don’t move.

pairings. jj maybank x fem!reader, but a little rafe cameron x fem!reader tension

about.when rafe finds out john b’s back and raids the chateau, no one’s there to be found… except reader.

warnings.foul language, guns

ricky rocks. idek, maybe i’ll make a part two lmk ig

“can i help you, boys?”

rafe cursed lowly to himself as he turned slowly along with barry, gripping his gun tightly.

“did you not check the house?” rafe grunted lowly towards barry who only frowned hard, looking at you and then to the shotgun you had gripped highly.

you had been hid snug in the coat closet of the chateau, almost terrified out of your wits as you had heard someone ransack the small home; but coming upon realization it was only rafe and his goon, barry, your fear went out the window as you had quite literally watched the two of them from the window before quickly searching the room you and jj both shared for the shotgun you had stolen from your father’s old and neglected gun cabinet.

you weren’t afraid.

“y/n,” rafe seemed hesitant, eyeing you as if trying to figure out how to get out of this situation, but he knew he couldn’t with the high possibility of you shooting him with any drastic move he’d make. “just thought i’d pay you and your old friend john b a visit.”

of course.

“what?”

“you know, the guy who used to live here? brown hair, had a thing for my sister.”

“rafe, what the fuck are you talking about?”

“i think you know what i’m talking about,” he attempted to take a step closer to you, but only for you to cock the shotgun. it made him back up fast, raising his arms up slowly. “y/n.. you don’t want to shoot me.”

“really?” you quirked a brow, wanting him just to explain why.

“you don’t want my dead body on your conscious.”

“you would know what that’s like, wouldn’t you, rafe?”

he clenched his jaw, directing his line of vision away from you and to the ground, as if he was holding himself back; talking himself down.

“just.. put your gun down, girly,” barry’s eyes switched between you and rafe, attempting to undermine any harm rafe could play out right now if he didn’t say anything.

you weren’t scared, but you knew what rafe was capable of. you knew he probably wasn’t afraid of hurting you and the only thing keeping him from that was barry and your gun.

“you first,” you nodded toward the handgun they both held to their sides. barry almost trying his best to hide his from your line of sight as he shifted it close behind him.

“look, i know you’re lying,” rafe spoke again, practically charging toward you with the wide step he took toward you. “and i won’t hurt you…” the barrel of the gun touched his chest and he didn’t even flinch, “if you just tell me the truth.”

his hand reached out, attempting to touch your face till you flinched away fast, elbowing his arm away fast, “don’t fucking touch me, asshole.”

“what’re you going to do,” he laughs, shifting back on his feet. “you’re just a little girl with a gun.”

“rafe let’s just leave.”

“a girl that knows how to use a gun.”

“then prove it, y/n,” he dips his head toward you with a mocking smile, challenging you, “shoot that big gun of yours, little girl.”

“your daddy’s not here to save you this time rafe, you sure you want to me to do that?”

“rafe, let’s go,” barry grabs onto his broad shoulder, trying to pull him off from his leaning position, his daring position. “rafe.”

“do it.”

“rafe!” barry roughly pulled him away from you, almost sending him to the ground before pushing him aside as if speaking to him privately, “what’re we fucking doing, man, it’s obvious they’re not here.”

“it’s obvious-“

“nah, knock it the fuck off,” barry’s eyes met yours for a split second before looking back to rafe. “let’s get out of here.”

you watched them walk off slowly before rafe turned around while slowly walking backward, “this isn’t over, trader.”

his words were sour and you could feel your blood beginning to pulse through your veins even faster than before. maybe… you were a bit afraid.

“are you okay?” you felt jj’s arm wrap around your waist the moment his feet hit the ground.

“yeah,” you breathed out, leaning into his grasp after you dropped the gun. “there’s no one like rafe cameron.”

navigation.

@aliyahsutherland@multifandom-obsessed@herejustforjj@gabiatthedisco@em-mae05@brie-gr3y@cryinginsanity@rebbyr@thecraziestcrayon@thomaslefteyebrow@imagines-r-s@rejectedfan@cc13723things@smartgirlhuh@fruitiseavey@black-rose-29@rrosecar@rudypankowisdaddy@i-love-scott-mccall@rottenstyx@ravi0liii@greengarsstuff@rowena-ravenclaws-diadem@felixulvr@demigirl-with-problems@sunsetcurve-95@hizziestial@aliyahsutherland@multifandom-obsessed@herejustforjj@gabiatthedisco@brie-gr3y@cryinginsanity@imagines-r-s@rejectedfan@cc13723things@smartgirlhuh@felixulvr@demigirl-with-problems@sunsetcurve-95

Tempest and Gin pt. 2  ✘JJ Maybank✘

for the first part of this story, click here!

word count - 5.8k
warnings - brief mentions of past abuse, swearing
synopsis - the day before your father’s arraignment brings new challenges, while your friends attempt to make you forget about the entire thing for just one night. 
a/n - These updates will unfortunately be a lot slower than the updates you had for Ocean and Alcohol, since I’m starting school tomorrow. It breaks my heart, really, but I’ll be updating as much as possible! Also, sorry of the lack of JJ gif, they’re getting harder to find, lol. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay groovy, folks!

***

“You smell good.”

“JJ, shut up. I’m trying to sleep.” 

He was quiet for a few moments and you shifted, shutting your eyes tighter. JJ also shifted, letting out a heavy sigh. You felt yourself slipping into sleep again when JJ rolled over with another breath. You popped open an eye, glaring behind you. With a breath of your own, you rolled over to face him. 

JJ was lying on his back, his hands behind his neck, and staring up at the ceiling. His eyes were wide open. When you rolled over, he glanced down at you. 

“Can’t sleep?” He asked you, voice at a whisper.. 

You raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Hard to sleep when the bed keeps moving,” you told him. 

“Sorry ‘bout that,” he said, turning onto his side to face you. You wiggled closer to him until you were just a few inches apart. “You do smell good though.” 

“Thanks.” It was a simple compliment, but you still felt your cheeks grow warm. “You smell good, too.” 

JJ let out a laugh. 

“No, I don’t.” 

“No, you don’t.” 

JJ rolled his eyes. He lifted his hand and brushed a bit of hair out of your face. Tingles ran up your spine at his touch. 

“You’re doing okay?” he asked. 

“Yeah, I’m doing okay,” you told him. “You doing okay?” 

“I’m okay as long as you’re okay.” 

“You’re so full of cheese, Maybank.” 

You couldn’t help but smile. The room was dark, but through the small window by the bed, the very shreds of the new moon was peaking through. The soft moon light illuminated the gentle features of JJ’s face and your heart skipped a beat in your chest. 

“Aww, c’mon, Ellie,” JJ whined, rolling his head away from you. 

“What?” you laughed. 

“You can’t look at me like that.” 

“Like what?” 

He paused and looked back at you, the blues of his irises shaded. Your stomach rolled. 

“Nothing. Go to sleep.” 

“Are you gonna let me sleep?” 

JJ pressed a quick kiss against your forehead and rolled over so his back was facing you. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. 

“You suck,” you huffed, tapping his calf with your foot. 

“Night, night,” he called to you. 

“Night.” 

***

JJ came with you, Kid, and Lana to meet Brandon that next day. Part of you knew that JJ was coming out of jealousy and protectiveness, not wanting you to be alone with a man that he didn’t trust, but it was easy enough to pretend that he came to hold your hand and make this entire thing a little bit easier. 

But you knew that things weren’t going to be easier when he walked into the police station and half of the department turned to look at him, eyes hard. In his usual JJ style, he waved, tipped an imaginary hat, even winked at a few officers. He walked behind you and Kid with a saunter in his step. 

Shoupe guided the four of you to the interrogation room where you had met Brandon the day before. Just like then, you refused to allow yourself to hesitate, knowing you would want nothing more than to run away and drown yourself in the ocean. Before Shoupe could even say anything to encourage you, you pushed the door open and walked inside. Kid and Lana followed after you. Shoupe, however, stopped JJ before he walked inside. 

“Don’t think you’re allowed in there,” Shoupe said. 

“Let him in,” Kid said, settling onto a chair. 

“The sheriff’s right,” Brandon said with a sigh. He was standing, hands on his hips. “Family only.” 

“He is family.” Your tone was sharp. 

Brandon looked at you with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m a witness,” JJ said, his gaze steady.

“What?” Shoupe asked. 

“What?” You echoed.

JJ turned to look at you, the hardness in his gaze falling away. With a slight shrug of his shoulders, he repeated what he said. 

“I’m a witness. I saw all the bruises, I saw the carving. I was there after your dad threw you down the stairs-” 

“He threw you down the stairs?” Brandon asked and you cringed. 

“Must have slipped my mind,” you said as innocently as you could. 

“Listen, I can be of use, right?” JJ said, looking between you and Brandon. 

You looked over at Brandon, wondering the same thing. With a sigh, Brandon nodded his head. 

“Yeah, we could probably use the testimony of someone close to you,” Brandon said. 

“J, can we talk about this outside really quick?” You asked, putting your hand on JJ’s arm. You turned back to look at Brandon. “Just really quick.” 

He gave a short nod, his jaw tight. You lightly pushed JJ out into the hallway as Shoupe stepped inside the room, shutting the door. 

“Are you sure?” you asked and crossed your arms protectively over your chest. 

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I just don’t know if you can be a witness at two trials at once and we’ve still got Ward’s trial and Sarah and John B might need you-” 

“Hey, woah.” JJ stopped you by putting his hands on your shoulders. “You’re overthinking things again. Listen, if they only let me testify at one trial, I’ll testify at yours.” 

“But-” 

“There’s nothing that I know that Kie and Pope don’t know.” 

“John and Sarah need you,” you said quietly, unsure of why you were pushing so hard at him not being there at your trial. 

“You need me, too,” JJ said. He dropped his hands from your shoulders and shoved them into his pockets. “Hell, you need me more.” 

Your heart constricted and your throat tightened, but you nodded your head. 

“We should go inside,” you said. 

“They probably think we’re macking out here,” JJ sighed, a coy grin on his face. 

You couldn’t help but smile as you rolled your eyes. The two of you stepped inside the interrogation room. 

“You two done?” Brandon asked and you nodded your head. “Good. Sit please.” 

You did as you were told, sliding into the empty seat next to Kid. JJ stood behind you like a bodyguard, his arms crossed. Shoupe was leaned up against the back wall, watching carefully. Brandon flipped open his notebook and sighed. 

“There won’t be any testifying tomorrow. It’s not the trial yet,” Brandon started. “El, you and Lana will be there, yes?” 

You could only nod. 

“And Kid, you’ll be-” 

“Bradford,” Kid said shortly. 

All eyes turned toward him. Shoupe had an eyebrow raised, Lana was half shocked, but JJ looked impressed. You watched as he tried to hide a smile. 

“Sorry,” Brandon said slowly. “Bradford. You won’t be there, I presume.” 

Kid looked over at you, eyes narrowed. He was still upset about your decision, you could tell, and it made your stomach squeeze. 

“Yeah,” he said shortly. “I’ll be at Dex’s.” 

“And Dex is….” 

“My best friend.” Kid slid down his chair. “Dexter Cyprus.”

Brandon looked over at you and you gave a short nod of your head. He scribbled down Dex’s name onto his yellow notepad. 

“I won’t really know how to counsel you through everything until we know how your dad pleads. But we need to talk about tomorrow.” Brandon looked at you, his steel grey eyes piercing through you. “You are going to see your dad in a way that you never have before. It is not going to feel good. But the way you react tomorrow will determine how the defense team comes at you during the trial, do you understand?” 

“What do you mean?” JJ asked. 

Brandon heaved out a heavy breath and looked at you as if you should have pre-explained to JJ that your dad’s defense team was going to try and tear you to shreds. 

“If she cries too much, they’ll paint her as unstable. If she’s too angry, she’s unhinged. If she’s too happy, she’s orchestrated this entire thing to get her dad’s money. Too stoic, and she’s an emotionless bitch.” 

Even you were surprised by his candor. 

“Well, damn,” JJ huffed.

“And now that you’ve volunteered to be a witness, the same goes for you,” Brandon said, pointing at JJ. 

“Sweet.” JJ nodded his head. “I’m really good at being a perfectly emotionally balanced robot.” 

You turned back to look at him, your lips pressed together. 

“Is now not a good time for jokes?” he asked you as if there weren’t four other people in the room watching him. 

You shut your eyes briefly and shook your head. With a click of his tongue and a snap of his fingers, JJ nodded his head. 

“Got it. No more jokes.” 

You turned back to Brandon, who looked so incredibly unimpressed that you felt it in your gut. 

“It is incredibly important that you keep yourself under control at all times,” Brandon said to you. 

“That sounds like incredibly unachievable expectations,” Lana said, concerned. 

“We have the burden of proof on us, Lana.” Brandon’s tone was harder than you were used to. “Expectations are incredibly high, yes. They are unachievable, yes. But to win this case, surrounded mostly by your father’s peers, you have no room for mistakes.” 

“I appreciate the concern,” you said, crossing your arms and leaning back in your chair. “But I’ve spent the better part of the past seventeen years lying to and manipulating my dad into getting what I want. I think I can handle it.” 

Brendon folded his hands and placed them gently on the table. Your confidence in your skills deflated when he let out a sigh. 

“I admit that will help you, but you’re not dealing with your narcissistic, alcoholic father anymore. He’s not going to be watching you. The bloodthirsty lawyers whose paycheck comes from you losing and prolonging your suffering are going to be watching you. So, while I admire your confidence, we will still have to talk through a few things.” You nodded your head. “Right, let’s get into it.”

 ~~~

You were once again exhausted by the time you got home that night. Kid was spending the night with Dex, so the house was silent and empty and dark. It was peaceful. 

For all of ten minutes before another car pulled up alongside your truck. 

“You didn’t say anyone was coming over,” Lana said as she looked up from her book. 

“Didn’t know anyone was.” 

Standing, you walked toward the door, refusing to even allow yourself to hope that it was your mom. Still, you felt your heart deflate slightly when it was Kie’s dad’s car sitting next to yours. That moment of disappointment faded when both Sarah and Kie stepped out, talking back and forth about something. 

“Who is it?” JJ asked, his legs thrown over the arms of a chair. 

“Kie and Sarah,” you replied, a smile pulling against your lips as you opened the screen door and waved. 

“There she is!” Kie called out happily, a bag draped over her shoulder. 

“What are you guys doing here?” you asked. 

Sarah stepped up onto the creaking wooden porch and dropped a bag of her own onto the ground. She looked at you with a grin. 

“You can’t go to court in one of JJ’s smelly shirts and the same pair of jean shorts, now can you?” she asked, cocking an eyebrow. 

You narrowed your eyes at the bag before looking back at the beaming girls. 

“What did you do?” 

“Well, we assumed you weren’t going to go home just to get a few nice clothes,” Kie said, dropping her bag next to Sarah’s as she looked over at her friend. “So we raided our closets-” 

“And Rose’s.” 

“-and went out to find you some nice clothes so when you step into that courthouse, you will look like the boss bitch we all know you are.” 

Kie lowered herself to the ground and unzipped one of the bags as if she was hiding the gold itself in there. You could only catch a few glimpses of the fabrics of the clothes inside, but your mouth still went dry, your lips parting. Kie stood again, eyes shining. 

“What do you think?” Sarah asked, looking rather smug. 

There was nothing you could really say. You didn’t know what you could say. Instead, you stepped forward and put your arms around both of their necks, pulling them in for a teary eyed hug. 

“Oh!” Sarah exclaimed as she almost tripped over the bag at her feet. 

“Thank you,” you finally managed, squeezing the both of them. 

“Of course,” Kie whispered to you, her arm around your waist. 

You sniffed as you pulled away and let out an awkward laugh. 

“What’s going on out here?” JJ asked, leaning against the frame of the door.

You glanced between Sarah and Kie, another smile forming on your face. 

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” You asked. 

“I think I’m thinking exactly what you’re thinking,” Sarah responded, nodding. 

“Hey, Thinkers,” JJ said from the door. “I am very clearly not thinking what any of you guys are thinking so could you maybe fill me in?” 

“Fashion show?” you asked. 

Kie nodded with a shit eating grin. 

“Fashion show.” 

If you hadn’t been dressing up to figure out what you were wearing to your father’s arraignment, that night would have been absolutely perfect. 

Lana and JJ waited out in the living room while Kie and Sarah picked out different sets of clothes for you to wear. Some of the outfits were more for fits and giggles than anything else; a pair of Rose’s hideously colored plaid pants and a patterned blouse with heeled boots or a 50’s esque dress tied with a striped necktie. 

JJ reminded you a lot of your brother as he critiqued all of your outfits as if he was some kind of fashion expert. Lana could do little more than laugh at all of the antics. 

Kie and Sarah forced you into a ridiculously small neon yellow dress that they had bought because it was on the discount rack (“for good reason”, as Lana said) and wrapped a corduroy jacket around your shoulders. They came out with you, acting as flustered costumers as JJ directed them to do crazier and crazier things. All you could do was stand there laugh and try not to fall over. 

“There.” JJ kissed his fingers. “Perfection.” 

Without standing in a mirror, you knew that you looked absolutely ridiculous. Even without Sarah and Kie laughing their asses off on the floor, you knew you looked something awful. 

“Kie, Kie,” Sarah managed through fits of laughter. “Go get the big one.” 

With a bone chilling, maniacal giggle, Kie pushed herself off the ground and ran back for your room. 

“That doesn’t sound good,” you said to Lana. She shook her head, still trying to hide her laugh. 

“Strike a pose!” Sarah said, leaning up against the wall for support. 

You did so, your lips puckered and your hands placed in strange positions on your head and hip. Sarah nearly doubled over with laughter, but JJ just whistled.

“You ever consider being a model?” he asked. “Cause damn.” 

“Watch your mouth, boy,” Lana said, though her tone was light from laughing. 

“Whoops.” 

“I unfortunately don’t date my employers,” you said dramatically, resting the back of your hand against your forehead. 

Before JJ could make a snarky remark that would make Lana most likely very uncomfortable, Kie came running out of the bedroom, her face red and smile wide. 

“I found it,” she said, holding something behind her back. 

Sarah clapped excitedly. 

“Found what?” you asked. 

Instead of answering, Kie pulled something out from behind her and you almost instantly gagged. Hung on a hanger was the nasty, itchy, heavy dress that you wore to Midsummer’s.

“Oh, no. Oh, absolutely not,” you said, waving your hand in front of it and turning your face away. 

“Yes, absolutely, yes,” JJ countered, even standing from his chair to take it from Kie’s hands. Kie and Sarah were laughing soundlessly, nearly collapsing on the ground. 

“What is it?” Lana asked, leaning forward. 

“This disgusting thing was my Midsummer’s dress,” you told her before turning back to your friends who were looking at you expectantly. “JJ, the only way you are getting me in that dress is if you try it on first.” 

Sarah slapped that wall, her knees buckling underneath her. Kie had stopped her laughing for just long enough to hear his answer. JJ looked completely unphased by the question and even narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. 

“Was that a challenge?” he asked. 

“Maybe so.” 

Kie covered her mouth with her hands. Even Sarah went silent. JJ narrowed his eyes further. 

“Challenge accepted.” 

He turned and walked down the hall toward the bedroom, the ugly dress still in his hands. As soon as he was out of sight, the girls started laughing again. 

You threw yourself into the now vacant chair where JJ had been sitting. None of you could talk as you waited for JJ to come out, the anticipation too high. The thumping sounds of JJ falling over and swearing under his breath only made Sarah and Kie laugh harder. When the door opened, you sat up eagerly. You expected JJ to shuffle out, disgruntled and upset that he had made the choice to accept your challenge. 

However, he came out with his hands on his hips, strutting down the hallway as if he was Tyra Banks herself. Even Lana couldn’t control her laughter as he posed and found the perfect lighting. You couldn’t tell what made you laugh more; the dress on JJ or the fact that he was wearing two incredibly different socks that both had holes in the heels. 

“What do you think?” He asked you, breathless. 

You were shielding your face with your hands as you laughed, your cheeks hot from the excitement. You couldn’t even manage to speak, stammering and stuttering. 

“You look fabulous,” Sarah said, a hand on her side, probably because of a cramp. 

JJ nodded his head triumphantly and walked in one more circle. He finally looked over at Kie, who had her phone out, the camera pointing in his direction. 

“Wait, Kie, no!” JJ tried to cover up his chest with his arms. 

“This is definitely going in the groupchat,” she said between laughs. 

“Oh, you’re dead!” 

JJ tried to lunge at her, clearly not used to the restrictions of dresses. 

“JJ, wait, you’ll rip-” 

Before you could even finish your sentence, you heard the horrific sound of the threads splitting. JJ, stopping his attack on Kie at the sound, fell to the ground. A tear ran up the back of the dress, the entire thing absolutely ruined, and it made you absolutely overjoyed to see. 

“JJ, please tell me you aren’t going commando today,” Sarah said, her hand covering her eyes. 

“He’s not, I promise,” you said, starting to laugh harder than you had the entire night. 

“I guess my ass is just too big,” JJ said with a defeated sigh as he pushed himself off the ground. 

Lana was laughing too hard to correct his language. JJ sat there on the ground like a sad puppy for a few moments while everyone calmed down from the laughing. 

“Does that mean I don’t get to see you in the dress?” he asked you. 

“Definitely not.” 

“Damn.” 

“JJ!” 

“Sorry, Miss Lana.” 

“Alright, alright,” Kie said, tucking her phone into her back pocket. “JJ, let’s get you out of that ugly thing so we can actually find Elm something to wear tomorrow.” 

Kie helped JJ off the ground and the two of them shuffled off for the bedroom. 

Even as you started to put on more serious clothing choices for the arraignment, it still didn’t feel like you were preparing to walk into the lion’s den. 

By the time you guys finally landed on a good outfit option that satisfied everyone, Lana had fallen asleep in her chair, which meant the laughing died down and the voices turned to hushed tones to allow her to sleep peacefully. 

“I think that’s the pick,” Sarah said, smoothing out a wrinkle in the light blue colored blouse. 

“Good,” you said, sagging your shoulders. “My feet hurt.” 

“Right, well, go take it off and we’ll get out of your hair,” Kie said. 

“We’ll clean up out here. JJ, do you mind helping her get out of those clothes?” Sarah instructed, plucking a discarded scarf off of the ground. 

“It would be my utmost pleasure,” he said with a coy grin. 

You rolled your eyes as he followed after you, placing his hands on your hips. 

“No funny business!” Kie called after you. 

JJ flipped her the bird before shutting the door. 

The floor was an absolute mess and it made your heart stop in your chest. Your mind clouded instantly, the only coherent thought was the need to clean. It was what your dad would expect you to do. Before you could spiral down the rabbit hole of panic, JJ tugged gently on the collar of the charcoal grey blazer and pressed a soft kiss against the exposed skin of the back of your neck. You let him pull the blazer off of you arms, moments away from asking him not to throw it on the pile with the other clothes when he started to fold it and set it down on a clear space of ground. 

You closed your mouth after that. He walked back toward you, still silent, and, standing in front of you, he untucked your shirt from your pants and kissed your cheek. You let your eyes shut, afraid of what you might see if you kept them open. Your chest was painfully tight, your mind still resting on the mess at your feet. JJ took a step away from you then and moved toward the dresser, where he pulled out a sweater, his sweater, the sweater you had packed to take with you when your mother tried to take you from the island. 

“I still can’t believe you kept this,” he said, finally breaking the silence. 

Your eyes fluttered open and you felt your cheeks burn. 

“I meant to give it back, loads of times,” you said, fiddling with the hem of your blouse. “I just kept forgetting.” 

He tossed the sweater in your direction and you barely had time to catch it. 

“Well, it looks better on you anyway,” he said with a smile before settling himself on the floor by the mess of clothes. 

“What…what are you doing?” you asked him. 

“I’m going to fold these clothes while you get changed,” he said as if it was obvious. He picked up one of the ugly dresses and started to fold. 

For the second time that night, you found yourself speechless. It was the simplest of things, just folding some clothes, but it was the world to you. But you weren’t sure if he knew just how much it really mattered. 

Throat tight, you pulled off the blouse and put the sweater on over your head. After all this time, it still smelled like him. Like the ocean and alcohol. 

You tried not to look at him as you shimmied out of the grey slacks and tip toed back to the dresser for a pair of pajama shorts. As awful as the day had been, you were almost glad that you had packed at least some of your clothes because it meant that you had something to wear without going back to that damn house. 

JJ was still folding when you sat on the ground next to him. Pulling your hands into the sleeves of his sweater, you leaned your head against his shoulder. He continued on silently. You thought about helping him, but you weren’t sure you would be able to without crying. 

How stupid was that? You couldn’t even handle folding a single pile of laundry without having a complete meltdown. 

You pulled your knees up to your chest, trying to become as small as possible. Smaller than the pile of clothes. Smaller than the pile of bricks that weighed against your shoulders. Smaller than the weight of the consequences of the arraignment. Smaller than an atom. Smaller than nothing. 

But you didn’t get any smaller. The laundry pile did. And as the pile got smaller, your mind could relax more. Until you could almost breathe normally again. And then it was gone. He had folded all of the clothes, and even though it wasn’t perfect, everything was sorted and piled by the dresser. And you didn’t have to touch a single thing. 

Before he could say anything, you turned toward him and put your arms around his neck, your chin resting on his shoulder.  

“Thank you,” you whispered. 

He seemed almost surprised by this, taking a few moments before he put one of his arms around your back. He didn’t respond, but instead, pressed a kiss just behind your ear. 

“The girls probably think we’re doing something scandalous,” he said after a few moments. 

You took that as a sign to pull away. 

“You should go with them,” you told him as the both of you stood. 

“Are you sure?” 

You nodded, rubbing your sweating palms against your legs. 

“Ellie, I can stay here. You don’t have to be alone,” he said, putting his hands on his hips. 

“I know,” you told him, forcing yourself to meet his eyes. “I know. I think it would be better, though. Besides, Lana’s here. I won’t be alone.” 

“Whatever you say.” 

He dropped one of his hands into yours and headed for the front room. Sarah and Kie were talking quietly at the table. Sarah was telling her something and Kie was covering her mouth loosely with her hand. You watched as she chewed on her lip, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. 

Sarah turned her head toward you as JJ neared the table. 

“Is that JJ’s sweater?” Kie asked. 

“Um, yeah,” you said, pulling at the edges. “It’s comfy.” 

“No doubt,” Sarah said, sliding out of her chair. “We should get out of your hair.” 

“Right,” Kie said. 

“Can I catch a ride back to the Chateau with you guys?” JJ asked, slipping his hand out of yours. You felt yourself grow suddenly cold. 

“You sure?” Kie asked, more you than him. 

“Yeah,” you told her. “I’ll be fine.” 

Sarah walked over to you and put a hand on your arm, giving you a quick peck on the cheek. You noticed Kie watching you closely. 

“If you need anything, anything at all….” 

“I’ll call you,” you told her with a small smile. 

“Love you,” Kie said, taking her turn to kiss your other cheek. 

“Love you, too,” you whispered back. 

JJ stood by the door. There was no need to say goodbye to him. There never was. He was never really gone even when he left. 

“We’ll see you at the courthouse tomorrow,” Sarah said as she walked toward the door. 

“You really don’t have to-” 

“We’ll see you there,” Kie echoed, stepping out into the night. 

You dropped it. There was no convincing them to stay behind. JJ was the last to leave, sending you one last wink before he stepped out and shut the screen door. 

The house felt suddenly empty. 

Until Lana let out a sleepy sigh. You turned to look at her, still passed out in the same chair and you felt yourself smile. You weren’t alone. The house wasn’t empty. 

You quickly shuffled the last few folded clothes from the living room into your room with the other clothes before coming back out to Lana. 

Kneeling beside her, you put your hand gently over her arm and she startled awake. Her eyes were wide for a brief second before she recognized you. A sleepy smile pulled at her lips and she blinked her eyes. 

“What time is it?” 

“Almost midnight.” 

“Where did the kids go?” 

“They just left.” 

“Ah, I see.” 

“Let me help you to bed.” 

“I’m not that old yet, El, my dear,” Lana said as she stood from the chair. Her back cracked and she grimaced. “Though, maybe I am too old to be sleeping in that chair.” 

You let out a quiet laugh and the two of you walked down the hall toward your rooms. 

“Sleep well, El,” Lana said. 

“You, too.” 

“If you need anything-” 

“I know where to find you.” 

“Good girl.” 

“Night, Lana.” 

“Nighty, night.” 

When you closed the door and dropped into bed, you thought it might be difficult to find sleep with all that should have been on your mind. But you were asleep before you could even process anything else. 

Your friends had filled your night with so much love and laughter that you barely had time to think about the fact that you were going to be seeing your dad again for the first time since he tried to shoot you in your own house. You weren’t sure how they had done it, but they did. 

~~~~

You let Lana drive your truck to the courthouse. That morning, you had tried to get behind the wheel and do it yourself, but your hands and your knees were shaking too badly. You thought your nerves had calmed down by the time Lana parked, but with the courthouse in view, it all came rushing back and you felt yourself sick to your stomach. 

“You okay?” Lana asked after sitting in silence for a while. 

You managed to nod your head, but couldn’t bear to lift your eyes to look at her. 

“Do you want me to stay with you?” 

You let out a heavy sigh before speaking. 

“No, it’s okay. I just need a second. Go ahead,” you told her, still looking at your hands.

Lana nodded, not saying anything else as she got out of the car. You finally lifted your head to watch her walk up to the small courthouse, wearing her best dress. Your gaze followed her up the stairs and past the doors until you could no longer see her. You might have lingered too long on the building and psyched yourself out of going, had your eyes not fallen on five figures standing outside of the wooden doors. 

Before you could even second guess yourself, you were popping open the car door and stepping out onto the street in your black kitten heels you were borrowing from Kie. You crossed the street without looking and made for the stairs, your eyes fixed on the five waiting for you at the top. 

Kie and Sarah were both wearing dresses. They looked stunning. You wished that they could look so good under better circumstances. You recognized the pants, shirt, and tie Pope was wearing as part of the outfit that he wore to his scholarship interview and your gut squeezed. He didn’t get the scholarship. He had risked everything for gold you were unlikely to ever see again. His shoes and suit jacket were new though. He looked as though he could have been the lawyer defending you and Kid. 

Kie and Sarah clearly didn’t spare any expenses when it came to buying John B and JJ their outfits, but it seemed like most of their efforts were wasted. John B had the black suit jacket draped over his arm, the tie hanging around his shoulders untied, and the top button of his shirt undone. JJ’s outfit was even more deconstructed. He had no tie or suit jacket in sight, his charcoal gray pants already wrinkling. The sleeves of his white button up were rolled up to his elbow, the top two buttons on his shirt undone. He didn’t even seem to be wearing the shoes that went along with it. 

And you didn’t expect any more from any of them. Even them just standing there was enough, no matter what they were wearing. 

They all watched you walk up the stairs, except JJ, who was looking lighter that he was flicking. 

“Careful with that,” Kie hissed to him as you approached. “Don’t get yourself thrown out before the trial even starts.” 

He looked her dead in the eyes and flicked the lid again. She swiped at the lighter, but he moved out of the way just in time and tucked the gold lighter in his pocket. You almost cracked a smile. 

“Looking good, Elm,” John B said once you were standing in front of them. 

“Wish I could say the same about you,” you said with a huff. 

John B stepped down and put an arm around your shoulders. 

“Ms. Lana is saving seats for us,” Kie told you and you nodded in response. “But we can stand outside for a little bit longer.” 

You tried to peer inside, see what it looked like on the inside. Almost all of the rows were full of people and it made your stomach squeeze painfully again. 

“Why don’t you guys go inside?” Sarah suggested, drawing all eyes toward her, even yours. She was fidgeting with her hands, but her face was solid as stone. 

The eyes then turned to you as if asking if it was okay. You nodded your head at them. 

“Yeah, you guys should go inside. I’ll be right in,” you told them, attempting to smile. 

John B dropped his arm from around you and placed a hand on Pope’s shoulders, the two of them walking inside together. Kie gave you the tiniest smile before slipping between the doors. JJ stepped down toward you and, putting his hand on the side of your face and pressing a kiss against your forehead. Without saying anything, he turned and walked away. 

That left just you and Sarah standing on the stairs, staring up at the door. You looked over to the statue of a Liberty, her eyes covered by the cloth, her hand full of scales outstretched. She was on your side today, you knew that, yet she looked still and cold as any other stone statue. And even with her eyes covered, you couldn’t help but think that she kind of looked like your mother. 

Sarah drew your attention away from the statue by slipping her hand into yours, lacing your fingers together. 

You turned to look at her, to find her staring up at the name of the courthouse hung above the door, her eyes swimming with tears. You stared at her until she looked back at you and almost smiled. You thought she might say something, but she didn’t need to. 

You weren’t alone in this big, horrid thing. Even more than having a group of friends who loved you deeply, you had Sarah, who was going through something horrifically similar. Neither of you were alone. And if you could do this, you could show Sarah that she could do it, too. That both of you could survive the parents that failed so horribly in raising you. And you would do it together. 

_____

tagging: @bitterbethany @lovelymaybankk @ilymarkchan @downbytheouterbanks @clearcolourlessglass @obxwriterfan @tangledinsparkles@chill-sushi@summerintheobx@kiarasgold@lovelyfreshfestival@lolitstiana@divcrdown@certainstatesmantoadartisan@hannahrisacher@drew-starkeys@jiaraendgame@beyondtheselegsonlythoughts@parkerpetertingle@lukesvinyll@thegeekyblondegirlwholovesstars@simonsbluee@mayraki@diverrdown@p4lparker

(as always, let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! much love!)

i did it jjpope nation

I’ve never felt like this before - thatsweeird - Outer Banks (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

I just ask that in the s3 Heyward and Big John take care of JJ.

1. “you’re already rich anyway.”

★☆☆☆☆

1. “you’re the golden boy.”

★★★★★

JJ is the only one who is not cried by anyone.. when he said that the pogues are his only family he did not lie. Kie has her parents, Pope too, Sarah at least has Topper (and maybe Wheezie too? idk) and John B, despite no one expecting it, has Big John.

JJ is completely alone.

I really hope Big John comes back and does the good father with John B and maybe even with JJ..

JJ to John B: “she clearly likes you! she kissed you on the cheek.”

Also JJ:

honestly a bit sad that people focus so much on the ships that they cancel out the characters. kie is a beautiful character even alone, as well as pope and as well as jj. I love jjpope but that doesn’t mean I’ll hae them if they don’t stay together. before being ship they are fantastic characters.

ship jjpope for a clear skin <3

just a bet ⟶ jj maybank x fem!reader

REQUEST:  “Heyy ! Can you write an imagine ( JJ x reader ) he dated her for a bet with JB and all the pogues knew about it, but time goes on and JJ falls in love with her and the pogues really like her so they decide to forget about the bet and to never tell her about it ( cuz she’ll never forgive them) and after a few months, the reader finds out ( you can choose how) is heartbroken and the pogues try to explain but the reader won’t listen and she leaves but she gets into a car crash and she doesn’t make it ( like coma/just dead/brain dead you decide) and the pogues are really sad ab it. I like sad endings for some reasons idk” ( @dearelliewrites)

A/N: i am so so sorry for being inactive the last few months.

SUMMARY:john b dares jj to date you. when they start to actually like you, they promise each other to never tell you. who would’ve thought there would’ve been a witness to this bet.

WARNING: mentions of drinking, swearing, partying, mentions of smoking

GENRE: angst, a lil bit of fluff

WORD COUNT: 1.7k

(fem = female reader) not edited!!

lower case intended

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Y/N y/l/n. a petite girl that everyone on both sides of the island knew. she was a kook, as usual. but she wasn’t like all the other kooks. she was actually nice.

she didn’t have one bad bone in her small 5'4 body. however, the pogues thought it was all an act. the bubbly personality, the perfectly curled hair that bounced on her shoulders, the bright white teeth that blinded everyone when she lit the room up with her smile, the flower like aroma that lingered in the air when she was around.

it all was fake. it had to be. no one here was a kook and was just like y/n. so there was only one thing to conclude.

it was all fake.

THE pogues sat on the beach, catching their breaths after a long time of surfing in the boiling hot sun. jj ran a hand through his damp hair, squinting his eyes as the light blinded him.

“look who it is. miss y/n y/l/n.” he scoffed, moving his toothpick around his mouth with his tongue. kie rolled her eyes while pope stared off in the distance. john b sat down beside jj, beer in hand and his soaked bandana being used as a headband.

“what’d i miss?” john b asked, sipping his luke warm beer before kicking his sandals off in front of him. jj nodded his head towards the girl a few feet away from them. the group watched as she chatted with an elderly couple, her flowery scent blowing over to them through the breeze.

“dude, she has to be one of the biggest bitches in private, i swear.” john b muttered as the group looked away from her, their eyes staring at the water in front of them.

“she has everybody fooled. bet you $5 she is worse than sarah cameron.” jj stated as he glanced back at the girl.

john b smirked, resting his arms on his knees before nudging jj’s side, “wanna find out? i dare you to date her and expose the real her.” jj scoffed, sitting up and facing john b.

“what’s in it for me?”

“$50 and you can use the chateu whenever you have some touron attached to your hip at the keggers.”

“deal.” the two shook hands as kie and pope chuckled at the idiots beside them. there was no way y/n y/l/n would date jj maybank.

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ITwas a friday night and the pogues were preparing for the kegger they would be throwing in about 5 hours. jj hadn’t shown up yet but the pogues weren’t necessarily worried. it was a party. he’d show.

it had been about a week since john b dared jj to try and date y/n. the group hadn’t really spoken on it since. until jj showed up 30 minutes later, a big grin on his face.

“you guys will never believe what just happened!” he exclaimed, jogging over to the group with his phone in his hand.

“guess who got y/n y/l/n’s snap. me. i did.” the three turned to the blonde, eyes squinted and eyebrows furrowed.

“there’s no way.” pope chuckled, laughing his ass off with kie while jj rambled on to them about how he got it and how he invited her to the kegger tonight.

john b sighed and rested his forehead against the palm of his hand “jj, why the fuck would you invite her to the kegger?”

“because. we have a dare to complete, jb.” jj smirked, throwing his arm around john b’s shoulder and grinning at the group, “cmon. i have $50 and an entire chateau to win.”

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FAST forward to now. 5 months later. that night, y/n showed up to the kegger and enchanted jj maybank and the rest of the pogues in her flowery aroma and sweet tooth smile.

it was something about her that made the pogues love her. her energy was crazy. she encouraged the pogues to do their usual stupid things, unlike sarah cameron, john b’s now girlfriend, who was worried they would get hurt.

she would spend hours on hours with the group and bring snacks that she would pay for with her own money. she would invite the group over to her house, where they met her parents, one of the sweetest couple out there on the island.

she cared for them like they were her own family. and that’s what made jj fall in love with her.

they was she put them over herself every single day. she cared for them like no one else ever had.

y/n y/l/n wasn’t faking it. she never was.

and that’s what made the pogues decide they would never speak of the dare. it was forbidden. they couldn’t lose her over their stupid decisions from the past.

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THE group sit outside around the fire, drinking their beers and laughing as the music blares from the speaker on the table. while you are inside using the restroom when you receive a text from rafe cameron.

rafe:u might wanna ask ur little friends and ur bf why they made a bet on you awhile ago.

y/n: what are you talking about

rafe: kelce heard ur little pogue friends make a bet with jj that he could date you and expose you.

you bite back my tears as you stomp outside, throwing your phone at jj causing the group to look at you in shock.

“y/n- what’s going on-”

“read the fucking texts, jj.” you spit, tears pooling down your cheeks. he grabs your phone, scanning the texts before looking up at you with wide eyes.

“sunshine, i can expl-”

“please tell me he’s fucking lying. please tell me i am not a fucking bet. tell me.”

jj goes silent as the group watches you, sarah sitting beside john b with a confused expression on her face.

“did you know about this?” you ask sarah as you turns to her, grasping your phone out of jj’s hand and showing her the texts. sarah shakes her head no, angrily looking at john b.

“is she a fucking bet too, john b? are us kooks just a fucking game to all of you?”

kie chews on her lip as she fiddles with her fingers, “y/n, please let us explain.”

“after everything i have done for all of you. after the shit i’ve received for caring for you guys. i have been through fucking hell at school and around my neighborhood because i am one of you guys. my parents get side eyed in the fucking grocery store. and this entire time i’ve been a fucking bet?!” you sob out, grabbing your phone from sarah’s hand and shoving it in your back pocket, “fuck all of you.”

you spin on your heel and walks to your car, hearing them yell after you.

“sunshine. sunshine please. let me explain.”

you ignore jj as you unlock your car doors and aggressively wipe the tears off of your face.

“y/n, please. i love you”

“no you don’t,” you sob, “you don’t do that shit to someone that you love. i would’ve never fucking done this to you. to any of you.”

jj stares at you in shock, tears sliding down his cheek, “y/n.”

“save it, jj. i don’t want to hear it anymore.” you mutter before climbing in your car and starting it, ignoring his gaze as you speed off.

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YOU drive home as the rain beats against your windshield, mocking you. how stupid of you to think they were good people. it was fake. all of it was fake.

they never loved you. he never loved you. it was all for a bet.

you let out an ugly sob as the wind picks up and the rain puddles into the potholes on the ground, causing your car to hydroplane. in one swift motion you swerve off the road and into the other lane, coming head on with a semi that barrels towards you.

you let out an ear piercing scream as everything goes black.

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JJgroans loudly as his phone buzzes for the 30th time beside his head. he picks it up, muttering a sleepy hello into the microphone before y/n’s mother’s voice echoes through. “jj?” she sobs, “jj? are you awake? i need you and the rest of you to come to the hospital. there’s been an accident.”

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JOHN B speeds to the hospital, as kie and pope try to calm jj down in the back seat.

“jj, she’s going to be okay.” kie states repeatedly as jj grips his hands in his hair.

“if i stopped her from leaving she wouldn’t be hurt right now.” no one says anything as they’re full of guilt from the night before.

“why did you guys do it?” sarah asks from the passenger seat, “why did you get have to bet on her? she thinks you guys don’t love her. that all of it was fake. why would you do that to her? especially a girl like her.”

“i never meant to hurt her. it’s the last thing i wanted to do. i love her. even if she thinks i don’t.” jj mumbles quickly as tears brim his eyes. he rests his forehead on his knees, closing his eyes and waiting til they arrive at the hospital.

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“JJ!” y/n’s mother chokes out, noticing the group arrive into the waiting room. jj rushes over to the older women and hugs her, listening to the woman break beneath him.

“mrs. y/l/n, what happened? is she okay??” he asks as y/n’s father slowly hugs each of the pogues one by one. mrs. y/l/n lets out a racked sob, gripping onto jj’s torso.

mr. y/l/n gently rests his hands on jjs shoulder, biting back a sob, “she isn’t going to make it, son. she’s slowly going.” jj’s life flashes before his eyes as tears flood his cheeks. his throat burns and his face goes hot. the room spins around him.

“what?” he whispers out, his grip on mrs.y/l/n loosening.

“she hydroplaned during the storm last night and swerved into the other lane and hit head on with a semi. she’s practically brain dead and her vitals are declining. there’s no saving her.” mr. y/l/n sobs, patting jj’s shoulder.

“no.” he whispers, “no. no, no, no, no. she can’t. they have to do something. she can’t go just like that. i fucking love her. she can’t leave me here like that. not after last night. she thinks i hate her. she needs to know i love her. mr. y/l/n, please. tell them to do something.” jj lets out in sobs, the pogues watching jj from a foot away as they all cry to themselves.

“please. please. she can’t leave me. i love her. she can’t go thinking i don’t love her.”

five and one ⟶ jj maybank x fem!reader

REQUEST: hi! i really love your writing <3 i was wondering if maybe you’d write smth like “the 5 times he wanted to kiss her/tell her he loved her and the 1 time he did” with jj please? [@freaky-dcaky]

A/N: thank you !! <3 i hope you enjoy :) also i’m so sorry i’ve been in active :( my senior year is kicking my ass.

SUMMARY: the five times that jj wanted to kiss you and tell you he loves you and the one time that he did.

WARNINGS: mentions of partying, mentions of drinking, mentions of smoking, swearing, mentions of abuse

GENRE: fluff, slight angst

WORD COUNT: 2.5k

(fem = female) not edited !!

gif credit: @wodohwan

lower case intended ✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆

YOU and jj sit on the porch of the chateau, john b inside with sarah and pope while kie is on her way over. you sit cross legged on the floor with jj’s hand in yours, bright pink nail polish on his finger nails.

“stop moving.” you huff as the nail polish paints his cuticles. he chuckles, blunt in between his fingers and a small smirk on his lips. “i’m literally not even moving, y/n.“

you look up at him with a glare before looking back down and focusing on the task at hand.

"jj, you’re literally getting pink nail polish all over your fingers.” you say, dropping his hand and looking at the mess of his fingers. he lifts his hand up to his face and shrugs,

“looks perfect to me, sunshine.” he winks, earning a shove from you.

he places the blunt in between his lips, inhaling before handing it over to you, watching you intently with hooded lids. he watches as you gently set the blunt between your lips, inhaling as slow as possible before closing your eyes and exhaling the smoke. his eyes land on your lips. your rosy plump lips. something he dreams about every so often.

“you’re staring.” you whisper with your eyes still closed but a smug smirk on your lips.

“i am. how could i not stare at you?” he admits, too high to even comprehend that he’s on the verge of confessing his love for you.

“shut up.“ you laugh, opening your eyes and standing up. you ruffle his hair before walking inside, leaving the boy by himself. the things he would do to be able to kiss you.

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JJ sits on the edge of the boat, beer in hand and hat on backwards. you, john b, and jj had decided to go out on the boat today while kie and pope were stuck at home with their parents. he turns around and sees you, tear stained cheeks and puffy eyes.

"hey.” you mutter quietly, climbing next to him. he takes his sunglasses off to get a better look at you.

“y/n? what’s wrong??” he asks worriedly, his hands cupping your cheeks as he scans your face. you let out a sad chuckle, avoiding his gaze.

“my mom and i got into it again.” you exhale, staring out at the water. “what happened this time?” jj asks, slowly dropping his hands from your face.

you let out an angry laugh, throwing your head up and staring at the bright blue sky. “the usual. i’m not as good as my older sister and i never fucking will be. i’m a useless piece of shit and i need to get my life together or else they’re going to throw me out when i graduate.”

jj stands up and slams his hat on the boat, “are you fucking serious? they seriously said that to you?” you nod your head, watching the dirty blonde struggle to keep his composure.

“fuck them. what the hell? you literally work so hard to please them every single day and they don’t give a shit. whatever. let them throw you out. you can stay with me. we’ll figure something out.” he rambles on, hands in his hair. he stops when he hears you sighing loudly. he looks up and sees tears in your eyes.

“why am i not enough for them, jay?“ you whisper, chewing on your lip in attempt to not break down sobbing. jj rushes to you, pulling you into his arms and tracing circles on your back,

“you’re enough. you’re enough for john b. for kie and sarah and pope. for me. we love you.” i love you. he wanted to add, but he kept his mouth closed.

now was not the time to confess anything to you. all you needed right now was his support. and he was going to give you that.

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ITwas around 2 am and everyone in your house was sound asleep except you. you laid in bed with your music playing, book in hand, and the light on your night stand illuminating your room. you flip the page carefully, focusing on the words when your hear a slight tap on your window.

you carefully set your book down and cautiously walk to your window. peering through the curtains, you see a bloodied and bruised jj clinging onto your window, the rain soaking through his clothes. “shit.“ you whisper yell, pulling your curtains open and sliding open your window.

"jay?” you ask, your voice full of concern and confusion, “what the fuck happened to you?” jj shrugs, climbing into your room. “fell off my bike.” he lies as he chews on his bloody lip. your eyes soften as you skim his face, violent purple marks scattered all over.

“jay….“ you whisper, stepping closer to him and taking his face in his hands, "what really happened? and don’t lie to me.”

jj looks away and chokes back a sob. he shrugs and looks down at the floor as he blinks away his tears. you sigh and gently grab his hands, carefully pulling him into your bathroom.

“come on. let’s get you cleaned up, hm?“ he nods and follows close behind you.

he sits on the sink, you in between his legs while you gently clean his wounds with peroxide and cotton pads. as you gently dab the wounds, he watches you intently, observing the way your eyes focus on certain parts of his skin while you chew on your bottom lip in concentration. those goddamn lips.

when you’re done putting bandaids on his face, you grab a warm and damp rag and gently wash the dirt and rain off of his face. you pause and smile at him, hoping to lighten his mood. he smiles back, still watching you with heart eyes.

you step back and toss the rag in the laundry bin. "i’m gonna go grab a pair of my dads old shirt and basketball shorts for you, okay?” you ask, sending him a thumbs up before turning around and quietly exiting the room.

jj frowns slightly, missing your warmth and your touch and just overall you. he hears the door open and close again, looking up to see you with a worn out grey shirt and pair of black basketball shorts in your hands and a small smile on your face. “got them.” you hand them to him walk into your room, closing the door behind you so he can change.

while jj changes, you crawl into bed and turn your lights off and turn on netflix. you look up and see jj shuffling towards your bed, looking at the floor. you smile up at him and pat the spot next to you, signaling or him to crawl under your covers with you.

without a word, jj crawls into your bed and into your side, hugging your waist tightly. you play with his hair and light him silently cry into your side, being the support that he needs. all he can think about is how much he loves you and how much it hurts.

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YOU and the pogues sit around the fire outside of the chateau, beers in everyones hand and a blunt made by jj being passed around. it’s been two days since jj showed up at your house and you haven’t said two words to him about it.

you didn’t want to bother him and be insensitive because you could tell whatever happened really fucked jj up. especially since he showed up at your house and not john b’s. you smile slightly as you feel a pair of eyes on you. you glance at jj, winking at him before turning back to kie and continuing on with your conversation.

jj sips his beer and glances at you. he knows everyone is noticing, including you, but he can’t help it. he is falling so deeply in love with you, he can’t get his mind off of you. he sighs slightly, downing the rest of his beer before standing up and walking inside to get another one, you and your lips etched into his mind.

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IT’S around 4 am when you show up at the chateau drunk and crying. you’re standing outside of jj’s door, silently crying when he hears you shuffling around. half asleep, jj opens the door, making sure they weren’t being robbed. he jumps when he sees you on the floor in a ball.

“y/n? sunshine? you okay?” he whispers. you ignore him and let out a quiet sob and a small burp. shit. she’s drunk. he sighs and squats down beside you, “cmon, love. let’s go to bed, hm?” you nod your head and continue to cry. you place your hand in his and struggle to stand up when he places a hand on your lower back, pulling you up with him.

he slowly walks you into his room and quietly closes the door. “what happened?” he asks you. you shrug and rub your eyes, your mascara smearing everywhere. “sunshine, don’t rub your eyes. you’re smearing your makeup.”

“i don’t care-” you slur, continuing to rub your eyes. he chuckles slightly and hands you a pair of shorts and one of his t-shirts. “change into these okay? i’m going to go get some of sarah’s makeup wipes from the bathroom.” you nod and jj walks out of the room and into the bathroom. he quietly goes through the cabinet, finally finding the packet of wipes before walking back to his room.

as he walks back to his room, he checks his phone and sees a text from sarah and kie. “did y/n come to you?? she left when me and kie were taking shots.” he quickly types back a message letting them know you were with him before stepping into his room. he stops and sees you laying on your back on his bed in his shirt and shorts.

he chuckles, noticing you put his shirt on backwards. “what are you laughing at?” you slur, slightly glaring at him. he shakes his head, “nothing. sit up. we gotta take off your makeup.”

you frown, “i’m tired tho, jay.” he shakes his head. “i know, but you gotta take off your makeup or you’re gonna be pissed when you get a pimple and take it out on me.” you groan and sit up, throwing your natty hair up in a bun. “jay, can you take it off for me?” you ask quietly, looking up at him from the edge of his bed with tired eyes.

he smiles to himself and nods, squatting between your legs so he can get down to your level. carefully, he grabs a makeup wipe and gently wipes the smeared mascara off of your eyes and cheeks along with whatever else you had on. he watches you carefully, noticing your eyes closed as you breathe softly. he eyes stare at your lips and back up to your eyes, which are now open and watching him. he smiles at you softly. when he’s done he stands back up and tosses the wipe into the garbage can before climbing in bed beside you.

you let out a “hmph” as you snuggle into his chest, wrapping your arm around his torso.

“goodnight, jay.“ you mumble into his chest, causing the blonde to blush. you’re so close to him. holy fuck, i hope she can’t feel my heart beat right now. he thinks to himself before choking out a small, "night.”

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A week later, you and the pogues decide to throw a kegger. you and the girls show up a little bit after the boys and greet your friends. you smile at jj, avoiding your eyes from his opened chest because god damn, he looks so good tonight.

as the night continues on, you realize you’ve been avoiding jj all night. you know that in your drunken state, something wrong will happen. whether you confess your feelings to him or just kiss him because god damn, he has perfect lips. you distract yourself by talking to this tall touron you bumped into. he’s nice, a little shy, and cute but not jj.

you bite your lip and push that thought out of the way, purposely flirting with the touron, hoping to get your mind off the fact that you’re literally in love with you best friend. you take a few more sips of your beer when you catch jj talking to a blonde girl a few feet away from you. ouch.. you close your eyes and turn back to the guy in front of you. i should’ve known. nothing will ever happen between me and jj. you open your eyes and quickly place your lips on the touron’s.

“what the-” you pull away and see jj watching you, red in anger and tears in his eyes. he throws his beer on the ground before stomping past you, ignoring yours and his friends calls. you ignore the touron in front of you and chase after him. “jj!” you continuously yell after him.

he stalks off to his bike, ignoring you, tears in his eyes. he climbs on his bike, ignoring your presence catching up to him. “jj. please.” you plead, stepping in front of his bike and trying to catch his gaze. “what happened? what’s wrong?” you ask, pleading with him.

he scoffs, “what’s wrong? are you seriously fucking asking me that right now?” you nod, “yeah. i am. i don’t understand what’s wrong.” you explain. he runs his hand through his hair and aggressively bites his bottom lip.

“what’s wrong is the fact that i just watched you kiss some random fucking guy right in front of me! how could you fucking do that to me?“ you cut him off, confused. “what?-”

“you just fucking looked at me and kissed some guy knowing i was fucking watching, y/n! who does that?” he rambles on, throwing his hands in the air. “why are you so fucking mad, jj?” you ask, watching him intently with furrowed brows.

“because i’m fucking in love with you! i thought i’ve made it quite obvious!-“ you freeze, your heart beating rapidly. “you’re in love with me?” you whisper.

“yes! how could i not be? fucking look at you. you’re such a good person and you’re stunning and literally everything you do makes me want to kiss the fuck out of you and i literally have to restrict myself from doing so-“ you smile widely, stepping forward and placing your lips on jj’s, cutting him off.

you pull away and bite your bottom lip, smiling wide. “did… did you just kiss me?” he asks quietly, staring at you with wide eyes. “yeah?” you chuckle as you take a step back from him. he stares at you, eyes still wide.

“do it again,” he mutters, earning a small laugh from you before pulling you in and placing his lips on yours.

“i’m in love with you too, stupid.” you whisper into the kiss, opening your eyes and see his blue ones staring right back at you full of love. he lets out a sigh of relief and places his forehead against yours, “thank fuckinggod.”