#obx3celebration
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HEARTFIRST // JJ Maybank
pairing: JJ Maybank x Routledge!Reader
warnings: mentions of abuse, sibling drama, nothing too drastic
request: heyy i have a fic idea! so i thought you could do a secret relationship jj x reader (john bs sis) and jj shows up at her window beaten up and she cleans him up and they go to bed; then he has a nightmare and wakes up screaming and JB sees how good they are for each other? idk if that makes sense hahaha!
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John B was pissed. Fuming. Ready to strangle his best friend of too many years for something so stupid. There had always been one rule since JJ Maybank and John Booker Routledge became best friends: you were off limits. Y/N Routledge was not to be flirted with, dated, looked at, or spoken to unless John B approved it.
At first, it didn’t matter. Growing up as kids, John B had his friends and you had yours but once your dad dove headfirst into a treasure hunt, everything went to shit. Kiara’s Kook year had really screwed up your relationship, leaving JJ and Pope to fill in the gaps which pulled you closer and closer with your brother and his friends. You were teenagers then and everything felt so important and critical, even if it wasn’t.
So when John B realized his best friend and his sister were together, there was nothing that could stop him from losing his shit on the two of you.
Met him at a party, accidentally brushed his body
On the way to get a drink at the bar
I couldn't wait 'til later, talking in the elevator
Then we're kissing in the back of the car
The kegger idea had really sounded good at first; it was something to get your minds off your missing father, not to mention the sudden dead bodies popping up from the hurricane. None of it seemed too out of place for you, minus the newfound treasure hunting, but you were always up for a good party.
“Where the hell did you find a keg on such short notice?” You asked JJ as the two of you hauled the large object down towards the Boneyard. You never really thought about how quickly JJ managed to find alcohol when it was for a party. It was common knowledge that he just knew where to go and how to do it.
“Don’t you worry about that, Birdie. You know I’ve got my ways.”
The party was in full swing a few hours later. You’d spent most of your time with John B and Sarah before dipping to find the boy that seemed to be taking up most of your mind. JJ had been occupied with beer pong for a good portion of the last hour and you were determined to break him away.
That voice in my head says to slow down
But it can't see the way you're looking at me right now
It may not be next week, what I need
Then again, maybe it might be
The drink in your hand sloshed over the rim of the cup as someone ran into your side in their drunken stumbling. JJ’s attention moved to you instantly. He’d always been so in tune with you and your presence but it only got stronger ever since your dad left.
The previously occupied beat-up table full of red solo cups was left behind in trade for your company, JJ instantly taking your hand in his as he twirled you. He would give up so much to watch you smile like that every day. You deserved every bit of happiness that came to you because it certainly didn’t come often.
Your laughter was infectious and JJ was drunk on it. He didn’t know who made the move or who threw the back door of the Twinkie open but shit, your skin was so soft and JJ just couldn’t stop kissing you.
The line between friends and more slowly disappeared between you and JJ. At some point, your bed became his, and his clothes blended with yours. The thrill of hiding from the Pogues was exciting, sneaking moments when the two of you could to enjoy the one thing you had to yourselves.
JJ was everything to you and yet, it terrified you. You’ve never had a person to connect with in the way you did with him. The thought of your friends, of your brother, being pissed about what was going on was suffocating. What if this fucked up the group? What if JJ left you for someone else when he got bored? JJ was always quick to shut that idea down.
“We’ve grown up together, Birdie. Kinda stupid of them to think something wasn’t gonna happen within the group at some point, right?” Which was always followed by: “You’re it for me. Now get outta that pretty little head and let me love on you.”
He had a point, but then again when JJ was pressing kisses down your neck, you never could think clearly.
Could be forever or we might break
That's just the kind of risk that we take
My head is yelling that I could get hurt
But I'm gonna jump right in
Baby, with my heart first
“You wanna tell them?” JJ’s voice was muffled as he spoke into the skin of your shoulder. The two of you were sitting on the porch of the Chateau, watching bemused as Kiara and Pope challenged Sarah and John B to an intense game of cards out on the dock.
You sat beside the blond boy. To any observing eyes, it would just look like two friends having a civil conversation. To you, JJ’s hand was behind your back, fingers gently moving across the skin of your hip that wasn’t covered by the t-shirt over your swimsuit.
“No.” Your answer didn’t have any anger or harshness behind it. You simply just loved having JJ all to yourself, with no judgment or prying eyes. No pressure to make it something neither of you wanted. It felt selfish to a point to keep something from your friends, from your brother.
“Get out of your head.”
A smile made its way onto your face as you took the risk of leaning your head against JJ’s shoulder, tucking further into his side. JJ was so warm, his tan skin from constant surfing smooth against your cheek. It scared you sometimes, how comfortable everything was when it involved him.
JJ’s heart skipped watching you be so relaxed, so vulnerable around him. He’d been so used to living on the edge and being tense for so long that it was so… vulnerable, so healing to have someone feel protected and safe enough to be by his side.
Who knows what'll happen, ain't that always kinda magic
When you don't know who's holding the cards
Could be a wish I never knew ya or permanently tattoo ya
Only the moon knows what's in the stars (what's in the stars)
You were pissed. You don’t know at what point John B thought he could parent you when the two of you were so close in age. Who was he after all this time to think he could boss you around?
“How long? How long has this been going on?” John B’s voice almost rattled the windows, echoing around the space surrounding you and JJ. The two of you stood there awkwardly like kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
“Three months,” Your whisper was almost incoherent. Your eyes were trained on the ground, heart thumping in your chest so loud you figured JJ could probably hear it. This was the risk that came with not telling them, with keeping secrets amongst Pogues. God, there were so many stupid rules.
John B’s hand slammed against the counter. “Three-Three months? God. I just…There was one rule. One fucking rule JJ. You promised!”
JJ visibly flinched at the anger in John B’s statement. That was true; JJ did promise John B he’d never get with you, never hurt you. All of that flew out the door the moment JJ saw you at that kegger. He had to risk it.
“I’m..I’m sorry, man! It just happened, okay? And-and we didn’t want to tell you guys because we didn’t want something like this to happen!”
“Well it’s happening,” John B scoffed with a shake of his head. The disappointment on his face was suffocating and you felt like you would burst into tears at any second. It wasn’t fair. Being forced apart when you knew you loved JJ? How is that fair?
John B shifted further into your line of vision. “Get the fuck out. Now. And don’t let me see you two near each other until I figure this out, got it?”
You looked up in a panic. “John B-”
“Do not argue with me right now. I don’t want to talk to you.” The look in your brother’s eyes left no room for argument. You’d never seen him this mad, especially toward you.
JJ’s fingers squeezed your wrist lightly before he shuffled out the door behind you. The creaky hinges filled the room as you and John B stared at each other, waiting for the other to break.
The fridge door popped open when your brother finally decided to move to grab a beer. Part of you wanted to run after JJ, to prove to John B that you didn’t have to listen to him. The problem was, you knew JJ respected your brother too much to let you do that for him.
“You didn’t have to be so harsh on him,” You mumbled when you mustered up enough courage. John B tended to be… touch and go when he was angry. There was a risk of setting off another fuse if you didn’t watch what you said.
As kids, JJ always picked on your brother for inheriting your dad’s temper. John B hated that it was true. To your relief, your brother let out a sigh and placed both of his hands on the counter. He felt instant regret watching JJ flinch at the noise level, knowing exactly what happened in the Maybank house when nobody else was around. “I know.”
“I can’t tell you that I’m gonna stop being with him,” You admitted, holding your ground while you had the chance. You crossed your arms over your chest. “I respect your opinion a lot, Booker, but if it means staying away from JJ, I’ll learn to live without it.”
It was a little more aggressive than you intended for it to be but it needed to be said. You moved through the kitchen to your room without another word.
Mm, that voice in my head says to slow down
But it can't feel your hands on my hips right now
It may not be next year, what I need
Then again, maybe it might be
JJ felt horrible for doing this. He knew he was playing with fire but as he pushed up your bedroom window, he couldn’t really bring himself to care. He could deal with John B later. Right now, he really needed you.
He was a little less than graceful stumbling through your window in the darkness, but he found his way eventually. You shifted awake from his rustled movements and caught a quick glance at his silhouette before turning to flick the light on. “JJ? What’s wrong? Do you need-”
“Nothin’. Sorry to wake you, Birdie. Just wanted to see you.” You could tell he was avoiding meeting your eyes as he kicked off his shoes. The coloration of bruising was beginning to show through his abdomen and you shook your head slightly. JJ didn’t like to explain when his dad treated him like this. He kept quiet and you didn’t push him because he would always talk when he wanted to about what happened.
So, you turned the lights off and cuddled up next to him, hoping you would wake up before John B saw anything.
JJ didn’t always have nightmares when it came to his dad, but whatever happened was terrible enough that he did. Half the time they weren’t even about his dad hitting him; it always involved his dad hurting you.
The blond’s sharp movements woke you up before the screaming did. You didn’t hesitate to pull him closer, his hands grasping your hips to hold as you settled across his lap. His shirt puddled on your thighs as he let his fingers drift across your bare skin above your pajama shorts. JJ tucked his face in your neck and just listened to your heartbeat, reassuring him that you were right here and you were safe.
John B couldn’t say he was pleased to be woken up at 5:00 in the morning. Even less so when the alarm clock involved screaming. It wasn’t your voice though, and he didn’t know if that was a relief or something to be worried about.
You didn’t flinch when your brother threw your door open to reveal the sight within. You knew he could see the fact that the two of you were fully clothed and clearly, everything was okay… well, as okay as it could be.
Eyes moving to look at John B, you prayed he wouldn’t say anything while JJ was so upset. To your surprise and gratitude, he didn’t. He stared at both of you for a moment as the realization settled in. The realization that you were old enough to make these decisions for yourself and as much as John B wanted to protect you, to protect you and JJ, he couldn’t keep you apart.
John B gave you a small nod and mouthed to let him know if you or JJ needed anything. You gave him a forced smile back, a barely there ‘thank you’ leaving your lips as you hugged your boyfriend tighter to your chest.
As your bedroom door closed, you had this overwhelming sense of relief that maybe…maybe it would all work out after all.
I gotta have ya, gotta see if this works
I gotta have ya, wake up in your t-shirt
I gotta have ya, diving in heart first
#obx3celebration#jj maybank#outer banks x reader#obx3#obx#outer banks#outer banks imagine#jj outer banks#jj maybank x routledge!reader#jj maybank imagine#obx x reader#jj x reader#jj maybank fanfic#jj maybank series#stc series#routledge!reader#outer banks angst#jj maybank angst#outer banks netflix
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Reunion // Ghost of You
summary below cut to avoid spoilers for s3 ep1-3
let's jump right on in.
part of #obx3celebration
navigation -- series masterlist
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summary: after being rescued from your island paradise, you're unexpectedly ripped from the pogues and pushed straight into another fight for your life.
warnings: kidnapping, violence, cursing, minor character death
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The noise of an airplane propeller shook you from your sleep. Ever since you touched this island, you were sensitive to every little sound or movement. Sitting up sharply, you looked to see Pope doing the same. The two of you were quick to catch sight of the plane dancing in the clouds and started shaking friends awake.
“Guys, plane. Plane!” Shaking JJ’s shoulder aggressively, you collected your ratty shoes from the sand and ran towards the shoreline.
Taking a look back, you could see the uncertain expression on JJ’s face. In the time you all had spent on the island, he had made it abundantly clear that he didn’t want to leave. This was JJ’s element, his safe space. He was with you, his family, and they were making things work with scraps. This was the Full Pogue experience he had always dreamed of.
“Hey! We’re down here!” John B was suddenly next to you and waving his arms aggressively to draw any ounce of attention to your group. Pope and Cleo took off up the field to light a fire in hopes that the pilot would see.
A defeated sigh left your lips as the plane looked like it would continue on before making a last-minute change and turning.
“Guys, guys. He sees us!” Kie shook your arm in excitement.
“He’s gonna go to the pond. Come on, come on!” Your brother slung his shoestrings over his shoulders and grabbed Sarah’s hand to tug her along up the hill.
JJ caught up to your side as you guys jogged behind your friends. You could tell he was displeased. You tried to understand why he would feel this way, but part of you just wanted to go home. Watching the aircraft make a successful landing, your boyfriend let out a sigh.
“Come on.” His fingers were rough as they intertwined with your own. You squeezed, trying to give him some sort of comfort about the idea as you caught up with everyone.
The stairs of the cockpit lowered just above the water as a middle-aged man climbed out. He was quick to join in on the noises of celebration coming from Cleo, Pope, and John B. “Well, what do we got here?”
John B glanced back at your group before responding. “You know, just some castaways.”
“Well, I’ll cross that off my grocery list. Uh, hang on! I got just the thing for y’all.” He disappeared back into the plane for a moment. “Two things you need on a deserted island: first aid and rum!”
The bottle splashed in front of Sarah’s feet. She seemed distraught at the sight in front of her, no doubt fearing that her father may be involved in some way. You didn’t blame her. The constant feeling that you need to look over your shoulder was exhausting, but you were hoping it would change.
“So, what’s the story? You guys sank a boat?”
“Jumped off one,” You replied, watching as Sarah bent down to grab the alcohol out of the water. For some reason, you weren’t as hesitant to get out of here as you probably should’ve been. After a month or so of living like this, you would take the Chateau back in a heartbeat.
The pilot chuckled. “Well, have no fear. Jimmy’s here. I got you.”
Cleo cheered and threw her hands in the air. “Well, all hail Jimmy, guys! Let’s go.”
The pilot, Jimmy, welcomed you all as John B led the way into the plane. Kie gave you and JJ a look before following wordlessly. It seemed a little too good, but who were you to say anything?
You turned to JJ, taking the chance to check-in. “You okay?” Your hand rested on his collarbone, thumb tracing his jawline as you observed him. His whole body was tense; the fun demeanor you’d witnessed after cliff jumping yesterday disappeared without a trace. JJ’s expression was sharp when he made eye contact with you. Thrown off guard, you frowned and dropped your hands to your side.
“We said we’d never go back, remember? You said you wouldn’t. And here you are, running after a plane that would take us right back into hell?” He shrugged his shoulders before looking away. You were a bit surprised by his hostility, feeling like he was blaming you for everyone else climbing onboard.
“Who said we’re going back to the OBX?” You countered as you gestured towards the plane. “There’s no way that thing would fly that far anyway. We’re all gonna be together no matter what.”
JJ let out a heavy breath and refused to look at you. “You don’t get it.” He hauled his boots up before brushing past you to head after your friends into the aircraft. You turned on your heels, the fight leaving your body at the idea of him being so upset over leaving this place. There was no point in arguing right now.
With a huff, you climbed on board, thanking Jimmy for letting you all come before settling down between Sarah and Kie. The idea of being able to take a shower and put fresh clothes on was amazing right now, so you tried not to hold onto JJ’s poor attitude personally.
“So, what are you doing all the way out here?” JJ asked as the engine started up.
“I got a little guide outfit in Saint Vincent. I was spotting fish. You know, the usual. Wahoo,” Jimmy replied as he began flipping switches and steering. “I’d hang on to something. Gets a little spicy on takeoff.”
You shared a look with Pope, the two of you not big airplane people to begin with. Grabbing onto nearby straps, you clenched the fabric tightly. The plane jerked once before things steadied out and you could eventually see the water and island far beneath you from the sky.
Taking a deep breath, you leaned your head against the metal behind you in hopes that it would calm your racing heart. You were grateful for the opportunity to hopefully go somewhere a little better, but the lack of safety equipment in this plane made you nauseous.
“Wahoo don’t run in September. Ever, alright?” JJ’s voice broke you out of your self-induced trance. You opened your eyes to see him leaning toward your group as far away from Jimmy as he could get. “So, whoever this man is, he’s not a fisherman.”
“No, I know what this is,” Sarah said as if the answer was obvious, “He’s working for my dad, and he’s probably been looking for us this entire time.”
Pope considered the idea. “Alright, we gotta find out. Start looking for some sort of… clues.”
JJ and John B were quick to create a plan to distract Jimmy. While your brother busied himself with asking pointless questions, JJ dug straight into the satchel hanging on the seat. A few books tumbled into his hands. A photo slid out of the first one, Sarah being quick to grab it. You peeked over her shoulder to see a crisp clear photo of the Coastal Venture.
“This is the boat we were on, with Eberhimi and the cross,” She whispered.
“So he was looking for us?” Cleo asked as she got a look at the picture for herself. A nervous feeling built in your stomach at the thought of this man searching for you on purpose, maybe even for Ward’s bidding.
A sharp movement of the airplane had you all bracing for some stability as Jimmy called out about turbulence. Kiara looked over your shoulder out the window. You followed her gaze to the window where land was creeping into the blue of the ocean. “Whatever it is, it’s happening fast. Look.”
“That looks like Barbados. I’ve been there with Terrance,” Cleo piped up as the rest of your group observed what would most likely be the landing place.
“Okay. There’s six of us, one of him. You know my vote, we storm the cockpit.”
You gave JJ an incredulous look at his suggestion. “No, who’s gonna fly the plane, dumbass?”
“I’ve seen Pope fly simulators.”
“I crop dusted for my uncle last summer, that is not the same thing!”
The group continued to bicker back and forth before ultimately deciding the best option would be to land safely and book it as soon as you got the opportunity. John B was quick to start a conversation with Jimmy again so JJ could sneak the books back into the satchel. It seemed like all was well until the pilot happened to glance over his right shoulder, exactly where JJ was scrambling in his stuff.
The plane jerked aggressively as the boys broke into a fight. Screaming echoed around you with shouts to fly the plane overwhelming as you grabbed on for some sort of hold. The water was approaching rapidly when Jimmy finally turned back around in an attempt to save everyone. Admitting defeat, you closed your eyes tightly and braced against the wall when the first hit came.
The plane bounced across the ocean, sending the six of you into a mess of tangled limbs against the floor. Someone’s elbow jammed into the weak spot of your back as you cried out. The water started flooding the ground as you all scrambled for an escape.
“Everybody good?”
The cool liquid sent a chill up your spine once you finally found some footing. John B shoved the door open and crawled out first. You could barely see the people crowding the beach at the sight of the accident.
“They do not look friendly.”
You looked closer, noticing the weapons and vests they were wearing to separate them from casual observers. Slipping on the wet metal, you shifted through the water as everyone began scrambling from the singing airplane.
“Y/N, let’s go!”
You spared a glance back at where Jimmy was passed out in his seat. A tug pulled in your chest, the idea of leaving someone to drown not sitting well with you. Cursing to yourself, you pushed through the water to grab onto the pilot and tug him out.
“No, no, no. Y/N, let’s go!”
“Hurry!”
You ignored the shouts of concern and worked on tugging Jimmy into the open water. Your feet kicked as hard as possible to keep you both afloat as he slowly started coming to. You waited until the sand was under your feet and bystanders came to help to let go.
Coughing up water, you turned to glare at the man you’d rescued. “You lied to us.” Adrenaline was pumping through your system, the fear of what had happened taking over.
The sound of ATVs flooded your senses as you turned to look over your shoulder. The beach was crowded with a series of men, all in tan tactical gear, and all of them heading towards you.
“You should get out of here.”
Ignoring Jimmy’s useless advice, you took off up the shore in hopes that you could lose them in the mass of people. A rotting boat was taking up part of the shore but you quickly navigated through an opening to hide in the darkness of it.
You held your breath at the sound of footsteps, a pair of boots coming into view. As soon as the person’s eyes came a little too close, you lashed out and kicked him away from your hideout.
“She’s over here!”
“Shit!” Crawling as fast as possible, you moved through the sand in hopes to avoid the oncoming hands but fell short when a foot tripped your own. Sand clouded your vision as two sets of hands latched on to you and pulled you back up. “Let me go!” You yanked and struggled against them in a desperate attempt to free yourself.
Eventually, the back and forth became too much for the two men who resorted to picking you up out of the sand to move you into a waiting pickup truck. One of your attackers was quick to slide a thick black zip tie around your wrists, effectively ending any sort of backlash as they pushed you into the tailgate corner.
“We lost the others. We’ll keep searching.”
The words coming from the man’s radio brought you a slight bit of comfort knowing that the rest of the Pogues got away. You sagged against the side of the truck in exhaustion as the adrenaline began to seep away.
Jimmy suddenly popped into view, your anger quickly resurfacing at the sight of him. “I save your life,” You sneered.
“I know. I know. I’m sorry. I’m gonna try to help you, okay?” He sighed, “I swear. I didn’t know it was gonna be like this. Look, if you don’t fight, if you just do what they say, these guys prob… probably won’t hurt you.”
You shook your head and glared. “Because that’s so reassuring. What did Ward promise you?”
“Who?” He didn’t wait for you to answer the question and continued, “Hey, just take my advice and do what they say. Good luck.”
The truck engine started a second later, one of the guards climbing in the back with you before the vehicle took off. You groaned, tears fighting your eyes at the idea of being taken from your brother and your boyfriend once again. You were sick of this violence around every corner, sick of always being taken from your loved ones.
The sun was warm on your bare skin but did nothing to ease the anxiety building in your chest. You were not equipped enough to keep handling this shit by yourself. The drive continued until you took a right turn down a private road lined with palm trees, blocked with more guards. A watchdog circled the truck as the other guards surveyed who was in the vehicle before it was allowed through.
Surveying your surroundings, more guards, ATVs, and weapons were at every glance. Your heart sank, knowing there was no way you would be able to outrun everything on your own. One of the guards came to pull you out of the back once the truck came to a stop. You were led up to a large white-colored mansion, the sight of even more guards making you sick.
The front door opened to reveal a woman dressed in a maid-styled uniform. She took a brief glance at you before letting the both of you through. The foyer area was decorated with expensive artifacts and paintings as you walked. “Take her upstairs. The Orinoco Room.”
A different guard took place and pulled your elbow up the stairs and practically tossed you inside the room, only sparing a second to cut the ties around your wrists.
“Why am I here? Who are you working for?” You took a step back away, the idea of being locked in a room with no escape again haunting your mind.
“Dinner at eight. I’d clean up.” The door slammed and locked a second later without another word. Your feet stumbled backward until you collided with the bed frame. A sob choked through your throat as the memories became heavy, this feeling all too familiar to you. You didn’t even know if you could be rescued by the Pogues at this point. You were royally fucked.
An hour or two passed before you were able to get yourself out of bed to explore the room. A handful of identical dresses hung in the closet with a note to pick your size attached. Alarms went off in your head at the creepy aura surrounding the gesture before you dropped the paper to the carpet. Moving into the bathroom, a shower was 100% necessary first and foremost. If you were going to go headfirst into this by yourself, might as well clean up when you can.
The products in the shower had to have cost a fortune based on their looks and efficiency. As terrified as you were, this was much nicer than being trapped in the Cameron household endlessly. You took your time to get decent and explore the rest of the room. Dogs barked occasionally from outside, a reminder of the ever-present guards at every corner.
A sharp knock startled you back to reality as the housekeeper from earlier entered. “He’s ready.”
You didn’t question it, standing up and smoothing out the fabric of the dress as you followed her down the winding staircase. She guided you into one of the rooms connecting to the entranceway before leaving.
There was one other person in the room, dressed in a tux with their back to you as they poured liquor into a glass. You cleared your throat slightly. “Excuse me?”
Your heart dropped as the person turned around to reveal Rafe Cameron. A fresh buzz cut to his hair made him almost unrecognizable, but he still invoked the same horrible fear in you. This was slowly becoming your worst nightmare all over again. Chest tight with an approaching anxiety attack, you wondered what the hell you were going to do without John B and JJ.
“Y/N?” He looked shocked for some reason and quickly closed the distance between you as his expression shifted to one of anger. You immediately took a step back in return. “Are you trying to weasel in on my deal right now? Is that what’s going on?”
You stared at him for a moment while trying to process what the hell was actually happening. A voice from the other half of the room seemed to hear your thoughts. “I wondered if your little reunion would cause sparks, you know.”
The two of you turned simultaneously to the man who had spoken. He too was dressed in a suit, holding a glass of whiskey as he walked towards you.
“Who are you?” Rafe didn’t hesitate to ask the obvious.
The man pointed to himself like he was surprised the question was even asked. “Me? My name is Carlos Singh. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cameron. And Miss Routledge, I do apologize for the rough tactics in bringing you here. But please, come, sit down. Come now, I don’t bite.”
There was a period of hesitation before you finally took the initiative to step forward into the sitting room, leaving Rafe to follow behind. “Rough tactics?” The Kook repeated. “What about me?”
“Yes, Mr. Cameron, false pretenses, but the ends justify the means, I’m afraid.” Carlos poured himself another hefty drink before asking Rafe to sit again. “We have a lot to talk about.”
“Why are we here?” The question you’d been wanting to know the answer to since the moment they came after you on the beach. Why? Why you and why here?
Carlos stood in front of the two of you and took a sip. “Well, Ms. Routledge, Mr. Cameron. We share certain interests, you know? Objectives.”
“Is this not about the cross?” Rafe’s already limited patience was wearing thin and you feared he would snap any second when he didn’t receive answers.
“It is. Tangentially, it is about the cross, but it’s also about something much, much bigger.” Carlos turned around to face a framed painting on the wall that depicted a deep grassland with pyramids of gold. “By orders of magnitude… the completion of a grand quest. You see, the story goes that 450 years ago, a Spanish soldier came out of the Orinoco Basin with a few gold beads. When they asked the Spanish soldier where the beads came from, he replied that he got them from a peaceful Indigenous tribe who lived in a city of gold. El Dorado. For the next 450 years, people tried to find that gold, you know. They tried. Conquistadors, knights, captains of ships, tribes, entire nations. All fighting each other in a race for the end of the rainbow. Thousands of lives. And it falls to me, you know. It falls to me to complete the task, to bring full circle to a quest that has gone on for almost 500 years. Perhaps…perhaps the greatest quest in the history of the western hemisphere. And you two are going to play a part in that.”
“What about you, Ms. Routledge? Are you interested in history?”
The question made you want to roll your eyes. “I’m more of a future person.”
Rafe spoke up, “You know, I almost didn’t listen to a word you said, okay? How much you gonna keep philosophizing?” You honestly wanted to thank him for his straightforward attitude when it came to this.
“You are direct, aren’t you, Mr. Cameron?” Silence followed.
“What do you need from me?” At this point, you were willing to give him whatever he asked for, so long as it was within reason. You wanted out.
Carlos spared you a glance. “I’ve come to believe that you and your friends are in possession of something that can help me get what I want. An old manuscript, a diary actually.”
For a moment, you blanked on what exactly he meant. Then it hit you, Mr. Sunn had given Pope the diary of Denmark Tanny during your hunt for the cross. And if the cross, the gold, and this… El Dorado were all related… you had the key to where you needed to go.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Rafe replied as you shook your head lightly.
“I don’t know anything about a diary,” You added, “My brother and dad are the treasure people, not me.”
Carlos looked you dead in the eye. “How else could you have learned that the cross was on the Royal Merchant?”
Shrugging instantly, you stared him right back. “Look, I want to help you, but I can’t. I don’t have what you’re looking for.”
“I was hoping you wouldn’t say that you know, because unfortunately… I don’t believe you. You and your friends couldn’t have found that cross without it.”
“He’s not my friend.” The statement was short and sharp in nature as you spat it back at him. Fuck this dude for pulling you away from your friends, and fuck Rafe for all he did to you.
The Cameron next to you clapped his hands and got to his feet without warning. “Well, this is ridiculous. Okay? I’m out. I don’t know anything about a diary, okay? So-” He moved towards the open door but was forced back the second an armed guard appeared.
“Do I look like a fool to you, Mr. Cameron?” Carlos repeated his question when Rafe didn’t answer. “You have the cross. She and her friends had the cross at one point. So one of you has the diary. And if you really don’t know, I suggest you convince your friend here to give it to me.”
A finger was directed towards you, pulling Rafe’s gaze with it as the two of you held each other’s attention for a moment.
“Once I have the diary, you’ll be free to leave.” When nobody made a comment in return, Carlos moved towards the door to leave. “Enjoy the grounds during your stay. I must warn you though. I’m not a man of infinite patience. You have one day. Go to the window for a little demonstration. I think you’ll enjoy it, you know?” He placed two solid pats on Rafe’s bicep before exiting the room.
The door was forced closed a moment after, Rafe calling out in shock as the lock clicked. If you weren’t freaking the hell out before, you sure as shit were now. While Rafe attempted to wiggle the door loose, you moved over to one of the sheer curtains covering a window and moved it aside. The guards and dogs were still circling, but this time a new figure joined. Jimmy was being pulled along onto the patio.
“Who the hell is that guy?” Rafe was suddenly so close to you, your whole body going rigid in response.
“It’s Jimmy Portis,” You kept your reply simple. No need to converse with him beyond the bare minimum. He didn’t deserve it.
Carlos showed up through the glass a moment later, sparing the time to turn and find the two of you in the window before he pulled a gun from his waistband. A sharp gasp left your mouth as you figured out where this was going next.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.”
Every inch of your being was telling you to look away, not that you could see them underneath the rooftop of the patio. The loud bang came fast, an involuntary flinch wracking your body as the gunshot echoed.
“This diary. Hey, no bullshit. Okay? Do you have it?” Rafe was inches from your face, the warmth of his breath on your cheek as you continued to stare forward. “Y/N?”
You turned to him sharply. “No.”
--
You hardly slept that night. The silky tank top and pants that were laid out made you so uncomfortable, not to mention the threat on your horizon if you didn’t figure out what the hell to do. Not to mention, Rafe was sleeping not even a foot away on the floor. With so much “gracious hospitality”, Carlos Singh couldn’t even be bothered to spare another bedroom.
You hoped JJ, John B, and the Pogues were at least doing better than you. Maybe they’d found a way home by now and we’re just waiting for you to escape. Even if you guys didn’t make it out of Barbados, you just wanted to be back with them.
Taking a glance at Rafe’s sleeping form, you pushed yourself off the bed to go by the window where guards had been stationed on the connecting balcony. Body moving before your consciousness, you tapped on the window to get the person’s attention.
“I need to talk to Mr. Singh,” You tried to keep your voice somewhat quiet. The guard looked at you confused, so you repeated the statement slower.
“What are you doing?” Rafe had woken up at the noise and rushed over to you. “Shut up, shut up, shut up. What the hell are you doing?”
You turned around to glare at him. “Like I owe you an explanation for absolutely anything.” You brushed past him to the other door in the room.
“Think for a second, Y/N! What are you doing?”
Ignoring his question, you began to knock on the wooden door separating you from the rest of the house. “Hello?” When Rafe wouldn’t stop pushing, you snapped. “Don’t fucking talk to me.”
“You’re lying, about this diary. You know where it is?”
You shook your head. “No, I don’t.”
Rafe let out a groan as you moved away from him again. “Okay, listen, I wouldn’t tell me either, but he’s never gonna believe we don’t know something, alright? Listen to me! Singh killed that-”
The second his hand touched your shoulder, you whipped around and smacked him. Hard. “Don’t fucking touch me!” The two of you stood there for a moment, tensions high with the looming death threat.
Rafe raised his hands in surrender. “Look around you. I’m the only friend you got.”
You were prepared to shut him down a second later, but the click of the door lock interrupted the opportunity. The guard from the balcony appeared in the doorway and you were quick to move toward him without a thought. Ignoring Rafe’s annoying voice from behind you, the guard escorted you out of the room and relocked the door.
Carlos Singh didn’t look surprised at your presence when you entered the study. You stopped short of the table he was seated at.
“I lied. I know about the diary,” You admitted, fingers clenching the fabric of your clothes. “I don’t have the original, but I can get you a copy.”
He looked you over for a moment before nodding slightly. “I’m relieved to hear you say that, you know. May I offer you something to eat?”
“I’m not hungry.”
He almost laughed at how quick your response was. “Relax, nothing’s gonna happen to you now. You’re cooperating, and I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”
“I just want to get you what you want, and then I want to leave,” Your voice was stern right back to him, refusing to show a hint of weakness. “I know where it is. But I have to go by myself. Alone.”
In the back of your head, you’re praying that the Twinkie is still alive somewhere on the OBX. Somewhere you can get a copy of the diary and maybe make a run for it.
“How would I know that you’d come back? I need some collateral.”
“Rafe’s here.” There was zero hesitation to offer him up for your sure-to-be disappearance. You didn’t give a shit what happened to him. “Keep him.
Signh laughed at your offer. “Rafe. No, I’ve heard tellings about what happened between the two of you. How did someone so young, get into so much trouble?” He rose from his chair to walk past you. You were quick to follow him.
“Look, I know where the diary is, and if you let me go, I promise you I can get it to you.”
Carlos shut down after that, his responses snippy and harsh until his phone broke the tension. He paused and rubbed his face before going to look at it. You were shocked when he looked at you and laughed. “Amazing. A text from our friend Jimmy Portis. From beyond the grave apparently. It seems Mr. Portis has captured your friends.”
The phone turned towards you to show a picture of John B and Sarah sitting next to each other with the message I got these two underneath. It was obvious they were trying to stage it out to look realistic. They had no idea what had happened. Singh called out for one of his guards.
“Get the big trucks and meet me outback.” His orders were quickly obeyed before he called on another guard. “Fenton. Get Miss Routledge.”
“Mr. Singh, Mr. Singh, please!” Panic was bubbling in your throat as the guard almost slammed into you before removing you from the study area. “You can’t hurt them, please! They’re all I have left, just leave them alone!” Your voice cracked with the strength of your yelling. The guard didn’t falter amongst your struggles and continued to push you up the stairs and back in the room without another word.
Rafe watched silently as you crawled into a ball at the foot of the bed. “What happened?” When you didn’t answer, he let out a sharp breath. “You’re gonna have to talk to me at some point. Okay?”
“Do I have to remind you of everything you’ve done?” You shot back as you looked at him. “You killed Peterkin. Do you remember that? And everything you’ve put Sarah through. Everything you put me through?”
“Peterkin, I was protecting my father, okay? I did what I had to, so don’t.” He walked away from you to sit in one of the armchairs. “I’m as much a victim as she is.”
You turned to give him the nastiest look you could muster. “Kook King Rafe Cameron, a victim of what? Consequences of your own fucking actions? Daddy issues?”
You hardly listened to the so-called explanation he tried to give. It was hard to find any empathy in your body towards the person in front of you. You couldn’t care less about what Rafe thought he was owed. All you cared about was getting the hell out of here, with or without him.
“Look, I have a boat that can get us off the island, okay? But first, we gotta get out of here, and it is better if we work together.”
The sound of yelling outside had the two of you on your feet and heading to the window. Two trucks were lining up for guards to climb into, an assortment of weapons on them.
“They’re leaving?” Rafe asked.
You took a deep breath, dread flooding your chest as you watched them drive away. “They’re going to find John B and Sarah.”
“Sucks for them,” Rafe said as if he wasn’t talking about both of your siblings being at risk. “That’s good for us though. This may be our only shot of getting out of here.”
--
Rafe was quick to create a plan, something that would pull the guard from your door so you could slip out. Did you like it? Not in the slightest because it was a little to close for comfort.
“I’m gonna kill you, Y/N!”
You screamed in response, running into the wall to make it seem like Rafe had actually shoved you while he threw a glass vase to the floor. He held a finger to his lips as the guard outside called for the two of you. You continued to lay still, one leg hanging out of the bathtub, knowing your feet would be the first thing in eyesight.
“Hey, you two! What’d you do?” Silence followed the voice on the other side of the door before you could hear the lock click.
Everything moved fast from there; Rafe slammed the guard with the bathroom door and exchanged punches with him while you managed to grab the fallen gun. Rafe was quick to grab the man’s phone while you tore a curtain off the bedframe and handed it to him so he could restrain the guard.
The two of you took off, moving through the house as quietly and quickly as possible. You managed to talk him into exchanging the gun in your hands for the phone, knowing exactly what clues the Pogues would need. You snuck around to get a quick photo of the painting that Carlos had been so intent on explaining to the two of you before following Rafe out the side door.
A grain delivery was occurring just outside, a large truck pulling away just as you stepped out. Your eyes followed the road along the grass line before you were moving, calling for Rafe to follow. The two of you managed to find a gap in the bushes just as the truck hit the corner going slow enough that you could climb on.
You weren’t prepared, however, for there to be a worker in the back. Rafe moved before you even blinked to attack the man in front of you, eventually gaining the upper hand to throw him off the vehicle into the trees.
Your eyes were wide as you faced the eldest Cameron but you didn’t have time to question his anger when you heard a familiar noise. The sound of bells was always a comfort in your life. When you and John B were kids, it was the way your dad would tell you it was time to come inside. The pattern coming from the local church was identical to the one your dad would do. Chills raced down your spine at the noise, wondering if maybe it was John B trying to draw you in after all.
--
You weren’t sure how much time passed under the tarp, out of prying eyes with Rafe Cameron. You were beyond done with his presence and just wanted to jump off the truck, but thankfully you guys were able to make it to the marina where his boat was docked.
Climbing on the large pristine boat, you swore you could hear the bells ringing again, even this far away. You stopped short of untying the bowline, suddenly against the idea of getting on a boat with just Rafe Cameron.
“I can’t get it.” You lied easily, faking a pull on the rope. “I need some help.”
Rafe let out a loud groan, barking for you to move since he ‘had to do everything’. The second he untied the line, you shoved his chest harshly, watching as he splashed into the water below. You took off, hopping up to the cabin area to move the boat out from the dock. Rafe yelled hysterically below you yet you couldn’t help but smile once you got moving. Pulling the phone from your pocket, you typed a quick message, your heart racing in anticipation.
After docking at a different marina, you waited, foot tapping excessively, for some response that they were coming. The church bells kept continuously ringing, freaking you out even further that maybe they didn’t know where you were.
Eyes on the sidewalk, you watched anxiously for some kind of sign. It came straight towards you in a light blue button-down. You moved quickly the second you made eye contact. “JJ?”
JJ’s whole figure drooped in relief at the sight of you, unharmed. He had felt so much guilt, so much anxiety over the way you two weren’t on the best of terms before you were taken. His feet moved rapidly, body colliding with yours as he lifted you off the ground. Your legs wrapped around his waist out of habit, holding him as tightly as you could.
“Holy shit, you’re safe. I’m right here, I got you.”
You let out a sob, tears streaming down your cheeks before you kissed him heavily. Nothing was as calming as being wrapped in his embrace, feeling his hands on your arms, his lips on yours. You took a moment before separating, your feet returning to the ground before you were attacked by another set of arms.
John B was fucking terrified. The moment you got yanked out of the sand, Sarah was holding him back from going after you. Everything felt too real now, too heavy. Knowing that the second one of you disappeared could be the last time they saw you was scary. He was sick of losing, and he wasn’t about to stand by and watch it happen to you all over again.
More shaky hands piled onto you and your brother, your friends wiggling their way into a huge group hug of relief. Kiara’s hands grabbed your cheeks once everyone stepped away. “You’re not hurt, right?” You could see her eyes scanning for any sort of injury.
You shook your head, brushing tears off your face. “No, no. I’m okay. I’m okay.”
“Are you kidding me, babe?”
You followed JJ’s gaze to the large boat you had climbed off a few moments ago. You laughed, “Oh, yeah. Rafe let me take it for a spin.”
“Rafe?!”
You ignored the rapid onset of questions as your group piled onto the boat. You froze, however, at the sound of the bells tolling. Now you knew it wasn’t John B, and based on the way he was looking back at you, he was questioning them too.
“You don’t think-”
“There’s no way.”
Both of you spoke at the same time, glancing towards the hillside the church was located on. What would be the chances that your father happened to be in Barbados of all places, coincidentally when you crash-landed there?
“Yeah, so I have just a couple of questions,” JJ interrupted your sibling moment as everyone gathered around the two of you. “A Lagoon 620 with twin 150 Volvos. You understand we can go anywhere with this thing, right? Way to be discreet, by the way.”
You rolled your eyes, giving him the middle finger.
“What did they want from you?” Sarah asked the question that the group had been pondering over for two days now. “You swear Rafe didn’t hurt you?”
You sat down on one of the couch cushions. “No, no. I’m fine, promise. I um… Singh wanted Denmark’s diary, of all things.”
Pope frowned at the revelation. “Why?”
You shrugged. “I don’t know. Said it leads to a treasure that’s bigger than the Merchant.”
“A bigger treasure?” JJ repeated as he sat next to you, arm naturally wrapping around you to pull in close. “Sign me up.”
A moment of processing followed before your friends decided it was time to split and started prepping to leave. JJ moved with them, going to untie the lines. You decided to follow John B and Sarah up to the top deck.
“She’s right, we really need to go,” Sarah reiterated as she tossed a line down below.
The bells chimed again a few seconds after she finished, both you and John B looking towards the church before glancing at each other.
“Okay, you definitely heard that, right?” Your brother turned towards his girlfriend for an answer.
“Yeah, I do now.”
You crossed your arms over your chest. “That’s exactly what Dad would do to call us home. That pattern those bells.”
Sarah stopped her movements to look at the two of you. She could see the lingering sadness, the defeat that maybe he really was dead and this was a coincidental joke tugging at you. She also knew John B, and she knew where he went, you were usually close behind.
“Okay. I get it.” The two of you snapped up to look at her. “You wanna go to the tower to go look? Go look.”
John B seemed shocked at her willingness. “You sure?”
She took another glance at you and nodded. “I’m serious. Hurry, and take this.”
“Sarah…” You walked up next to them, hesitant about leaving them again so soon.
She smiled at you. “Yes, yes. You don’t think I know the two of you? He’s gonna drive us all insane if he doesn’t look, and you’re not gonna let him go alone. So go look.”
You shared a glance with John B before darting down the stairs. JJ was on the dock, untying another line when you collided into him.
“Whoa, hey. You okay?”
“I gotta go.” You didn’t give him a chance to react, John B already climbing off the boat behind you. “I’m going with John B. We’ll be back, okay?”
JJ looked panicked at the idea of you leaving when he just got you back. He knew better than to question you though, and if John B was going, it was enough for him. He gave you a nod, hands coming to rest on your cheeks before he kissed you softly. “I love you, okay?”
“Love you more,” You whispered back, giving him one more kiss before taking off after your brother. Not only were you two navigating a foreign area, but you needed to keep low from Singh’s men too. John B kept glancing back at you, slowing to stay with you when he could.
You slowed your light jog at the top of a hill, the church almost within reach? “Do you really think it’s him?”
John B paused, the two of you taking in the sound of the bells again. “I just… I have this feeling. And I need to know.”
He understood why you were hesitant. Your relationship with your dad wasn’t the greatest, especially as you got older. John B was always the favorite, which would’ve been fine if your dad hadn’t just started neglecting you in return. That’s where you clung to John B, why the two of you grew to be so protective of each other.
The climb up the side of the mountain was rough, but you managed to do it without any slipping. You honestly didn’t know if this was something you were ready for, but you’d do it for John B. Even if your dad didn’t speak to you, it would be fine. You both deserved answers.
The church itself was gorgeous with stained glass windows and coiled staircases. You followed your brother silently up the steps, unsure of what to expect. Every creak and groan of the building had the two of you hesitant to keep moving.
You came through an archway before John B followed a shadow across into the other stairwell. From the glimpse you got, your heart started racing in your chest. You moved down the stairs slowly, the two of you stopping short halfway.
There, at the bottom of the stairs, stood Big John Routledge. Alive.
“Dad?”
Your father turned to face the two of you, taking in the sight of his two children in the glow of the sunset. “What took you so long, kids? I’ve been ringing for hours.”
John B practically ran down the rest of the stairs and straight into your father’s arms. You stood, frozen in place at the sight before you. Emotions weren’t easy to process. You were a lovely combination of anger, sadness, and joy right now, your mind turning Inside Out at the idea of your father standing here after so long.
“My baby bird.”
The nickname sucked all the air out of your lungs as you realized your father’s eyes were on you. Your feet moved slowly, hesitant about what exactly you were signing yourself up for, but the moment your dad had you within grasp, he hugged you as tight as he could. You felt like an innocent little kid all over again, with her big brother and Dad always there to protect her.
“Oh, kids. We have a lot to talk about, huh?”
--
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Dreamcatcher // JJ Maybank
pairing: jj maybank x gn!reader
request: “I broke the lock. You were screaming.” and ❛ promise me you’ll still be here when i wake up. ❜ with jj? gn!reader has been having nightmares every night since the treasure hunting started, and its the first night back in obx after poguelandia and they have a really bad one, and jj is there to help? of course, only write it if you want to, your writing is beautiful! lots of love <3
warnings: nightmares, creepy wound descriptions
a/n: y'all i have no idea why the links are going to the browser the way they are but I'm hoping tumble fixes itself here soon
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Your time in Poguelandia was hard. Learning how to survive off the island around you was rewarding, but also terrifying. What if you ate something poisonous or someone got seriously injured? Each day got a little bit easier than the one before but you couldn’t lie and say it was a vacation.
You were glad to be back in the OBX. Although it sucked living back here on your own, it was nice to be back in your bed and to know what exactly you were surrounding yourself with. JJ followed along with you after coming back to an eviction notice on his door. You were more than happy to offer up the extra room in your home, grateful to not have an empty house.
You’d grown up alongside Sarah Cameron and the Kooks, easily becoming one of her best friends over the years. Eventually, you were dragged into the chaos and solidified your Pogue friendship with Kie, JJ, Pope, and John B. They were your best friends, your steady pillars in a rocky world. Of course, jumping off a boat in the middle of the ocean wasn’t on your bucket list, but you’d do anything for them.
Nothing brought people together better than trauma bonding, of course. In the past month, you and JJ slowly inched closer. Both of you had nobody to return home to and nowhere to be. He was lost and you were broken; two puzzle pieces that oddly fit together.
JJ was crashing in the guest bedroom, having showered and fallen asleep quickly after the two of you got dropped off. You took your time to get to bed, knowing as soon as you sat on the mattress, you’d be out for hours.
You didn’t know where your parents were, opting that maybe they never even knew you were gone in the first place. You were quick to find a spare phone and get it set back up in case the Pogues reached out with any news.
The dark and quiet of your room was intimidating as you lay there on your back. You were so used to the crackle of a dying fire, or one of your friends snoring. The moon almost always cast a light around you as well and the sound of the moving ocean was calming.
It wasn’t obvious when the dark of your ceiling turned into the dark of your dreams but suddenly, you were back on that island. The sky was black above you with flashes of light from a nearing storm. Turning around, you quickly realized you were alone. You tried not to resort straight to panic but it was hard to do, especially here of all places.
Your feet moved quickly through the terrain as you attempted to make your way back to where you knew your camp was set up. “JJ? Sarah! Hello? Anyone!” Your voice was scratchy as you yelled in hopes that someone would hear you and call back.
Fear bubbled in your chest when you couldn’t find camp. Everything was gone; Sarah’s woven baskets, the fire JJ had built, all of the food you’d surfaced, everything. Everyone.
“Someone! Hello!” You spun towards the open water, the liquid black with the night. You were stranded by yourself, with no way home. No friends to help you. “Help, please!”
“Looking for someone?” The voice of Ward Cameron grabbed your attention instantly. He faded into view, covered in blood, and looked like he meant revenge. “They’re all dead. You killed them.”
“What are you talking about?” You mumbled in confusion. Your eyes dropped to your own hands that were covered in dark red, the liquid practically dripping off your fingers. “Where are they?”
“You’re the reason we’re dead, Y/N.” A hand landed on your shoulder and forced you to spin. John B’s figure was standing in front of you with a noticeable bullet wound in his chest. Blood seeped through his shirt as Sarah walked up behind him with a similar wound in her hip.
You shook your head drastically, choking on the air in your throat at the sight of them. “No, no it wasn’t me! I-I don’t even-”
“We told you you weren’t cut out for this,” Kiara’s voice interrupted your desperate pleas as she moved into your vision. “You didn’t pull me out of the airplane, Y/N. Why didn’t you pull me out?”
“Stop!” You sobbed as you backed up to put distance between the three of them. This couldn’t be real. You swore you’d never let anything happen to any of the Pogues.
A sickening laugh came from next to you where Cleo and Pope were standing. Their clothing was smoking, almost ashy in nature. “It’s real,” Pope snapped to confirm your thoughts. “You didn’t save us. You said you would save us from the fire.”
Your body heaved at the sight of all of them, so damaged and lifelike in front of you. “No! I wouldn’t have let anything happen I-”
“You caused all of it.” JJ was suddenly right in front of you, bruises littering his body as blood smeared from open wounds. “You watched as my dad ended my life. Didn’t even move, didn’t flinch. You watched all of us die, Y/N, and you didn’t even try to stop it.”
“Now it’s time for us to bring you with us.” Kie’s grin was devilish as they all surrounded you. “Actions have consequences.”
“Y/N! Y/N, wake the hell up!”
You gasped air into your lungs and sat up sharply as the vision faded to nothing. You blinked tears from your eyes and folded over to get oxygen back into your body. Someone’s hand was warm on your back as they rubbed comforting circles.
“It’s okay, you’re okay,” JJ’s voice sent chills down your spine. It was a stark contrast to the vicious, cruel tone you’d witnessed just seconds ago. “Just breathe. I gotcha.”
It took a moment before you could sit back up. You had become too aware of how cold your body was, no doubt from the sweat of whatever nightmare you’d just lived through. “What…What happened?”
“I broke the lock,” JJ admitted as you collapsed into his side and shivered. He cradled you against him tightly. “You were screaming.”
“Sorry, bad dream,” You apologized roughly. Your fingers were clenching the comforter harshly. It felt too real like he would disappear from beneath you in a split second and you’d be facing the consequences of something you caused.
JJ could feel you shaking in his arms. He’d barely gotten any sleep himself, so the second you cried out he came flying. It was hard not to assume the worst automatically. He’d watched you put on a brave face for so long and a break was inevitable at some point. He just didn’t expect you to scream the way you did. He didn’t hesitate to kick your bedroom door in and run to your side.
“Do you wanna talk about it?” The question was soft and felt optional for you to agree to.
You shrugged in his grasp, mumbling a thank you when he handed you the water from your nightstand. Nightmares like this had been happening for a while, ever since the treasure hunting started really. You’d dreamt through most of your memories but through a horrific lens instead. The only person you ever told was Pope, who had told you of similar instances himself. You guys went from being kids who fucked around for fun to life-and-death situations around every corner.
“It’s just like…ever since we started looking for the gold, these nightmares have gotten worse and worse. The scary part is they’re all very possible of being true. Of you guys getting hurt or-or worse? And I can’t even stop it, I’m just forced to watch it all unfold until I lose every single one of you.”
JJ was quiet as he listened to you speak. The wavering in your voice as you recounted what you’d seen made him even more upset that you’d dealt with this for so long. It was no secret your friend group got up to mischievous plans, but to know that it was at the point where you lost sleep over the idea of not having them was heartbreaking.
“It’s all over now,” JJ reassured as his thumb brushed at your cheeks. “Promise. Nothin’s gonna happen to any of us. I wouldn’t let it.”
His words didn’t bring as much comfort as you would’ve liked. Nothing ever really did until you saw each of your friends in front of you and were able to hug them. That’s the only way it ever felt real like the bad dreams were nothing compared to having them around you.
Your phone flashed 4:22 am back in your direction as you skimmed the notifications. You’d have to wait until it was acceptable to call everyone or gather them up to see them. You let out a defeated sigh, “Thanks, J. You didn’t have to come in.”
“Course I did. Gotta make sure you’re safe,” His response brought a smile to your face as you finally pulled out of his embrace. “Do…Do you want me to stay?”
You took a second to consider his offer before shaking your head and moving away from him. “I’m probably gonna stay awake and I don’t want you to have to-”
“Y/N.” JJ grabbed your hand to pull your attention back to him. “Just answer the question.”
You stared at him for a moment, your teeth digging into the skin on the inside of your lip before you nodded in response. JJ didn’t hesitate to wiggle under your sheets. He was a heavy sleeper so it would likely be easy for him to slip back into a peaceful slumber while you tossed and turned the rest of the night.
“Lay down before I drag you to sleep myself,” His voice was raspy as his fingers tugged against your t-shirt until you gave in and shuffled down next to him. JJ’s hand was warm as it reached across your frame to grab your right him to pull you closer until your chest was against his. “Just try, I gotcha.”
You adjusted so your head rest against his chest, fingers brushing his shirtless side before you settled in. Your busted doorframe could be fixed in the morning. You couldn’t hide the fact that you were still exhausted and JJ’s warmth was taking over as you listened to his steady breathing fill your surroundings.
“Promise you’ll be here in the morning?” You whispered shyly. Part of you hoped that was enough nightmares for the night but you didn’t wanna jinx yourself.
JJ’s blue eyes blinked open as a small smile formed across his face. His arm moved until his fingers grabbed yours from his side so he could hold them closer. If this was how you had to spend every night from here on out to keep the bad dreams away, he’d chase them until he couldn’t anymore. He’d do anything to make sure you were okay.
“Gonna be right here when you open your eyes. Promise.”
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I Fall Apart // Ghost of You
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summary: jj gets to mack on his girl, sarah's got topper whipped, john b and his dad are MIA, and y/n's reminded just how reckless her boyfriend can be
warnings: s3 spoilers, accidents, panic attacks, shitty parenting as per usual
--
The first thing you did was shove JJ into the shower. The next was handling getting the electricity back on since clearly your father wasn’t concerned with doing that. You were fine with not tagging along with their treasure hunting, but you were worried about your brother. He loved your dad, adored him for so much of his life, and it concerned you that he wouldn’t see what a pawn he was in your dad’s plans.
You had told JJ as much as you sat in the bathroom on the floor while he showered. You told him about Singh’s place, about Rafe, and how your dad sent you guys on a goose chase for a rock. JJ couldn’t say he was surprised, about any of it, but he was just glad to be back with you.
Soon enough, Sarah and Kie were on your doorstep, the four of you crowding out by the dock to get the last of the warm sun on you before turning in for the night.
“I went back to grab clothes and a phone, and you’re not gonna believe this,” Sarah started as she sat down next to you. “Rafe is back. I saw him at the house. I don’t think he saw me, but I think the cross is coming back to Wilmington tomorrow night.”
You sat up from where you were leaning against JJ’s chest to face her. “What?”
“Does Pope know?” Kie asked.
Sarah shook her head. “No, I was gonna tell him when I found you guys.”
“He can’t, he’s on lockdown.” You expected everyone to take some time away, and connect with their families before coming back to figure out the next steps.
Sarah sighed, “Okay, well. Kie and I can hit up Pope and you guys tell John B when you see him?”
“Yeah, yeah. Of course.” You gave them both a small smile as they said their goodbyes and walked back up the dock.
You and JJ sat silently, taking in the warmth on your skin before the sun disappeared for the night. You really wished your brother would come home or at least check in to make sure he was okay. Sarah had found a spare iPhone charger to give you for the phone you guys had taken from Barbados. You made sure any tracking services were off so Singh couldn’t try and chase you down.
“Well if the cross is coming back, it’s still on the field. We’re still in this, we can come in and swoop. We gotta get everybody together and come up with a plan,” JJ rattled off as his fingers tapped excitedly against your thighs.
You took a deep breath and grabbed JJ’s hands to hold in your own. You were thankful for the last chance opportunity to get the cross back, but you didn’t want to risk running into Rafe or getting your friends into the line of trouble again.
“Talk to me,” JJ held out the word, swinging your hands back and forth before wrapping around your waist tightly to hold you. “C’mon.”
A small smile formed on your face, so grateful for a boy who could read you so easily, who could love you so easily. You laughed as he left wet kisses against your shoulders into the curve of your neck to get you to talk. “Okay, okay.” He pressed one more to your temple for good measure. “I’m just worried about John B. That’s all.”
“He’s with your dad, Y/N. I’m sure he’s perfectly fine.”
You kept your grip on JJ’s hand and brought it up to your lips to kiss the back of it. “That’s exactly why I’m worried about him. My dad is way too deep in this treasure hunt to realize he’s putting his own kids at risk, and John B will just let him because he doesn’t want to disappoint him.”
“He didn’t seem too upset when you said you didn’t wanna go,” JJ tried to reason.
You shook your head. “That’s because he doesn’t have any disappointment left when it comes to me. I know he doesn’t care if I’m there or not. That’s how it’s always been. Him and John B against the world. I was just the backup piece.” You took a deep, shaky breath. “Your dad takes the prize for Shittiest Dad but I think mine might be a close second.”
JJ laughed at the idea. “Well, Ward Cameron might take second but I get what you mean. And it may be hard, but I don’t want you to think what your dad says represents the truth about you. You’re my number one, no matter what.”
You mumbled a small thank you, adjusting further into his grip as if there was any room to. God knows what you’d do without JJ.
"We have the whole house to ourselves?"
"Jesus Christ, JJ!"
--
Your group met back up the next afternoon to figure out what the plan was to get the cross back. You still hadn’t heard anything from John B, Sarah claiming the same. The six of you crowded around a small table with the sun beating down on you. The ferry ride to Wilmington wouldn’t take too long so you could bear the heat for the time being.
“Honestly, the hardest part is gonna be security, alright?” JJ was running everyone through the steps of what would need to go down. “So most of the guys are gonna be at the rail yard.”
“Right, so we’re going to need to find someplace and guard it, maybe a little further down the line, like a whistle-stop or something,” Pope theorized.
“You guys are getting ahead of yourselves per usual,” Cleo interrupted, “We don’t have a way to transport the cross. What did you think? On JJ’s motorcycle?”
Your boyfriend grunted behind you and pulled his hat off. “That’s not my fault.”
“Okay, so other options-”
“Oh, my God.” You all stopped conversing at Sarah’s sudden outburst, watching as she sat up stiffly next to you. You moved instantly, Kie and Pope doing the same to see where her gaze had been to come up with Topper Thornton.
“Why…is he everywhere?” Kiara asked as she turned back around.
Pope, however, was on a different thought process. “Perfect. Hey, Jayj. I bet you Topper has a way to transport the cross.”
Your boyfriend shrugged at the suspicion. “Actually, Pope’s right. He does have a rig.”
“No.” Sarah instantly declined.
“Yes,” JJ clapped right back.
“No. Absolutely not.”
“Oh, come on,” JJ pestered, “Sarah, you already got him whipped anyway, alright? So, why don’t you just take one for the team?”
The blonde was not happy with the suggestion. “What would John B say?”
You tilted your head in consideration. “Eh, I think John B would completely understand. It is about the treasure.” You caught her defeated look and leaned over to place your hand on hers. “If you really don’t want to, it’s okay. You don’t have to. But, I think if you just talk to him, he may be willing.”
Sarah let out a deep breath before mumbling an agreement and getting to her feet. The five of you watched carefully, moving out of view so Topper couldn’t see you directly. You hated the idea of Sarah feeling uncomfortable with this but you knew she could handle it. After a few moments of back and forth, she suddenly gave Topper a big hug which signaled an agreement in your eyes. Your friends silently cheered around you, giving her a thumbs up when she made eye contact.
Maybe y’all had a chance at this after all.
--
It was dark out by the time you guys hit the train yard, managing to situate yourself on top of one of the cars so you could survey everything around you.
“Well, there’s like a thousand trains here.”
“We know it’s car 750X on the track to Raleigh, so now we just gotta find it.”
You scanned the area in front of you. “Well, news flash, guys. We’re not getting out of here unnoticed with a giant cross.”
“We don’t have to,” Pope said, “We can nab it somewhere further in the country. Just gotta figure out how to stop the train.”
“Leave that to me,” JJ interrupted everyone’s thought process. You stared at him, waiting for further explanation. “I got an uncle up in New Bern, right? When he got tipsy, he’d just throw an old chain across the tracks for shits and giggles. And that old little chain would stop all the train traffic in Coastal Carolina.”
Kie looked at him incredulously. “A chain?”
“He’s actually right,” Pope confirmed, “There’s a low voltage current that runs across all rail tracks. You throw a chain on it, you close that circuit. It would read as another train. Crossing lights come down. Science is actually pretty sound.”
JJ clapped his hands together and gave you a small nudge. “Science, babe. I knew my science.”
“Well, babe, we don’t have a chain,” You reminded him.
“No, but I bet Topper’s dad has jumper cables in the truck,” Sarah pointed out, “Would that work?”
Pope nodded as Topper started yelling from behind your group, remaining on the ground. “What’s going on? Are we doing this or not?”
“Alright, you all wait here. Me and Pope will go look for it and send a signal once we find it,” Cleo said.
Sarah glanced between the six of you with a smile on her face. “Do we actually have a plan right now?”
“Think we do.”
“For once in our lives.”
“Let’s not jinx it, come on.”
Pope and Cleo began to climb down off the train car to search further for the specific area you’d need. You, Kie, JJ, and Sarah remained in place and decided to sit until something came up. After a moment, you laid back against the cool material of the container you were on, grateful for the temperature.
“Has anyone heard from John B?” Kiara asked after a moment of waiting.
You groaned and rubbed your hands over your face before letting them flop by your sides. “Nope. Hasta la vista, JB.”
“He left a note at the Chateau that he was going with Big John, but hasn’t come back since,” JJ explained further as he leaned back against his hands. “I’m sure they’re fine wherever they’re at.”
Silence took over, all of you waiting eagerly for a sign from Cleo and Pope. Eventually, a flashlight hit your vision, all of you popping up to see Pope on the ladder, calling you over.
“That’s it!” JJ reached out a hand to pull you up just as a train horn blared.
“What’s happening?” Kiara asked as if you guys weren’t surrounded by trains that could take off at any moment.
You watched as Pope got shifted around before you realized it was the train you needed taking off. “Shit, it’s moving. We gotta go.”
The four of you clambered down the ladder as fast as possible and over to Topper’s truck. He looked extremely unamused by being dragged into this.
“Oh, hey Sarah.”
“Do you have jumper cables in there?” Sarah ignored his sarcasm and got straight to the point.
“Here I am involved in illegal activities-”
“Not that illegal.
“I’m not even close to being okay with this.”
Sarah cut him off by slamming the door shut. She had a set of cables in her hand and quickly handed them off to you. “Topper, if you don’t wanna go, it’s fine. We’ll take the truck.”
“Hey, I just wanna make sure everyone here is okay with ending up in federal prison,” Topper directed towards all of you.
JJ bit back a laugh and swung his leg over the seat of his bike, reaching his hand out to help you do the same. “Uh, if it gets to that, yeah. I’ll do it for Pope.” You gave him a soft smile and wrapped your arms around his torso, making sure the jumper cables weren’t at risk of falling.
You guys didn’t waste a second after that, JJ taking the lead while Kie, Sarah, and Topper followed in the truck. Usually, you weren’t a huge fan of JJ and the bike, but you’d grown used to it in the time you’d been together. Granted, he drove way safer with you on the back than when he was by himself, but still.
You winced as he took a corner a little too sharp, your grip tightening out of fear of falling. You didn’t go much further before JJ pulled off into a grassy patch next to the road that intersected with the tracks.
“This should be far enough.” You made it a whopping three steps before JJ tripped over nothing into the dirt below. He groaned and got back to his feet, sparing the glance to see you laughing at him. “I meant for that.”
You hummed, “Sure you did, babe. Let’s go.”
The plan was simple - use the jumper cables to reverse the charge so the train would have to stop, hopefully leaving enough time for you guys to unload the cross and get out of here. JJ connected one of the cables to the crossing lights before placing the other two on the tracks.
“Okay, now all you have to do is change the current,” He scrambled around to get everything in the right order. He was moving quickly, his brain processing faster than he thought it ever could
You looked behind you, the horn of the train getting louder by the second which didn’t help your nerves. “Please don’t get electrocuted.”
“Yeah, no promises with that.” He placed the red cable on first before clamping the black one next. The two of you looked up at the signal, anticipating the lights to change to red, but they continued to flicker green.
“Why isn’t it changing?”
“That’s literally what he would do. He would do it, and-and then it would change to red. Oh my god.” JJ started pacing in frustration as the train continued to near. “Think think think. Okay, what if I blockaded the track?”
“Jayj, no.” You crouched down by the cables, giving him a look. “How about moving the cable because the train touches both sides of the track, hmm?” You switched the red cable over to the other side before standing up. JJ’s fingers curled around your wrist in anticipation as you stared up at the crossing lights. They blinked green for another few seconds before switching to a solid red.
The two of you cheered at the color change, JJ reaching for a high five before pulling you into him for a hug. “You’re a genius.”
“Nope, it’s all you.” You kissed his cheek quickly before grabbing his hand and tugging for the two of you to duck by some nearby trees. “We gotta hide.”
It didn’t take long for the train’s brakes to kick in and start slowing down. JJ let out a small ‘yay’ once it finally stopped in front of you, hopefully giving Cleo and Pope a chance to climb off. The excitement was short-lived, however, when a service truck pulled up next to you on the main road.
“Shit, back up, back up.” JJ tugged the back of your shirt, moving the two of you further into the tree line so you weren’t in view. “This was not part of the plan!”
Two workers climbed out of the truck and started surveying the area for the possible cause. “What is this bullshit?” It didn’t take long for them to find the jumper cables attached to the tracks, both you and JJ mumbling curses when they did. They were quick to remove the cables so the crossing lights turned green.
“You’re all set over here. Some asshole put jumper cables on the tracks.”
You turned to JJ as the workers climbed back in the truck, fearful that they wouldn’t have made it. “You think that gave them enough time?” The answer to your question came in the form of the train honking that it would start moving again. “We gotta go get them.”
“There goes the plan, come on!” JJ offered his hand to get you off the ground, the two of you sprinting back to his bike. The engine kicked to life beneath you just as a familiar pickup truck came flying around the corner with a large crate in the back. “That’s Top. And that’s the cross. Get on!”
You didn’t hesitate to climb behind him, arms looped around his waist tightly before he took off behind your friends. The sound of police sirens followed not too long after, the blue lights eventually finding you before you would’ve liked.
“J!” You placed your forehead between his shoulder blades, suddenly terrified about what would come next. He was moving a little too fast for your liking, but you could tell he was trying to keep up with Topper.
“I know, I know!”
The bike moved faster beneath you, JJ guiding it to ride alongside Topper’s truck. You glanced over to see Cleo and Pope in the bed of the truck, staring right back at you. “What the hell are you doing?” Pope yelled at your boyfriend.
“Get ready to jump,” JJ yelled back at you, his eyes not leaving the road. “Top, keep going straight!”
“What?” You gaped at him, not that he could see you. Pope let out an expression of equal shock, the two of you in disbelief that JJ would actually suggest this. “Are you insane?”
“Probably,” Your boyfriend replied back, fully serious about what he was telling you to do. “Get ready to jump!”
Pope reached out towards you, Cleo right behind him as they leaned by the side of the truck bed. “Come on, come on. I’ve got you!”
You took a deep breath, slowly letting go of JJ’s waist to grab Pope’s outstretched hand. You did your best to keep JJ balanced while stepping off, your hand lingering on his shoulder until you rolled on top of the wooden crate the cross was in.
“JJ!” You screamed the second you got adjusted and watched him slow down to place himself between the truck and the oncoming cop car.
Cleo’s hand guided you into the gap between the crate and the back of Topper’s truck, all of them asking if you were okay. You barely answered, eyes trained on JJ’s form as he slammed on the brakes, using his momentum to pop a wheelie and change directions.
“What’s he gonna do?” Cleo looked at you as if you had the answer.
“I don’t know,” You choked out, “I don’t think he knows either.”
JJ moved forward slightly to pick something off the ground before gunning it full speed towards the cruiser.
“Topper!” You yelled as you watched JJ slam the rock into the cop’s windshield. The police didn’t hesitate to yank the car around to follow him instead. “We have to go back!”
“Stop the truck!” Pope and Cleo copied your idea, yelling into the small window that accessed the main cabin. You watched until you lost sight of JJ to the darkness of the night. Topper slowed down a second later. The pit in your stomach grew as he turned the truck around, racing back in the direction JJ was going in.
“Turn left!” Pope called out as a service road came up.
You could vaguely hear Sarah and Topper arguing before he listened to the change of direction. Your eyes caught sight of JJ on the road running parallel, the cops directly behind him. Your chest was aching as you watched, unable to look away no matter how much you wanted to.
Pope called out more directions for Topper, the noises turning blurry around you. Cleo’s hands latched on your shoulders, pulling you into her so you had someone to lean onto. You struggled to get air in your lungs with every inch of your body in panic mode.
You watched carefully as JJ pulled onto the overpass you were about to go under. There was a bright flash of light and the sound of a car horn before a loud screeching noise took over your senses. You could feel the truck slide beneath you, suddenly horizontal on the road.
You moved before your brain even had a chance to process what happened. “Pope, go!” Legs aching as you jumped from the tailgate, the first thing you noticed was JJ’s bike in a tangled mess just inches away from where Topper’s truck had stopped.
“JJ!” Your throat burned from the force of your scream as you tried to find any sign of him. There was busted concrete under your feet, but nothing that indicated he was even down here. “JJ, answer me! Where is he?”
Your friends descended into panic behind you, yelling out for your boyfriend. Sarah’s arms caught you the second you wavered, both of you hitting the ground harshly. You fought to get air into your lungs as you continued to look for JJ.
“Maybe he’s up on the bridge?”
“No, no, no,” You gasped for air, Sarah’s hands forcing you to put your head between your legs in an attempt to avoid you passing out. Tears burned in your eyes as you realized that was very much a crash he wouldn’t survive. “Fuck.”
The world blurred for a moment, your body numb as you tried to breathe through the panic attack. It was always so much worse when it involved JJ and any harm coming to him. You shifted, legs digging into the concrete below you as Sarah rubbed your back and tried to talk you through it.
“I wish I could say I did that on purpose, but that was the gnarliest powerslide I’ve ever done.”
The second you registered the voice behind you, air flooded your lungs as you coughed aggressively. Your head snapped up, Sarah moving to get on her feet as you turned, not trusting yourself to stand yet. God damn this boy for being so reckless.
Pope reacted first and slammed into JJ forcefully, “You’re alive!”
“Shit, that was gnarly!” Topper himself was even surprised at the sight he witnessed.
“That was trucking, dude,” JJ attempted to compliment the Kook back before he was getting attacked by Sarah Cameron’s hands against his chest. “Oh, Jesus. Oh, God.” She didn’t hesitate to bring him into a bone-crushing hug, chastising him for being so dangerous.
You stared up at your boyfriend, unable to move as you watched your friends rejoice at his presence. Moments like this were Earth-shattering to you and took a while to get through. You couldn’t brush off near-death experiences like you used to.
“As nice as these pleasantries are, we really need to move.”
Sarah reached over to you, hands pulling you off the ground to a shaky stance. JJ was there in a second, his hands replacing your best friend’s as he grasped your elbows to keep you steady. You stared right into his eyes, knowing your own were teary. You could’ve slapped him. “Don’t… don’t you ever do that again. You hear me?”
JJ pulled his lips in tightly and gave you a nod, knowing he had no room to argue. You collided with his chest a second later, a heavy sob finally making its way out as you clung to him. JJ let out a sigh, the adrenaline slowly seeping from his body as he held you against him.
“Hey! Hey, you kids, don’t move!”
JJ was grabbing your hand the split second a flashlight ran across the two of you, practically sprinting to the truck. He lifted you into the back seat next to Kiara before climbing into the bed of the truck with Pope, telling Topper to go.
You tucked your legs up onto the seat to curl into a ball, knowing the pressure was the only way to get your racing heart to calm down. Usually, this is where JJ would happily hug you senselessly, but you didn’t have time to resort to that.
“Hey, hey. You okay?” Kiara’s hand was cold on your leg, grounding.
You let a deep breath out between your lips, head leaning against the headrest as you forced a nod. “Yeah. Just gotta…gotta breathe through it.”
Sometimes it felt so silly to deal with your anxiety like this, like you were looking for constant attention and reassurance. Not that you could help it, but you wish it didn’t have to be this way. You wish losing your friends wasn’t such a big fear of yours, wasn’t a possible reality.
You filtered out the yelling that started between your friends and Topper. There was no doubt the cops were set to catch up to you. You didn’t really care how fast Topper was driving the truck, but evidently, everyone surrounding you did.
Suddenly, the vehicle hit a large bump in the road causing the wooden crate to fly from the back of the truck. Topper screeched to a stop just before everyone flew out of their various positions to check on it.
You opened your own door to meet them on the road as Pope tossed the top off to check on the cross. To your luck, it was filled with multiple tires full of concrete.
“What the hell?”
“It’s fake.”
Pope leaned down to inspect it. “It’s all freaking fake.”
“Pope, I’m so sorry,” Sarah apologized solemnly.
You sighed, knowing all of your efforts were in vain for the Heyward’s heirloom. The sound of police sirens started getting louder, which mean you needed to get back on the move.
“Y’all hear that? Okay, I can’t be here. My grandfather’s a judge.”
“Dog, would you relax?” JJ tried to get Topper to chill out. “They’re not gonna think some dude in flip-flops is part of a robbery.”
You took one last look, reassuring Pope that it would be okay before climbing back into Topper’s truck to get the hell out of there and go home.
--
You were exhausted by the time you guys got off the ferry. The group had practically pulled an all-nighter with the nonstop running and you were fully prepared to sleep the day away. Topper was kind enough to drop you all off at the Chateau, an awkward conversation forming between him and Sarah before you caught sight of the Twinkie in the yard.
“John B!” You took off running as your brother walked out of the screen door with a beer in hand. He very clearly didn’t expect you to come at him full speed and the drink almost slipped from his hands when you ran into him. “You’re okay.”
He stayed silent but returned the hug, making you look up at him. It was obvious to anyone that he looked exhausted. He shook his head and let you go. “You were right.”
You didn’t dare ask him to explain at the moment, not that it would’ve been possible since your father stepped out of the Chateau a second later. Your friends lost their shit, Pope and Kiara letting out bursts of excitement to see him. JJ even embraced him a second time, jumping on his back just like he would do when you guys were kids.
Everyone gave a quick recap of your time in Wilmington before John B explained the treasure hunt he went on with your dad to Charleston. “Yeah, yeah. So, we um, we went to the archives in Charleston, and, uh, it was a dead end. A dry hole. So.”
The tone of his voice was enough to tell you he was lying. You were sure your friends could pick up on it too, all of you knowing each other well enough to tell easily. Pope counted on his fingers. “So that’s the gold, the cross, and now El Dorado. We’re three for three, guys.”
You watched your dad give a subtle nod to your brother, Sarah catching it too as she glanced at him before her eyes moved to you. Why John B was lying to all of you, you had no idea. There was no doubt in your mind that it was your dad’s bidding, though.
Pope threw his beer can wildly, letting out a sarcastic cheer. “The streak continues. That’s great.”
Kie and Cleo were quick to follow him away from the house, calling out goodbyes as they passed. JJ was the next to get on his feet. “I’m going fishing. Thanks for the beer.”
You moved with him to stop him short of leaving. It would be a lie if you said you were comfortable with him walking away from you, especially with how the last few hours had been in terms of safety. “J, you sure you’re okay?”
You could tell he was forcing the smile on his face as he nodded. “I’m good, babe. Promise. Just wanna go clear my head for a few.”
“I’ll be here, okay? Come get me,” You didn’t specify for what, leaving the reason in the air. If he needed you, you’d be there, no matter what. JJ nodded and gave you a soft kiss before turning on his heels and walking away from you. “I love you!”
He paused in his exit to look back at you. “I love you more.”
JJ was one of those people who just needed space to process. You totally understood, giving it to him when he asked, but it always made you iffy that he was lying to himself. He shouldered a lot of your burden because you were comfortable sharing that with him. He wasn’t like that and dealt with it on his own. You always reminded him you would be happy to listen to anything he said, so the offer was always there.
Turning around, you could tell Sarah had the same hints about something being off based on the way she was speaking to John B. You let out a sigh and made your way inside to hopefully escape all the tension lingering. The screen door slammed a moment after you were inside. You turned to see your brother following you, his jaw clenched, whole body tense.
“Hey,” You whispered in case he didn’t want to talk about it. John B met you in the kitchen, leaning against the counter opposite you. “I’d ask if you’re okay, but I think I know the answer.��
“Um, we’re leaving, again.” You weren’t surprised by his words and merely nodded in return. What you didn’t expect was for your brother to step closer with shiny eyes full of tears. “What you heard out there, it was all a lie. We found the other piece to the idol. And-and Dad gave Limbrey some fake shroud so she could walk again, and I cannot keep lying to them, Y/N!” His voice cracked on your name. There was no point in saying that you saw this coming from a million miles away.
“It’s okay, JB.” You moved forward to pull him into a hug as he let out a few deep breaths. “Don’t worry about us. We’ll figure everything out. Just, be careful, okay?”
John B was quick to agree, recomposing himself before giving you a goodbye and leaving to get in the Twinkie. You were left with the mess on your hands, stuck in the middle of your brother and your friends, just hoping things could hold on a little longer until you could find a way to fix everything.
--
You kept to yourself the rest of the day, taking the time to catch up on some much-needed rest and attempting to clean up the house to the best of your ability. You knew at some point shit would hit the fan again so you didn’t mind the downtime on your hands. This felt normal to you - to be home by yourself with everyone out on their own adventures. This was how everything was before your dad went missing, before you were thrown headfirst into taking care of yourself and your brother.
Eventually, the silence got to be too much and you found yourself on the path to JJ’s house in hopes to find him there. Evidently, your brother had the same idea. The Twinkie was already in sight as you walked through the grass to where you caught a view of your brother and JJ. Your boyfriend was sitting on the rotting wooden steps that led up to the patio, John B standing near the driver’s door of the van.
They both looked at you once you were close enough that they could hear your footsteps. JJ let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. He looked back at John B. “Does she know?”
You seemed to take everything in at that moment. Your dad was nowhere to be found and if you had a say, John B looked a little worse for wear. JJ patted the spot next to him so your brother would sit and hesitantly, John B did as he asked. You stood a few feet away from them as your boyfriend rubbed his face stressfully.
“I don’t know what to do, JJ.” John B’s voice was almost inaudible. “How the hell do we get to South America?”
“No clue…but, we’re gonna figure it out. We always do.” You watched the two of them lean on each other, JJ’s arm wrapping around your brother’s shoulder. This was the John B and JJ you’d grown up with; two dumbasses where nothing mattered at the end of the day so long as they had each other. Their friendship had been poked, prodded, and pulled at over these past few months but here they were, proving all your doubts wrong.
“So. Is someone gonna tell me what the hell is going on or am I just gonna have to figure it out for myself?”
--
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Love Me or Leave Me // JJ Maybank
summary below the cut to avoid spoilers for s3 ep9
part of #obx3celebration
navigation
--
request: - hi babe! could i request jj × carrera!reader where they kinda have that hate/love situation and instead of kiara is reader who is send it to Kitty Hawk and JJ go save her? with the prompt "why wouldn't i save you?"
warnings: angst hehehe, shitty parenting, mental illnesses, forced kidnapping bc the carrera parents suck :)
--
For as long as you could remember, JJ Maybank hated you.
That might be a little harsh, but it felt true. The two of you bickered like none other, your friends constantly over your short tempers and constant arguments. You weren’t sure why the two of you couldn’t just get along like everyone else, but you definitely weren’t gonna be the first one to make amends for something that wasn’t your fault.
Kiara, on the other hand, would rip you a new one every time you and JJ got into it. You got it, he was one of her best friends and she hated to see the two of you arguing nonstop, but you weren’t gonna just quit so she could have her way. You and JJ had said some nasty shit to each other over the years and never once did she jump down his throat to get him to stop. So, you’d just continue this pattern until something changed.
The Chateau burning down was not on your bingo board of events to survive, but here you were. Thankfully, everyone had managed to get out safely before the whole structure collapsed in on itself.
“Could’ve been a faulty electrical wire.”
“Place was all wood. A tinderbox.”
“Thing just went up. Boom.”
You sat silently as everyone tried to think of an explanation for the cause of the fire to break the silence. You weren’t really sure what to say, especially to John B who just stared at the remains of his house sadly.
“Verdict’s in bro. Whoever’s up there does not like you.”
You scoffed at JJ’s words and gave him a sharp glare. “You’re really not helping, dude.”
JJ rolled his eyes at your need to chastise him. “You got something better to say, princess?” His fingers ripped at the grass below him before he chucked a glass beer bottle into the smoldering flames.
“Enough,” Kiara’s whisper was harshly directed at you as she sat on your other side. You bit the sassy remark she surely deserved and got to your feet to stomp down the path to the dock since there was nothing left to say here.
You pulled yourself onto one of the wooden railings and put your back to the group, taking the moment to soak in the breeze and rumble of thunder somewhere beyond. You loved the Pogues deeply, considering them family above all else. It felt silly to think you were the odd man out, but it felt like that more than you’d like to admit. Maybe they only had room for JJ’s antics and having two of you was more than they could handle. You tried to let it go, not think so deeply on it, because at the end of the day, they were all you had.
“Can you quit picking fights with him?” Your sister’s voice interrupted your moment of peace. You knew she’d come down here sooner or later, always having to repremand you for your actions.
“Can you bitch at him for once instead?” You snarked back, refusing to look at her and instead keeping your gaze on the storm clouds rolling in.
Kie sighed and moved to sit next to you. At the end of the day, you were still her sister, no matter how much you drove her crazy. It’s not like either of you had the best guidance either. “I’m not trying to bitch at you, but you guys are both important to me and it’s hard to listen to you argue so much.”
You shook your head slightly and kept quiet. There was no use in trying to convince her of anything else, of maybe it being someone else’s fault for a change. You were exhausted of this constant strong exterior you held, but you refused to let it break now.
Kiara realized you weren’t going to talk and turned back around to where the rest of the Pogues were walking towards the two of you. Regardless of how you felt towards JJ, it all needed to be put aside so your group could focus on getting to South America to save Big John.
“Sarah, when did you say the pilot was getting in?” John B’s voice came from behind you as you realized they were all under the cover of the dock near you.
“Probably like an hour?” Sarah guessed as she took a seat on the bench next to you. “I mean, once he’s here, my dad says we can leave whenever we want.”
“Okay, well, as much as I would love to ghost my parents again, I can’t.”
You could practically hear JJ’s inevitable protesting before it came. “Pope, we’re talking El Dorado here. Can you just slip out the back maybe?”
“I’m not doing that, okay?” Pope replied. You could hear his feet connect with the wood as he climbed down from his spot. “I’ll meet you at the airstrip in an hour?”
“One hour, Pope. Not a second later.”
Cleo’s voice faded out with Pope’s, leaving you to assume they left. If you had to guess, you and Kie should probably do the same. Your parents would flip their shit if you left unannounced again.
“I guess I’ll go pack some stuff and break the news to my parents.”
You turned at Kie’s plan and finally faced the remainder of the group. “I got it. They’re less likely to say no if just one of us goes to tell them. I’ll go.”
“Y/N, I’ll come with-”
“Nah, Kie. She said she’s got it. Let her go.” Your sister’s protests were cut off by none other than JJ, unsurprisingly. He was staring right back at you, probably hating the fact that you were coming in the first place. “I’m serious, Y/N. One hour or we’re leaving without you.”
You hopped down, ignoring Kiara’s concerned face as you gave JJ a brief glance. “Yeah, got it.”
There was a tone of defeat in your voice that made JJ’s heart clench. He knew he was tough on you, worse than he should’ve been. If he was being honest, he wasn’t even sure why he was like that. It’s just always felt like that’s how your relationship was supposed to be, but watching you walk away, he wasn’t so sure anymore.
The walk to your house passed in a blur of overthinking. You knew your parents weren’t going to say yes and this was going to be a disaster that you’d have to sneak out of. You’d do it for John B though, as long as it meant getting his dad back.
You paused at the edge of the driveway to take in your house, debating what the hell you were going to say, as a car pulled up behind you. Usually, you wouldn’t think much of it, except the man who climbed out looked a little too comfortable with approaching you.
“Hey, Y/N. Hey, come back,” He called out as you started walking up the stairs to the door of your house. “I’m not gonna hurt you. I just want to talk to you.”
You almost laughed at the statement. Out of all the things you could say when approaching someone, that was probably the most suspicious. “Uh, no thanks.” You stepped a little faster across the porch, mumbling about stranger danger under your breath before grabbing the door handle. The nerves kicked in when you realized it was locked. You started knocking aggressively. “Hey. Dad!”
The door clicked unlocked to reveal another man you didn’t know. You took a step back. “Who are you?”
“Look, this can go one of two ways.”
You glanced at his shirt, the logo on it sending you into panic mode as you realized what was happening. “No, no, no.” The next step back sent you into the first man’s chest, his hands quickly grabbing you.
“I’m sorry, honey. We’re sending you away for a while.” Your mom’s figure appeared in the doorway, your dad hovering behind her. “They say that Kitty Hawk’s the best.”
“Are you kidding me?” Your voice cracked as the other man grabbed your left arm, both of them holding a little bit tighter than you’d like. “What the hell?”
“We just need to try this, okay? We’re just trying to help you and your sister.”
You closed your eyes, refusing to believe that your parents would actually put you through this. “Mom, Mom please!”
You ignored your parents explanations, fighting against the hold they had on you. This was unforgivable. You’d never come home again, never see your friends or Kie. You screamed out, hoping someone somewhere would maybe hear you and come to help.
All chances of that ended the second you were thrown into the backseat of a car and the door slammed shut. You refused to look at your parents, kicking aggressively at the window, the door, anything you could reach. The two men hopped in the front seats and started the car, driving away a second later, leaving all of your hope behind in the process.
--
Meanwhile, Kie, JJ, John B, and Sarah were waiting anxiously by the private jet. Pope, Cleo, and you hadn’t been seen or heard from and over an hour had past. JJ was getting angry, stressed out that your group was about to be separated once again.
“Dude, where is everybody?” He tossed his backpack against the pavement in anger.
“I don’t know man!”
JJ threw his arm towards the Twinkie. “We should get in the Twinkie, and we should just get ‘em. That’s what we should do!” John B attempted to calm him down to no avail.
“Guys, there’s Pope and Cleo right there,” Kie interrupted their arguing as the duo turned to see their friends pulling up on Pope’s motorbike.
“Were you guys waiting for us?” Cleo asked rhetorically, knowing exactly what was going on moments before.
JJ scooped his backpack off the ground aggressively. “Yes, we were. You’re late. Did you actually convince your pops this time or…”
Pope climbed off the bike and motioned to the girl behind him. “Cleo convinced him.”
JJ moved forward to high five the girl in question before doing their handshake. “My girl. That’s what I’m talking about! I thank you for being a part of my crew.”
Pope took a quick headcount and realized they were short one. “Hey, uh. Where’s Y/N?”
Everyone’s eyes landed on Kie who could only groan and cover her face in her hands. “It’s gotta be my parents. They’ve been up our ass ever since we got back.”
“Do you think they said she couldn’t come?” Sarah asked.
Kie shrugged, “I mean, maybe. But what’s the point in keeping her here if I’m going?”
“We’re gonna have to do this without her.”
To everyone’s surprise, it was JJ that declined Pope’s idea. “No,” He stated bluntly before turning to John B. “Give me the keys.”
“No, dude. No, no, no, no, no.”
JJ grabbed him by his shoulders. “Gimme the keys right now.”
John B shook his head and shrugged JJ’s hands off. “It doesn’t seem like a good idea now, JJ.”
“Look man,” JJ let out a deep sigh, his gaze flickering to the sky for a moment before he faced John B again. “Just give me an hour, please. It’ll be like a black ops mission, in and out. Surgical removal type shit. Plus, I kinda owe her.”
The smirk that formed on John B’s face was comical. He had a feeling as to why JJ was always so harsh with you, but this conversation confirmed everything he needed to know.
“Stop making that face and gimme the keys,” JJ directed, trying his best to ignore the smile his best friend was making at him.
“Okay, well. Yeah. You owe her, right? You owe her.”
JJ snatched the keys out of midair and took off towards the Twinkie, giving zero hesitation as he threw himself through the passenger window despite the protests behind him.
“That door opens, bro!”
He couldn’t care less about their opinions and took off across the airstrip, his mind set on one thing. Getting you back.
--
The ride to the wilderness camp was uneventful. Your nerves refused to settle as the drive passed in a blur of trees and grassland before you pulled up to the entrance gate. The driver confirmed your presence to the guard before you were allowed through. On each side you could see campers gardening, mowing the lawn, or doing laundry.
The two men led you out of the car and further into the grounds. Campers moved by, all of them in t-shirts or tank tops with the camp logo strewn across. You were met with a woman as you reached the end of the pathway. She directed you to follow to where her office was. A stack of clothing was shoved in your hands and a changing room pointed at for you to enter.
You did so begrudgingly, replacing your clothing with the stiff t-shirt and cloth shorts. The woman was awaiting you upon your exit, motioning for you to sit across from her.
“Thank you, Y/N, for joining us and putting on our uniform.”
You folded your arms across your chest and leaned back into the cushion of the chair. “Like I had a choice.”
The woman was almost expecting your reaction. “Well, now, the good news is, we have a name for your condition. ODD. Opposition defiant disorder.”
“What is that?” Your voice was full of disgust at the idea of being diagnosed with their false beliefs.
“It’s consistent opposition to authority.”
You rolled your eyes. “Did you just make that up? Sounds like bullshit to me.” You hadn’t even been here ten minutes and they think they know what you’ve been through?
“As I was saying, consistent opposition,” The woman returned. “Now, fortunately, it’s very treatable with medication.”
You cut her off instantly. “I’m not taking medication.”
“See that, that right there? Your reaction. You just confirmed my diagnosis. Now, we can help with this.”
You groaned and pushed your fingers through your hair. “Your professional diagnosis,” You scoffed, “Right. Um. Do you mind if I use the restroom? Long drive.”
“Of course, right there.”
You followed the direction she was pointing in and walked into the small room. After you shut and locked the door, your feet were instantly on the counter to get up to the window. The handle squeaked as you cranked it, the window not moving in the slightest. Fists started pounding on the door behind you as you tried to shove the window open in a last ditch effort.
“No, no! Get off me!” You shouted as someone latched around your waist, tugging you backwards off the counter. Another set of hands joined on your arm, the two men pulling you from the cabin. “You people are crazy!”
You fought them the entire way through the grounds, kicking and shouting against them to make it clear that you didn’t want to be here. Eventually, they brought you up the steps of a cabin and shoved you inside before slamming the door. There wasn’t a soul to be found, just a few ratted sheets strews across the sets of bunk beds.
Your back hit the wall, tears finally building in your eyes as you slid down to the ground. The sob was heavy in your chest, air fighting to get to your lungs at the thought of seriously having to fight through this alone. You’d been susceptible to crumbling when you’re left alone, having it happen many times growing up. That’s why you always found comfort in the Pogues, in people who would be there no matter what, no questions asked. This was probably what JJ always wanted, the Pogues on an adventure without him having to deal with you.
You stared ahead at the scribbles on the wall; I feel so much better written back at you. God knows how wrong those words were to you.
--
The next few hours went by like paint drying on the wall. You tried to fall asleep, to escape for just a little bit. You couldn’t sleep on their shitty beds, your mind wandering to if your friends and sister were flying thousands of miles away above you. You wouldn’t blame them if they did, after all, JJ said only an hour and you were at least three behind by this point.
You were startled when the front door was thrown open. “Y/N? Sweetie? Can you come out here?”
You shuffled off the bed to meet the woman and the guard she came with on the screened in patio. “I’m sorry, sweetie, but at Kitty Hawk we feel you have the strength to hear all the news, including bad news.”
“What happened?” Your question wasn’t meant to be rude, but your first thought went to your friends and the possibilities of what could’ve happened. You found it hard to believe your parents would feel the need to tell you if anything went wrong with them, knowing they’d probably be rejoicing.
“Well, your cousin was here a minute ago.”
You frowned, not knowing who could’ve possibly stopped by. “Wait, what cousin?”
“A young man, blond. He asked me to tell you that Marley, well, he passed away.”
You tried not to look completely confused by her statement but knew it was slippin on your face anyway. “Like Bob Marley? Because-”
“No, your Siamese mix, Marley.”
You figured it would be better to feign shock than act completely clueless, at least buying time for whatever this was. The woman wrapped you in a hug as you let out faux sobs. “You know, I’m actually gonna need a little more time to process,” You choked out as you stepped out of her grip.
She let you move back into the cabin, closing the door behind as you took a seat on the bottom bunk bed. You let out a deep breath, your heart starting to race at the idea of someone actually coming to rescue you.
“Blond.” The word slipped out of your mouth quietly. No way in hell JJ would follow you here, especially with how adamant he was to leave on time. If anything, you figured Kiara would, but it was too big of a risk for her. Pope and Cleo were the only other possibility, but they didn’t have blond hair and John B and Sarah needed to get to his dad asap.
JJ came back. For you. Despite all the shit you both put each other through nonstop, he came back.
Now all you had to do was get out.
--
You busied yourself with the various books left in the cabin, all of them relating to obedience, ironically. You just had to wait it out until the night when you could hopefully get JJ’s attention somehow and get the hell out of here.
You were surprised when the door opened again to reveal the woman who “diagnosed” you alongside another Kitty Hawk employee.
“Y/N, we know you’re grieving and feel you’re best supported by your peers, so we’re going to relocate you.”
You were confused on how they ever got that you were supported that way, given that you haven’t told them shit. “I-I really feel like I need some more time to reflect.” You didn’t want to risk JJ not being able to find you here if he already knew.
“No stalling. Come on. We’re putting you in a dorm. Cabin six, let’s go.” The worker grabbed the bag from the floor that your parents had supposedly packed for you. You stood up, realizing there was no room for argument and started to follow. There was a nagging feeling at your chest to at least do something, leave a hint for JJ somewhere.
“Hey, uh, just one sec!” You shouted to them before running back towards the room and grabbing the misplaced sharpie that was hidden in your bed. You quickly scrambled Cabin 6. P4L in big black letter amongst the other writing on the bed frames before darting out to follow them.
Thunder continued to echo around you, the sky slowly turning dark with the lingering storm. Storms usually brought you so much comfort and you were hoping this one would be the same.
The girls all stared as you walked into the group cabin, each of them pausing in their actions at the sight of you.
“Girls, this is Y/N. She’s had some tough family news. Let’s show her some empathy and love, okay? Can we do that?”
Hushed whispers and odd looks followed the worker’s question. You nodded to yourself, realizing you were in a bit too far over your head and followed to where they set your bag on the top bunk. You huffed, climbing up onto the bed space and tried to avoid the intense eyes.
As thunder cracked above, you could only hope JJ found your clue.
--
The cabin succumbed to darkness not too long after, the storm finally raging against the wooden structure. You couldn’t sleep, mind too busy and it was fucking freezing despite the thin blanket they gave you. You wondered if this was it, if you were really stuck here for God knows how long, maybe forever. If Kiara and them got away, it was severely unlikely they were coming back. You couldn’t bring yourself to blame them.
A few tears slipped out despite your best efforts to control them. You’d never been good with dealing with emotions, especially when you were left alone for so long. Like you’d said, this wasn’t the first time it happened and you were sure it wouldn’t be the last. Usually Kiara came to dig you out of your self-dug hole, but she wasn’t here, and these girls were less than likely to let you talk it out.
You tried really hard to keep everyone happy. That’s all you’d done your entire life, put everyone else ahead of you. JJ was the only person who refused to let you, even if it came in the form of bickering and attitudes against each other. He never once let you put yourself out on the line for him. Sure, he wouldn’t stop you from doing it for other people, but never him.
The ugly realization that you’d been pushing away the one person you actually needed hit you like a train. JJ had always been there, you just never realized it. You always thought he was looking at someone else, ready to tell you off for just existing, but that wasn’t the case. He was just looking out for you and your feelings. Granted, it wasn’t the best way of doing it, but hey, that’s just JJ.
A harsh whisper broke you out of your thoughts. You tried to think nothing of it, after all being in a cabin with 12 other girls made it hard to sleep in silence. Clearly, it was something off because a small light flicked on shortly after.
“What are you doing in here?”
“Hi there. Uh, evening, miss. Uh, sorry. Sorry to bother y’all. Uh, shit. I know this looks bad but I come in peace. But I’m just looking for someone. I’m looking, looking for-”
You sat up at the too familiar voice, your eyes instantly catching the silhouette you’ve been waiting for. “Me.”
The girls whispered around you as you climbed out of the bunk, still clad in your jean shorts and the ugly Kitty Hawk hoodie they’d given you. JJ was staring right at you, a bandana around his neck in an attempt to keep from wandering eyes, his chest heaving at the success of finding you.
You didn’t fight the feeling anymore, instead running straight into him for a hug. He was ready, holding you closer to him than he ever had before. You tried to hold the tears in your eyes as you pulled back. “How did…how?”
“I know, okay. It’s a long story. No time to explain though. I.. wait, one thing though.” You’d never seen him so nervous in all your years of knowing him. “I know I’ve been a dick to you, for so long, a-and I just… Y/N, I wanted to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Y/N/N.”
You stared at him with glazed eyes and forced a smile at him. “I love you.”
JJ didn’t seem as shocked as you expected him too. It was almost as if you took the words right out of his mouth. “I love you too.”
You weren’t really sure who moved first, but the next thing you knew, JJ’s lips were on yours. You held his cheeks lightly, basking in the moment of his hands on your back, holding you close. Abrupt cheering rang out around you, clapping following it as the girls watched the two of you have your moment.
“Whoa, hey! Keep it down, keep it down. Guys, come on, sh!” JJ attempted to get their attention after you two broke apart. You separated from him to grab your bag from the floor before grabbing his hand and running out the door.
“To the right! Go, go, go!” He directed the second you were off the stairs. “Can’t really go through the front gate.” He glanced back to make sure you were following him only to see you smiling at him. JJ didn’t know what the fuck was happening, but he was so glad that it was.
“I didn’t think anyone was gonna come back for me!” You admitted as the two of you finally made it past the main gate entrance.
JJ flashed you a smile as he continued to run. “You gotta have more faith in me.”
You tugged him to a stop just before the path you were on hit the road. This felt like one of those now or never situations, something you had to do in the moment or you’d never had the confidence again. “Jayj. Thank you, for saving me.”
“Why wouldn’t I save you?” He moved closer and placed his hands on your cheeks. He was full of adrenaline from your kiss, the taste of your chapstick still lingering on his tastebuds. “Don’t you ever think I wouldn’t come back for you again, you hear? You’re my girl. I’d never leave you behind.”
--
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End of the Line // JJ Maybank
summary below the cut to avoid spoilers for s3 ep5
part of #obx3celebration
navigation
--
request: hi can i get jj x reader, soo basically instead of kie she is the one on the bike with j BUT she refuses to jump off so they distracting the cops together
warnings: cursing, accidents, minor injuries
--
In terms of a quick and simple in-and-out rescue mission of the cross, this was the worst outcome you could imagine. Pope and Cleo had managed to find the correct train car, but the whole train started moving before you guys even had a chance to see if the cross was inside.
“Shit! Let’s go.” JJ began to shuffle off the train car that he, Sarah, Kie, and you were looking off of. Sarah had somehow managed to convince Topper to let your group use his dad’s truck, but he was slowly becoming freaked out by what you were doing.
“Hey, I just wanna make sure everyone here is okay with ending up in federal prison,” Topper said after Sarah asked him for jumper cables. She handed them over to you before you moved to climb on the bike of JJ’s bike.
“Uh, if it gets to that, yeah. I’ll do it for Pope,” Your boyfriend didn’t leave room to argue before taking off, the two of you in the lead for Topper and your friends to follow.
JJ took the first turn a little too sharp causing you to tighten your grip on him. You were used to his recklessness at this point in your relationship, and of course, you trusted him to keep you safe, but this bike was not on the list of your favorite things.
“This should be far enough.” JJ pulled off the main road into the grass to park before you both ran towards the train tracks. You made it a whopping three steps before JJ tripped over nothing into the dirt below. He groaned and got back to his feet, sparing the glance to see you laughing at him. “I meant for that.”
You hummed, “Sure you did, babe. Let’s go.”
The plan was simple - use the jumper cables to reverse the charge so the train would have to stop, hopefully leaving enough time for you guys to unload the cross and get out of here. JJ connected one of the cables to the crossing lights before placing the other two on the tracks.
“Okay, now all you have to do is change the current,” He scrambled around to get everything in the right order.
You looked behind you, the horn of the train getting louder by the second which didn’t help your nerves. “Please don’t get electrocuted.”
“Yeah, no promises with that.” He placed the red cable on first before clamping the black one next. The two of you looked up at the signal, anticipating the lights to change to red, but they continued to flicker green.
“Why isn’t it changing?”
“That’s literally what he would do. He would do, and-and then it would change to red. Oh my god.” JJ started pacing in frustration as the train continued to near. “Think think think. Okay, what if I blockaded the track?”
You crouched down by the cables, giving him a look. “How about moving the cable because the train touches both sides of the track, hmm?” You switched the red cable over to the other side before standing up. JJ’s fingers curled around your wrist in anticipation as you stared up at the crossing lights. They blinked green for another few seconds before switching to a solid red.
The two of you cheered at the color change, JJ reaching for a high five. “You’re a genius.”
“Nope, it’s all you.” You kissed his cheek quickly before grabbing his hand and tugging. “We gotta hide.”
It didn’t take long for the train’s brakes to kick in and start slowing down. JJ let out a small ‘yay’ once it finally stopped in front of you, hopefully giving Cleo and Pope a chance to climb off. The excitement was short-lived, however, when a service truck pulled up next to you.
“Shit, back up, back up.” JJ tugged the back of your shirt, moving the two of you further into the tree line. “This was not part of the plan!”
Two workers climbed out of the truck and started surveying the area for the possible cause. “What is this bullshit?” It didn’t take long for them to find the jumper cables attached to the tracks, both you and JJ mumbling curses when they did. They were quick to remove the cables so the crossing lights turned green.
“You’re all set over here. Some asshole put jumper cables on the tracks.”
You turned to JJ as the workers climbed back in the truck. “You think that gave them enough time?” The answer to your question came in the form of the train honking that it would start moving again. “We gotta go get them.”
“There goes the plan, come on!” JJ offered his hand to get you off the ground, the two of you sprinting back to his bike. The engine kicked to life beneath you just as a familiar pickup truck came flying around the corner with a large crate in the back. “That’s Top. And that’s the cross. Get on!”
You didn’t hesitate to climb behind him, arms looped around his waist tightly before he took off behind your friends. Blue lights came up behind you not too long after.
“J!” You placed your forehead between his shoulder blades, suddenly terrified about what would come next.
“I know, I know!”
The bike moved faster beneath you, JJ guiding it to ride alongside Topper’s truck. You glanced over to see Cleo and Pope in the bed of the truck, staring right back at you. “What the hell are you doing?” Pope yelled.
“Get ready to jump,” JJ yelled back at you.
“What?” You flicked him in the neck. “Are you insane?”
Pope let out an expression of equal shock, the two of you in disbelief that JJ would actually suggest this.
“Probably,” Your boyfriend replied back, his eyes not leaving the road. “Get ready to jump.”
“JJ, I’m not fucking leaving you!” You argued back, grip tightening around him to reinforce the idea. “You can’t make me.”
JJ’s whole body tensed at your disagreement but he didn’t have time to argue back. Brakes kicked in as Topper’s truck moved ahead, JJ using the momentum to swing the two of you around. He hesitated for a second, wanting to chew your ass for how stubborn you were.
His eyes met yours for a brief second. “I’ll rip you a new one later. Grab that rock.”
You did as he asked, grabbing the hefty stone from the roadside before rebalancing behind him.
JJ let out a sigh as the police sped closer. He turned back to you one last time. “I love you.”
Your throat tightened at the tone of his voice, like this was the last time he was going to say it. You nodded, kissing his cheek before settling behind him. “I love you too, but I’ll tell you that again after we’re done with this.”
JJ revved the engine, the tires squealing beneath you as he got back on the road, this time in the opposing traffic lane. The second the cop car was close enough, he yelled back, “Throw it!”
You did your best to remain balanced behind him and launched the rock at the windshield of the car, watching the glass splinter as soon as it made contact. JJ continued to drive steadily, the only goal in mind to get the two of you out of this safe and sound. He took a sharp turn, the cops drifting behind as you hit the overpass.
Everything happened so fast. One second, JJ had a clear road ahead of him, and the next thing he knew, a pair of headlights were blinding him. The car honked, swerving towards you at the last second.
The bike collided with the concrete barrier, and both you and JJ got separated and thrown onto the ground below the overpass. The air in your lungs escaped as you hit the solid grass beneath you, your body aching with the sharp collision. You could hear the sirens above and the screech of tires, not wanting to know what damage you left behind.
“Fuck,” You hissed as pain radiated through your body, your wrist suddenly numb and your head pounding. “Jayj.” Your voice was hoarse from getting the wind knocked out of you, but you needed to find JJ. Now.
“Right here, I’m right here.” He came stumbling out of the brush next to you, his knees hitting the grass next to you. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
You used him as a support to sit up, clenching your jaw at the movement but shook your head. “Probably sprained my wrist and have a concussion but I’m good. Are you okay?”
JJ stared back at you, eyes brimming with tears. “Don’t you ever fucking do that to me again, do you understand? I can’t lose you, Y/N. I-” He sniffled, looking up to the sky so his tears wouldn’t fall.
You shushed him and pushed yourself up to hug him close. “It’s okay. I’m okay.” JJ let you hold him for a moment, relishing in the feeling of you on his body. “You’re severely mistaken if you think I’m gonna let you do stupid shit like that yourself. I’d go to the end of the line with you, if you asked, J.”
JJ let out a small laugh before kissing you a bit harshly. He’s had too many close calls with losing people important to him. The shouting of voices interrupted your moment, the blond Pogue getting to his feet to help you up.
“JJ!”
“Y/N! Answer us!”
JJ’s arm wrapped around your waist for support as the two of you stumbled up the hill to the roadside. Topper’s truck had slid to a stop just before JJ’s totaled bike, your friends desperately searching the area for you with their backs to you.
“I wish I could say we did that on purpose,” JJ interrupted their concerned conversation as you looked up at the broken bridge above. “But that was quite literally, the gnarliest powerslide I’ve ever done.”
Pope reacted first, slamming into JJ with a hug. “You’re alive!”
“That was gnarly, dude!”
“That was trucking, dude!” JJ winced as Sarah’s hands collided with his chest, her face purely angry before she embraced him tightly. “Oh Jesus, oh God.”
Kiara’s arms wrapped around you tightly, Pope on top of her as the two of them held you close in relief. “Don’t ever do that shit again.” Pope’s voice was strict as he mumbled into your shoulder. “John B would kill us if you two died.”
Sarah practically pulled you away from them to hug you herself, her eyes scanning for obvious injuries. She sobbed beneath you, reality setting in for everyone on how close of a call that actually was.
“The pleasantries are really nice, but we should really get out of here!” Pope interrupted the reunions to run back to Topper’s truck.
Sarah gave you one more squeeze before heading to the passenger seat. JJ moved towards you, hands reaching out before you crashed into his chest. “Can we never do that again?” You whispered, tears falling on your cheeks in shock.
“Hey! Hey, you kids, don’t move!” A flashlight interrupted your calming moment, sending the two of you running for the truck. JJ was quick to shove you in the backseat with Kie behind Sarah before climbing into the bed of the truck with Pope and Cleo.
Topper took off a second later, rushing to get away from the scene. It didn’t take long for the group to start arguing about Topper’s driving only for you all to hit a bump in the road and have the wooden crate go flying from the back.
“Shit!”
“You guys told me to go faster!”
You tumbled out of the backseat, Kiara and Sarah right behind you as everyone rushed towards the crate. Pope shoved the top of it off, everyone stopping short at the contents inside. Concrete-filled tires were lying in the place of where the cross should’ve been.
“It’s fake.”
You groaned, covering your face with your hands. “Of course, we almost died for stealing a fake.”
“Pope, I’m so sorry.”
Silence enveloped your group for a moment before the noise of sirens approached again. Topper held his hands up. “Y’all hear that? Okay, I can’t be here. My grandfather’s a judge.”
“Dog, would you relax? They’re not gonna think some dude in flip-flops is part of a robbery.” JJ argued back to Topper, the two of them occupied as they climbed into the vehicle. You let out a deep sigh before following Sarah into the truck, ready for this nightmare to be over.
You eventually got dropped off at your house, the entire mood somber for whatever had just happened. You would’ve gone back to the Chateau but that was out of the question since you didn’t know where John B was. Luckily, your parents were fast asleep, leaving you and JJ to your own devices.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” JJ hovered by the doorway of the bathroom, the concern never leaving his eyes. “I’m sorry for putting you through that.”
You were quick to dry off your hands from washing your face and stepped towards him. He looked much better after you both had taken a shower and put fresh clothes on. Placing your hands on his cheeks, you brushed your nose against his. “A few scrapes and bruises are nothing compared to losing you, J. I’d do it all over again if you asked.”
JJ gave you a sad smile before wrapping you in a hug, resting his chin on your head. He was used to doing stupid shit all the time, obviously, but you’d never been in the direct path of his decision-making before. He felt horrible knowing he’d put you through an accident like that, something that could potentially be the end of the line for the two of you. But in moments like this, where it was just you and JJ, he felt so overwhelmingly grateful to have you.
“Let’s agree to avoid any high-speed chases from here on out, yeah?” You looked up at him with a teasing look on your face. “Someone’s gotta keep you safe.”
JJ chuckled before kissing you softly. “Anything you ask, baby. No more high-speed chases.” And he’d make damn sure of that.
--
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Home Sweet Home // Ghost of You
summary below the cut to avoid spoilers for s3 ep3-4
navigation -- series masterlist
--
summary: y/n's quick to remember why she didn't miss her dad, john b can't shoot whiskey, jj has a small family reunion, and the twinkie's back baby.
warnings: mentions of depression, shitty parenting (aka big john), the usual angst
--
It didn’t take long for Singh’s men to catch onto your location. Your dad was quick to direct you and John B out of the church, the three of you heading towards the marina in hopes that the Pogues would still be there with the boat.
Once your initial run calmed down, John B wanted answers. “Okay, Dad. Start talking. So you’ve been alive this whole time and didn’t think to call?”
“What you think I didn’t want to? It killed me. It would’ve put you two in danger.”
You scoffed, arms crossed over your chest as you followed behind the duo. “Yeah, well, we were in danger the entire time you were gone.”
Your dad stopped walking and turned to you and your brother. “Alright, look. We’re here now, okay? And I’m not going anywhere. I just had to vanish for my safety. And for yours. It wasn’t my first choice. You gotta know that. Now, let’s go find your friends.”
The way your dad aimed his concern more towards John B pulled at your heart. Your whole life, all you wanted was for your dad to pay attention to you, to love you the way he loved your brother. You were stupid to think that would’ve changed during his disappearance.
John B glanced at you and instantly noticed the expression on your face. You shook your head at him, refusing to get into an argument about this kind of thing right now. Shoes stomping in the grass, you followed silently behind them. Part of you was glad you knew he was alive, but now, you wished you would’ve stayed with JJ to spare yourself of this feeling.
Eventually, the three of you made it to the marina only to see the Pogues had been chased off by Singh.
“Okay, plan b. We take my boat. It’s back at the place. We gotta pick something up there anyway,” Your dad said.
“Hang on, I gotta call them,” John B clicked around on the phone before putting it to his ear. You took a seat on the ground and placed your head in your hands while your brother told the Pogues to meet him back in Kildare. You wished more than anything that they could’ve stayed, but you didn’t blame them for looking out for their own safety.
“We gotta go.”
--
The walk wasn’t horrible for the three of you to locate where your father had been staying, instantly crowding into the small, run-down house.
“Here it is. The Spider Hole. It ain’t much, but it ain’t a bad place to lay low.”
You watched him run around rapidly, refusing to move in any further. “Spider hole. Good name.”
John B busied himself with investigating the kitchen table and the papers spread across it. “Still hunting, huh, Pop?”
“I’m breathing, I’m hunting, man. What can I say?” Your dad said as he stumbled back into the kitchen area. “This time I’m putting it all together, kids. Getting close, I can feel it. Onto something big.”
John B looked over at you for a moment before continuing, “I uh… I heard you died at the Shoals, Dad?”
“Yeah, well. Somebody died out there. It wasn’t me.” You watched as your father dug through a cabinet before grabbing a loaded gun off the kitchen shelf. “Look, just gotta go on a little retrieval mission, then we can split.”
“Okay, whoa, whoa, whoa. Dad, wait.” The sight of a loaded weapon was enough to freak you out. “Retrieval mission? A gun? What- No! What are we doing? I didn’t sign up for this.”
Your dad spun around and placed his hands on your shoulders a little too harshly for your comfort. “The game is afoot. Okay, kid? We gotta go. Right now. And this time it’s for the mother lode, the big kahuna, all the marbles. Alright?”
You looked up at the ceiling as your dad wrapped you into an unpleasant hug as if it would change your mind.
“Come here. It’s good to see you. It is. But if we don’t move out, like, now, the game is gonna end early. It ain’t just Singh that’s after us.” He eventually let you go to finish collecting various items from around the rotting house. “I got mixed up with Limbrey and a whole lot of things.”
“Limbrey?” Your brother caught the name as you did, both of you hating the idea of owing that woman jack-shit. “Like Carla Limbrey?”
“Yeah, how do you think we got a boat?” Your dad snapped back as he walked towards the door as your brother complained. “She helped me out a bit. It’s logistics, etc., but now that I found you, I’m gonna owe her something. Better to pay later than now.”
He walked out, yelling for the two of you to follow over his shoulder. You shared a look with John B, both of you clearly unpleased at how this was going before you gave up and followed regardless. A small lifeboat rested by the shore that would take you over to the larger boat. You were quick to climb out, tying the lifeboat to the larger vessel before ducking inside to get some space.
You could vaguely hear the excited chatter from your brother and father, opting to ignore it instead of looking. You refused to cry about this, not right here where they could see. It felt silly to be so hurt over the past few hours, but it was like this for years before. How could it happen all over again?
“You wanna tell me what’s going on with your sister?” Your dad’s voice was muffled by the glass and structures separating you but it felt like you could hear him loud and clear.
You could practically feel John B’s eyes on you as you sat quietly. “She’s… she’s been through hell, Dad. Like through shit and back, you wouldn’t believe. It’s been really hard, but um…”
“Well, from what I’ve heard, you haven’t gone through anything short, even goin’ in the ringer for it. That ain’t exactly a walk in the park, boy.”
The first tear was warm on your cheek as the band holding everything together finally snapped. You refused to put up with this belittlement, a competition between you and your own damn brother, over who had more trauma.
John B watched your facade crumble, his heart clenching at the sight. He was already angry with the way you were being treated by your father of all people, but this was getting out of hand. “God, Dad. Can you maybe not be an asshole to her for an hour?”
Without waiting for a response, John B opened the door to the cabin area you were sitting in. You tried not to completely lose it when he embraced you, letting out a shaky breath as tears fell. This felt so pathetic.
“I’m sorry, Y/N. I’m so sorry,” He whispered, feeling you shake with sobs when you couldn’t hold it anymore. “I’m sure he doesn’t mean it like that.”
Your fingers held John B’s arms that were wrapped around your shoulders, tucking your cheek into his elbow. Grateful didn’t describe how much you appreciated John B, for standing up to the person who meant so much to him. You took a deep breath and hoped the tears would slowly come to a stop eventually. “You know he means every word, JB. Always has.”
--
John B stayed with you the rest of the relatively short boat ride, leaving your dad to entertain himself as a light form of punishment, not that he would notice. It was getting easier for John B to read you again, the way he used to as kids. He hoped that was a good sign, that maybe you were both healing together. He knew JJ was the only person on your mind right now, that you wanted his best friend more than anything. Shit, John B would love to be with Sarah right now, and he kept reminding himself that you would all be back together here soon regardless.
“What’s the plan, Pops?” John B guided you out of the cabin where your dad was tying the boat to the dock.
“Told you, Bird. Just a little pit stop to get that thing I was telling you about. Then goodbye, Bridgetown. Come on. Back me up.”
“Alright, let’s make this quick.” John B let you go first, this time opting to stay with you while your dad pulled ahead. The three of you made your way into an old antique shop. The walls were covered in various frames, pedestals decorated with figurines and statues.
Another voice echoed throughout the house as you barely turned the corner so your dad could give the man in the other room a slight nod. You took the time to observe your surroundings. The building was gorgeous and gave the best old-time feel. You could tell this collection had taken a while to get this large, so clearly the individual had a good eye somewhere.
“Dad, what are we doing here?” John B asked after the man in the other room said he had an appointment with your father.
“Just got to pick something up. Only take a minute,” Your dad dismissed your brother and instead turned his attention to the man entering the room. “RJ.”
“John.” RJ returned the small nod and beckoned your group into the small office. “Please come.”
RJ stood by the large desk in the room, his face unreadable as he acknowledged your dad. “So, what are you doing here, John? What do you want?”
The sound of the gun cocking elicted a noise of protest lost in your throat. Why was everyone so quick to pull guns around here? John B grabbed the strap of the silk tank top you were still wearing and tugged you back away from the two men.
“Sorry for the strong arm, RJ, but we’re pressed for time. I can’t get bogged down in a protracted negotiation.”
RJ didn’t seem phased by your dad’s actions and turned to the safe behind him to start drilling a code in. “Really? You pull a gun on me? Your partner who saved your life?”
“If you knew what happened with my last partner, you wouldn’t hold it against me,” Your dad replied. He was practically foaming at the mouth to get whatever RJ had in that safe.
“Armed robbery?” John B whispered from next to you, surprised that your father would take it to these lengths. You, however, knew this was right up his alley.
Big John scoffed. “It’s not robbery. The piece is mine, ain’t that right, RJ?”
The safe clicked unlocked and RJ swung the door open to retrieve whatever it is that you came for. “I think an impartial judge would say the ownership is debatable.” He set a large stone wrapped in a towel down on the table.
“Oh, great.” John B’s sarcasm wasn’t missed by you.
“As you can see, I kept my part of the bargain, partner. Here it is safe and sound. Just like I promised.”
Your dad was quick to unravel the item wrapped in the towel before holding it out towards you and John B. “Here, kids. Take a look at this. The Signpost of Orinoco. Next stop, El Dorado.”
The stone had patterns carved into it, the top looking like the head of some sort. You weren’t really sure what you were looking at, but it seemed it was only half of the true object.
“Yeah, if you can find the other half and if you can decipher it, maybe.” RJ confirmed your suspicion. “And I’m going to want my cut. Don’t think I won’t come after you if I don’t get it.”
“If this thing works out, you’ll never have to sell a knockoff God of Fire and War again.”
“Arjun! Are you here?”
The new voice to the conversation was a little too familiar for you liking. You turned to John B with wide eyes as RJ excused himself from the room and told you not to move.
“John B, we need to go,” You kept your voice low as you grabbed onto your brother’s shirt sleeve. “That’s Singh, and I don’t know about you, but I am not going with-”
“Shh.” John B placed his hands on your shoulders as RJ called Singh’s name in the other room, confirming your thoughts. “Okay, we need to go. Right now.”
Your dad shoved the stone piece into your brother’s hands, directing the two of you towards the window in the room. John B placed the piece down on a wooden pedestal before boosting you up to unlatch the window. You grabbed the wiring off, your dad cursing at you for the noise, before you were pushed up and crawled out as quietly as possible.
“Shit!” You slipped into the wooden boxes and bags of garbage below the window ungracefully, managing to move just seconds before your brother came tumbling out behind you. Stumbling to your feet, you brushed imaginary dirt from your clothing and watched as your dad climbed out the window.
“Where’s the piece?” Your dad was practically glaring at you as if you were the one at fault.
You moved your hand toward the window. “John B set it down so we could get the window open! We thought you had it.”
“No, no, no, no,” John B cursed as your dad threw himself back into the window to retrieve the stone piece. It took a shaky minute before he leaned back out with the towel barely in grasp. “Come on, we gotta go.”
You ducked as a gun fired nearby, the three of you breaking into a sprint to get as far away as you could. The marina was thankfully close so you didn’t have to go very far. John B was quick to untie everything while you jumped on, taking the piece from your dad so he could start the boat.
You looked back to see ATVs rush up to the dockside just after you had pushed off, Singh’s men no doubt watching your every move. You let out a deep sigh once they were out of view, your racing heart finally getting the chance to calm down. This nonstop treasure hunting was getting the best out of you and for once, you just wished you could sit at home and do nothing for weeks on end.
After getting settled on a course hopefully back to OBX, your dad was rushing to take the piece from your possession and hide it somewhere on the boat. You couldn’t care less at that point and settled down at the small table in hopes to keep the calm until you got back to the Chateau.
Soon enough, John B joined you and your dad took the seat across from him, slamming a bottle of whiskey down on the table. You let out a breath, definitely not in the mood for their antics but not having the energy to tell them no.
Your dad surprisingly grabbed three shot glasses and filled them before sliding one to you and John B each. “To life, living, and the pursuit of treasure.”
You were quick to throw your drink back, enjoying the burn it left in your throat but remaining stoic as you did. Your dad laughed as John B winced. “Never thought I’d see the day where my daughter could take a drink better than her brother. How times have changed.”
You rolled your eyes and pulled your feet up to rest on the chair with you. If only that stupid ass phone had service and you could call JJ, you would feel a lot better.
“So, what’s the deal with this whole big kahuna thing?” John B asked as he slid his glass back to the middle of the table. “I mean, how’d you ended up on Barbados?”
“Well, same way you did and for the same reason too. The treasure. And Carlos Singh. I was marooned out on the Shoals for what felt like months, living on seaweed and sweat and rainwater, and fixed myself up to be crab food. Thought I was a goner. Singh must’ve tracked my boat, then his men showed up. He must’ve known I was onto something because they found me. At first, I thought I was being rescued, turns out it was less of a rescue mission, more of a captivity-type deal. I didn’t go without a fight. We left one of his men behind, as I’m sure you’ve heard. Next thing I know, I’m being shipped off to Barbados.
“Singh’s place. They locked me up in some audacious estate surrounded by cane fields and armed guards. I meet this particular little man, Singh. He wants to cuta deal with me, he wants me to tell him everything I know in exchange for him keeping me alive. It didn’t take long before I caught on to the game. So as soon as I had the chance I took it. Got a little roughed up along the way, but I made it out. And not empty handed. And here I am, back with my kids.”
You knew all too well your dad’s experience with Singh, ironic that both of yours were so similar. A small envelope of silence took over before you tapped John B’s shoulder. “Can I have the phone?”
Your brother didn’t hesitate to dig it out of his pocket and hand it over. He knew that you were smart enough to guess it wouldn’t work, but he didn’t blame you for wanting to try. You were quick to unlock the device and go to messages, the most recent one the conversation with the phone the other Pogues had.
J? You there?
You held your breath, hoping that it would go through even if you were stuck this far out in the ocean. A sigh left you when the Message Not Delivered popped up with a red exclamation point. Well, at least you tried.
“Enough about me. I want to hear about you two,” Your dad spoke up again as he poured more liquor into the glasses in front of you. “Who you sweet on these days, huh?”
You snorted at the way he phrased his sentence, pulling the attention on you. “Sorry, sorry. Just didn’t expect that to be your first question, that’s all.”
Your dad sat back in his chair and looked at you. “I know there must be someone, especially if you’re that desperate to message them from a stolen phone.”
You tucked the phone into your lap and let your arms rest on your knees. “I mean, yeah. There’s been a lot that happened, obviously. For both of us.”
“I’m married, Dad.”
It took everything in you not to laugh at the way John B just blurted the news. As much as you loved Sarah’s relationship with your brother, it felt weird to hear them talk about it in that way, no matter how much you heard it.
“You’re joking, right?” Your dad chuckled, his expression dropping when John B disagreed. “What is she pregnant?”
“No, no. God, no. No,” John B was quick to deny that suspicion. “I haven’t really had time for the extracurricular activities.”
“Oh, my God!” You groaned. “Can we maybe not discuss that part of it?” John B hid a smile, his hand smacking your leg as he joked with you. If someone would’ve told you a week ago that you’d be listening to your brother deny his sex life to your dad, you would’ve laughed in their face.
“You’re a little young, aren’t you?”
Your brother shrugged. “I mean, you said it best. If it’s right, it’s right.”
“Do I know her? Uh, who is she?” Big John asked.
You glanced at John B, wondering how he was going to talk his way out of this one. He cleared his throat awkwardly, “Uh, yeah. Yeah, you know her. Um…” He took a moment to take the shot in front of him, obviously needing it for the conversation ahead. “It’s Sarah. Cameron.”
A tense silence followed his revelation, your dad taking off his glasses to look at your brother. “Ward’s daughter? The queen of Kildare.”
“Yeah.”
“You just can’t do things the easy way, can you?” Your dad shot back. You glanced between him and John B, hating the fact that your father thought he had an opinion on what the two of you did and who you did it with, after everything he’d put you through.
“Are you mad?” John B sounded scared to hear the answer.
Your dad crossed his arms and leaned against the table. “That you went for the big prize? Nah. How could I be mad at that?” He poured your brother another shot before raising their glasses together and drinking the contents. “And what about you, Baby Bird? I got another Kook with you, too?”
You shook your head and tucked your arms in around yourself. “No, Dad. No Kooks for me. Promise.” You felt the phone suddenly vibrate in your lap, all of your attention directly going to it. A new message notification flashed back at you. “It’s JJ.”
“Maybank?”
You ignored your dad’s shocked tone and opened the phone to see the message that had come through. Right here babe. You okay? A sigh of relief expelled the tension from your body knowing that he was still there, however far away.
“Hey, talk to me.”
You looked back up at your father to see his puzzled expression directed at you. “Yes, Maybank.”
He chuckled, that you saw coming. “Well, boy was always looking out for you as kids. Can’t say I’m surprised about that one.”
The conversation about your love lives died there, John B taking the time to fill in the odds and ends. He left out the parts of the story that were yours to tell, not that you thought you’d ever share them with your dad, but you appreciated that he gave you that option.
The rest of your boat ride passed uneventfully with you sending scattered texts to JJ while your dad and John B conversed with the whiskey bottle. Before you knew it, the sun was coming up and the familiar OBX breeze was blowing across your skin. You were so excited to get the hell out of here and back into your bed.
“I gotta admit, it’s good to be back.”
For once, you agreed with your dad’s words as you finished helping John B tie the boat down. The two of you stood under the covered dock, watching as your dad cheered and ran towards the house.
You caught your brother looking out over the horizon. “You okay?”
He nodded, redirecting his attention to you. “Just didn’t think this would happen again, you know? That we’d all be together.”
You didn’t know what to say in return, just opting to nod back to him before starting up the path to the Chateau. There was nothing more on your mind than to find JJ and your friends. You hoped they were back, safe and sound.
While your brother and dad shared a moment by John B’s homemade headstone, you walked back into your home for the first time in God knows how long. Flicking the lightswitch, you sighed when nothing happened, figuring the power shut off after the bills lingering for weeks to months. Using the flashlight on the phone, you tried to navigate as best as possible into your room.
As comfy as the silk pajamas were that you’d been wearing, one of JJ’s oversized t-shirts was much more your style as you grabbed it from your drawer. The amount of your friends’ clothing that was scattered around your house was comedic at this point. You managed to find a pair of shorts to slide on before making your way back to the porch where your dad and brother were entering.
You occupied yourself reorganizing the bits of the Chateau that had gotten mixed up in the chaos before you guys all left. John B helped a bit where he could while your dad busied himself in his destroyed office after bitching about that too.
The house began to cool off as the sun went in, you and John B settling on opposite ends of the porch couch while your dad crashed on the inside pullout. Your rooms were way too hot to do anything else since there wasn’t any air circulation.
“I don’t know why in the hell you would wanna sleep on the porch couch when it’s so much cooler in here,” Your dad groaned as he settled into the worn cushions.
You didn’t have the energy to answer him, John B replying back, “Yeah, it’s hot tonight.”
“Especially with no electricity,” Your dad continued to complain, “You didn’t think to pay the bill?”
“It’s not like we were stranded on a deserted island for a month or anything,” You mumbled back, eyes closing as you curled into the pillow you were holding.
“Yeah, I guess that’s an excuse.”
A moment of silence followed, the background being filled by the nearby insects that were slowly but surely soothing you to sleep. These were your favorite kinds of nights, especially when you were a kid. You, John B, and JJ would sit in the hammock for hours to see who could catch the most lightning bugs until you eventually ended up in a sleeping cuddle puddle.
“Hey, you… you kids know where that diary is, right?”
The thought of Singh following you here in search of the diary sent a chill down your spine. You and Rafe skimmed out under his nose. No doubt he’d be pissed that he didn’t get what he wanted.
“Well, we have a copy. And it’s in the Twinkie, which is probably in the impound lot with the police. Gotta figure that one out,” Your brother explained, shifting where his feet dug into your back.
You fell asleep shortly later, the warm air and the sounds of home comforting enough to lull you. There was no way to tell how much time had passed when you woke up again, this time with the sun creeping up and your brother absolutely nailing you in the side with his knee.
“Ow, fuck, John B,” You groaned as you tried to shift out of his way before getting kicked again. You sat up to shove him only to watch as he flinched again, completely sound asleep. “John B, wake up.”
You sat up, sparing a quick glance to see your dad missing form the inside couch, to no surprise. Attention shifting to your brother, you shook his arm slightly. “Wake up.”
Your efforts were to no avail. Suddenly, the screen door creaked open making you jump. To your surprise, an exhausted Sarah Cameron stepped in, her eyes lighting up when she saw you. You hopped off the couch in a second, bringing her into a tight hug. “Oh, God. Hi.”
“Hi,” She squeezed you tightly before her gaze moved to where your brother was still shifting on the couch. “Everything okay?”
You nodded and let go of her to take a step back. “I think he’s having a nightmare.”
She put a reassuring hand on your shoulder, “I got him. Go clean up.”
You took one last glance at your brother before doing what she said. Making a beeline for the bathroom, you thanked your previous self for paying the water bill ahead so you at least had a way to shower and brush your teeth. Granted, it was freezing, but it was better than nothing.
Clean clothes felt so much better than you expected. Your stomach grumbled, begging for some kind of meal, to which you wished you had an answer.
You stepped back into the kitchen the moment John B started yelling out for your dad. You glanced over at the window to see them looking at the empty pull out and then over to you. Your brother got to his feet a moment later, walking outside to look for your father.
You rejoined Sarah on the couch. “How was your trip back?”
She shrugged, leaning her elbow against the back of the couch to support herself. “Uneventful. Kiara and I talked most of the time, JJ drove, and Pope and Cleo took turns with him. Stole some food, and that was about it.” Sarah looked over at you, seemingly reading your thoughts. “JJ’s coming back. Said he would drop them off and be here.”
You gave her a grateful smile as John B stomped back inside. “I swear he was just here.”
You shook your head at his worried nature. “It’s Dad, John B. I don’t know why you’re surprised he’s not here.”
Sarah glanced between the two of you, hoping that you were actually right about your father returning. Based on your brother’s chaotic nature, she was almost worried he had truly lost it, but your calm response told her all she needed to know.
“Hell, I wouldn’t blame you for that either.” Your dad’s voiced echoed around the house at the perfect time. He climbed the stairs a moment later with his backpack slung over his shoulder. “Hello, Sarah.”
Sarah’s jaw practically dropped at the sight before her as she walked forward to give your dad a hug as he beckoned her in. “Come on Sarah. Or should I say Mrs. Routledge.”
Your rolled your eyes at his attempt at a joke as he welcomed her to the family. John B, on the other hand, was very unpleased. “Where the hell did you go?”
His question was left unanswered as Big John brought both of them in for a hug. You glanced away, eyes following the path of the dock. It felt like one of those cheesy scenes in every movie: your favorite person walking towards you with this glow behind them. You took off before anyone had a chance to ask what you were doing.
JJ’s smile was warm the second he caught sight of you. He paused in his approach, arms opening wide for you to leap into so he could catch you the way he always did. When it came to knowing you, loving you, JJ was the only one who did the best. “There she is, I gotcha.”
You pulled back, kissing his nose lightly as you took him in. “Hi.”
“Hi, pretty girl.” He returned your gesture, kissing your forehead before pulling you close to his chest again. “You okay?”
You nodded against him, fingers moving to the bottom of his shirt to sneak beneath, needing to feel his skin against yours. He was warm to the touch, your chilly fingers sending goosebumps across his body, but he stayed silent know that you both needed it.
“Well, I’ll be damned. Is that who I think it is?”
JJ visibly reacted to your dad’s voice calling out for him. He looked down at you in shock to see your knowing smile before you released him. He took off down the dock, colliding with your dad at full speed as they laughed. The sight brought a smile to your face, glad that your little Pogue family may actually have a chance at changing this path you’d been on.
Your boyfriend stepped back after a moment to tackle your brother next. The two playfully shoved each other, roughousing as you stepped off the wooden platform back into the grass. JJ didn’t hesitate to join you, arms pulling you back against his chest so he could keep you close.
“Oh shit, this is the best day ever.”
“Where’d Sarah go?” You accidentally spoke over JJ’s excitement, noticing the lack of your friend.
“Went back to Tannyhill to steal some clothes and maybe find a phone,” John B explained with a shrug. “Told her to be back around 6.”
Your dad suddenly dipped off without a word, leaving the three of you to look at him in confusion. You shook your head, dismissing his odd behavior as you turned to the boy behind you. “Did you go home?”
He winced at the question, his teeth biting at his lip for a moment before he stopped. “Yeah, big ole eviction notice on the door. Snuck in through the window but no electric or water so, you know how that goes.”
“Shit,” You sighed and tucked yourself against his chest again. “Sorry, Jayj.”
The sound of a car engine distracted your conversation as the three of you looked to see the Twinkie being pulled out of the forest line. John B moved first, shocked that this is actually where your dad had gone earlier without saying.
“Brought an old friend to see you,” Big John said as he hopped out of the van.
“Where’d you get this?” You asked as you and JJ came to a stop a few feet away from the vehicle.
“The impound lot, where do you think?”
John B moved closer to rest his hand on the front end. “Where do I think? Um, I don’t know. I’m trying to figure out why you didn’t say when Sarah was here.”
Your dad’s lack of response said everything. He didn’t trust Sarah the way you all had grown to. He didn’t know what she had been put through, all her family had done to her.
“Dad, seriously?” You chastised him as he gave you guys a knowing look. “She’s not her father.”
“Hey, this is supposed to be just the three of us,” He defended as he tossed his hands in the air like he didn’t just completely ignore JJ’s presence next to you.
John B groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. “Okay, well. Did you at least find the diary?”
“Yeah, I found the diary all right. It was a big pile of mush. The window was left down, it got rained on. You could’ve shut the window.”
JJ raised his hand next to you. “Yeah that was probably my bad. Sorry, Big John.”
John B looked away from your dad. “Okay, well, there were some complications. I wasn’t planning on being gone that long.”
Your dad was unamused by the so-called excuses and called for you and John B to get in the car. “We’ll be back later, JJ. Group catch-up, all of us.”
You hesitated for a moment, watching as John B grabbed a sticky pad and a pen out of the Twinkie glove box, prepared to go with your dad after. You, however, weren’t so sure. You glanced at JJ to see him looking right back at you, waiting for your decision.
“Um, Dad,” You spoke up as John B pressed the note against the side door. “I think I’m gonna sit this one out.”
It shouldn’t have been a surprise that your father didn’t blink an eye at your choice. “Fine by me, Y/N. We’ll do this ourselves and get you later.”
JJ’s hand grabbed your shoulder but you shrugged him off to catch up with John B before he climbed back in. “Whatever he does, whatever he makes you do, you better come back, you hear me?” You poked his chest sternly. “I’m serious, John B. I think he’s in a little too far to see clearly.”
Your brother nodded in agreement, sparing a quick glance over to the person in question. “I know, I will. Be careful, okay?”
You two shared a quick hug, JJ coming over to run through a handshake with your brother before you watched as the Twinkie pulled away. You let out a deep sigh once it disappeared from view. JJ was in front of you a moment later, his calloused hands on your cheeks. “You wanna tell me what the hell happened?”
You chuckled and grabbed his hand off your cheek to pull him towards the house. “Babe, do I have a story for you.”
--
tags: @strawberryfolks @jinxfirebolt18902 @lnnlove@itsmytimetoodream @dazzlingnights @ifilwtmfc @itsmytimetoodream @multiifandomhoe
navigation -- series masterlist
#obx3celebration#goy series#outer banks#outer banks x reader#outer banks imagine#jj maybank x reader#jj maybank x routledge!reader#jj maybank imagine#jj maybank one shot#routledge!reader#outer banks x routledge!reader#outer banks season 3#obx3#obx x reader
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for sarah from the prompt list > fluff > soft touches:
[ hair ] [reader] brushes their hand through [sarah’s] hair
thanks for the request my love!
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The sunset against the water created a gorgeous overcast over the Outer Banks coast. You were happily content with the warmth of the evening, relaxing on the balcony of your girlfriend’s room. A mix of music played from her room where she was busy showering.
The day had almost been a little too perfect, but who were you to say anything? A morning surf trip, lunch at the country club, a quick stop at the local ice cream shop, and here you were, soaking up the last of the warm rays in the slight breeze. Sarah’s favorite blanket was under your back, protecting you from the worn wood beneath. This was paradise if you’d ever seen it.
“Y/N?”
“Out here, babe.” You glanced over to see Sarah emerge in her comfy clothes, hair dripping slightly on the fabric. She was a fresh breath of air in your lungs, to see her so natural like this.
“Hi.” Sarah’s voice was soft as she sat next to you, a smile on her lips. You were quick to sit up and give her more space on the blanket as she leaned into your side. “What are you doing out here?”
You shrugged slightly, your eyes drifting back out to the water. “Sunset was a little too good to pass up today. Just like the feeling.”
The two of you sat in comfortable silence as you observed the colorful sky ahead. Moments like this in your relationship always made you smile. To just be the two of you, unfiltered, with only each other to share it with.
“Thank you.”
You turned towards the girl next to you. “For what?”
Sarah shrugged and placed a soft kiss on your shoulder. “For loving me so… so much. So fully.” The golden sun cast a gorgeous hue across her figure, making you melt at the sight.
“It’s almost like it’s what I was supposed to do my entire life,” You let out a small laugh, your hand coming to run through the wet strands of hair. Goosebumps formed on her arms at your action. Since the two of you started your relationship, Sarah loved someone playing with her hair, and you adored being the person to do it.
“Still,” She mumbled, readjusting so you could have a better angle to braid her blonde piece. “You make me feel so loved in everything. Just really appreciate you.”
You pressed a kiss to her temple before continuing to plait her hair, the two of you enjoying the slight music still coming from her room.
If loving Sarah Cameron was what you were put on this earth to do, you’d love every second of doing it.
#obx3celebration#outer banks x reader#sarah cameron x reader#sarah cameron#sarah cameron blurb#sarah cameron x you#sarah cameron imagine#outer banks imagine#outer banks x you#reader insert#obx3#outer banks 3
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#OBX3Celebration
season three is almost here and you know what that means….
it’s time for #obx3celebration!
feel free to come up with a prompt (can be from the new season, original, or from this incredible prompt list) and send it my way! please make sure you include the category and specific prompt if you use the list. I typically avoid smut but might make an exception depending on what it is!
characters I write for: john b, jj maybank, kiara carrera, pope heyward, sarah cameron, rafe cameron, topper thornton, & the pogues in general
woogity woogity baby!
#obx3celebration#s3#i'm so so excited for this#obx#outer banks x reader#jj maybank x reader#john b x reader#pope heyward x reader#kiara carrera x reader#rafe cameron x reader#topper thornton x reader#sarah cameron x reader
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