#they would start petty squabbles and enjoy the drama with a little giggle

[bhaalsdeepbat]

i'm SO down bad for durge/wyll where they both are each other's support through trying to be more than their patron's pet

[sweetladymoon]

okay prompt for jiara if you’re interested??? so when kie and john b get in the little arguement at the Craine house and slap each other you can hear Pope and JJ in the background making little comments. After John B slaps Kie, JJ sounds like hella protective. Idk maybe something about JJ being protective over Kie and her asking why??? leading to them talking about their feels

Yes, hi! I’m very much interested. This was such a cool idea that I immediately went on writing it. This turned out a bit longer than I originally planned, but oh well. Thank you so much for sending in that prompt, I had a lot of fun writing this. I hope you enjoy the outcome!

I also posted this on AO3

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“You know, we had a good thing going. And then you decide to rope in Barbie, and now the trail’s gone dry. Coincidence? Probably not.”

She sounds bitter even to her own ears, but she knows someone has to say it. JJ and Pope share meaningful looks every time Sarah is mentioned but they never dare to point out the obvious. Maybe, because they just don’t know Sarah Cameron like she does.

She knows how easy it is to fall into the Kook princess’s trap. How she gets under your skin and weaves herself into your heart. But Kiara also knows what it feels like to be let down by that very same girl. One day you’re her number one and the next she barely acknowledges you. Sarah was her best friend once and if things had turned out differently, she maybe even could have been more and Kiara knows how much it hurts being replaced by the girl from one second to the other.

So, when she tries to talk some sense into John B, tries to warn him about Sarah, she doesn’t do it out of jealousy or her grudge against the girl but out of genuine concern. John B might say that it’s not like that between them but she had always been able to read him like an open book. And really, it isn’t that hard considering that he always wears his heart on his sleeve. She knows the look on his face when he talks about Sarah, has worn it herself at one time probably, and she won’t allow the Kook princess to cause any more harm to them.

She had gotten over it, over Sarah, after some time. She had figured that maybe that was just what Kooks did, or maybe what this particular Kook did and swore to never get involved with them ever again. JJ, Pope and John B always had her back and so she was easily distracted and moved on quicker than one might guess. But seeing her again now, seeing her try to play her games with her best friend brings some of the hurt, the betrayal back and she won’t let Sarah get away with it for a second time.

Because John B isn’t like her. He’s too trusting, too nice for his own good and she doesn’t know if he could handle the betrayal when Sarah eventually decides that she has enough of slumming it with them.

Besides, having John B fall for Outer Banks’ very own Sarah Cameron would have been bad on a regular day, but now there are bigger things at stake. They are being chased by guys with guns for crying out loud. Kiara knows that this shit, this little treasure hunt was turning into something far more dangerous than any of them had expected. And getting someone they don’t trust a hundred percent involved in all of this, doesn’t only seem reckless but plain stupid.

“This is exactly why I didn’t want to tell you about Sarah,” John B replies and she is already annoyed by his lecturing tone, “What the hell’s the deal with you two?”

She hates how much he makes it sound like she’s the problem here. As if she’s the one risking not only their plan but their lives.

“Nothing,” she replies because she doesn’t want to go into detail about what happened between her and Sarah. It’s none of his business and she doubts he would even understand. Not being invited to a birthday party really doesn’t seem like that big of a deal anymore compared to what they were facing at the moment but it had hurt nevertheless and she wouldn’t forgive the other girl any time soon.

“Nothing?” he repeats, “Is it because I kissed you? Is that the problem?”

He wears a painfully condescending smirk on his face, one that feels so wrong, so foreign on his face. It doesn’t suit him to act so patronizing. It’s not him, she knows out of all of them he’s probably the one who’s the least petty and seeing him act like that really makes her want to slap him. So, she does.

It’s not with a lot of force or malice behind it, she just wants to remind him who he’s talking to. The sound is louder, more deafening than the action. Her hand barely stings and his cheek hasn’t even gotten a red tinge to it.

She hears the boys behind her exclaim slightly amused sounds of awe and JJ adds “That echoed, dude!”. She’s dimly aware of the fact that they’re still beneath Mrs. Crain’s house, an axe murderer if JJ is to be believed, and that they should really try to be silent. After all, she doesn’t really plan to get arrested for breaking and entering but she still feels anger bubbling at the pit of her stomach and she blurts out the words before she can stop herself.

“Stop treating me like I’m some girl that’s obsessed with you instead of your best friend who’s actually trying to look out for you.”

“Did you hit me?” asks John B, completely ignoring her previous words. The disbelief in his voice almost makes her regret her actions. Almost.

Instead of apologizing or going on with their argument she simply lifts her right hand, displaying the tiny insect she caught with her slap and answers, “Skeeter”.

“Skeeter?” he asks obviously not believing her stated intentions and before she has any chance to react, his hand suddenly lands on her cheek. His slap mirrors hers. It’s weak, without any actual intention of hurting the other behind it but it still echoes loudly.

If they didn’t have the attention of the other’s before, they sure as hell have it now. JJ’s “Hey, alright, no” is far more serious and insistent than she expected. Any note of amusement that had previously inhabited his voice is gone. It’s unusual for him to sound so serious and she is almost surprised that this kind of behavior appears now. After all, it’s just her and John B. They wouldn’t actually hurt each other.

She has already forgiven John B his actions when he presents his own hand and says “Skeeter”. She can see the mischief in his eyes, the laughter and knows she must wear a similar look. It’s like a silent agreement between them to let things be for the moment and focus on the situation they currently found themselves in. She hits him lightly on the chest and he slaps her arm in return all under the pretense of getting rid of mosquitos. It’s playful and she finds herself giggling along to their actions, yet she still feels JJ’s eyes burning on her.

“All right, can we leave this? Because this is getting-“ JJ starts to stay, still with an unknown tension in his voice. Pope interrupts him before he can finish his sentence though and they quickly scramble together to help him reveal the well. She immediately forgets about her little squabble with John B but JJ’s eyes never seem to leave her frame and she sees a question in them she’s not quite sure how to answer.

It isn’t until later when they all find themselves at the chateau that JJ approaches her. She’s outside, sitting near the water, still trying to calm down after seeing Sarah again earlier that day, when he approaches her. In true JJ fashion he plops down next to her but when she looks over she isn’t greeted by his usual lopsided grin. He still wears that weirdly concerned look on his face and she almost wants to reach out to him to make the worried crease between his eyebrows disappear.

“You alright?” he asks and she allows herself a small smile over his worry.

“I’m fine.”

“You sure? It was a weird day. No one would blame you for feeling a bit out of it. You know, with Sarah and the whole slapping the shit out of each other with John B.”

She huffs in amusement, “We didn’t slap the shit out of each other. It barely hurt. Don’t be such a drama queen.”

JJ doesn’t join in on what would usually turn into their regular banter. He still has that upset look in his eyes and she’s not entirely sure how to get rid of it. She doesn’t like seeing him like this. One of the reason she enjoys being around JJ so much is that no matter how dire a situation seems he can always lighten up the mood. He always finds a way to make her laugh.

“He shouldn’t have done that.”

“Why? Because I’m a girl?”

He rolls his eyes and slowly reaches out and caresses her cheek, the same spot that John B’s palm had met only hours ago. His thumb lightly brushes over her skin and he says “No, because you’re you, Kie and I don’t see why anyone would ever want to hurt you.”

It suddenly feels like the air around them has changed. JJ’s concerned gaze has been replaced with something she can’t quite name. Kiara feels a wave of nervousness come over her, something she is unfamiliar with in the presence of JJ. She has always been comfortable, at ease with him but this, this isn’t the JJ she is used to. It’s not bad though, this more serious, caring side of him she realizes while still being fully aware of his hand on her face. Her skin is tingling where his fingertips press softly into her cheek and she has to visibly suppress a shudder.

She breathes in deeply and lets herself press into the warmth his hand offers. They simply look at each other, neither of them daring to break the silence. Slowly his hand slides down her face, towards her shoulder and then further down until his hand reaches her wrist. She looks down at their hands, strong fingers delicately encircling her small wrist and in one swift motion she interlocks their fingers.

Holding hands with your friend shouldn’t be weird and it isn’t, but the fluttering feeling in her stomach that only increases when JJ starts drawing tiny circles with his thumb, tells her that something about this is different. There is more to this than friends providing each other comfort.

Slowly she lets her eyes draw away from their intertwined hands and looks him in the eyes. She feels the smile that traces her lips before she can stop it and no more than murmurs “You’re a real charmer, aren’t you?”

“Well, I’ve had enough practice.” Kiara huffs in amusement. She feels like she is doing that a lot around JJ.

“I know,” she answers, “I’ve had first row seats to watching you make most of your conquests.”

“Think about where you could have been if you’d only given into my advances.”

“Yeah,” she laughs, “I think I can imagine.”

“I’m not sure you can, Kie. I might have to prove how good we’d be together eventually.”

“Oh yeah?” she asks already feeling a giggle trying to break through the surface. It’s easy to fall into their routine of banter and teasing and she already feels the weight of the day being lifted off her shoulders.

“Yeah. I mean c’mon, it only makes sense. I’m gorgeous. You’re gorgeous. We’re bound to happen.”

If she were a different girl she might have blushed but instead Kiara laughs, freely and full of joy. She quickly squeezes his hand and then she says “Well, why wait for some other time if you can prove it to me now?”

She makes it sound teasing, challenging but she wonders if he catches the hint of seriousness behind it. Apparently he does because the smile that had inhabited his face only moments ago is gone in an instant and in its stead she can see the look of genuine surprise appear in his eyes. He blinks several times, almost looing shocked at her statement and she guesses she can’t really blame him.

Normally she accepts his flirting but eventually shuts it down with a gentle but persistent “Shut up, JJ” or “Fuck off”. Never before has she suggested actually turning their flirting into more.

Something in the back of her brain already screams at her to reel back, put a stop to it before they go too far. Before she has a chance to ruin her friendship with JJ. That her rule of no Pogue on Pogue macking exists for a reason, but she wills that voice to shut up. Because all she knows is that she has never felt happier than in this moment, with JJ’s hand in her hers and his nervous eyes on her face.

“You don’t mean that,” he says eventually but his voice is unsure.

“Why not?” her tone is bolder than she feels.

“Don’t play with me, Kie. We all know how you feel about John B.” That takes her by genuine surprise and it must show on her face if JJ’s questioning look is any indication to go by. “I mean, you kissed him after all,” he adds and she really wants to roll her eyes.

“He kissed me,” she corrects, “and I’m pretty sure I shot him down.”

“But I thought-“ he starts but interrupts himself soon afterwards. She gives him a moment to try and process the information he just received and squeezes his hand again. She doesn’t even try to hide the smile that creeps on her lips while watching JJ’s perplexed face.

“You can be really dense, you know that?” she asks and before the logical part of her brain can stop her. And before she even has the chance to overthink her action, she already leans over and presses her lips softly against his.

For a moment JJ doesn’t react but then she feels his lips move beneath hers and all at once the kiss becomes more urgent, more desperate. His free hand finds the back of her head and proceeds to softly pull her hair. The action makes a soft moan escape her lips and she can feel him grin in response.

They stay like that for minutes, maybe hours and only pull away from each other when they both have to take in a desperate breath of air. JJ brushes back a strand of hair that had fallen in her eyes and his signature grin finds its way back onto his face once again. “Told you I’d prove to you how good we are together eventually,” he says and Kiara only shakes her head in amusement, not being able to stop grinning herself.