Jun 11, 2024
HOTSHOT ART HOTSHOT ART HOTSHOT ART
ONCE AGAIN TY TO VIENNEXXI
JJ: @chadillacboseman
seen from Russia
seen from Netherlands
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Japan
seen from Germany
seen from Türkiye
seen from Malaysia
seen from China
seen from France
seen from Singapore
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Brazil
seen from Malaysia
seen from United States
seen from Germany
HOTSHOT ART HOTSHOT ART HOTSHOT ART
ONCE AGAIN TY TO VIENNEXXI
JJ: @chadillacboseman
About JJ Mitchell
Full Name: Jeremiah Jedediah Mitchell
Nickname(s):
JJ
Jed (his father)
Mr. America (Alora)
Full-Metal Dickhead (Kabal)
Age: 46 Gender: Male Place of Birth: Birmingham, Alabama Date of Birth: July 19th Star Sign: Cancer Species/Race: Human Occupation: Private Military Contractor Faction: Falcon Company (allied with Special Forces) Status: Alive
Appearance
Height: 6'0 Weight: 190 lbs Skin Color: White/Tanned Hair Color: Salt and Pepper Eye Color: Hazel
Prominent Features:
Prominent graying near his temples.
Aqualine nose
Hair cropped tight on the sides, longer on top.
Mouth full of too-white, too-straight teeth.
Fighting Attributes
Abilities:
Chaingun - The Glagolev-Shipunov-Gryazev GShG-7.62 rotary machine gun. He can retrieve and mount it for a frenzied gun attack.
Last Resort:
Scorched Earth - Calling in an AC-130 airstrike which obliterates the field.
Skills:
Money, money, money
Has a small personal army at his disposal
Weapons master.
Strengths:
Charming and Disarming - JJ is an expert at defusing situations and charming new contacts. Maybe it's the accent.
Heavy Hitter - He's slow, but when he catches you, watch out!
Pilot - JJ can co-pilot the AC-130 and other heavy warplanes.
Good Leader - Has an entire army at his disposal who are fiercely loyal.
Weaknesses:
Superiority Complex
Slow
Can only pilot with a co-pilot. Cannot land a small plane to save his life.
Storm Trooper aim.
Susceptible to long range
Weapons:
Ruger Security 9 - His primary sidearm
Heckler and Koch HK414
Glagolev-Shipunov-Gryazev GShG-7.62 rotary machine gun
Personality
Traits:
Southern
Cocky to a fault
Quick to anger
Loyal as a starving dog (he'll turn on you for the better bankroll)
Relationships
Enemies:
Black Dragon
Various Other Threats to Earthrealm
Family:
Curtis Mitchell - Father
Carolyn Mitchell - Mother
Siblings unknown
Friends/Allies:
Sonya Blade
Jax Briggs
Johnny Cage
Kombat Kids et all
Kate (formerly)
Other Information
Dislikes:
Waiting around
Closed spaces
Promises not fulfilled
Goals:
Get his bank up, baby
Eventually push Sonya out of the SF and take her place OR
Have Falcon Company become the protectors of Earthrealm
Hobbies:
Horseback riding
Motorcycles
Guitar playing
Likes:
Being the most important one in the room and the center of attention.
Expensive whiskey
Old guns
Habits:
Hums when the air is dead
Uses pet names that piss everyone off
Taps his foot when he's impatient or bored
Fears:
Losing control. Of Falcon Company. Of his life. Of his environment.
Snakes
Enclosed spaces
BIO
Jeremiah Jedediah Mitchell, aka "JJ" was born in Birmingham, Alabama to a family that was nothing of note. His father worked at the steel mill and his mother was a CNA at a longterm care facility.
Jeremiah excelled at his athletic endeavors in high school, but found himself bored with his surroundings. After one semester at BSC, he joined the marines and found his stride. He had a knack for leadership roles and worked well under pressure- enough that he began to attract lucrative offers from PMCs.
But Jeremiah had his sights set higher.
Unfortunately, his humvee was hit by an IED during a tour in Iraq and he lost his leg from the knee down. After his honorable discharge, he started his own PMC, Falcon Company. Such were their escapades that they often attracted the ire of the Black Dragon and various outworld threats.
After a particularly brutal run-in with the Black Dragon, Sonya Blade approached Mitchell and offered him a chance to do something bigger with Falcon Company.
Defend Earthrealm.
The Special Forces has provided him with state of the art prosthetics for his leg, and he considers the injury an upgrade.
Mitchell tolerates Blade and the others, but is biding his time until it's his turn to lead in full. Falcon Company often finds controversy for their fast and loose play with the rulebook.
SHIPS
#HotShot - JJ x Alora (@bihanspookies)
Fun Facts
He did not always have good teeth. He spent a fortune having them veneered.
Codename in the field is FALCON-01
The Latin wording on the PMC's logo reads: Falco Catervae: Alta Volare, which translates to "Falcon Company: Fly High"
He collects antique guns and prides himself on being able to restore them.
His mother is dead, but his father is still alive.
Can play the acoustic guitar quite well.
He does deal with phantom pain in his limb, which he solves with whiskey.
Borrowed most of this template from @bdfightclub thank u beloved fandom creator. HUUUUUUGE shoutout to @bihanspookies for helping with the name and also letting me always borrow Alora <3
Alora Fucks Up
Summary: A night away at a bar ends up turning into one of Alora’s biggest mistakes.
Warnings: uuhh blood, broken bones, violence
All Alora wanted was one night to herself, to have a sense of peace away from her hectic lifestyle. She wanted to be away from her peers, away from that god forsaken base, and from the latest thorn in her side: Jesse Waylon fucking Geller. Lately he had been showing up more and more at the Black Dragon base, Kano contracting Red Claw for a different type of business. Needless to say that Jesse’s persistent and obnoxious personality was a complete 180 from that Mitchell fellow she met two weeks prior.
She had gone to some shady bar, one that normally favored members of the Black Dragon and other mercenaries since they would usually bring fair business. It was almost an unspoken rule that the different factions kept to themselves, yet instead here she was, white knuckling her beer bottle as some greasy creep kept insisting on talking to her. She told him to leave her the fuck alone— exactly like that, but he persisted and even slid into the barstool next to hers.
“Fucking hell, you look rough. Like it though...” Is what he told her when he caught the first glimpse of her scarred face. That’s when Alora had verbally cursed him, annoyance crystal clear in her tone and had demanded for him to move.
He didn’t, five beers too far in to make a single coherent thought. Alora was ready to just give up and leave, far too drained and irritated to properly deal with the man and sort him straight. She downed the rest of her beer (her first one), placed money on the table and hopped off the stool without so much as a glance to the guy.
“Hey! Not done talking—“
It was instant when she swung around and clocked her fist into his jaw, blood and a few teeth flying out and skittering across the floor because he decided he didn’t need any when his hand came to slap against her backside. His cry of agony silenced the bar, the other patrons murmuring at the scene that was beginning to unfold. Fights were normal on this side of town, it was rare when something didn’t break out. He stumbled off the seat, using another one to keep himself upright.
“You fucking bi—!”
He was silenced again when her same hand shot out and whacked him on the nose, knocking him clean off his feet. He crashed to the floor, colliding into a few other bar goers as they barely cushioned his fall. Alora stepped closer, ready to execute another hit when the man put his hands up, waving and shaking them for mercy. Alora scoffed and rolled her eyes, prepared to finally leave when of course he had to open his mouth again. She didn’t quite catch what he said, just knowing that it was some other bullshit.
She grabbed her empty beer bottle off the countertop, the man’s eyes widening in fear when he saw her rear her arm back. He screamed when it came smashing down right next to his head, amber glass exploding into a million tiny shards and sinking into his skin.
He howled in pain and Alora sucked her teeth, muttering a ‘sorry’ to the bartender and dropping a few more bills for damages.
That was yesterday night.
Today, in the late afternoon, she’s sitting at the base’s bar and idly chatting with Kate and Billie. It’s an ordinary conversation, when Danny and Kano walk in with the latter looking positively peeved off. Alora briefly spares them a glance, opening her mouth to reply to Billie when Danny slides into the seat next to her, giving one of his infamous charming smiles before making it tight lipped and turning to talk to Billie who was sitting behind the bar.
“Whiskey, Kano Jr. I need it.” He muses, Billie giving him a look and rolling her eyes.
“Do I look like I’m ol’ enough to be servin’?” She retorts, downing the rest of her soda before hopping off her barstool anyway to reach under the counter and grab a bottle of whiskey. As she’s pouring it, Alora can’t help but notice Kano in the background, angrily talking about something to Alex and Kabal who were in the middle of a pool game. Their expressions shift from confusion to bewilderment as they listen to Kano talk, Alora unfortunately a bit too far away to catch exactly what he was spewing on about.
She’s brought back when Danny clicks his tongue, putting her attention back on Billie who just finished licking the rim of his glass and handing it off to him. Danny inspects his cup and wipes it off with a napkin before taking a huge sip, looking at Billie with a raised eyebrow before he brings the drink away with a sound of satisfaction.
“Keep that bottle out, Mini Me. Gonna need it with the way this deal got botched.”
That makes Alora’s curiosity pique, trailing her gaze from Danny’s glass to his face. He catches her stare and takes it as a sign to continue. With a heavy sigh he leans back, stretching and lifting his glasses to rub at his tired green eyes.
“Prick didn’t show up. Turns out the muppet got his ass handed to him at the bar last night….”
It’s a slow creep that starts in her heart and spreads throughout her body. The hair on the back of her neck prickles and Alora starts wondering if there was some sort of off chance that there was another guy who got beat at the exact same time.
“How’d you figure that?” Billie asks while Alora starts to twirl the straw in her own cup lazily, using her finger to have it circle around the rim. She’s keeping calm, staying silent to determine if she’s royally fucked or not.
“Well for starters, mate has the gall to send Kano a picture of him in the hospital. Absolutely beaten to shit.” Danny huffs and takes another sip, a slight grimace on his features as he places the cup back down. Alora feels a skip in her heart, simply giving a quirk of her eyebrows as her gaze drifts behind the Brit and back to her boss. She can see Kabal doing his best to talk Kano down, Alex giving his own input here and there. Kano shakes his head, a flash of disgust crossing his face before he leaves the pool table with a wave of his hand and heads towards the bar.
“What was the deal?” Kate pipes up, appearing from Alora’s right and leaning onto the countertop to look at Danny. He sighs, a bit dramatically, and looks to Kate with a small pout on his lips. Kano’s grumbling to himself when he reaches them, giving Billie a small head pat before ducking under the counter to reach for a bottle.
“Well darling—“ another sigh, “Dear ol’ boss managed to snag me some precious material from Outworld. I’ve been wanting to try and experiment for some new tech but,” He shrugs, downing the remainder of his whiskey before slamming the cup down and sliding it towards Billie. She makes a face a him, unscrewing the bottle and ready to pour when Kano grabs it from her.
Silently he serves himself, filling his cup to the brim before going to the tech heads, a ping ringing off his phone as he starts to tilt. He unlocks his phone with one hand, still tilting the bottle.
“Anyway, not to worry love. Kano and I are already making plans to reschedule. Isn’t that right?”
But Kano doesn’t hear him, a sudden hard gaze on his features as he glares at his phone. Faintly Alora can hear something playing from the device, wondering what exactly has him looking ready to pop his own head off. His hand seems frozen in midair, whiskey still streaming out and eventually filling Danny’s glass. It topples over the sides, a slow puddle forming at the base of the cup.
“Uh…”
“Da’? What’s—“ Billie is cut off when her father’s hand crushes the neck of bottle, glass raining down and into Danny’s cup and all over the countertop. Kate and Billie jump back, while Danny and Alora’s eyes widen. Shards crunch in Kano’s palm and when Alora flicks her attention from that to Kano, her stomach twists when she sees him already staring at her.
“Didn’t like this shirt anyway.” Danny remarks sarcastically, pushing back from the bar to avoid getting more whiskey all over him. He gets off the stool and makes way to the bathroom to clean up.
From her peripheral she can see Alex and Kabal stop their game, attention now pointed towards the scene. She can feel the tension radiating off of Kate, her fingers gingerly brushing against Alora’s hand from under the countertop. Alora’s pinky barely raises in return, not daring to break the eye contact with Kano.
Ever so slowly Kano lowers his phone and slides it towards Alora, whatever he was watching still playing over and over on a loop. She doesn’t have to look down to know what the video is, the sounds of glass breaking and various gasps still fresh in mind from yesterday.
“Look. At the fucking. Phone.” He growls through clenched teeth, his hand that was holding the bottle finally releasing and shaking out whatever bits of glass had embedded into his skin. He ignores the stings, waiting for Alora to clarify so he can proceed with what to do next.
Alex and Kabal made their way towards them with Danny trailing not too far behind, looking down at his shirt and muttering to himself. Kabal reaches in between Alora and Kano to grab the phone to tilt it so he could see what exactly has Kano’s panties in a twist. He hisses through his teeth, Alex looming behind to catch a glimpse as well. Immediately his eyes snap up to his friend and boss, mouth open and ready to intervene.
“This was you?” Kano asks, venom laced in his voice as he waits for Alora’s answer. She stares back at him, keeping her gaze on his but not ignoring the way his nails started to leave faint indents in the wood of the bar. She feels Kate’s touch again, the brief contact doing little ease the anxiety piling in Alora.
“Kano, come on she didn’t—“
“Shut the fuck up Demir!” Kano barks and smacks Danny’s overfilled cup off the countertop without looking, sending it crashing into who knows what. It shatters with whiskey splashing everywhere, a sharp inhale of breath sounding from Kate’s lips. Kano points his finger at Alora, nostrils flaring as he asks the question again.
“Was. This. You.” It’s repeated with malice, his thick eyebrows knitted together so tight that if the situation wasn’t so serious then Alora might have cracked a smile.
She runs her tongue over her teeth, keeping her expression as neutral as possible.
“I didn’t know.” She finally answes, not a quiver in her tone or a tremble in her body, even knowing that there’s no point in trying to explain the situation to him. She can see the muscles jumping in his jaw and Alora knows she has very little time to diffuse the bomb that is Kano of The Black Dragon.
His eyes narrow, his palms giving two firm taps to the top of the bar before he shrugs.
“Din’t know, eh?” His lips purse a bit, coming around the counter to the other side with his boots crunching over broken glass. He leaves a small trail of wet whiskey footprints as he stops in front of Alora.
Thick couldn’t even begin to describe the tension in the room. Her eyes remain on him, expression stoic as gauges how to proceed. It felt like a heavy weight was sitting on her chest, ready to crush and pin her body to the ground.
Alora makes the mistake of briefly breaking eye contact to look at Billie, who was doing her best to sneak away unnoticed and leave the room— most likely to find and grab her mother.
Whack!
Pain immediately forms on the right side of Alora’s jaw, stars and colors dancing in her vision as she’s slightly knocked off balance and stumbles off her seat. Kano sends a kick to the center of her back, propelling her forward and almost to her knees.
“Go on get up then! Since you like to fuck up strangers! Get up!”
Another hit right to the mouth, so excruciating that Alora’s vision goes blurry for just a moment. She falls to her side, blood dripping past her lips in a steady flow. She sees Kano approaching fast, fury etched in his face as he rears his leg back to kick her in the stomach.
Alora counters and grabs onto him just in time, gritting her teeth and swinging him around to send him tumbling away from her. The Aussie rolls into it, quickly standing up and grunting as he reaches out towards her again.
“Do you have any fuckin’ idea how important this deal was? Huh?! Do ya?!”
Alora finally gets to her feet and sends a devastating punch towards his chest, Kano shifting off to the side at the last second so that her fist scrapes alongside his cybernetic heart. He fists her braids, pulling her hair back to hit her square in the face. She can feel her nose crack from the impact, involuntary tears springing to her eyes and grunting as crimson gushes out. He strikes her again in the same spot, blood shooting into the back of her throat and causing Alora to gag and sputter out flecks of red. It stains Kano, painting his skin and bandolier.
Faintly she can hear Kate screaming and pleading for Kano to stop, Alex having to hold her back in his arms so she doesn’t get caught up in the fight either. Danny stands near her, ready to grab and hold on as well while Kabal catches Erron and Echo up to speed. Echo’s eyes widen a fraction at the scene, standing close to Erron as she watches the fight.
“You absolute dumb fuckin’—“ Kano roars.
Before he can get in a third hit, Alora catches his hand and crushes it in her own, pushing back against him to create some distance. The Aussie grits his teeth and knocks his head into her, Alora actually feeling as if she was about to black out from how hazy her vision got.
Suddenly she feels 16 all over again, fighting endlessly in the Koliseum to reach the end for something that was never going to be hers in the first place. Breaking bones, tearing muscles, ripping through flesh like melted butter all for nothing.
All because she made one mistake.
“Kano stop you’ll kill her! She’s had enough!” Kate begs, squirming in Alex’s hold to get free.
“No,” He says, spitting off to the side. “She can take it. Ain’t tha’ right, love?”
He takes Alora’s right arm and twists it behind her back, yanking it so incredibly tight and hard against her that she can feel something threaten to pop. Her scream is one of pure anguish, coming out hoarse and broken, resonating throughout the bar. The tears that were holding on finally fall free, streaming down her cheeks and leaving wet trails into the blood that was smeared across her skin.
Alora’s so frazzled right now that she can’t properly think straight, too focused on the searing pain of her arm and hacking up the blood that keeps getting lodged in her throat. She clenches her teeth and rears her head back to knock into Kano, his hold faltering but not enough for her to slip free.
Fight back. Stop being scared and fight back.
So she does it again, even stomping on his foot and using her free arm to reach behind her to his face. The angle is extremely awkward since it’s her left, but she finds the edge of his cybernetic eye plate, her nails wasting no time in piercing the into the delicate flesh that surrounds it. Kano roars in pain, holding on for just a few seconds before he finally lets go and shoves her away. He swipes his fingers across where she had her nails, grunting when his tips show dark red.
“Fuckin’ bitch!” In a fit of rage he shoots his laser out to her, not taking the time to properly aim. It doesn’t hit her anywhere critical but it does land on the shoulder of the arm he just potentially fractured. The smell of burning flesh hits Alora’s nose, making her gag at how it infiltrates her senses. She can hear Kano’s boots getting closer and closer and in a desperate attempt she swings her fist around to clock him on the side of his skull. The Aussie yells and shoots another beam at her, just barely hitting the edge of her shoes. Alora scurries back and yells as she spears herself into him, sending him crashing to the floor and unleashing a flurry of hits straight to his face. She’s ignoring the piercing pain of her left arm, too focused on making Kano hurt.
Within the second punch his nose is crooked, blood shooting out and soaking into his beard. Hit after hit cause him to scream, Alora not faultering for one second and for the briefest moment she has the urge to keep going until he’s unrecognizable. Sometime after the sixth punch Kano stops fighting back and it’s only when she can hear Billie screeching that she realizes what she’s doing.
“What the fuck!!”
Alora’s fist stops mere centimeters away from his good eye, heavy breaths passing her lips as she stares down at the messy scene. Her icy eyes are flicking wildly all over him, looking and waiting for a sign of life.
She wouldn’t do that. Couldn’t do that. Not to Billie.
“Da’!”
In that split moment of Alora snapping her head up to look at Billie, seeing her be held back by Skarlet, Kano’s fingers claw into Alora’s shirt. He brings her down roughly and collides his head against hers, shoving her onto her back and straddling her hips. His hands latch around her neck, closing off her airway and then lifting her to begin slamming her head against the ground. Alora’s gasp morphs into a choked gargle, the blood that had been collecting in the back of her throat viscous and blocking her breathing even more.
She can hear a collection of yells from Alex and Kate, knowing that they wanted to interfere but knowing that it could cost them. Not that Alora would want them to anyway, this was her fuck up after all.
She tries to cough, spitting blood up like a baby as it dribbles down her chin. Kano lifts her higher, her back coming off the ground and Alora knows he intends to throw her down with every bit of strength left in him. He never gets to do so, Skarlet running over and placing a hand on Kano’s shoulder to hold him back.
“Kane!” There’s fear in her eyes, Alex and Kabal running over to haul him off of Alora and pull him a good distance away. Alora turns to her side, heaving and hacking up whatever she could as it lands with a splat onto the concrete floor. She sucks in a deep breath, sputtering when more blood gathers and she spits it out again and again and again.
She feels a hand on her shoulder and on instinct she smacks it away from her without looking. She swipes across her nose, streaking blood and snot, and peers over her left to find the hurt expression of Kate as she stands there with her fingers fiddling with one another. Alora silently stares at her, trying to convey an apology through her eyes before giving up and rising to her feet. There’s a slight sway as she stands up straight, Alora giving a brisk shake of her head and sparing Kano one last glance who’s already turned his attention to his wife and daughter.
She doesn’t bother to look at the others, not needing to see the expressions on their faces and add to her shame.
Everything hurts; face, arms, stomach, back. She brings a hand to the back of her head and is only mildly surprised when just her fingertips come away with blood. They’re not the worst injuries she’s had, having gone against Shokan and Tarkatan before, it would just take a bit longer than usual to recover. She touches her jaw gingerly, nose scrunching when pain radiates from the simplest touch. Alora maintains her composure as she walks out the bar, feeling the burning stares of her peers on her back as they burn holes straight through her.
Even when she’s completely out of the room and out of sight she holds herself, head held high as she walks through the corridors towards her sanctum. Carefully she opens her door, twisting the door knob all the way to the end and then pushing it open. Michi’s tiny squeaks greet her and it brings the faintest smile to her busted lips. She wants to go say hello, to hold her sweet pet in her hands but she can’t taint him with blood.
She does however walk past her mirror and catch a glimpse of herself.
She stops and looks, a sinking feeling in her chest as she counts every bruise and gash that Kano graciously delivered to her. She twists around to look at the burn mark from his laser, hissing when she touches the edges of the wound. She finds herself thinking and hoping that the discoloration will fade and the cuts will scab before—
She blinks, eyebrows bunching together at her thought. A certain face flashes through her mind and Alora feels a surge of annoyance flow through her body. She sucks her teeth and turns away from the mirror, going to her drawer to grab fresh clothes. She whispers a quiet ‘hello’ to Michi, the first smile of the day gracing her lips when he scurries towards her.
“I’ll be back, don’t worry.”
The water burns in the best and worst way, hitting her open wounds and sore muscles but soothing her body and soul. She runs her fingers through her hair to work out the knots, faint throbs echoing through her body when her hands pass along to lather soap. The encounter plays in her mind all over, every hit sending a throb and Alora can feel her nails start to dig in her scalp.
It wasn’t her fault, she knows that. She doesn’t know exactly how much the video shows but it didn’t matter, not to Kano. A deal is a deal no matter what.
It doesn’t even cross Alora’s mind as to how he got a video in the first place.
She inhales sharply, holding it deep in her chest before releasing it. There’s a burn in her eyes but she refuses to let them form into tears. She wouldn’t let Kano of all people get to her like that. Instead she finishes cleaning herself up, going over her body two more times to make sure all the blood is off.
And then she stands there, eyes staring blankly as water washes down the drain. She doesn’t know how long she remains motionless but eventually she slides down the wall and brings her knees to her chest, resting her chin on top as she lets time continue to slip by.
———
Alex/JJ/Jesse: @chadillacboseman
Billie: @cyberneticsanguinaire
Echo: @roofgeese
Kate/Danny: @bdfightclub
The Bull and the Battering Ram Masterlist
Summary: JJ Mitchell ( @chadillacboseman ) and Alora De Toro, two pawns on the chessboard of powers higher than themselves.
❤️: Part of the main series
💜: Doesn’t need to be read but refs are made
✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧
The Bull and the Battering Ram ❤️
The Fuck Up 💜
Same Sides, Different Coin ❤️
A Month Later❤️
The Owed Drink❤️
Fine Lines ❤️
The Owed Drink
Summary: Set 2 weeks after this fic, Alora reluctantly meets up with JJ after he saved her and Alex while on a mission.
•☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾•☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾•☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾•
One drink, in and out, small talk (or no talk) and then that’s it.
Alora tugs her jacket tighter around her, the drizzle of rain hitting the back of her neck as she stands right outside the bar door.
Just open it. The hell are you waiting for?
She feels annoyed at the situation, even more so at herself for allowing this to even happen. She should’ve kept a better watch while on that scrap mission with Alex, checking every nook and cranny for anything out of the ordinary,
Now here she was about to have a drink with someone she literally told last month that their little meetings were ending right then and there.
Even though this ‘someone’ did technically save her and Alex’s life.
With an aggravated sigh she takes hold of the door handle, the cold wet metal feeling oddly hot beneath her skin.
Jesus Christ Alora, pull yourself together. In and out remember?
Satisfied with the answer, she pulls the door open, the cold air blasting onto her damp self and sending a small shiver down her spine. She steps inside and immediately spots JJ, sitting at the same booth as last time with two small shot glasses already placed in front of him.
Alora feels a muscle tick under her right eye, the assumption of him making a strange feeling spread throughout her chest. She pushes it down, running her tongue over the front of her teeth as she leaves wet footprints behind when she crosses across the bar towards him.
It’s like he senses her.
He looks up and shoots her that fucking smile, waving her over and even scooting out to greet her.
“Hey, firecracker.” JJ tries hard to keep his voice steady, not wanting to show his excitement too much at the fact that she actually showed up. He nearly reaches an arm out to hug her but locks up, hooking his thumbs in his belt loops instead.
Alora gives a quick tight lipped smile back, muttering a soft ‘hey’ back and going to sit in the booth. JJ spares a quick glance at Sandy, the same bartender that’s been with him through this experience, and grins wide. He learned her name last week while he was waiting for Alora, figuring he’d ask since she’s been practically his cheerleader through this.
Sandy, with her bright red lips, smiles back and shoots two thumbs up at JJ before returning her attention back to her customers. JJ feels his heart flutter, quickly sitting down and finally taking a look at Black Dragon merc.
“I uh, ordered for you. Everclear. Like when we first met…” JJ feels incredibly embarrassed right now, not even knowing if she was the type of girl that liked when a man ordered for her. Then again she wasn’t like any kind of woman he’s met before.
The uncertainty only grows when her eyebrows raise, arms shrugging her rain jacket off to reveal her toned muscles underneath. JJ swallows, watching as they work the outer layer and drop it on the seat next to her. Alora pulls a few napkins from the dispenser, dabbing at her neck before crumpling it up and tossing it on top of the table.
“Thanks.” She grabs the glass, downs it one go and slams it back onto the table top. She smacks her lips once, gives JJ a look before…
“Alright, thanks for the drink.” She nods, clicking her nails on the tabletop and reaches for her jacket.
“Wait wait—“ JJ interjects, this time not stopping himself from reaching a hand out to her. His fingers curl around her empty glass, tapping it on the tabletop with every word he speaks for his next sentence.
"I save you from gettin' shot up and you leave after one drink?" His eyebrow quirks, looking Alora dead in the eye as her own narrow in annoyance.
“No one told you to save me.” She remarks, trying to keep her irritation at bay.
He shrugs, lips pursing a bit. “No one told you to come.” He’s pushing it, he knows, but he wants Alora to see that he is genuinely interested in getting to know her rather than just having these short meetups in hopes that he might see her again next time.
“Look…” He starts, wanting to get through to her.
“You didn’t have to save my ass JJ. Appreciate it, but,” She shrugs, grabbing her jacket.
“But you came anyway, despite not wanting to.” He adds. He studies the way her features twitch, lips moving as if they want to snap at him and eyes ready to shoot out lasers if they could.
“Listen sweetheart—“
“No, you listen.” Her voice makes him straighten up, slowly letting go of the shot glass.
“I told you last time that we wouldn’t do this. You’re right, I didn’t want to come here but I…” Alora trails off, huffing and rolling her eyes a bit. JJ patiently waits for her to continue, again with the feeling to reach out and touch her hand to offer any sort of comfort.
“You don’t. Get it.” She finishes, a softer tone in her voice. JJ breathes in deep through his nose, digging his tongue in his cheek.
“Get what? That it’s dangerous? Trust me, I know exactly what I’m getting myself into. Or what I want to get myself into.” He runs a hand down his face, briefly thinking that he needs to trim his beard when it feels more scraggly than what he’s used to.
“I know you work for Black Dragon, doll. But you ain’t like ‘em, I can tell.” He’s earnest in his voice, his hazel eyes growing a bit tender on her.
Alora lets out a short hum of a laugh, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Yeah? What makes you say that?” She cocks her head to the side a bit.
“Haven’t killed me. Had plenty of chances to do so but. That and like you said, you came here to thank me despite not wanting to.” He leans forward more, poking the tip of his finger into the table.
“That already shows me you ain’t like them. Actually got a heart in you.” Her expression is unreadable, staring at JJ as his words hang in the air. He’s hoping he got her to change her mind, let her guard down a bit around him. Alora sighs through her nose, resisting the urge to show him the whites of her eyes with another roll.
“If you’re speechless then I can only take that as a sign that I’m right.” He grins a bit, letting himself get playful with her. Alora sucks her teeth lightly, not daring to allow the small flame in her belly get any bigger than what it already is.
“You’re a strange man, JJ.” Is all she says.
“And you’re pretty. Now come on, have another drink with me. Please.”
Alora finally gives in and drops back against the chair with an annoyed exhale. JJ signals to Sandy, who brings another pair of drinks and sets them on the table. She shoots him a pointed glance with a quirked eyebrow and he tries to tamp down the grin that threatens to form on his lips.
A few beats of silence pass between them and JJ clears his throat awkwardly, tracing his finger along the rim of the lowball glass in front of him. Alora downs her drink and sets the empty down on the table with more force than she’d intended, the resounding smack makes JJ jump and behind them a pool player whiffs on a shot with a curse.
“Sorry,” she mutters and JJ shrugs with a smile.
The quiet feels tangible, as if you could run a blade through it, punctuated only by the clinking of glasses and bottles and the occasional drunken patron speaking too loudly.
Across the bar, two men in a dart game finish up and Alora jerks her head toward the now free board.
“You play?” she asks and JJ’s grin widens as he makes a noncommittal gesture.
“Been a while. Do you?”
“No. Can’t be that hard,” Alora offers and he laughs.
“Alright then, tell you what. I win? You close the place down with me. You win? You leave.”
Alora ponders his offer- it’s not as if she’s chained to the booth, she can leave whenever she wants, but the idea of beating him at a game she’s never played to earn her freedom sounds like more fun.
JJ rises and she follows, the two of them making their way across the room to the dartboard. He retrieves the handful of darts from their recess in the machine and punches in their names on the scoreboard.
“So,” JJ hands her her darts and weighs his own, getting a feel for their heft, “301? ‘Round the world?”
Alora stares blankly at him and he chuckles, “You got no idea what I’m talkin’ about, do ya?”
She shoots him a glare and he puts his hands up in mock surrender, “301 is easy. We both start with 301 points, work our way down with each number we hit ‘til one of us hits zero. If ya go past, you ‘bust’.”
“Sounds easy.”
JJ selects the game mode and Alora’s name flares to life in red lighting next to her score.
“Ladies first, sweetheart,” JJ takes a seat and watches as she lines up her shot with a roll of her eyes.
The first of her darts sears through the air and hits a double 14, bringing her score down to 273. She chances a smug glance over her shoulder and JJ only smiles in return.
“Long ways to go until zero.”
Alora’s second dart hits the board outside of the ring and she swears under her breath. Behind her, JJ bites his lip to stop himself from laughing out loud. Her final dart nails the inner bullseye and the board lights up to showcase her success as her score drops to 223.
“Not bad!” JJ steps past her and stands on the faded tape that marks the throwing point, “But let me show you how it’s done.”
“Maybe when I beat you, I’ll hang around anyway, let you buy me a few more drinks,” Alora is only half joking, trying to throw him off his game.
It works.
His first dart hits a 5 and his score drops pathetically to 296. Damn it. He looks back at her and swears he sees the remnants of a smirk as it fades. JJ’s second dart is better, hitting a double 18 to bring him to 260. He turns to her with raised brows and she shakes her head.
JJ’s final dart hits the outer bullseye and he whoops animatedly as the score drops to 235. A few patrons glance over at the source of the sound and JJ smiles sheepishly before making his way back to the table. Alora rises and moves to push past him; it’s a split second, he feels like he’s not even in control of his body- he brushes his fingers against her waist when she passes him and she tenses at the gesture.
“Sorry,” JJ rasps, his voice suddenly caught in his throat, “Instinct.”
Alora doesn’t chastise him, much to her own surprise. Instead she glances away quickly as the heat creeps into her face and reddens her skin. JJ takes a seat and tries to slow his hammering heart as he watches her line up her shot.
The feeling of his fingers lingers on her, makes her lose her focus as she holds the dart up at eye level. All three darts are a bust, the first two hit a 2 and a 5 and the final one hits outside the ring.
JJ’s next throws are abysmal as well.
Alora’s score is 216, JJ’s stands at 225.
Every time he passes her, JJ has to ball his fists at his sides to stop himself from touching her. He downs another shot of whiskey and glances at their scores- down to 134 and 129. He’s managed to pass her, how he has no idea, but their moment of brief contact seems to have thrown her off more than it did him.
“This might be the worst goddamn game of darts I’ve ever played in my life,” JJ offers as Alora yanks her darts from the board with a sigh of frustration.
Sandy appears at his side with another two drinks and leans in close to JJ before Alora gets back, “You better let that pretty girl win.”
JJ grins and hands her his empty glass as the pretty girl in question drops back into her seat with a huff. Her score is down to 121. JJ rises and saunters to the shooting point- he’s always had shit aim, with rifles, with darts. He lets out a breath and aims down, steadying his shaking hands.
His first two darts hit the inner bullseye and he hears Alora make a strangled sound from behind him as his score drops to 29. He glances over his shoulder and flashes her a bright, white smile as he aims the final shot. He has to focus now- a double 14 and a one. A double 10 and a 9.
JJ’s final dart hits a double 11 and he grimaces as the score drops to 7. Tough number to hit.
Alora snatches her darts from the table and nearly collides with JJ as he returns to his seat. The prospect of staying at the bar because she can’t beat him is making her seethe.
Again, she doesn’t have to stay-
She shoves the thought aside and takes aim at the board, her tongue held tightly between her teeth.
An outer bullseye.
A triple 20.
JJ sucks his teeth as her score drops to 56. The final dart hits the center bullseye and he smiles in amusement as her score settles ahead of his at just 6.
“Not bad, firecracker,” JJ grins and Alora rolls her eyes. It’s less pronounced than before, and he swears he can see the ghost of a smile play at her lips.
Hit the 7. Hit the fucking 7, JJ urges silently to himself.
It’s a shame the 7 and the 19 are so fucking close together.
JJ throws his head back in defeat as the 7 on the board resets into a 12. From behind him, Alora lets out a sound that he swears is a laugh and he turns to try and catch it, just barely snagging a glance at the smile as it fades from her lips.
His next two darts do nothing to help, the first one hitting outside the ring and the second managing to hit a 10 and bring him down to 2. JJ sighs in exasperation and turns back to face Alora, who’s on her feet and making her way toward him.
Maybe it’s the whiskey warming his face and clouding his mind, or maybe it’s the crushing knowledge that he’s possibly seconds from defeat.
JJ brushes his fingertips against her waist again as she passes, and this time she doesn’t tense up at the contact. He smiles and she almost returns it. She comes so painfully fucking close.
Her next dart hits the 6 and JJ feels his heart sink as the board flashes and chimes to signal her victory. Alora turns to face him, a smug look on her face as she lets her darts clatter to the table in front of him.
“I have half a mind to think you’re hustlin’ me,” JJ gestures with his glass and then empties it in one gulp, “But you won, fair and square. Guess I’ll see ya the next time I save your ass.”
Alora chews the inside of her cheek and fidgets with the fabric of her shirt for a moment as she considers him.
“Do you have any more of that outworld liquor?” she asks and his face lights up, eyes sparkling under the dim light of the bar.
“Sure as hell do,” JJ answers far too eagerly, and for a moment, she reconsiders her question. He senses the change and tries to dial it back, tamping down the excitement that has seeped into his face, “Out in the truck.”
Alora hangs by the door as JJ pays the drinks as promised, hands stuffed in the pockets of her jacket and leaning against the wall. She watches him, happily chatting up Sandy as he waits for her to get back to him with his change and when she does he simply hands it back to her with that bright fucking grin of his.
The same grin that started making her stomach do flips at some point during the night.
She’s lost count of how many times she’s let out an aggravated breath through her nose or rolled her eyes but she’s sure it’s in the double digits by now, especially when she does another involuntarily. She’s annoyed but isn’t sure at what exactly: the situation, herself, or JJ. It’s probably a mix of all three.
Her jaw clenches when JJ starts making his way to her, once again flashing that captivating smile of his.
It’s definitely him. Definitely annoyed at him and that damn southern charm that exudes with every word and step he takes.
“Ready?” He says once he’s close enough, his grin now a soft smile as he looks down at her. Alora gives a short nod, zipping her jacket up and reaching out to grab onto the door handle to pull it open.
Right at the same time JJ does.
She mentally adds a tally to her secret third list- the one that’s keeping score of how many times her heart leaps into her throat from anything that JJ does. Right now, just today, it’s at four. She pulls her hand back and shoves it back into her pocket, refusing to look at him and show the pink on her cheeks.
“Sorry, darlin’.” She can hear the grin in his voice and Alora actually fights against herself to add another mark to either of her first two lists.
“S’okay.” She grumbles, his touch still prominent on her hand. JJ pulls the door open and gestures for her to go first, taking one last look at Sandy to wave goodbye and then following right behind Alora.
It’s not raining as hard as before, a light sprinkle by now but still, JJ doesn’t want to sit on the tailgate of his truck and have her get wet.
“We can uh, sit in my truck. If you’re comfortable with that.” He suggests, the door quietly closing shut behind them, separating the two of them from the rest of bar goers. Alora stares ahead, easily spotting his shiny cherry red car amongst the bleak colors of the surrounding vehicles.
“Yeah. That’s fine.”
“Great! I can bring the truck closer so you don’t have to walk.” He says, already fishing in his pocket for his keys. The action has her looking up at him, the tiniest parting of her lips not going past JJ. He allows his mind to wander, looking at her mouth for half a second longer than usual and thinking about how it would feel against his own.
“It’s just a little rain, I’m not gonna melt.” She quips, letting the corner of her lips quirk up into a smile. JJ laughs, reaching to scratch the back of his neck.
“I know.” His voice is bashful, looking between her and his truck. “Just want to be a gentleman is all.”
Now a smile fully graces her, not a big one but just enough for JJ to take it and burn it into his memory. He decides it’s something he wants to see everyday. Probably for the rest of his life.
“Gentleman, huh?” Alora repeats, her smirk getting a smidge bigger.
“That’s me, sweetheart.” He plays along, finding himself stepping a bit closer to her. His fingers twitch within his pocket, shaking and wanting to go into Alora’s to hold her hand.
She shakes her head at him, breaking eye contact and glancing at the floor. She looks back to his truck and moves her hand from within her jacket towards it.
“Let’s just go, before the rain gets worse.”
JJ agrees even though she doesn’t see it, holding his keys in his hand and ready to break into a sprint. Quickly they go through the parking lot, shoulders hunching and eyes squinting, making sure they didn’t step in any huge puddles. Normally JJ would’ve opened her door for her but right as they reached this car, it started raining a bit harder and he wanted to get inside as soon as possible.
Alora is smoothing her bangs back when JJ sits in the driver's seat, running a hand through his salt and pepper hair and shaking out water droplets. A few land on Alora, her jacket off once again and exposing her arms.
“Hey—!” She exclaims, halfway shielding her face to protect herself.
“Sorry, sorry.” He laughs, feeling a skip in his heart when he looks at her. Alora lets out a snort, shaking her head and letting out a sigh. She turns to him, her icy eyes shining like gems in the low light of the parking lot.
“So the dautho?” She murmurs, eyeing the backseats and trying to see if she can spot the familiar bottle. JJ lets out a quiet ‘ah!’ reaching behind him and shuffling his arm for the liquor. He grabs it with success, passing it off to Alora while he puts his key into the ignition, turning the heat up a bit and letting music softly play from the radio.
Alora’s just taken a swig, lips puckering a bit at the taste and burn before she gives it out to JJ. He remembers the last time he drank this, finding himself nearly kissing the ground after a few good hits. But he sucks it up, taking a smaller drink and letting the bottle rest in his lap. It’s a peaceful silence, rain pattering on the windows combined with whatever song was playing creating a calm atmosphere between them.
“We can’t meet every Saturday.” Alora speaks up, her tone low but still managing to make JJ’s chest tighten up. He thinks it’s another attempt to cut him off, to really put her foot down and say ‘no’.
“Can’t risk Kano or others recognizing pattern, I’ve already started something these past few times.”
JJ lets her words sit in his head, trying to figure out what she’s trying to say. He opens his mouth to speak but chooses instead to take another swig and then pass the alcohol to Alora. She takes it, bringing it to her lips and taking one long gulp before parting ways.
“I’m free in two weeks. Tuesday.”
His fingers flex into the material of his jeans, using it to ground himself and to keep from hollering in celebration.
“Yeah-! Okay yeah, two weeks. Tuesday.” He grins, the speed of his heart picking up significantly. Alora lets herself smile a bit, taking another sip before giving the bottle back.
“I guess it is nice to have someone on the outside.” She mumbles, letting her eyes linger on the brush of his fingers against her own as he takes the bottle.
“Can always use more friends, sweetheart.” He says softly, staring down into the liquid before drinking and remembering Sandy’s comment from a while ago. He can already feel himself getting buzzed, the nerves tingling with excitement at Alora’s statement.
She simply raises her eyebrows at JJ, a meek shrug on her shoulders. The rain is steady, still beating against the car and obscuring the surrounding area slightly.
Maybe she could use another friend.
————
Alex/JJ: @chadillacboseman
JJ's Falcon Company logo.
Falcon png purchased from (x.)
WIP Wednesday Thursday
A little snippet of a piece of JJ and Alora (@bihanspookies) having a grand ol' time in a bar fight.
--
“Alora!” JJ calls her name, but the chair comes down on her shoulders anyway, splintering as if it’s made of popsicle sticks. JJ blinks and watches in awe as Alora, unfazed, grabs one of the broken legs and leaps at the attacker.
Another man levels a punch at JJ that manages to catch him in his distracted state. The fist connects with his gut and he wheezes, taking a step back to steady himself against the bar. He blocks another punch with dropped elbows and levels a kick to the man’s shin that connects with a –thud- that has him hissing and hopping on one leg.
Alora brings the jagged chair leg down like a spear and pins the blonde man’s hand to the bar, her face twisted in a snarl. The man howls in pain and tries to yank away, but she keeps the pressure and knees him in the ribs, turning his cry of pain into sputters and pained coughs.
The man with the shaggy beard is brandishing a knife now, a hefty bowie blade that glints in the dim bar light. JJ watches it as it arcs through the air, cleaving the smoke that hovers in half and misses him by inches, instead getting buried in the wood of the bar. The wielder struggles for a moment and JJ uses the opportunity to throw a haymaker that connects with his face, snapping it to one side and causing his grip on the knife to falter. JJ shakes his hand to rid it of the stinging pain and pivots back out of the man’s reach when he swings the now freed knife once more.
Across the room, Alora tackles a man with cropped hair around the middle, bringing him to the ground. JJ is sure he catches a glimpse of a smile on her face as she cocks her fist back and strikes him, once, then twice, surely breaking his nose. The man with the knife makes a frenzied swipe at JJ’s midriff and he pulls back just enough to dodge, the blade instead slicing through the material of his jacket and leaving a broad gash.
“Brand new fuckin’ jacket,” JJ grumbles as he shucks the garment and pulls it taut between his hands.
He catches the next swing of the knife in the jacket and twists, capturing the man’s arm in the fabric. He gives a hard yank and the knife clatters to the floor, then he levels his knee into the man’s chin and winces at the crunch that signals at least one cracked tooth.
“JJ, duck!” Alora’s voice carries across the room and he obeys on instinct, bending at the waist just in time for a baseball bat to pass over his head, breezing through the air where he had just been.
Fine Lines
Summary: A time skip of five months since Alora and JJ have been secretly meeting up and the lines of their boundaries are starting to blur.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅••❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
Five months have gone by since Alora decided to make seeing JJ a sort of regular thing. They agreed to not do it every week, being sure to not see each other on the same day as last, careful to leave different sized gaps in between meetings.
But they always met at the bar.
JJ was usually there first; ordering their drinks and happily sitting in their booth waiting for the Black Dragon merc to show up. Trying to not stare at the door, anxiously bouncing his prosthetic leg while he scopes out for that familiar head of hair and those frosty eyes.
Five months they’ve been doing this and every time he’s afraid that she won’t show. Not because he doesn’t trust her— because anything could happen to her in the blink of an eye and he would have no idea about it until it was probably too late.
So every second he spends waiting is torture for him, like water in his lungs that prevents him from breathing until he sees her step through the bar door.
And once she does, everything feels alright.
It’s like second nature at this point, their eyes automatically locking with one another when she comes into the bar, the faintest hint of a smile on her lips as she crosses the room. Wordlessly, he holds out her drink once she’s close enough, his smile growing as she takes it and downs it in one go.
Before, by this point, she would’ve been tense still— dropping into the booth and nervously tapping her fingers on the tabletop. She would’ve been stiff in her posture and kept darting her gaze from him to the door, fearful that someone would recognize her and she’d have to fight her way out.
But now? She plops down with ease, shrugging her jacket off and tossing it next to her while attempting to reach for JJ’s drink. He snatches it away, mock surprise on his face before throwing it down the hatch and slamming the glass on the table. Alora scoffs, eyes rolling dramatically before she turns and flags down Sandy, holding up two fingers and then turning her attention to JJ.
Her shoulders are still a bit rigid and every once in a while she does glance around the room to spot any familiar faces.
But so far her uneasiness hasn’t come true and JJ waits for the day she can fully relax without having to cast a fearful glance over her shoulder.
“You seem to be in a good mood.” Alora remarks, leaning back against her seat and crossing her arms over her chest lightly. Sandy comes over and puts their drinks down, offering JJ a wink before departing back to the bar top.
“Course I am. You’re here.” His smile is soft, fingers wrapping around his glass and preparing to bring it to his lips.
It’s comments like these that send Alora’s heart rate through the roof, lighting the tips of her nerves in a white fire that burns bright like a falling star. She fights to keep her face steady, JJ’s smile growing as he studies her pretty features. In typical Alora nature she rolls her eyes, grabbing her glass to give herself something to do.
“Wait wait now hold on—“ He leans forward and holds his drink out to her, giving a small gesture with it. Alora lifts and clinks her cup to JJ’s, the small chime easing her out of her nerves the smallest bit.
It races back up when JJ’s finger extends and brushes over her the entire underside of her pinky before they depart glasses. He smiles over the rim as he drinks, enjoying the brief contact of her warm skin against his. Alora quickly swallows hers, being cautious into not shattering the glass once she places it on the table.
“Yeah you seem to be in a real fucking good mood.” She mutters under her breath, her mouth twitching and threatening to form into a smile. JJ’s chuckles, nodding in agreement. He casts his eyes across the bar, taking in the other patrons that are also here.
Alora takes the opportunity to look at his side profile, as she’s done discreetly so many times before. She finds herself lost in the gorgeous color of his eyes— always reminding her of a crisp autumn leaf that’s being shined on by a ray of sunlight. Her gaze trails down the length of his nose, admiring the prominent feature that she finds herself looking at often.
His mouth is something she finds herself thinking about way more than she’d like to admit, his lips so pink and inviting, surrounded by that beard that she’s been curious about touching.
She doesn’t even realize that her head has tilted, features softening until JJ is raising an eyebrow and waving his hand in her face.
“Did you hear me?” He asks with a laugh.
Alora blinks out of her daze, fixing her posture and furrowing her eyebrows together.
“What?” It comes out harsher than intended.
He laughs again, shaking his head and jutting his thumb to the dart board.
“Wanna play?”
A few drinks and rounds later, JJ is officially feeling buzzed from all the alcohol, laughing more and getting braver and braver with his touches to Alora. He ‘accidentally’ bumps knees and elbows more times than he can count, letting his fingers skim across hers whenever he finds the opportunity to do so.
It doesn’t go unnoticed, Alora finding herself allowing more of them to go by without a reprimand. It wouldn’t be the first time things have gotten like this but usually JJ stops himself from letting it go any further, chugging water to clear his head and to not mess things up with her.
She knows that their fine line between being ‘friends’ and something else is thinning, unsure of how to deal with it all. JJ’s handsome obviously, not to mention sweet, charming, kind and…
On the complete opposite side of the law that she is.
They’re sitting back down at the booth, JJ’s legs extended out and locking her foot in between his. His elbows rest on the worn table in front of him, chin set upon his knuckles as he smiles tipsily at Alora.
Silence falls between them as the bar hums with activity, the clatter of pool balls and the idle chatter blending together with the music that carries from the battered jukebox in the corner. Alora traces the rim of her glass with one slender finger, focusing on the bar lights that dance in the rippling liquor. A new song shuffles onto the jukebox and JJ snaps his head up, eyes gleaming with something Alora can’t quite place.
The lyrics warble through the air and JJ bobs his head, his lips set in an attempt to keep the lyrics trapped behind his teeth.
It's late in the evening
She's wondering what clothes to wear
She puts on her makeup
And brushes her long blonde hair
Alora wrinkles her nose at the cheesy love song and JJ chuckles, fingers rapping on the table in time to the gentle beat.
And then she asks me, "Do I look alright?"
And I say, "Yes, you look wonderful tonight"
Alora looks back to JJ who is staring a hard line right through her; her face heats under his gaze, but she can’t seem to look away. He extends a hand, palm up and cocks his head in question.
“Dance?”
She almost laughs out loud at the request. He has finally lost his damn mind, clearly, but he’s not wavering, hand still held out waiting.
“C’mon, sweetheart-” the pet name makes her heart do a somersault, “Nobody knows us here.”
Alora chews the inside of her cheek; his request is so out of her depth, so beyond her comfort level that she can’t even conjure a venom-laced retort. Still, JJ smiles from across the table, head tilted to the side and hazel eyes locked on her.
It feels as if someone else is piloting her body. Alora pulls desperately at the emergency brake in her mind, but her hand extends and falls into his all the same, soft fingers brushing against his calloused ones. Stop, she urges herself, panicked brain battling desperately against her fluttering heart.
JJ’s grin widens when her hand hits his; he’s suddenly overtaken with the urge to kiss the back of it, but he resists, afraid of throwing away what he’s managed to accomplish. He moves from the booth, fingers closing around hers to pull her along with him as he makes his way toward the small dance floor.
It feels so natural to lace his fingers with hers. His free arm loops high around her waist, hesitant as she tenses for a moment at the unfamiliar contact. JJ glances down at her and smiles reassuringly, his own confidence suddenly rattled by her closeness- he can see every detail in her face- the scars, the faint freckles, and the true beauty of her eyes.
JJ swallows thickly and shakes his head to clear it before finding a rhythm with Alora, his feet still recalling the movement, even after all the years since he’s danced. To his surprise, she follows his lead, letting him guide them in broad swaths across the faded wooden floor. The other patrons watch in amusement as they dance, a few of them offering wolfish whistles and exaggerated claps.
Alora can hear none of it, her mind is too busy thrumming with the sound of her pulse as it races through her veins and pounds in her ears. JJ is so close that she can see the fine lines in his face and the small patches of gray at his temples. If she focuses, she can feel his heartbeat thudding away in his chest pressed close to hers.
“You really are pretty,” JJ practically whispers, his hazel eyes softening as they find her icy blues.
“And you talk too much.”
He chuckles at that, face breaking into a smile that almost makes her return it. She comes so tantalizingly close, dances agonizingly on the edge, but forces it back down. Alora feels as if she’s losing control of the situation, but she can’t seem to stop the ride, her body unwilling to shove him away and sprint for the door.
The song lulls to a close and fades out, leaving the two of them in the middle of the dance floor, feet now still and gazes locked. JJ squeezes his fingers in hers and his lips part, just barely, eyes fixed so steadily on hers that it feels as if he might burn a hole through her.
He wants to kiss her. God, does he want to kiss her. His mind is on fire with the idea- he would cup her face, lean down, brush his nose against hers-
The bright lights that signal closing time flare to life and Alora uses the momentary distraction to put distance between them, her heart hammering away at her ribcage. She’d almost fucking kissed him. She needs to get out, and fast.
She bolts for the booth to grab her jacket and JJ follows, stumbling over his words. She slings her jacket on and makes for the door with him hot on her heels. She hears him swear as he remembers he still has to pay, fumbling for his wallet in his jeans and thrusting a $100 bill into Sandy’s hands before sprinting through the door after Alora.
“Alora!” JJ calls after her; her form is already growing smaller under the orange glow of the street lights, “Please-”
Alora stops, fists balled at her sides, but she doesn’t turn toward him. She no longer trusts herself, is afraid that if she looks at him, she won’t be able to turn back. The line is no longer thin, it’s almost nonexistent. JJ reaches her and she can hear his heavy breaths as he comes to a stop just a few feet away from her back. She closes her eyes, exhaling shakily, but she still doesn’t turn to face him.
“Please,” JJ says again; there’s a wavering edge to his voice that makes Alora’s chest tighten, just a little, “I don’t…I didn’t mean to cross a line.”
You didn’t, she thinks with a jolt.
Alora finally turns to face him, her gaze cast downward at the cracked concrete at her feet. JJ’s hands flex at his sides, the desire to reach out and grab her shoulder burning through him like a live wire.
Her lips part but nothing comes out, her words stuck in her throat because she has no fucking idea what to say. It’s all unfamiliar territory to her, this song and dance completely out of her zone and she has no clue how to navigate it.
JJ patiently waits for her to speak, swallowing hard as he watches the storm form in her eyes from the internal struggle she’s facing right now. In the short time he’s known her, he's never seen her so frazzled, a different kind of fear in her eyes.
Alora takes a deep breath, takes a deep breath, feeling the way her heart pounds in her chest and finally looks up at JJ.
“You didn’t cross a line.” Her tone is low- steady and even but he catches the way she focuses on not letting it shake. She runs her hand through the loose strands of hair framing her face and pushes them back, holding them as she thinks of what to say next.
“I-“ She scoffs, hand coming down and hitting lightly against her thigh.
A part of her is screaming to get the hell out of there, to scramble away from the hole she’s dug herself before she falls in and can’t get out.
But another part just wants to throw it all to the wind, to say fuck it and allow herself to have this one small moment of freedom.
To run right into JJ’s arms and kiss him, lock her hands behind his neck and breathe in the scent of his cologne so deep that it fills and makes a home for itself within her lungs.
“I’ll see you next Thursday.”
She spins on her heel quickly to avoid seeing the way his heart breaks, tugging her jacket tight as she picks up the pace.
JJ’s arm hangs in midair, a poor pathetic attempt at stopping her from running away once again. He could scream right now, pull out his hair and kick over the trash can for just how utterly stupid he feels right now.
Five months down the drain he thinks. Gone within the blink of an eye and vanishing in the wind- just like her.
It takes a moment for her words to sink in, a jolt in his heart when he realizes exactly what she said.
“See you next Thursday.” He repeats to himself quietly, a small sigh of relief coming from him when he registers the promise.
—-
It’s nearly closing time and JJ sits at their booth with two glasses of Everclear, full and untouched. He sighs for the umpteenth time, looking at the door once more before returning his gaze back to his drink.
Alora hasn’t shown and if she hasn’t by now then…
JJ’s first instinct is to think the worst; that Kano caught wind of her and where she was really going. Probably made an example out of her, shot his laser right through—
He groans audibly and shakes his head, turning to look for Sandy and wave her down. He doesn’t need his potential last memory of Alora to be gruesome, preferring to deal with the heartache that she’s still alive rather than six feet under.
“No pretty girl, huh?” Sandy says with a sad smile, placing his bill on the tabletop. JJ quietly sucks his teeth, thumbing through the folded cash in his pocket before giving Sandy a crisp $50 bill.
“Now honey, you know damn well these two drinks ain’t cost nearly $50.” She smirks, plucking the bill from his fingertips.
“I know,” He smiles up at her, gathering his jacket and standing up.
“Thanks for taking care of us, Sandy.” His arms slip through the sleeves, a heavy sigh through his nose with one final smile before he departs towards the door.
It’s happened once or twice, Alora not showing up and sending a panic through JJ. They usually just meet the upcoming Saturday since that was their regular before but he wasn’t so sure that was the case now, not with how things went last week.
JJ walks towards his truck, gaze to the ground and so absorbed in his thoughts that he doesn’t see Alora leaning against the passenger side, arms crossed and drumming her fingers on herself. He stops once he notices her, eyes going wide and mouth opening to say something but she puts her hand up to stop him.
“You’re not dead—“ He can’t help himself from saying it, the relief flooding through his body like a tidal wave. Alora’s face scrunches up at his statement, straightening her posture and unfolding her arms.
“No I’m not dead—“
“So why didn’t… why didn’t you come inside?” He steps closer, nearly toe to toe with her boots. “Thought somethin’ happened to you.”
Alora locks eyes with him, rehearsing her words that she’s been thinking about since the moment she left last week. She draws in a deep breath through her nose, giving a weak shrug of her shoulders.
“Was scared.” She whispers so softly under her breath, fingers playing with a loose thread on her pants.
JJ feels the silence between them fill his ears, the idle chatter of people coming and going fading into nothing as he replays her words in his head.
“Of me?” He keeps the same volume, afraid to shatter the glass bubble they’ve blown around themselves to give them this one moment. She shakes her head, feeling her insides twist and turn, a mute pounding in her ears as she takes in the worried look of him.
“Of this. Us.”
Naturally his body fills with dread, his heart turning to lead within himself. But then her words sink in and something starts to shift in JJ’s body in that moment; her quiet demeanor, the nervous ticks, the subdued look in those pretty blue eyes that he’s come to get lost in. It all clicks together at once for JJ.
JJ knows Alora is frightened at the possibility of being caught with him, that much is obvious. But as he replays last week's events in his head, remembering the subtle changes in her face, the minuscule way her fingers flexed around his, the minor adjustment to tilt her head upward…
It’s amazing how quickly his fear melts away, how the anxiety and stress of the situation morphs into something warm and lighthearted.
She had wanted to kiss him.
Alora notices a twinkle in his eye and cocks her head to the side as a muscle ticks in his slow progressing smile.
“It’s dangerous JJ—“
“You like me.” He grins, placing his hands on his hips, a bit of a smug demeanor taking over now.
JJ nearly wants to laugh when her eyebrows knit together, scoffing and recrossing her arms across her chest.
“You’re a fucking idiot.”
And there it is.
JJ points a finger at her with an open mouth grin, his heart now bashing against his ribcage for an entirely different reason.
He thought he’d scare her off with his actions, stacks on stacks of worry that he screwed up big time. Only to realize that she isn’t necessarily scared of him.
She’s afraid of her growing feelings for him.
“Ah! You’re cursing. You only really curse when you’re upset and given the situation—“
“Shut the hell up, Mitchell—“ She growls, pushing his finger out her face.
“I think it’s safe to say,”
“Stop it!”
“That you!”
She puts a hand on his chest when he takes that final step closer, his rapidly beating heart nearly matching hers. skyrocketing when he leans down a bit closer.
“Like me.”
It’s like white noise in her ears, drowning out everything else and forcing her to focus on him; the crinkles in the corners of his eyes, the gray patches in his hair, those hazel eyes sparkling with mischief.
“I do not.” Alora hisses through her teeth, curling her fingers into the material of his shirt. The scent of his cologne infiltrates her, nearly making her eyes flutter shut. She remembers how just last week she wanted that same smell to fill her lungs. JJ reaches a hand and tentatively brushes a lock of her hair behind her ears, letting his fingers linger on her jawline.
“I meant every word I’ve ever said to you; you’re so fuckin’ pretty, sweetheart.” He whispers so softly, trailing his touch under her chin and taking a gentle hold of it. Alora takes a shaky breath, tightening her fingers into his shirt to hold her steady.
She’s at a loss for words, swallowing to quench her dry throat. Her other hand rests on the truck behind her, the cool metal a welcomed contrast against her skin.
“Can I kiss you?”
The tenderness of his voice makes her feel lightheaded, causes her features to soften up and her body feel fuzzy.
“Please.”
She can barely recognize her own voice, the desperate plea and such a difference to her usual harsh demeanor. She doesn’t get time to dwell on it because JJ lets out a sigh of relief before pressing his lips against hers.
His fingers slide further back, threading into her hair and slightly messing up her braid. She doesn’t care right now, too engrossed in the softness of his lips and the way his beard scratches just right against her cheeks; just as she imagined.
He’s gentle with her, taking care to not lose himself in their kiss but god does he want to, it’s everything he ever pictured.
He pulls away, just enough to keep their noses touching, slipping his hand out of her hair and caressing his fingertips along her jaw once more. Alora opens her eyes (when did she even close them?) and feels the last bit of her breath hitch in her throat when she sees just how blown JJ’s pupils are.
“Been dreaming of that for awhile…” He whispers, smoothing his thumb up and down her flushed skin, his other hand coming to cup her hip. Alora lets go of his shirt, now wrinkled from how clenched her fist was around the material.
“I couldn’t tell.” She remarks with a swallow, her throat clicking as she tries to fall back into her sarcastic demeanor to ease her nerves.
There’s a few beats of silence between them, JJ admiring Alora’s details more closely. He noticed them last week, but now he’s really taking in the sprinkle of freckles across her nose. He wants to kiss them, leave his mark over every single dot and any other marks that she might have on her body.
“Can’t believe an old man like me has you so flustered, sweetheart.” He snickers, moving his hand to clasp the back of her neck. Alora rolls her eyes and sucks her teeth, giving a weak hit to his chest.
“You are not old…” She mutters, the heat increasing on her cheeks and spreading down to her neck. He laughs through his nose and massages where he has his fingers, the fond smile on his lips making Alora’s heart skip a beat.
“But I have you flustered?” He’s being cheeky now, putting his forehead against hers and running his other hand up and down her hip. Alora tenses her jaw, sending another light hit to his chest with no actual hurt behind it.
“Shut up,” She grunts. JJ gives a playful squeeze to her hip, ready to interject. “And just kiss me again.” She cuts him off, her lips already tingling from the anticipation of feeling him once more.
His grin grows impossibly bigger, curling his knuckle underneath her chin.
“Yes ma’am.” He dips again, pouring everything he can into their second kiss, wrapping his hands tighter around her body.
Tonight he has her finally, and he never wants to let go.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
JJ: @chadillacboseman