yuna542

[yuna542]

~Yours~

Pairing: Bang Chan x Reader

Genre: Smut, Fluff, Angst

Warnings: 18+, bullying, manipulative behaviour, Smut, under 18 DNI!, pet names, Suggestive Themes, Swearing, Overstimulation, explicit smut, confessions, fluff, bdsm, mentions of alcohol, Minsung happening!, Han and Minho in a secret relationship

Word Count: 13K

Note: I really loved writing this. Let me know what you think

"What's wrong?" came Chan's soft voice, catching you off guard.

You blinked, still staring at your phone. You'd been glued to the screen longer than you'd realized.

"Nothing," you answered quickly. Too quickly. You forced a smile and grabbed your makeup kit, pretending to tidy up the mess of palettes and brushes on the vanity table.

Chan raised a brow, slipping his phone into his pocket. He leaned forward in his chair, never a good sign. That meant he didn't believe you. That meant you now had his full attention.

As the stylist and makeup artist for Stray Kids, you'd been spending nearly every day with them for the past few years. The team felt more like family lately, mostly thanks to Chan's warm and grounded energy that pulled everyone together even though it was the most stressful season.

"She's lying," Minho muttered as he walked past, already in his hoodie, bag over his shoulder. The concert had ended an hour ago, but you were still here, frozen in thought, barely making progress packing up. The messages on your phone had taken you somewhere else, somewhere you didn't want to return to.

Minho knew you better than anyone. You owed this job to him. You'd met backstage years ago, when he was still dancing for BTS and you were working as their part-time makeup artist. You always believed in him, and when Stray Kids became his reality, he returned the favor by getting you on the team.

You'd known the boys for a long time. Minho had kept you distant at first, worried one of them would flirt with his best friend. But on tour, things changed. You grew close. Bonds were built. Trust, laughter, late-night chats. And Chan... Chan had a way of making you forget how careful you were supposed to be.

"You're restless... something's bothering you," Chan said, eyes following the frantic way your fingers rearranged brushes that didn't need rearranging.

"In two hours we're flying back to Korea," you said flatly, dodging.

"Y/N," he said gently, but you cut him off with a dismissive wave. "It's nothing. Really."

But your phone lit up again and this time, you weren't fast enough. Chan caught the name.

"Who's Madison?" he asked, voice casual—but not really.

Hyunjin came closer, overhearing as he set down his controller, apparently done playing with Felix for the night.

"She's... no one. Just a college friend."

The college you'd dropped out of to chase this dream.

Minho, now lounging across the sofa, immediately sat up, and his expression darkened.

"Madison? What does she want from you?"

You closed your eyes briefly and exhaled. You should've said nothing.

"She just wants to meet up. When we get back."

Chan tilted his head, studying you.

Minho stood now. "You're not actually going, right? After everything?"

The others looked between you, confused.

"Who is this Madison?" Seungmin asked.

Before you could reply, Minho cut in, his voice sharp and unfiltered.

"She's a manipulative bitch who used to tear Y/N apart every chance she got. Her and her group of plastic princesses treated her like she was dirt."

You sighed, tugging your bag onto your shoulder. "It was years ago, and you only met her once."

"Once was enough," he growled. "The way she looked at you—like she was doing you a favor by breathing the same air."

And you knew he wasn't wrong.

Madison had been cruel. High-maintenance, charming to the outside world, and poison behind closed doors. She'd called you a friend while whispering about your insecurities, making you feel like you'd never be enough.

"I just want to see if maybe she's changed," you said quietly.

Minho shook his head, already defeated. He knew he couldn't stop you.

⸻

"You work for that band now, right? Stray Kids?" Madison asked. For the fourth time already.

You forced a laugh and nodded, sipping your drink. "Yeah. I'm their stylist and makeup artist."

The table of women, each more dressed-up and decked-out than the last, oohed in excitement. They were the same group from back in uni. Expensive shoes, heavy perfumes, and surgically precise smiles.

The night had started surprisingly fine. You'd hugged, exchanged the usual "You look amazing" lies, and made small talk. Madison had even said your outfit was "so effortlessly cool." But as soon as you mentioned the band's name, her mask began to slip.

"Wait, how did you get into a company like that?" Madison asked, tilting her head like a confused kitten. "That's a huge label. Don't they look for people with real credentials?"

There it was.

You took a long sip of your gin tonic. "One of the members. We've known each other for years. He recommended me."

"Ooooh, insider connections," one of the girls purred, nudging another. "So who is he? Hyunjin? Felix? I heard Felix is close with all the girls."

"No. Minho. Lee Know. We worked together before Stray Kids."

"Ahh. Makes sense. I mean, with a dropped-out degree and... let's say modest experience, it would've been super hard to make it otherwise." Madison smiled sweetly and placed her hand over yours, pretending concern.

"But that's okay! You've always been resourceful."

Your jaw clenched. You wanted to scream. Instead, you nodded. "We've always supported each other. That's how we made it."

Finally, she withdrew her hand, but the smug gleam in her eyes didn't fade.

"I think Changbin's the hottest," one girl blurted, breaking the tension with giggles. "He has that rough vibe."

"I'd go for Han," another chimed in. "Cute, funny, probably a freak."

"God," Madison laughed, sipping her drink. "What about you, Y/N? Eight hot men, and not one tried something? I would've had a boyfriend by week two."

You smiled tightly. "We're all friends."

"Really?" Madison asked, tilting her head. "All that time together, and not one kiss behind the scenes? Not even a late-night affair?"

You shook your head, heart sinking.

"I mean, come on," she laughed.

"If Bang Chan would just smile at me, I'd let him ruin my whole life. You don't think about that? Or do you already have a thing with him?"

The blood drained from your face.

"We're close," you said quietly. "That's it."

"Mhmm," Madison hummed, exchanging a look with her blonde friend. "Well, if you ever get tired of being his comfort person, just give me his number, yeah?"

You blinked at her.

"I mean, idols need someone exciting, right? Someone with class. And let's be honest, you're sweet, but..." She gave you a smile that made your stomach turn. "Sweet isn't always sexy."

You stared down at the table, vision blurring slightly.

"But hey, professional boundaries, right?" she added with a laugh. "That's why you work there and not someone like me."

The table shimmered under the soft lighting of the lounge, half-empty cocktails scattered like fading illusions of a good night. Madison's laugh, high and polished, cut through the murmur of the music like a blade wrapped in silk.

Madison smiled sweetly.

"So be for real. You're really with them now. Like, full-on part of their team?"

You nodded, careful. "Yeah. Styling, makeup, performance looks... I work with their creative director too."

"Wow." She sipped her drink. "I mean, I guess someone has to do that stuff. But I didn't know they'd go for someone so... low-profile. You always were kind of the quiet one, weren't you?"

You tried to laughs softly, brushing it off, but by now everything that was coming out of you, where silent huffs.

„I guess. I just like to stay behind the scenes."

"Oh, totally. It's your thing, right? Being invisible but helpful. Like in Highschool! You always carried my bag and didn't complain once!"

Everyone laughed at this little anecdote about you, which was obviously just to make you even more insignificant.

Another sip. Another smile. The others glance at each other and giggle, unsure if it was a compliment or a slap.

Your heart stings even more, but you hid it with a practiced smile.

Madison leaned in again with that annoying smile.

"And what's it like? Traveling with them? Living in that world, glitz, lights, screaming fans. Do they even see you? Or are you like... furniture?"

The table snickers. One girl fake-gasps, "Madison!" But it's playful. No one's really calling her out.

You're tone is cold by now.

"They treat me well. We're a team."

"Hmm." She stirred her drink with her straw. "That's cute. You're kind of like their emotional support stylist. A little older-sister energy. Or like a pet? No, wait... like a really loyal assistant. You're just always there, right?"

Your throat tightens. You sipped your drink just to have something to do.

Madison changed her tone, syrupy-sweet again

"Back to Chan! Tell us everything."

„Maddy you're obsessed!", one girl laughed.

You stiffened slightly.

"He's so dreamy on camera. Is he like that in person? Or is it all PR and lighting? I just can't believe he's not that hot in real life too.

You hesitated but couldn't resist to smile when you thought about him. His smell, the messy hair and his hugs, which were the best thing after a stressful week when he just wants to see your smile again.

"He's real. Grounded. Kind."

Suddenly she's mock-gasping:

"Awww. You're really blushing. That's adorable."

She leaned over to the others.

"She's totally in love with him. Like she used to be in college. Remember? Her little Badboy-phase? I guess some things never change."

The table bursts into laughter. Your chest burns.

„We're friends... He never... We're just good friends."

Madison tilted her head, pouting.

"I mean, you have to know he's out of your league, right? Like, if he never tried to hook up with you even though you're spending so much time, I mean, men are easy, I think you're just not his type" she waved a hand dismissively.

„He would be head over heels for you though, Mads", some other girl said, all of them giggled in unison.

Your lips parted, but no sound came out. You wanted to leave so bad.

She smirked.

"Maybe he keeps you around because it's comfortable. Like an old hoodie. Not sexy, but familiar."

Some of the girls held their hand before their mouths, there she added quickly, "Oh my God, that was rude—sorry!" with a laugh, clearly not sorry.

Another girl joined in:

"But for real, if he's single, you should just shoot your shot, Mads. You're totally his type."

Madison grinned.

"Right? I mean, I wouldn't say no to a little K-pop prince. Maybe I'll drop him a DM. Unless Y/N's marked her territory?"

She raised an eyebrow across the table at you like it's all fun, like this isn't a series of sharp little knives landing over and over.

You were barely holding it together by now. It was so much worse than you could imagine.

"He's not a prize to win."

"Aww. Spoken like someone who already lost."

That's it. It was enough.

Your chair scraped softly against the floor as you stood up, the noise drowned in the thrum of the music.

"I'll be right back.", was everything you could get out without exploding.

No one stopped you.

Not even Madison, who just said over the music:

"Don't cry in there, babe. You'll ruin your eyeliner. And that wing is the best thing you've got going tonight."

You didn't cry in the bathroom.

Not at first.

You stood there, gripping the edge of the sink, cold marble against trembling fingers. You stared at your reflection, at the winged liner Madison had just mocked. At the eyes that looked dull and distant now. Your dress clung to you, your skin too warm, too exposed. You didn't recognize yourself.

You weren't sure if it was the drinks, the music, or the words still echoing in your mind like poison.

"Sweet isn't sexy."

"She's not his type."

"You're like furniture."

You tried to shake them off. You tried to laugh them away like you used to in college. But they hit differently now. Now that you'd spent all this time working your ass off. Now that you'd finally built something real. Now that you—

Now that you were starting to fall in love with someone who probably never even looked at you that way.

Chan.

His name was a weight in your chest.

The warmth of his hoodie when he'd draped it over your shoulders during late-night rehearsals. The way he always remembered your coffee order. The softness in his eyes when he asked if you'd eaten. The jokes. The quiet comfort. His scent on your pillow when you accidentally fell asleep backstage and he'd stayed to keep you company.

And then... Madison's voice again:

"If he's never tried anything, you're just not his type."

Something cracked. Quietly. But completely.

You sank onto the closed toilet lid, pressing a hand over your mouth. Not to muffle sobs—yet. Just to stop breathing so loud. Like the room might hear you fall apart.

You weren't enough.

Not stylish enough. Not hot enough. Not exciting enough. You were just... there. Like an old hoodie.

Tears blurred your vision now, spilled before you could stop them. Your eyeliner was ruined. You let out a shaky breath—then another. And then—

⸻

Your makeup was holding on—barely. Your composure, not so much.

Your fingers hovered over your phone again.

It was the second time Chans name was on your screen. He called you right after he saw that you were online. Almost as he waited for exact that moment.

Maybe it would help.

Just... hear his voice. Talk to him and forget this stupid evening for a second. And if you wouldn't answer the phone he would just be worried.

"Y/N?" came Chan's voice, soft and warm like a lighthouse in a storm. "Hey. Just checking in. Is everything alright?"

You opened your mouth to say yes, but it caught in your throat.

"Y/N?"

"...Hi," you finally breathed. "Yeah. I'm... it's fine. Just loud in here."

"You okay?" He paused. "You don't sound fine."

You tried to clear your throat quietly, wiping under your eye with the back of your hand. "I just needed a breather."

There was a beat of silence.

"You're crying," he said, quiet but certain. "What happened?"

You shook your head, even though he couldn't see. "It's nothing. I'm just being stupid. I shouldn't have come here."

"Is it Madison?" His voice darkened immediately. "What did she say?"

You let out a broken laugh, trying to hold yourself together. "God, where do I start?"

"Start anywhere," he said, softer now. "I'm here."

You pressed the phone tighter to your ear, leaning back against the cold tile wall.

You stayed silent for a while. Trying to hold yourself back, make him believe everything was perfectly fine.

But the moment he said your name with so much concern, everything broke out of you.

"She said I'm invisible. That I'm just... there. Background noise. Not hot, not exciting. Not the kind of girl anyone would choose. All the things she told me back in Highschool all the time."

You swallowed hard. "She talked about you a lot She's really into you, Chan. Maybe you should make a move", your voice sounded mocking, strong, but Chan just huffed.

„I told her we're just friends but she just wouldn't stop..."

Silence.

You kept going, the dam breaking wide open.

"She made it sound like I'm pathetic. Like I'm your pet or something. Said you probably keep me around because I'm familiar. Comfortable. But not sexy. That I'm like some old hoodie—soft and safe but not wanted."

Chan still didn't speak. You could feel how tense the silence was, like the air had thickened.

"She laughed about how I used to follow her around, how I carried her bag in high school. She said I don't belong in the world I'm in now. That someone like me shouldn't be working with someone like you."

You wiped at your eyes again. "And the worst part is, I believed her. I actually... started to believe her again. That I'm not enough. She's right... We're just friends and I'm happy about that, but I'm definitely not in your league."

"Y/N," Chan finally said, his voice lower than you'd ever heard it.

You waited, throat tight. And immediately you regretted everything you said.

"You listen to me right now," he said, steady and calm—but there was fury underneath. "She doesn't know who the hell she's talking about. And I swear to god, if I hear one more word like that out of her mouth—"

"Chan..."

"No," he interrupted, his voice softening but still firm. "You're not invisible. You're the only one I see. Every day, you walk into a room and suddenly the air feels different. Calmer. Better. You're the reason I sleep at night when things get bad because I know you're there the next morning. Doing my Makeup, cheering me up no matter what. Your the reason the team holds together sometimes. You are everything she isn't, and that's why she hates you."

You bit your lip, your chest tightening.

"Please just forget what I said." you whispered. "Falling apart over a stupid night out... I shouldn't have said anything. You're probably busy."

"You don't have to be strong all the time," he said gently. "Not with me."

A pause. Then, lower:

"Where are you right now?"

"Club down by the water," you said quietly. "VIP section. Madison rented a booth."

There was a beat of silence.

"Y/N?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm coming."

"No—Chan, you don't have to—"

"I'm already in the car. We're getting back at that bitch, together. You'll see. Just play along!"

And then the phone was dead.

You stared at the screen until it faded black and suddenly you woke up, when you understood that he would really come.

As fast as you could, you touched up your makeup, got your hair done and breathed in and out several times.

The bathroom door creaked open.

You stepped out, trying to collect yourself, as you walked back to the booth.

As soon as you arrived you almost stumbled over your words:

„There she is! What were you doing so long? We thought you ran off", Madison laughed and you didn't need to guess what they talked about when you were gone.

„No, I had a call... It could be that..."

But that's when all of the pair of eyes were averted and glued to the entry of the VIP-Section.

He was actually there, walking in without having to show his ID. The security knew exactly who he was, since the boys were here often.

Bang Chan. Jeans-Jacket thrown over a black Shirt, eyes burning with quiet fury—but softening instantly when he saw you.

He must have already drove off while you were talking on the phone. How could he be here so fast?

His hair was messy, falling into his forehead, his face outrageously handsome and you could feel how the air tensed. All the girls and especially Madison made sounds that almost sounded like chickens.

„Omg that's him", they squeaked.

Immediately you stood up, ran up to him.

You placed a hand on his chest to stop him before he could reach the table and whispered, "What are you doing?"

When you looked up at him, you had to hold your breath. He smiled, wrapped his arms around your waist, and his thumbs slowly began to circle over your hip bones.

"At least pretend you're happy to see me."

"No, that's not... Channie, I don't want them to know I cried in the bathroom like a little girl because they were mean to me. Please—this is just going to get really awkward for you."

He didn't waver, just looked at you calmly, then gently placed his hand against your cheek. He had never touched you like that before.

"You look incredible. That dress is seriously hot on you," he murmured, eyes trailing down your body.

Your cheeks flushed so deeply you thought you might actually faint. What was he doing?

"Come on. Let's have a good night," he said with a smirk and tugged you toward the table.

The whispers stopped instantly the moment you two arrived. Every single girl stared at him in stunned silence.

"Hey," Chan said casually. "I was nearby, called Y/N to see what she was up to, and thought I'd drop by on my way back. Hope that's alright?"

Madison was the first to recover, her voice a squeal. "Yes! Totally! Have a seat!"

She patted the empty spot right next to her, already inching aside, but Chan didn't even glance at it. Instead, his eyes stayed locked on you—and only you.

And then you realized... he was still holding your hand.

Without letting go, he led you around the booth and sat down to your left, deliberately placing you between him and Madison.

The tightness in Madison's jaw could've cut glass.

Back at the table, it was all fake smiles and weirdly timed laughs as Chan settled in beside you like he belonged there. Like he did this every Friday night. His arm slid behind your back, casually draping along the booth's edge, his fingers barely brushing your shoulder. You were hyper-aware of every inch of him, of how close he was, of the warmth radiating off his body.

And the worst—or best—part? He wasn't even pretending. This wasn't some over-the-top performance. He was relaxed, charming, soft-spoken, and all of it was for you.

"Y/N told me you guys go way back," he said, voice smooth as honey, glancing around at the girls with a perfectly polite smile. "That's cool. Always nice to meet her friends."

"Totally," Madison said, her voice tight as she took another sip of her drink, eyes flicking between you and Chan like she couldn't decide whether to smile or scream.

"God, you're even hotter in real life," one of the girls whispered, not even trying to hide it. "I didn't think that was possible."

Chan chuckled politely. "Thanks. But I think Y/N's the one turning heads tonight."

That shut everyone up for a second.

Your heart skipped several beats. Madison looked like she'd swallowed her lip gloss.

He wasn't done.

"You should've seen her earlier," Chan went on, eyes drifting to you again. "I told her she looked good enough to shut down traffic. Guess I was right."

Someone choked on their drink. You didn't dare look at Madison. He was doing that full aware and he had fun with it.

Chan leaned in slightly toward you, voice lower now—just for you. "You okay?"

You nodded, still dazed, not trusting your voice yet.

"Good," he murmured. "Because I'm not letting you disappear on me again tonight."

You blinked at him, startled, but he was already smirking at his glass, swirling the amber liquid inside with effortless grace.

He lifted his glass, still watching you. "You okay, sweetheart?" he asked, drawing out the word like it belonged to you alone.

You nodded stiffly, pulse hammering in your ears.

"Good," he murmured.

Madison's smile faltered. She recovered with another sip of her drink. "So, Chan," she purred, "Y/N tells us you two are just friends?"

He finally turned toward her, but the look in his eyes wasn't curious—it was cold amusement.

"Yeah," he said with a slow, lazy grin. "That's what she says."

The girls around the table giggled, but there was an edge of uncertainty now. Madison tilted her head.

"Just friends," she repeated, trying to sound playful. "But you came all the way here for her?"

Chan didn't miss a beat. "She's worth showing up for."

You stared into your drink, and he reached over, rubbing a hand between your shoulder blades, his touch intimate and familiar.

"I mean," Madison pushed, "that's sweet and all, but don't you usually go for—" She paused, her eyes flicking over you. "Someone a little more your speed?"

Chan raised a brow slowly. "Oh? And what speed do you think that is?"

"I don't know," she giggled, too high-pitched. "Someone a bit... flashier?"

He smiled—but it didn't reach his eyes.

"You know," he said, voice smooth like honey over ice, "Loud, shiny, easy to spot. That kind burns out fast."

He leaned closer to you, the side of his thigh brushing yours. "It's the steady glow that stays with you. That's the one that warms you up at night."

Madison opened her mouth to say something, but the waitress arrived before she could, holding a tray of shots.

Chan leaned back, giving you a wink. "Perfect timing."

The table whooped, tension shifting into distraction as glasses were passed around.

"Come on," Chan said, handing you one. "One night off. Let go a little."

You hesitated, but the way he looked at you, like this night was yours and his alone, made you forget everything else.

You took the shot.

Then another.

And another.

„So you're like friends with benefits? Or dating? Come on tell us!", another girl exclaimed and Madison almost killed her, by just looking at her.

Chan tilted his head. "What do you think?"

You tried not to combust on the spot.

„It's pretty much up to her now ..."

You weren't even sure how many drinks you'd had by now. The club was buzzing louder, your skin was tingling, and Chan had moved even closer, his thigh pressed firmly against yours now under the table. There were Shot after Shot, Cocktail after Cocktail. You didn't know how he was able to act that convincing. It couldn't be real, but why would he do all that? Just to get back at them? All that effort just for a small revenge he shouldn't even care about?

The conversations were flowing by now and everyone adored Chan not just for his looks in no time. But he played his part way too well.

He leaned in again, his cologne warm and clean and a little dangerous, and said quietly in your ear:

"You're either ignoring me... or trying really hard not to look like you want to kiss me."

You turned to face him, heart tripping.

"That obvious?" you murmured, lips barely an inch from his, starting to grin like an idiot. You were playing around, trying to get back at Madison, but it felt so real, that your heart was pounding like crazy. And you knew your heart would be shattered at the end of this evening.

Chan gave a slow, satisfied grin and leaned back just enough to look at you properly.

„Only to me."

Before you could reply, ask what this was about, Madison cut in again.

"So, Y/N," she chirped, swirling her drink. "Are you, like, seriously not sleeping with him?"

You blinked.

Chan tilted his head slightly, gaze sharpening like a blade, but his voice stayed calm.

"Madison," he said, smiling like a wolf. "Do you usually talk about other people's sex lives at the table?"

She flushed, laughing. "I mean, sorry, but come on. You're both just so... intense. Like, all the eye contact and brooding. It's kinda obvious something's happening."

Chan shrugged lazily. "Maybe we like keeping things to ourselves. You ever try that?"

"Ouch," someone muttered from the other side of the table. There was giggling. Madison had no chance against the sass of Chan. He was the Leader of 7 chaotic men, who where Teenagers when they started. He knew exactly how to put someone in their place.

You hid a smile in your drink.

But Madison wasn't done. She leaned toward Chan this time, lips pouting, voice syrupy sweet. "I mean, no offense, but it's just... unexpected. I thought you would go for girls who are, I don't know"

"Shallow?" Chan interrupted smoothly.

She blinked. "No. I was gonna say... bolder. More exciting."

He gave a half-smile, slow and dangerous.

"Trust me," he said without taking his eyes off you, "she's plenty bold. She just doesn't need to prove it by being loud all the time."

That shut her up. The entire table went quiet for a second.

You could feel your face heating, but Chan wasn't done. He turned toward you again, resting his arm along the back of the booth, fingers grazing your shoulder and down your arm.

"You know what I like?" he asked you, eyes still locked with yours.

You raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"When someone can walk into a room and own it, without even trying." He gave you that soft, lazy grin again. "That's hot."

You bit your lip, your pulse thudding in your ears.

Madison scoffed under her breath, but no one was paying attention to her anymore. Not when Chan was looking at you like you were the only person in the room.

Then the shots arrived.

"Last round before we get wild," the waitress announced, sliding a tray onto the table.

"Let's make it a toast," Chan said, smoothly grabbing two and handing you one. He raised his glass and looked around the table.

"To good company," he said. "And knowing exactly who's worth your time."

You met his eyes as you both threw back the shot.

It burned, but it wasn't the alcohol making your heart race.

The energy at the table had shifted, less laughter, more heat. You were tucked comfortably into Chan's side now, your legs brushing under the table, the slow burn of tequila pooling warm in your chest. He hadn't taken his eyes off you for more than a few seconds at a time, and every brush of his fingertips against your thigh under the table felt like a secret promise.

Madison, clearly not used to being ignored, was on her third attempt to interrupt the vibe.

She leaned in again with a sugar-sweet smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "So, Chan... tell us, what's your type now?"

You didn't flinch. You didn't have to. Chan beat you to it.

"Madison," he said lazily, his voice thick with amusement, "you'd have to know my type to recognize it."

She bristled. "And I don't?"

He turned his head slightly toward her, but his hand stayed firmly on your thigh, thumb brushing slow, possessive circles, going up to the hem of your dress. They couldn't even see that, but he continued anyway. "If you did," he said, voice dipping lower, "you'd stop assuming it was you."

The table went dead silent for a beat again.

Someone choked on her drink again.

"Oof, damn," someone muttered.

Madison's eyes flicked to you, her smile now a tight line.

„But she is? She's not the usual kind of flashy girl, a idol would want to be with."

Chan just grinned, wide, cocky, like he was thriving on the tension. He leaned in close to you, but said it loud enough for the table to hear:

"That's the point."

You felt your pulse stutter as his fingers tightened slightly on your leg. His thumb now under the soft fabric of your minidress, making you almost press your thighs together.

"I don't do 'usual,'" he added, biting his lip softly while staring at yours dangerously.

"I do addictive."

His voice dropped, rough and intimate, just for you, even though the entire table was pretending not to listen. His thumb slipped a little higher under the fabric of your dress, dragging heat along your skin.

You swallowed hard, the pulse in your neck betraying you as he leaned in, slow, deliberate. His mouth hovered just beside your ear now, his breath a warm tease against your skin.

"And you, ..." His words came out low and sinful. "You're already ruining me since the day Minho brought you into the company."

Your breath hitched, involuntarily pressing your thighs closer together. His smirk deepened at the movement, eyes darkening like he owned the reaction. Was all this still acting? You couldn't believe this could be real. It was way too perfect to be real.

Meanwhile, Madison was sitting in stunned silence across the table, trying to pretend she wasn't watching every second. Chan didn't even spare her a glance now, his world narrowed to you.

You turned slightly to meet his eyes, your voice barely above a whisper.

"Chan..."

"Mmh," he hummed, brushing the tip of his nose along your cheek.

„Channie please... I'm... You...", but you couldn't form a whole sentence, when his hand was less than an inch from your core, still moving up, and you tried to calm yourself. The lace panties were definitely already ruined, even though he didn't do anything.

„If you say my name like that one more time I probably can't stop..."

Your cheeks flushed, but it wasn't from embarrassment. It was the way he said it, full of quiet, restrained chaos. Like he knew exactly what he could do to you, what he would do to you, and was enjoying every second of the buildup. But if this was over and he knew that you on your part weren't acting at all... You could never ever look him in the eyes again.

„You don't have to pretend anymore... I think it's enough", you whispered as soon as Madison chatted with another girl, glancing still at you two.

His eyes were immediately on yours again. You could see the effect the alcohol already had on him, but his eyes were clear, honest. But he didn't respond. There was confusion in his face.

"Fuck it," he muttered suddenly, pulling back with a smug grin as he stood up and reached for your hand. "We're getting out of here."

"Where are you going?" Madison snapped, eyes narrowing.

Chan didn't even look at her.

"Somewhere worth my time."

He pulled you with him, a protective hand low on your back, guiding you through the crowd. The alcohol was buzzing through your system, but it wasn't what made your head spin. It was him. His voice, his touch, the way he owned every room, every look, you.

"Wanna dance?" he asked softly while leading you to the dance floor.

You blinked. "Now?"

"Were at a Club right?," he said, already standing, holding his hand out to you. "Come on. Just a few songs."

You took it.

The music hit you the second you stepped onto the dance floor, warm bass, thudding beat, flickering lights. Chan didn't hesitate. He pulled you close, one hand resting low on your waist, the other brushing your hair back.

The music pulsed through your body, thick bass reverberating through the floor as the club lights painted flashes of red and blue across Chan's face. You were both tipsy, laughing harder than you should at something stupid he whispered into your ear, but the warmth of his hand on your lower back wasn't something you could blame on the drinks.

It was deliberate. Possessive. Hot.

You moved with him, teased each other until your hip rolled against his. You could hear him silently hissing, but his moves were fluent, experienced and very very distracting.

Even though no one was watching you anymore.

Chan leaned in close, his breath hot against your cheek as the beat shifted to something darker, slower. His voice rumbled against your skin, low and wrecked.

"I really couldn't believe you're that blind before tonight..."

You blinked up at him as he twirled you around, lips parted as your breath hitched, your body already melting into his. You stumbled against his chest confused.

"What?" you dared.

He didn't answer. Instead, his hand slid up your sides, until it was wrapped tight around your waist, drawing you flush against him. His hips moved with yours, slow and dirty, like the music was just for the two of you.

And then he said it.

"You think I was just acting earlier?"

His mouth brushed your ear now, every word setting fire to your skin.

"You think I flirted with you at that table just because I had to play along?" He tilted your chin up, making you look him dead in the eye. "Y/N, I've had a crush on you for months. And I thought it was obvious..."

Your breath caught.

His lips ghosted across your cheek, barely touching.

"But I just didn't dare to tell you, since you didn't do anything about it. I figured someone like you wouldn't even look at me twice."

"You're insane," you whispered. You couldn't even believe one word he was saying.

"And you're drunk," he smirked. "Which is the only reason I'm even telling you this now, because tomorrow, I'm gonna pretend I didn't after you finally rejected me."

Your hands were firmly closed around his neck, and you still waited to finally wake up from this unreal dream.

„I had no idea... I thought you're just friendly. I thought I'm not your type... You're lying right? You’re trying to tease me? That's not funny Chan!"

You could feel him chuckling deeply and for at least a few seconds, then he pulled you even closer, his hands brushing up your sides, his thumbs pressing into your skin right under your boobs. He pushed you backwards until you were a bit aside, only a few people were standing or sitting in the back area of the dance floor.

The music wasn't that loud here and Chan wanted to make sure you'd hear every word he would say. You were standing in a lightly lit corner, him still holding you tight. You felt his firm stomach pressed against your body and just looked at him stunned.

You were flushed from dancing and just the right amount of tipsy, when you turned to find Chan watching you not with his usual soft gaze, this time it was darker. Intense. Like he was done pretending.

His eyes closed for a second like he was at war with himself. Then he looked down at you, slow, dragging, and everything he'd ever hidden was suddenly there, plain as day.

"You really didn't know?" he asked, voice low, wrecked.

"That every time you hugged me, I had to fight not to touch you like I wanted to?"

Your lips parted, but no words came out.

"That when you wore that black dress to the company party a year ago, I had to sit with my hands in my lap the entire night?"

He let out a dry, soft laugh.

"I got hard just looking at you. Couldn't even get up without embarrassing myself."

You swallowed hard, heat coiling in your stomach.

„Chan..."

"I've wanted you for so long it's fucking embarrassing," he said, stepping in even closer, chest pressed against yours.

"I'd leave Aftershow-parties early because you were dancing with the backup dancers and I couldn't take it. I'd lie awake thinking about your body, your laugh, the way you look when you're mad at me."

Your hand pressed against his chest instinctively, either to steady yourself or make sure he wouldn't vanish.

"I used to jerk off in the shower after hugging you, every time after you did my makeup, standing so close in your small tops and shorts," he said, voice barely above a whisper now, eyes locked on your mouth.

He pushed you further back, until your back hit the wall and you were completely at his mercy.

"And then show up the next day at the concert pretending nothing happened."

You felt the breath leave your lungs in one slow exhale, your thighs clenching together as heat rushed down your spine.

"Fuck, Chan..."

"I wasn't acting tonight," he added, his fingers brushing the side of your ribs, up until his thumb brushed over your nipple.

"Not for a second. I wasn't trying to make anyone jealous. I just... finally let myself touch you the way I wanted."

Everything rushed back to you in flashes, his hands on your body while hugging you, the looks he gave you, when you talked about your dates with random guys, the low murmur in your ear, his fingers under your dress earlier at the table.

Every smirk. Every stare. Every time he'd pulled away like it was taking every ounce of willpower. His small comments you never took seriously when you wore your new outfits at work. His friendly teasing when he'd say things like "You're lucky I have self-control" when you showed up in a tight dress you wore only for him, or "You keep looking at me like that and I might forget we're just friends." You laughed it off, not realizing how close he was to meaning every word.

You thought he was just a flirt. Just smooth.

But he'd been losing his mind over you this whole time.

"You hid it so well," you whispered.

He smirked, stepping even closer.

„No, doll. You just weren't paying attention."

As his hands touched your boobs, desperately like he wanted this to happen for a long time, you leaned your head against the wall, looking up at him pleading.

„I can't believe it... It's just that I had a crush on you for years now. And you never gave me anything. It felt like you weren't even aware I'm right there!"

He sighed, looked at the ground for a moment, before his hand wandered to your cheek, caressing your jaw, until he touched your lips softly.

"All those times I pulled away? It wasn't because I didn't feel it. It was because I felt too much."

You swallowed, breath catching.

"I'd touch you, and my whole body would react. I couldn't hug you too long without having to hide how much I wanted you. When you dabbed my sweat away in the middle of shooting M/Vs or when you just sat next to me during movie nights at the dorm..."

His voice was deeper now, rough.

"You'd wear those damn skirts and look at me like I was your boss, talk to me like I was your best friend sometimes, and I'd have to act like I wasn't going crazy."

You blinked at him, overwhelmed by the honesty dripping from every word.

"I tried to be respectful. I tried to be good. But God, every time you laughed, or leaned against me, or whispered something in my ear... I wanted you, thought about bending you over the next surface and finally fucking you like you deserve it…“

He stepped so close you could feel the heat of his body. His hand cupped your jaw, thumb brushing the corner of your mouth, the other other one grabbed your hip again.

"I still want you. So much it fucking hurts."

You let out a shaky breath, trying to keep the walls up.

Your breath hitched.

"I know it's a lot," he added quickly. "I just couldn't watch her tear you down. Not when she doesn't even see you. Not when she has no idea what it means to be loved the way you should be."

Silence bloomed between you, loud and sacred.

„I have dreamed of this for so long... I thought it could never happen. I thought I was imagining things."

"That's my fault," he whispered, forehead resting against yours. "I thought I was protecting you. Protecting us. But I just ended up hurting both of us instead."

You closed your eyes, your heart thudding violently in your chest. Every part of you wanted to believe him. Every part of you wanted to just fall.

„If you don't believe me yet..."

His voice got clearer again, and when you opened your eyes again he shielded you completely from the world. He grabbed your hand and pushed it suddenly against the bulge in his pants. Your eyes widened as you felt how big it felt under your fingertips.

„That's what you're doing to me. This whole evening, all the time..."

He watched you closely, his breath against your lips as you felt his rock hard dick even through his pants.

"Let me make it up to you," he growled, his voice a low rasp against your lips.

„Let me show you what I've been holding back."

You breath stuttered and this time he didn't pull away. His lips crashed on yours but you were already pulling him down into you.

Your mouths crashed together like tension snapping. Desperate. Starved. His hands buried in your hair, yours gripping the collar of his shirt as your bodies pressed and ground against each other like you were trying to crawl inside his skin.

It was hot. Too hot.

You tore away first, gasping.

"I, I need air."

Chan didn't say anything, just grabbed your hand like it was the most natural thing in the world and pulled you toward the exit.

You had to pass the booth where Madison sat, and of course, she clocked you immediately.

"Wait a second!" she called out, standing halfway. "Please, just sit with us for a little bit. I want to sort things out. Really."

You blinked, caught off guard by the sudden plea.

But before you could even think of answering, Chan stepped in front of you, solid, steady, like a wall. Protective in a way that made you want to rip his clothes off right now.

He looked at Madison the way someone looks at a child who doesn't know the damage they're doing. A little pity. A little disbelief. And zero tolerance.

"There's nothing to sort out, Madison," he said calmly, though there was a razor-sharp edge beneath his voice.

„She wasted enough time, trying to be the better person and giving you another chance..."

Her mouth opened like she wanted to argue, but the way Chan's arm slid around your waist and pulled you in close made her freeze. He wasn't subtle. He didn't want to be.

"I'll take her somewhere, were her talents, her hard work and her amazing personality is appreciated," he continued, his eyes never leaving hers.

Madison flushed, jaw tight.

But Chan didn't flinch. Didn't soften.

He leaned in closer to you, hand at the small of your back.

"Come on, baby. Let's go."

You let him lead you past her, heart pounding at the pet name, the heat of his body, the absolute certainty in the way he chose you without hesitation.

And as you walked away, you didn't even need to look back.

Because for the first time, you knew you were the one being fought for.

Outside, the night air hit your skin like a shock, but Chan's warmth was already wrapping around you again.

The night was sharp and cool, the wind biting at your flushed skin. You stumbled into the alleyway beside the club, laughing breathlessly. He steadied you with both hands on your hips.

"You okay?" he asked, a little too soft, a little too close again for you to keep your sanity.

You nodded.

"Tipsy. But fine."

He arched a brow. "Still think I was acting?"

He slipped out of his Jacket and put it over you shoulders, engaging you with his scent.

You shot him a half-lidded look, lips curling. "You're still flirting."

"That's not flirting." He grinned like the devil and stepped into you, pushing you gently back against the brick wall. His hand slid up under the jacket, fingers dragging up your bare thigh.

"This is me losing control."

You were drunk, yes. But you felt everything.

His mouth brushed your jaw, kissing down to your neck with infuriating slowness. You tilted your head back, sighing as his teeth grazed your skin.

"You're dangerous," you breathed.

"Yeah," he whispered. "But only for you."

You grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him closer. "What are we doing, Chan?"

He looked at you like he wanted to devour you whole.

"Getting a cab. And then..." His smirk returned, but it was darker this time, tinged with heat. "Taking you home."

You felt beautiful.

You felt wanted.

And you kissed him.

Right there, under the streetlights in a dark alley, in the middle of the night, while every inch of you screamed that this moment was real. You kissed him because you'd wanted to for so long. Because no one had ever looked at you the way he was now. Because you needed him to know that even if you didn't feel like enough tonight, you still wanted to be his.

And when you pulled back, he smiled like he already knew.

"Come on," he said. "My place. Now."

He couldn't wait a second longer. He couldn't think of anything else than ripping that damn dress off.

You just nodded.

And when he kissed you this time, finally, fully, like he'd been starving for it, it was everything but gentle.

You tiptoed barefoot behind Chan through the dim hallway, your heels in your hands, the quiet creak of the floorboards under your weight sounding way too loud in the silence of the late hour. You already visited the dorm of the boys but you were mostly at Minhos, Felix, I.N and Seungmins dorm for movie nights.

"Shhh," Chan whispered, shooting you a wicked little grin over his shoulder as he guided you through the apartment like a thief.

„They're all asleep. Hopefully."

Hyunjin, Changbin and Han would be definitely at home since they had some days off after the last concerts. It would be way too complicated to explain what was going on with you and Chan at the moment.

You passed the living room, and there, half-sprawled on the couch under a blanket, you spotted Han, clearly tangled up with someone.

You pressed your hand against your mouth while staring at them.

His hand was buried in someone's hair, soft moans slipping past his lips while there was a fierce makeout-session going on. Netflix already asked if they're still watching but that wasn't the case obviously. There were clothes laying everywhere around, hard breathing and kissing sounds echoed in the dark room.

You blinked, stunned and suddenly Chan grabbed your hand before you could look closer.

"Don't stare. Trust me, you don't wanna know," he muttered under his breath, lips quirking.

You didn't even get the chance to wonder who the hell Han was pressed up against before Chan yanked you forward and slipped the both of you into his bedroom. He shut the door with a soft click, locking it.

Silence. A soft, red glow from the LED-lights in Chans room. It smelled like cedar and clean linen and him.

Then a breath. Then him, suddenly everywhere.

He shoved you back against the door before you could take another step, his body pinning you with an urgency that set your skin on fire.

"You almost ruined me," he growled lowly, his hand wrapping around your throat just enough to make you gasp, to make your knees weaken. "All those nights thinking about you, all those moments I had to bite my tongue instead of dragging you into a corner and making you mine."

His lips crashed onto yours, and this kiss wasn't sweet as before, it was messy, possessive, pure need. His other hand was already hiking your dress up, fingers bruising into your thigh as he lifted your leg around his waist.

"You know how hard it was?" he rasped against your lips. "You'd touch my face, my body while working on those stage-outfits and I'd have to hold back, pretend I didn't want to fuck you against the nearest wall. Pretend I wasn't hard the entire time."

"Chan—"

"No. Tonight, you listen and won't doubt a second how much you're wanted."

His eyes burned into yours, hand slipping into your hair and tugging your head back just enough for his lips to drag down your neck.

"I'm not holding back anymore."

He dragged you to the bed, pushed you down gently, but the glint in his eyes was anything but soft. The dark edge in his gaze made your pulse spike as he crawled over you, slow and controlled like a predator savoring his prey.

Chan grabbed your wrists and pinned them above your head with one hand, while the other traced down the side of your face, your throat, your chest, until you were writhing beneath him.

"I'm gonna wreck you, baby," he whispered against your ear, teeth grazing your lobe. "So no one else ever gets to look at you and wonder what you taste like. What you sound like."

Your breath caught, your thighs pressed together, the heat between them unbearable now. His fingers slid between them without warning, two, confident and slow, teasing, curling just enough to make you gasp and arch.

"And you'll take it, won't you?" he growled, lips bruising against your neck as he moved faster, darker.

"You'll let me ruin you."

And god, you wanted to let him.

Your moan broke open in the dark, echoing in his room like a confession.

„You're that wet for me? And I didn't even know all evening."

He growled, pushing his fingers deep into you before he pushed them into his mouth, tasting you, looking at you from above. You couldn't move with your hands pinned against the mattress.

„You taste even better than I imagined, doll."

You looked him straight into the eyes, your breath going slowly.

„I have touched myself too, you know", you breathed, while he opened your legs with his knee. Watching how your dress slid up, exposing your ass, your soft thighs and the black lace panties which were soaked already.

„Tell me", he demanded, enjoying the desperate whimpering, as he pushed his knee right onto your core.

Then he let go of you, unbuttoned his shirt and threw it aside. You straightened up, eyes wandering all over his abs. Which you adored every time he changed during concerts, when you brought him his clothes.

„When you were changing at concerts or running around half naked in the backstage, pretending you didn't notice the looks you got from all the female staff-members... Or the one time I told you about the terrible date I had..."

He raised his eyebrows.

„The stupid background dancer? I was so jealous back then..."

You nodded, kneeling next to Chan, touching his shoulders, letting your fingers slide over his chest, his abs, down to the hem of his pants.

„The date went terribly wrong because I moaned your name while making out..."

His eyes widened and he grabbed your hips, lifting you up on his lap like a toy.

„That's why he couldn't look me in the eye since...", he laughed, pushing the straps of your dress of your shoulders, kissing your chest while kneading your ass in his hands.

Your little pants were like rewards for him.

„I also touched myself at night, after movie-nights at the dorm. We all we're squeezed together on that small couch, you accidentally touched my tits, my thighs, my back while watching the movie... I was so horny that night."

Softly he brushed your hair out of your forehead.

„I had no idea... I would have let you sleep at my bed and took care of you. But didn't you sleep in Minhos bed that night?"

You cheeks immediately turned red, your ears glowing, while that damn knowing smile of Chan almost made you shy.

„I touched myself when he was asleep next to me... I'm still embarrassed."

But Chan grabbed your chin and pushed his middle against your core to prove his point.

„That's so fucking hot."

He watched your body, and his eyes were shimmering with arousal.

„Strip for me, babygirl and tell me everything I missed during all this time."

He leaned back, as soon as you climbed off his lap and it was crazy to finally tell him all your dirty secrets.

Sensual you started to slip out of your dress, while he watched every move, unbuttoning his pants.

„I'd would always watch you rehearse from the back of the studio or through a cracked door, pretending to be just passing by. But the way you moved, confident and raw, sweat dripping down your neck and your shirt clung to your body... You had no idea, did you? Every time I watched you dance, I could barely breathe."

Your voice was soft and he just shook his head, his eyes wandering all over you body, as you stripped your dress off.

"After concerts you'd sit so close to me, shirt soaked, still catching your breath... and I'd just nod along, pretending I wasn't dying to touch you."

Your lace underwear was hugging your body smoothly. Making him sigh: „so fucking sexy"

Under his breath, while you were taking your bra off, throwing it at the floor.

He reached out, wanted to touch your tits, but you just smiled, fought of his hands and let him struggle for a bit more.

He imagined them in his hands for so long, squeezing and touching them until you'd beg him to fuck you.

But you weren't done.

„You remember those 2 a.m. calls right after those first big events I worked at? Your voice were enough to drive me crazy."

Where his voice was low, gravelly, intimate. You'd talk about anything and everything.

And you'd lie on your bed, completely turned on, fantasizing about him saying those same things with his hands on you.

"You'd talk to me like I was special. Whisper things. And I'd be there... hand between my legs, biting your name into my pillow", you added and he couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed your waist, ripped your panties off of you, and watched your body as you were standing between his legs.

„That time at the airport, you put your arm around me to guide me through the crowd, the chaos there. You always touched me like you owned me, and I hated how much I wanted it to be real", you breathed and whimpered suddenly as he spread your legs with his.

His hands grabbed your hips until your cunt hovered in front of his face.

„I told you I'll make all that up to you. I'll make you moan my name every day", he muttered and you sinked your nails into his neck, when he suddenly sucked on your glistening pussy, holding you up straight while licking through your folds, making your legs already shake. But when his tongue entered you, you couldn't stop whimpering like a kitten.

You could feel his smile against your core, his nose bumping against your clit while he was eating you out.

„Channie please please..."

You couldn't stop bubbling when he finally looked up at you.

„Say it! Come on babygirl."

He licked your juices off of his lips, his hands wrapped around your thighs.

„Fuck me, Chan. Please fuck me."

And that was it.

He grabbed your arms, pushed them on your back and forced you onto the mattress in seconds.

A startled gasp tearing from your throat while your face was pressed into his sheets.

"Did you think I brought you here to play nice?" he snarled into your ear, voice low, rough, a sound that made your knees weaken.

His body caged you in, one hand around your throat, just enough pressure to make you moan, while the other slid up your thigh, dragging your legs apart. Your ass in the air, so he could use you like he imagined it so many times.

You could hear how he got rid of his pants and underwear and then he grabbed your face, pulled you to his chest and you could already feel the size of his dick against your ass.

You barely managed a whisper his name before his mouth was on yours, not kissing, devouring. Tongue demanding entrance, teeth nipping hard at your bottom lip until you tasted blood and moaned against him.

"Been dreaming about ruining you," he muttered, hand sliding between your legs, forcing you on all fours. "Making you cry on my cock. You have no idea the fucking self-control I've had to keep."

His fingers slipped into you, slow at first, but deep, like he wanted to make you feel the weight of every second he'd waited. He growled when he felt how wet you got already with every move he made.

"Fuck. You're dripping for me."

You tried to reach for him, desperate, but he caught your wrists and pushed them on your back, pushing your chest against the mattress, hands trapped  painfully in one of his. The other hand stretched you even more when he added another finger.

You gasped as his palm landed hard on your ass, the sound echoing in the dark room, your body jerking forward against the headboard.

"Count," he growled. "If you lose track, I start over."

"One," you gasped.

Another slap, sharper.

"Two."

"Good girl. You look so fucking good like this," he hissed, voice dark with hunger. He watched the red mark on your soft skin he left. "All mine. I want to mark you up so bad they'll see it tomorrow. The members won't even need to ask."

He was harder than you'd ever seen anyone, panting against your neck as he grinded himself into your bare ass, not even inside you yet, and already cursing under his breath like he was going to lose it.

"You feel that?" he rasped, letting you grind back against his cock. "This is what you do to me. Every time you walked in wearing those little skirts, every time you hugged me and pressed that perfect body against me, I had to go jerk off in the fucking shower just to breathe before I could go on stage."

You whimpered, needy and wrecked and still untouched.

"Please," you whispered, voice shaking. "I want you."

"Oh, baby," he said, pulling his belt free from his pants a slow, lethal hiss of leather. "You're gonna feel how much I want you."

After just a blink of an eye he tied your hands up on your back.

„I want you to cry my name. So every time you'll call my name from now on, I'll think of you, tied up, with my cock pounding into your perfect little cunt."

And with that you felt his tip at your entrance. It was too big, you already knew that. When he pushed himself into you, starting to fuck you so good, you were already seeing stars, you couldn't stop moaning his name like a mantra.

Chan groaned deep in his chest, hips slamming forward as he buried himself fully. His hands gripped your hips hard, pulling you back onto him with every thrust like he couldn't get deep enough, close enough. Like he was trying to carve himself into you.

"Fuck—" he growled, voice shaking. "You feel like heaven. You were made for me, weren't you?"

You could barely answer, your words melted into gasps and broken sounds as he set a relentless pace, every snap of his hips pushing you closer to that edge. You were completely exposed to him. Hands tied, body trembling, senses overloaded. But never once did you feel unsafe, because every brutal thrust was laced with something else. Something raw. Desperate.

Need.

"God, you have no idea what you've done to me," he rasped into your ear, body flush against your back now, chest slick with sweat. "Every time you smiled at me, every time you greeted me in the morning, I had to bite my fucking tongue just to not show you how bad I wanted you."

You whimpered, unable to form a response when he suddenly reached around, fingers finding your clit and circling it with ruthless precision.

"You think this is just about fucking?" he snarled. "No, baby. This is about all the time I waited. All the nights I hated myself for wanting you this much."

You clenched around him, and he hissed. His rhythm stuttered, just once, and then he pulled out suddenly, flipping you onto your back like you weighed nothing, yanking your wrists free from the belt.

"Look at me."

Your eyes locked. His were wild, pupils blown, jaw clenched so tight it trembled.

"I'm not hiding anymore," he said roughly. "You want the truth? I was jealous every damn time another guy made you laugh. I was furious when you thought I wanted Madison. And I've been dreaming of you, of this, for so long it drove me insane."

He grabbed your thighs and drove back into you, deeper now, with his forehead against yours.

"You're mine now. Say it."

"I'm yours," you whispered, breathless, tears pricking the corners of your eyes from how overwhelming it all felt, the pleasure, the emotion, the years of silence finally breaking.

„I can’t hear you babygirl.“

„I‘m yours!“, you moaned, eyes rolling back as he grabbed your neck again, while the sound of skin slapping got even louder.

"You're goddamn right," he growled. "And I'm not letting you go. Not after this. Not ever."

He kissed you then, rough at first, then slower, softer, full of all the things he'd never said. His hand laced into your hair, the other gripping your waist as he rocked into you, lips dragging down your neck. Fucking you even deeper into the mattress.

When you came undone under him, trembling, crying out his name with tears running down your cheeks, he was right behind you, moaning against your throat like you were the only thing anchoring him to this world.

And when it was over, and your limbs were tangled with his, your bodies a mess of sweat and bruises and silk sheets, he kissed your temple and whispered:

"You're not imagining this time. I'm here. I'm yours. And I'm not going anywhere."

The next morning, you stirred awake to the warmth of sunlight and a weight that hadn't left your side all night. With a quiet sigh, you turned your head, Chan's face was the first thing you saw. With a pleasant sigh you just noticed again how much you adored his face, puffy and bare. His curls were framing his head chaotically while his lips were plush and so kissable, slightly parted, lashes casting shadows over his cheeks.

He must have cleaned you up, since you fell asleep immediately after he hugged you tight and apologised for being that rough all over again.

But you never had better sex in your entire life. You watched the slow, steady rise and fall of his chest, your body still wrapped tightly in his arms, like he was afraid you might vanish if he let go. When the first sunbeams enlightened the room, you couldn't resist, touching his cheek, his curls and his lips. He didn't look real at all and you couldn't believe the last night happened.

Before you could react, he grabbed your hand with closed eyes and kissed your knuckles.

„You're awake?", you asked smiling and he just groaned sleepy.

„Do you keep going if I say no?"

His morning voice was raspy and let you giggle softly.

He slowly opened his eyes, looked at you with a soft smile and pulled you into his tight embrace.

„How are you feeling?"

You cuddled against him under the sheets, pressing your cheek against his chest.

„Good."

„Just good? I feel like flying."

„Ask me again after I showered", you teased him, and he pinched you softly in the side, what made you squeak.

„But hurry okay? Ich won't let you get far away from me today."

As you stood up and searched for something to wear, he smiled so broadly that the sun didn't even had a chance to compete.

„Sure... Just close your eyes and I'll be back in a second", you answered and slipped into a Shirt from him.

„I hope so... I think I'll need another round to start the day. Your pussy is addicting.“

„You horny menace," you snorted with a teasing grin, throwing a pillow at his head.

Chan caught it effortlessly, eyes trailing down your legs as you made your way toward the door in nothing but the oversized shirt. His shirt. His gaze was dark again, hungry, but playful. "You walking around like that and calling me horny? That's not fair."

You smirked, hand already on the doorknob. "Then close your eyes, Mr. Bang. Or deal with the consequences."

"I will. Later," he murmured under his breath, voice low and thick. "And trust me, there will be consequences."

With heat blooming in your cheeks, and between your thighs, you slipped out of his room, the air in the hallway cooler against your skin.

The hallway was dim, lit only by the soft glow of the kitchen light left on overnight. Your skin still tingled from the feel of Chan's mouth, his hands, the way he'd claimed you like he'd been waiting for years

The apartment was quiet, only the faint sound of the city outside humming through the windows. You tiptoed down the hallway toward the bathroom when a door creaked open and,

"Shit," you gasped, nearly running into Minhos big and very naked chest.

He was shirtless, his hair a mess, lips slightly swollen, and his eyes wide when he saw you. For a second, neither of you spoke. Your gaze instinctively dropped to the deep scratch marks down his torso, leading all over his back and a very familiar Hoodie in his hands.

Han's hoodie.

Your mouth opened a little.

Minho froze like a deer in headlights, then raised a single brow.

He froze when he saw you. You froze when you saw him. The smell of sex was sticking to you both.

The puzzle pieces clicked, violently.

Minho gave you a long look, lips curving into something dangerously close to a smirk. "You're not really the sneaky type, you know."

Your cheeks flushed, but you lifted your chin. "You either, apparently."

His brows raised, caught. "Touché."

"Han?" you asked, keeping your voice low.

He shrugged a shoulder, smirk still lingering.

"Oh my God!" you blinked, mouth now fully parted. "You were the one on the couch with Han tonight..."

Minho tilted his head, a sly smirk forming on his lips. "I wasn't exactly hiding it, was I?"

Your cheeks flushed as you remembered what you'd seen the night before, Han tangled up in someone's arms. You hadn't realized it was Minho.

"I thought... I didn't know, you are..." you started, but he just waved a hand.

"Don't overthink it." he added with a smirk.

„Most people don't know... Just Changbin at the moment since he can’t knock on doors like a normal person being... I wanted to tell you, but seems like you had secrets yourself..."

Before you could respond, Han's voice came from inside the room. "Minhooo, honey, come back to bed, your abs look too good to be wasted standing out there."

You raised your brows. "Wow."

Minho shrugged and stared at the shirt you were wearing.

"Yeah."

There was a pause. He slipped Hans Hoodie over his head. For Jisung it was oversized but it fit Minho perfectly.

"I mean, you and Jisung? I knew you two were close, but..."

"Not really public knowledge," he said, now fully dressed but barefoot, raking a hand through his hair.

„But I guess you and Chan aren't exactly trying to stay hidden either."

You blinked. "You... know?"

Minho chuckled under his breath. "Sweetheart, you're wearing his shirt. Just his shirt in fact... Those marks on your wrists are very obvious as well. And I just walked out of Han's room when you sneaked out of his. We're kind of in the same boat."

Just now you realised the red marks on your wrists, which were probably caused by the belt, Chan used.

You crossed your arms.

"You're not worried? About... you know, Chan being your leader? I'm just your stylist."

Minho leaned against the doorframe, eyes glinting. "Should I be? You're not just our stylist. You're my best friend and Chan is family. It could be worse, right?"

You shrugged, uncertain.

He took a step closer.

"Look, whatever's going on with Chan... you're not just some random girl. Trust me, I've seen the way he looks at you."

Your heart fluttered.

"He's all bark usually. But you? You make him lose control. That says something."

You bit your lip, glancing away. "It's just... weird. All of it. I've had feelings for him for so long."

"And now he's the one tangled in you," Minho said softly, with a knowing glance. "About time he made a move. His lovesick blabbering wasn't bearable anymore."

Then, his smirk widened again. "Just... try not to be that noisy next time. We do share walls, you know. Or at least let us join…“

You gasped and slapped his arm, scandalized.

He only laughed and went back to Jisungs room without any further comment.

You slipped quietly back into Chan's room after your shower, the soft creak of the door alerting him. He was sitting up now, shirtless, hair messier than before, his bare chest catching a sliver of morning light.

He looked up instantly, eyes narrowing with gentle concern.

"You okay?"

You nodded, closing the door behind you. "Yeah... just ran into Minho in the hallway."

Chan's brow lifted. "Minho?"

You walked over, crawling back into the sheets, the warmth of his body pulling you back in. His hand instinctively settled on your waist like a magnet, grounding you.

"Yeah," you murmured. "Apparently, he spent the night with Han."

There was a pause. Then—

"...What?"

You looked up at him, lips curving. "I know. I thought I was being scandalous sneaking out of your room. Turns out there was a secret relationship in front of us all this time."

Chan blinked, then burst out laughing, chest shaking beneath your cheek. "Han and Minho? Seriously? They spent the night? Like fucking and stuff?"

"I literally walked in on Minho sneaking out with Han's hoodie. There were scratches all over his body..."

"Oh my god," he groaned, dragging a hand through his curls. "That little punk didn't tell me anything. Both of them... I thought Han was seeing a girl secretly."

Chan exhaled deeply, then gave a dry laugh. "That little shit. No wonder they've been acting weird the last few weeks."

You tilted your head. "You really didn't notice?"

"I thought they were just being... clingy. Han's always affectionate towards Minho, and Minho's Minho, he acts like he's annoyed but leans into it anyway."

You looked up at him, mischief playing at the edge of your mouth. "What if he says the same about us?"

Chan tilted his head, eyes darkening. "There's a difference. I want everyone to know."

Your heart stuttered.

He said it so casually, but the possessiveness in his tone sent heat through you.

"I told Minho," you said softly, watching his expression carefully, "That this wasn't just random. That it's... serious to me."

His gaze locked with yours, something deeper flickering behind the dark brown. "Did you?"

You nodded. "I said you weren't just some fling. Because you're not. And I've had feelings for you for way too long to pretend this is casual."

Chan reached for you then, dragging you fully into his lap, hands gripping your thighs. "Say that again."

"What part?"

"The part where I'm not just some fling."

You leaned forward, pressing your lips against his jaw. "You're not. You've never been."

His grip tightened. "I swear, I've been going insane wanting you. Knowing you were right there all this time, acting like you didn't see what you were doing to me."

You smiled against his skin. "You didn't make it easy either."

He pulled back, brushing his lips against yours without kissing you. "I didn't want you to feel like that... But now? Now I'll make damn sure no one else gets the chance."

His words were low, heated, edged with that same fire that had pulled you under last night.

You pressed your forehead to his. "You jealous of Minho and Han stealing the scandal spotlight?"

He growled softly. "Jealous that they got to touch each other last night... while you were in my bed screaming for me? Never.“

You shivered.

Chan's lips curled. "Now be a good girl and remind me what you were wearing when you ran into Minho..."

You laughed. "Your shirt."

"Damn right."

⸻

[yuna542]

🔙 [13.]

~Summer-Party~

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader/Oc

Genre: Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Smut, Angst, Drama, Action

Warnings: Mentions of Alcohol and Drugs, Cheating, Fighting, Puking, Mentions of explicit actions, Manipulation

Taglist: Open

Word count: 4.6K

Summary: The Kook princess is back after a year and reignites the war between Pogues and Kooks on Kildare. But she quickly realizes that after this year, nothing is the same as before. Deception, secrets from the past, and dangerous conspiracies sweep across Kildare, leaving her no choice but to work with the Pogues and her personal nemesis to find the truth and maybe even $8 million. A dangerous treasure hunt begins that turns her world upside down.

Note: The Drama moves on. Hope you like this part :))

Soundtrack:

⏯️Play: Do I Wanna Know? by Arctic Monkeys

„Baby, we both know.

That the nights were mainly made

For sayin' things that you can't say

tomorrow day.“

The music pulsed in my ears and the world was already swaying dangerously, but it was a pleasant feeling to float far away from reality and not have to worry about any meaningful action. Or to be able to.

Rafe got me a new drink every time my previous one was empty and I couldn't count how many shots I had drunk with all kinds of people. By now it was dark and the many fairy lights and torches were doing their job, turning the beach and caves into a Caribbean paradise.

A special feature of the summer festival on Kildare was that on this night the war between Southside and Northside was settled. It was strange. People simply celebrated together and for one evening it was as if all the quarrels, the differences and hatred had never existed. Even Rafe and JJ kept a low profile, only throwing warning glances at each other now and then, like two dogs kept on a leash so they couldn't get at each other's throats.

The main reason for the peaceful evening was probably that the Pogues and Kooks could only organize the evening together. The Kooks provided the alcohol and the jukeboxes, while the Kooks took care of the setup and the fire.

Every year they built a bar out of pallets that they painted white and decorated with little lanterns. There were drinks that matched the themes, plus cocktails for just a few bucks.

Everywhere there were small seating areas made of wicker chairs, plastic chairs and many other makeshift seating arrangements.

Basically, it looked like a flea market for seating furniture.

I kept catching myself looking over at JJ and caught him more than once looking in my direction as well. Probably he was already thinking about the next nasty thing to do to bother me.

But even that didn't matter to me by now. I just wanted to have fun, drink and dance.

And that's what I did. All evening there was drink after drink, chat after chat. Giggling about things I didn’t remember a second later.

Staggering, I clung to the first person around me so as not to fall over on my high heels. The plateau-heels were suitable for the sand, but drunk even I had no chance to walk a straight line.

The person smelled pleasantly of strawberries and held me by the forearms. I closed my eyes for a moment to stop the world turning around me.

"Are you okay?"

The voice sounded familiar, but it wasn't until I looked at him and tilted my head that it cleared up. The dark strands fell into his forehead and the cap on John B's head sat askew.

"Have you seen Sarah?", I asked directly.

The girl had disappeared some time ago and she was probably making out with Topper somewhere.

John B shook his head and laughed apologetically, as if he could help it. Now that I was standing right in front of him, I noticed his kind eyes for the first time.

Although he should hate me, he returned my gaze with kindness and held me gently. At the same time, he respectfully tried not to come too close to me.

"I don't know. But maybe she's in one of the sitting areas."

Instead of smiling at me, he helped me stand up straight again and that's when it occurred to me that I had stopped him on his way to wherever.

"All right. Thanks."

"Are you all alone?" he asked, and the honestly concerned look stunned me. Was John B really that nice, or was he just as eager as JJ to play his games with me so I'd end up looking stupid?

However, there was nothing but sincerity in his eyes and I doubted if he could even lie.

"Uh... Yes. Somehow I lost the others."

Rafe being gone bought me a moment to take a breath, and right then I had realized how much the alcohol was already clouding my head.

John didn't seem to have to think twice to offer me:

"You can come to our place if you want."

John B was basically a golden retriever turned human. He had helped me many times before, even though I had made it more than clear what I thought of the Pogues. That's exactly why I couldn't accept this offer now. He was nicer to me than would do him any good, and I didn't want that to be his undoing.

The guilty conscience gnawed at me incessantly and if I had accepted, it would only be worse. But he was a pogue and worse, JJ's best friend.

Drunk, I saw that more clearly now than I did sober.

"It's okay. I'll just look for Sarah."

He seemed to have already expected the answer and nodded. Once he was sure I was back on my feet, he let go of me and buried his hands in his pants pockets.

Then he gave me a curt nod and turned around.

Before I could suppress it, the words snaked up my throat and slipped away:

"John B?"

Questioningly, he turned around again.

That's when I regained control of my voice and pushed back the words I really wanted to say.

"Nevermind."

Somewhat confused, he furrowed his eyebrows, then shrugged and continued on his way.

I almost trailed behind him, but Rafe was at my side again, pulling me into his arms. The glazed gleam in his eyes made it clear that he was drunk, too.

"There you are. Come with me. I want to show you something."

He took my hand and that's when the alcohol blew away any doubts. Tonight I was going to have fun and I was going to get it no matter what.

Rafe pulled me along behind him and I had to watch exactly where I stepped so I wouldn't fall over.

Finally we reached one of the caves and he led me inside. I gazed in amazement at the huge cavity in the stone. We were completely alone and the torches cast flickering shadows on the walls.

If I were alone, I would certainly have been creeped out by it.

"Why are you showing me this?", I asked, although I already knew the answer.

"I wanted to finally be alone with you for once."

"We were together all last week," I laughed, panting as he pulled me against him by the waist.

"That's not nearly enough for me, though."

Greedily, he pressed his lips to mine. Automatically, I intertwined my hands in his neck and returned the kiss. Again I listened deep inside, but except for the rush of my blood in my ears, I heard nothing.

His hands roamed over my sides and didn't seem close enough. He pushed me back a few steps until we slid to the floor, which was a blessing for my feet. As we kissed, he pushed my legs apart and placed himself between them. The ground here in the cave was firmer, but just as sandy.

However, it was much colder, but I doubted that was the reason a shiver ran down my spine.

His hands roamed over my body with a force that made me freeze and slipped under my skirt. Each touch filled my lungs even more with discomfort and I feared suffocating under him.

Stormily he worked his way further and further, taking no notice of my hesitant reaction. It was as if he was in a hurry and had to work off a task.

More and more he lost control and I tried to ward off his hands inconspicuously, but he did not give up. He pushed up my skirt and set about undoing my bikini bottoms.

I told myself that this was the right thing to do.

Rafe was the one. After all, I had slept with others I hadn't even known before.

But everything inside me screamed for escape. I wanted to get as far away from him as I could, and now I couldn't fool myself.

"Rafe," I gasped, overwhelmed, trying to get his attention. But he was too focused on my body and when he reached for his belt, I pushed him roughly away from me.

"Rafe! What are you doing?"

My voice was much more confident than I felt. Nothing about any of this felt right, and the carefree nature of it couldn't even be fooled by the alcohol.

"What does it look like?"

Rafe let out a throaty laugh, which gave me goosebumps. He looked down at me as if I were a piece of meat in the counter he had chosen.

"Oh, no. Absolutely not."

Awkwardly, I crawled out from under him and pulled my skirt back down.

"Why not? I thought you were up for it, too."

Accusingly, his eyes pierced me and he knelt before me.

"Not at the summer festival, and certainly not in a cold cave where someone could walk in at any time."

The actual discomfort in my chest and goosebumps told a different story, but Rafe was upset enough. The cruel gleam that had already been in his eyes during the fight with JJ frightened me.

We stood up almost simultaneously and he made no move to let me pass.

"Is this going to go on forever now?"

His voice was suddenly strangely occupied and there was such a coldness in his eyes that the temperature in the cave dropped a few degrees.

"What do you mean?"

My voice slowly became sharper as his strange manner drove anger into my veins. Like a predator slowly got to his prey, he cornered me.

"You won't let me have it. I know you're not saving yourself for marriage, so why do you keep turning me on only to end up not sleeping with me after all?" he asked, sounding almost mocking. The subtle insult did not pass me by.

Gradually my head burst.

Yes, I often flirtet, even slept with guys, but never had I felt so uncomfortable. It was only recently that I couldn’t even imagine me with someone and I didn't understand the reason myself.

"Rafe, I said I'd give you a chance. Not that I'd fuck you the minute you asked me to. Jesus, we've only been together for a week!", I snapped at him, my hands falling to my hips in offense.

My suspicions that he was basically only after the physical were confirmed more and more. That's why I had never given him what he wanted. Surely he would look for the distance afterwards satisfied and I would have been the stupid one which could be taken advantage of.

"That’s bullshit and you know it! You don't have to sleep with me at all but you act like you’re disgusted by me. Sky I haven't even seen you naked yet. Everyone knows you're not that prudish!"

Venomously, he took a step towards me and the threatening undertone made me sweat.

"What are you trying to say?" my eyes narrowed in warning.

"I know Maybank was in the sauna with you," he hissed accusingly.

"So what? I wanted to tease him a little. Didn't work anyway. We can barely breathe the same air without getting at each other's throats. Do you really think anything could happen there?"

In fact, he seemed to realize that JJ sounded ridiculous, and it did. But it seemed to bother him big time that Maybank had seen me naked and he just couldn’t.

We hated each other and the whole island knew it. So why did it feel like I had to justify myself because of him?

"You slept with half the island, but you suddenly want to play nun with me?" he snapped at me, gnashing his teeth like a wild animal.

An indignant gasp mingled with my incredulous laughter.

Every now and then I had my fun with tourists, but so did everyone on the island. The fact that he made me out to be a slut only made things worse.

"Are you saying because others have seen me naked, you have a special right to it? Like I'm a racehorse or a pretty accessory you bought to have fun with?", I hissed, getting angrier the longer I stared into his accusing face.

Was he so arrogant that he actually blamed me?

The world spun around me and I had to concentrate to form grammatically correct sentences.

"No, because you're my girlfriend!" he yelled back and our voices echoed off the walls like ghosts and were carried inside the cave.

"Then show me the respect I deserve and give me the time I need! And stop pushing me!", I shot back, feeling the nausea rising inside me.

"Otherwise you won't have a girlfriend soon!", I was still hissing and pushed him hard away from me so I could get past him.

Angrily, I gave my skirt a quick tug and pushed past him roughly.

"Where are you going?"

"Do I have to write you a report on that too or what?", I snapped at him and hurried out of the cave on shaky feet.

"I need some fresh air!", I was still shouting into the cave and would have loved to hit the first tree I saw. But the world was swaying too much and I was glad to be walking upright at all.

The anger was a thick knot in my stomach and I could hardly think properly, it hurt so much. Why couldn't I just muster up feelings for Rafe? Then all of this would be so much easier. Most of the other girls on Kildare would happily take my place and I could barely force myself to kiss him.

Back at the party, I made my way straight to the bar. Now I definitely needed something harder to drink.

The mood was getting more and more boisterous. Everywhere young people were dancing or making out on some benches. The only thing I wanted now was the heady feeling of carelessness that I only got from a Mai Tai. Already, doubt was gnawing at me and the need to apologize to Rafe was making itself known. This stupid relationship had to work somehow.

"Trouble in paradise?"

With an annoyed sigh, I turned to the person standing next to me at the bar. JJ was waiting for his drink as well, eyeing me out of those way too blue eyes. Now I also saw the gold paint that had been spread over his torso and cheekbones with a rough brush. His abs sparkled in the dim light from the LEDs of the makeshift bar.

"Nothing that would concern you."

Sighing, I tugged at my top, hoping the boy with the red hair behind the bar would hurry up with my drink. Now that I had ordered, I couldn't just leave either.

JJ leaned one arm against the set up pallet that served as a counter. His eyes traveled up and down my body as if he were reading me like a newspaper. He had pushed his sunglasses up on top of his head and his hair looked like a storm had swept through it.

"If Rafe strangles me just for talking to you, it's kind of my business huh?"

His gaze was fixed on something behind me, so I risked a glance over my shoulder as well. Rafe was standing there with Kelce and a couple of Kooks. When our gazes crossed, he chugged his entire cup and if looks could kill, JJ and I would probably have equally collapsed in the sand.

"He's mad at me," I set the record straight, trying to avoid JJ's probing gaze.

That's when the redhead, I think his name was Adrian, placed an orange drink in front of JJ's nose with a small cherry on the rim of the glass.

A Sex on the Beach. Probably just so he could make stupid remarks about it. JJ raised his eyebrows in disbelief and closed a hand around the glass.

"What did you do?"

Amused, he tapped his fingers on the counter and the alcohol made my tongue go all light. I would have rather heard a weird joke about the drink.

"I don't want to fuck him in a stupid cave and it bothers little Lord Cameron because he usually gets what he wants.“

The words came out more bitter than intended and even if JJ was surprised at my outburst, he didn't let on. Either I should stop drinking or stay away from Maybank. The combination was definitely not good.

When was this idiot going to come up with my drink?

Impatiently, I exhaled audibly and looked back at JJ, who was looking at me silently. There was a smug grin on his lips as he did so, causing that tingle in my stomach again.

"What?", I asked in an iron voice, trying to imitate him by leaning against the bar as casually as possible.

"Nothing... You just look like an angry disco ball."

I snorted in disbelief and turned to face him fully. He was only more pleased with the look on my face and took a sip from the straw.

"Thank you... A true gentleman. Pogue manners...", I replied with a sneer and that's when my drink finally was ready.

JJ laughed and the sound made my heart leap.

Now I felt stupid. I had overreacted in the cave. Maybe I should just apologize to Rafe and hope that ended things for now.

"I have a thing for disco balls. Especially when they're this pretty."

The comment turned me into a column. It took me a few seconds to realize that he had said something halfway nice to me.

The Summer party was really something.

"Are you flirting with me right now, Maybank?", I asked with genuine interest, unable to stop the corners of my mouth from lifting in amusement.

He tilted his head a little and shrugged his shoulders as if he'd never said that. The light of the torches danced across his cheeks and I had to stare at his lips for a moment.

"I don't know... Does it work?"

My stomach rumbled and I pressed my lips together, hoping he didn't see the sudden glow on my cheeks. I quickly drank several large gulps from the Mai Tai.

"I'm still with Rafe, and if we were sober, you wouldn't dare saying anything nice to me."

JJ looked me in the eye and I had to swallow as I leaned in close and swiped the cherry from his drink.

"So you better forget about it! For both our sakes. I‘ll definitely do to safe your reputation," I muttered warningly, noticing how his eyes moved to my lips.

Then I popped the cherry into my mouth and heart pounding, went back to where I had seen Rafe earlier. It almost hurt to force myself to not look back.

But Rafe was gone. Questioning, I turned to Kelce, who was talking to a blonde. He had to be completely drunk or he would have noticed the cold shoulder she was giving him.

"Hey. Where did Rafe go?", I asked him.

Disoriented, he turned to me and that's when a light seemed to dawn on him.

"He was all over it! Bought us a round of coke."

Of course... Rafe fell for the drug at every opportunity and especially when he had trouble to deal with.

"Where did he go?", I asked emphatically.

"He went down the beach with some girl."

I stared at him in disbelief, but he seemed completely unfazed, due to the drug preventing him from thinking clearly.

Rafe wouldn't do that. Not shortly after we had argued.

Still, there were those doubts, pulling me into a vortex. Absently, I pressed my half-empty glass into Kelce's hand as I passed and walked down the beach.

I had to make sure I was wrong. Surely Rafe cared about all of this? He couldn't just be out to sleep with me. He wasn't like that. We knew each for forever. My feelings meant something to him right?

At the cave entrance, I took a deep breath as if I were diving underwater and ran the same way he had shown me.

Probably I was making it way bigger than it all was.

Then, as I stared at his broad shoulders, bent over a slender girl, I could think of nothing. The blonde's legs were wrapped around his hips as he moved them in a repetitive rhythm.

Stunned, I shook my head and anger seized me like a tornado. It swept through me and I finally realized the obvious as I stared at his back.

Rafe had never been interested in me. He'd only ever wanted to take what I stood for. Wanted to get rich off of my influence, my status and then let me fall. Fuck the famous girl and get the recognition for it. Be celebrated for getting the Kook Princess. And if he didn’t get what he wants, he just takes it from somewhere else.

I had to bite my tongue hard to keep from screaming all those insults at him that were swirling around in my head.

"You never cared about me, did you?", I finally broke my silence.

My voice was firm and I didn't feel like crying. Not now. Not in front of him.

I just felt used and humiliated. However, neither sad nor disappointed. Part of me had already expected it, and a tiny part was even relieved that I now had a reason to get rid of him.

Rafe's head flew back and he stared at me from dilated pupils.

"Fuck," he groaned and jumped up. The girl squealed in fright and they both scattered like wild chickens.

"You really are the worst, Rafe," I hurled hatefully at him, not wanting to hear his excuses and apologies.

He tried to get to me, but I took a few steps backward.

"Sky, please! Don’t go! I can explain... Shit..."

His voice alone made me feel sick and if I had turned around one more time, I probably would have thrown up.

Without a word, I ran as fast as I could out of the cave and out into the darkness.

Anger seethed in every vein I had. I wanted to hurt him as much as he had hurt me. Wanted to take revenge on him until he begged me for forgiveness.

The world around me spun faster and faster as I lost my bearings and didn't know where I was running.

It hurt to be betrayed, but it hurt even more that I had really hoped that this would have worked out between us. It was stupid. Every day I felt more disconnected from the person I was before. From the person everyone wanted me to be.

But Rafe was inconsiderate and probably not even capable of truly loving. The boy I had known just a few years ago no longer existed. Now he was a thug and a rich asshole, just like his father. Just like my Stepfather.

On the other hand, I had always known it somewhere.

A scream tore free from my throat as I tumbled over a root and slammed lengthwise onto the ground. The attempt to catch myself failed miserably, as I could barely judge distances correctly, so I hit my head against something hard.

The only positive thing about my condition was that I hardly noticed the pain. Lights flashed briefly behind my eyelids through the darkness, then I heard a rustling in the bushes.

"Oh shit!"

Someone jumped up from behind the tree I had fallen against. I must have run to the edge of the forest.

"Sky?" an occupied voice slurred, staring at me through the colored lights of the lamps above us.

"Kiara?", I asked in pain, rubbing the spot on my head where I had hit the hard log.

The dark-haired one climbed over the root and awkwardly tried to help me to my feet. Judging by her coordination, she was also completely drunk.

"Come on. I'll help you."

Annoyed, I slipped off my high heels and had to grin when I saw that she wasn't wearing any anymore either.

"Did you just hear that fight with Rafe?", I asked, interrupted by a hiccup.

Kiara was hardly in better shape than I was. Her hair was tied up in a bun on top of her head and she was holding on powerlessly to the tree I was also clutching.

Her gaze was glazed and she could barely focus on my face.

"Yeah, most of it."

Sighing, I slid down the tree and Kiara sat down next to me as well, her back pressed against the tree.

"Rafe's an asshole," she muttered, and I opened my eyes. Dazed, I hadn't noticed that I had closed them. A bitter laugh escaped me and I couldn't contradict her there.

Then the nausea returned and while I was still wondering if I had a concussion, I bent over and threw up in the next bush.

Kiara reacted immediately and held my hair back and patted my back. Sighing, I fell back into place by the tree and gratefully accepted the bottle of water she handed me out of nowhere. So she was here since quiet a while.

The bark felt rough against my back, but I couldn't muster the strength to move. While I washed out my mouth and drank a few sips, Kiara looked at the spot on my head where I had slammed into the tree.

"That's going to bruise, but other than that, it's all good," she murmured, sitting back down next to me.

Silently, I handed her the water bottle, which she gratefully accepted.

"What are you doing out here anyway?", I asked, patting the sand off my clothes. The party was a few miles down the beach. So what was she doing here at the edge of the forest by a cave?

"To be honest, I was just puking my guts out too. Never mix gin and tequila! I feel like shit."

Quietly I laughed and she joined in. The strength was gradually returning to my body now that all the alcohol was gone from my stomach.

"Noted. Now I really should thank you," I muttered, turning my head to look at her.

"For what?"

"You saved my life for the second time now."

"Oh yeah?" she screwed up her face in amazement, balancing the bottle on her knee.

"You treated my injuries."

Now she seemed to remember again and opened her mouth enlightened.

"Ahh, the jellyfish!" she exclaimed, as if she shouldn't have forgotten.

"That's right. The Russian galleys."

She snorted then, and I could only look at her in wonder.

"Portuguese galleys, but glad you remembered," she laughed and I was infected right away.

Never would I have thought that one day I would be grateful for lying drunk under a tree with Kiara. But right now, I didn't want to be anywhere else in the world.

"So the Rafe thing is over?" she asked, and I nodded.

"Part of me is actually relieved that it worked out that way. That way I didn't have to break his heart."

Kiara exhaled audibly.

"I don't think he has a heart."

"Sure he does. Way down deep behind all the testosterone and.... and"

"The horrible polo shirts," she added with a grin. Now it was me who laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, they're really ugly," I sighed, grateful that it was Kiara who had found me.

We stayed for quite a while, clucking like chickens about the jellyfish incident, giggling, pushing each other and waiting until we felt better. I was glad to be distracted from the whole Rafe issue.

In general, I was tired of being so serious.

"Why don't you come join the group? It'll be fun," she suggested as we both shimmied up the tree and groped in the bushes for our shoes.

"Sure. Why not."

This time, I didn't turn down the invitation. Tonight we had a once in a lifetime chance to have fun together and I was going to take it.

Barefoot and with our shoes in our hands, we walked back and spotted a large group by one of the campfires.

© Yuna542 — 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

[yuna542]

🔙 [12.]

~Gold or Silver~

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader/Oc

Genre: Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Smut, Angst, Drama, Action

Warnings: None

Taglist: Open

Word count: 3k

Summary: The Kook princess is back after a year and reignites the war between Pogues and Kooks on Kildare. But she quickly realizes that after this year, nothing is the same as before. Deception, secrets from the past, and dangerous conspiracies sweep across Kildare, leaving her no choice but to work with the Pogues and her personal nemesis to find the truth and maybe even $8 million. A dangerous treasure hunt begins that turns her world upside down.

Soundtrack:

⏯️Play: Do I Wanna Know by Arctic Monkeys

„'Cause there's this tune I found

That makes me think of you somehow an' I play it on repeat

Until I fall asleep, spillin' drinks on my settee

Do I wanna know? If this feelin' flows both ways?“

Today was the day of the opening of the new golf resort, which was financed mainly by Ward Cameron and Rick. The two of them had already started the project before we moved back to Kildare.

Officially, the Island Club had provided for a renovation and reopening, but every finely dressed guest sipping from their $600 champagne glass knew exactly from whose wallet the funding actually came from.

That's exactly why the Camerons and we had been treated like aristocrats all day. The building was too white and far too plain for me, even the lawn trimmed to within an inch of its life was not to my taste, but the view from the hill overlooking Figure Eigth and the way the beach flickered through the hot air on the horizon was breathtaking.

"Really pretty. Dad and Rick seem like a real dream team," commented Sarah next to me, who was relaxed and swirling a glass of champagne.

I, too, already had my second glass in hand, trying to escape the awkward conversations of Rick's business associates or the many prying questions from the gossips at the Island Club. After all, with our return, Rick's new projects on the island and not to mention my fresh relationship with Rafe, we were the number one topic of conversation not only around the Kooks.

"If you're into artificial turf and expensive holes in the ground," I muttered, sipping the prickling alcohol which tasted better each sip. I had been avoiding Rafe all morning. The fact that we were now in a relationship scared me, but came across all the better to Ward and Rick.

The last week had actually been quite nice. We had often been together on the beach, spent time either on Tanney Hill or in Lionelly Ville, but that awkward distance still hovered between us.

However, only I seemed to still perceive it, or Rafe skillfully ignored it.

Rick and Ward's eyes had gleamed when Wheezie had told them without my consent. The dollar bills had just been spinning in them like a slot machine. For the two of them, this meant a future-oriented collaboration that would bring them even more money than they already had. Now that Rafe was also primed to take over Cameron Development, that was doubly convenient for Rick, too.

For Kildare, a collaboration between Rick's ferry company, Rimshore Cooperation, and Cameron Development would be like a marriage between Elon Musk and Bill Gates.

Both had patted each other on the back fraternally, and were probably already planning the dowry when I was sold off like an expensive racehorse at the wedding.

"Mm. I don't like golf either," Sarah replied and we exchanged an amused smile.

"Oh my god! That dress is stunning!", I heard Rose Cameron shout from behind us and turned around. Immediately I was dazzled by the bright orange of her tightly tailored pencil skirt. Her blouse blew in the balmy breeze and I wondered if such a bright orange should have been paired with an apple green.

I, on the other hand, looked almost boring with the white floral dress. It fit close to my body and I was especially taken with the balcony neckline when I found it among my clothes.

Sarah was wearing a blue linen dress that fluttered incessantly in the wind and Rafe had choosen a simple shirt in the same blue as when I had last seen him a few hours ago.

"Thanks. Your outfit is incredible, too," I fluted exuberantly.

Incredibly ugly, I added in my mind.

Rose beamed and put a hand on Sarah's shoulder.

"Where did Rafe go?"

Like I was his babysitter. Irritated, I brushed a strand of hair behind my ear and covered my bad mood with a laugh.

"I don't know. Maybe he's out in the field practicing already."

That seemed to make sense to her, and she put a hand to my cheek.

"I'm so glad you guys found each other. After all these years. It's so special for our families."

No pressure at all...

I pressed my lips together and she took it as shyness, which is why she raised her empty glass.

"I'll let you girls chat then."

With a wobbly step, she strutted across the lawn like a drunken stork in her high heels. Just the word relationship sent shivers down my spine, but I wanted to give it a chance. So hopefully I would get rid of this strange tingling sensation and weird thoughts of Maybank.

Now everyone was standing in the new birchwood pavilion, drinking and chatting animatedly. Rick had disappeared into the building with Ward, while some of the guests were already trying their hand at golf.

The railing in front of us was adorned with plain laurel leaves, and the put-upon laughter of Island Club members echoed over to us from the blue carpets.

"Is she always this hyper?", I asked, still watching Sarah roll her eyes.

"Only when she's been drinking."

When a waiter came over to us, I unintentionally automatically looked for JJ in his face, but I didn't know the man who took our empty glasses.

Countless times today I had looked for Maybank, but he had not appeared anywhere.

Probably he was preparing the summer fire at the caves. On Kildare it had become a tradition for the young people to have a big party at the beginning of the summer vacations, where big bonfires burned and usually there was even a theme to dress up in.

In the last years the party became more and more important and also the costumes were made with great effort for this day.

It was held on one of the northern beaches, because there were tons of caves that were flooded with water in winter. But in the summer, the tide went out so low that you could get lost in the caves if you weren't careful.

I'd been looking forward to the festival since I arrived, and all day I'd been afraid I'd miss it if we didn't get out of here in time.

"What are you dressing up as? Gold or silver?" asked then Sarah, who must have been thinking the same thing at the sight of the white beach. Gold and silver was the theme for tonight and I already liked it a lot.

In fact, I had already picked out an outfit and I couldn't wait to get ready for the party with Sarah.

"Silver. I have heels to match," I explained, smoothing out my dress.

"Fits perfectly. Topper and I will be going in gold. Rafe, too, as far as I know."

My gaze drifted off into the distance again, and subconsciously I wondered what a certain Pogue would choose.

-

Just a short time later, we stealthily stole away from the golf course and picked up Sarah's things before getting dressed and made up in my bathroom.

Sarah's dress was full of gold sequins from top to bottom, flashing with every movement.

With only my underwear on, I started braiding her hair and worked sparkly gold stones into it.

Britney Spears was playing in the background and we sang along loudly while already pre-drinking with a big bottle of wine.

I had missed such girl's evenings and the togetherness did incredibly well after the week with Rafe.

Just then my cell phone vibrated and with a quick glance at the display, I flipped it over and threaded the next glitter stone into Sarah's hair.

"Who was that?" she asked curiously as she spread gold glitter on her eyelids.

"Just Rafe," I murmured, tweaking my creation a bit.

"How's it going?"

The alcohol didn't allow me to disguise my honest response, so a sigh escaped me.

"It's going well... I think."

Sarah turned around and could immediately read the lie on my face. To avoid her incredulous look, I changed my clothes and slipped into the silver bikini I was going to wear under my outfit. When the light fell on it at a certain angle, it threw back a shimmer of rainbow.

"I know how Rafe can be. What's going on?" she echoed, spreading shimmery lip gloss on her lips.

"He's so...pushy. He never leaves me alone and it's all kind of moving too fast for me."

Now that I'd finally said it, I understood this distance between us, too.

The feelings weren't coming as fast as I'd hoped, which is why the whole situation was making me so insecure.

"I understand that. Have you two slept together yet?"

Immediately I froze, but Sarah was genuinely interested and trying to help her friend, even if it was about her brother. If not her, who else could I tell the truth to?

"No. I haven't felt like it yet."

Not that he hadn't tried. But I had stopped him each time before it could get serious. Sarah nodded her understanding and sat behind me on the edge of the bathtub to tie my hair up.

"That's okay, too. You should just do what feels right and not let yourself be rushed."

Her words calmed me a little, however, the incessant pressure I felt as soon as it came to Rafe did not subside. It seemed like my job to make sure the relationship worked and that was a crappy feeling.

The rest of the time we chatted about unimportant things and when we were done, we looked at ourselves proudly in the mirror.

The silver corsage and skirt I wore over the bikini clung comfortably to my body and the jewelry on my neck and wrists tinkled softly when I moved.

Sarah had tied my hair into a small braid at the back of my head, so most of the curls still fell over my shoulders in chaotic curls.

Around my belly and thighs I wore fine silver chains and around my eyes were lines of plastic gemstones, in the form of waves.

The high shoes with the plateau heels and the little butterflies on them completed the picture and on my dark skin the silver looked as if it would liquefy any minute.

Sarah, on the other hand, shimmered and shone like a golden disco ball and I was already wishing her luck with the thin heels on the sand. We took hundreds of pictures and posted them, looked at other people's instagram stories and as we sat on the floor, giggling while going through posts, Sarah suddenly stopped at one picture. It was from Kiara. It showed the preparations for the party, how everyone was working on decorations, Pope was in the center, lifting a big barrel of beer and John B was helping him. Sarah stared at the picture and I smiled confused, as I realised the blush on her cheeks. But I couldn't think about it any longer, when she swiped to the next pic, which was JJ Maybank with his hair a mess, showing his middle finger to the camera while lifting something that looked like a bench.

His shirt was tied around his hips and the sweat was glistening on his toned stomach.

"Sky?"

"Hm?", I quickly answered and turned my head to the mirror again, as if I didn't saw something interesting at all.

Sarah only lifted her eyebrows and looked at me.

"Did you just check out your enemy?", she asked and I simply shook my head, while concentrating on my lipgloss.

"He looks fit, that's all..."

"That's all huh...", she teased me with a sarcastic laugh.

"What about you? Didn't you stalk John Bs pics last night while we were watching a movie?"

Surprised she just stared at me.

"You noticed?", she looked caught and I smiled evilly.

"Of course! The movie was boring as hell."

She pressed her lips together for a moment and took my hand after a few seconds.

"Let's just never talk about that again."

We both started to giggle and I nodded.

"Deal! It‘s too weird. Pogues are no good.“

Satisfied, Sarah typed a message and just a few minutes later we were picked up by Topper and Rafe on motorcycles.

Both were wearing golden jackets and had neatly gelled hair. As we walked out the door, they were obviously amazed and Rafe let out a whistle.

"You guys look hot," Topper commented, giving Sarah a curt kiss of welcome.

Rafe immediately pulled me close and kissed me stormily before helping me on his bike.

"You look like walking jewels," he commented and I smiled softly.

"Well, of course. After all, I missed the last summer party. I have to catch up."

They started the engines and we drove out to the beaches. You could hear the music and the big fires crackling from far away. Like trees, the burning cones of wood rose into the air in front of the caves, coloring the sand an unnatural orange.

There was a lot of booze and boisterous celebrations. Immediately I was infected by the euphoric mood. Even the caves had been equipped with torches and strings of lights hung everywhere on the palm trees.

A DJ booth and several seating areas made of wicker chairs and small wooden tables had been set up. Directly I got the feeling to be stranded in the Caribbean. Of course, everything was held in gold and silver accents and everywhere were flowers attached, which were sprayed with gold or silver paint in accordance with the motto.

The costumes of the others were in different styles. While some wore fancy dresses and suits, others walked around in garish swimming trunks and ridiculous shirts.

But it was exactly this mixture that made the summer partys charme. Everyone had their own definition of the theme and that's what made it so exciting.

When we arrived at the dance floor, heads automatically turned in our direction and the whispering began. Satisfied, I earned envious or eager looks and let my gaze roam over the people.

At the bar, some were already lining up, as there were obviously delicious cocktails.

Rafe had put his arm around me and pulled me tightly at the hip to show that I belonged to him.

Immediately, a feeling of trepidation spread through me that only got worse when Kelce and Topper's other friends joined us. Most of the kooks were dressed in gold, which made me stand out, but that was just fine with me.

The guys greeted each other with handshakes and laughed loudly. But I was still searching the crowd. For what, I didn't really know.

As soon as I spotted the Pogues in a seating area, a nausea loosened inside me.

JJ was sitting on the back of a wicker chair where Pope sat with a beer-can in his hands.

His blonde hair was sticking up from his head as usual and he wore only a short golden vest over his bare torso.

His shorts were beige, rather than gold, and on his nose he had a pair of gold sunglasses whose lenses were shaped like hearts.

He looked funny, yet I couldn't take my eyes off him.

Kiara was sitting on a bench next to him, wearing silver leather pants and a pretty gray top. Pope had also opted for silver and was wearing a shirt and shorts in the matching fabre.

John B wore a tank top that looked like it had been spray painted gold and simple black bathing trunks to go with it, which gotten some spray paint too. However, he had also a gold cap on his head that was definitely self-painted with little smiley faces on it.

"That sounds good to me. What do you say, Sky?"

Completely perplexed, I stared at Rafe as he snapped me out of my appraisal of the Pogues. I had become dully aware of the conversations, as if I were underwater.

Rafe seemed a bit puzzled by my confused look, then repeated:

"Kelce asked how you liked the new golf course. We spent the whole afternoon there."

"Ah. Yes. Turned out great," I said absently, trying to catch another glimpse of the Pogues as JJ laughed out loud and I really wanted to know why.

"It's really a blessing for the island to have Rick back. Ward and he will definitely start more projects and maybe the Cut will finally go away. Nobody needs that dump."

Kelce's words were directed at the group, but I felt personally addressed. The other girls, who were now also standing with us, agreed with him and Rafe also nodded vehemently.

Maybank stood up straight and laughingly returned a comment from John B. In doing so, he turned in our direction. That's when I tensed as JJ suddenly lifted his gaze and his unabashedly blue eyes scrutinized me.

There was a brief glint of confusion and then disbelief in them, then there was just that cheeky twinkle that blocked the view of his true thoughts like a thick wall.

The sound of the sea seemed to grow deafeningly loud, and Rafe's grip on my waist grew more uncomfortable as JJ came our way with Kiara and John's empty cups. My stomach rotated as if I had swallowed a spinning top and I turned urgently to Rafe.

"Why don't you get us something to drink?"

He smiled and his hands traveled up my back.

"Anything for my girl."

As a parting gesture, he pressed an emphatic kiss to my lips that only served to mark his territory. Because he too had noticed the looks the other guys were giving him, and when he gave JJ a venomous look, it was clear he had seen him too.

The other kooks were emitting whistles and lewd noises. Rafe and I, of course, were quite the latest gossip, especially in our age group.

When he got to the bar, I breathed a sigh of relief. It was as if handcuffs had been removed from me and I risked another glance at JJ, who was now also heading for the bar.

Was it my imagination or had his eyes darkened and his hands now clasped tightly around the mugs?

He rushed past me so that he brushed my shoulder and stared stubbornly straight ahead.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Sarah.

So it wasn't just me who had noticed the sudden change in mood.

⬇️

[13.]

© Yuna542 — 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

[yuna542]

omg please finish the enemies to lovers thing with jj and what happened after she out on his shirt and gave him back his key. I need to know what happens, its so gooddd!!!

I’m about to release the next part! Really happy to hear, that you like the story 🩷

[yuna542]

🔙 [11.]

~Why Not?~

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader/Oc

Genre: Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Smut, Angst, Drama, Action

Warnings: None

Taglist: Open

Word count: 1.5k

Summary: The Kook princess is back after a year and reignites the war between Pogues and Kooks on Kildare. But she quickly realizes that after this year, nothing is the same as before. Deception, secrets from the past, and dangerous conspiracies sweep across Kildare, leaving her no choice but to work with the Pogues and her personal nemesis to find the truth and maybe even $8 million. A dangerous treasure hunt begins that turns her world upside down.

Note: If you read this story, thank you so much. I always love to read your theories, thoughts or ideas in the comments so feel free to leave something in the comments ^^

Soundtrack:

⏯️Play: One More Hour by Tame Impala

„Whatever I've done

I did it for love

I did it for fun

Couldn't get enough

I did it for fame“

Sky Pov.

Rafe's arm was firmly around my shoulders as we sat together on the yacht at the Camerons and let the sun shine on our faces.

Weezy and Sarah were next to us on the deck and we had been tanning for a couple of hours. It was calming and the sea breeze soothed every problem with just a wipe away. Some seagulls drew their circles above in front of a baby-blue sky.

The weather today was paradise. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and when Rafe had texted me to ask if we wanted to spend the day on the yacht that was currently docked at Tanney Hill, I had immediately said yes.

The party had been a few days ago and I couldn't remember much from the time I stormed out of the sauna.

Rafe had set me up with a second line of cocaine and after the first one had chased away the strange tingling and the guilty conscience, I couldn't refuse there either.

The next morning I had woken up in the living room in Rafe's arms and until today I tried to remember what had happened.

It was all a blur. Only the moment in the sauna was clear and ran in continuous loop in my head since then.

Maybank had been annoying as usual and I had played with him so that he finally understood who had the upper hand here. I had a plan… Or I thought I had plan.

Maybe lock him in the saune. Let him sweat a little while but something happened…

However, I hadn't expected the sudden tingle in my stomach and the need to kiss him when he had gotten so close to me.

Completely perplexed, I had simply run away and the next morning, while Rafe and Topper were sending the rest of the guests out of the house, I had thrown his shirt into a corner in my room in a panic, as if it might attack me at any moment.

The hangover had been devastating and Sarah had been trying to get all three of us back on our feet with vegetable-soup and some weird mineral tablets.

Cleaning up the house had been even more unpleasant.

Since then, Rafe talked about nothing but the beating he'd given JJ.

It was that typical macho behavior and he probably even really thought it had impressed me. However, all I could see was JJ's bloody face. The unbridled rage and resilience in it.

Not for his sake, but for the sake of his friends.

Even beaten up, with no chance of escaping, he never gave in. He would die with a smile on his lips and a smug comment, without showing a glance of weakness.

That was impressive. And hot.

The attachment between the Pogues was something special that always surprised me.

I hadn't even told Sarah about that moment in the sauna. How could I? I didn't understand myself what had happened to me there.

Near him, my wall that I eagerly built up around me, so that nobody could look through and see my real feelings, had suddenly collapsed and those mischievous eyes still haunted me.

Rafe snapped me out of my thoughts as he leaned his head against my shoulder and took a deep breath.

"You smell good," he murmured, pulling me closer to him.

A smile flitted across my lips and I thoroughly enjoyed the attention from him.

It distracted me from the chaos in my head and in moments like these he seemed like he used to be.

It was in those moments that time seemed to stand still and we were carefree kids again, worrying about nothing but the next math test or whether we liked our crush or if he maybe liked us back.

Wheezy looked up from her paper and over at us. Sarah hadn't moved on her recliner in a while and I suspected she had fallen asleep.

Rafe and I were lying on a cushion with music playing softly in the background from the speaker connected to Sarah's cell phone.

"Are you guys together now?" asked Wheezy then, out of nowhere, and I almost choked on myself. To stall for time and not have to look Rafe in the eye, I slid my sunglasses back on my head and cleared my throat.

"We... No. No we're not."

Rafe's eyes bored relentlessly into mine from the side and I gave him a tight smile.

Wheezy nodded and returned her attention to her magazine. I exhaled in relief and noticed the corners of Sarah's mouth lift almost imperceptibly.

My throat tightened and I jumped up.

"I'm going to get something to drink. Anyone want anything?", I asked around the room.

"A Coke," Wheezy asked. Sarah just shook her head.

Just as I was about to go in, Rafe followed me.

"Let me help you."

I tried to hold the tired sigh in, while he followed me down the stairs.

Arriving at the minibar, I picked out a can of Coke and for me, just a water. Actually, I wasn't thirsty. I just wanted to escape the situation.

Rafe leaned against the counter behind me and eyed me, lost in thought.

"Do you want some?", I asked him over my shoulder while still holding the fridge open.

"Why aren't we?" he asked then, and I frowned. As I did so, I closed the refrigerator.

"What?"

"Why aren't we dating? You can't deny there's something between us."

His eyes roamed over my face warily, and I suddenly felt cornered. The walls were too close and I missed the warm breeze upstairs on the deck.

"Rafe, I..."

"I really like you, Sky. You know that. So why don't we give it a try?"

His voice was insistent, and actually, he was right. So what was stopping me from just saying yes? Why did I have the urge to run away and throw myself of the boat?

Then he pulled me closer by the wrist and put his hands on my hips. Surprised, I looked up at him and opened my mouth, but no sound came out.

"Give me a chance, babe", he murmured, his eyes fixed on my lips.

It was a mess in my head and I didn't know what I was feeling. The only thing I knew was that I wanted everything to be like it was before.

When my mom was still alive. Rafe and Sarah had been my best friends and that damn Pogue wasn't constantly haunting my mind. Maybe this was the way to fix everything?

Maybe Rafe and I could function together.

The need for security and a family reached like a sticky seaweed from the deep black hole inside me and for a year it had been growing more and more unbearable. It was brewing like a storm and I didn't want it to break over me anytime soon.

Rafe made me feel safe and wanted. His blue eyes bore relentlessly into mine and there were years of hope and waiting in them.

So I nodded tentatively and forced myself to smile.

"Yeah, maybe this can work between us."

A triumphant smile spread across Rafe's face, as if he had earned a trophy for his hard work.

But that loving glow I had loved about him earlier was almost completely gone from his eyes.

"So we'll give us a chance?" he asked again, just so he could be sure.

Silently I nodded and put my hands to his chest. Directly he pulled me closer and already our lips met. It was a beautiful kiss.

I waited anxiously for the butterflies and the tingling, but nothing like that happened.

Probably that was yet to come, after all I had to get used to it first.

Satisfied, he stroked a strand of hair behind my ear and took the Coke from the counter.

The smile never left his face, even when he climbed back up onto the deck.

Puzzled, I stood still for a moment, running my hands through my hair.

I wanted to feel something for Rafe because it would make everything easier. The Camerons were my people. Our families were intertwined. Rick would be happy to know Ward as my father-in-law, and Sarah was my closest friend, too. So what was wrong with that?

Something inside me was blocking me and I just didn't know what it was.

Was Rafe my boyfriend now? He definitely meant it and so would I now.

Sooner or later the feelings would come, I was sure of it.

⬇️

[12.]

© Yuna542 — 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

[yuna542]

hiiiii :)

I accidentally found your account and read connected. I truly have to say that I’ve never read such a good ot8 fanfic, I’m literally obsessed!

Im so excited to experience and read all your other stories.

Heyy

I‘m really glad you stumbled upon my account ☺️

Tysm and there will be more chapters of connected!

[yuna542]

hiii i was reading bad idea but the link to the second chapter isn’t working :( just wanted to let you know thank you for all the amazing writing you do <3

Hey!

I hope I fixed all of the Links now! Pls lmk if anything still doesn’t work🩷

Ty so much for your kind words

[yuna542]

Just binge read your JJ fic and I was obsessed! How frequently do you update?!

Heyy! I‘m very happy you like it❤️

I‘m a fulltime college student so I don’t have a lot of time to write. Luckily I got already a ton of Parts in my Draft so hopefully I can update once in a while

[yuna542]

🔙 [10.]

~Fire & Water~

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader/Oc

Genre: Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Smut, Angst, Drama, Action

Warnings: Suggestive comments, mentions of alcohol and drugs

Taglist: Open

Word count: 2.4k

Summary: The Kook princess is back after a year and reignites the war between Pogues and Kooks on Kildare. But she quickly realizes that after this year, nothing is the same as before. Deception, secrets from the past, and dangerous conspiracies sweep across Kildare, leaving her no choice but to work with the Pogues and her personal nemesis to find the truth and maybe even $8 million. A dangerous treasure hunt begins that turns her world upside down.

Soundtrack:

⏯️Play: I Feel Like I‘m Drowning by Two Feet

„You're a poison and I know that is the truth

All my friends think you're vicious

And they say you're suspicious

You keep dreaming and dark scheming“

"What?" was the only thing I managed to get out before I ran as if into a wall of pure heat.

The water steam was so thick that at first I could only perceive Sky's figure in a blur on one of the wooden benches.

She had wrapped a towel around her upper body and elegantly crossed her legs. She looked like I imagined one of those water nymphs out of the history books we read the other day in history class. Or a siren who lures the fishermen with her lovely voice and condemns them to death. Beautiful but poisonous.

Since I never have been in a sauna before, I had underestimated the temperature. Immediately my shirt stuck to my body and the high humidity made it hard to breathe.

But I didn't let that get to me. Her foot bobbed up and down waiting, while she leaned back and supported herself with her arms.

While sweat was directly on my forehead, the heat was not visible on her.

"Keep your hands off him! He doesn't see that you're just playing with him...", I pressed out, gradually getting used to the damp in the air.

Slowly, I walked toward her until I was close enough to see her sharply. Her body glistened like caramel and she wore small drops of water like expensive jewellery on her bare skin.

"Why? He's like a cute puppy. You just have to play with him! Routledge deserves a little fun too, doesn't he?"

I gritted my teeth at the thought of Sky messing around with John. Otherwise, I didn't begrudge him anything or any fun he wanted, but Skylar Diaz was a different story.

The girl was a Kook and therefore the enemy. Yes, she was even the leader of the Kooks and thus the most arrogant being that walked on Figure Eigth.

Her serious expression softened and she smirked at my stern look. I could have slapped myself for only now realizing that she was playing with my mind again.

She hadn't intended John B to follow her at all. Luring him into the dressing room had served solely to get me to come to the sauna.

But why all this?

A question I asked myself more and more often in her affairs. I could only guess what was going on in her head.

"He's my friend and I don't want his heart to be broken," I answered her question truthfully, noting that she had taken off all her jewelry except for her necklace with the silver pendant.

I wondered what its significance was if she didn't even take it off in the sauna.

She tilted her head and now I also recognized the moisture on her cheeks that made her soft freckles shine.

"What about your heart?" she asked suddenly.

Completely distracted by her long legs, I lifted my gaze until I reached the hem of the towel and gradually ran out of breath in the shirt.

"It can't be broken," I replied coolly, earning an inquiring look. The corner of her mouth lifted and I felt stupid.

"Are you sure about that? Not even from Layla? You seemed to have hit it off pretty well with her."

When I just frowned in confusion, she snorted, shaking her head.

"Unbelievable... That pretty blonde you were flirting with out by the pool," she helped me up and that's when I remembered her.

With a name starting with L, I had been close after all. However, I had already completely forgotten the short flirt.

Then I noticed that Sky must have been watching me without me knowing and that made the whole situation a lot worse.

Not only had she used Rafe for her revenge so she could get the keys and lure me to her party, but in addition she had manipulated me all evening until I had done exactly what she wanted.

Surprised by her abilities, I could only stare at her. Her power over people was making itself felt again now.

"Remembering all the girls' names and faces would be too much to ask, of course," she muttered provocatively, which gradually drove anger into my stomach.

However, I was angry at myself for letting her play with me like that. This was all payback for the fight and I couldn't help but admire her psychological warfare.

She played with the hem of her towel and slowly pulled it up. Panicked, I crossed my arms and suddenly didn't know where to put my eyes.

I should just leave, but my legs refused to comply with the command from my mind.

"Did you take drugs?", I asked, thinking about the cocaine on the table and unable to explain her behavior any other way.

"Sure. This is a party, JJ!"

She sounded like she was reminding me that the sky was blue or the water was wet.

My head was in chaos and I didn't know how to process it all. With any other girl, I would have jumped at the chance to be alone with her in a sauna. But Sky was not a normal girl. She was dangerous and the fact that my confident facade was starting to crumble in front of her made me feel insecure and I hated that feeling even more.

She was like an uncontrolled fire that you could easily burn yourself on if you were careless just for a second.

The heat didn't let me think clearly and as she kept pulling the towel up, I was completely overwhelmed with all the perceptions that suddenly hit me.

The more skin she exposed, the faster my heart raced.

"Stop it!"

"Why? Am I making you nervous?"

"No..."

On her face that cheeky smile spread and when she stood up and suddenly was directly in front of me, I thought I could hear my heart pounding in my ears.

"Good, then I'm sure you won't have a problem with it."

Before I could ask what she meant, she dropped the towel and something exploded in my head.

Now she was standing in front of me in just a pair of red panties and I forced myself with all my might not to let my gaze wander downward.

Instead, I fixed her eyes, which bored mercilessly into mine and seemed to be searching for the slightest weakness.

I did not notice her touch on my face until she had already lifted her arm.

Her lips were slightly parted and her pupils were as big as buttons.

Her fingertips moved feather lightly over my jaw along the bruises and over the chapped area on my lip.

Her skin seemed electrically charged, causing a tingling heat that was completely different from the one in the sauna.

"There was no fear in your eyes..."

Although the injuries on my face were very sensitive, her touch even gave me a little relief.

"That's hot," she whispered, more to herself.

The drug was apparently messing with her brainwaves.

I wanted to hurl a blunt reply at her, but something in her face stopped me.

Sky Diaz was standing in front of me almost completely naked and the only thing I could think about was how her warm skin would feel under my fingers.

Shocked at my own thoughts, I shook my head to get rid of them and ran my hands through my hair as I stared at the ceiling before giving in to the seductive desire and unabashedly looking at her body.

"Holy shit... If someone comes in," I gasped, not daring to lower my gaze. She was completely on drugs and drunk. I couldn't explain it any other way.

Part of me still expected to just wake up.

"This is my house and it's a fucking sauna. You don't normally wear clothes here. "Normally, you're not that prudish."."

It sounded like an accusation, so I laughed softly without taking my eyes off the ceiling.

Again, that arrogant tone of voice, goading me to try to beat the snobbery and confidence out of her.

Her mere presence was enough to wreak havoc with the alcohol in my blood that felt right in my lower abdomen.

"I'm not going to take my clothes off!", I smirked, noticing her sitting back down on the wooden bench. By now the heat was unbearable.

Both the one on the outside and the one inside me.

So I tore myself away and turned around so I could finally leave, as I should have been doing all along.

Before I touched the door handle, I heard her say:

"Too bad... And it was just getting interesting.

I thought you wouldn't be such a coward..."

With that she hit a weak point of mine. I was many things, but cowardly certainly not. The challenging tone in her voice stirred my fighting spirit and I wasn't going to let that sit with me like that.

"I'm not a coward," I retorted firmly, still turning my back on her.

"Then prove it!"

The next challenge. Angrily, I pulled my shirt over my head and opened the door, only to toss it in front next to her dress.

Then I turned to her and raised my hands in a waiting manner.

"Satisfied?", I asked mockingly and at that moment the sight of her hit me like a punch right in the face.

Overwhelmed, I could not look away this time and my eyes wandered endlessly along her curves.

I expelled the air through my nose again and saw that she was also looking at my body curiously.

The energy in the small room charged electrically and the tension was breathtaking as she unconsciously bit her lower lip.

"Mhmm, I'm starting to understand the other girls," she murmured more to herself, the alcohol clouding my mind too much to be vain.

Slowly I came back over to her and stopped close in front of her so that our legs were almost touching. She looked up at me from below and the sight sent a wave of heat through my body.

"I'd love to know what your boyfriend would say about that," I mused aloud, and that's when she stood up. Her breasts would fit perfectly into my palms. Would they be as soft as they looked?

Her nose was only a finger's width from mine and feeling her heated body so close to mine gave me goosebumps.

I would only have to lift my hand slightly to touch her thigh and just the idea of touching her breasts made my head feel like it was about to burst.

"Rafe is not my boyfriend."

Everything in me screamed to flee, but my body didn't respond one bit. Instead, I felt her fingertips lightly stroking my abs. Her eyes were unnaturally restless, trying to scrutinize every detail of my face.

"Has JJ Maybank lost his tongue, or something?" she asked softly, a tingle spreading wherever she touched me.

"You're a witch," was the only thing I could get out. It was the only thing that would explain my condition.

The desire to touch her became so strong that I had to restrain myself with all my might. None of this was allowed to happen.

"And you are an idiot."

The tension between us made it harder and harder to control myself and I just didn't understand why I wanted to touch her so badly. Should I give in to this desire, I had lost the game and I couldn't let that happen.

Never before had I had so little control over my body and I didn't understand it at all. It scared the shit out of me.

Strange thoughts forced themselves upon me.

I wondered how her lips felt, if she tasted as sweet as she smelled, and if she had goose bumps all over her body too.

Breathing heavily, I pushed the thoughts away and took a big step back.

"I need my key," I muttered, trying to ignore all the strange feelings. The fluttering in my chest, the thoughts, and even the tension finally subsided as I put a few more steps of distance between us.

For a moment she was silent and just looked at me. Then the cool expression on her face was back and I wondered if I had imagined it all.

"All right asshole."

She sounded rushed and ran past me to slip through the door as quickly as possible. Confused, I looked after her and only then did I remember that she was wearing nothing but panties.

"What are you doing?", I exclaimed as I followed her into the dressing room.

The sudden change in temperature made me breathe a sigh of relief and the air was pleasantly cool on my skin.

"I'm getting your stupid key so you can finally piss off."

She was a changed woman. The brief moment had only lasted a few seconds, but in that moment I had seen a different girl. A vulnerable and emotional girl. For a blink of an eye, so much pain had flashed through her eyes. However, the moment had been so brief that I already thought I had imagined it.

"At least put some clothes on!"

She laughed derisively and crossed her arms.

"You don't get to tell me what to do, Maybank!

I picked up my shirt and thrust it into her hand.

"Put this on!", I said authoritatively, surprising myself with the dominance in my voice.

Sure enough, after a moment's hesitation, she took my shirt and pulled it over her head.

It was too big for her, of course, and just reached her thighs.

Nevertheless, her curves were clearly visible underneath and the strange feeling in my chest returned abruptly when she stroked a strand of hair behind her ear and tugged at my shirt.

Then she turned around and just left me standing there, without a clue what just happened.

⬇️

[11.]

© Yuna542 — 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

[yuna542]

🔙 [9.]

~The Devil in Person~

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader/Oc

Genre: Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Smut, Angst, Drama, Action

Warnings: Physical Violence, Physical Fight, mentions of blood and alcohol

Taglist: Open

Word count: 4k

Summary: The Kook princess is back after a year and reignites the war between Pogues and Kooks on Kildare. But she quickly realizes that after this year, nothing is the same as before. Deception, secrets from the past, and dangerous conspiracies sweep across Kildare, leaving her no choice but to work with the Pogues and her personal nemesis to find the truth and maybe even $8 million. A dangerous treasure hunt begins that turns her world upside down.

Soundtrack:

⏯️Play: You should see me in a crown by Billie Eilish

„You should see me in a crown

I'm gonna run this nothing town

Watch me make 'em bow

One by one“

JJ Pov.

When I spotted Kiara, I breathed a sigh of relief. At least she was keeping me company in this hell on earth. John B hadn't shown up on time, so I had to come up with one silly excuse after another to explain why he wasn't there for his first day of work.

Seeing Kiara in a gown and dressed up like a doll was always strange. It seemed like a disguise. A costume that didn't quite seem to fit her, even if she did look beautiful.

Pope and his dad wouldn't show up here until seven. It was still two seemingly endless hours until then.

1300 damn dollars we had to get to pay for the damage to the Camerons' garbage can and Rafe's stupid jacket. For that we escaped a suspended sentence for burglary and property damage, but it still sucked that John B, Pope and I now had to slave away at the fucking Kooks' party to pay the fine. Here we would make maybe $100. For the next few weeks we had to do any job we could get.

Who knew those big garbage cans were worth a fortune?

However, the look on Rafe's and the other Kooks' faces had been priceless.

I plucked at the damn bow tie for the hundredth time. John B had only had this colorful one left for me. Plus the waiter costume I felt more than uncomfortable in. I missed my cap and hated every second on this kook circus.

More and more of them were arriving. All in ridiculous costumes and with put on politeness. How I hated these snobs.

It was about time my friends showed up before I poured the entire bottle over the blonde head of the arrogant cow who asked me to pour her wine for the fourth time.

It was humiliating enough serving the Kooks and being shooed around, but to make matters worse, there came Rafe, Kelce, Topper and a bunch of the other assholes to the porch where dinner was being held.

They all looked ridiculous with their colorful suits and ties. Like the Power Puff girls in action: When Rafe spotted me, he fixed me with a look that bore right through me.

I just grinned and waved at him provocatively before moving on to serve the next drinks.

However, it was obvious from his eyes alone that the dynamite thing wasn't done for him yet. Especially since Diaz was back on the island, Rafe seemed more aggressive and unpredictable than usual.

At half past five, John B finally showed up.

"Shit, there you are at last. I had to tie this stupid bow tie all by myself. Come on, help me!", I said and pressed two Pina Coladas into his hands.

He looked completely lost and his hair was a mess. He wore a white shirt and a vest that was much too big for him. Probably from his father. However, he was wearing an equally colorful bow tie, which calmed me down a bit.

"Sorry. The Twinkie just didn't start and I had to go to the police again."

On the side, I mixed two caipirinhas and frowned.

"Why? Did they want something else?"

Together we walked to the tables and I pointed to the old man who had ordered the drinks. We served the glasses with a friendly smile and went back to the bar, slightly off to the side.

"I testified that Pope and Kiara weren't there. You'll have to do that too."

Sure... John B and I were trusted to do the whole thing anyway. Even if it hadn't been us, the poor saps with no real family, one father missing, the other an aggressive alcoholic, were the most likely to be blamed. But for Pope, his scholarship was at stake and Kiara's parents didn't want her to spend any time with us at all. If there were a string of felonies on top of that, they'd probably send her to boarding school. Or even to that sick retreat camp they told her Horror Stories about when she misbehaved.

So I nodded.

"Sure. Okay."

I would go through hell for my friends. They were my family and everything I cared about here in the Outer Banks.

John B helped me with the drinks. Fortunately, this wasn't the first time we'd had to work as waiters.

But I liked fixing cars or ship engines better. Even delivering with Pope was better than this.

"Is the martini gluten-free, too?" asked a put-upon snarky voice behind us.

As we turned around, befuddled, John was amazed at the sight of Kiara.

She had her hair up and was wearing a beige dress that made her look like one of the rich girls. That's when I remembered that she was actually one of those girls. When you spent time with her, you forgot that really quickly.

"Wow... That's...", John B stuttered as they gave each other our typical handshake in greeting.

"It's a dress. Yes I know," she replied, crossing her arms.

"I like it. You look like a real kook," I teased her and saw an old man give a hand signal that he wanted to order something. Sighing, I patted John B on the shoulder and went on my way.

He told Kie about the testimony before he too went to work and we hurried between the tables.

At seven, Pope showed up with his dad and helped him with the deliveries and later at the grill.

When things quieted down since everyone was served, I joined him. He was wearing a brown apron and thick gloves. Fortunately, it wasn't as hot today as the last few days and there was always a pleasant breeze driving across the coast.

"Cute," he commented on my getup, pointing to the bow tie.

"Screw you," I laughed, running a hand through my hair.

"They're having a party over on the other side," he remarked as we watched the tables.

In fact, I had already heard the music from inside.

"Have you seen the Camerons yet?", I asked in passing, but Pope just shook his head.

"So far, only Rafe."

Unconsciously, I had been on the lookout for Diaz all evening, after all, she was never absent from events like this, and where Sarah was, Skylar wasn't far behind.

That's when John B joined us with Kie, who now also managed to sneak away successfully.

"You guys look really adorable next to each other," Kiara laughed as John B leaned against the fence next to me. In response, I flipped her off.

"What's it about?" asked JB curiously, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"The Camerons are throwing the party, but they're nowhere to be seen. Neither is Diaz," I explained, scanning the crowd again for the Kook Princess' dark curls.

"Do you miss her that much already?" said Kiara sarcastically, to which I snorted derisively.

"She can go to hell. That arrogant little..."

"Speaking of the devil…," John B interrupted me then, and sure enough, out of the main entrance now stepped Ward Cameron with his wife, along with Richard Leroy. He had longer hair, but the same cold eyes and stern face as before. He was wearing a black suit that probably cost more than the Pogue and was talking animatedly with Ward.

Behind them, Sarah and Skylar followed.

"You could be right about Devil," I muttered absently, as I couldn't stop staring at the dark-haired girl in the wine-red dress.

She reminded me of a goddess or the devil himself as she tossed her hair back and strutted over to the porch. The dark red of the dress perfectly matched the caramel complexion of her skin and ebony curls.

The fabric of the dress clung to her curves like a second skin, revealing her naked skin at the back.

That's when Stan, the boss of this bar showed up, apparently looking for us.

"Work calls," I muttered, not having quite recovered from Diaz's appearance. John also kept glancing over at her as we came back out onto the porch, but his gaze was diverted by Sarah.

Sky was greeted effusively by several people until she joined Rafe and Topper with Sarah. In doing so, she did not dare looking at me with a glance, although I was sure she had seen me.

John B was serving the adults' table, so I had to move over to the Kooks' table with my lips pressed together. I had been dreading this moment all evening.

"Can I get you guys something to drink?"

It wasn't until I addressed her that she interrupted her conversation with Rafe and eyed me suspiciously. We both still had our last argument in mind.

She looked even more stunning up close. The full lips were made up blood red and her eyes reminded of liquid chocolate, framed by long thick eyelashes and curved eyebrows.

Her cleavage was especially highlighted by the dress. The girl who were washed up with the Greg Noll in front of my house was hardly recognizable.

"Yes. A Mai Tai for me, please. You know what that is, right?"

Innocently, she put on a questioning look, but the provocation was more than clear.

"Of course."

"Good, Sarah, what do you want?"

The blonde girl was the only one to give me a tight smile, obviously unsure if she could allow herself to order a cocktail so bluntly in front of her father. Sky didn't seem to mind at all that her stepfather was sitting just one table over.

"A glass of white wine."

I nodded curtly, and at that moment our eyes crossed. Sky had a strange glint in her eyes. Ever since the altercation at the Château, she seemed belligerent. Like a predator waiting for its prey to venture out of its den.

"Come on! The young ladies are waiting," Rafe suddenly hissed irritably, which jolted me out of my stupor.

Sky gave me one last look through her thick lashes and then turned to Sarah. I couldn’t get rid of the thought, that she was pissed and angry especially at me…

I forcefully stopped myself from commenting on Rafe's stupid suit and prepared the drinks at the bar.

As I served the glasses, Sarah mumbled a quick thank you and I accidentally grazed Sky's arm. But as I looked at her, I doubted it had been an accident on her part.

Our faces suddenly hovered close to each other.

"You should pay close attention today. You didn't just messed it up with a random Kook," she whispered barely audibly, and though she said it with a sweet smile, the threat behind the words was unmistakable. One only had to glance at Rafe's angry face to know what she was alluding to. His head grew a shade redder every second I spent near Sky.

"Is that supposed to be a threat, princess?", I whispered just as softly.

But even behind her eyes, I recognized the chilling coldness that only reinforced the hostility between us.

"Just a hint, Pogue."

She held me captive just by that feather-light touch on my arm, and I couldn't stop staring at her lips.

It wasn't until she lifted her hand, releasing my whole body with it, that I was able to move again and turn away from the table.

Only when I was back at the bar did I dare to let go of the breath I had been holding until then.

Today I definitely had to stay out of the Kooks' way. As long as we were among people here, Rafe wouldn't dare start a brawl, but that didn't calm the unease inside me one bit. We were on enemy territory here and gradually I began to realize that the whole thing was a big trap that had been set for us by the Kooks. Sky had a plan, I was sure of it by now.

„Is everything alright, bud?“, John B asked while we were cleaning glasses at the bar.

„I‘m pretty sure Diaz wants to kill me“, I explained obviously a bit on edge.

„After what you said to her at the chateau? Yes probably“, Kiara commented while sipping on her drink. That didn’t help at all.

Finally, at nine o'clock our shift was over and most of the guests were already heading home. John B and I said goodbye to Mr. Dooley, the boss of the bar, and hurried through the aisles, finally getting the hell out of this cursed place. My motorcycle was parked at the front of the road and the Twinkie right next to it. We just had to make it there and then we would be safe. That's when Pope ran after us and stopped us.

"Guys, they're on the terrace!" he warned us, but it was already too late. Alarmed, we gave each other a panicked look, and by then Topper, Rafe, and Kelce were already coming through the front door, which was supposed to be our escape route.

"Shit!" it escaped me and we immediately ran in the other direction. As fast as I could, I weaved my way through the rooms until I arrived at the restrooms.

Panicked, I rattled the doors, but each was locked. John B and Pope came into the room behind me, breathing heavily.

"Fuck! Shit!", I cursed over and over as the prospect of escape diminished.

"There's three of them. So are we. We can take on them," I reasoned aloud as John B also tried doors but failed miserably.

"Are you insane?" escaped Pope, who had fear sweat on his forehead.

"There's never just three of them, dude!", John agreed with him.

That's when John B finally got lucky with a door and I had slipped through before he opened it properly. But that's when I realized our mistake.

The Kooks had simply walked across the patio once around the house and were now coming to the opposite door into the dressing room.

Before I could react, Rafe had punched me and my head was thrown back.

Kelce and Topper took advantage of the moment to grab me.

I yanked on their tight grips, but Rafe punched me in the stomach so hard that I doubled over, gasping.

At that moment John rushed in and was about to pounce on Rafe, but he had reckoned with it and shoved him against the wall in such a way that he hit the back of his head hard and went down immediately.

Pope was caught in the hallway by two more Kooks, who also dragged him into the dressing room. He didn't put up any more of a fight when he saw John B and me caught.

The rage in my belly boiled so high that I bared my teeth and tore at Kelce's and Topper's arms like a wild animal.

Behind Rafe, another Kook made himself known, dragging the apathetic John B to his feet.

He tried to fight back, but the redhead, who had just been holding Pope, came to the other's aid and pinned him to the wall.

Pope was now trapped in a headlock and I, too, saw little chance of escape.

"Finally got you, assholes," Rafe warbled, grinning smugly.

His attention turned to me and he cracked his knuckles as if to prepare himself.

An iron taste was already spreading in my mouth, but it was nothing I hadn't experienced countless times before.

"Hold him tight so I can hit him right!" he instructed his friends, who painfully twisted my arms behind my back so I stood upright. One wrong move and they would dislocate both my shoulders.

He gyrated his wrist as if to warm up.

"Really cute costumes you guys have. Was there a bulk discount in the children's department?", I asked provocatively, unable to keep from grinning despite my predicament. Rafe only got angrier and a mad glint entered his eyes before he lashed out and punched me square in the face. It was a dull sound and everything around me went black until I slowly opened my eyes again and bright flashes twitched through the air everywhere.

I spat a gush of blood on the ground in front of him and returned his gaze unflinchingly.

"You hit like a girl," I continued to provoke, smiling. His anger that I showed no fear or remorse made the throbbing in my head only half as bad. Blood was pouring out of my nose and the side of my lip had split open again in the same place as last time.

"Shit JJ, just shut up!" whimpered Pope, giving a pained gasp as the giant behind him increased the pressure on his neck.

Seeing my friends like this was too much.

"Three against one... Are you that afraid of me you pathetic little son of a…?", I continued to tease, and a guttural sound escaped me as he lashed out again and my head was thrown back painfully.

„Pussy!“, I screamed in his face as the next punch already almost threw me of my feet. But Topper and Kelce held me tightly upright.

„Do you ever stop talking, Maybank? Should we find out what it takes to finally shut you up, huh?“

His voice was echoing through my consciousness through the throbbing in my ears. My field of vision was blurry, but I could see Rafe shaking his head angrily as I glared at him with a wry grin.

There he was about to lash out again, but he paused as a soft voice cut through the atmosphere.

"Rafe, that's enough!"

I had to squint my eyes, but I recognized Sky immediately as she stepped out from behind him. I hadn't even noticed how she had walked in. Maybe she was there already from the beginning.

The clicking of her heels on the wooden floor was the only sound for a few seconds. She walked to John B first and lifted his head by his hair slightly to see how hard it had hit him.

„Poor Routledge boy… Aren’t you tired of cleaning up your buddy’s mess?“, she sighed.

When his eyelids fluttered at that, she let go of him and turned to the two Kooks holding him.

"God, let those two go! Or do they look like a threat to you?" she said, giving Pope a curt look that almost looked like pity.

Then she harshly pushed Rafe aside and finally stood in front of me.

It was very obvious who was the one in charge now. Rafe had no power over the Kooks anymore. It was crazy that she just had to enter the room, to get all attention. All the Kook-Goons were literally at her feet, waiting for instructions.

She inspected me, like a stray-dog she had picked up off the street, and seemed to be weighing whether I was worth saving or not.

"Rafe that's a bit primitive..." she commented, suddenly stepping very close to me.

„You ruined his pretty face again…“

All eyes were on her and even the muscleheads and the psychopath Rafe seemed to be listening to what she was saying.

Amazed, I noticed that she smelled like a mixture of fresh roses and the beach on a sunny day.

"The princess herself. What an honor. Hope the cocktail suited your taste," I scoffed, trying not to get lost in those inscrutable eyes again.

She just twisted her red lips into a smile and that's when I felt her fingers slip into my pants pockets. First the ones in the back and when she couldn't find what she wanted, also in the front.

„It was a bit too sweet… but I wasn’t really expecting much.“

At the same time her lips were so close to mine that it would have been easy to overcome the distance.

I froze as her hands groped in my pockets for the motorcycle key. I could feel her cool fingertips through the fabric and shivered lightly.

Now I understood why the boys didn't make a sound. It was that effect she had on people. When she entered the room, all eyes were on her. There was something mysterious and sensual about her that I noticed for the first time.

Maybe I had just taken a blow too hard, but I couldn't stop imagining what she would look like under that dress, with my hands all over those pretty tits, that peeked out.

Her mere touch made me unable to think straight. Her slender fingers found the key and pulled it out of my pocket.

"Did you get what you wanted?" asked Rafe, annoyed, and that's when she took a step back.

She looked at the key and then ran to John B, where she found the Twinkie key directly in his back pants pocket.

"Now yes."

Something was on the girl's mind, but for the life of me I couldn't tell what it was.

Rafe took the opportunity to place himself in front of me and I was already preparing for the next blow.

"Rafe it's enough! I think he gets it," Sky said and sure enough, after a few seconds he let go of me.

"Go on, get out of here before they ask for you! I'll see you back at my place in a bit."

Rafe nodded at her and seemed pleased with what he had done. John B groaned as he slowly regained consciousness.

Then Sky stepped in front of me again and eyed me coolly.

She leaned close to me, brushed a strand of bloody hair out of my face, grabbed my chin, so that I had to look her in those hypnotising gems of eyes and whispered so that only I could hear her:

"Maybe you were right about everything you said about me. Except for one thing. I'm not his lapdog. As you saw, he's mine."

With that, she let go of me and walked to the door with our keys. I only now realized that I had been holding my breath and couldn’t stop my hammering heart.

"And now, for one evening, let's just get drunk. Leave those Pogues alone! Kelce tell everyone, Topper get alcohol and come to my place with Sarah! We'll party on at my place! It’s time that everyone knows, that I’m back on Kildare! And someone needs to get rid of that blood on the floor…“ she determined and was out of the room before anyone could react.

When the Kooks finally disappeared, John stood up straight again and rubbed the back of his head.

"You okay, JB?", I asked directly, still far too confused to realize what had just happened.

"I am, but you look like shit, bro," he replied, and Pope's eyebrows furrowed uncertainly as he eyed my face as well.

"It’s not that bad," I dismissed it, though the taste of blood just wouldn't leave my mouth.

"There you are!" came from the door.

Kiara came rushing in, eyes wide.

"Shit, what did those assholes do?"

"JJ couldn't keep his mouth shut..." said Pope, sitting down on the bench, breathing heavily.

Kie anxiously took John's face in her hands, looking for serious injuries.

"It's going to be a bump, but other than that I'm fine," he assured her.

Then she looked at my face. I didn't even want to know what I looked like again. She pulled a cloth napkin out of her purse.

"Here, wipe the blood off with this!"

While I pressed the cloth to my lip, John grabbed his forehead with both hands.

"Shit JJ. The keys!"

Only now was I starting to realize it too.

"Sky came up to me and said if you want your stuff back, we should come to the party at Lionelly Ville."

In disbelief, we all stared at Kie.

"A Kook party? No way!" snapped Pope.

"Apparently everyone's invited. She even posted it."

Kie pulled out her phone and showed us the post. "Kooks, people from the Cut, and tourists. Anyone with the time and inclination is invited," she explained, tapping the attached address.

So that had been her plan. She wanted us to come to her party, but why? To play some more sick games?

The spirit of adventure and, as it were, curiosity stirred in me. I was dying to know what happened next, and I definitely didn't want to let the Kook princess win in the process. Even though this round definitely was hers.

"Then let's go to Lionelly Ville," I announced and already had the door handle in my hand.

"Are you serious?" asked John B, aghast.

"Sure. You want the key back for the Twinkie? Well, I definitely want the one for my motorcycle. Besides, I could use a little booze and partying right about now. If I'm invited to the biggest and most luxurious estate on Kildare, I don't want to miss it."

John B was the first to give in and nodded. Then Pope followed and finally Kie too. We were a team, after all, and secretly each of us was curious about what Lionelly Ville was like.

Tanney Hill was already impressive, what did the Diaz family mansion then look like?

⬇️

[10.]

© Yuna542 — 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

[yuna542]

🔙 [8.]

~360 Degree Show-Off~

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader/Oc

Genre: Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Smut, Angst, Drama, Action

Warnings: None

Taglist: Open

Word count: 4,2k

Summary: The Kook princess is back after a year and reignites the war between Pogues and Kooks on Kildare. But she quickly realizes that after this year, nothing is the same as before. Deception, secrets from the past, and dangerous conspiracies sweep across Kildare, leaving her no choice but to work with the Pogues and her personal nemesis to find the truth and maybe even $8 million. A dangerous treasure hunt begins that turns her world upside down.

Soundtrack:

⏯️Play: Surfin‘ by Skz

„All my sweat like tears drippin' 'til it's gone

I got ninety-nine problems but the sea ain't one

I'ma go out healing

Gеtting cleansed by the sеa breeze

I can't let go of this feeling

Can you teach me how to live life fully?“

The next morning I found it more than difficult to get out of bed.

My head was a mess, so heavy that it pushed me back onto the mattress.

When the sun's rays through the window finally tickled me out of bed, I shuffled into the bathroom in just a hoodie and a pair of panties.

Last night I had simply torn off my clothes and the yellow hoodie was the first thing I had managed to grab. Sighing, I looked at myself in the mirror and blew a strand of hair out of my face with little success.

Two sad brown eyes looked back at me and I wanted to crawl back into my bed. The bird's nest on my head was as bad as it had ever been and until I got the mass of curls back under control, it could take time.

JJ's words kept echoing through my head and I just didn't understand why it was bothering me so much. I'd been called a lot worse and it had never really hit me. But it didn’t seem to matter what he‘d say, since everything seemingly hunted me forever.

Absently, I stroked my lower lip on which a small crust had formed. Underneath, my skin was discolored bluish, but you had to look closely to see it. One look out the window, however, was enough to awaken a desire in me that I had forgotten for so long.

I longed to feel the sun on my skin and the board under my feet.

Awkwardly, I stood on my tiptoes and tried to look over my shoulder, but the bruise on my back looked a lot better than it did yesterday.

Whatever ointment Kiara had given me worked wonders. The area on my leg was also only slightly red and probably not visible at all in the next few days.

So I grabbed the blue bikini with the red flowers on it and put it on.

After deciding on a simple pair of blue shorts, I slipped into my Converse, tied a bandana around my hair after taming it as best I could, and ran down the stairs.

I wanted to escape the mansion as quickly as possible before I ran into Rick.

However, I had no luck.

"Skylar? Will you come here, please?"

Rick's voice was muffled by the wall to the kitchen and for a second I considered just leaving. But that would only make the situation more awkward for me. The bottom line was that he was in the one in power. I had no choice and the feeling of powerlessness sucked.

With a queasy gut feeling, I walked into the kitchen and leaned against the doorframe. Rick was sitting in front of his laptop and raised his eyes when he heard me.

He looked like a different person. His hair was shorter and neatly slicked back. He wore a white buttoned up shirt and his gaze was alert. Not as glazed and impenetrable as it had been the night before.

My lips were pressed together into a line as he slowly rose from his chair and eyed me thoughtfully. He was definitely sober now.

"Why don't you sit down?"

He gestured to the seat across from him at the table and I was about to laugh mockingly. Did he really want to talk after yesterday?

"I was actually just about to go to the beach," I said, and was about to turn away again.

"Please!"

The short plea, was enough to make me look him in the eyes in wonder. His features were soft and he seemed almost desperate.

Suspicious, I took heart and sat down. Part of me was curious and maybe even really hoped that everything was getting back to normal.

He also took his seat again and seemed to be struggling with the words he wanted to say to me.

"Last night... I overreacted. I couldn't control myself."

Tensely, I crossed my arms and leaned back in the chair. Oh really? Was that supposed to be an apology?

"You were drunk," I stated matter-of-factly, whereupon he lowered his eyes in concern and closed the laptop in front of him, pushing it aside.

"I was just worried when you didn't come home and Rafe couldn't tell me where you were either."

Why had he called Rafe and not Sarah?

None of that changed the fact that he had come at me like a wild animal. The blow had burned itself into my subconscious and I didn't know if I would ever forget the feeling of helplessness he gave me over and over again.

It had not been one of his first outbursts of rage. Especially when he had been drinking. But it had been the first one where he had really hit me that hard. I had always known that he was capable of it, after all I had often suffered bruises from rough holds or when he had pushed me against a cupboard or table. Still, it was a shock that it had actually happened now.

It always seemed so far away. It was a thing that always happened to others and never to oneself.

When he saw that I wasn't responding, he kneaded his hands uncomfortably. He had never been good with words or feelings.

That had always been Mom's job. She had managed to settle every argument and even soothe me when once again something didn't go my way. She had also always been my rock for heartbreaks and stress with friends.

Most of the time, she was the one who had prevented confrontations between me and Rick. Now she was gone and the result of that was that my lip was split open.

"Listen, I'm really sorry. It's just the two of us now, and it hasn't been easy for me either since your mom left."

Defiantly, I lifted my chin to suppress the tears that were welling up. It was the first time we had talked about her since her death, and it hurt like hell. She hadn't packed her bags and left on her own. She was dead. Why didn't he finally say it?

I was torn. On the one hand I wanted to hate him for what he had done to me, on the other hand he seemed genuinely sorry.

While he was talking, he had gotten up and walked around the table until he was standing in front of me.

Desperately, his eyes kept wandering to my lip and I imagined I could really see regret in his eyes.

I wanted to jump up, yell at him that I hated him and run away, however, I heard his words repeating over and over in my head. He was right. It was just the two of us left. He was the only family I had and I didn't want to lose that too.

"Do you forgive me, little one?" he asked in a soft voice, and that's when I pressed my lips together even tighter to keep the sob that was stuck in my throat from escaping.

His blue eyes radiated warmth and I realized that we were speaking openly for the first time in a long time. It was then that I realized how much I actually needed him. There was no one else and I nodded, unable to say a word.

Again I felt this huge black hole inside me that had grown bigger and bigger since Mom's death. It made me shiver and wanted to pull me deeper and deeper into it.

He spread his arms with a gentle smile and that's when I couldn't take it anymore. Relieved, I jumped up and threw myself into his arms, hoping the icy chill that ate through my veins from the emptiness would just go away.

He hugged me tightly and stroked my head.

With my face pressed tightly against his chest, the emptiness no longer seemed so close. Rick was there for me and the only family I had left. A person who cared about me.

"It's okay," he murmured as the sob finally escaped me. I was relieved that last night's Rick had been just an exception.

Maybe we really would manage to be a normal family someday.

"You wanted to go to the beach, right?" he reminded me, giving me a loving smile.

Still gasping for breath, I nodded and smiled in relief.

"Then enjoy the summer before school starts again."

He stroked my temple with his thumb and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. He, too, seemed relieved. A huge weight fell off my shoulders, even though that little doubt remained in the back of my mind.

On his way to the door, though, he called after me again:

"Skylar?"

I turned questioningly and he was standing leaning against the table with both hands in his pockets.

"Stay away from those Pogues, please! I know these people. They're nothing but trouble."

I nodded curtly.

"Yes, I know."

Satisfied, he smiled and sat back down to continue working.

A short time later, I was on my way to the Cut on my bike. I wanted to get my board back and then hit the waves.

At the Maybanks entrance, I paused briefly, hoping no one was there.

After getting off the bike, I pushed it to the terrace, but my board was no longer there. There was no one to be seen, so I let my gaze roam the grounds searchingly.

"JJ's not here!"

In shock, my bike almost fell out of my hand. Out of the barn came a tall man, with dirty clothes and a wrench in his hand. Sweat was standing on his forehead and he looked like he had been working on an engine just a second ago. So this had to be Luke Maybank. JJ's infamous father.

He must have heard me pushing my bike past the garage.

His tone was dismissive and he didn't seem too pleased about anyone sneaking onto the property. But when he saw me, he raised his eyebrows in surprise and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.

I quickly raised a hand defensively.

"Oh... Uh actually, I'm looking for my surfboard. I left it here yesterday," I explained, smiling apologetically.

Mr. Maybank put his hands on his hips and the expression on his face reminded me of Ward's when he saw me and Rafe together.

"I see, so you're the one who owns the Greg Noll?"

He cleared his throat and pointed to the shed behind him.

"JJ locked it up. Thought he might have stolen it."

A strange silence spread, where I waited for him to get the board for me and finally leave me alone.

"Did he steal it?" he huffed again and I hesitated for a moment before shaking my head in confusion.

"No. I just forgot it here."

Did he think so little of his son?

Whereas, considering the stories that were making the rounds about Luke Maybank, I wasn't surprised. Like father, like son.

"So you're his new girlfriend or what?" came out of nowhere, and I nearly choked on the hysterical laughter that almost slipped out.

"Me, no! No! I really don't. I just want my board."

He nodded conspiratorially, as if he knew something. Suddenly I felt strangely caught, even though I hadn't done anything.

It was as if he could read my mind and I forced myself not to think about JJ's defined abs right now and failed miserably. Immediately I got annoyed at these stupid thoughts and shook my head to get rid of all the crap.

"So... My surfboard?", I asked after another endless pause. Mr. Maybank really didn't know how to deal with teenagers. Or women… He probably spent most of his time in his gloomy hovel, working on some... machine stuff.

He looked up, then nodded.

"Sure."

Then he went back into the workshop, leaving me standing there, perplexed. Just when I thought he had actually left me standing, he came back and I exhaled in relief when I saw Mom's board under his arm. He placed it against the shed wall and gave me an inquiring look.

Satisfied, I stroked my fingertips over the stripes on the board, enjoying the familiar feel of the rough surface. It was like a part of me was back in its place.

"Tell that little bastard to show up! The cars aren't going to fix themselves," he grumbled, already wanting to disappear back into the garage.

"JJ and I aren't really ... Friends," I called after him, as he seemed to have ignored everything I had tried to signal to him earlier. He paused for a moment and seemed to have a flash of an idea.

Then he looked at me properly for the first time and also seemed to only now really notice me.

Was he drunk? This early in the morning?

His gaze traveled up and down my body as if he were checking a boat for damage.

"Not bad. The boy must be good for something. At least he has good taste in women," he murmured, and that's when I gradually realized what he was now thinking again.

JJ's father thought I was one of his many conquests and I instantly felt sick.

Overwhelmed, I chewed on my lower lip and inhaled audibly.

"No... I'm not..." but that's as far as I got, as he was already trudging uninterestedly back into the shed.

Embarrassed, I pressed my lips together and wanted to sink into the ground. As quickly as I could, I jammed the board under my arm and pushed my bike away from the shed.

Riding the bike one-handed and holding the board in parallel was harder than I thought, and it took me several tries, twice of which I ended up in a bush on the side of the road. But the third time it went better and I got the hang of it.

Barely ten minutes later I had reached the beach and put my bike down in the sand. Without further ado, I slipped out of my shoes and socks, which I put next to it. Then out of the shorts and draped everything next to the bike.

After all, so early anyway no one was on the beach and the sound of the sea lured me incessantly.

The wind was good and I heard the big breakers from far away. Turned up by the fresh sea breeze, I ran over the dunes and felt the heated sand burning under the soles of my feet.

A boisterous laugh escaped me as I stood in the water up to my ankles and the waves piled up far out.

The sudden cooling gave me goose bumps and I instinctively searched the horizon for ideal waves. The sun reflected like liquid gold on the surface of the water, and underneath was a blue so deep that you could hardly tell the sky from the sea. The waves rushed in my ears and pounded against my body as I waded deeper into the water, finally laying down on the board and paddling out.

The moment I stood on the board again for the first time and caught a small wave, my heart leapt and I felt like a kid again.

No gift in the world gave me the same feeling as when I caught a good breaker and slid across the surface of the water as if it obeyed only me.

With a loud splash, however, I fell off the board after only a second and was pushed underwater.

Coughing, I resurfaced and clung to the board with eyes burning with salt.

I had been better before and it annoyed me that I was out of practice.

Back then, I hadn't even been that bad. However, you couldn't compare yourself to others if you were always out there alone with the board.

Determined, I paddled out again and tried my luck at the next wave.

Of course, this time I slapped on the water surface again like a sack of potatoes.

But the more I tried, the better my eye and the timing for the right moment became.

After a short time I didn't know how long I had been practicing and in the meantime I had caught some good breakers, when I discovered the perfect wave.

Full of anticipation I placed myself and waited for it to catch up with me.

The salty taste on my lips and my warmed skin seemed to match the ocean.

I breathed with more concentration and straightened up at just the right moment.

Then I jumped to my feet and this time managed to shift my weight perfectly. I actually had control of my surfboard on the wave and it carried me almost to the shore.

Overwhelmed by the adrenaline and the feelings of happiness, I couldn't suppress the proud smile.

"Not bad for a Kook!", I heard a voice shout from the beach.

Startled, I sat up on the board so that it was in the water between my legs.

Immediately I spotted the one that almost scared me to death. I had been so caught up in my world that I hadn't noticed Maybank.

He was standing there in black bathing shorts with a white surfboard loosely under his arm.

Why him? Why now?

I didn't know what time it was and regretted choosing this beach instantly.

After all, it wasn't uncommon for the Pogues to spend time here surfing.

However, JJ was alone.

At least I didn't spot any of the others and that made it even more awkward in a strange way.

His hair shone golden blond in the sun and his tanned upper body made an interesting contrast.

To make matters worse, he came my way until he was sitting on his board right in front of me, grinning wryly at me.

"Isn't a kook too stupid to surf after all?", I asked belligerently, stroking my fingers over the film of water on the surface of my board.

Up close, his eyes shone unnaturally blue, as if the entire ocean were pooled in them.

He pressed his lips together and tapped his board.

"You're nowhere near as good as I am, of course, but perhaps there are rare exceptions among the Kooks indeed."

Without lifting his eyes, he looked at me and those cute dimples started to get on my nerves.

"Your mom taught you to surf like that?"

It was an honest question and I just nodded as the lump in my throat prevented me from getting any sound out.

"That's cool."

There was a longing in his voice. It almost seemed like jealousy. Mr. Maybank was probably not much for taking his son on weekend trips, let alone teaching him to surf.

"You were at my house?" he asked, pointing at the Greg Noll.

"Yes. I met your father. He told me to tell you to come home and fix some junk cars," I said, furrowing my eyebrows mockingly.

JJ laughed softly and I forced myself to stare at his shark-toothed necklace instead of his abs, from which the water was pouring down and glistening beautifully.

"Maybe I really should stop by home again sometime..." he mused aloud, but didn't really seem to mean it.

"Yea better go run to Daddy right away so he doesn't miss you!", I retorted, pushing my lower lip forward, pouting provocatively.

He should just go away so I could have my peace. Especially now that I had made up with Rick, I didn't need to be seen with a Pogue.

Especially after last night, I was really hurting too, even though I would never admit it.

"And miss how you embarrass yourself here? Definitely not!" he shot back, suddenly looking me straight in the eye.

Surprised by the eye contact, I couldn't immediately think of a counter, so I just rolled my eyes.

"Why don't you show what you can do before you start making big speeches!", I demanded and to my amazement he nodded.

"Watch and learn from the master!" he called to me over his shoulder as he was already paddling out on his belly.

Actually, I wanted to leave long ago, but curiosity won out in the end. The waves slid out from under me as I watched JJ place himself further out on the water.

It wasn't long before a good wave reached him and he jumped on it. Every move he made was skillful, as if he was doing nothing but surfing everyday. Immediately he jumped up with that annoying smile on his lips.

Secretly amazed, I watched as he caught the wave perfectly and slid up to the crest like it was the easiest thing in the world. Astonishment gripped me as he squatted and shifted his weight.

Just before the wave broke, he actually managed to break out and float with his board in the air for a few seconds.

While the wave broke below him, driving wild foam in front of him, he made a 360 degree turn in the air and landed safely on his feet again, to be carried by the wave all the way back to the beach.

Surprised, a snort escaped me and I couldn't keep the admiration from my face.

He made it look so easy, but when I tried, I barely managed to stand upright before the wave broke away from under me.

A triumphant cry carried across the surface of the water to me, and JJ dropped into the water when he was already almost back at my level.

Directly I put on an unimpressed expression, even though that had just been pretty cool. Directly he reappeared next to me and sat back down on the board.

Adrenaline bubbled out of his eyes and he beamed euphorically. Unconsciously, I returned the smile and shook my head in amusement.

"That's how you do it! Did you watch closely?“

The water dripped from his hair and he shook his head like a dog, so that several drops of water hit me. Then he brushed the wet hair out of his face.

"You just got lucky with the wave," I replied seemingly unimpressed, but couldn't suppress the grin as he looked at me uncomprehendingly for a moment.

In fact, I was really impressed and I had to admit that he really was as good as everyone always said.

As especially as he always said.

Now I was even more uncomfortable that he had seen me tumble off the board.

"Pff. Then do better, princess!" he urged me, pointing out to sea, where one big breaker followed another.

"Actually, I have to go...", I quickly rebuffed and was about to paddle ashore, when he stopped me with his mocking laugh.

"What?", I asked irritably. My pride just wouldn't allow me to compliment him. Actually, I was still mad at him. I had completely forgotten that for a moment.

He shrugged when I gave him a warning look and swirled the water with his hands next to his board.

"I could teach you to surf like that."

It sounded like an offer and I was tempted to take it, but I hadn't forgotten who he was. As much as I wanted to learn all those tricks, JJ was a Pogue and even the worst one of them.

Rick had been right. If you messed with Pogues, you got dirty yourself.

So I just laughed mockingly, as if he had cracked a really bad joke, and propped myself up on my hands.

"No. No, I don't think I want you as a surf instructor."

He spread his arms and his gaze wandered unabashedly over my body.

"You won't find a better one on the island, Diaz."

Again he had that challenging tone in his voice that made my fingers itch to say yes.

But I ignored the strange feeling in my chest that drove me closer to him and lay on my stomach.

"I'll pass. Thank you."

I emphasized the last words so he would understand it as a goodbye, and then I paddled to shore.

If he was here, surfing was out of the question. I had little desire to embarrass myself further and thus give JJ what he really wanted after all.

"If you change your mind, you know where to find me, princess," he called after me, and when I looked over my shoulder, he was already swimming out again to show off his stupid tricks.

Gritting my teeth, I carried my board across the ivory beach and slipped back into my clothes.

With one last look at Maybank gliding over the next wave as if the sea obeyed only to him, I headed home with a strange tingle in my stomach.

⬇️

[9.]

© Yuna542 — 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

[yuna542]

🔙 [7.]

~Smokes and Fumes~

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader/Oc

Genre: Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Smut, Angst, Drama, Action

Warnings: Swearing, Fighting, domestic violence, mentions of blood

Taglist: Open

Word count: 3k

Summary: The Kook princess is back after a year and reignites the war between Pogues and Kooks on Kildare. But she quickly realizes that after this year, nothing is the same as before. Deception, secrets from the past, and dangerous conspiracies sweep across Kildare, leaving her no choice but to work with the Pogues and her personal nemesis to find the truth and maybe even $8 million. A dangerous treasure hunt begins that turns her world upside down.

Soundtrack:

⏯️Play: Hard Times by Paramore

„All that I want

Is a hole in the ground

You can tell me when it's alright

For me to come out“

JJ was already standing by the fire, waving a corrugated iron in front of the glowing wood. Just then John B came out of the house and gave me a quick look before he jumped down the stairs.

"Well, come on! I'll take you home Kook."

With that, he lifted up the keys to the Twinkie and was about to make his way down the stairs when I braced myself to get up off the couch. The Pogues obviously wanted to get rid of me as soon as possible and I too would have preferred to leave immediately, but that wasn't possible.

"Wait! I can't go home yet."

He paused and turned to me on the last stair. Now Pope was standing in the doorway, too, and by now he was wearing a dark blue apron. I could only guess what he was doing in the kitchen.

"Why?" asked John B, looking at me inquiringly.

"There's no one home yet. I wouldn't come in. Rick won't be back until late tonight," I lied, propping myself up against one of the beams. It didn’t sound that stupid in my head.

John B seemed to believe me, which is why he came back up the stairs, tossed the keys on the table, and gave me a friendly smile.

"All right. Then you stay here until then?"

Perplexed, I couldn't answer. I didn't expect such niceness from the Pogues. John B was really insanely naive....

I froze, unable to answer, so Kiara pressed some logs into my hand and gestured to the campfire.

"If you're going to stay, make yourself useful! The fish will be ready soon."

Before I could ask further, she had disappeared into the house, leaving me with a wobbly pile of wood that dug painfully into my arms. So I ran over to the campfire and dropped the whole pile awkwardly next to it.

JJ still had the joint between his lips and set the dirty corrugated metal aside.

"You're staying?" he asked coolly, obviously not very amused.

"Yeah, for now. Don't get too excited," I replied sarcastically and flopped down on one of the chairs.

He just snorted snidely and started adding wood to the fire.

It was strange to sit in a rickety old chair on the overgrown property and watch a primitive campfire gradually devour the wood. I felt like a doll that was thrown into the swamp, trying to keep my cool. John B's house was more like an old barn and even the footbridge to the water looked like it would collapse at any moment.

I felt out of place in addition to feeling unwanted.

JJ held the fire at bay and threw in the joint stub. He didn't hide the fact that my presence was annoying him and gave me disparaging looks every now and then.

It took John B forever to come back out of the house, leaning three sticks with fish on them against the fire. I didn't know what kind of fish they were, nor if you could even eat them like that, but JJ rubbed his hands together in delight and helped him align the sticks on the fire.

Upon closer inspection, I realized that the fish were covered in a marinade that smelled of garlic. It smelled delicious actually.

The smoke from the fire burned my lungs and eyes and I wished I was in my bed with a bowl of spaghetti aglio e olio from the new restaurant around the corner from the Lionelly mansion. Instead, I was now sitting outside a dump with freaking JJ Maybank, stinking of smoke and forced to watch them having fun.

Pope brought two more sticks of fish and speared them into the ground next to the others. He gave me a suspicious look, as if I were a wild dog that hadn't been leashed tight enough.

John B dropped into the chair to my right and clasped his hands behind his head.

"We made a good catch today. We should go out again in the morning. We might even catch some bass," John B said with his eyes closed, enjoying the last rays of sunlight reflecting reddish off the surface of the water.

"I have to help my dad at the dock tomorrow," JJ muttered, flipping the fish in the flames. It was like I wasn't even here.

Kiara joined them now with Pope and sat down on the floor with a can of beer. Pope tossed a can to JJ and put one in John B's lap, for which he did open his eyes.

He visibly hesitated before offering one to me as well.

Directly I shook my head, whereupon he took it himself and sat down beside John B.

"You know you shouldn't do that," came from Kiara, but JJ just smirked and took the cap off his head, only to put it back on backwards.

"I shouldn't do a lot of things..."

"I'm serious, JJ!" added Kiara emphatically, turning to face him. But he just shrugged his shoulders.

"What else am I going to do?"

Kiara pressed her lips together dejectedly and Pope crossed his arms uncomfortably.

I didn't know what it was about, but suspected that JJ's father was still conducting business that wasn't particularly clean.

By now, the horizon had turned a lush orange and the whitecaps on the water glistened like amber.

"Since when do you surf?", JJ suddenly snapped me out of my thoughts and I needed a moment to process the question. Now the eyes of the others were also curiously on me.

"Actually, always... My mom taught me," I explained curtly. After all, there was no point in lying anymore. And the soft breeze, the cracking of the fire and the warm atmosphere let me put my guard down a little bit.

Just talking about my mom stung, but at the same time it felt good. Like a nice memory of her that I could hold on to.

JJ raised his eyebrows and laughed softly, as if I had told a joke. That he didn't take me seriously made me angry.

"What?", I asked him irritably, and for the first time he really looked me in the eye. The intensity of the blue sapphires took my breath away for a second.

"It's just that I've never seen a kook surf really well," he replied, and you could clearly hear the provocation in his tone.

"What are you trying to say?", I echoed.

"It's that you arrogant Kook assholes would rather be playing golf or taking a walk on your big ass mansions, right?"

His derogatory tone and look brought the anger inside me to a boil, so I stared stubbornly back.

"So Kooks can't surf, cause they’re Kooks? Sound logical.“

Pope was obviously uncomfortable with the whole thing, but John B and Kiara followed the conversation intently.

"Yeah, I don't think you'll be able to stay on the board for more than a few seconds. But hey, I'm sure you have enough other qualities and talents," he said, gesturing to my body.

He grinned spitefully, which made anger boil over in me. How dare he speak to me like that?

"You don't know anything about me!", I hissed, suppressing the need to claw his eyes out. This whole bunch of pogue-losers was getting on my nerves so much that I angrily clenched my hands into fists.

"I know enough about you, Princess," he replied, fixing me with his gaze. If he didn't stop looking at me with that crooked grin soon, I was definitely going to punch him in the face.

"Now I'm curious."

Challengingly, I leaned back and suppressed a gasp at the burning sensation on my back.

"I know you've never had to worry about anything in your life and you've gotten everything you wanted. You're an arrogant rich doll and you're always dutifully playing lapdog to your friend Rafe Cameron, who's an even bigger asshole than all the other Figure Eigth snoots put together. But you’re obeying him like the little lapdog you are.“

His words hit me hard, even though I would never have admitted it. After all, he had no idea.

Chillingly, I just stared at him for a few seconds and then stood up.

"And you're just a miserable and pathetic son of a bitch who can't get his life together. Seems to run in the family huh?," I finally replied, obviously hitting the nail on the head.

He got up from his seat and gradually I recognized anger flaring in his eyes. So I was driving him up the wall as much as he was driving me up the wall. That was a satisfaction that somewhat assuaged my anger.

"Say that again!" he murmured menacingly, and I had to push back the urge to flee.

"What do you mean? Pathetic or son of a bitch?", I asked provocatively, putting on a cocky grin. Gradually, his eyes brimmed with sparks of anger and I had to force myself not to take a step back.

"How about you disappear back to your fairy tale castle and your perfect life?" he shot back and before he could say anything else, I turned to John B.

"Do you have a phone in this shithole?"

He looked back and forth between JJ and me uncertainly, but then nodded.

"Inside. In the living room."

Without a word I turned around and ran into the house. There I also found the phone directly and dialed Rafe's number, which I still knew by heart from a year ago. Fortunately, he had never changed it and answered after the second ring.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Hi, Rafe. It's Sky. Can you pick me up, please?", I asked directly, hearing the crackle on the other end of the line as if he was running a few steps.

"Sky? Uh yeah sure. Where are you? What‘s this number?"

He sounded surprised but equally pleased that I was asking for his help.

"I'm at the Cut."

"What, why? What are you doing at the Cut?" he asked directly.

"I was walking on the beach and misjudged the time," I lied, looking around the house for the first time. It was chaos and there were pillows and clothes everywhere.

It seemed like a messy dorm and I took a curious look down the hall.

"Okay...," Rafe mumbled in wonder.

"Just pick me up at the main road, okay?"

I heard the rattle of a set of keys and guessed he was just heading out the door.

"All right. I'll be right there."

Relieved, I hung up and put the phone back. Then I ran back out onto the porch, hoping it was dark enough that Rafe might not notice the bandages.

I gave the Pogues one last look and got a strange feeling when I saw them eating and laughing together. It seemed as if I had never been here.

Without saying goodbye I walked around the house and saw JJ giving me a strange look before I disappeared behind the house.

I stood by the road for a while until I heard Rafe's motorcycle and breathed a sigh of relief when he stopped next to me and handed me his helmet.

By now it was so dark you could see the stars.

"Do you want me to take you home?"

His hair was a mess, which was out of character. He seemed to have jumped head over heels on the bike to get me.

"Yes, please."

Before he could get a closer look at me, I put on my helmet and got on behind him.

When we finally arrived at Lionelly Ville, I've never been more grateful to be back at the property.

Hastily, I dismounted and was about to run to the front door when he held me back by the arm.

I looked at him questioningly, then he put his hands on my hips and looked me in the eye.

"We're having a big party Saturday night. The whole Island Club will be there. Also Heyward will be there working with his son, as will Maybank and John B, and the Carreras are invited anyway."

Surprised, I tilted my head.

"So all the Pogues will be there?"

He nodded.

"That's why you have to come. Dad wants us to behave and not provoke a fight. He won't let me out of his sight unless you're there. You're the one he trusts."

His gaze almost pierced me.

"You want to get back at them?", I spoke the obvious. There was this gleam in his eyes that I didn't know from before. That anger that lurked incessantly within him.

"That's right. But not until the adults are gone. We'll throw an after-party where everyone's invited. That's where we'll catch these assholes."

A wicked smile flitted across his face, and since I was incredibly angry myself right now, I quite liked the idea. I especially wanted to see JJ's stupid face when Rafe and the other Kooks gave them hell.

"Sounds good," I agreed, returning his satisfied smile.

"But the after party is at my place. Rick's going out of town Saturday night. I'll have the house to myself then."

"How are you going to get the Pogues there?" he asked in wonder, seemingly unintentionally stroking his fingers across my back.

"I'll figure something out. They're yours while we're still at Tanney Hill. With me, I'll take care of them."

He didn't seem quite comfortable with that, but he didn't dare contradict me. He was too afraid that I would again reject his advances.

However, I was beginning to like the attention and maybe something really could develop between us?

"Then I'll see you on Saturday," he said goodbye and I nodded. It was still three days until then, when hopefully my wounds would be barely visible.

"Thank you for coming to get me," I murmured, placing my hands gently on his chest. It was strange to be so close to him again after all this time. We knew each other for forever, but at the same time we were not the same persons anymore.

"For you, always."

His eyes fastened on my lips and I got a strange premonition. I quickly gave him a fleeting kiss on the cheek so he wouldn't get any other ideas and ran up the stairs.

Rafe disappeared into the darkness shortly after, while I searched for my key under the flowerpot. When I found it, I prayed that Rick really was already asleep and opened the door as quietly as possible, deactivated the alarm system, and locked it again.

Tiptoeing down the hall, I was about to disappear into my room without him noticing, when I was pulled back hard by the shoulder and the light came on. Startled, I staggered and it took time for my eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness.

"Where have you been?" boomed Rick's menacing voice through the hallway, and he looked down at me angrily. My heart instantly hammered so loudly that I barely understood what he was saying.

"At Sarah and Rafe," I quickly replied, feeling fear digging deep into my bones.

Already a blow caught me with his backhand and my head was thrown to the side. Immediately I saw stars and my eyes went black. When I slowly opened my eyes again, I looked into a hateful face.

In my mouth it tasted like copper and I froze.

"Don't lie to me, you little bitch! I called there and Ward said they cleaned up the Pogues’ mess. I went to the Cut today to pick up a delivery from Heyward. That's when I saw you on that pogue's moped. I told you to stay away from scum like that!" he yelled at me and my hands were shaking so badly I pressed them against my thighs.

"They helped me!"

My voice sounded firmer than I thought it would.

"With what?.... Where were you?"

His questions cracked like whip lashes and I feared another blow, so I didn't get a word out. That's when he violently hit the wall next to my head. I could clearly smell the alcohol on his breath and winced violently as he screamed in my face:

"Answer me, dammit!"

"I was out with the board," I admitted meekly now, trying to avoid his menacing gaze. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest and I felt tears running down my cheeks without actually crying.

"I can’t believe it. You're not one of them! I should have thrown that damn board away."

He finally let go of me and ruffled his hair.

"That's Mom's board!", I yelled back now, trying to meet his gaze. He had thrown away everything that reminded me of her. Only the board had remained and right now I was glad as hell that it was with JJ where he wouldn't find it. The anger in my belly almost overshadowed my fear, when he reared back in front of me.

"I don't want you to see that scum again, do you understand?"

Still, I refused to give in. But the fear gnawed at me until I finally did avert my eyes.

"Do you understand me?" he repeated emphatically, shaking me by the shoulder until it hurt. His paws gripped so tightly that I tried to squirm out of his grasp.

"You're hurting me!", I hissed, managing to fight off his hand.

It would surely leave a bruise next to the marks of his nails.

"I'm waiting for an answer!" he yelled at me again.

"Yes! I get it!", I screeched back to finally make it all stop.

"Good, now get out of here!"

I didn't need to be told twice. Hastily, I ran up the stairs and slammed the door behind me. Panting, I threw myself on my bed and buried my tear-streaked face in my pillow.

The darkness stretched out its claws and tugged at me until I only sobbed quietly into the pillow and finally fell asleep, exhausted.

⬇️

© Yuna542 — 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

[yuna542]

🔙 [6.]

~Pogues to the Rescue~

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader/Oc

Genre: Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Smut, Angst, Drama, Action

Warnings: Jellyfish-stings, Swearing, Alcohol and drugs

Taglist: Open

Word count: 2,8K

Summary: The Kook princess is back after a year and reignites the war between Pogues and Kooks on Kildare. But she quickly realizes that after this year, nothing is the same as before. Deception, secrets from the past, and dangerous conspiracies sweep across Kildare, leaving her no choice but to work with the Pogues and her personal nemesis to find the truth and maybe even $8 million. A dangerous treasure hunt begins that turns her world upside down.

Note: Hope you like this part. Let’s say I’m pretty devastated and sad about S4…

Soundtrack:

⏯️Play: Ain’t It Fun by Paramore

“Where you're from

You might be the one who's running things

Where you can ring anybody's bell and get what you want

See it's easy to ignore trouble

When you're living in a bubble”

"Put me down!" escaped me irritably as I drummed my palm on his frighteningly firm chest as soon as we reached the stairs.

I could feel his warm skin close against mine and it was messing with my head.

He just snorted and actually let go of me.

"Wait here! And be quiet!"

Already he had disappeared into the house. I settled down on the step, sighing, since I had no choice anyway.

Only a few moments later he came back with a red plastic box with a white cross on it.

He placed it on the cheap plastic table that looked like it had been stolen from a kiosk where they sold those disgusting fries.

When I looked at it closer, I noticed that it probably was.

"Shit," I heard Maybank mutter, and he closed the box again.

"What?"

I looked over my shoulder questioningly, careful not to turn my upper body.

"It's empty. My dad must have used it all up."

He put his hands on his hips and seemed to be trying to figure out what to do with me now.

"Well, we can definitely go ahead and disinfect the wounds."

Suspiciously, I watched him disappear back into the house and return with a large bottle containing a transparent liquid.

Half of the bottle was already empty.

He sat down next to me on the step and unscrewed the cap.

"What's this?"

I grabbed his hand before he could pour the contents onto my leg.

"Vodka. Alcohol."

He looked at me as if I didn't know what that meant.

"I know what vodka is, dickhead, but is this really a good idea?"

I knew alcohol was used to disinfect, but that's about all I knew about medical treatments.

JJ just shrugged.

"It got 70%. You won't find anything better."

"Yeah, I bet."

JJ gave me an annoyed look, but I just raised my eyebrows provocatively. There probably wasn't even a pharmacy here.

After a moment's hesitation, I finally gave in. What could go wrong?

I could not use an inflammation or infection now.

So I let go of his hand and he began to pour the liquid over my leg.

Immediately a burning sensation shot through my leg, making me gasp loudly.

Several curses escaped me as I waited for the probing pain to subside.

"Now the back," JJ said, and I wanted to punch him in the face.

"On three. One. Two..."

I couldn't even take a breath, when he already had poured the alcohol over the wound on my side as well. The pain was even worse there, and because of the shock I couldn't prepare myself internally.

Reflexively, I grabbed his arm and clawed into it so as not to cry out.

Although I dug my nails into his skin, he didn't make a face, but reached for my hand to squeeze it.

When the pain finally subsided, I pulled my hand away and glared angrily at him.

"Asshole!", I hissed and braced myself to get up from the stairs.

"You're welcome," he replied, setting the vodka down on the table.

"This really should be looked at. I can drive you home so that-"

"No!", I interrupted him harshly, fixing him with my gaze.

There was no way I could go home like this. Rick would just ask a lot of questions and if he found out I was surfing, that I was on the Cut and if he saw JJ to top it all, I'd be screwed....

I'd rather not imagine his reaction.

Astonished, the blond tilted his head and crossed his arms.

Fortunately, he didn't ask any more questions, since he didn't seem to care either.

"Then I'll take you with the others. John B has a first aid kit in the Twinkie and Pope knows what to do. I was on my way there anyway."

Vehemently, I shook my head.

„No, absolutely not!"

At that very moment I staggered and would have fallen forward if he hadn't grabbed me by the wrist.

"You have no choice, though," he murmured, holding my wrist tightly. As he did so, his gaze wandered aimlessly through my face and I noticed the dark green circles at the corner of the endless blue of his eyes.

They were really intense and reminded me of the cloudless sky over Kildare.

Everything in me resisted going to the other Pogues.

For one thing, I was embarrassed to ask for help, and for another, I couldn't let myself be seen there.

If anyone found out about this, I would also be screwed. At JJ's look, however, I realized that I really had no choice.

He clearly seemed to enjoy every second of my sorrow.

I needed help and this was my only option.

He realized that I was admitting defeat and at that, the corners of his mouth lifted a bit. It wasn't until he took a few steps back that I noticed how close he had just been to me.

"We're going on my motorcycle."

He tried to support me, but I fought off his hand. I could still walk myself, even if it was hard.

I didn't want him to think I was weak or needed his help.

So he went ahead and grabbed the keys and I tried to follow him.

"Do you think your friends are really going to help me?", I called out as I tried to catch up to him with a limp.

He glanced over his shoulder at me and tossed the key from his left hand to his right.

"They're going to help you! We're not self-serving kook assholes, after all."

I wanted to hurl a counter at him, but I couldn't think of anything to say. His words hit me because it was true. Hardly anyone from Figure Eight would have even been interested in what had happened to me.

Arriving at the motorcycle, he got on and put the key in the ignition.

The engine howled and rattled away contentedly.

JJ offered me his hand, which I accepted this time, to get on.

His fingers closed tightly around mine and when I was finally seated, he wrapped my hands around his body.

"Hold on tight, princess!"

Then he was already driving off and I actually had to clutch him to keep from falling off.

The wind went through my hair and made it dance around my head.

It wasn't until we turned onto the road after the wooded area that I realized I had been clinging to him tensely the whole time.

Gradually I let go and got used to the ride.

I felt his skin under my fingers and the muscles of his stomach under his unbuttoned shirt.

Directly my fingertips tingled and I fought the urge to run over the contour of his abs while my upper body was pressed tightly against his.

I couldn't focus on my surroundings and had lost my bearings after only a few minutes. Instead, I paid attention only to the amazingly toned body and broad shoulders in front of me.

When had this happened? Just a few years ago, JJ had been just a lanky little daredevil.

The smells of conifers, fresh grass, and salt water mingled into a distinctive nuance known only from the Outer Banks.

Slowly, I began to enjoy the time on the bike and forget about the pain. All too soon, the ride ended at a driveway.

The first thing I noticed as soon as we dismounted was the huge tree with countless branches that had a hammock hanging from it.

I had never seen such a special tree. Like a monster, its branches reached for the sky, trying to grab the clouds.

Or I had simply never paid such attention to trees before.

Behind it, John B's house came into view. Like JJ's fishing shack, it was run down, but still in reasonably good shape.

It even looked quite cozy, if not very luxurious.

As we climbed over the much-too-tall lawn and shrubs, I propped myself against JJ's shoulder.

It was uncomfortable, but my leg was already shaking with exertion.

On the patio sat the rest of the Pogues.

I could make out a large campfire area and the Pogues' old boat.

The property had to be really huge.

Besides, it was really beautifully situated.

Further ahead, the shore began and a long boardwalk led out to a small pavilion out on the water.

Ward Cameron would buy it in a heartbeat and put one of his mansions on it.

"There you are at last! What took you so long?", John B's loud voice rang out from the deck and already his head appeared from behind the sofa back.

"What the hell!" he snapped as his gaze fell on me.

Now Kiara and Pope also looked up. While Pope looked surprised and confused, Kiara looked at my face in disgust.

"What is she doing here?"

Kiara was sitting on an armchair with her ukulele on her lap. Pope sat across from her, tinkering with a fishing line. John B had been lying upside down on the sofa and was now completely perplexed.

"She's hurt. I had no choice but to take her. JB, you still have the first aid kit and that ointment, don't you?" explained JJ, helping me up the stairs.

John B frowned and I was eyed suspiciously by everyone, as if I could detonate a bomb at any time. After what they had done to the Camerons today, that concern was justified.

Kiara put her ukulele aside and straightened up.

With one look at my wounds, she immediately realized.

"Every child knows that this time of year the waters are teeming with Portuguese galleys!"

Kiara seemed upset, yet she stood up and looked at my reddened skin. By now, some numbness was spreading, but the pain did not subside.

"I'm really sorry that I don't have the know-how of a simple fisherman," I hissed, annoyed, and propped myself up against the wobbly railing.

Kiara now looked at Pope, who was also slowly approaching, almost frightened, and eyeing me.

"A simple fisherman wouldn't be so stupid, anyway," now came snidely from JJ, who rummaged in his pants pocket.

I glared at him angrily.

"JJ, what did you do?" asked Pope directly, and I realized that the alcohol had indeed probably not been a good idea.

The blond was now sitting on the sofa where John B had just been sitting. The other Pogue was standing behind Pope with his arms crossed, trying not to get in the way of the two.

"I disinfected the wounds," JJ muttered, putting a joint in his mouth. So that's what he'd gotten at his place.

A moment later, the click of his lighter sounded and he lit it.

"Just like a doctor. I saw it in the movie Pope made us watch!"

"Oh please don't!" it escaped Kiara.

"What? We only had vodka there, so I improvised."

Pope buried his face in his hands as Kiara was about to push JJ off the couch.

"Vodka? Are you out of your mind? You might as well have peed on it! Idiot," Kiara hissed, turning to the other two boys.

"Hey, at least I kind of helped. Could have left her there."

He clasped his hands behind his head and seemed pleased with himself as he blew smoke into the air.

Kiara just groaned in annoyance and pointed at Pope.

"You get the ointment and bandages, please! John B, get ice cubes in a cloth and JJ get a bottle of salt water!"

She threw an empty plastic bottle, harder than would have been necessary against his chest and when the boys disappeared without protest, I had to admit that I admired Kiara for her assertiveness.

I guess she was a kook deep inside after all.

"Come on! Sit down!" she urged me, so I did as she said, since she obviously had common knowledge about jellyfish stings.

Tentatively, I settled down on the sofa and watched as she sat down next to me.

"I don't see any more nettles.... That's good."

"Oh yeah?", I returned sarcastically, whereupon I got a threatening look.

"Don't think I'm helping you because I want to. I just want you to leave as soon as possible."

"Believe me, that's my fondest wish too."

At that moment, JJ came back and threw the water bottle to Kiara. Skillfully, she caught it and unscrewed the lid.

Without a word of warning, she poured the water down my side and then over my calf.

Instantly it burned again and I tried to breathe away the pain.

"You can thank JJ for that. Vodka... Really."

She still couldn't seem to believe that JJ had done that.

In fact, the stinging was starting to subside.

Now the other two returned as well.

Kiara handed me the cloth with the ice, which I eyed in disgust. It looked as if it had last been washed a decade ago.

"Press this on the wounds and the pain should go away completely!"

Tentatively, I did as she said and sure enough, the cold on my skin was liberating. First I pressed the ice underneath to my shoulder blade until the stinging disappeared and only the numbness remained.

Then I put my leg up and placed the cloth on my calf.

In the meantime, Kiara unwrapped the bandage stuff and took the ointment.

"This stuff will make the wounds heal quickly and not leave any scars," Pope explained calmly, leaning against the wall of the house next to John B.

„It's from my mom. Her ointments work like magic..."

„Great", I mumbled sarcastically. Pope immediately looked down on the floor, remembering who I was.

Kiara was now sitting behind me and I winced when I felt her cool fingers on my skin. She carefully probed the skin on my back and I felt like I was on display.

"Watch it," was the only thing she said before she pulled the strap of my bikini open with a flick of her wrist.

Panicked, I held the fabric pressed against my body before it would have fallen off.

Pope swallowed in a panic and turned to face the wall, John B had eyes as big as plates and it took endless seconds before he cleared his throat and averted his eyes as well.

JJ, on the other hand, was looking at me with that amused grin that made me go furious.

Along the way, Kiara spread the ointment on my back.

"The bikini was in the way. I'll bandage this now so the ointment can soak in," she muttered, taking the bandage off the table.

JJ made no effort to avert his eyes and seemed to be enjoying the show. He took a drag on the joint and looked challengingly into my eyes.

"That's very true, Kie! You should really get rid of the bikini completely," he said provocatively and obviously stared at my breasts, hoping to see something more.

Immediately, heat shot up my cheeks. John B cleared his throat loudly again and disappeared into the house with Pope.

It felt like an escape.

"Shut up! If you're not going to make yourself useful, get out of here and start a fire!", Kiara beat me to it and threw the empty water bottle at him again, which he caught this time.

He stood bolt upright and saluted.

"At your command, Captain!" he shouted and winked at me.

By now a huge knot had formed in my stomach, which wouldn't let me throw anything at him in return.

Already he was skipping down the stairs and sauntering down to the fireplace with the joint between his lips.

"He's always like that. Don't worry about it. Every girl he sees, he hits on. You're nothing special."

Kiara fastened the bandage around my body and tied my bikini back on. Even though her voice sounded cool, she no longer seemed so dismissive.

"I noticed that already. Thank you"

Then she began to tend to my leg.

"You really don't seem to like each other?" she said, smirking.

Directly, I shook my head.

"No... He's so incredibly rude and annoying."

"Yes that's true," she agreed, fastening the bandage.

"But still, he brought you here."

I didn't know the answer to that. After all, he just wanted to get rid of me again quickly, right?

⬇️

[7.]

© Yuna542 — 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

[yuna542]

🔙 [5.]

~The Greg Noll~

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader/Oc

Genre: Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Smut, Angst, Drama, Action

Warnings: Wounds, Banter, None

Taglist: Open

Word count: 2.5K

Summary: The Kook princess is back after a year and reignites the war between Pogues and Kooks on Kildare. But she quickly realizes that after this year, nothing is the same as before. Deception, secrets from the past, and dangerous conspiracies sweep across Kildare, leaving her no choice but to work with the Pogues and her personal nemesis to find the truth and maybe even $8 million. A dangerous treasure hunt begins that turns her world upside down.

Note: Hope you liked it till here. I would be very happy if you‘d write a comment or repost and let me know what you think. Have fun with the new chapter 🫶🏻

Soundtrack:

⏯️Play: Crash My Car by COIN

Walk in like a wrecking ball

The way she moves makes you miserable

All eyes on the golden girl

She's gonna tell ya, gonna tell ya

Fortunately, no one had been in the shed behind the hedge for years.

Not even the gardeners ventured into the unstable old shack. That was exactly why she had always liked to use that place as a hiding place.

Mom knew for a fact that Rick wouldn't bother to set foot in the dusty old ramshackle. The door creaked ominously and rays of sunlight shone through holes in the walls. It looked almost magical.

The smell of dust, wet wood, and earth rose to my nose.

The shed was empty except for a shelf on the wall.

Carefully, I stretched and groped on the top shelf.

I reached into cobwebs and contorted my face in disgust, but I didn't pull my hand back. Not that magical.

That's when I felt the fabric and got a hold of it. With a tug, I was able to grab it completely and pull it off the shelf. Dust swirled up in the bright rays of light, worsening my vision. Coughing I tried to drive the dusty air away from me.

However, all I could do was stare at the large bag in my hand. It was indeed still here.

I walked back out and placed the item upright in front of me. It was by now just a little taller than I was. Tensely, I searched for the zipper and opened it with bated breath. I looked at the surfboard in awe, stroking my fingers over the cool surface.

It looked exactly the same. The Greg Noll had been Mom's treasure. She had learned to surf with this board herself as a young girl and subsequently taught it to me.

The wooden color was crisscrossed by two bright red stripes that stretched across the entire board.

Immediately memories came up in me and my whole body longed for the sea and the high waves.

I only now realized how much I missed the surf trips with Mom. Even though we could only ever practice in secret, because I didn't want anyone to know about it.

It would be my personal downfall if the other Kooks found out that I was practicing a pogue sport and even liked it. Until I found out Topper surfed too and suddenly it was cool to do that...

But at the moment, I didn't care about those Kooks. I just wanted to feel as carefree again as I had only been on the waves.

So I unzipped all the way and jammed the board under my arm.

I looked around the street carefully and then stealthily turned into a sneaky path. A path that led from Figure Eigth directly to the Cut. It was a winding path through the woods, but it was fun to be so spontaneous and free again.

Rick would have torn me apart, but I didn't care at the moment. To him the reputation and the opinion of the others, especially the Island Club had always been more important than my interests and feelings. So I didn't have to consider his either. He wanted me to have good grates, go shopping, tan all day on the yacht or go golfing.

As I heard the surf already from afar, a ton of heavy weight fell from my shoulders.

The white bikini felt pleasantly warm on my skin and when I finally felt the sand under my feet, I automatically quickened my pace until I was running towards the water.

Once in the water, I swung myself onto the board and paddled out. The water cooled my heated skin and I welcomed the taste of salt on my lips like a lost friend.

The first attempts to catch a good breaker were really miserable and it took me forever to regain my balance, but that didn't make it any less fun. The waves weren't very practical today, barely any good barrels, but it was a liberating feeling to finally be back on the board.

As my legs were already shaking with exertion, I laid flat on the board and paddled along the coast. The sun was high in the cloudless sky and warmed my back.

I never wanted to get off the board again and would have loved to paddle around the whole island. At some point I reached the swamp at the Cut, where the paths on the water stretched out like a maze over endless expanses.

Here I had been only very rarely. It was too dangerous for a Pogue to see me there.

Nevertheless, I let myself drift a little and lay on my back. The familiar feel of the surfboard on my skin made me sigh.

The sun's rays shone in my face, making me close my eyes. I let my leg dangle off the board and enjoyed the cool breeze blowing over the water here.

I didn't know if I had been dozing like this for hours or if it had only been minutes, but my body was so relaxed that I could barely open my eyes.

Out here there was no Rafe yelling at me, no Kooks thinking I was the infallible princess, and no Rick condemning everything I did and taking his anger out on me.

Out here it was just me and the swamp. I could just be myself and breathe freely for the first time in days without that oppressive feeling on my chest.

That's when I felt a touch on my leg. Before I could react, a searing pain shot through my body and made me wince violently.

A scream escaped me and the burning evolved into a piercing sting.

I straightened up too quickly and lost my balance.

Panicking, I tried to hold on to the board, but that only made it worse. I toppled over and landed in the water. Gasping, I tried to pull myself back up, and that pain shot through me again, only this time below my shoulder blade, at my ribs.

I gritted my teeth and pulled myself back onto the board with the last of my strength. Panting heavily, I stared at my leg, which was already reddened.

Swollen wounds that looked like burns sat there and I didn't want to know what my back looked like.

Immediately I became angry at myself and wondered how I could be so stupid. I didn't know this area out here and hadn't even read up on jellyfish at this time of the year.

The pain pulsed under my skin and ate its way to my bones.

Seagulls flew overhead screeching loudly as if to mock me.

Now every movement cost an incredible amount of energy, as I had to fight against the drilling pain every time, so that I was exhausted after only a few minutes. Panting, I looked around, but the beach was too far away. Most definitely I wouldn't be able to make it.

I looked around on the water and thought feverishly.

Gradually, I could no longer stand the pain, so I headed for the nearest cove.

Between the dense deciduous trees on the shore was a small pebbly beach that seemed to lead to a sparsely populated area.

I must be somewhere in the middle of the Cut. Reaching the shore, I stumbled through the knee-deep water and dragged my board to the beach. There I laid it on the gravel and struggled up to the meadow behind the beach.

I needed to see where I was and then somehow get home without anyone seeing me.

This was going to be difficult as I could barely stand upright and my leg hurt with every step. The poison started to turn my stomach and I got sick. I looked around and spotted a small path that led to a run-down fishing shack.

In front of it were old ship engines and other junk everywhere that I couldn't name.

Next to the large hut was a smaller shed that must have been a workshop.

Where the hell had I ended up here?

I ran my hands through my hair, panting, trying to keep a clear head.

Fortunately, there didn't seem to be anyone at home who could catch me on their property. To be honest it didn’t look like someone should live in that torn down place anyway.

Now I looked at my leg more closely for the first time and cursed softly. Afraid someone might hear me.

The redness ran down my entire calf.

I would have a hard time hiding that. Immediately I wanted to keep walking, but the pain suddenly triggered dizziness, so I immediately sat down to avoid falling. I could feel the grass under my body and the throbbing on my shoulder had only gotten worse from the salt water.

Then suddenly I heard the rumbling of an engine behind the house. Then silence again. I just sat there and took a deep breath after another and tried with all my might to not throw up.

I couldn't lose control now.

"What has the tide washed up for me?" a taunting voice sounded behind me. I closed my eyes and wanted to sink into the ground as soon as I recognized him. I turned my head and spotted JJ holding a motorcycle helmet in his hands.

He was standing on the terrace of the house, placing the helmet on a plastic table. He must have come through the house to the terrace. So that meant he lived here.

With all the houses all over Kildare, I had to end up at Maybank, of all places.

„Fuck…“, I whispered before I looked at the sky to push the tears back. I kept silent, hoping that maybe he would just disappear, but it was in vain.

He was already coming down the creaking stairs and toward me. So I stood up and bit the inside of my cheek as pain shot through my limbs.

As he came closer, he seemed to recognize me, but not to believe his eyes. A toothpick was stuck in the corner of his mouth, which he casually removed for a moment.

"Diaz?" it escaped him incredulously as he took off his cap, ran his hand through his hair, and put it back on with the shield facing backwards.

"Believe me, if I had known this was your property, I wouldn't have...", I was already starting to justify myself, but at his smug grin, I fell silent.

"What the hell are you doing here, Kook?"

I was already thinking of countless possible lies that could explain my appearance, but his eyes fell already on the board behind me.

He walked past me and looked at it with shining eyes.

"Is that a Greg Noll?" he muttered incredulously, stroking the red stripes. As he did so, he shoved the toothpick back between his teeth.

"Unbelievable... It's in excellent condition. How did you get your hands on such a…“

Astonished, his gaze now wandered back to me and his expression became inquiring. I felt like a kid who had been caught stealing.

"You surf?" he asked with such an incredulous tone that it was starting to offend me.

"Every now and then," I muttered, since there was no point in lying now.

"I don't believe that... The Kooks' princess surfs like a pogue," JJ exclaimed, circling me.

I had a hard time following him, but I couldn't let him see my back. After all I didn't want any help from a pogue and besides, I was ashamed of my stupidity.

"If you tell anyone, you're dead."

Threateningly, I glowered at him, but he didn't make a face.

"No one would believe me anyway," he countered, taking a step toward me. I wanted to back away, but my leg hurt too much.

A soft gasp escaped me, whereupon the grin disappeared from his face. His gaze wandered searchingly over my features and he seemed to notice that I was studiously avoiding turning my back to him.

"What's wrong? You look like a ghost."

Sweat stood on my forehead and I was sure there was sand in the wound on my shoulder.

"Nothing," I pressed out, but the golden-haired didn't believe me.

He grabbed me by the arm and jerked me around. I almost cried out in pain, but bit my tongue at the last moment.

"Shit, did a jellyfish get you? Is that why you docked here? That looks terrible! It must hurt like crazy."

I turned back to him, wanting to scratch his eyes out.

"Yeah, obviously. Now leave me alone so I can finally get out of here."

He took a few steps back again.

"Do you even know how to treat a sting like that?"

He took the toothpick out of his mouth and flicked it away.

"I'll think of something," I hissed venomously.

He just raised his hands defensively and let me pass.

"I won't stop you."

Limping, I walked over to my board and tried to pick it up, but as soon as I bent down, the sting shot from my rib, over my shoulder, and into my chest, causing me to slump.

Before I hit the ground, however, he caught me and pulled me back to my feet by my waist.

"Are you sure you can do this by yourself? You can't even stand on your own. Those wounds should be treated before they get infected."

He looked at me and I expected him to laugh and scoff, but instead he really looked like he was worried. About me? Never.

Only for a tiny moment before he eyed me up and down and put on another smarmy grin.

Only now did I notice that he was still holding me in his arms. His hand was firmly on my hip and I was propped up against his chest.

Since he was only wearing an unbuttoned shirt that was way too big, I could feel his warm skin and his heartbeat right under my fingertips.

Angrily, I slapped his hand away and fixed him.

"And you want to help me or what?"

JJ just shrugged and buried his hands in the pockets of his pants.

"I could help you if you asked me nicely."

Provocatively, he looked me straight in the eye.

I was getting more and more irritated, and if I hadn't been hurt, I would have slapped him in the face long ago.

"Are you serious?", I snapped at him.

"You want me to get down on my knees and beg you?"

JJ grinned suggestively and raised his eyebrows. Immediately, I regretted my choice of words.

"Well, I definitely wouldn't mind you on your knees, of course."

He came closer again and clasped his hands behind his head.

"But for starters, a simple please will do."

Annoyed, I snorted, but I was beginning to realize that I did indeed need his help.

Even if I somehow got home, I wouldn't be able to fix myself up.

I couldn't let Sarah and Rafe know either, since Rick was home and that's where my cell phone was.

And I could never get to Figure Eigth alone in this condition.

Waiting, the Pogue looked at me and smirked in amusement.

"All right. Please help me," I pressed out, spitting out each word like poison.

He put his hands down and was now grinning broadly.

"There you go. Was that really so hard?," he replied, and without asking, slid his arm around my waist.

Perplexed, I clung to him as he simply lifted me bridal style and carried me up to the house.

As if I weighed nothing, he ran up the stairs and my face flushed with embarrassment. His defined abs were pressed tightly against my torso and I had to take my eyes off those sky blue eyes, before I would loose my mind.

⬇️

[6.]

© Yuna542 — 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

[yuna542]

🔙 [4.]

~Dynamite~

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader/Oc

Genre: Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Smut, Angst, Drama, Action

Warnings: Swearing, Bruises

Taglist: Open

Word count: 3k

Summary: The Kook princess is back after a year and reignites the war between Pogues and Kooks on Kildare. But she quickly realizes that after this year, nothing is the same as before. Deception, secrets from the past, and dangerous conspiracies sweep across Kildare, leaving her no choice but to work with the Pogues and her personal nemesis to find the truth and maybe even $8 million. A dangerous treasure hunt begins that turns her world upside down.

Soundtrack:

⏯️Play: I Ran (So far away) by A Flock Of Seagulls

“I never thought I'd meet a girl like you

With auburn hair and tawny eyes

The kind of eyes that hypnotize me through

... And I ran, I ran so far away

I just ran, I ran all night and day”

"Does it always have to be like this?" sighed Sarah, clearly annoyed, as the bubbling sounded from the bong whenever Rafe took a deep hit.

"Why don't you relax!" he shot back immediately, passing the bong to Topper, who was sitting next to him on the bench.

Sarah had taken a seat in the chair in front of me and gave her boyfriend a warning look. He actually seemed to consider for a millisecond, but then realized it wasn't worth the stress.

He passed the bong to me, but I shook my head in amusement.

Rafe looked at me in amazement.

"What, since when did we become so well-behaved?"

I straightened up a bit in the hammock hanging on the Camerons' large patio and gave Rafe the middle finger.

"I don't consume anything except alcohol," I asserted sanctimoniously, placing a hand over my heart, to which Sarah only snorted.

"You better believe it, cause no one else will," she muttered. So I nudged her shoulder with my foot and said:

"Hey. Don't say that! If Rick gets hears anything like that, he'll disinherit me.... Or worse."

Rafe laughed softly as he took the bong back.

"What else? Will he take your cell phone away for a few days then?" speculated Topper amusedly, stroking Sarah's legs as they lay across his lap.

I laughed, trying to hide the bitterness behind it. Of course, the three of them had no idea of the extent of the tantrums Rick had from time to time.

In the last year, I became painfully aware of how far he was willing to go.

I wanted them to continue to think that I was treated like a princess. The reputation of the rich spoiled girl appealed to me and brought with it many advantages.

Rafe looked at me calmly, which gave me goose bumps. He had this strange look on his face for days now. As if he wanted to read my mind and get inside my head.

Unconsciously, I pulled my skirt into place and tugged at the hem of my blue top.

Suddenly, we heard a car pull up in front of the driveway. Panicked, Rafe jerked his eyes open and tried to hide the bong under a pillow while Topper awkwardly grabbed the empty beer bottles so they clinked loudly.

"Shit, I thought Ward and Rose weren't coming back until tonight," he snapped as he jumped to his feet to catch a glimpse over the hedge.

"Yeah, that's what they told me," Sarah hissed, picking up a couple of the beer bottles as well.

I watched the commotion with amusement and stretched out in the hammock.

Let them deal with it. They were their parents, after all. That's when Rafe paused in his movement and listened to the sound of the engine.

"Wait a minute...", Topper now also mumbled and put the bottles back down.

Sarah was still hugging the empty bottles, pressing them to her chest and looked back and forth between Topper and Rafe, questioning.

Slowly I straightened up in the hammock and put my feet on the floor. That's when I realized it too.

"What's up? Why are we stopping?" asked Sarah frantically.

The engine was still running and that's when I heard the sound that confirmed my suspicions. The loud roar, followed by a bang.

The sliding door of a VW bus. A very specific VW bus.

Rafe started to walk off. He was already grinding his teeth furiously. Topper followed him and I also ran curiously behind.

Sarah followed only after a few seconds.

We crossed the garden and the sound of the engine became louder and louder.

"That's not... They're better not be serious," growled Rafe, who had already reached the big iron gate which separated the garden and the small path which led from the mansion to the street.

Behind it was a small courtyard of the estate, where there were only flower pots, an old garage and the big garbage cans.

Loudly squealing, it opened and we slipped through one by one.

That's when we finally discovered those responsible for the noise. The Pogues' shabby bus was still parked at the front of the street. John B was at the steering wheel while Pope sat in the back holding the sliding door open.

There were two missing. Rafe seemed to notice it, too, as he scanned the yard. He spotted the others, even before I did.

"Ey!" he suddenly yelled in the direction of the garbage cans.

Sure enough, there they were. JJ in a gray tank top that had probably once been white and with his hair sticking out under a bandana, shining in the sun, and next to him Kiara, who had her back to us.

"What are they doing?" came from Topper, but Rafe was already racing off, blind with rage.

"Guys, the Kooks!" shouted Pope loudly across the yard, causing the two to immediately look up and hurry off with whatever they were doing.

They were hunched over the big blue trash can that was right next to the yellow one. Slowly we followed Rafe across the cobblestones and as we got closer, I noticed that they must have broken open the trash can.

The lock was on the ground and next to it was a structure that looked suspiciously like marble. Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was one of the statues of Rose's garden.

A disgustingly ugly angel that was now missing its head and one arm.

It really wasn't a pity about that. Still we didn't understand what the Pogues were doing and why they even dared to go to Figure Eigth.

Kiara had pried open the lid of the barrel with both hands and was holding it open while JJ was handling something.

Rafe had already passed halfway across the yard when he threw several things into the garbage can.

"Faster!", I heard Kiara shout, to which JJ looked to Rafe. In his face you could still see the traces of the fight with him, yet not even a spark of fear shone in it, as Rafe now rushed towards him like a bulldozer.

Quite the opposite. I watched in amazement as he grinned broadly, as if he had only been waiting for Rafe.

Then another click and JJ tossed the last oblong piece into the garbage can.

"Go, go, go!", he screamed.

Kiara let go of the lid, which slammed loudly shut. Sarah was close behind as Topper passed me.

"This is just for you, you spoiled assholes! A little revenge!" shouted JJ, towards Rafe who was now speeding up.

Kiara passed JJ and ran to the bus, where Pope and John B were loudly calling out to them and cheering them on to run faster.

While Rafe and Topper chased the Pogues, I wondered what this was all about.

The Pogues sprinted for the bus and Topper took up the chase. He actually managed to catch up and grab JJ by the wrist halfway. He pulled him back, but before the Pogue could even react, Kiara had lunged and kicked his arm with all her might while sprinting.

Immediately he let go and his arm was yanked back. His entire body followed, he lost his balance and went down. Like a tire thrown out the window at full speed on the highway, he rolled over and landed on his back.

Sarah cried out and ran to him. Immediately, a loud groan rang out.

If he was lucky, he hadn't broken anything. However, my attention was now back on Rafe, who realized that he would not catch the bus in time.

So he turned around and ran back to the garbage can.

Subconsciously, I moved toward it as well. What had the Pogues planned? Breaking open the garbage can was not very evil and certainly not a revenge I would have expected from JJ.

I tried to remember what they had thrown in there. That specific clicking had sounded so familiar.

Rafe had almost reached the barrel.

The things had been oblong and reddish. The click resembled something that had burned itself into my subconscious.

It was on the tip of my tongue and the dark foreboding was already making its way through my swirling thoughts, but I couldn't grasp it.

Then Rafe lifted the lid and looked inside the barrel.

All at once the penny dropped and I stared at the Pogues.

JJ's eyes and mine crossed. They were back on the bus by now and seemed to be waiting for just one thing.

He raised his eyebrows meaningfully as our gazes wedged, and the sudden realization on my face seemed to catch his eye.

In confirmation, he tilted his head in anticipation and winked at me.

Snapped out of my stupor, I turned to Rafe and yelled:

"Get away from that barrel!"

But it was too late and Rafe, too, now seemed to finally see what was in the barrel.

The clicking in my head complemented the image of a lighter lighting a fuse.

The dynamite in the barrel exploded and the sudden detonation threw Rafe backwards. His surprised scream was only echoed by Sarah's. Half of the barrel shattered and to make matters worse, it was the paper barrel. Immediately, the entire contents began to burn and the flames blazed higher and higher. Burning scraps flew through the air like pigeons whose feathers had caught fire.

Panicked, Sarah stared at the burning barrel while Topper sat up on the ground, eyes wide.

That's when Rafe jumped up and I realized what had him so upset.

The sleeve of his college jacket had caught fire.

The red flames hungry reached for the fabric and nearly engulfed his entire arm.

Panicked, he shook the jacket off and threw it on the floor. Then he kicked it off. Shock was written all over his face and he seemed to be in pain. After all, the dynamite had exploded right in his face.

When I could finally move again, I ran to him and immediately stopped as the heat of the flames hit me.

The fire was spreading more and more in the barrel and if we waited just a few more seconds, it would spread to the hedge.

"Sarah! Fire extinguisher, now!", I shouted, wondering at my cool head.

Instead of panic and anger, I felt nothing. The scene seemed like it was miles away and yet I was in the middle of it.

Sarah reacted immediately and jumped up. Topper gasped in pain, and I saw that his right arm was scraped up from the elbow to the wrist.

Rafe was still stomping on the jacket to smother the flames.

Sarah was quick and back only a few seconds later. Immediately, she put out the fire.

In that time, Rafe picked up his jacket, which was now completely ruined.

We looked over at the Pogues. The corners of John's mouth slowly lifted, Pope looked startled but quite amused, and Kiara put her hand over her mouth in shock.

But JJ didn't even bother to hide his gloating. He snorted loudly and looked more than proud.

That gave Rafe the rest.

"That was a $700 jacket, assholes!"

He launched the next attempt to grab the Pogues, but he had no chance.

Before he could reach the car, they drove off bawling and yelping loudly.

He shouted all the insults and curses after them, while in the background only the fire extinguisher could be heard.

The fire had been smothered by now, but Sarah was still holding onto it.

It stank beastly of burnt paper and melted plastic. The barrel was now only half as big and also no longer blue, but black.

I held the back of my hand in front of my nose as the smoke bit into my lungs. It had been clear to me that the Pogues would take revenge, but not in such an exaggerated way.

The war between the Pogues and the Kooks was probably more violent and emotional than I had thought.

When I thought of the pure rage in Rafe's eyes and the gloating in JJ's, it made me feel nervous.

Immediately, I wondered how far this war would go, if they were not going to stop at violence, arson, and damage to property.

Rafe was beside himself and kicked the trash can violently.

"Shit damn it! How are we going to explain this to Dad?"

Sarah set the extinguisher down, exhausted, and wiped her hands on her shorts.

"We'll figure something out."

"Just report the bastards," Topper gasped now.

He had picked himself up and dragged himself over to us. His arm really didn't look good and there were even pebbles stuck in the bloody bruise.

"Topper, you should take this to the doctor," I remarked. Sarah agreed with me.

He resisted at first, but then gave in.

Sarah and he went into the house and then made their way to the doctor.

In the meantime, I helped Rafe close the barrel again and roll it out to the street, as it really stank disgustingly.

"That was a close call," I muttered as we silently eyed the disaster.

For the first time I really looked at Rafe, as he had been so quiet all along.

His gaze was blank and expressionless.

I only now noticed the redness on his cheek.

"Rafe, you're hurt."

Carefully, I tried to touch his cheek, but he flinched violently. He looked at me icily and the sudden anger made me falter.

Something about his manner was not right. It was as if a volcano lay dormant beneath the surface of the water, ready to erupt at any moment and do immense damage.

"Sky, I'll handle this.... You can go."

His words were as blunt as his expression.

"I can help. You don't have to do this alone. Ward will surely understand, after all..."

"Just get finally out of here, Sky!" he interrupted me harshly, and for a moment he regretted his outburst.

However, his face immediately resumed that cool expression that scared the hell out of me.

I didn't know him like that. He had never spoken to me like that.

Just as he had never lashed out at anyone and punched them until they spat blood, but times changed and so did people.

I wanted to say something, but then decided against it and closed my mouth again. Then I nodded silently and turned around without another word.

My bicycle was still leaning against the fence.

I swung on it and rode past Rafe.

The sun danced its light seductively across the street and the cool sea breeze ran through my curls.

I pedaled harder, trying to shake off the chaos in my head.

Rafe was so different. That hatred in his eyes was something I had never seen in him before.

Upset, I pulled into our driveway and thought about what I should do now.

Automatically, my hand went to the pendant that was around my neck. The cool silver was soothing against my skin and whenever I touched it, I felt a hint of the security my mother had always given me.

But it was just an echo so far back that it hurt immediately.

I got off my bike and leaned it carelessly against the railing of ornate white stone that led up to our front door.

Rick hated it when I parked my bike here. Anything that detracted from the image of a perfectly manicured property, he hated.

But I didn't care at the moment. Let him yell at me again.

That's what everyone was doing at the moment anyway.

The pain in my chest only got worse with the familiar sea breeze. Everything on this damn island reminded me of Mom, and although I had successfully repressed thoughts of her for a year, I was now finding it harder and harder not to think of her in Kildare.

My fingers were still wrapped around the pendant. I ran over the small waves, lost in thought, imagining her smiling at me.

The mansion loomed over me, like a menacing turn, and it was foreign to me at the moment.

I had nothing left of her except that necklace.

Rick had banished anything that might remind him of her. He'd had the walls in the living room and bathrooms repainted, since lilac had been her favorite color.

Then he had given away the pretty white cabinets I had bought with her at a garage sale.

I thought it was awful at the flea market, among all the people from the Cut, and I had prayed that no one would see me there. Those cabinets were gray and worn, but Mom still wanted to take them home.

She had made me paint the cabinets with her and I finally had to admit that I really liked them.

Everything else she had even touched, he had gotten rid of thoroughly, almost pedantically.

Except me, although he probably would have liked to.

I paused for a moment as something occurred to me. The ripples on the trailer stirred a memory that was deeply rooted in my heart.

He hadn't made all of her disappear.

Excited, I jumped off and hurried over through the garage, through the big backyard and past the pool.

⬇️

[5.]

© Yuna542 — 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

[yuna542]

🔙 [3.]

~Who surfs in a storm?~

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader/Oc

Genre: Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Smut, Angst, Drama, Action

Warnings: Nothing

Taglist: Open

Word count: 2,2k

Summary: The Kook princess is back after a year and reignites the war between Pogues and Kooks on Kildare. But she quickly realizes that after this year, nothing is the same as before. Deception, secrets from the past, and dangerous conspiracies sweep across Kildare, leaving her no choice but to work with the Pogues and her personal nemesis to find the truth and maybe even $8 million. A dangerous treasure hunt begins that turns her world upside down.

Soundtrack:

⏯️Play -Runaway Kids by HARBOUR

“Where we've gone, it all just feels the same

I found that sun

Wouldn't you know, now I miss the rain

We're the runaway kids

Let's escape, we'll get there some day

Hey yo, don't you know

Life's too short to take it slow

We go where we wanna go”

The next days I spent 24/7 with Sarah. Topper and Rafe were also there from time to time, but Sarah and I had a lot to talk about and to catch up on. In the evenings we usually all sat together and drank secretly from Ward's alcohol, cooked together or ordered pizza.

But today we had planned a girls-only day. We had ridden our bikes to the beach and drank wine that Sarah had stolen from her stepmother's closet.

The sun was high in the sky, warming our faces and heating the air up. The sand was pleasantly warm and the sea breeze gave us a little cooling. Still, it was too hot for me even in my jean shorts and the red bikini top.

We were already chatting all day and lying in the sun, when the first clouds started to build right above us. The wine bottle was almost empty, the alcohol turning our checks red and we giggled incessantly about everything. Sarah brought me up to date on all the gossip on Kildare and that was quite a bit after a whole school year. I missed a lot.

It almost felt like the old days. Sarah had hardly changed and I really enjoyed my time with her. I had long since forgiven her for not getting in touch. I was just glad to have a friend I could trust and have fun with. Yes, she was a spoiled little princess, a daddy's girl, but she was warmhearted after all. That's what always differentiates her from the other Kooks and made her also an easy target.

"Can I ask you something?", I began, tying my hair into a high ponytail. We had gotten back on the topic of boys and even if I liked Topper, the idea of seeing the two of them together was weird.

"Sure."

She looked at me tensely and took a sip from the wine bottle. They started to date right after I left Kildare and to see them interact was kinda strange. The superficial acting was kinda obvious to me, even though Sarah doesn't seem to see it or she didn't care.

"You and Topper... Have you guys slept together yet?"

I wiggled my eyebrows and paused meaningfully.

Sarah inhaled loudly, then shook her head.

"No. It hasn't come to that yet."

I nodded and looked out at the ocean. Just as I thought. The waves were really high today and something magically drew me out onto the water. The intense blue shimmered seductively in the sunlight and was only interrupted by the foam of large breakers.

"What about you and Rafe?" she asked then, handing me the bottle.

"What do you mean?"

I gave her a curt look as she eyed me with raised eyebrows and disbelief.

"Don't play dumb with me! You know damn well he's had a crush on you since forever. When you moved away, he didn't leave his room for days."

I pressed my lips together. Of course, I knew Rafe had his eye on me and before the incident I had even toyed with the idea of giving it a chance.

But then everything got mixed up and drowned into chaos. Rafe still seemed to be interested in me and that strengthened my self-confidence, after I had only rejected all the guys over the last year. After all, I had seen how he had been adored on the beach. He had grown into a tall, handsome young man over the past year and the female world in Figure Eigth was at his feet.

"I don't know... That was so long ago."

Sarah handed me the bottle and I took a big sip.

"It hasn't for Rafe. He's obsessed with you. For real it's annoying."

We had been very good friends in the past. With him I had smoked my first joint, skipped school for the first time and drank alcohol. We were inseparable until he started sending strange signals.

At first it bothered me, but after a while I liked his attention. I played with him without really knowing what I was doing. I mean all girls were happy to have the attention of an admirer, right?

Now that I was back here, the game started all over again.

Maybe this time I would actually give it a try with him. After all, he was good looking, came from a good home, and was always friendly to me. And we were not children anymore.

Glancing up at the sky, I felt queasy. A storm was brewing over the sea. The dark clouds thickened and an ominous wind blew toward us. The air was electrically charged and it already smelled like a thunderstorm.

"There's quite a storm coming," I remarked, letting the soft sand trickle through my hand.

Sarah looked to the horizon as well and nodded.

"Yeah, that looks nasty. We should start heading back."

"There's still time," I countered, and though the clouds seemed intimidating, they fascinated me in equal measure. Just as the sea always had. I probably got that from my mother.

Sarah started to put the bottles into the basket of her bicycle. She was restless because of the thunderstorm and I couldn't blame her. Here on Kildare the storms were different. They were unpredictable and incredibly strong. Hurricanes could hit the island at any time and you didn't want to be outside when a beast like that grabbed the island and threw it around, like his personal toy.

In fact, I could already see the first drops falling from the sky and darkening the sand, while the gusts of wind tore more and more violently at my hair.

Suddenly there were shouts and two people were running across the beach. Both had a surfboard under their arms and seemed to be racing each other.

At that moment, the first drop of water fell on my forehead.

Sarah seemed to be getting raindrops as well.

"Come on! Let's get out of here!"

I squinted my eyes and watched as the two boys laid their boards on the sand and looked out to sea as if searching for suitable waves.

Finally, I recognized them.

"Hey, Sarah? What are Maybank and John B doing by the ocean in weather like this?"

Sarah stood next to me and looked over as well.

"What do I know? Those two are completely insane. They surf in storms a lot."

I watched in disbelief as the two of them watched the restless sea as if they couldn't wait for the storm.

The wind swirled my hair around my head and goosebumps spread across my skin.

That's when John B turned around and spotted us. He whispered something to JJ and wanted to remain discreet. However, JJ immediately whirled around and waved at us ironically.

Sarah sighed in annoyance, while John B also looked over at us, obviously unsure if he should greet or just ignore us.

Behind them, the darkness of the threatening clouds was punctured by lightning.

JJ had only a bluish tinge left under his left eye but you could still see the cut on his lip where Rafe hit him.

"John B has been working on our boat for quite a while now. His father disappeared at sea a few months ago and was pronounced dead," Sarah told me in passing.

"You remember Maybank," she added with a smirk when she saw me eyeing him.

"Yes, I do. How could I forget that dickhead. But he changed. At least from the outside.”

I just realized that again. His tanned upper body was muscular and defined. In general, he had become outrageously attractive. For pogues, the two of them were actually very handsome. Like two stray dogs who were dirty, but still beautiful to look at.

"Only on the outside. He still fucks up every chance he gets. No wonder with that father... The man has been suspected of smuggling several times. The police is almost every week at their front door. JJ has probably become even more brazen and stupid over time due to the illegal influence."

I immediately believed that, thinking about the fight with Rafe.

"Shit, they're coming," Sarah remarked, running to her bike to lift it out of the sand.

I, on the other hand, remained seated and looked at JJ, who was casually sauntering toward us with a certain mischievousness in his eyes. John stopped at the water's edge and didn't seem too pleased with JJ's behavior.

"Are you girls lost? Aren't you two on the wrong side of the island?"

Provocatively, he stood up in front of me and looked down at me. His gaze traveled over my face and then up and down my body. I unconsciously grabbed my mother's necklace. His remarks made immediately angry.

Mom had always taken me here in the past. This is where she had learned to surf herself and she had insisted on showing me too. I grabbed my necklace even harder to calm my breathing. Just a few weeks before she died, she had given me the necklace, so it had a special meaning for me and calmed me. Mostly. It consisted of a small silver cylinder with sweeping engravings on it. They looked like little waves traveling across the silver. It gave me little waves of warm energy every time I touched it.

"I don't see a sign with your name on it anywhere."

I pretended to look for such a sign and then looked up at him again, waiting.

Then the silence was shattered by a low rumble and more raindrops fell on us.

"Come on! The storm's coming."

Sarah had already grabbed the handlebars of her bike. Only my pastel blue bike was still in the sand.

"You're seriously going to surf in this storm?", I asked mockingly as I slowly picked myself up and swept the sand off my shorts.

"Of course. That's when's the most fun."

His eyes sparkled with anticipation, but I could only frown. These Pogues were indeed all crazy. And really really stupid.

"I see you've recovered," I commented, smiling sweetly, pointing at his bruised face.

JJ just laughed snidely.

"I've never been better. Since you’re back, you should know that you Kooks better stay away from the Cut, or it won't end well for either of you."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?"

I crossed my arms and continued to stare at him unflinchingly. These little arguments were actually a little fun by now.

"No, no not at all. Just a friendly hint."

He smiled dryly and the rain increased. Sarah stepped uneasily from one leg to the other, and all at once a bright flash of lightning ripped the sky directly above us, followed shortly by loud thunder.

I winced violently and Sarah let out a scream. JJ looked up at the sky in amusement, letting the rain pelt his face.

"I'm better off without your hints. Maybe you'll kill yourselves out there and then I won't have to tell Rafe anything."

"Pff.. You Kooks just don't know anything about surfing. It's really fun in a storm," he replied, giving his friend an amused look.

I turned to Sarah to turn my attention away from his abs, glistening deliciously from the rain.

"You were right. He's even dumber than he was a year ago."

JJ ran a hand through his now wet hair and tilted his head a little.

"And you're even more arrogant and annoying than before. That that's even possible... Is that what they teach you at your great Kook schools?"

I shook my head in annoyance.

"Let's get out of here! Rafe is probably already waiting," I said, addressing Sarah.

My provocation hit the mark, causing JJ to snort snidely and the smile to disappear from his face. The waves became louder and louder and roared ominously. Now I was starting to feel more queasy, too.

"Come on! You don't want to keep your prince waiting."

John B had already taken his surfboard and wandered into the bubbling water.

"Just shut the fuck up, Maybank," I hissed, to which he just grinned wider again.

His provocations were getting on my nerves so much, and when he now slowly walked backwards while throwing me an air kiss, I wanted to punch him.

Then he turned and ran down the beach. He grabbed his board and threw himself into the water with it.

Stunned, I could only shake my head again.

I grabbed my bike and swung myself on it. Silently we drove through the rain and tried to get against the increasing wind. All the while, I just couldn't get that annoying grin and blue eyes out of my head.

I was annoyed that I kept getting involved in his provocations, but on the other hand I had seen that myself too could irritate him quite easily. That was exactly the satisfaction I searched for. This idiot had no idea who he was messing with.

But he would most certainly know soon.

⬇️

[4.]

© Yuna542 — 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

[yuna542]

🔙 [2.]

~The Return of the Kook-Princess~

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader/Oc

Genre: Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Smut, Angst, Drama, Action

Warnings: Physical Fight, Blood, Swearing

Taglist: Open

Word count: 2,4k

Summary: The Kook princess is back after a year and reignites the war between Pogues and Kooks on Kildare. But she quickly realizes that after this year, nothing is the same as before. Deception, secrets from the past, and dangerous conspiracies sweep across Kildare, leaving her no choice but to work with the Pogues and her personal nemesis to find the truth and maybe even $8 million. A dangerous treasure hunt begins that turns her world upside down.

Soundtrack:

⏯️Play: Left Hand Free by alt-J

“Well, your left hand's free

And your right's in grip

With another left hand

Watch his right hand slip

Towards his gun

Oh, no”

Sky PoV.

My first day was completely uneventful. Other than sorting out my things and finished cleaning my room, I had done nothing. Our new property, Lionelly Ville, was still stunning. However, Rick had done some renovations. It bordered a large pool with a terrace and a verdant garden lined with colorful flowers.

Early the next morning, Sarah Cameron was at my door.

I had texted her that I was back and she had immediately pulled me into a tight hug, as if she hadn't ghosted me for a whole year.

We walked a beat together and I couldn't help but notice that very little had changed around here. The same people, the same houses, and the same warm breeze swept the streets.

Figure Eigth was still as clean as before and full of magnificent mansions, shiny cars and pretty gardens.

In the evening, there was a celebration at the Cut. Sarah, her boyfriend Topper, and Rafe picked me up and together we headed out. At the Cut, however, the houses seemed even more broken and the holes in the streets bigger than before. It was like entering another world that resembled a garbage dump. Still, the beach here was the most beautiful. It stretched for several miles and the sand was white as ivory. The sun was already beginning to set and the sound of the sea made me breathe a sigh of relief already from afar.

The sea here was very different from everywhere else. It welcomed you and the smell of salt in the air and the sun's rays on the sand was unique. It reminded me of home and filled me with a comforting feeling.

Loud music could be heard from far away and there were already some people there.

"Did you miss the beach?" asked Rafe, looking at me from the side as we climbed over the dunes.

"Definitely. Nassau is beautiful, but the beaches don't compare to these."

As soon as we got closer, heads started turning and I was eyed curiously. Most of them seemed to be thinking how they knew me, after all I had changed a lot.

My hair was longer, my skin more tanned and my figure more feminine. I had clearly stronger curves, a slim waist and sharper facial features, only I had not grown.

Immediately the whispering began when I was recognized by the first. Everyone on this island knew my story. I was the Kook princess who had lived the perfect life until her mother completely lost it and jumped off the balcony.

"Looks like you're going to have to give up your throne again, Cameron!" someone suddenly shouted. Sarah and Topper stopped and looked over at the small group watching us.

„The same rats as before," Rafe said, pointing to the Pogues. I recognized Kiara immediately and Pope had hardly changed either.

Kiara sat in the sand and looked at me coolly. Sarah had told me that they were no longer friends, but rather something like arch-enemies.

I wasn't surprised, considering who she hung out with.

Kiara and I had never had a close relationship, although I would have liked to get along better with her. However, it would have hurt my image, especially now that she was hanging out with those Pogues.

I smirked and eyed the other two boys. With these two, it took me a moment to recognize them. They had indeed changed. The one with the cap sitting crookedly on his head, had to be John B. He had hardly been to school and in general I had seen him very few times. Sometimes he had been on the Cameron's yacht working while Sarah and I had been there tanning. He always was cute, but now he evolved. He had become handsome. With his puppy-eyes and the charming smile you wouldn’t think he was a little shit, with no manners and nothing but stupid ideas in his head.

My gaze lingered a second longer on the cheeky blond and when I recognized him, I suppressed a surprised sound. That could only be JJ Maybank.

The guy who had been giving me a hard time and headaches here on Kildare for ages. We'd loathed each other since third grade. It all started on a steaming hot day, when he'd once threw a dead fish on me while I was eating lunch with Rafe and Sarah at school. It was humiliating and I would never forget the smell, which clung on me like chewing gum for days.

He was now quite a bit taller than me and had grown broad shoulders. You could see his defined torso through the long slits on his tank top that looked like he had cut them in himself. Or ripped it accidentally.

His hair was long and all messed up. They gave him this devilish expression that was only enhanced by the intense blue of his eyes, which seemed to always sparkled treacherously.

The shining sapphires roamed up and down my body as Kie asked:

"What are you doing here?"

It sounded like an accusation.

"I'm living here again. My stepdad found new work," I explained tersely, trying to ignore JJ's piercing gaze. He had that dirty grin on his lips that I remembered from before.

Then I turned away, no longer seeing any point to the conversation.

The Pogues were poor bastards and scum who were always looking for stress. It was best if you could just ignore them.

The eternal war between Kooks and Pogues was still in full swing, as I could see from Rafe's expression.

As it slowly got darker, I drank vodka shot after vodka shot with Rafe and eventually the world started to turn a little. I danced with Sarah to the music and moved my hips to the beat.

Topper and Rafe watched us and applauded as we twerked and goofed around.

That's when I felt a look at my back and turned around. Sure enough, there stood JJ, looking right at me.

Kie seemed to have taken his beer away from him and he was swaying a bit on his feet.

"Hey, princess! Would you dance on me like that sometime?" he called over, grinning stupidly.

Rafe shot up from his seat and fixed the blond pogue aggressively.

JJ moved closer while Kiara crossed her arms behind him and rolled her eyes as if she knew what was coming. But she did not stop him.

"Or do I have to pay like all the others?" he added provocatively, tilting his head.

"You couldn't pay that price even with four jobs, asshole," I retorted, to which Sarah laughed. JJ just wanted to provoke. Nothing else. But it worked. This guy was getting on my nerves just by being there, and his stupid grin only made it worse.

Just then Pope and John B joined us. They stood beside Kiara and observed the situation. Everyone seemed drunk. Especially Rafe and JJ.

"I doubt it's worth the money," he muttered, looking down at me.

"I guess you'll never know, idiot," I shot back disgusted, the alcohol making the feelings swirl twice as hard. When no reply came back, I turned away indifferently and returned Rafe's satisfied smile.

"Oh, all I have to do is ask every other guy here, if I remember correctly.“

The comment finally achieved its effect now and I was starting to get pissed. He had just called me a slut in front of everyone. Topper sucked in a sharp breath, Sarah glared at me, and Rafe took a few steps toward JJ.

"Just shut the fuck up!" he snapped at him, but JJ seemed completely unimpressed, even though Rafe was taller than him and way more intimidating.

"Is your self-confidence really so puny that you have to defend your turf, Kook?"

He spat out the last word like an insult.

Maybank sparkled provocatively at Rafe, who was now slowly growing angrier. You had to hand it to the Pogue. He knew how to really get someone riled up.

"You should get out of here with your little Pogue friends while you still can," he growled, his nose almost touching JJ's.

"Come on, it's not worth it!" shouted Kiara, taking a step toward her friend, trying to pull him back on his shoulder.

But things were just getting exciting now. Amused, I followed the argument, while Sarah also tried to calm Topper, who wanted to go to Rafe.

"I'm not afraid of you, Cameron," JJ replied calmly, and you could clearly see that he meant it.

He stood tall and didn't back away an inch. His blue eyes bored full of stubbornness into those of Rafe, who was now becoming more and more aggressive.

The tension in the air was palpable and you could almost smell the excess testosterone. The alcohol and darkness only increased the emotionality.

"Let's see if you still say that when I'm smacking your stupid face. Don't you dare even look at her again!"

Rafe's carotid artery popped out and his face turned red. JJ, on the other hand, was still grinning broadly, only his jaw twitched tensely. Out of pure provocation, JJ now turned to me again and put on a charming smile.

"Princess, you really should put a leash on your guard dog, otherwise..."

But that was as far as he got. Inside Rafe seemed to blow a fuse, he pushed JJ hard away from him in a second and followed it up with a punch right in his face. Screams went up and the crowd around us automatically increased in size. People were whispering and the music was turned down.

JJ staggered back a few steps and I watched in surprise that he just took the punch with a shake of his head, even though it probably would have knocked someone else out immediately. He grabbed his lip, which was now split open, and looked at the blood on his fingers. Slowly, he lifted his gaze, and as he did so, the corners of his mouth moved upward.

"That was all? That tickled at best, you weak snob. Running your mouth and then there's nothing behind it. Typical Kooks!"

I didn't understand why he kept provoking Rafe, but it was funny to watch. However, only I felt that way. Sarah was calling out to Rafe and even Topper was trying to calm him down.

Why didn't they just let the two of them fight and then it would be over? It was always like that. It seemed like Sarah was even afraid of the escalation. I still didn't understand why.

Rafe immediately rushed at him again, grabbed him by the legs and smashed JJ to the ground.

Tangled into each other, they rolled through the sand and punched each other over and over again. JJ hit him hard in the face several times, but Rafe was so intoxicated he didn't seem to notice.

Gradually I understood Sarah and Topper's panic. Rafe was losing control of his own rage. He was caught in a whirlpool of anger, adrenaline and hatred that shut down all rational thought.

Sarah screamed incessantly for the two of them to stop. John B was cheering loudly for JJ, while Kiara was shouting the same thing as Sarah, at JJ, but the boys heard nothing. They kept hitting, punching, pulling each other off their feet again and shoving each other violently into the sand. Pope tried to get between them, but John B held him back.

That probably wasn't such a stupid thing to do. The Pogue would probably be torn between the two. The hatred in Rafe's eyes and the anger in JJ face were frightening, yet I couldn't look away. Even though Rafe was older, bigger, and physically superior, JJ held his own ground amazingly well. He took a hell of a beating and actually still managed to shout provocative comments.

Then Rafe suddenly landed on top of him and pressed his arms to the floor with his knees. JJ looked at him with a grin that gave me goosebumps.

Rafe was blinded by anger and kept punching his face until the shouts around him got so loud that I started to get scared after all. JJ's face was covered in blood and it was no longer a small beating. I realized that Rafe was going to kill him if no one intervened.

Despite everything, JJ remained conscious and even the grin did not disappear.

It was almost as if he was enjoying it. As if he was used to this ordeal and had wanted exactly that to happen.

Kiara shrieked almost as hysterically as Sarah did and Topper also yelled at Rafe to stop.

"You're killing him! It‘s enough!"

The onlookers were getting quieter now. Where before they had been cheering for the boys, now they began to be embarrassedly silent or excitedly whispering. Everyone was paralyzed.

Finally John B did intervene and jumped in behind Rafe. He grabbed him by the neck and yanked him away from JJ in a headlock.

Topper came to his rescue and pulled Rafe behind him before he could go after John B as well. Everyone silently agreed, that it was enough.

There was a crazy glint in his eyes that made him look completely insane. His eyebrow was busted open and blood was pouring out of his mouth.

Sarah and Topper forcibly yanked him away and tried to remove him from the beach. He ran his hand through his sweaty hair and still fixed his eyes on JJ, who was lying on the ground, breathing heavily and looking up at the sky.

I did not show it, but I was impressed. JJ was tougher than he looked. The blood on his face contrasted extremely with his blond hair and the grin became a raspy laugh.

He coughed and spat a gush of blood into the sand. Kiara knelt by him while the other Pogues put themselves between him and the others.

"Your little sister hits harder, Rafe!" he shouted, lifting himself up, but falling back into the sand.

Shaking my head, I looked at the Pogue. He had to be completely crazy. Even though he was lying in the sand with his face covered in blood, he was laughing as if he had won.

Looking at Rafe like that, and the people around us, I realized that JJ may not have won the fight physically, but on a mental level he was the clear winner and everybody knew.

"Let's get out of here!" determined Sarah, shoving Rafe hard toward the residential neighborhood. I paused for another moment, watching JJ ignore Kiara, who was trying to help him.

That's when our eyes crossed and he winked at me almost flirty while wiping the blood from his lips with the back of his hand. I shook my head in bewilderment, but had to smile at his audacity.

Then I followed the others.

"Just run after your Prince Charming, little princess!" he called after me, whereupon I only raised my middle finger in the air without turning around.

⬇️

[3.]

© Yuna542 — 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.