeks began to get warm, the palms of my hands now dampened with sweat. I was too petrified to move, too scared to make any subtle adjustments that could push us closer together by accident. It would’ve been different if I was on Pope – a sweet boy who would never dare make humor out of an uncomfortable situation that involved me … But I was on JJ, the notorious playboy in Pogue standards.

JJ knew what it felt like to have girls on his lap. For goodness sake, his hand was already over my legs, his trimmed nails making involuntary circles as if he did this kind of thing every day. I glanced over at him in my peripheral, surveying his eyes that were still glued to a conversation between the group that I was desperately drowning out just to nitpick the miniscule touch between JJ and me.

The boy underneath me chuckled at something John B said, his fits of laughter shaking both of our bodies. I froze in place; my body stiffened to try and maintain the least possible friction between us. I absolutely hated this … and I also loathed the party we were barreling towards. There seemed to be no good outcome for me in any scenario I played in my head. I hated being in the car and I hated having to go to a stupid bonfire – why couldn’t I have just stayed at Sarah’s?

“Belles?” Kie’s voice took me out of my dreadful trance.

“Huh?” I replied.

John B erupted into a fit of laughter at my confusion, his hand reaching behind the seat so he could place it neatly on JJ’s leg. “You liking your spot?”

I grimaced at that comment. “Not at all.”

JJ gasped in appall as if he couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t like to be sat on top of him. “That hurt,” His fingers twitched on top of my skin, causing me to tug at the end of my dress to try and cover more of my legs. “I think I’m a fabulous seat.”

“JJ you’re built like a rock – don’t be surprised she hates it.” Kie rolled her eyes at her friend’s crude joking mannerism.

“Hey, no one else has complained before.” His hands moved away from my legs and on top my hips as he tried to adjust his position.

“That’s because no one wants to hurt your sensitive feelings.” Sarah chimed in, her boyfriend now breaking out into laughter once again from her comment.

JJ shoved both his legs open, forcing Pope and Kie to be squished further into the side doors which earned him a couple shouts. But he ignored it. His fingers, that were softly pressed into my hips, slid me forward so I could sit on the cushion between his legs. My anxiety dissipated as soon as our bodies were nowhere near as close, something that I should’ve loved; instead, for some reason, I missed the clammy feeling – yearning for the twitch of his hands against my thigh once again. “That better?” JJ tilted his head to the side, his soft expression in the corner of my eye.

No, no it was not better – but I’d never admit that. “Yes.”

“Well, don’t get too comfortable – because we’re here.” And as if on cue, the beat of an atrocious song sunk into our car, rocking the ground beneath us.

I covered my ears with the palm of my hands, attempting to decrease the frequency that managed to make its way into our automobile from the beach. It was somehow louder than the music I blared in the shower; even the screams that came from the crowd right next to us were drowned out by the bass. We all quickly glanced at each other, and without hesitation, exited the car. There was nothing spoken between us, but from the expressions I saw – we were all terrified that if the car kept shaking, we’d tumble with it.

The six of us gathered into a tiny huddle before we made it down the hill, our heads all touching one another in an attempt to hear what each of us were saying. “Try to avoid confrontation, we’ll just get thrown out,” Sarah glared over at JJ who was already cracking his knuckles. “I’m talking to you JJ.”

“I’ll try.” He responded.

Sarah accepted that reply and allowed us to break away from our mini gathering and head towards the beach. The music in some way got even louder the closer we got, so much so that it felt like it hindered my sight. The bass that forced the ground to shake with each lyrical note made the people around me flash in and out like they were some sort of strobe light. I couldn’t even appreciate the gigantic campfire sitting in the middle of the sandy landscape, too nauseous to retain any sort of images surrounding me.

“I’m grabbing drinks!” Sarah shouted.

"I’ll come with!” John B added.

Kie followed their chants right after. “Me too!”

And without notice, the three of them disappeared within the crowd.

I had hoped we would all stick together, keep an eye on each other to ensure that no one stepped out of line – but that was a dire wish. The minute a couple girls eyed JJ and Pope; they were off. I was now left alone, forced to find my way around the sweaty bodies that were comprised of people eating each other’s faces off as if it was their last meal.

I avoided the grotesque crowd of people, weaving my way through the drunken individuals while I made my way closer to the water – the one place where no one was at. My mission was almost accomplished, the dampness of sand coming into sight … however, before the waves could crash into my feet, someone obnoxiously bumped into my shoulder.

I whipped around, seeing a tall boy with dirty blonde hair and a yellow polo stumbling to maintain his balance while he held onto a red solo cup. “Sorry.” I muttered.

There wasn’t actually anything I needed to be sorry for, but I had hoped that maybe an unprompted apology would be enough to let me go away unscathed from this awkward run-in. But of course, the other person had to get a word in. “Is-abelle?” I looked at him with a raised eyebrow, unsure how the boy in front of me knew my name. “From .. what’s it called? Hmm … sss… Stats?” I narrowed my eyes, taking in the features on his face that looked familiar, only I still couldn’t place it. “It’sss … to.. uh.. Topper!” His words slurred together but even in a garble that was a name that was quite hard to miss – Sarah’s ex-boyfriend.

I guess I never realized we had Stats together; to be honest I didn’t recognize anyone in my classes apart from my acquaintances – probably because I try my best to keep my head down. Though, it is kind of funny. I had always wanted to meet Topper, see what Sarah’s previous boyfriend looked like due to pure curiosity … but who would’ve thought I knew him the whole time.

"Y-you’re … sss… uh.. quiet.” He slurred again, starting the conversation back up.

“I’m sorry, I just -” Topper found a way to cut me off with his stammer.

"I-I’ve always uh … er … wanted to t-t … talk to you,” His body swayed with every syllable. “I li-like … uh … think er … you – you’re r-really pretty.”

Yep, he has had way too much to drink.

"Topper!” A familiar voice boomed lowly over the music, a pair of shoes sinking into the damp sand becoming more audible as the seconds passed by. And before I could even process it, a tall boy with the same tan pullover I saw in Sarah’s driveway appeared from the darkness – Rafe Cameron.

Rafe appeared to have the same sense of bewilderment, his body paused, and eyes glued on to me – the girl who stood in front of his best friend. It wasn’t long before his irises shifted downwards, traveling over my outfit, the same way JJ’s eyes did; only they didn’t linger as long as his. They quickly shot back up, his ring finger dragging along his bottom lip.

"Rafeee you’re b-back!” Topper hiccupped, unsuccessfully reaching out to his friend. “This is Isabelle! She’s in my uh … f-fuck … oh! Stats class.”

Rafe didn’t say anything to his friend’s absurd introduction; he just stepped closer and wrapped his left arm around Topper to keep him steady. Once his friend regained some moderation of balance, Rafe reached out his free hand, his lips tightened in a straight line. “Nice to meet you, I’m Rafe.” His expression didn’t change after he recited a greeting, and, in that moment, I couldn’t be sure if he was doing me a favor or if he was too embarrassed to let anyone know he was already associated with me.

I took his hand, deciding to play along with the lie – however, before I could carry on the conversation, another person barreled towards us, slamming his body into the two boys in front of me; his arms now wrapped securely around them while he laughed. Topper drunkenly tumbled forwards from the force, his alcohol splashing outside of the cup and onto the white cover-up that clung tightly to my figure. I gasped at the unfortunate event that had just occurred, a moment of terror entering my brain as the thought of it staining came to fruition.  

"S-shit – K- Kelce what the fuck!” Topper’s voice switched from firm to soft as he eyed the wet spot on my dress. “I’m so so uh so sorry.”

"It’s okay.” I began to back away from the red solo cup that Topper was now swinging around, my fingers peeling the dampness away from my skin to try and get the wet feeling off my stomach. I had no idea what to do – there was no magically placed washer on the beach that could help bring out the liquid. The only thing I did understand was not to let it marinate.  

"I didn’t think you’d throw your damn cup like some kind of maniac, Topper.” Kelce said.

"Uh … L-Let me uh g-grab a towel!” Topper started to stumble upwards, prepared to find a cloth for me to utilize; instead, Rafe pulled him back.  

"We don’t have any towels Topp.” His friend’s mouth gaped in disbelief, now tugging away from Rafe’s grip to move towards me. Topper yanked the end of his polo forward, the rough piece of fabric patting the spot near my bellybutton as if it would soak up the liquid. “Topper fucking stop.” Rafe pulled his friend away yet again before he spoke to Kelce. “Get him some damn water or something.”

The minute Kelce and Topper left, I spun on my heels. There was no need for me to stand there, no need for me to stare at Rafe like some clueless individual that awaited guidance. So, my body started to walk away, only Rafe’s voice just kept ringing out like some annoying alarm that wouldn’t stop sounding no matter how many times you hit mute.

I halted in my path, turning around to come face-to-face with Rafe. “Yes?” I queried; a sour tone entwined in my voice.

"I can take you home.”

Yes – please.

"Why would I want to go home?” I asked him.

Rafe hesitated for a second, unsure as to why that was even a question. “To wash that dress?”

“It’s fine.” I responded.

“I know that’s Sarah’s,” He continued on. “Are the Pogue’s here?”

I swiveled back around, attempting to walk away from the conversation he was wanting to get into. Rafe, however, seemed to miss that hint. He followed me around as I ventured forwards down the beach, intentionally forming ill statements about the one subject I cherished – my friends. It was becoming infuriating; the idea of punching him in the face on the brink of my mind the more he opened his mouth. All I wanted was to be far away from him, find any excuse to get him to leave me alone and go back to the bonfire party he was so set on attending. Then it hit me – the ocean. We were surrounded by water; I could just take my dress off and scrub at the beer.

"I can use the ocean!” My fingers dragged along the bottom hem of the cover-up, lifting the entirety of it over my head until I was left in only the swimsuit I had so dreaded wearing in front of others – except in this moment I didn’t care. I couldn’t. All that mattered was ensuring that Sarah’s dress wasn’t damaged because her ex-boyfriend decided to throw his drink onto me.

But frankly … the longer Rafe stood there, fiddling with his ring as he observed me get the dress wet, the more self-conscious I was. I peered up at the boy, attempting to observe the part of my body he was so fixated on. Only, it was my face, like he was trying to analyze every feature I had as I scrubbed my heart out. For some reason, I hated that even more. I opened my mouth to say something, tell him that I’m fine to be by myself – but JJ sauntering into eyeline caught my attention. He was walking towards both of us … and even from afar I could see the resentment in his eyes as Rafe stood there.

Read the full story (and chapter) on Quotev or Wattpad

*All rights go to the original characters and the original plot of Outer Banks. I own only my OC's and the select plots/scenes that I originally came up with. Thank you all for reading and I hope y'all love it! Also, I did not create any TikToks - all of the credit goes to the makers of those! (_strkey)*

[its-an-obsession]

Lavender Haze

Outer Banks Masterlist | Full Masterlist

A/N: This imagine is inspired by Taylor Swift's song, Lavender Haze. I will post other imagines with songs from the Midnight's album.

Summary: Being a Kook had its perks, but it also had its downsides. You lived on the edge of Figure Eight and The Cut. Unlike most Kook parents, your parents let you live a carefree life and be friends with whomever you wanted. However, they were still set on you presenting a good image to the other Kooks. When you moved, you met Kiara and her friends. It shouldn't be surprising that you fell for the blonde surfing Pogue.

Notes:

Y/N/N: Your Nick Name

Y/L/N: Your Last Name

Y/F/M: Your Favorite Meal

Warnings: Long Imagine

JJ Maybank x-reader

The ceiling fan circle around and around, a gust of wind whipping past the wooden blades. My music hummed in the background with the soft sound of crickets outside my window. I flipped on my side with my shoulder against the mattress. In bold red lettering, my clock read 12:30 am.

Every night for the past few months, JJ had been sneaking into my room to see me. I had told him multiple times that my parents didn't mind him going through the front door, but he said that coming in through the window was more fun. I sat up in my bed to check my phone.

No messages from JJ, only one from Kiara about a funny TikTok she saw. I leaned back in my bed as I scrolled through my Instagram feed. A couple seconds passed until a knock came from the window beside my bed. JJ sat there with a smile.

I practically hopped off the bed to open the window. He stepped in, trying to keep his balance. "Sorry, I'm a few minutes late. John B couldn't find his phone and decided to tear the whole chateau apart," JJ said. I closed the window before joining him on the bed.

"Couldn't you have just called it?" I suggested. "Yeah, but he had it on silent for some odd reason," JJ replied. I chuckled as the two of us fell into a comfortable silence. He laced his hand with mine, running a thumb on the side of my palm. "You ever notice that your ceiling always shakes like it's going to fall?" he mentioned.

Meet me at midnight Staring at the ceiling with you Oh, you don't ever say too much And you don't really read into My melancholia

I turned to him with my brows furrowed, keeping down a laugh. He shifted his position, so he was on his side. "Now, why would you say that? Because now all I'm going to think about is my fan falling on me in the middle of the night," I replied. He let go of my hand, raising his arms in defense.

He sat up in my bed with his eyes settling on the view behind my house. My house was close to the water, perfectly positioned in front of the docks of other houses. I often would stay up just to see the moon sit above the dark blue waters.

Sometimes, I'd even do an all-nighter just to watch the sunrise. My head comfortably rested on JJ's shoulders, our hands still intertwined. I looked up at him and admired how the moon landed on his skin, illuminating his little sun freckles.

In the past, I never really had good relationships, not counting that one fling with Kelce in middle school. JJ knew that this whole relationship was new to me. I wasn't used to someone being there for me 24/7.

I've been under scrutiny You handle it beautifully All this shit is new to me

JJ must've felt my gaze. He turned away from the view to catch my eyes. "What?" he said. "Nothin," I responded, bringing my attention to the water. A few boats would coast by, which was normal. Sometimes a few reckless and adventurous Kooks - or Pogues - would spend all night on the water.

My friends and I occasionally do that, but Pope usually declines, given his parent's strict curfew schedule. "Were you looking at me again?" he said. "Looking at you? I always look at you," my attention was still on the window.

He sighed before setting a finger underneath my chin. JJ brought my focus back to him. Now, I noticed the limited space between us. JJ kept his finger underneath my chin before bringing his lips to mine. The same hand went to the side of my face.

I felt my stomach do flips at the feeling of his lips on mine. We've shared moments like these several times, but this is the first time it has felt like this. I couldn't keep my smile from going away when we pulled away for a pause. "So, since you're a Kook," JJ said.

"I'm not a Kook," I replied, "I'm a...."

"A Pook," he finished. I sat up in my spot, tilting my head in confusion. He chuckled at my expression. "What the hell is a 'Pook'?" I said. "It's a Pogue and Kook. You know, a Pook," he clarified. I shook my head in amusement and laid back down, now resting on his chest. He kissed my head until the two of us fell asleep.

I feel a lavender haze creeping up on me. So real, I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say No deal, the 1950s shit they want from me I just wanna stay in that lavender haze

_____

(Later the next day)

This morning, I had to leave JJ's arms to take an early shift at The Wreck with Kiara. Kiara and I stood side by side as we refilled the napkin dispensers and condiment trays. We had about fifteen minutes before the restaurant opened up.

It usually wasn't busy in the morning, but when the clock strikes 12:00, The Wreck gets really busy. "And he spent the night? Yet, you never told him?" Kie mentioned, following me as I set one of the silver dispensers at a booth.

I nodded and went back to our station. Kiara and Sarah were the only ones in our group who knew I loved JJ. Pope and John B were aware of my relationship with JJ, but they didn't know how I truly felt. Kiara sighed and finished filling the last bit of the napkins. She started working on adding the condiments to some of the trays.

"I just," I paused, "I'm worried that if I say something, it won't end well."

She nodded and handed me two trays. Kiara pointed to the other side of the restaurant. "I mean, that thing with Kelce in middle school and then Thomas freshmen year doesn't help," she said, "And, what makes you think JJ would make fun of you for telling him?" She grabbed one of the trays from me. "I don't think that. It's the anxiety and overthinker side of me that's thinking that," I replied.

My best friend chuckled and nodded her head in agreement. I married the two bottles of ketchup, making sure they were even. Kiara leaned against the table with her arms crossed. "Just skip the 'l love you part' and get married. God, it's like watching two feral cats fight over a piece of salmon," Kiara commented.

All they keep asking me Is if I'm gonna be your bride The only kind of girl they see is a one-night or a wife.

I looked at her with my mouth agape, trying to think of a response to her terrible analogy. Kiara trailed her eyes away from the floor to look at me. "Wha-what did you just say?" I chuckled between each word. She shoved my shoulder and went back to her job. "You know what I meant," Kiara replied. She sent me a look, preventing me from saying anything.

Her parents walked out of the doors of the kitchen. They looked around to check our progress. Mrs. Carrera noticed the two of us were laughing together. "Girls, could one of you go change the toilet paper and towels in the bathroom?" she questioned.

"I can do it," I set the tray at one of the empty tables. Kiara laughed to herself, remembering the stupid comment she had made. Mrs. Carrera cleared her throat, which caught her daughter's attention. I escaped into the bathroom, still laughing.

As I set a new paper towel in the bathroom, and some toilet paper in each stall, I couldn't get the talk with Kiara out of my head. My phone rang from my back pocket. JJ's profile popped up on my screen:

Mr. JJ Maybank: Hey! How's your shift going?

Me: Pretty good. Kiara compared me to a feral cat, so...

Mr. JJ Maybank: What? 😂

Me: It's a long story. What are you doing?

Mr. JJ Maybank: John B needed my help to clean the boat.

Me: By helping him, you mean watching him do all the work and saying he missed a spot.

Mr. JJ Maybank: Shhh, go back to work, Y/N/N.

I sent him a 'middle finger' Bitmoji before stepping out of the bathroom. Kiara was sweeping the dining area with a glum look on her face. I guess her mom tasked her with cleaning when she saw us laughing.

"Feral cats," I muttered when I walked past her.

She reached over and tapped me on the back of the leg with the spikey broom. I lunged at her as if I could fight her. "Oh, I'm so scared," she said. I rolled my eyes and grabbed the cleaning spray and some paper towels to wipe down the tables and windows.

A couple hours passed, and The Wreck was busy as usual. I balanced a tray of food on my way to a table outside. It was nice to feel the bright sun on my skin, immediately warming me up. "I've got a plate of fried shrimp, curly fries, and a small side of corn salad," I handed the plate to the little girl, "And crab cakes with potato wedges and coleslaw." I set the plate down in front of the girl's father.

"Can I get you two anything else?" I asked, tucking the tray underneath me. "Yes. Could we get some more napkins and one of the Lobster Bibs?" the man asked. "Of course, I'll be right back with those," I said. I dropped the tray off with the rest of them and grabbed some extra napkins and one of the bibs from the kitchen.

The man thanked me when I handed them the things he asked for. Today felt more busy than usual, I've already had three people ask me for things that weren't on the menu and an older woman asking for a nonalcoholic drink that we didn't offer.

"Hey, Y/N, table three was asking for you, by the way," George, another server, said. "Okay. Anything specific?" I asked, grabbing a pen from the stand. He shrugged and went back to the kitchen.

I sighed, thinking of endless possibilities as to what the table wanted. I hadn't served them, so who knew what they wanted. My worried demeanor was replaced when John B, Pope, Sarah, and JJ sat at the table. "Hey, what're you guys doing here?" I asked, setting my notepad into the pocket of my apron.

"Kiara said you two were having a tough shift. So, we figured we'd come and visit," Sarah said, smiling. I smiled and thanked them. "She's not wrong," I said.

"When do you and Kie have your lunch break?" JJ asked, reaching over to lace his hand with mine. I checked my watch. "In about twenty minutes," I answered. "We can wait," John B said.

I thanked my thoughtful friends and went back to my other tables. Twenty minutes felt like twenty hours. Kiara and I sat with the boys outside, away from the customers. We had snuck some food out of the kitchen. JJ and I shared a plate of Y/F/M with a side of fries.

John B went on a tangent about JJ not helping with the HMS Pogue. My boyfriend claimed he saw a 'huge ass spider' and refused to step foot onto the boat. JJ's fear of spiders was something neither of us could speak about.

"It was big, okay? You'd be scared if you had seen it," JJ said, his hand resting around the back of my chair. "Oh, yeah, I'm sure tough guy," Sarah scoffed and rolled her eyes. Our lunch breaks were usually around thirty minutes, sometimes forty if Kiara's parents were feeling generous. Since it was busy today, we probably wouldn't get a forty-minute lunch.

I opened my mouth to speak but was rudely interrupted by someone. Thomas Collins joined in on our conversation. This was the same Thomas that I dated my Freshmen year. He's one of those guys that won't take no for answer. I didn't realize that until four months into our 'relationship'.

JJ took his arm off my shoulders to set a hand on my thigh. "How's my favorite crew doing?" Thomas asked with a sly smirk. "We're doing okay, thanks," Pope replied. Sarah took a sip of her Lemonade, trying her best to ignore Thomas' presence.

"So. JJ, Y/N. How're you two doing? Can't help but see you two are enjoying yourselves," Thomas said. Despite our hints, he grabbed a chair from a nearby table and sat with us. I discreetly checked the time on my watch.

Thankfully, Kiara and I only had ten minutes left of our lunch break. Kiara looked over her shoulder, trying to find her dad or mom. "Have you gotten bored of her yet?" Thomas continued, "Does she still do that thing where she'll ask you to help her with something? Because she'd do that all the time, it would get so f-"

I drowned out his statements, watching him move his mouth in an obnoxious tone. JJ ran a hand up and down my leg. I noticed Kiara would glance at her watch and then at me. During this whole conversation, I hadn't noticed that JJ wasn't paying any attention to Thomas.

Which was weird. He'd do anything to threaten any guy who spoke badly about me. I looked at JJ to find him with his eyes already on me. He reassured me that everything was going to be okay, he wasn't listening to Thomas one bit.

I find it dizzying They're bringing up my history But you aren't even listening

Thomas leaned back in the chair with crossed arms. I hoped the chair would break from underneath him, and he'd humiliate himself. "Y/N and I have to finish our shift," Kiara cut the conversation short. JJ grabbed my hand and led me out of the chair. "Thomas, why don't you come out with us?" Sarah offered. "We'll show you around The Cut, take you to our favorite places," John B added.

My ex-boyfriend glanced at the two and then at JJ, standing before me. "No. I think I'll stay here, keep Y/N and Kie some company," Thomas denied. "Now," JJ's voice was tense. Kiara took me from JJ before things escalated. We went to the counter and clocked back in.

"You okay?" she asked. I nodded and tied my apron around my back. Kiara handed me my notepad, setting her own into the pocket. "I'm alright. I really thought we were gonna witness a Kook vs. Pogue battle," I responded.

"Yeah, me too."

_____

(Later)

I stepped out of the shower and changed into a pair of clothes. My best friend sat on my bed, flipping through her TikTok feed. "Any word from the gang?" I set my bag beside the bedroom door. Kiara sat up in my bed with her cell phone in hand.

"Yeah. I told them we'd head over to Chateau when you were done getting ready."

She set her phone down, grabbing her sandals from the side of the bed. I slipped my shoes on. "Are you okay after what happened earlier?" Kiara stood up from the bed. "I'm fine. Thomas' comments don't get to me anymore," I slipped my arm into the strap of my tote bag.

Kiara nodded. We hopped into my car and drove to the chateau, listening to Taylor Swift's new album. Taylor Swift was the number one artist that just the two of us listened to.

The boys hated it. Well, Pope didn't mind listening to her music. We often joke that he is a die-hard Swifty. When I pulled into the Chateu, John B and Sarah were sitting in the hammock while JJ and Pope were passing a football back and forth.

"Let's hope hanging out with Thomas didn't go haywire," Kiara said. I chuckled, stepping out of the car with my bag in hand. Pope caught the football before it fell to the ground. JJ was the first to greet Kiara and me.

He fist-bumped Kiara before bringing me in for a hug. JJ wouldn't let me go until we sat down on the hammock, stealing John B and Sarah's spot. John B stepped into the chateu to get some beers for everyone. "So, what happened to Thomas?" Kiara asked.

She sat down beside Pope on one of the benches. John B came out with the drinks. "Let's just say he won't be bothering us anytime soon," he handed me a beer. "What did you guys do?" I twisted the bottle cap off.

"Oh, you know, just told him that he's a terrible human being, and we that we saw him and his gf doin' it in the Cameron's pool," JJ smirked. "That'll do it," Kiara commented, tossing John B the bottle cap.

He caught it and dropped it into a trash bag beside him. I looked at Sarah when JJ said what they did. "That was the first time I heard anything about that," she said. JJ put his arm around my shoulder, bringing me to his chest.

I feel a lavender haze creeping up on me. So real, I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say No deal, the 1950s shit they want from me I just wanna stay in that lavender haze That lavender haze

I felt his lips linger on the top of my head before pulling away. "So, what did Thomas do when you threatened him?" I asked. "Well, he did try to square up, but apparently, the boys are intimidating," Sarah replied. "Apparently?" Pope leaned forward to look at Sarah. She ignored his glance, finishing off her drink.

______

(Later)

As the night grew, I began to regret not bringing a jacket with me. John B started a fire a little while as the sun began to set. "Hey, your jacket's in my room if you wanted me to get it," JJ said. "I'll get it. I need to go to the bathroom anyways," I replied.

He nodded. I got up from the hammock, slipping my phone into my shorts pocket. "Could you grab me a water?" Sarah handed me her empty can of beer. "Yeah. Does anyone else need anything?" I offered. They all shook their heads.

I stepped into the guest room and found my jacket hanging on the bedpost. I could still hear my friends talking when I stepped into the kitchen. The fridge didn't offer much, but I was able to find water for myself and Sarah. As I walked back outside, I heard my name mentioned a few times, either by Kiara or Sarah.

Talk your talk and go viral I just need this love spiral Get it off your chest Get it off my desk

Sarah thanked me as I handed her a water bottle. I joined JJ on the hammock. "Hey, could I talk to you for a second?" he asked. "Sure," I replied. JJ took my hand, leading me over to the dock. The group whistled as we walked where the boat was tied. I looked over my shoulder to spot Kiara and Sarah giving me a thumbs-up.

JJ and I stood side by side. The sun was beginning to set above the marsh, creating a beautiful orange and pink glow on the water. JJ leaned against the dock with his hands resting on the wooden bar. I watched him as he thought to himself. "You okay?" I asked, noticing him playing with his bracelets.

His eyes darted from the water and then up to the long grass. I set a hand on top of his wrist, gaining his attention. "Do you ever start thinking of someone while you’re walking or doing something random, and you start smiling uncontrollably because you’ve got that certain someone on your mind?" he spoke.

I feel a lavender haze creeping up on me. So real, I'm damned if I do give a damn what people say No deal, the 1950s shit they want from me I just wanna stay in that lavender haze

I nodded in response. JJ sighed and turned to look at me; he leaned against the docks pillar. "You're..." he looked back at the group (GIF Above), "You're that person I think about constantly." I smiled. The same round of butterflies that happened earlier sprouted. "This whole feelings thing, it's still kind of new to me," he said.

"Me too," I nodded, looking out at the horizon. My mind reminded me of the conversation between Kiara and my thoughts that were rotating. Better say it now before I completely disregard it.

"JJ, I love you," I blurted. It took him a second to look away from the water to me. I hesitated to look up from the ground. The corners of JJ's lips lifted. "Really?" his brows rose. "Yeah," my voice was soft as I spoke. He let out a relieved sigh. JJ wrapped his arms around me.

I already knew that the group was going to have a field day. Hell, I bet they already are. They've got a good view of the dock. "I love you too," JJ said. His grip on me tightened when I rested my head on his chest.

Get it off your chest Get it off my desk That lavender haze I just wanna stay in that lavender haze

Taglist: @kasidy709 @soflties @elliecool123

[maybankiara]

WHERE WE'D END UP AT THE END

pairing: JJ Maybank x Kiara Carrera summary: Kiara unexpectedly returns from her trip around the world with a confession for JJ. w/c: 7k a/n: au in which everything happened apart from the jiara kiss, and before the time jump, all the pogues went their separate ways. everything else is canon. pining, fluff, angst, confessions, this has got it all. masterlist | tag list read on archive of our own

He doesn’t know she’s back until he hears her voice coming from behind him. Even then, as he turns around, it’s hard to wrap his head around the fact that the person in front of him is more than a mere memory brought up by the June heat.

  Her name falls from his lips and, just like that, the Earth starts spinning again.

  For three years, JJ was the only Pogue on the island. Pope left for university and found himself a job there, staying over summer and only returning for a few days in winter to celebrate Christmas with his family. John B and Sarah decided to move to the Bahamas, permanently, away from the mess that the Outer Banks offered. Kiara decided that she wanted to see the world and then she decided to stay in it.

  Kildare wasn’t for any of them, but JJ was the only one without the option of leaving it. He settled down, instead, found work at a mechanic’s workshop and a part-time job as a bartender down at Figure Eight. Friends were scarce and fun was scarcer, yet JJ thought it to be the best turn of events – if he focused on getting money, someday he’d be able to escape, too.

  That was the plan, anyway. And now he’s at the Kook bar, reorganising the shelves because the shift is at its slowest point, and he hears the trembling voice he truthfully gave up on thinking he’d hear again.

  For all his charming mannerisms, they all seem to fall flat now. He’s just staring but his brain is unable to take in the image; a malfunction. A proper system shutdown.

  ‘I, uh… I’ll have a bit of that.’ She points at the bottle in JJ’s hands. He moves his finger a little, revealing the letters spelling out Jack Daniels: Fire. ‘Make it double.’

  All JJ manages is a meek nod and a: ‘Coming right up.’

  He turns his back to her and takes out a whiskey glass. His fingers are slippery enough it almost falls from his grip, but he holds onto it. He glances back and she’s got her eyes on him, her lips parted in a heavy sigh.

  ‘One for you, too,’ she says. There’s a ring on her finger she keeps fiddling with; it’s a new one. JJ tries not to stare at it. ‘If you’re allowed.’

  Without a word, JJ fetches another glass from the cupboard. He takes a small shot glass and lets the golden liquid trickle into it. It would be easier to have just taken the double-sized shot glass, but… he didn’t do it. He’s not stalling, it’s just more precise this way.

  JJ glances at her. ‘On the rocks or straight?’

  ‘On the rocks. It’s a hot day.’

  He turns around and opens the cupboard behind the bar, scooping up two ice cubes. Both of them go into a single glass that he hands over to her. The whiskey has a bitter smell and it just about burns his throat when he takes a sip of it.

  ‘So,’ he says, ‘you’re back.’

  Kiara Carrera’s lips relax into a smile that makes her eyes wrinkle a little. She lets out a chuckle, too, and JJ lets notes that her eyes look a little brighter now. Their colour is the same as it was when they first met as kids, but their owner is livelier. She looks a little taller, her face a little more defined, and it’s hard to believe it’s been merely three years since he’s last seen her.

  There’s still a band sitting on top of her hair, the tank top she’s wearing is in the same earthly tones he’s always known her in, and at the same time it feels as if no time has passed.

  She takes a big sip, shuts her eyes and shudders before letting out a big sigh, and chuckles.

  JJ feels the grin forming on his face. ‘You still can’t take whiskey?’

  ‘Nope. The true bane of my existence.’

  ‘Why order it, then?’

  ‘You know me,’ she says, offering a shrug. ‘I needed something strong. For the jitters.’

  ‘The jitters.’

  ‘Oh c’mon, JJ.’ Kie leans over the bar a little, just enough to give him a playful shove, smiling bright and wide. ‘I haven’t seen you in three years. It’s scary.’

  JJ quirks an eyebrow at her. The whiskey tastes a little more like cinnamon this time around and he rests his elbows on the bartop. ‘Do you find me scary, Ms Carrera?’

  She leans closer. ‘In your dreams.’

  They’re close enough that he can see her eyes aren’t fully a dark brown, but have lighter specks around the iris, looking almost like scattered golden dots. He’s seen this a million times before, but not in the last three years. It’s enough to draw a shaky chuckle out of him as he retreats, leaning his back against the wall underneath the shelves.

  ‘I’m glad to see you again, Kie,’ he admits. He can’t think of a world in which he isn’t, but he wants her to hear it, still. ‘The world looks good on you.’

  She flashes a smile, downing the last of her glass with a reaction equal to the first one. ‘You look good, too, JJ. I never would’ve thought that I’d find you here, of all places.’

  ‘In a Kook bar?’ His voice is quieter, as there’s people chatting away in some parts of the bar. If it were any quieter, he wouldn’t have risked saying it. ‘I have to assimilate so I can steal the money from the rich.’

  ‘I see you haven’t changed.’ It’s a light taunt, one that comes with a dose of admiration, and JJ happily takes it as a compliment.

  ‘They’ve got more than enough money. Put on a smile,’—he stretches his face into the kindest fake smile he can muster—‘listen to some of their troubles, and they’re at your feet.’

  ‘I’m glad that you’ve still got your charm.’

  ‘I’ve mastered it.’

  Kie rewards him with a genuine laugh, one that he hasn’t heard in too long, and he feels excitement bubbling in his chest. She hasn’t laughed quite so freely in… ever, probably. He doesn’t think the last time he’s seen her with her shoulders fully relaxed, a constant genuine smile on her face, and the ease with which she carries herself now.

  He meant it when he said that travelling the world suits her.

  ‘Anyway,’ she says. ‘I assume your customers are going to require your attention soon, and mine is required by my parents, who must be eager to see me back home.’

  ‘You haven’t been home yet?’

  ‘No.’ Her voice goes low again and her tongue runs over her bottom lip, her eyes wandering before settling back on JJ. ‘I needed a… whiskey.’

  For a moment, he thought she must’ve been as surprised as he was to find him here. If all she wanted was a whiskey and got a friend she hadn’t seen in years… But then he saw the nervousness in the gentle twitch of her lips, and the expectance of someone being in on an inside joke, and he clocked it.

  His chest heaves with a sigh, and he lets out the tension that managed to build up in the half a second his brain went into overdrive. ‘Just a whiskey.’

  ‘Just a whiskey.’

  We don’t talk about how we feel, he remembers one of Pogues saying once, when they were younger. We do things for each other and we say things that mean other things, but we’re never direct.

  It must’ve been Pope, because JJ remembers himself saying, It’s tough love, bub.

  What feels like a century later, they’re still behaving the very same way. It’s the Pogue thing. Except they’re adults now, all of them barely in contact with each other anymore, and maybe that behaviour is better left in the past.

  JJ reaches forward and covers Kie’s hand with his own, squeezing it lightly. ‘You’ve got this. If it doesn’t go well, give me a call.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Her thumb brushes the inside of his and she gives him a smile that makes him think that maybe nothing has changed, after all. ‘I’m definitely going to need a couple of drinks after that.’

  ‘My place is still back on the Cut, but I’ve got plenty of drinks for a night of catching up.’

  ‘Like the good old days,’ she says, and he echoes the words with a knowing smile on his face.

  He doesn’t care about the customers when Kie leaves. He doesn’t care about the old guy who always comes in and gives him shit for not giving him enough to drink, and always tries to get some for free – he doesn’t care about any of it. His phone is in his pocket and he only cares about when it’s going to buzz, when the second-hand watch on his wrist will show it’s 8 pm, when he’ll be able to get home and make it a little neater before she comes back.

  It’s one of his best and worst shifts. His mind keeps taking him back to her hand being in his, to their eyes locking, and he feels like he’s still sixteen, still hiding his feelings, still wishing the best for her and knowing he’s not it.

  Maybe things will be simpler now. They’re not kids anymore, and maybe that’s the one thing that will make it all more bearable.

  ★

She appears out of nowhere, unannounced, knocking on his door like she’s trying to break it down. JJ guesses it’s just her thing now.

  He opens the door and she scoots past him with a muttered thanks before her mouth starts working a mile a minute and her voice fills out the entirety of JJ’s modest apartment, and he’s a little overwhelmed.

  ‘Kie.’

  She turns on her feet, chest heaving as she catches her breath. ‘Yeah?’

  ‘Calm down for a second.’ He closes the door and locks it, walks over to the living room (that is also the kitchen and the dining room and the guest bedroom) and plops down on the couch, waiting until she does the same. ‘What happened? And slow down this time so I can actually pay attention.’

  Kie nods, opens her mouth, then closes it. She throws a glance in the direction of the kitchen. ‘You want a beer?’

  ‘You’re asking me if I want a beer in my own house?’

  ‘Mhm.’ The next moment, she’s on her feet, and her head is in the fridge. She comes back to the couch with two beers, throwing one in his direction. ‘Needed one, figured you’d need one, too.’

  A sigh falls from JJ’s lips before he gets to stop it. ‘That bad?’

  ‘That bad.’

  He leans into the couch as the two open their beers and he doesn’t take his eyes off of his friend; she hasn’t started talking yet, which probably means she’s trying to think of what to say, and he likes to have a moment to prepare himself.

  When she came over for the first time, about three days ago, the two managed to mend most of what was broken by time and distance. It was a long night of catching up and he got to learn quite a bit about her adventures in Thailand and Bali, primarily, and she got to learn about what it feels like to work two jobs, one on the Cut and one in Figure Eight. Their experiences were vastly different, but they boiled to the same outcome – growing up. Understanding the world a little better.

  They’ve seen each other at least once every day since, and soon enough, it was like she never left. They went to the beach yesterday, did some surfing, then crashed a party at the Boneyard for a little bit before they ended up back at his place, both falling asleep on the stretched-out couch.

  It was like it had been before she left, but JJ knew it wouldn’t last. They aren’t teenagers anymore.

  This is why he waits for her to figure her things out, and then she spills the beans: her parents want her to stay on the island. With them.

  ‘It’s not like they don’t care about what I want,’ she says, not quite looking at JJ, but rather past him. He wonders if she’s looking at the derelict building right across the street, because that’s the only thing visible from the window. ‘They just don’t get it.’

  ‘Do you want to keep travelling?’

  Outside, a hawk chittered not far from the apartment.

  When Kie brings her eyes up to meet JJ’s, he sees the discomfort in them; the insecurity. ‘No,’ she says, quietly, ‘but I don’t know what I want. Just…’

  ‘Just not the island.’

  There’s a moment of silence. ‘Yeah.’

  JJ shuffles across the couch until his arm is over Kie’s shoulder and he pulls her into a half-hug. Her hair still smells like coconut, but also like something else, now. The same and different. ‘I get it, Kie. I really do. I would do the same if I could.’

  ‘You’re not mad?’ she asks, nestling her head in the crook of his neck; JJ tries not to shiver at the contact. ‘You will be alone again.’

  ‘I didn’t expect you to stay, Kie,’ he admits. ‘I thought you’d be around for a few days and then leave, because I know how much you hate this place. I’d never let you stay. I just— I couldn’t. It’s not right.’

  ‘I just hate it, you know. The idea of you here, all alone.’

  ‘I’m not all alone, though. I’ve got a life here. I belong here more than any of you do.’

  His hand gives her shoulder a gentle rub, and then he’s got the tips of her hair wrapped around his fingers, twirling them around. He’s not alone, he tells himself – there have been plenty of girls sharing the bed with him for the night. He talks to people at work, some people greet him on the street and he’s known them for the entirety of his life.

  He doesn’t like it here, but it’s where he’s meant to be.

  There always has to be a Maybank on the Cut.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Kie says.

  JJ doesn’t look at her, because he hears the way her voice got caught up in her throat, and he doesn’t want to risk seeing her crying. It’ll break him. ‘You don’t have anything to be sorry for,’ he tells her instead, because he has an inkling of what this could be about.

  ‘I do. We all— we all left and didn’t look back.’

  ‘Pope comes home,’ argues JJ. ‘I see him sometimes.’

  ‘Three times in three years.’

  He doesn’t say anything to that, because he doesn’t have anything to say that would make her feel better, and the last thing he wants is to make the situation worse.

  ‘It’s fine, Kie,’ he tells her. A group of people walks underneath the window and JJ feels the need to slam it shut, but then the heat would burn them alive. Even sitting so close to her is a sacrifice he’s making, because his body heat keeps going up, and he feels his fingers becoming sticky.

  It shouldn’t matter. They’ve always been gross around one another. It’s the Pogue way.

  ‘Look, I’m my own person, okay? I love the Pogues, I love our little group, but we don’t live for each other. You’ve got your life, I’ve got mine. That’s what happens when you grow up.’

  ‘You grow apart,’ she says, and the words send a lump into his throat.

  In that moment, JJ finds himself wishing he had more than Kie to hold on to. His head drops backwards, first, and he takes a deep breath as his eyes blink away the tears. He can be level-headed in tough situations. He had to learn that in the past couple of years.

  He feels Kie stiffen on his chest, her fingers tugging at one another in his lap. Usually, he’s the fidgety one. Usually, he’s the one fumbling with words. Usually, he’s the having to pull himself together.

  When he lets his eyes close and rests his chin atop of Kie’s head, it’s an instinct rather than a decision. His hand drops from her hair until he’s pulling her into himself, feeling her body wrapped up within him.

  If he could shield her from the world, he could. He can only shield her from himself.

  He damns the heat welling up in his throat and holds her close, still.

  ‘You’re always going to have a home with me,’ he tells her. His thumbs rub her skin and he feels her press into him, her body quivering ever so slightly. ‘No matter how long we don’t see each other for, or if we don’t talk in years. If we have a falling out or some other shit happens. None of that matters. If you need me, I’ll come. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be right where you can find me.’

  Kie doesn’t sob, but her body shakes and he bites his own lip. The lump in his throat let him say those words, but it’s choking him now.

  He meant every word he said, though. That’s the only thing that matters.

  (JJ isn’t quite the one for finding the words for how he feels. John B is the only Pogue who could manage that with ease, with his grandiose acts of love for Sarah and whatnot. But this is Kie – she’s been one of his best friends for years and she knows his way with words and avoiding the truth. There’s no hiding from that.

  Not like he meant to hide, anyway. He doesn’t need to tell her his heart has belonged to her for a long time now, but he can tell her she’s got a home in it.)

  Kie stirs against his chest; he sees the green shirt has turned several shades darker in tiny circles, where her head had been.

  ‘I don’t know what to say.’

  She pulls away from him, staring ahead, where the TV is propped up on a stool made from pieces of an old wooden chair that had broke when JJ first moved in. She seems transfixed on it – is this how she sees JJ, maybe? Something that was meant for a purpose it was no longer fit for, then repurposed to keep living, to keep surviving in a world that’s against him?

  Maybe that’s how she saw herself, too. JJ certainly does. She’s sturdier than most people he’s met and it’s one of the things he admires about her the most.

  JJ runs a hand along her back, rubbing gentle circles. He doesn’t think about anything other than she deserves someone to care for her. When she looks at him, there’s a smile in the corners of her lips, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

  ‘JJ?’

  ‘Yeah?’

  Kie gives him a long gaze, shaking her head to herself before she parts her lips again. ‘You know how when we were younger, I said that I’d always live every day like it was last?’

  He nods. It was shortly after the fiasco with the El Dorado – he couldn’t just forget that. ‘You said no regrets.’

  ‘And when I left, I thought I had none.’ She leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees. Her fingers are still pulling at the ring – she’d got it at a monastery in Nepal, allegedly a family heirloom from one of the monks she met there. She doesn’t look at him when she speaks. ‘It was great, at first. The freedom was like fresh air. It was all I ever wanted.’

  I know, he wants to say, you’ve told me this already. But he keeps quiet, still, because her tone wasn’t light.

  ‘I got bad, though. Sometimes I would just stay up, realising how far from home I was. I just felt like if something happened to me, it would take ages to get back to my family, to you. It wasn’t homesickness, it was kind of… I was aware of my mortality in a really weird way. I thought I was okay with that before I left, I thought I’d made peace with everything.’

  He catches her glance at him out of the corner of her eye and he tries offering her a smile, but it doesn’t really work.

  She tells him, then – she tells him all of it. The loneliness, the feeling of being completely lost and misguided, to the feeling of being fooled into believing that travelling the world could let her make sense of things that confused her at home. Some of it got cleared, but most of it got more clouded, instead. There were good days, but the bad days nearly outshined the good when she’d start thinking about things.

  Kie tells the story in a hushed voice, almost as if she’s scared that the passersby could hear her words through the window, when JJ could barely hear them himself. His hand never lets go of her back, but he stops moving it and just holds it there. More than anything, he wants to wrap his arms around her, but he can tell she needs the space.

  He knows this is headed somewhere, yet the more she talks about it, the less he understands.

  Until, that is, she finally looks at him and says, ‘When things were the hardest, you were the one who got me out of it.’

 How? he means to ask, but it isn’t his turn. Kie’s eyes are pointed and she’s not finished yet. ‘Before I left, you told me you believed in me, and the whole world’s waiting for me to explore it, and it was the only thing that I could think of and fall asleep after it. I kept wishing you’d come with me, instead, and I couldn’t stop wondering why I hadn’t asked you to come.’

  ‘Even if you had, it wouldn’t have been an option,’ he reminds her. ‘I was broke, had to stay here. I’m not the guy who goes backpacking around the world.’

  ‘What if you are?’ she asks and for the first time, JJ thinks he can really hear the lump in her throat, the stiffness of her voice. ‘What if we could’ve… I was an idiot when I left, JJ.’

  JJ aches to lean over and reach her, yet he keeps himself glued to the couch. What do you say to this? How do you act? His heart keeps beating in expectation and not even the chatter outside the window can do anything to help.

  ‘I was confused,’ she says. ‘I was a kid. I was dumb. I was running away from everything this place had to offer, and I didn’t realise that included you.’

  ‘You didn’t run away from me, Kie.’

  ‘What if I did?’ She looks at him and he sees determination in her eyes, in the tightness of her lips, in the way her neck tenses. ‘I kept feeling and thinking things I couldn’t explain and definitely shouldn’t have been feeling. Travelling the world sounded better than trying to confront all of it. Except that backfired, because I had to stop travelling because I couldn’t keep ignoring it.’

  Here’s the thing with the Pogues – they don’t say what they mean.

  JJ feels the weight of her words, but can’t quite piece them together to solve the puzzle. He stares at her in expectation, instead, waiting for something that doesn’t come. Her eyes are trained to his and her lips slightly parted, as if she’s waiting on him, too.

  JJ gets up and grabs himself a beer from the fridge, throwing her one, too. He walks a few steps to the left until he’s in the kitchen area of the room, and grabs a bag of heavy salted crisps from the cupboard. He hands it to her and she takes it without a word, no longer looking at him, but still expecting. Waiting.

  They’re waiting on each other. Oddly, JJ feels like they’ve been doing the dance far longer than he thinks.

  ‘I don’t know what you want me to say, Kie.’

  She pulls her lips into her mouth, before saying: ‘Anything.’

  And JJ feels a new weight on his shoulders.

  Kiara Carrera has always fit in his life. She has never been the central point herself, but the Pogues were his life for the majority of it, and she was one of them. A life without them, and without her, wasn’t much of an exciting life.

  He remembers when she first came and he kept calling her the Kook princess, until Sarah Cameron turned out to be everything they joked Kie was. He always thought it was odd how easily she fit with the three boys, with the Cut – if someone looked at her, with her little headband, cropped tops and tie-dyed everything, they’d never guess she grew up on Figure Eight.

  She fit in his apartment, too. Somehow. Another crop top, another pair of jean shorts, another headband keeping her hair out of her face. She’s changed but she hasn’t. And this is a place that is falling apart, costing just enough so he can call it a decent apartment and still get to save for something better, eventually.

  Not that there is anything remotely better on the Cut. JJ likes to dream, too.

  And she’s in a lot of those dreams.

  ‘Kie, I just— I don’t know what you want me to say. Or do,’ he says. ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘What do you want to do?’

  So much, is the answer, but so is nothing.

  He’s seen the look on her face before, more than once, in memories that kept him up at night. The replay of the curve of her Cupid’s Bow, of the way her lips are slightly pursed, in the tremor he can see from her baby hairs shaking.

  Kiara, looking at him like there’s nothing else worthy of looking at.

  JJ puts his beer on the counter and walks up to her, cups her face, and kisses her.

  ★

As a man stumbles his way out of the bar with one of JJ’s coworkers holding a firm hand on his back, JJ finds himself wondering why in the hell he’s decided to work in the one place that alcoholics frequent, and isn’t a casino. He’s thought about this before and the conclusion is always the same – it’s about seeing that people can get drunk, abuse alcohol, and still be semi-decent people.

  Even from his grave, Luke Maybank’s hold on his son never wavers.

  It’s what he thinks about when things are shit. When he’s shit. And without hearing from Kiara for nearly two whole days now, JJ’s legs shake with every step he takes.

  He thinks that seeing her would fix everything, but when she finally walks into the bar, his knees threaten to give in.

  She calls his name and he glances around, but his boss is elsewhere, so he tells her to sit down.

  ‘Whiskey again?’

  Kiara shakes her head.

  ‘A beer, then? I’ve got your favourite.’

  ‘I’m here for you, JJ.’

  He pours her some of her favourite beer, anyway. On the house. ‘My shift finishes in an hour. You can wait, or I can pick you up—’

  ‘I’ll wait.’ She takes the beer and puts a few bills on the counter. ‘I’ll be in the back.’

  Her steps are steady and precise, and she sits down in the far back booth as if that was her intention all along. JJ knows her well enough to know she’s terrified, because Kiara is never this precise unless she fears that one wrong movement will crumble her.

  He makes a note of not holding anything against her, whatever it is she’s here to talk about. He takes the bills she left, too, and slips them in his pocket, to return them to her later.

  ‘On the rocks,’ says a man to his right—a regular—and JJ’s back to being the bartender.

  Every so often, he feels Kiara’s eyes on his back. Even as he speaks to the customers, he thinks of last night, of the way her limbs felt tangled with his. He looks a man in the eye as he charges him and all sees is her eyes rolling in pleasure, her mouth full of little sighs, little gasps.

  His hands drop to the wooden bartop and he feels his palm flat against his wall, stabilising him as he thrusts. Kiara’s moans and wandering hands. Kiara’s mouth where he needed her most, his own making her feel good in return.

  ‘You’re two dollars short,’ says the customer.

  ‘Sorry.’ JJ reaches into the till and takes out two dollars. ‘It’s been a long day.’

  ‘Sure seems like it. Look after yourself, kid.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  Yet all he can think about is how it’s the best night he’s had in years, if not ever.

  Kiara still sits in the back booth, killing time with her phone and occasional glances at JJ. There’s nothing on her face to show she’s going through the same, but JJ bets she is – he knows her well enough.

  Even though she rushed out in the morning with her hair still a mess from his hands running through it, he knows it was just as earth-shattering for her as it was for him.

  JJ bids his farewell to his coworkers. They’re good kids – even though JJ’s only a year or two older, he feels like there’s a decade between them. They’re Kook kids, somehow unaware of his past, and JJ envies their innocence.

  Kiara’s still on her phone when he approaches her. ‘Fancy getting out of here?’

  She slips her phone into her pocket and is leading him out of the joint before he wraps his head around it. ‘I want to go somewhere.’

  ‘Somewhere as in a specific place?’

  ‘Yeah. You got your bike?’

  JJ taps her shoulder, pointing at the employee car park. In the middle of it is his trusted dirt bike, one that’s gotten him out of shit more times than he’d like to admit.

  She lets out a breathy laugh. ‘I missed that thing.’

  ‘It missed you, too.’

  They hop on like they’ve done a million times before. Kiara wraps her arms around his waist with no hesitation and he feels her cheek pressed against his shoulderblade – if he wore a tank top, they’d be skin against skin.

  Again.

  JJ revs the engine. ‘Where to, Ma’am?’

  ‘The Chateau.’

  All JJ tries to focus on is her arms around him, but he shudders anyway.

  Nobody’s been to the Chateau since the fire all those years ago. JJ’s hardly even thought about it. With no one to look after the place, the wooden boards would’ve turned to ruin by now. All the Pogue memories they made would be turned to dust – does he even remember them, anymore?

  Kiara squeezes him a little harder – just enough to hold him together to the Chateau.

  As he thought, the place is a ruin.

  ‘It’s kind of beautiful,’ Kiara says.

  He looks at her as if she’s crazy—she must be—but then he sees the admiration, the longing, the nostalgia in her eyes, and tries to see it the way she does. Vines climb what’s left of the house and there’s moss where windows would’ve been. The ash has been washed away by rain and he can see traces of the original colour on the surviving base.

  Kiara takes a few steps forward until she’s standing on the ruin, balancing herself with a smile. ‘This is where the front porch was.’

  JJ just stares. She doesn’t stop, though – she walks to the left and says that’s where the swing used to be, and that was where the couch was, and suddenly JJ starts seeing all those things, as if someone were building the house from the ashes.

  He joins in on the game. ‘That’s where I used to sleep. That’s where Pope got hit in the head by a can that one time.’

  The Chateau came to life and the memories rushed back as if they were never gone. Within minutes, the two were laughing as if no time had passed. As if things hadn’t turned to ruin and as if they hadn’t grown older. Grown apart.

  It comes to an end, though. JJ offers her a hand to come down but she does it herself.

  ‘Oh,’ she says.

  ‘What?’

  ‘I forgot about this.’

  He walks up next to her and sees it: the tree with John B’s name carved into it. A memory from a bad time – when they thought they’d lost him. When it was just JJ, Kiara and Pope. Left to fend for themselves, not knowing whether their friend was alive or dead.

  JJ swallows the lump in his throat. His arm finds Kiara’s shoulder and he pulls her closer, and she wraps both arms around his waist.

  ‘I’m glad that wasn’t the end,’ he says. ‘But it was hell. Thinking he was lost.’

  ‘We nearly lost him,’ Kiara says in the softest voice.

  ‘But we didn’t. That’s all that matters.’

  He doesn’t want to say that in a way, they still lost him – to Sarah and the Bahamas, like they lost Pope to college.

  JJ laughs a dry laugh. ‘Never thought we’d be the last two Pogues.’

  ‘With a burnt-down Chateau behind our backs.’

  ‘Exactly. Funny how life turns out.’

  Her hands drop back to her pockets; the absence of her body against his feels like an unwanted breeze.

  She looks at him like she’s about to say something. JJ decides against interrupting, and instead looks towards the pier – there’s no light on it and it’s already getting dark, but he wants to go there. Get away from the Chateau and its scorched past.

  So his clammy hand takes hold of Kiara’s and they walk down the pier, listening as the wooden boards creak. Some things remain the same. Kiara squeezes his hand.

  She doesn’t let go of it when they reach the end, with nothing but marsh in front of them. Sun sets on the other side of the property and they’re watching the sky bask in shades of deep blue, and JJ sits down with Kiara following suit.

  Her fingers tap the wood. ‘I don’t want to live with regrets.’

  ‘Okay?’

  ‘Is it? What we did last night?’ she asks, facing him straight-on. ‘A regret?’

  ‘No.’ JJ doesn’t even hesitate. ‘It was the one thing that could never regret.’

  She smiles, ever so slightly, and he feels the tension in his shoulders ease. Carefully, he covers her hand with his own, and she lets him take it into his lap.

  ‘Kie.’

  ‘Yeah?’

  JJ takes a deep breath.

  He’s thought about this moment for a long time – over a decade, really. Almost two. He’s thought about what he’d say, given the chance, and there was a grandiose speech somewhere in the back of his mind… but this is different.

  He never accounted for sleeping with Kie before confessing his feelings.

  ‘You know when I said I’d be there when you came back? When you were leaving?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘I meant every word,’ he says. He gives her hand a squeeze and musters up a tiny smile, but he still can’t look her in the eye. ‘I made the promise to wait for you. Hell, I would’ve waited for you till the world ended if I had to. And I still will. I always will.’

  His eyes finally meet hers and – she’s crying. Moonlight reflects off the tears and he’d call her beautiful if he wasn’t in the middle of this.

  Of them.

  ‘My home is with you, Kie. I can stay on the island for as long as I want, but if you’re not here, it’s not…’ He brings his hand to her cheek, wiping her tears with his thumb. ‘No matter how many times you leave, I’ll be there. Ready to take you back.

  He watches the shine in her eyes drop to his lips and then he’s got her own pressed against them, her hands holding his face. It’s gentle, unlike the passionate kiss they had the other night, and he feels her breath on his lips. She moves back, but her hands cradle his face, still.

  ‘How did it take us this long to get here?’

  JJ laughs. ‘I was just another guy, Kie. You had half the island trying to get with you.’

  ‘That’s not true!’

  ‘It is,’ JJ says. ‘I just didn’t want you to know because I didn’t want you to have the burden of rejecting me, because our friendship would’ve… I don’t think it would’ve lasted. And I’d rather have you as a friend than tell you have I feel you and lose you.’

  ‘You wouldn’t have lost me,’ she whispers. Her thumb glides across his cheek and he leans into her palm.

  ‘I didn’t know.’

  ‘You never tried.’

  JJ sighs, then kisses the inside of her palm. ‘Even if I did, Kie, I was the guy from the wrong side of the island. A Maybank, at that. I wouldn’t have been good enough. You deserved better than whatever I could’ve been.’

  She shakes her head to the point he feels her whole body trembling with the movement. ‘I never thought that way, JJ.’

  ‘But I did,’ he says. ‘And even if you liked me back, I wouldn’t have been able to get over that. I wouldn’t have thought that something that good could happen to someone like me.’

  Her hands are gentle and he tries to relax, even though his own are gripping the back of her shirt.

  Somewhere in the distance, an owl hoots. The water is still, but he can hear movement – despite the death of the Chateau, life around it went on. JJ finds some comfort in that – their lives, too, went on.

  One of Kiara’s hands is dropped to his thigh, caressing it. ‘I wouldn’t have rejected you, you know.’

  JJ lets out a shaky breath. ‘Really?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘Yeah.’

  He laughs, dropping his head. ‘Well, I feel like a fool now.’

  Kiara laughs, too, and he wishes he could bottle the sound. Her hand reaches under his chin and pulls it up. ‘We got there in the end.’

  And then she’s kissing him again, with her arms wrapped around his neck.

  JJ’s finally getting to kiss Kiara with no fear, no holding back, no worries that they’d come to regret it, and the world doesn’t stop. The world keeps spinning, and somehow that’s even better.

  If you told JJ from a decade ago that he’d be making out with Kiara at the Chateau pier, he would’ve called you crazy. But she’s in his hands, her skin is on his fingertips as he slips his hand underneath the back of her top, and she tastes like her favourite beer. She’s warm and smells lovely and her teeth are grazing his lip and god, JJ feels like he’s won the lottery.

  He wants this. All of it. Everything.

  He doesn’t want to let go. He doesn’t want to stop kissing her and have to go back to his house, to his two jobs, to living the measly life he’s had for the past few years – how could he do that, after getting a taste of what he could’ve had? Of what could’ve been?

  So kisses her fervently, ferociously, like a starved man.

  He’s not letting her go this time. Not without knowing she’s coming back.

  His hands are firm as he pulls her even closer, his kisses shifting to her neck, her hands reaching under her shirt. His skin is on fire with her touch and he craves it, and he nearly pushes them over the pier as he tries to get her to lie down.

  ‘Kie,’ he breathes between the kisses to her stomach, making his way up her chest.

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘I fucking love you.’

  JJ kisses her before she gets a chance to respond, and he knows this is a drug he’s already addicted to.

The sun is long gone and JJ holds Kiara’s hand as they sit on the pier. They’ve both come back to their senses and the world is quiet now, patient. Falling asleep. Kiara’s head is leaned on JJ’s shoulder and his arm is wrapped around her waist, his thumb caressing the skin just underneath her waistband.

  For the past half-hour or so, they’ve been talking about all the times they missed the signs. Both of them did, even though JJ thought he’d made it obvious – from little comments to grand gestures that were misread, and it’s hilarious, now. It wouldn’t have been if things turned out differently, but neither of them goes there.

  They talk about their lives, too. JJ tells her more about her coworkers and his appreciation for them and she listens, not interrupting him once.

  JJ kisses the top of her head, still in disbelief that he can.  ‘What’s on your mind?’

  She doesn’t respond right away. She nuzzles into him, instead, and he spreads his palm to cover as much of her as he can.

  ‘I’m staying on the island,’ she says.

  ‘What?’

  ‘I’m staying here. On Kildare.’

  ‘Why? Kie—’

  ‘Listen.’ She moves away to look him in the eye – even in the darkness, JJ can see the determination. ‘I want to be with you. That’s all. But I’m not— I know how much the island means to you. I can’t take that away from you. I won’t. If that means staying here—’

  ‘No.’

  ‘JJ—’

  ‘I said no.’ He runs his hands through his hair, tugging it slightly at the ends. ‘Kie, this is not happening. You’re being ridiculous. I stayed behind because I never had a reason to leave. Because everyone else left, and someone had to stay behind, for when you’d come home. I promised to be here.’

  He cups her face and looks her straight-on, not caring about the wetness underneath his fingertips. ‘The island isn’t a home, Kie, not if you’re not here. You are.’

  All she manages is a whisper of his name. He kisses her forehead, her nose, her cheeks, her lips. She says his name again but he shakes his head, kissing her once more.

  ‘Wherever you go, I’ll follow.’ He kisses her again. ‘If you’ll let me. If you don’t go where I can’t follow.’

  ‘I would never,’ Kiara says, and he’s kissing the salt on her lips. ‘But your life—’

  ‘I’m tired of the island, anyway. I never had to reason to leave but now I do, and I’ve got money saved up, and I’m ready, Kie. I’m ready to do this.’

  She looks at him and she’s smiling again, even though her cheeks are glistening; he resists the urge to kiss them dry. ‘You’re ready?’

  ‘You took a leap of faith all those years ago and it led you here,’ he says, smiling right back. ‘This is my leap of faith.’

  Kiara wraps her arms around him and curls into him; JJ knows she can hear his heart trying to beat its way out of his chest and doesn’t care.

  This was his biggest leap of faith. He’d never in a million years he’d be here, so who’s to say anything else he’s believed in is certain, either? He’s got friends and a life on the island but he’d never be anything but a Maybank here, with scolding looks waiting for him at every corner. If he left—with Kiara—he’d get to be more. He’d get to choose.

  Kissing Kiara was the hardest thing he’d ever done. Anything else… It only seems natural to go where she goes. To never have to wait for her again but if he has to, he will. Forever, if that’s what it takes. He’s already done the scariest thing, so why not do this, too?

  ‘I love you, too, JayJ.’

  And just like that, JJ’s future rewrites itself.

[agerefandomrambles]

hiii outer banks anon back- storyline wise I was thinking maybe sarah’s struggling with how things ended on the boat (she’s legit on bad terms with her whole family post s2 which must suck) and she regresses early in the day while she’s supposed to be doing [insert task] with jj and he ends up taking care of her til the others show up and ask what’s going on but jj is in full caregiver mode™️ and sarahs still regressed so they get little to no answers and just go along with it

- also if you could add in jj calling sarah princess but ofc no pressure, just a hc of mine that he would - also no pressure if this is too specific of a storyline for you to write

Title: Beach Day

Word count: 1147

Little! Sarah

Cg! JJ

Warnings: none that I can think of... let me know:)

Plot: Sarah regresses and JJ takes care of her

Sarah and JJ are the only people on the beach. 2 specks in a mile of white sand and blue ocean.

The rest of the pouges are back at the hut. John B's fast asleep because he had night shift, Kie is cooking the fish that John B caught, Pope is making a rain capturer and Cloe is making a spear to make fishing easier. JJ and Sarah are trying to forage for some food to add to the store. JJ is knee deep in the water trying (and failing) to catch a fish with his hands. Sarah is supposed to be collecting some edible berries and leaves.

Currently, Sarah is sitting in front of the bush, twirling a berry in her hand as she looks out the horizon, completely lost in thought.

She stares out into the ocean as images of her father and rafe's betrayal occupy her mind.

"Sarah! I got one!" JJ shouts, holding up a fish which promptly squirms out of his hands and swims off. "Sarah?" JJ calls again, abandoning his bid to catch a fish when she doesn't respond. "Yo Sarah? You alright?"

"Hey, Sar" JJ says softly, kneeling beside her. He gently places a hand on her shoulder, finally grabbing her attention. "What's wrong?" He asks gently, sympathy and worry etched over his features.

Sarah just looks at him with wide, scared eyes. She opens her mouth to tell him but all that comes out is a sob. She launches into him. JJ catches her with one hand and steadies them both with the other.

"Whoa Sarah? What's going on?"

Sarah just hiccups and buries her head into his chest. She whines when no words come out of her mouth. This isn't the first time that she's had one of these days where her words don't work and her movements aren't quiet right and she kinda just wants to curl up in a ball with one of her childhood stuffies. But it is the first time that it's ever happened in front of other people.

The two sit like that for a while, sarah sobbing loudly into JJ's chest and JJ trying to sort out what is going on. They don't move until Sarah's sobs have slowed to the occasional sniffle and JJ has worked out the questions he wants to ask.

The way that Sarah is snuggled up to him and her soft mumbles remind him oddly of himself. As far as he's aware, noone else on the pouges regress. But noone is aware that he regresses.

"Sarah? Can you look at me?" He asks, not unkindly. When Sarah doesn't move from her position, he tilts her head up so her watery eyes meets his concerned ones.

"Feel funny..." She murmers, burying her head into his chest.

"Awe that's alright princess, have you felt like this before?" He asks smoothly, careful to keep his face neutral to not freak her out any more. She just nods against him, sniffling as she works herself up again into tears.

"Oh please don't cry! It's ok!" JJ is quick to console, rubbing her back soothingly. "I have days where I feel funny too."

The two lapse back into silence, Sarah quickly calming down in JJ's arms.

"Do you wanna help me try to catch a fish?" JJ asks when he's confident that she's calmed down. He offers up the fish as a way to distract her until its time to head back to the hut.

Sarah grins and nods her head enthusiastically. JJ takes her hand and pulls her into the water, showing her how to herd the fish towards him so he can grab them.

With her help, JJ starts to grab more fish. The two work together for hours. They probably would have caught more fish if Sarah didn't keep tripping over and scaring the fish away but JJ wasn't about to say that. They already had enough fish for the next day so he was mostly just trying to entertain her.

The two were so preoccupied with their efforts, giggling amongst each other and splashing one another, that they didn't even notice when John B and Cleo stood at the beach, watching with fond smiles.

They came to come find Sarah and JJ when they didn't come back when they were meant too. They didn't disturb the pair though, instead choosing to leave and come back with Pope and Kie.

By the time they come back, JJ and Sarah have dragged themselves out of the water and onto the beach where they were counting the fish (well, JJ was counting. Sarah was off to the side making a sandcastle).

"9, 10, 11. We caught 11 fish princess" JJ says, mostly to fill the silence. Since Sarah slipped, she's mostly been quiet so JJ has just been talking to her. He's not even sure if she's comprehending what he's saying but he doesn't want to make her feel like he's ignoring her so he's been chatting away.

"JJ? What's going on man?" John B asks, confusion clear in his face. Sarah looks up and whimpers his look, tears quickly brewing.

"Oh don't cry Sar. Look, here's a seashell. Why don't you put that on your sandcastle?" JJ jumps to distract Sarah before she dissolves into tears again.

John B just looks back at the other 3 and shrugs, confusion still clear on his face.

"Sarah? What are you doing?" Kiera tries, confusion evident in her voice. Sarah whimpers at her tone but doesn't even turn around, choosing to dump sand onto her 'sandcastle' (pile of sand).

"Quit freaking her out" JJ lectures them, not turning around either. He guts the fish while Sarah is busy with the sandcastle. The 4 just stand there, oogling the site before them.

JJ lets out a heavy sigh. "I can't explain what's going on right now but you can't just stand there looking like fools. Either help Sarah with her sandcastle, help me gut these fish or go back to doing your jobs at the hut"

This jumps the 4 back into action. Cleo and Pope head back to the cabin to finish their projects. John B sits down next to JJ and starts silently gutting the fish with him. Kie sits down next to Sarah and starts chatting to her while shaping the sandcastle.

Sarah starts babbling to Kie while dumping more sand on. JJ glances back every so often but doesn't step in. He keeps an eye on the situation but lets kiara watch Sarah.

John B, Kie, Sarah and JJ don't head back to the hut until the sun starts setting. JJ is carrying Sarah because she refused to walk.

In the morning, Sarah is sure to be embarrassed and the group will have to have a long talk but for now they're happy to just support one another without question.

[zenmasterlover]

I’m a sucker for bad boy x good girl tropes! So here’s a few (some spoilers!):

Jackie x Hyde (That 70s Show)- very obvious

Rory x Jess (Gilmore Girls)- I WISH THEY WERE END GAME!!! I always thought Jess (or Logan) was the best for Rory. Jess had my heart from the beginning, it obviously helped that he was a pretty boy, but Jess was always gentle with Rory and had an academia side that he didn’t show because it would ruin his bad boy image

John B x Sarah (Outer Banks)- CANNOT GER ENOUGH OF THESE TWO! Their chemistry is amazing. Typical poor, bad boy and rich, good girl trope! Just a chef’s kiss

Brenda x Dylan (90210)- Dylan is so misunderstood and has a very dark past but when Brenda comes in, he changes for the better. I love how Brenda accepts him and helps him through his alcoholism and abandonment issues. When Brenda’s parents tried to split them up and they eventually parted ways, I cried like a baby

Blair x Chuck (Gossip Girl)- obviously Chuck isn’t your typical bad boy because of his nice upbringing but he does love blackmailing people and making people’s lives difficult lol! He loved seeing people’s lives fall to flames but Blair changed that. Blair also had some icky tendencies, even though she presents herself like an angel. But Blair melts Chuck’s tough exterior and bring out the good guy in him

Haley x Nathan (One Tree Hill)- OK HEAR ME OUT: Nathan isn’t a typical bad boy but he has his tendencies and isn’t very focused on academics! He has Haley tutor her. I really believe they brought out the best in each other and even got through a teen pregnancy together

Emma x Spinner (Degrassi Next Gen)- love how they didn’t get together in high school but ended up together after that fated night :)

Claire x John (The Breakfast Club)- touched on this last night. Their relationship disgusts me a bit though in the movie because John treats her terribly (don’t get me started on the scene where John is under Claire’s table and puts his head between her legs). I like to be optimistic and believe that after the movie, John was better to her now that they were something. I love the end of the movie where Claire gives him her earring and he puts it in his own ear! Fun fact: the famous walkout scene where John is on the football field was filmed at my high school (along with some other scenes!)

Rapunzel x Flynn (Tangled)- another typical bad boy, good girl trope! I love when he takes her to see the lights!!

Sandy x Danny (Grease)- Jackie would eat this up for sure

Jane x Richie (Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies)- I love how Jane was like the leader of the Pink Ladies until a rumor and after she met Richie (leader of the T-Birds), she stood up for herself because he gave her courage

Belle x The Beast (Beauty and the Beast)- I just love them so much. It’s such a typical trope… the Beast has a soft spot for her after years of being a “hideous beast” and they start to love each other. This was my favorite princess movie as a kid

[boytickler35]

Outer Banks Tickle Show

JJ watches the young man squirm, laughing his ass off. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Pope’s mouth hanging open, eyes fixed on the screen, and he isn’t paying hard attention to whatever John B is saying. They look like they’re made out of wood, sanded down, and the padding looks like some kind of insulation but it probably isn’t what it actually is, some kind of foam for sure whatever it is. Towels will probably work well enough anyway. The lock is a basic padlock as far as he can tell, and John B can scrounge up something to work with. After that it’s a matter of the tech equipment, a camera, computer to stream it-

“JJ.”

“Hmm?”

“Can you do it?”

“Probably. I’d need two weeks probably. Max.”

Pope chimes in. “I don’t like this idea.”

“Don't be a chicken. This is the easiest money we’ll ever make.”

“No it isn’t! And why does it have to be JJ and me?”

John B gives a shit eating grin and replies, “Cause it’s my idea.”

He ignores their bickering and focuses on the video again. It should be doable. Get some wood, borrow a saw from the impound, a sander too. Making the frame will be easy and then he can… yea it should all work out. 

“Give me two and a half weeks. I’m not getting the computer or camera, and you two are figuring out how to get people to watch. We can film at the Chateau next Tuesday. I’ve got to go get things and start. See you later.”

OBX OBX OBX OBX OBX OBX OBX OBX

JJ sets the last padding in while Pope fiddles with the camera, and John B sits on the computer announcing, “People are coming into the lobby.”

Testing the padding against his wrist and says. “I’m done.”

Pope groans. “If I say I’m not, can we give up?”

“Not a chance, I want that money.”

“C’mon Pope, I’ll be here the whole time.” John B says it with a smirk and JJ rolls his eyes.

“Are you trying to comfort him or make this harder?”

Pope opens his mouth when JJ gets in front of him.

“Listen. You want to walk, you walk, but then you don’t get a cut. If you stay, think of it as adding to your college fund. I don’t care either way, but you have as long as it takes John B to get me in to make up your mind.”

He moves back over to his masterpiece: a pair of double stocks. Honestly if Pope backs out, JJ’s going to be pissed he went through the trouble of making it a double but he’s been Pope’s friend long enough to know that the threat of exclusion will almost always get the desired result. Sure enough, as John B finishes settling the padding around JJ’s ankles, Pope is slipping his ankles into the other set of holes, grumbling but still doing it.

John B straps him in without saying anything, returns to start the camera, and then moves to sit next to the stocks where he isn’t in the shot and can see the computer screen. He’s impressed; the image isn’t as good as the video they watched but it isn't bad. He can see his and Pope’s feet front and center, and the rest of their bodies a little further back. On a tray under their feet are various tools. He was sent to pick a few up with Pope who of course freaked out the whole time.

The stream lobby is already filling up, fifteen viewers with pockets ready to pay them to get tickled… or do the tickling in John B’s case at least. Considering that it’s only been open for a minute, fifteen isn’t that bad; he guesses their advertising campaign worked well. Well, if you can call him and Pope modeling their feet for John B to take photos of and post their sizes with a shitty feather graphic advertising. Still, it got a ton of comments and promises to be there and it seems at least some of those were open.

“Alright,” John B announces to the camera, his voice relatable and cheerful for the watchers, “we’re going to get started in just a few minutes, let’s just go over the rules. For a donation of five dollars, you get fingers on whichever pair you want for three minutes. For ten, you can make that six minutes or use a tool for three. For fifteen, you can do a tool for six minutes. If you just want to let us know you’re liking all this, say it with a dollar.”

The chat is already exploding with comments, no money yet, which is a bummer, but the interest is there. His toes curl and flex absently as he reads people wanting to see his feet tickled. There are some weirdos in the chat for sure. Next to him, Pope looks terrified.

“The donations are open, tell us what you want to see.”

JJ watches as a message pops up, five dollars for him. John B reads it, sets a timer, and starts in. He has no problem tossing his head back and laughing as dull nails scrape up and down his soles. He’s glad he’s high right now or else he’d probably hate it more, but there was no way he was going into this sober. If this all works out, he’ll be rolling in dough. John B doesn’t have much technique anyway despite knowing that his friend watched videos on it. Basically he’s just scraping his nails up and down JJ’s soles and he’s ticklish enough that it works.

It isn’t a bad three minutes, actually it feels pretty short but it’s also only the first round and when John B lets up, he’s able to read chat which is calling him cute, and talking about how great his laugh is which feels pretty nice. They’re also talking about how cute his feet are, but he supposes they’re allowed to be weird since he’s making money off of them. Another dono pops up, ten for a brush on Pope’s feet. 

He watches, and laughs, as Pope’s toes curl all the way up and he tries to back away, but JJ made the stocks escape-proof. John B grabs the brush even though Pope lets out a series of warnings for him not to come any closer. At first contact, Pope is howling.

JJ can’t really turn to watch it live, but he can watch the playback on the computer and watch the comments section. They’re meaner to Pope and call him a bitch but several comment that he also has a nice laugh and one says that chocolate soles are better looking.

It seems the time is even shorter when Pope is getting tickled because the timer goes off so quickly.

There’s a bit of a back and forth, donos. It’s not bad. Mostly he thinks the haze of weed helps, at the very least it’s probably giving him an edge over Pope who freaks out with every touch.

Things get amped up when a ten dollar donation comes in with no request for tickling, but instead oil on both sets of feet. Pope starts protesting and saying that isn’t in the options but John B doesn’t pay any attention as he picks up the bottle of baby oil and douses JJ’s first foot. The rubbing feels pretty nice honestly but he’s busy reading the chat and not paying too much attention except when John B hits a sensitive spot.

Chat’s going crazy though. Apparently they like when he flaps his feet, which is one of the only movements he has in stocks. He decides to do it once John B finishes oiling up his soles and moves on to Pope, who protests. His efforts are rewarded by several dollar donos, and more comments about how cute he and his feet are. Personally, he thinks they look weird all shiny but if it gets them more cash, he’s not above doing it.

When John B moves, he can see both his soles and Pope’s in the feedback from the stream, both now shiny and dripping with oil. Apparently, chat finds it hot, and lets them know. JJ wiggles his toes as he reads off the list of donos to John B that they got during the oil application. 

“They’re all for you?” John B asks, confused.

He shrugs and replies with a smirk, “That’s what I get for showing off the goods I guess.”

It drives chat even more nuts even though Pope rolls his eyes. The other boy seems happy to be left out of the current tickling.

John B sets about using the variety of tools and techniques on his feet and, simply put, it tickles like hell. He bursts out as brushes on his heels turn to paintbrushes between his toes, fingers scratching his arches. The tickling continues for quite a while longer before John B breaks off. He’s panting, but he figures out why he gets a break when Pope breaks out with panicked laughter.

With the attention shifted off of him, JJ is able to go back to reading chat. They’re making fun of him and Pope but whatever, the shit they say has nothing compared to what he’s been called at home and honestly, it’s plain funny.

When the tickling comes back to him, it’s pipe cleaners between his toes -- which is a bitch -- but listening to Pope deal with it next is fun, so whatever.

Just when he thinks chat can’t get any weirder, a dono pops up, twenty dollars. The dono message is straightforward but JJ has to read it three times. It promises to double that amount if John B licks Pope’s feet. 

When John B reads it, Pope protests right away.

“No. Not happening. That’s gross and weird.”

“It’s my tongue!”

JJ frowns and says, “Suck it up, that’s a ton of money!”

“Gross!” Both reply in unison.

“He showered before this. C’mon on, that's a huge dono to just waste!”

“It isn’t your foot!”

“Or your tongue!”

“It is my wallet. Make with the licking.”

Finally, John B does the sensible thing and lets his greed get the better of him and he turns back towards Pope’s feet, in the preview of the stream, JJ watches Pope’s toes curl and then hears the sharp burst of laughter as tongue makes contact. When John B’s head moves away, JJ can see the shiny trail of saliva on Pope’s foot as both look disgusted but a forty dollar dono arrives as promised.

In all, the stream lasts an hour and by the end of it, JJ’s soles are bright red from the tickling and his voice is hoarse but fuck did they make a lot of money. He’s pocketing a hundred and fifteen dollars and that isn’t bad. John B ends the stream and lets them out. Pope complains but he won’t when he puts the money into his college fund, and after that JJ might be able to convince him to get stocked again next week. He could get used to making bank like this!

[oceanna1919]

JJ Maybank fanfiction

♤Reina Lopez was a Kook, but everybody calls her the pogue Queen, as she was always hanging out with the pogues. She is Kara's, John B's, Pope's and JJ's best friend,but JJ's don't see her only as his best friend,it was love at first sight for him, although he still doesn't admit it to himself. As the 5 best friends go on a treasure hunt, will love blossom?🌸♤

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Pilot 1.0

The Outer Banks, Paradise on Earth.

It's the sort of place where you either have two jobs or two houses.

Two tribes, one island.

There is Figure Eight, the rich side of the island.

Home of the Kooks.

And then, this is the south side or the cut.

Home of the working class who make a living busing tables, washing yachts, running charters.

The natural habitat of... drumroll, please...

...the Pogues.

Lowest member of the food chain. Okay. So, the downside of Pogue life is we're ignored and neglected.

There is me, a Kook that is hanging out with the pogues. My mom married my stepfather 3 years ago, so we moved here with him. I never fitted in with the Kooks and then I met my 4 best friends, they are Pogues and they are the best thing that ever happen to me. And this is our story...

As I was putting on makeup for the day,my phone started ringing. I pick up the phone and I smile when I saw the name pop up.

" Hello bestie!" I said with enthusiasm 

"Hello Queen, where are you?" Kiara asked me. 

Everybody in our group calls me Queen,as my name means 'queen' in Portuguese. Kiara is my girl best friend, I love her as a sister. At the beginning, she didn't like me as she thought I was like the other Kooks,when I first came in Outer Banks. When she saw we had the same view concerning the Kooks and the Pogues,she warmed up to me and now we are inseparable. 

"Home,I'm getting ready. My mom told me like, 5 minutes ago, that we have guests and I must be present,or whatever that means" I said with an eye roll. 

I hope it's not the Camerons,cause I will just grab my bag and leave. My mom and step-dad are really good friends with Ward and Rose Cameron and they don't like my friends,at all,cause we're not on the same 'level', whatever that means. They try to match me with Rafe and that definitely is never going to happen. Every time I see that guy,he gets on my nerves. I'm not going to lie,he's handsome,but his personality is horrible. My parents even try to match me with Topper, Rafe's best friend. We went on one date and after that I never heard from him again. Thank God,it was horrible,he was so full of himself,I couldn't stand him. Sarah Cameron,well she's an okay girl, I really don't really know her. But Kiara hates her guts,so I don't really care about her. 

"What? You're not coming? Don't leave with me the boys please" Kiara asked me letting out an sigh

 "JJ ,no stop JJ!" I heard Kiara yell.

 " Hello beautiful, get ready,we're coming to get you." JJ said and I could hear him smiling. I guess JJ took the phone from Kie 

"Okay,fine! When are you gonna be here?" I asked,as I walked on my in closet to choose what to wear. 

"Um in 15 minutes,or so. We got to stop at the Wreck. I need my juice you know." He replied and I let out a laugh. 

"Alright. I will try to sneak out,my parents are going to kill me you know that right?" I exclaimed with a sigh. 

I always ditch gatherings,events,parties to be with my friends and my parents always scold me afterwards. Their image are very important to them,not so much to me though 

" Princess,your knight will protect you." JJ replied making me laugh. 

"Honey,come on they're here!" I heard my mom yelling from downtown,before I had the time to reply 

" JJ, be here in 30 minutes, I gotta go,see you later alligator!" I said as I picked my outfit for the day 

" Copy that, Reina!" We hung up. 

I took my undergarments off and I put my bikini on. As I was putting my dress on I heard a knock on my door. 

"Mom,wait a minute!" I yelled 

" I'm not your mom." The person replied making me hurry up and put my dress on. Of course it was Rafe Cameron. As I finished tying the straps of my dress, Rafe came in my room uninvited.

 " What are you doing here,Rafe?" I said crossing my arms,making him look at my breasts. His look made me uncomfortable,I drop my arms. 

"Hello Reina, beautiful as always, how is my favorite girl doing today? Are you ready for our date?" He said with a smirk.  Did he just said a date,maybe I didn't hear me correctly. 

" Um, did you ask me on a date and I said yes? I don't remember that!" I frowned and he let out a small chuckled. 

" No,but I ask your mom and she said you are available today." I can't believe what I'm hearing right now,I'm gonna have a serious talk with my mom. 

" Alright. Can you give me 5 more minutes and I'll be ready for our date." I faked a smile and Rafe let out a victorious smirk. 

" Of course, Reina. I'll be waiting downstairs" He winked at me and closed the door. As the door closed,my smile fell. I quickly put my my bag over my shoulder and picked my phone. Carefully,trying not to make too noise, I opened my veranda door and I climbed down. As I walking away from my home,I called Pope. 

"Heyy Reina" he greeted me.

"Pope,change of plan.Don't come to pick me up. Send me the address, I will join you guys in a bit" I said quickly,starting to walk faster. 

"Done. See you in a bit" I hang up after our goodbye. I checked my phone and it's a 15 minute walk,not that bad.

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"Look who's here,my Queen!" John B,my best friend yelled, as he was balancing on the ledge of the roof of a house which was currently being remodeled,while drinking his beer. This made Pope and JJ to look at me as I came and stand beside Pope. Pope send me a small smile and JJ looked at me with a big smile. 

" Hey my King!" I yelled with the same enthusiasm. Everyone who doesn't know us will think that John B and I are a couple,but I never saw him as more than my best friend, same thing for him. I just think that John B and I have the most chemistry in our group,not romantic chemistry of course. 

"Would you like to climb on our kingdom with me?"John B asked me sarcastically as he extended his hand,referring to the roof as our 'kingdom'. I looked at my right, to my blonde best friend as he looked annoyed,starring at his beer,talking to himself under his breath, sitting on a wooden panel that has been expended high off the floor. I looked to my left at Pope with a questionable look,pointing to JJ discreetly and he just shook his head. Alright,I will let it slide. 

" No,I'm good down here! That's what, a three story fall to the deck." I said looking at JJ at the end, who was already looking back at me. 

Actually JJ was the first one I met and he introduced me to the others. In my opinion JJ is the most handsome of our group. The truth is that the last couple of weeks,I started to see JJ with different eyes. I started to have a crush on my best friend and I don't think that's a good thing,as JJ and I are the opposites. For example he drinks and smokes,he loves to party and he's a flirt,also he has a lot of experience in bed. He makes impulsive decisions with big outbursts ,I don't think that I'm his type overall.Me, on the other hand, I don't drink, I don't smoke,I don't like to party and none experience  in the bed department. I think before I speak and I keep my calm.

"I give you about a one-in-three chance of survival." I continued jokingly.

''Same here!''Pope agreed with me and I send him a wink. Pope was like my brother. He was the brain of our group and the logical one. He gives the best advice and I love our long conversions about complex discussions.

John B decided to ignore us, as he put his index in his mouth before pulling it back out, holding it in the air. JJ,Pope and I looked at him with confused eyes.

''Should I jump? Should I do it?'' John B asked us. I hope he was joking

''Yeah do it. I'll shoot you on the way down.'' Pope replied, pointing a drill he was holding at him. I shook my head with a small chuckle. I swear, my friends are idiots.

''They're gonna have Japanese toilets with towel warmers.''Kiara complained, coming in view. When she saw me, she came to me and gave me a quick hug.

''Of course, why wouldn't they?'' JJ and I said at the same time with sarcasm, making us look at each other smiling.

''JJ and I can't have cold towels''I said, making the group let a laugh.

''This used to be a turtle habitat, but who cares about the turtles''Kie started,but she stopped as she looked up at John B. ''Can you please not kill yourself?''

''Don't spill that beer. I'm not giving you another one.''When JJ just warned him, John B lost balanced and his can fell. I couldn't hold it and let out a small laugh.

''Of course you did. Smooth.'' JJ scolded him, continuing to sip his own can of beer.

'' Hey um, Reina, who was your guest?'' JJ asked me with a nervous laugh at the end and i involuntary rolled my eyes, thinking about Rafe.

'' Actually, I was on a date-'' I started and I stopped mid sentence as JJ started chocking, Everybody looked at him worriedly including me, except John B who had a smirk on his face.

'' What? You went on a date? With who?'' JJ started the interrogation, his jaw clenching non stop. I frown.

'' You go girl!'' Kie exclaimed, smirking at JJ and I shook my head

'' No,no,no. Let me finish. My mom set me on a date with Rafe and I had no idea.I, of course, ditch him to be with you guys.'' I mostly looked at JJ as he was acting all angry. He looked me deep in the eyes to see if I'm lying, I guess he didn't find a sign of a lie and he slowly nodded his head with a sour face.

''Come on JJ. You know how I feel about Rafe. I can't stand him'' I said and I don't understand what his problem is. Our friends looked back and forth with a knowing look.

''Yeah ,but he doesn't feel the same thing. Why can't he just leave you the fuck alone?'' he said angrily as he finished his beer with a slurp. My frown deepen, as i went to reply we heard a loud noise

''Let's wrap it up. Boys are early today.'' Pope warned us, meaning the guards are here.

'' Okay love birds, come on!'' Kie said nagging me.

''Humpty Dumpty, let's roll! Come on Reina!'' JJ exclaimed climbing down the ladder. I guess he's less angry.The blond run and took my hand, together we started running. JJ had to let go of my hand as we were running down the stairs, the others following behind us. JJ almost slip making me laugh.

''Gary, is that you?'' I teased as we came off the stairs and saw our 'favorite guard'.

''Gary, good to see you, man!'' JJ also teased. Suddenly a guard came out of nowhere and I almost fell on him,but JJ took a hold of my waist and pushed me in the other direction.

''She's not much of a hugger man!'' JJ shouted making me giggle.

''JJ, you're my knight in shining armor'' I yelled hapily.

''Of course my Queen'' He responded, glaring slightly at John B. The brown haired boy just shook his head with a smile. John B  sped up arriving first with Kie and they hoped the fence we used to enter. JJ and I arrived after them. JJ helped me ato hope the fence by puting his hands on my butt and give me a boost.

'' JJ!'' I yelled at him with widen eyes and he laughed.

''Couldn't resist!'' he replied and I just shook my head at him. Beside me, Pope fell and at the same time JJ hoped the fence without even putting effort.I starred at him admiring him. I only averted my eyes as I heard Pope groaned. I helped him up asking him if he was alright and he nodded. JJ took my hand and together we run and the three of us jumped in the van. I landed on JJ's lap, making me blush as crazy. Unfortunately JJ took notice and he smirk at me. JJ and Pope started teasing Gary and I think he had enough. I softly slapped JJ on his arm and he looked at me , his eyes shinning. He sure was handsome. I quickly shook my head at my thoughts, I stand up and sat between him and Kie, making him look at me with a fake sad face.

''I was comfortable'' he whined and I just stick my tongue out to him,making him put his finger on my tongue. I slapped his hand away disgusted  and we laughed.

''YEW JJ''

I love my friends!

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''Damn girl ,you're smoking hot. This new bikini is my favorite!'' Kie yelled as I was taking off my dress making me jump. John B, Pope and Kie were currently in the water as JJ and I were on the boat. I was texting my mom who was furious at me fir ditching Rafe.JJ I have no idea why he was still on the boat.

''Holy fuck'' JJ accidentally whispered not taking his eyes off me, although I still heard him.. I cleared my throat blushing. I happen to do that a lot recently in his presence.

''Have you heard about the hurricane? It's tomorrow.'' I casually said and he came to sat beside me, he offered me a can of beer, which I kindly declined.

''It doesn't stress me out'' he replied taking sips of his beer.

''Honestly, I'm shitting on my pants. I hate them. I grew in New York remember.'' I confessed and I started rubbing my hands together. A habit when I'm stressed. JJ put his beer down beside him and he took my hands in his warm ones,making me gaze at him.

'' Nothing's going to happen to you, alright? I'm here for you. Tomorrow I'm staying at John B's house, you should stay if you want to.We will be in this together.''he reassured me,making me look deep in his eyes. I nodded my head and he smiled.

''JJ,you know I will never betray you guys.'' I honestly said and he looked at me confused, still holding my hands

''What are you talking about?'' he asked

''I know you got angry this morning because you think I will leave you guys to be with Rafe, with the Kooks. That will never happen.'' As I mentioned Rafe name, JJ's jaw clenched and his eyes darkened a bit. 

''Don't  worry about it. I know. I'm sorry. I just don't like other guys loo-'' he didn't get to finish as cold water splashed on us. I yelped and JJ let go off my hands. We looked on our right and we saw John B and Pope with a smirk on their faces.

''Oh you're on!''. I yelled and I jumped into the water with JJ. We started splashing water around and it ended in water fight, which JJ and I won!

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I hope you liked the first part you can also follow me on wattpad surname minika17

[multicolord]

PINNED IMAGE HERE .

icon border credit goes to @somresources

@MULTICOLORD.  independent   and   extremely   selective   multi   muse   writing   blog   for   CANON   & OC CHARACTERS   from   the series OUTER BANKS   .     tortured   by   PHANTOM   ,   twentySEVEN+

  +MYOPENS   .      +INSPOS.

muse   list   can   be   found   under   the   read   more   !!

* 𝑪𝑨𝑵𝑶𝑵𝑺. JJ MAYBANK - bisexual , rudy pankow . KIARA CARRERA - bisexual , madison bailey . SARAH CAMERON - bisexual , madelyn cline . JOHN B RUTLEDGE - bisexual , chase stokes . RAFE CAMERON - pansexual , drew starkey . * 𝑶𝑪𝑺. WAYLON PORTER- pansexual , kook , jacob elordi.

[reportwire]

Who Is Chase Stokes Dating Now After Madelyn Cline? Kelsea Ballerini DM’d Him After Her Manager Called Him ‘Really Cute’

Scroll To See More Images As the face of one of Netflix’s hottest teen dramas, there’s a lot of interest in who Chase Stokes is dating now and if he has a girlfriend after his breakup with Madelyn Cline. Stokes—who is best known for playing John Booker Routledge in Netflix’s Outer Banks—dated Cline (who plays John B.’s love interest, Sarah Cameron) from 2020 to 2021. Since then, he’s been linked…

[bfistacom]

Outer Banks Season 3 Image Has Been Launched By Netflix

Outer Banks Season 3 Image Has Been Launched By Netflix

The primary pictures of Outer Banks season 3 trace at a long-awaited romance because the Pogues and Kooks return to Netflix. The series, which blends thriller and motion with teen drama, has been away for nicely over a yr. The final time audiences caught up with the characters throughout Outer Banks season 2, John B (Chase Stokes), Sarah (Madelyn Cline), Kiara (Madison Bailey), JJ (Rudy Pankow),…