Summary: Y/N and Jax grow closer... I don't know what else to say without revealing spoilers haha
Word count: 4k words
Warnings: very bad language, mentions of blood, physical & verbal abuse, angsty & some fluff
Author's note: I appreciate all the positive feedback I've received this far! It's much appreciated :) also, I'm bad at writing these summaries
If you’re in an abusive relationship or you suspect that someone you know is being abused, speak up and reach out to the correct people!
Beta read by @crucifixedbitch
PART ONE | PART TWO
💀💀💀💀💀
He’s late. The thought brings about a familiar uneasiness and your mind conjures images of a bloodied Jax lying unconscious in some dingy ditch. Jesus Christ.
“Mommy, why did you stop reading?”
S/N’s soft voice draws you back to reality. You look over to his bed where he’s laying beside Abel. “Did I stop reading?”
He giggles, “Yep.”
Oh. You look down at the book in your hand then back up at the boys. “I’m sorry, ace. I guess Mommy’s a bit tired.” And apparently, she’s distracted. You look back down at the book, willing yourself to remember your place.
“Cooper the Cat was stuck in the tree,” he reminds you.
“Right, Cooper the Cat!” your eyes hastily skim through the short paragraphs until you land at the right sentence. “Got it. ‘Help!’ cried Cooper from the tree…”
And just like that, all thoughts of Jax and his safety are shoved to the back of your mind to deal with at a later time. It’s your lucky day today, the boys have had a long day and they’re out before you reach the end of the book.
“I love you, ace,” you whisper to your son after you’ve kissed him goodnight.
It’s because of your love for S/N that you left Jax and the endless bullshit that comes with him. Anxiety-filled nights like this one are a thing of your past and you know you can’t allow yourself to be consumed by thoughts of him. Once you start, there’s no stopping you. You know this, very well, so why is there a sick feeling twisting in your gut? Because a small part of you is still in love with your ex.
Hope blooms when your phone vibrates in your pocket but it’s only B/N. It’s not that you’re not happy to see your boyfriend’s name on your phone screen, but the anxiety’s gnawing at your mind, and you’re desperate for it to be put to sleep. Fortunately for you, B/N’s in high spirits. He’s been frustrated with you lately, and wants you back in Charlotte — his insecurities about Jax are beginning to show.
It’s for that reason that you don’t tell him about S/N’s friendship with Abel.
“This time next week, you and S/N will be back home,” he muses.
“Yeah, we both can’t wait.” You feel disappointed at the realization, “It feels like forever, doesn’t it?”
And S/N has been asking about B/N more and more these days but you don’t tell that to him, afraid that he’ll catch the earliest flight to California. Truthfully, you’re not exactly ready to let Jax out of your life which you’ll be forced to do if B/N’s in Charming. You see, he’s… protective and doesn’t like the idea of you hanging around men. Especially Jax. Hell, he almost stopped you from attending your own mother’s funeral.
Of course, it was under the guise of being the protective boyfriend. “Are you sure it’s safe for you to be in the same town as your violent biker ex?” He said all the right things and did everything in his power to talk you out of the decision but in the end, he failed to convince you to stay away.
“Goodnight, I love you.”
You hang up just in time to hear Jax’s motorcycle pull up out front. The relief is quickly overshadowed by concern when you open the door and are greeted by a bloody-faced Jax.
“I’m late.”
“I’m more concerned about that gash on your brow. Come in.” You open the door wider, “If you’re here to get Abel, he’s asleep. You can fetch him in the morning.”
“Shit.” You step aside to allow him access into the house, “I’m sorry, Y/N, I got caught up in Oakland.”
“It’s fine. S/N was happy to have Abel stay the night.”
He smiles, “Thank you.”
You return his smile, “We should clean that before it gets infected.” Before you can process your actions, you’re leaning closer to take a better look at the cut. “I can’t see much, you should rinse it with water. I’ll go grab the first aid kit.”
“It’s late, I’ll have Chibs take care of the cut.”
“Meet me in the kitchen,” you start for the bathroom, “rinse the cut.”
You grab the first aid kit from the bathroom and find Jax sitting at the breakfast table, pensively staring into space, a half-drunk bottle of water sitting in front of him.
“Here.”
Your voice pulls him from his reverie. His eyes drop to the pill container in your hand and he arches a brow.
“It’s for the pain.”
“Thanks.” He accepts the pills and pops the cap open, “I should’ve called.”
“It’s fine.” You do your best to keep a casualness in your voice when you ask, “What was happening in Oakland? Is everyone okay?”
He gazes at you for a long while before he responds, gauging where your head is at. “Yeah, we’re all fine.”
“Should I be worried?”
He slowly shakes his head, “No.”
You watch him take the pain medication, there are so many questions to ask, questions only Jax has answers to.
“Is it safe for you to be here?”
He swallows the pills and smiles, “I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t safe. Don’t worry, you and S/N are safe.”
Hesitantly, you nod as you pull a chair from the table. In a bid to lighten the mood, you tell him, “No offense, Jackie, but you look like shit.”
“I feel like shit,” he chuckles.
You take your seat in front of him and suppress the urge to smile, “Who punched your handsome mug?”
“I was pistol-whipped.”
“Ouch.” Scooting forward in your chair, you lean towards Jax to get a better look at the rinsed cut, and for a very brief moment, your eyes lock with his before they dart up to his cut. “It’s like the good ol’ days, isn’t it?”
“You playin’ nurse?”
“Yeah.”
Back in the day, nights like these were common. Jax would sit at this very table, at the very chair he’s sat on, whilst you tended to his cuts and bruises. Mother would be sitting in the living room, hurling insults at both you and Jax. She would take any chance to remind you that you were making a mistake you would regret for the rest of your life.
“Your mom hated me.”
Your eyes lock with his, “In her defense, you would always be finding ways to antagonize her.”
And in return, your mother would call Jax all kinds of names but even that wouldn’t keep him away. Nothing ever could keep him from you. Memories of Jax sneaking into your room late at night come to mind. “I had to come kiss my girl goodnight,” he’d tell you.
“We were pretty wild back then,” you reminisce.
And you were madly in love with each other, however, you keep that part to yourself. The situation’s complicated enough without the added layer. You’ve barely mustered the courage to mention B/N’s existence to Jax because, in all honesty, you’re not quite sure how he might react to another man raising his son. The thought of his reaction fills you with dread. Heaven knows he’ll give you a hard time about leaving next week.
Gah, it’s all too much! With a shake of your head, you dismiss all thoughts and grab the ointment from the kit. “Shall we?”
He nods and shuts his eye for you to apply it on the cut. A silence descends upon the kitchen and neither of you makes an effort to fill it.
“You’re good to go,” you announce once you’re done.
“Thanks.”
“I couldn’t risk it getting infected.”
More than anything, you don’t want S/N to see Mommy’s friend sporting cuts on his face. He’ll ask questions, probably mention it to B/N, and you’re not looking to have that drama in your life.
“Are you hungry? I’m assuming you haven’t had your dinner…”
“Nah, but I should get going.”
Your mood deflates at his announcement. The truth is you don’t want him to leave but how do you stop him without giving him the wrong idea? Why are you even stopping him from leaving?
“Stay,” you blurt out.
“Stay?”
“Yeah, there’s the guest bedroom. It’s late and you’re medicated and you shouldn’t be driving and–”
“I have nothing to wear.”
“Sure you do.” You take a breath to compose yourself, “I was cleaning out the closets the other day and I found some of your old stuff. They’re clean, I uh, washed them. Everything is oversized, they should still fit you.”
You had intended to take them to Goodwill and you will but right now, Jax needs them.
“Look, I would never forgive myself if something happened to you.”
It isn’t a lie but it isn’t the full truth. Honestly? You just want him near you. It’s wrong, and you understand the implications and know that B/N won’t be happy should he find out, but one night wouldn’t be harmful to anyone, right? Besides, he’ll be sleeping in the guest bedroom.
He thoughtfully considers your proposition. After a stretched silence, he reluctantly accepts your offer.
“Great,” you perk up, “I’ll warm up your dinner.”
You make some conversation over dinner, none of the heavy shit, mostly catching up on all you’ve missed in the four years you’ve been away. He tells you about the club, and that Opie met someone and they’re now married.
“And how about you? Is there anyone special in your life?”
He doesn’t answer your question, not that you expect him to. You just can’t help but be curious. After dinner, he heads over to the bathroom to take his shower whilst you load the dishwasher and dig through the laundry to look for Jax’s old t-shirts and sweats. The guilt sets in and you fight the urge to call B/N to tell him about Jax.
You’re dialing his number when you stop yourself. “Geez, Y/N!” you toss your phone into the laundry basket and step back to create distance between you and the device. Think about this. The last thing you need is B/N bulldozing into Charming and starting shit with Jax and the M.C. — that could be fatal. No, Jax staying the night is you helping out an old friend, there’s nothing more to it.
Grabbing the folded pile of clothing, you make your way down the hall to the guest bedroom and find Jax waiting patiently on the bed for you. Nothing but a towel tied around his waist.
“I should’ve knocked, I’m sorry.”
He rises off the bed and that’s when you get a clear view of his torso, and the tattoo inscribed on his ribcage.
“You’ve proved your point, Jax, now let’s go.”
“No, why?”
You look over your shoulder to the big, tattooed man standing over by the counter, laughing at whatever joke he’s just been told. You’re at some grimy tattoo parlor, somewhere in Reno, and Jax’s about to get your name tattooed on his body. His ribcage to be exact. The sentiment is sweet, you admit, but it’s a permanent decision, and you’re only 17.
You look back at Jax who’s now laying shirtless on the tattoo chair, “Do you realize how insane this is?”
He smiles brightly as he shakes his head.
“Do you have a death wish? Gemma’ll kill us both when she sees this.” Part of her rage will be due to the fact that it’s your name on his ribcage instead of hers. “And what if they find out we’ve lied about our age?”
“Babe, will you relax? They won’t, this place is a dump.”
Which is exactly why he shouldn’t get his first-ever tattoo done here. “There’s no talking you out of this, huh?”
“No.” He laces his fingers with yours and raises your hand to press a kiss to its back, “This is what I want to do. I don’t care what my mom thinks.”
“And the pain? You don’t care about that either?”
He shakes his head, “No.”
You glance at the stencil transfer on his ribcage and sigh. “I know you don’t have to do this–”
“I want to do this.”
“And there’s clearly no talking you out of this.”
“Yeah.”
You squeeze his hand and flash him a reassuring smile, “Do you want me to hold your hand?”
His smile returns, brighter than ever, “I’d appreciate it, darlin’.”
“You’re insane, you know that, right?”
He nods. “Only because I love you.”
You lean over to lock your lips in a kiss — you don’t doubt it for a second.
You pry your eyes from his torso, forcing yourself to face the now smirking Jax. Right, his clothes!
You hold out the pile to him, “Did you put your clothes in the hamper?”
He accepts them and murmurs ‘thanks’ before he responds to your question. “Yeah, just like you said.”
“Okay,” you fight off the urge to look down at his ribcage. He kept it. “I’ll see you in the morning. Goodnight Jax.”
Spinning on your heels, you scurry out the room before you do something you’ll regret later.
💀💀💀💀💀
“Mommy! Come see!”
S/N and Abel’s laughter sounds from the living room. Saturday mornings have always been your favorite. Sleeping in is always a winner in your books, a vital part of any Saturday routine, and once you’re up, B/N takes S/N out of the house whilst you prepare breakfast. Last weekend was S/N’s first Saturday away from B/N and he was miserable. This Saturday is different.
“Mommy?” More laughter sounds, “You will miss it!”
Lowering the heat, you abandon your cooking and make your way over to the living room. A slouched Jax is taking up most of the three-seater with S/N and Abel on either side of him, all three pairs of eyes fixed on the television screen.
“What’s got you laughing so much, ace?” You take a seat on the armrest and press a kiss to the top of your son’s head. “Beaky Buzzard?”
“Yeah.” He looks up at you, “Are you coming to sit with us?”
“No, Mommy’s got to make breakfast.”
You’d like nothing more than to stick around and watch cartoons with them but there’s breakfast to prepare. When you walk back into the kitchen, you discover your phone vibrating on the counter and you just know it’s B/N. It’s his fifth attempt in the last half-hour, probably looking to speak to S/N, but that just isn’t a good idea. Not when Jax is in the house. You’re being deceitful to both parties, but the timing just isn’t right.
B/N would lose it if he found out about Jax’s regular visits, and you don’t know how Jax would react to B/N’s existence in your life and the role he plays in your son’s life. It would ruin a perfectly good morning. The day got off to a good start with the news of the sale of your childhood home, and your son’s mood is the best it’s been all week. Why would you even think to ruin it by starting trouble with B/N?
It’s not worth it. You’ll just have to come up with a story to tell him later.
“Breakfast is served!”
The boys come barreling in and take their places at the breakfast table. You assist the two youngest boys to plate up their food before you plate up for yourself. Everyone digs into the food, and the compliments you receive are a definite boost for the ego. You listen intently as S/N and Abel excitedly recount the Looney Tune episode they’d watched earlier and S/N’s beside himself with laughter.
The happy moment is disrupted by the unwelcomed vibration of your phone on the counter.
“Is that Daddy calling?”
Shit! You wince at the name ‘Daddy’. It’s what S/N always calls B/N but somehow, it doesn’t feel right when Jax’s sitting across the table from him.
“Mommy?”
“Yeah, ace?” you look over to him, very aware of Jax’s eyes burning into the back of your head.
“Is that Daddy calling?”
“No, it’s probably the estate agent.” It’s not a convincing lie, but you’re caught off guard and can’t come up with something better. “She’s calling about the house.”
“When is Daddy calling?”
“Probably later.” You hate that you’re being so dismissive. “We’ll call him after Abel and Jax leave, okay?”
He looks like he might ask another question, maybe press for a better answer, but he resumes eating his food. You avoid Jax’s eyes for the remainder of breakfast. He helps you clear the table and load the dishwasher in painful silence. Once Jax has helped you load the dishes, he leaves you alone in the kitchen. Can the morning get any worse? Apparently, it can. You unlock your phone to find multiple texts from an irate B/N.
He didn’t take kindly to you ignoring all ten of his calls. Shit. You’re on the verge of tears when Jax saunters into the kitchen.
“Abel and I are leaving.”
You nod, unsure of how to respond. “You’ll ride on your bike with Abel?”
“No. Ratboy’s waiting out front with the van.”
“Ratboy?”
“The new prospect.”
“And will we see Abel tomorrow?”
His impassive expression says it all. Your gut twists with anxiety at the thought of not seeing Jax again before you leave Charming. How do you make this right?
“Do you want to talk about it?”
He slowly shakes his head. Just then S/N and Abel sprint into the kitchen, bustling with energy. Abel hugs you goodbye before the boys run back out of the kitchen and out of the house onto the front yard.
“I’m leaving my bike here. I’ll come by to get it later.”
“Cool. Yeah, that’s fine.”
You walk Jax out, and just like he’d said, Ratboy is waiting out front in a black van. Together with S/N, you watch Jax and Abel climb into the van and drive off.
“Can we call Daddy now?”
“Yeah, let’s go,” you lift him up and carry him towards the house. “Did you have a good time with Abel?”
He nods his little human head, a bright grin plastered on his perfect face. Once inside the house, you dial B/N’s number but he doesn’t pick up, in fact, it seems his phone’s off. Strange.
“I think his phone’s off, ace.”
His face falls. In an effort to brighten his mood, you suggest driving over to the playground.
“When is Abel coming back to play?”
You inwardly sigh. It looks like today’ll be one long ass day.
💀💀💀💀💀
The last person you expect to find standing on the other side of your front door is B/N and yet here he is, and he looks anything but pleased with you. Oh, shit. Your heart sinks at the sight of him, the chill of fear coursing through your body, and your mouth dries.
“B/N?”
His unsettling smile causes the hairs on the back of your neck to raise. “Hi, Toots. Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
Your movement’s robot-like as you step away from the door to make way for him. He walks past you, and once inside, his eyes search around the small space.
“Are you home alone?”
You seem to have forgotten how to speak.
“Toots?”
“S/N… He’s, uh… He’s asleep.”
He murmurs a soft ‘good’ before he turns around to pull you into an embrace. For a moment, you stand frozen, your brain seized up and you feel like a foreigner in your own body.
“What’s the matter, Toots? You don’t look too happy to see me. Were you expecting someone else?”
Yes. “No.” Moving one arm at a time, you return B/N’s embrace and do your best to calm your nerves. You’ve done nothing wrong, he’s not going to hurt you, you repeat over and over until he releases you from his hold. “I just wasn’t expecting you to come all this way.”
“It’s only a five-hour flight.”
Why the fuck are you here?
As if he read your mind, he tells you. “I missed you guys so much, I thought I’d surprise you,” with a tight smile, he adds, “You’re not very good at answering my calls.”
“I’m sorry.”
B/N hauls his luggage from the porch and dumps it onto the floor before he makes his way over to the living room. You follow slowly behind him, watching as he settles onto the couch and searches for the television remote.
“C-can I get you anything?”
“Join me,” it’s an order.
You drag your feet over to the couch and take your place next to him. Casually, he slings an arm over your shoulder and forcefully pulls you into his side.
“There. Now you’re close.”
You can’t bring yourself to fake a smile. Too petrified. He presses a kiss to the side of your head and whispers into your ear to relax.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”
He’s told you that lie far too many times in the past.
“Are you enjoying being back in Charming?”
You nod, the words caught in your throat.
“What are you? Mute? Use your fucking words, Toots.”
“It’s good to be back.” Your voice is shaky, barely recognizable. “I missed it here”
His fingers start stroking up and down your upper arm. “Good.”
Your eyes fix on the blank television screen in front of you.
“Is he here? Is he hiding in one of the rooms?”
“Who?”
“Your white trash biker ex!”
You jump up, surprised by him raising his voice so suddenly. “Jax? No! Why would he be here?”
“You lying piece of shit,” he spits out, shoving you away from him, the force sending you to the ground. “I saw his bike parked out front. I’ll ask you again, is he here?”
“No, B/N,” tears fill your eyes, you know exactly what’s to follow but still, you plead, “Don’t do this here. Not now, please, baby.”
“Shut up!” He raises to his feet, towering over you, and kicks at your trembling frame. “No one’s touched you, why the fuck are you crying?”
“I’m sorry.” You swipe the tears from your cheeks. “I’m so sorry, baby. I don’t… I don’t know whose bike that is.”
“Are you cheating on me, you whore?”
Frantically, you shake your head.
“I said use your fucking words.”
You bring a trembling hand to your mouth to muffle your sobs.
“I asked you a question, you dumb bitch!”
“No. No. No.” You crawl over to him, closing the distance between you. “I’d never, baby. Never ever.”
“That doesn’t explain why a bike’s parked outside your house.”
“B/N, please,” you plead softly. “S/N’s asleep, we can do this another–”
The words are lost when he harshly grabs your face and shoves you onto your back. Both hands cover your mouth to muffle your pained cries. He’s vicious, and tonight, he’s out for blood.
“Get up, you–”
Knock, knock, knock! You’ve never been more relieved in your life. B/N shoots you a warning glare, daring you to make a move. A few moments later, the knocks sound again, a little louder this time around.
“Y/N?”
It’s Jax. You are faced with two decisions: do you call for Jax to help you or do you take your deserved punishment?
“Y/N?” he knocks louder. “Are you in there?”
You’re sobbing so much, your body’s trembling. B/N kneels beside you, placing two additional hands over the ones already covering your mouth. His additional weight pushes your head further into the hard ground, causing your head to hurt. It’s sure to leave a bruise. With a final knock, Jax gives up and some moments later, you hear his motorcycle ride off. Once he’s certain Jax’s left, B/N removes his hands.
“Why is he here at this hour?”
“I don’t know.” You gasp when he wraps his hand around your neck and applies pressure, making it difficult for you to breathe. “B/N, please…”
“You’ll regret cheating on me,” he murmurs softly before his hand connects with your cheek in a hard slap.
You have one new voice message at: 3:37am. From: Unknown caller.
Harry’s cheerful yet slurred voice rang through the phone, “Y/n! It’s me! Harry. I just called to tell you I missed you at the listening party today.” He hiccuped lightly before continuing, “I think you were with that guy...” his voice faltered for a moment “What was his name? John? Don? Oh, no, it’s Dom, isn’t it? Mitch s’telling me, it’s Dominic.”
“I hope you had a fun night, although I wish we could’ve talked... ‘miss hearing your voice.” He paused, seeming to ponder over his thoughts.
Harry quickly pepped up. “Oh well, s’ok maybe next time then. I should probably go, m’not sure how much time I got left on this thing. Anyways, I love you princess-“ The message abruptly cut itself off.
“To delete; press 3. To save the message-“
“Message deleted.”
Eight months.
That’s how long it had been since Y/n last heard from Harry. But tonight that record was broken with something as small as just a drunk voicemail.
Harry couldn’t help himself, as soon as he saw Y/n’s familiar figure at his own listening party, he fell back into the infatuation that he spent months attempting to escape from.
He may have had his heart broken, but everyone deserves a second chance... right?
-------
It had been a few days since the voicemail.
Y/n attempted to avoid it. Erase it from her phone. Read his apology text over and over until it got through her head that he didn’t actually mean it.
Whatever she could do to forget, she tried it.
Yet it still was in the back of her mind, it was like an annoying itch that she couldn’t scratch.
His voice reverberated in her head, especially those three little words. The three little words she never thought she’d hear, “I love you.” Even now, as she stared at the apartment ceiling with her boyfriend that lay quietly next to her.
Despite the sound of the small breaths that escaped Dominic’s lips as he remained in a deep sleep, Y/n could only hear Harry’s slurred voice replaying over and over.
She felt restless, tossing and turning most of the night. With an annoyed sigh sat up slightly, her back pressed to the headboard as her head lazily rolled against it. She rubbed the back of her neck before allowing her fingers to slowly graze her skin. She didn’t intend for it to be sensual at first, but she couldn’t deny how pleasurable her soft touch felt against her chest.
And besides, perhaps it could help her fall asleep.
Y/n slowly moved down towards the band of her panties, torturously teasing herself before finally letting her fingers dip under the lace material. But she couldn’t help notice her mind float somewhere else, or perhaps, with somebody else as she tauntingly grazed her heat.
It was him, of course it was him. It was his hands taunting her body. It was his lips roughly tugging at her own and it was his name that teased the tip of her tongue, threatening to escape.
She felt her pulse quicken, dirty fantasies filling her mind as her fingers sped up, dancing in circles around her sweet spot. She covered her mouth with her other hand as she dared not to make a sound and risk waking Dominic up. It didn’t take long before her back began to arch and her head pressed back against the pillow, pleasure quickly sweeping over her body.
“Y/n?” The small murmur was enough to break her from her trance-like state, almost as if a piece of glass shattered right in front of her. With a shallow breath, she sunk down into the sheets, facing the man that slept next to her. “I’m right here baby.” She assured.
The word hesitantly rolled off her tongue. It seemed like everything she said reminded her of Harry. It was overwhelming. She thought Harry was gone for good, that she was finally over him and that he would merely be a distant memory.
And if it wasn’t for that voicemail, maybe he would’ve been just that. A distant memory.
Y/n observed Dominic as he slept. Their relationship; if you can even call it that, was nothing like her last. Although Harry preferred to keep his vulnerability locked away, Y/n always knew he was a romantic at heart. It was one reason she felt so smitten around him, Harry would always make her feel special, like she was the only girl in the world.
Once Y/n could tell Dominic finally fell back into a deep sleep. She softly climbed out of the bed, careful to not rustle the blankets too much to avoid waking him up again.
Although she had her own apartment, she preferred to stay with Dominic. Well, he preferred for her to stay with him. She didn’t understand why, but he seemed to be attached to Y/n’s hip, never wanting to leave her side.
Not that she minded, she enjoyed the company... enjoyed the distraction.
They both decided that Y/n would be better off just moving her belongings to his apartment, saving her the trip of constantly bringing a bag of her stuff every time she stayed the night.
She tiptoed over to the stack of drawers in the corner of the room, quietly rummaging through them to hopefully stumble upon some lavender scent that she used to help her sleep. But instead, she found something else, something a little more meaningful.
At first, she scoffed at the sight of it, thinking the universe was playing one big joke on her. But her gaze soon changed to one of admiration towards the object.
--------
“Definitely not a happily ever after in that one but still, a beautiful piece of writing.” The unfamiliar figure spoke, his tone playful as he made himself at home by taking the free seat across from Y/n.
Y/n’s expression ignited with curiosity as she looked up. The golden glow from the yellow-tinted lights hanging from the ceiling provided a dim cast on the man in front of her, highlighting his features and the low shine of the messy brown curls falling onto his face.
A small smile teased at Y/n’s lips. “Maybe so, but then again I haven’t quite finished it so I can’t really comment on the ending just yet.” She said, folding the edge of the page before closing the book, placing it onto the rustic bar’s table.
“Seen the movie?” He asked with a surprised expression.
She mouthed a small no, a ghost of a smile playing at her lips at the mysterious man’s reaction “But seeing as you seem to believe it doesn’t have a good ending, I may have to keep it aside for a later date.”
He rolled his eyes playfully. “What? You can’t read sad books?”
Y/n pondered his words for a small moment. “Well, I just prefer novels or films with a more... happier ending to them.”
He lightly shook his head with an amused smile as he took a small swig of the drink in front of him, the rings wrapped around his fingers shining brighter than before as they reflected under the lighting, before placing the glass down with a small thud.
“Don’t you think that’s unrealistic though? Isn’t life meant to have its trials and tribulations.”
Y/n shrugged lightly, “Yes, life is supposed to have its difficulties but this-“ Picking up the book, She lightly waved it around in her hands before passing it to the still no-named figure.
“This is a story, a simple means to escape those supposed ‘trials and tribulations’ as you so call them.” She mocked in a failed attempt to match his accent.
“Don’t you find that boring though, the same story over and over again, no surprises, no suspense?”
She sighed, “In a perfect world there would be no suspense, not a single problem or worried thought.”
“In a perfect world yes, but that, we aren’t love.” He states with conviction.
Y/n scoffed, shaking her head playfully. “You sure are the life of the party aren’t you.” She admired quietly and watched as he flipped mindlessly through the pages of her book, her gaze falling on the loose curl that fell from his disheveled hair as she fought the feeling to push it back into place.
He quickly closed the book, causing Y/n to break from her sudden daze “I’m just realistic. And these little happily ever afters you desire are far from it.”
She coughed lightly, regaining her composure. “Well, I definitely wouldn’t want to be with someone like you.” Y/n’s quick response caused his eyebrows to raise in surprise, almost as if he was hurt by the passing comment.
“You know, glass half empty and all.” She added just as fast, attempting to recover from her less than favorable quip.
Luckily for Y/n, he took it as a challenge.
“Well personally, I like to think I’m quite the romantic myself. In fact, I’m probably far better than the saps you read about.” He remarked.
“I’m sure you are.” A small chuckle escaped her lips at the sound of his frivolous tone.
“I am so, and I’ll even prove it to you.” He grinned, already confident.
Her eyes glimmered with excitement as she took ahold of her own drink that had been sitting at the edge of the booth “As intriguing as that is, I don’t even know your name.”
His lip quirked up into a small smirk, his gaze falling onto the plastic rose placed in the middle of their table, it was practically falling out of the tiny box it reside in, and whilst it was used for the decor of the bar, he decided to use it to his advantage.
“Harry.” He said simply, before offering the flimsy flower to Y/n.
“Y/n.” She responded with a laugh, accepting the rose. “Well go on then, give it your best shot.”
--------
A ghost of a smile teased her lips as her fingers traced the detailing of the hard-covered book. She told herself she would throw this away ages ago, along with other small objects that reminded her of Harry, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. It meant too much to her.
She took the book in her hands, flipping through the slightly damaged pages as she reminisced.
But her reminiscing was soon cut short as she felt a pair of heavy hands grip her waist from behind, her body erupting in goosebumps while a low voice spoke close to her ear. “What are you doing up this late?”
Her body quickly froze at the sudden weight pressed up against her. As realization struck, the quick rush of shock left her system. She placed on top of the set of drawers “I couldn’t sleep, sorry if I woke you.” She spoke, her voice was seemingly fragile.
“Late night reading hm? What is it this time, those little romance books you love to read?” He hummed teasingly. “Or maybe it’s a little dirtier than the average love story, I always knew you were a little minx.”
“You caught me.” She said breathlessly. Her eyes fluttered closed as he peppered wet kisses across her exposed shoulder, all the way up to her neck while softly tugging at the tortured skin as soft little moans escaped her.
He let out a taunting chuckle. “You should’ve told me how badly you needed to get off, you know I’m always happy to help.” He turned her around, gently pinning her against the wall whilst allowing his other hand to teasingly graze against her body.
She didn’t notice it at first; she was doing it again. Thinking of him, thinking of Harry when she should be fantasizing about the man right in front of her.
And with each demanding kiss that reached her lips, a wave of pleasure coursed through her. But with that, another wave of guilt, as if they both came hand in hand with one another.
It was a whirlwind of lust and shame. How could she let Harry get to her head like this? And more importantly why is she feeling this way in the first place? Y/n was confident that she was over him, especially after she found Dominic, he was the reason she was able to move on.
He made her realize Harry’s true intentions; she was only a doll to Harry. Someone to use for their own needs only to throw them away when they’re done.
So then why is she so unsure about it all now?
“St-stop.” She mumbled against his lips. Her hands gently pressed against his chest, a light push disconnecting the two.
“Please.” Y/n’s voice faltered as she silently wept. She attempted to keep her emotions at bay the past few days, but it appeared it all finally caught up with her. Even Dominic could sense it. After receiving Harry’s voicemail she seemed exhausted, not physically of course, but mentally.
His eyes scanned her features with confusion. “Y/n what’s wrong?” He asked with shallow breaths. She didn’t have to tell him, he already knew. The minute he saw the two of them reunited, Y/n hadn’t been the same.
He sighed disappointingly “This is about him...Isn’t it?” He accused as he began to feel his frustration build, and the deafening silence from Y/n only confirmed his suspicions.
His hands tightened around her waist. “Y/n do you not remember what he did to you?” He scoffed, his voice laced with pure amazement at her foolishness. “I mean- didn’t I already tell you how bad of a person he is?” His harsh words were like a slap across the face to Y/n, not understanding how far he was willing to go to keep her as his own little toy.
He took a deep breath, attempting to compose himself. “He only wanted you for sex Y/n. He doesn’t love you, he never will and I can bet money that he did the same thing to a hundred other girls.” He said calmly, almost as if he thought his words were comforting.
Y/n shook her head gently, her eyes welling up as she tried to not let him get to her head. Harry was a good man, and she knew that. He just made one bad choice, one that almost shattered her heart.
But everyone deserves a second chance... right?
“And what exactly do you want from me, Dominic?” Y/n uttered pathetically as she attempted to muster any confidence she had left in her. She scoffed with spite that covered her sad features. “I mean let’s be real here, I don’t even think we’ve actually been on a real date.”
It was true; they hadn’t. He would always say it was because he was unconventional when it came to dating and love. But even Y/n knew it was just a cover, Dominic never wanted anything serious with Y/n... Or any girl, for that matter.
His frustration evidently returned to his features “What? Do you want us to have candlelit dinners and have me shower you with flowers every night?” He argued.
“Well it’s certainly better than whatever this-” She gestures between the both of them “Is.”
That was the last straw for him, he knew he was losing her and yet instead of attempting to calm her down and get her on his side once again; he preferred to attack her where it hurt most.
“Look. I don’t know what sort of fairytale you were living in when you were with Harry, but you’re in the real world now, I’m doing the best I can.”
“And you’re not exactly making it easy for me.”
“Well, if that’s how you feel, allow me to make it easy for you.” It was only then when the tears that remained still in her glassy eyes escaped, falling down onto her cheek as she gently pushed him out of the hold he had on her, remembering to take the book she had left on the shelf behind her.
He watched her curiously as she began packing her belongings that were scattered around his apartment bedroom.
This wasn’t what Dominic wanted, he just needed her to realize that he was better than Harry. But it wasn’t because he loved her, no it was far from that. It was simply because Y/n was a possession; she was his and only his.
Y/n packed the last of her clothing in a duffle bag before moving towards the kitchen. “Wait- Y/n.” He hastily trailed behind her. “Please, don’t go, I’m sorry.”
His voice seemed faint to Y/n’s ears, almost as if her whole body was working to shut him out. “Look didn’t mean it, I just- I’m so frustrated.” He remarked, seemingly with remorse laced in his tone.
“Ignore him. Ignore him. Ignore him.” She chanted to herself in her head.
He eventually caught up to her. His hand wrapped around her wrist, pulling her back from the door. “Just please... don’t leave me alone.”
Her gaze found his, and although it sounded like he felt guilty, his eyes told a different story. There wasn’t an ounce of love or the least bit of regret that she could find.
It was just desperation.
She wriggled her arm out of his tight hold. “I’m sorry, I just... I need some air. I’ll call you tomorrow.” She quickly averted his gaze before making her way out the door, shutting it behind her with an exhausted huff.
--------
Soft water droplets hit against the car window as Y/n drove away from Dominic’s apartment. Her clouded gaze focused on the road in front of her as her hands tightly gripped the steering wheel.
She wasn’t sure where she was going. A part of her itched to leave, leave this town behind and start somewhere new.
Y/n couldn’t help the ghost of a smile that played at her lips. She knew it was unrealistic... and mostly dramatic, but it wasn’t exactly impossible. What was there to stop her?
As she reached a red light, the flimsy ring that wrapped around her finger caught her eye as it glowed underneath the reflection of the bright lights that cast through her car. She sighed, deciding to turn on the radio to comfort her rather than basking in the deafening silence.
Her ears quickly pricked up at the familiar voice that played through the radio as a wave of goosebumps filtered across her skin.
She read the small display on her radio, Now playing: Cherry by Harry Styles.
Y/n stared at her car radio for a few moments, purely dumbfounded as she let the song resound through her car. “Hilarious.” She remarked at the universe with spite.
She didn’t attempt to turn it off. It was as if something was keeping her from doing so. Maybe it was her own mind, hoping that the song would confirm how destructive of a person Harry truly was, and in doing so removing any remnant feelings that remained in her heart for him.
Or perhaps it was the opposite.
Perhaps she secretly wished for Harry to give her a glimmer of hope, a hidden message that he still yearned for her as she does for him.
And with that, she let the song ring out into the car, letting the harmonious sounds envelop her all the way until the very end.
It was only then, when she found exactly what she was looking for.
Hope.
--------
This was a bad idea.
An incredibly bad idea.
Y/n knew that.
She still had the chance to turn around, so why didn’t she?
Here Y/n was pacing up and down the front of Harry’s apartment contemplating what seemed to be the unthinkable in her eyes.
“He could be out of town, oh god please be out of town and save me the embarrassment.” She muttered to herself, her frustration and levels of doubt only building with every second that passed.
She stopped in her tracks, her hand landing on the cold door handle. “I can do this.” She chanted, taking a deep breath before feeling her fingers fall from the object. “I can’t do this.” She groaned.
She wanted so much to turn around and never look back, maybe even forget that she ever even attempted to do this in the first place. But she couldn’t ignore how she felt, how her body was reacting at the possibility that she could see Harry again.
Her fingertips itched for her to knock on the door. Her eyes squeezed shut as she fought the tears that threatened to cloud her vision. With that, she gave in to the overwhelming feeling. She reached up, knocking on the door with a soft thump as her heart wildly drummed against her chest. “it’s now or never Harry.”
A few moments passed, her mind already raced with worried thoughts and regret. “Turn around Y/n. Go home, this was a bad idea.” Just as she was about to turn back around, she heard it. The faintest click. Her heart dropped.
The door had been unlocked.
It was as if time stopped. The rest of the world quickly fading around her as she caught a glimpse of him.
She admired his disheveled state, no matter how much she still resented him, she couldn’t deny the attraction she had towards him. His soft features making her believe that he is still the same man he was when they were ‘together’. But it’s those features that allowed him to get whatever he wanted in life, Y/n figured that out the hard way.
Harry’s confused gaze fell on Y/n’s familiar figure. His eyes transfixed on hers, unable to speak as an overwhelming wave of memories flood his mind.
“Y/n?” Harry was speechless at the sight of her. He couldn’t believe that she was standing right in front of her. So much so, a part of him believed he might be hallucinating. “What-“
Y/n quickly cut him off, urgency clear in her voice “Did you mean it?” She questioned anxiously.
Harry scanned her features with disbelief. “What are you talking about?” He asked uncertainly, almost hurt by her accusing tone.
“The voicemail Harry.”
He groaned, hiding his embarrassment by averting his eyes. “You know how sorry I am for that, I was drunk if it wasn’t obvious already.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “So you didn’t mean any of it? At all?”
“I don’t understand-“
Y/n felt like she was hitting her head against a brick wall, not only was she stumbling over her words, unable to convey what she wanted Harry to tell her, but she knew he wasn't someone who showed their true feelings when asked, it had to come naturally. “Just tell me the truth, please, I need to hear it.”
“What do you want me to say Y/n.” His voice was low but remained soft. Although he still wasn’t sure of her intentions, he found himself more curious than anything.
No matter how much Harry denied it, a part of him knew that there were and still are feelings that are locked away for her. He just never dared to face it.
It was a constant conflict in his life. When he loved, he loved deeply. He was a romantic and Y/n knew that very well. But there was always constant doubt in his mind that Y/n didn’t understand. He feared losing the thing that he would spend so long trying to fall in love with and adore.
So instead, he tried to avoid it completely
But Y/n was the opposite, a hopeless romantic they call it, she was never afraid to share her feelings. But the trait was destructive, she wore her heart on her sleeve which caused her to be impulsive, and this was definitely one of those times.
“...Please Harry.”
He shook his head in an attempt to gather and process his erratic thoughts. “I just don’t get it love, I thought you moved on already.”
“This isn’t about him okay just please, tell me I’m not crazy, tell me you still care.” She pleaded with desperation that gleamed in her eyes.
He refused to let his guard down, refused to allow himself to fall back into another trap that ended in him with a broken heart... again. “And then what? M’not trying to be a prick, but you have a partner already.”
She pitifully rolled her eyes. “Oh please Harry, you and I both know he isn’t the type to settle, he was eyeing off at least three other girls at that listening party of yours.”
Harry felt his jaw clench at her words. His first instinct was to scold Y/n at her choice of partner. But he couldn’t. Both of them weren’t anything more than acquaintances at this point. “So then why bother if you already knew it was a waste of time.”
He knew that he couldn’t stop Y/n from getting with other people, but he also couldn’t resist the touch jealousy that ran through his body at the thought of Y/n being with another man, especially one that seemingly doesn’t even cherish her the way he had.
Y/n’s gaze averted Harry’s as she pondered his question for a small moment “I guess... I needed a distraction.” Her hurt eyes met with his, “From you.”
She let out a small scoff. It was as if she was opening Pandora’s box. All these unsaid thoughts and ignored feelings were hitting both of them all at once. “I mean for god sakes Harry, can you blame me? You hurt me.”
“But you were the one that left me Y/n.” He snapped, his voice raised slightly but he wasn’t angry. Harry had the ability to keep his composure no matter how stressful situations managed to become.
Her eyes instantly perked up at the accusation. “What?” After a small moment, she realized what Harry was talking about.
The night where everything ended.
Her expression quickly changed into one of resentment “I only left because you were an asshole, I mean I actually told you that I-” She caught herself mid-sentence, not allowing the rest of her words to fall from her lips.
But although the words weren’t said, Harry still managed to connect the dots.
“And then all of a sudden, you’re able to say it back. Through a drunk voicemail of all things.” She shook her head, her eyes averting from his, unable to meet his gaze anymore.
Her heart beat ten times faster than before as she thought about how crazy she must be to even begin to think what she was doing was even remotely a good idea. She should’ve just left it alone and not involved herself with the trouble that came with Harry, but she couldn’t help it, it was like a magnetic pull that kept bringing her back to him.
She inhaled a nervous breath. “I don’t know what it is about you Harry, no amount of distractions have been able to keep my mind from thinking about you. It’s like you still have this hold on me that I can’t explain.”
“Tell me what you want from me Y/n.” Harry didn’t want to fight with her, neither did he want to see her upset.
He was trying. Trying to reach out to Y/n in a way that felt safe enough for him. He knew what she wanted, he secretly wanted it to, he always has. He just didn’t exactly know how to express it.
“I already did.” She murmured quietly.
“No, you told me how you felt. Now tell me what you want.” He coaxed calmly.
Y/n took a small and hesitant breath to control her racing heart. “I just want you, Harry, that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
She hated feeling as pathetic as she did. She felt like she was begging for his affection. Whilst Harry was in his own head, worrying if he even deserved Y/n’s affection in the first place or whether she deserved someone better. Someone that could shower her with the same amount of love Y/n would for him.
He sighed thoughtfully, admiring the pitiful girl in front of her for a few moments before moving over to the side of the doorway. “You should probably get inside y’know, wouldn’t want you to get a cold or something.”
He held the door open for her before nodding his head, gesturing for her to move into the apartment. A sad smile played at her lips as she heard the familiar and comforting sound of Harry’s usual amused tone. “Silly girl.” He mumbled quietly as she walked through the door, but just loud enough for Y/n to hear it.
Although tonight hadn’t been exactly the way that Y/n had pictured it, it was something. It was a small step in the right direction and she was grateful for it.
They spent the rest of the night just talking, catching up on everything they’ve missed for the last eight months without each other. Harry went on an endless rant about his many adventures in Japan whilst Y/n skimmed on the finer details of her ‘relationship’ with Dominic and chose to dive into the topic of her career instead.
“Enough about all that boring stuff though, can we talk about Fine Line please?” She teased.
Harry groaned, throwing his head back with embarrassment, as he pushed himself further into the couch in an attempt to hide from Y/n’s taunts. “I’d rather we didn’t.”
She chuckled with a mischievous glint in her eye. “Fine, fine, another day then. But I am going to need an explanation for Cherry.”
“Of course you do.” Harry mused, lightly shaking his head with a boyish smile. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, purely dumbfounded by the events that unfolded tonight. He turned his head, looking back at her. “Hey Y/n?” He questioned.
She simply hummed, waiting for him to continue.
“I don’t suppose you want to stay the night? I mean S’pretty late, wouldn’t feel good about you driving at this time anyways.”
Y/n gasped sarcastically. “Are you implying that I’m a bad driver?”
“Course not, just want you to be safe s’all.” He murmured.
Y/n smiled softly at his concern. “Only if I’m not intruding.” She answered, her fingers twirling a loose curl that had fallen in front of Harry’s tired face.
It felt peaceful, comforting, as the both of them sat there silently simply just appreciating each other’s company for a few, small moments. They needed those moments; it was a way for both of them to let their guard down and allow themselves to trust one another again.
Harry was the first to break the pleasant silence. “I assume you brought a bag with you? Not that it matters, if you need, you can dig through my clothes m’sure you’ll find something you could use.”
Y/n nodded. “Yeah, it’s just in the car I can go grab it.”
Harry quickly piped up before Y/n was able to move even an inch from her seat. “Not to worry princess, you get comfortable I’ll go instead.” He lightly tapped her thigh before pushing himself off the couch.
“Harry wait-“ She called out. Her hand managed to interlock with his fast enough before he could walk away. He looked back, watching curiously as Y/n also stood up from the couch.
“What’s wrong?” Harry asked, his features instantly filled with concern. His hand fell from hers but instead, was protectively wrapped around her waist. The rings around his fingers slightly dug into her skin, the cold metal seeped through the thin material of her shirt causing a wave of goosebumps to wash over her. He gently used his other hand to grasp her chin between his fingers, lifting her head just enough for her gaze to meet his. “Y/n?” He began to worry at the sight of her glassy eyes.
“Don’t go just yet.” Y/n pleaded quietly. Her hands nervously toying with the hem of his shirt. “Please.” Her arms gently wrapped around the back of his neck as she pulled him closer towards her. Her lips brushed against his, “Can I... can I kiss you?”
No matter how much she wanted to give into the urge to kiss him right then and there, Y/n held consent at such a high regard, as did Harry. He always wanted Y/n to feel comfortable and most importantly, safe. He playfully tilted his head with a teasing grin “Of course y’can princess.”
The feeling of hesitation no longer reside in either of them and with one swift movement, Harry’s lips firmly pressed against hers. It only took a small moment before the both of them began to move in perfect sync. Although It was only a kiss, it seemed to make every thought that worried Y/n’s head dissipate as Harry reassuringly ran his fingers up and down her back. The kiss itself was slow, soft but comforting in ways that words would never be.
Y/n noticed a new sense of lust overpower her senses. She continued, kissing him more hungrily as time passed, and even Harry noticed her newfound pushiness as she roughly deepened the kiss which caused a gruff and low groan to escape from the back of his throat.
She breathlessly pulled away from him, bringing him back towards the couch and disconnecting the kiss as she gently pushed him down on the seat. She couldn’t help herself as she flung her leg over his lap to straddle him. He raised a taunting brow “Quite a needy little thing aren’t you?” He quipped, watching as her arms wrapped around his shoulder, resting on the back of his neck.
Her fingers interlaced with a short strand of his hair, twirling it around as she attempted to taunt him. Her innocent eyes failed to leave his as his concentration remained fixated on her plump lips. “Only for you, baby.” She leaned in, reconnecting their kiss. It was filled with more urgency than the last. The familiar taste of peppermint lingering as he moved his lips roughly against hers.
The rough feeling of denim grazed her legs as she grinded her hips into his. Her hands remained entangled in his hair while she tugged on the loose strands, earning a low yet encouraging groan to escape from Harry.
She felt his hands travel across her collarbone, tracing the material of her blouse before toying with the buttons that kept her precious body hidden away from him. Y/n felt the material fall from her shoulders, leaving her exposed and vulnerable to Harry. She pulled away from him as the cold air hit her chest. “We can’t do this here.” She murmured almost breathlessly, biting her lip to suppress the moan that threatened to fall as he planted gentle kisses along her neck, softly nipping at the delicate skin.
“As you wish princess.” He said tauntingly. Y/n could practically feel his smile against her body as his arms roughly gripped her lower back, pulling her up from the seat whilst her legs remained wrapped around his waist.
Y/n was in a fit of giggles as he carried her to his bedroom, mainly because he still managed to pepper kisses across her chest. “I swear to god Styles, if you drop me-“ He shushed her, continuing his torturous yet pleasurable assault on her body before gently placing her down on the bed. “That wasn’t so bad now was it?” He tutted playfully as he made his way to the other side of the bed, his body pressing against hers. “And all that complaining for nothing.”
Y/n hummed thoughtfully. “Are you going to punish me now, baby?” She asked with a sweet smile, wrapping her hands around the back of his neck as she pulled him closer towards her, their faces only inches apart from each other.
“Are y’sure you want to do this? He murmured lowly which earned an excited nod from Y/n.
“Gonna have t’use your words princess. Wanna hear you say it.” He hovered over her body, pressing featherlight kisses down her chest, all the way to her stomach while he teased traced the band of her jeans.
His dominating tone definitely had its way with Y/n. It was difficult not to resist him as the words sat on the tip of her tongue, waiting to escape. “...Please Harry, I want you.”
Harry let out a low chuckle at her pleading. “If I’d have known you were this desperate for me, I would’ve drunk called you a long time ago.”
--------
They both were messily wrapped up in a mountain of clean sheets. Harry leaned against the cotton headboard whilst Y/n remained on his lap. His hands delicately toyed with hers, his gaze thoughtfully looked over the ring that reside on her index finger. “You kept this?” He gestured towards the small object.
But it wasn’t just any old ring, it had the detailing of a rose whilst the rest of the band was covered in small diamonds. The small and dainty rose happened to be the same shade of red as the one Harry had offered Y/n on the day they met.
She hummed approvingly before her eyes lit up in excitement. A teasing smile played at her lips, “I also kept...” She gleefully jumped off the bed, grabbing something from her bag.
“This.” Harry curiously eyed the possession in her hands as she jumped back onto the bed, flinging her legs over Harry’s body, straddling him before she revealed the object. Harry’s features instantly ignited at the realization of what it was.
It was their book.
Harry immediately flicked through the fragile pages, skimming over the words with reminiscence evident in his eyes. But there was something different he noticed about it. Tiny little annotations were done with red ink across certain sentences and significant quotes were highlighted in different colours.
“I was going to give it to you before we...” Her voice trailed off, causing Harry’s chest to ache with guilt. “It was supposed to be as if you were reading it along with me, see?” She explained sheepishly.
Her heart rate quickened as doubts floated through her mind. “I know it’s silly.”
He flicked through all the way to the end of the book, noticing the red ink fly through each of the pages. “You wrote all this for me?” He asked with complete amazement in his tone.
“Maybe... but I understand if it’s too much you don’t have to read it-“ Y/n’s words were interrupted by a small and chaste kiss. “I love it, thank you princess.” He murmured softly. A faint blush ran across Y/n’s face. She could practically feel the low vibration of his voice as his lips hovered below hers.
Harry playfully shook his head, pulling away from her and instead returned to the book with a teasing smile. “Do you mind if I keep it for a bit?” He asked, noticing the nerves that fluttered through Y/n. She mumbled a small ‘I don’t mind’ before Harry closed the book and placed it on the bedside table.
“So, that means you did end up reading the whole story.” He quipped. She laughed lightly, falling back onto her side of the bed. The sound of her laughs were music to Harry’s ears, almost as if it were angelic. It was something he missed most about her.
“Every last page.” Y/n said approvingly. She reached towards the switch, turning off the lights as they sorted themselves for bed.
Y/n was the small spoon, of course.
The deafening silence filled the room. You could almost hear their racing heartbeats as they comfortingly lay in each other’s arms. “Hey Y/n.” He murmured, his voice evidently laced with exhaustion.
She didn’t bother opening her eyes, “Yes baby?” She asked curiously. A boyish smile teased his lips. Another thing he missed whilst Y/n wasn’t around. The pet names.
He couldn’t describe the emotions he was feeling. It was as if he never felt this way before about anyone or anything and frankly; it scared him. It was the same way he felt before Y/n had left him those many months ago.
But this time he swore he would not let his fears get to him. He knew this was right where he needed to be.
People always talk as of waiting until the right or perfect moment to express their affection, but Harry came to realize that the right moment doesn’t exist.
It was now or never.
He planted a small kiss on the back of her head. A hesitant sigh escaped from him as he attempted to push away his unease, giving into his vulnerability.
Summary: He’s more than happy to reteach you good habits and remind you that there should only be one man, one person on your mind when you’re reunited.
Requested by Anon
Part 1
The two of you date and it’s the best two years of your life as you spend the second and third year of high school together. Akaashi is the best boyfriend you can ask for. He always listens to you without judgement. He’s always thinking of you, proven by the way he’s always making sure you haven’t forgotten your lunch when he picks you up from home before walking you to school, proven by the way he sends you texts making sure you’re safe when a game or practice keeps him from walking you home. Really, you couldn’t ask for anything more in a boyfriend and you spend many quiet evenings and days with him, curled up in his lap, steaming mugs of tea besides the both of you, books in both of your hands. Somehow over your time together, he’d passed his love of reading on to you.
You’re so enthralled with the beautiful boy you can call your own that you miss some things. You don’t notice how you seem to stop getting messages from your friends, never questioning why Akaashi always seems to have your phone when you lose it. You gloss over the fact that the stuff inside your locker always seems to be shuffled around, as if someone had been rummaging around in it. You miss the strangeness of how the only person in your life now is Akaashi. It just feels right. The only person you need is Akaashi. He’s the only who really knows you, who truly cares for you.
But even Akaashi for all his quiet intellect and cunning can’t do much when your parents suddenly decide to move, taking you with them. The promise of a better salary and a higher quality of life has your father packing up all your things and Akaashi stands there with his nails digging into the palms of his hands as he watches your car drive away.
Akaashi desperately tries to work the same spells he worked on you when you were physically with him, but manipulation just doesn’t work the same way with typed words and electronic devices. Texts and emails don’t hold the same weight as his voice murmuring in your ear and you can feel a fog lifting from your mind. You begin to wonder exactly what you saw in Akaashi other than a pretty face and a nice personality. You begin to wonder why you were so infatuated with him. And Akaashi’s facade finally cracks when you call him to officially end things.
It’s not over. It’s far from over. He can feel his dark attraction for you twisting even more, fueled by anger, fueled by betrayal, fueled by rejection. There’s a malicious tinge bleeding into his feelings for you and he vows to never let you go again when he has you back in his arms. But he waits. Akaashi’s always been an exceptional strategist, an avid observer. He’ll take his time to watch and plan. He has an entire life left with you. What’s a few years compared to that?
He’s grateful that he had managed to bite his tongue when you had broken up with him and been as amicable as he could be. You’d told him you would still love to be friends. Empty words considering he hasn’t heard a word from you since that day, but it does mean he still has access to all your social media accounts and he uses that to his advantage. He studies your feeds every day taking mental notes of where you hang out, who you talk to, what you’re studying. He grimaces in disgust when he flips through picture after picture of you getting drunk with other men and going through multiple boyfriends like a whore. College has really changed you, but it doesn’t matter. He’s more than happy to reteach you good habits and remind you that there should only be one man, one person on your mind when you’re reunited.
You live your life, enjoying college the way any person your age deserved to and you graduate, ignorant to the way blue eyes follow your every move. Your new job keeps you busy as you learn to navigate a career for the first time. Maybe if you weren’t so busy intently flipping through emails on your phone as you commute you would have noticed a familiar figure standing on the opposite side of the subway car. Maybe if you weren’t so busy going through your mental grocery list as you peruse the vegetables aisle, you would have felt glasses framed eyes staring at you from the fruits section. Maybe if you weren’t so busy making new friends and hanging out with your coworkers at happy hours, you would have seen a pretty face scowling at you as you laugh with the cute guy who started on the same day as you. But you don’t notice a single thing and Akaashi fondly smiles at how naive you still are. It’s nice to see that some things never change.
You’re walking home one night, the glass of wine you had with friends adding a little pep to your step as you semi-skip down the block, but you yelp when you crash into something as you turn the corner. You open your mouth to apologize, but you freeze at the sight of Akaashi’s face gently smiling down at you. He looks different, older, but you think time has suited him well. Even the glasses he wears can’t hide the fact that what was once a pretty face has morphed into something stronger, more handsome and you flush when you take a moment to observe how much broader he is. So different from the boy you had known in high school and yet, there’s something about his smile, his stance that elicits an old familiar feeling inside of you. A feeling that has you inviting him back to your home with you to catch up and reminisce on old times.
It’s shockingly easy to fall back into a comfortable rhythm with Akaashi. You know you should feel a little strange, a little awkward, a little guilty about being so friendly with an ex you had broken up with and then proceeded to never reach out to after giving a whole speech about still wanting to be friends. But you’re beginning to remember why Akaashi had been your entire world at one point. Even now, he just seems to know exactly what to say, exactly what you want to hear, exactly how you’re feeling. It’s strange just how well he seems to still know everything about you despite the years apart, but you just chalk it up to the chemistry the two of you have always had. The evening flies by and when he gets up to finally leave, he turns and asks if you’d like to keep on hanging out and you find yourself eagerly agreeing.
Akaashi becomes your closest friend and the one you spill your heart out to as you rebuild your friendship. Just being around him seems to put your soul completely at ease. Maybe too at ease. You’re so lulled by the soft smiles, tender touches, and sweet words that you miss the hidden threads of deception laced in between.
“Hmm, are you sure about the guy you went on a date with last night? He doesn’t sound all that interesting. He just seems like a nice guy. Do you want to date someone who’s nice with nothing else going for him?”
He was pretty boring now that Akaashi mentioned it…
“Is she really your friend if she keeps on asking you for favors, but doesn’t reciprocate you when you need help with something?”
You try to defend your friend. Of course she cares! She’s just busy with a husband, kids, a new job...Right?
Self-doubt and insecurity creeps through you like a virus, silent, unknown to you until it’s too late and you find yourself deleting the dating apps from your phone, turning down invites to hangout with your friends. Your nights, weekends, and any second you have outside of work is spent with Akaashi, the only person who genuinely seems to understand you, so when he asks you to give him another chance as your boyfriend, it only seems right to say yes.
Your new relationship is different from the teenage romance you had together back in high school. It’s more intimate, more fulfilling. The bond of a man and a woman coming together. The feeling of two soulmates finally joining. You’re head over heels for the man besides you and you laugh at what a fool you were for letting him slip through your fingers before, glad that fate had reconnected you.
If anyone asked you why you decided to move in with your boyfriend and why you quit your job, you wouldn’t be able to give a clear answer. You’d always loved the independence you had of living by yourself and the pride you got from being a successful working woman. But when Akaashi had hinted about how nice it would be to live together when the two of you lay in bed at night and when you woke up to pleasantly find him still in your apartment, making tea and breakfast for the two of you, you couldn’t help but agree. When you had to reluctantly tell Akaashi you were too busy with work to hang out, he’d tease you about being a workaholic and joke about how he wishes you didn’t work so you could be with him all the time while he worked from home as an editor. It’s a joke, but that does sound nice…
Things just make perfect sense when Akaashi’s involved, so when he gets down on one knee and holds the ring you didn’t even know was your dream ring until he revealed it, it just makes sense to say yes.
Summary: Sweet Pea and Y/n have a dirty secret that can lead to trouble.
Paring: Sweet Pea X Reader
Warning: NSFW, MA, smutttt like alottt, light BDSM
Word count: 5k
A/N: Okay so this was a request from a long time ago and i like how it started so I want to make a second part to it! Hope yall like it!
-Present time-
“ We need to talk!” Cheryl grabbed my arm, pulling me into the nearest empty classroom. I flinched as she pressed on the fresh bruise. Her eyes widened, “ Take the jacket off!”
I sneered, “ Damn, Cheryl— don’t think Toni would like that.” She glared at me and I caved in. That's it. Our secret will be brought out by Ms. Cheryl blossom. I told Sweet Pea, not to leave a noticeable mark. But of course, this is Sweat Pea I’m talking about. Shit. I annoyingly took my serpent coat off and Cheryl’s eyes widened and a small gasp left the poor girl.
Now how the hell do I tell her that the serpent that is the most trouble in the gang is secretly fucking me behind everyone’s back.
“ Jesus! Y/n What the actual—”
“ I can explain.” I rush over to her to coax her from making a big fuss. She was furious. I mean she’s the biggest feminist I know beside Betty and Veronica.
“ Did the ghoulies do this to you! WHO DID THIS! IS THIS THE BOY—” I clamped my hand over her loud ass mouth.
“Shhh!” She mumbled under my mouth and rolled her eyes crossing her arms.
“ No one beat me up! It’s this boy—”
“Is he hurting you because I can send some serpents, his way!” She practically stomped, her frown very visible. I sheepishly remembered every single bruise and mark and how they were made.
“ It’s...a sex...thing” I mumbled avoiding her glare, she clearly couldn’t hear me.
“Huh?” Her arms crossed and an annoyed face pressuring me to spill my truth.
“ God dammit Cheryl I’m having kinky sex..” I whisper-shouted, a blush invading me as I heard myself admit it.
She looked like she was about to faint. “ That-” she pointed wide-eyed, I nodded, pulling the coat over my bruised arms. She turned around, rubbing her temples.
“ With who? And what the hell is wrong with you! It looks so-” I cocked my eyebrow at her
“Painful?”
“ YES!” She exclaimed concerned, I giggled softly.
“ Don’t kink shame me Cheryl Blossom because I know damn well you and Toni go all 50 shades of gray.” She blushed but was ready to counterattack like always.
“ But I don’t bruise her— visibly!” She pointed out again, I sighed and hugged her.
“ Look, I know you’re concerned… but I’m fine... We have a safeword and it's fun!” I reassured her as she hugged back.
“ Okay… I trust you! But I don’t know about him. Who is he?” She asked, furrowing her eyebrows at me. I smirked at her.
“ That’s a secret I’ll never tell..” I giggled and ran out the classroom, but not before hearing her classic groan of annoyance.
-48 hours before-
Saturday. It was finally here! Your phone rang, waking you up from your deep slumber.
“Fuckkk…” I groaned, half asleep as I blindly looked for my annoying phone.” Hello.”
“Hey.” My stomach flipped and my eyes shot open. Sweet Pea.
“ Hey.” I smiled softly as his voice gave me the energy and brightness enough for the day. Then I realized, today is our ‘appointment’.
“ Just decided to call you and let you know I’m excited for today.” The smirk in his voice is practically oozing. I rolled my eyes playfully.
“ Oh really? What is so special today?” I acted coy with a hint of playfulness, his demeanor fell as his voice cracked.
“ Don’t play with me y/n.” He hissed softly into the phone, it sent a shock straight to my core. I bit my lip.
“ Sorry Pea...I can’t meet with you today. I have another meeting with someone else tonight.” I teased, laying back into my pillows like a cliche teenage girl in a teen-drama movie.
He groaned, clearly angry, “ Who the fuck….— In a minute Fangs! I swear to god y/n if your fucking someone else.”
“ Yeah I am….and he takes very good care of me… he’s my daddy..” I edged him even more, the game suddenly starting now. The small sigh and chuckle that he released gave my heart a kick. He was jealous.
“ He sure does huh?” He teased his voice suddenly deeper and lower. “ I have a surprise for you tonight. More like a gift.” Then the background noise became more noticeable.
“ Oh really?” I questioned—suddenly curious, he then changed the subject signaling Fangs and the others were around.
“ Yes, Doug, 6:00pm I know! You and your stupid stash. See you then.” Sweet Pea gloated with laughs of the boys echoing through,” You better pay up a little more than last time.” The last part was definitely for me. Then he hung up.
I squealed in excitement as I tossed and turned in bed. It sucked being friends with benefits, in secret may I add. It’s extremely hard and exhausting, but we knew that. We both found that in sex we weren’t getting what we wanted. We weren’t fulfilled. So on a drunk night as we were the last up in the trailer as everyone else was passed out drunk. We played a stupid game.
Flashback
“ Never have I ever faked an orgasm.” Sweet Pea slurred, laughing at nothing, barely able to sit still.
“ Shhh! Be quiet! Umm… Yes I have!” I stifled a giggle as my finger fell from the rest that were propped up.
“Ohh I want to know!” He teased taking another swing of his beer. I pretended to zip my mouth and throw the key making us laugh.
“ My turn, Never have I ever wanted to try something new in bed.” I giggled like a 13 year old as I slurred it out. Pea shrugged and put his finger down. I exaggerated a gasp pointing at his finger.
“ Sweet Pea is kinky!” I laughed but shushed myself.(Very drunk may I add) “ Me too!” I exclaimed. And we both fell silent as we both stared at our 3 fingers remaining up.
“Never Have I ever wanted to be tied up during sex.” His voice serious and dark. And I was suddenly quiet. 2 fingers were left.
“ Never have I ever wanted her to call me daddy.” I sighed out, praying for him to drop a finger. If not then that would be embarrassing. But his finger fell.
“Never Have I ever wanted to be choked.” His signature smirk came out as he realized his power over me now. I was left with one finger. I gulped.
“ Never Have I ever wanted to fuck my bestfriend.” I croaked out, both of our expressions falling. His finger fell. “ We’re tied.” I sighed as I stared at his lips. He gulped and put his hand down, ending the game. Our eyes say everything. We wanted this….bad.
In an instant we both crawled toward each other meeting in a fiery kiss, breaking the innocent friendship we had and entering a whole new dimension.
End flashback
We snuck around, doing all of our deepest fantasies. We were exploring our sexual fantasies. BDSM, nothing bad with that right? Except that it was ruining our friendships around us. We were lying to them. Making them believe we have suddenly become enemies. That we couldn’t stand each other in public, at times hurting each other's feelings.
My trailer was farther to the sides from our friends trailer which made it easy for Sweet Pea to come to me. Plus, I had to put soundproof padding in my trailer room, my excuse for when friends came over. “I’m working on my singing career from home.” They believed it.
Boys were too afraid to hurt me, or not be hard enough. But Sweet Pea… He lived for that. We fit perfectly.
I finally decided all that overthinking and reminiscing was not gonna keep me as excited. Unless, I looked for the old iphone in my drawer where we kept our...videos. We filmed moments but only on this old phone and it NEVER leaves my drawer. We vowed it was for us but mostly for me when things happen and we can’t meet up.
I logged into it, opening the photos and started looking through all the different videos. One was that one time on Valentine’s day when he got me a new toy. It was cute and simple, but the ribbon that tied the box was long enough for my wrist to tied together also. That night was rough, safeword was used once because he didn’t let me come for the 4th time! The way he degraded and fucked my on camera seemed to always trigger those vivid memories for moments like these.
Just as I was about to pull my pants down and ease my ache, my phone dang—cutting my mood.
SP: Red or Blue?
That was a strange message.
Y/n: Red? Why
SP: you’ll find out ;)
Okay now this was gonna kill me!
I went on with my day cleaning the trailer, taking a shower and shaving, taking my birth control (Sweet pea pays for it and also plan B for just-in-case moments) and finishing any homework I know I will not do tomorrow because I will be too sore to do. It was 4pm and I was feeling bored out of my mind. Usually he comes earlier so we can actually do friend stuff like hang out and watch a movie but today was different. I decided to change into a cute red lace set since he did ask what color I wanted. I did light makeup and curled my hair.
“ Damn, I look fuckable ass fuck.” I commented as I saw my reflection. Some light green on my thighs from the previous week slowly fading. A quick idea popped into my head.It would piss him off, but it would be good to let him know. I took my phone and texted.
Y/n: Wyd?
SP: Doing some serpent stuff, missing me already?
I scoffed at his cocking response.
Y/N: Maybe… Anyone around you??
SP: No...I’m in the truck waiting for them? Why?
I jumped up in excitement and positioned myself by the mirror in the perfect angle to get a glance at everything pretty much. He’s gonna be furious… but I won’t mind. I made sure to send them quickly. Sitting down in anticipation.
Sweet Pea stared at his phone after not getting a response, it made him a little suspicious and antsy for the boys to hurry from the daily drop off service. But when he saw two pictures pop out, his vein by his temple was practically about to pop. She knew the risks. What if he wasn’t alone? They would have seen! And bam no more sex. He locked his phone and honked 4 times and the boys came running out ready to leave.
“ Yoooo Sweet’s what's the rush!” Fangs and the other laughed, he sternly glared at them.
“ I got shit to handle so can we go!” Fangs nodded but stifled a laugh as they drove away.
He didn’t respond! What the hell. He may be too busy. I decided to wear an oversized shirt and walk to the living room where I watched Friends pass the time. Then my phone rang. It was Sweet Pea.
SP: You're in trouble.
My heart raced, I got up and ran to the room making sure to get everything out, lube, handcuffs, ribbon. I sat on the bed leg shaking slightly. Then I heard the familiar steps that led up to my trailer door. His spare key twisted into the lock. Just in time. The butterflies in my stomach flutter all the way down to my thighs and core. He came in taking his boots and coat off. His footsteps coming towards the room. And I froze putting the best puppy eye dog eyes that would not save me. His face was serious, leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed.
“ Hi.” I sheepishly spoke. I took a deep breath.
“ You know what you did was risky, right?” He barked, I got up making my way towards him, but he backed up slightly.
“ I’m sorry.. I thought since you said you were alone...I missed you.” I crossed my arms defeated and looked down at the floor. Maybe what I did was out of line. Fuck this isn’t a relationship where you can send nudes Y/n! These were dick appointments, that's it!
I sighed defeated, “ If you wanna reschedule that’s fine… It was out of line—” I turned away from him only to be yanked up against him.
His hot breath fanning against mine, a bruising hold on both my arms.” Why would I pass up the opportunity to punish you.” Just like that, I was putty in his hands. Like always. He made sure to forcefully take the oversized shirt off throwing it somewhere, to reveal what the photos told him. He watched as I stood flustered, shocked, and blush red. His hot gaze is enough to get me going. He sat at the edge of my bed and pulled out a small box from his leather jacket. It was black. He signed for me to get closer so I did. I towered over him slightly as he handed the box a smirk on his face. I eyed the box suspiciously.
“ Open it.” He urged so I did. My mouth fell open slightly. It was a red butt plug. What the fuck. I looked at him dead in the eyes.
“ I know you said you weren’t ready for anal...but I thought this would help ease us in. Literally.” he chuckled darkly. I was speechless. It was hot, and uncomfortable to think that it would end up...there. I sighed shakily. He caught on to my nervousness.
“ Remember at any time you can stop me.” He reassured, making me smile softly. Besides the sex, he always was my friend never pushing me to do anything I didn’t want. I nodded and took it and placed it by the nightstand where the lube and other stuff were. I walked back easing my way to straddle his lap and take his leather jacket off. Our gaze is soft and friendly for now.
“ I’m sorry again you know.” I sighed my hands working on any knots in his shoulders, his eyes fluttered shut as he relaxed under her. Deep down Sweet pea would be a sub for her if it meant it started with massages.
“ It's fine.” He sighed, seeing him vulnerable for a brief moment made me ache and even more wet than I was. I pushed my body fully up against his, arms draping around his neck. His eye opened to meet my dark ones. My hips grounded down on him, “ I’m ready.” I sighed, that was enough for Pea to grab her hips forcefully gripping them down to make her feel the hard-on she caused.
“ You made me hard in the fucking truck,” He made one of his arm free to hold her chin forcefully to make her stare at him while he spoke. Y/N yelled softly as she tried to keep her eyes from rolling back as he rutted his hips towards her. “ I couldn’t get out of the truck, I had to drop them off.”
“ That was the plan daddy.” I moaned, making him growl in frustration. He pushed me off him, hand in my hair as he yanked me to the mirror where I took the pictures. It was a long full body mirror by my bed. His body flush against my back, one arm still in my hair and the other racking his ringed up fingers against my skin.
“ You’re gonna look at yourself, and learn why you don’t tease me.” His lips on my neck as his finger roughly yanks the lace bra cup down, making me squeal. The electric feeling as his cold finger massaged my breast made me dizzy.
“ Pea…” I sighed rolling my eyes back, head limp against his shoulder. His grip on my hair wakes me from my bliss.
“ Look!” He barked, making my goosebumps jump out, his neck went back to work. His arm slowly going back but skimming down to where I needed him the most. I knew he wasn’t going to give it to me that easy. “ Please...Daddy” I whimpered as he barely grazed the skin on my thighs. He bit harder on my neck as he pushed his leg between my thighs, hand dipping into my core. I let out a shaky gasp as he went straight for my clit.
“Fuck.” I gasped watching as his fingers teasingly moved circles around it. My hand reached to cover his for support, for once he didn’t intervene. And the other reached to his hard on that was covered but prominent against me. Pea couldn’t help but let her touch him, he watched as her hooded eyes watched as he slowly touched her. But the moment her hand gripped his hand he yanked it away and tsked her. He walked away from her taking his shirt off.
I stood stunned and breathless, the ache only growing by the minute. I turned around and followed him by removing the rest of the bra. And pried at his muscular back. Kissing it softly wrapping my arms around him.
“ You just don’t know when to keep your hands to yourself now.” The ribbon in his hands as he turned around. Fuck. With one shove I was on the bed with Pea crawling up to tie my wrists together above my head.
“ C’mon Pea…” I whined as my hips bucked towards him for any friction, fuck was it painful. He smirked down at me.
“ You know that's not how it works right?” I groaned in annoyance. His face came down close to hers as his hands wrapped around her thighs and as pulling her flush against him again.
“ Pea kiss me or so help me—” His mouth was instantly on mine, nothing fluff about it. open , hot kisses as my hips wildly looked for him. His hand suddenly smacked my ass leaving a deep red print.
“ Shit-” I cried against him, his mouth moving against my jaw, his tongue leaving a hot trail down to the valley of my bare breasts. I resisted against the restraints as his ringed fingers and mouth attacked my breast.
“ Your squirming even before I touch you, you're so needy.” He laughed against my skin. I blushed madly arching my back towards him.” Answer.” He hissed, as his hand rubbed hard and rough circles against my clit. I bit my lip trying to talk.
“ Yes..ugh...Daddy..fuckkk” I moaned loudly as his pattern quickened and his finger flicked my nipple. The overstimulation nearly brought me to the edge, he watched me from above how breathlessly I squirmed, threw my head back and clamped my thighs around him. Just as I felt the brink, he pulled away. I whimpered out in pain, feeling empty again. Sweet Pea made sure to leave any mark all over her body avoiding her whimpers and cries for his actions. His fingers plunging into her abruptly, at a vicious pace that made her scream. He made sure to stare right at her as she exchanged glances to his actions and his wicked smile. “ You want hard, rough? That’s what you want right?” he spat gritting his teeth as he felt her wall clench and contract against his fingers.
“ Oh my goddd…. YES!” I screamed staring deep into his evil eyes, “ Daddy harder please!” My head thrashing back as I felt my legs convulse and shake. I wanted to come so bad, and the wet sounds that came out of me were not helping. My fingers were placed on the covers as they remain tied up above me. “ Not yet.” He whispered softly against the shell of my ear as he stopped again. I shivered as my body tried to recover from another withdrawal, eyes shut in pain as my clit throbbed from lack of release.” Please….Please.” Tears at the brim of my eyes, searching into his for a little bit of mercy. He only ignored me and turned me around chest into the mattress and ass up. The lube coming in contact with my asshole sending a jolt up my spine. At this point anything that would give me some pleasure was acceptable. Pea made sure to adjust my wrist and tie them again against my back, and my face on the mattress. He then kissed my head as the tip of the plug made contact with me. I hissed softly as he slowly pushed it in. Surprisingly, It wasn’t as bad as I thought.
I sighed as I felt somewhat full as it sat in me. “ Damn baby.” He mumbled, I could practically picture his face. All flustered and vulnerable at her position and gleaming core.
Not long after his hands held my tied arms in a tight grip as he grinned against me.” mhm.’” one hand constantly smacking my ass till my buttcheek felt numb. I really won’t be able to sit tomorrow. “ You're such a slut begging for me… for this… Can’t even wait till I get home.” He seethed as his rough jeans rubbed perfectly against me and the plug.
I moaned loudly, “ Pea fuck me please! Anything I promise you anything but fuck me please!” I yelled in frustration as I tried wiggling my hips to get any extra friction. He grunted in defeat and practically sighed in relief as I heard his belt unbuckled and the bed suddenly becoming light behind me. I tried looking around to see him, but only his hand made sure to push me further into the mattress. “ You wanted this, so take it!” He roughly shoved himself into me with no warning, a loud gasp ripping through me followed by a choked moan. His size always felt like the first time, painful and blissful at the same time. “ FUCK!” Pea moaned as he steadied his hips as he made sure to feel that moment, being deep in her, ass up, red ribbon around her wrists like a present, shit it was perfect. He pulled out and back in bruisingly fast, hands back on her arms.
“ Shit shit shit!” I screamed out my eyes shut as he hit the right spot constantly but grazed the plug as he pulled out.
“ You look….so gorgeous right now fuck.” He grunted as Pea focused on not coming anytime soon but rather feeling every inch tighten around him. Just for him. Only making his grip on her arms terribly harder. The pain and pleasure as he bruisingly fucked her from behind only made her squeeze her eyes shut, her mouth wide as she felt the familiar knot about to explode.
“ I’m going to cum! Holy shit please Pea let me cum pleaseee!” I begged as Pea made sure to rub hard and fast fingers against her clit.
“ Come on baby, take it, squirt for me baby.” The profanities and the way his voice and body worked around her did just what he asked.
“ Shit shit shit!” I cried out as my legs shook and fluid leaked out around Pea’s finger.
“Fuck.” He growled and made sure to keep fucking her through her orgams, nearing her to the next one.
I screeched softly and huffed as he kept his bruising pace, “ Pea oh my gawd Don’t stop! Fuck me!” Sweet Pea practically came then and their but pulled out to control himself.
“ No, NO!” I cried as my wrist withered to pull him back. Pea shakily sighed, stroking himself softly. He watched as she squirmed and whimpered trying to be set loose. He untied her wrist sending a buzzing feeling of excitement through her as she propped herself only for a second. Pea made sure to pull her around by her hair. “ You really are prettier all tied up, huh.” He teased.
I widened my eyes, “ No! Not again!” I wrapped my arms around his neck pulling him into a kiss and flush against my hot skin. The feeling of his skin against her finger pads was heavenly. It was rare to be able to touch him, and when he let her, she loved it. Her mouth on his hungrily as her hips bucked against his hard on. Pea grunted against her mouth, his hands moving from her breast where he quickly pulled on her red nipples and down to her bruised hips. “ You won’t be able to walk for a week baby girl.” He whispered as he teasingly rubbed against my swollen nerve. A weak moan only for a response. He slipped in easily and then faster, digging his mouth onto my neck as I scratched his shoulders. “ Ohhh, Yes….Mmmm” I moaned wrapping my legs around his waist as he pounded so hard into me, practically into the mattress.
Pea made sure to come up to see her face as she practically cried at her second painful release. Seeing her silently watch in awe as her eyes rolled back, it brought him to the edge.
“ Come on cum with me, Come on!” Pea yelled his chin forcing her to look at his furious face, only adding to her orgasm. Pea made sure to keep his pace as she yelled his name and tears ripped through her as she threw her head back. As she saw white, Pea went balls deep and stayed in as he came in her, his groans and moans muffled into her neck. She made sure that with the little bit of energy to wrap her fingers into his damp hair, easing him down from his own high. Pea made sure to pin her arms away from him, scaring her slightly at his abrupt move.
“ I’m not done with you.” He made his way down to her core, instantly going to her almost numb and in pain clit.
I hissed as his lips and tongue wrapped around me. I didn’t have the strength to cum again, I almost wanted to call the safe word just for my sake to rest but the way Sweet Pea looked up at her, in between her thighs. Pea knew exactly how to make her cum and he wanted to see her cum underneath him all over again. “ Shit...Fuck.” My hands grabbed handfuls of the sheets as I rocked my hips against his hot mouth and tongue.
To make matters worse, he purposely groaned and hummed against me, I never felt like cuming so fast in the times being with Pea. Each time he knew her better enough to get her on edge in seconds. His hand made sure to hold down painfully hard on her hips as she chanted his name.
“ Yes...Yes yes yes!” I back arched and watched in awe as his tongue did wonders, followed by his thumb that flicked and rubbed so hard I lost track of time. Pain ripped through my abdomen to my core, ready for a painful orgasm. It was so much. “ Pea! I can’t I-” I cried and sure enough my body cracked under him, fluid squirting out as tears fell out and high pitched moans echoed into the room. Pea pulled himself up to watch her tears stained cheeks, suddenly nervous it was too much. “Hey, Are you okay?” His soft voice made me crane my neck back to see his worried face, with a wet face may I add. I smiled weakly and wiped his cheek with my thumb. “ You are unbelievable Sweet Pea.” He smirked laying next to her as they both sighed.
I was exhausted not wanting to move or speak. Just stare at the ceiling and acknowledge how great her body felt, for now.
“ Wait I have to take something—” His hand pulling my ass to the side, “ Relax, I don’t wanna hurt you.” I scoffed but was cut short by the feeling of the plug coming out. I hissed softly and turned back around on my back.
“ I should get you a bath running before I leave.” Pea said as he kissed my semi wet cheek and got up to find his clothes. I watched as he pulled on his underwear and jeans and disappeared into the bathroom. I was smiling. At him. Here I was catching feelings over something we told ourselves was nothing serious. I pushed myself up to distract myself only to be extremely sore. I tried propping myself up to walk to the bathroom only to fall on my knees in pain. He really fucked me till I couldn't walk. I burst out laughing making Sweet Pea walk back into the room extremely confused.
“ Come help me up weirdo!” He went over to pick her up but just ended up carrying her bridal style. He laughed as she groaned but laughed also.
This was nice, their company and well the sex also. Sweet knew that it was temporary and he reminded himself that everyday. Deep down he was a romantic, and he knew his soulmate was out there. But for now he just wanted to explore himself a little more and who else to help than his best friend. He hated leaving her after, something in him told him to stay, but he was enough of a gentleman to know that staying would only send mixed signals and ruin everything. So he stuck to the plan.
“ Well, I’m gonna head out, and I’m sorry if I went overboard—” Pea flinched as he saw the bruises show up around my arms and legs, the water instantly healing some pain. I sighed sinking deeper into the tub. Pea kneeled next to me, waiting for some goodbye gesture. I looked at him smiling, “ It was great, plus I'll be fine...but,” I held his hand that rested on the side of the tub. “ Can you stay...to hang out?” I watched his reaction change from content to flustered. It’s insane that friendship intimacy was weird to us but seeing each other naked wasn’t.
He coughed and looked at his clock, “ I don’t know—”
I patted his hand, “ Pea it’s fine, it was just and offer.” I casually played it off, waiting for his response even though it did hurt to see him turn me down. He stood up and sighed in defeat. “ How about this. I have to do some stuff to do with fangs for a night delivery, and if everything goes smoothly...I’ll crash with you.” He looked down at my surprised face. He chuckled at my silent response.
“ Oh- Yeah sure! Sounds good.” I cooly said somehow suddenly interested in the bath water.
“ Alright see you later!” I said before leaving entirely with the sound of the door closing, I sat in the water somehow happy but nervous that he easily accepted my offer. I giggled to myself, but was cut short by my sore body.
“ Fuck, this is more painful than my Serpent initiation trial.” I mumbled softly.
Somehow I managed to get out of the bath, with wobbly legs, and into my soft pj pants and tank top. It was 8 pm, my eyes sleepy and my body tired. I laid in the wrinkled up bed, forgetting that someone would be coming back.
Over 2k words... which a hell of a lot for me. i dont really know what i was doing with this one but i had fun writing it. angst? yeah kinda
It was never Chris' fault, he was so caring and full of love but that was just who he was. It was that you were in a relationship that felt forced and that was moving way too fast and way too public for both of your liking. It was tough on you where as before you would happily go places together, baseball games, go out for food get a drink, walk the dogs. But now? Everyone was watching over analyzing the headlines were ridiculous people conspiring about an inevitable break up because you both looked stressed.
"Hey" you sigh, putting the groceries down on kitchen island and kicking off your shoes. "Im home!" No answer. You take your time unpacking and putting everything away neatly in the fridge. You shut the door and look at the polaroid picture stuck on by a mickey mouse fridge magnet. A picture of you and Chris from when you were younger at disney in front of the epcot ball, vanilla ice cream allover your faces. You smile, you couldn't remember much from the trip because you were both only 8 but you did remember telling each other you were going to be best friends forever.
"Did you get stuff for waffles?" Chris questions, walking in only in his gray sweatpants.
"Yep, I got whipped cream, strawberries, blueberries and chocolate syrup" you tell him, putting the picture back up.
"God I love you" he mumbles, kissing your cheek and getting a bottle of water out the fridge.
"Do you remember this?" You question.
"I remember you crying on the tower of terror"
"No i didn't” you say defensively”
“Yes you did, you didn't stop crying for like half an hour!” he laughs
“At least i didn't piss my pants!" You fire back, laughing.
"Hey! I didn't piss my pants" he groans.
"Yes you did!"
"No it was a tiny bit" he stresses.
"So you pissed"
"Y/N stop" he laughs. "I'm still embarrassed" his cheeks pink.
"Shut up pissypants" you giggle
"Y/n!" he drags out, pouting.
"What are you gonna do tell your mum?" You question.
"I might" he shrugs, finishing his water.
"Oh please do" you laugh.
"Stop i was like 5"
"We were 8!"
"So! You know what" he points trying to hold back his laughter. "I didn't forget when we had that sleepover and you had that sex dream about Jackson and you woke me up sleep talking" your cheeks burn.
"Oh my god shut up" you cover your face.
"Oooo Jackson" he says in a high pitch voice.
"It wasn't a sex dream" you stress. "Fine. Remember when..." you trail off, you lock eyes, both widening knowing you're thinking of the same thing.
"Dont!"
"When you had sex with Jessica and you only lasted 20 seconds!"
"We both know that isn't the case anymore" he winks trying to play it cool but you can read him like a book and the pained expression on his face let you know that he was dying on the inside, thinking back.
"How old were you again?" You tease
"Baby, stop it" he begs.
"Okay, i'll stop" you stomach hurt from laughing so much. "I wonder if Jessica remembers?" You ponder walking over to give him a hug and to tease him even more.
"You're the worst" he mumbles against your hair letting out a little laugh.
"I heard she has kids now, so does Jackson," he says quietly. You press your lips together pulling away.
"I think i'm going to go take a shower before you make those waffles" you say quietly, the entire mood shifting. He just nods. That was the thing it was great, brilliant even, when you joked around and just hung out until actual relationship stuff came up, like the subject of kids. The plan was always for yours and Chris's kids to be best friends just like you two were because both of your moms were. The plan never was to have kids together, the plan was never to start dating in the first place.
"Can I join you?" Chris questions snapping you back to reality. You really had no clue if Chris felt the same about this whole thing.
"Another time?"
"I promise I'll last longer than 30 seconds" he smiles.
"Who said anything about that?" You question biting back a smile. You could never say no. He was just mind blowing in bed, on the couch, on and against the counter top, in the back seat of the car, the shower was no exception. In fact this entire thing started because you both decided, wine drunk, that you should sleep together. You were both fresh out of relationships, both sad and horny. And when people saw you leaving the guest room they assumed you were secretly together, so you both decided to give it a try. You were just 'testing the waters' and to start with it was perfect for everything you could want but now? You just wanted your best friend but if you did break up would there be a friendship?
“Are you being serious right now Chris?” you were so angry.
“What?” he questions confused. Is he being for real?
“In that interview you said you were hoping to have kids in the near future!”
“Whats the issue, we’ve been together for over a year y/n, we aren’t getting any younger!” he stresses. “I do want kids, and you want kids but what is your problem? Is it me?” he questions, he looked heart broken. “Why don’t you want a family with me?”
“I’m just not ready yet Chris, i don’t want to rush things” you lie… well was it a lie? You wanted to wait and see if this was even going to work out.
"I’ve known you all your life i know when you're lying! Do you know how embarrassing it is when there's pictures of your girlfriend ducking out the way so i don’t kiss you? Its fucking embarrassing y/n you need to figure out what you want from me because i’m starting to think we both have very different priorities!" Chris shouts, you reach for his arm as he tries to leave. "Just give me some space"
At night you lay on opposite ends of the bed despite both of you being cuddlers.
"Whats on your mind?" You question, watching him chew at his lip.
"Nothing just tired" he lies.
"I know when you're lying" you sit up.
"And i know when you’re lying" he snaps. "I’m sorry" he quickly apologizes before wiping his eyes. "I’m sorry that i don’t make you happy" his voice was unsteady.
"You do make me happy" you crawl across the bed and pull him into a tight embrace, his head resting on your shoulder.
"You can be honest with me" he mumbles, running his fingers through your hair. "I see you pull your hand away when i go to hold it, i see how you cringe when i call you baby" he sounded heart broken.
"Chris" you whisper, your own heart breaking because you knew exactly where this was going.
"No don’t lie, i know you hate that we cant go anywhere with out people taking pictures and over analyzing everything we do. I see how you dodge the subject of babies and i know you want one" he sighs. "But not with me and that’s okay... I’m sorry but i don’t think i can do this anymore. I love you y/n i really do but i’m not in love with you" he lifts his head up to look at you, his eyes already red and puffy
"I-I don’t want to lose you" Your eyes sting and he just sighs, you felt as though you couldn’t breath. Even though you knew this would be the outcome it didnt hurt any less.
"You wont" he assures.
"What? Are we just going to look back in 10 years and be like wow remember the time you ate my coochie for like an hour and we pretended to love each other" you try to lighten the mood despite the heavy flow of tears from the both of you.
"You really do have a way with words y/n, but exactly" he forces a smile, despite his cheeks being stained with fresh tears. "Or remember the time when i lasted way long than 30 seconds" you let out a shaky laugh.
"I cant believe you’re breaking up with me" you mumble.
"If you want, you can break up with me?" He questions
"Remember the time i dumped your ass?"
"I do i cried like a baby just like you did when we watched marley and me for the first time" he reminisces
"Hey" you nudge his shoulder playfully. "You cried at that movie too"
"I did" he frowns. "Its a sad movie"
"I know bub. But what do we do now?"
"I don’t know. Do you want to spend some time apart?" He asks and you shrug. Usually after a break up you would find your self at Chris's house for a week or to or vice versa.
"I- I just broke up with a really amazing guy and i really need my best friend right now" you start to cry all over again. "Because i don’t want to lose him"
"You’ll never lose me" Chris whispers, now holding you in his arms rubbing circles on your back. "I love you"
"Ouch too soon" you joke wiping your tears again.
"I love you, platonically" he corrects. "Now? Do you want to watch back to the future or lion king?" Both of them were yours and Chris’s go to films when growing up. "I’m going to go get us some snacks"
"Its 2 am" you remind him.
"So? It will be like old times" he smiles. "Only this time my dad wont come in and shout at us for talking too loud"
"Remember when we were playing on the playstation at like 4am and your dad came in and split us up so we would actually sleep"
"Yeah" he smiles, his eyes bright. "I had to sleep on the couch and you got my bed but you come and got on the other couch so you weren’t alone because you were scared of the dark"
"It wasn’t me who was scared of the dark it was you"
"Maybe was both of us... maybe it was me" he laughs.
"I cant wait to tell everyone i dumped captain america" you laugh.
Whilst it wasn’t what you wanted you both took a step back from each other you moved out and got an apartment the other end of town and hardly ever saw Chris because he was always filming but you still got to see dodger all of the time, watching him when his family couldn’t. Sometimes you’re relationship gets brought up in interviews and he just smiles and shrugs.
"People say marrying or even just dating your best friend is the best thing you could do, but when you've been best friends since you were born it doesn’t really work. Its like we dated because we owed it to our self and our families to see if we would work out. We didn’t. That’s okay and thankfully we are still friends. Maybe its not actually mutual and that i’m just harassing her and y/n is too nice to tell me to tell me to leave her alone. please hang out with me y/n lets go get food, come watch a movie" he jokes. "No" he shrugs. "We are still best friends"
You were sat in the passenger seat of Chris’s car as he speeds down the road, the radio blaring.
"If you don’t stop with this crazy driving you’re going to send me into labor a month early" you tell him.
"That’s the plan i cant wait to meet my niece" he smiles stopping at a red light, he reaches over and rests his hand on your large bump. You groan as she starts to kick, it was something about Chris's voice she loved.
"She better not replace me" you joke.
"I guess you can come to our movie nights" he smiles. You were currently on your way to a restaurant out of town, you were craving the food and your fiance Matthew was at work so Chris offered to take you. Your laughter dies down and you just listen to the radio. Moral of the story playing, you could help but laugh to you self quietly looking over at Chris who was in deep thought. Was he thinking the same thing as you? Or did this some almost perfectly describe those 18 months you were together?
(btw my requests are open so feel free to send anything in)
a/n: this final chapter of Midsummer is dedicated to @shawnssongs for being the kindest soul when I was writing this series.They always had something nice to say and uplifted my spirits when I thought I had nothing good to write. You were my inspiration so thanks buddy!! I’m so sad to see this series come to an end but it has been so much fun. the first part of Midsummer has over 1,000 notes and I am so happy with all the feedback I received. Thanks to everyone who commented, liked and reblogged. You are angels!
~
JJ rarely slept in his bed. He had these fleeting, but clear, memories of his mother with her caramel hair and blue eyes, reading the Giving Tree to him. She sat on the edge of the bed, petting his head and she read to him, changing her voice when the tree spoke. As a child, it amused JJ but now, he couldn't think of that book or his bedroom without getting emotional. It didn't help that his father erased any memories of his mother around their house. The books she read to him were burned. The family pictures of a once lovely but poor family were discarded in the trash. JJ's father forbade the mention of his mother's name to the point where JJ started to forget what she looked like or what her name was.
The only time he ever slept in his own bed was when John B. couldn't have him over and that rarely happened. John B. knew his situation and always made his home available. When his father went missing at sea, he needed JJ even more than before and welcomed him into his home twofold. Loneliness was contagious in that household and as much as JJ appreciated John B.'s hospitality, he was suffocating.
Then she came along. You walked through those double doors with your arm through Rafe's in that beautiful dress and JJ knew he was done for. You had made him feel something in Peterkin's office but he suppressed those feelings and soon enough, he thought they disappeared. He had chalked it up to just a crush and when it disappeared he thought he was right. Then, that night, he knew it was more than that. Then, you kissed him. He had kissed you first because he had that 'screw it' mentality but he never thought you would reciprocate those feelings. He had no idea why you kissed him but you did and you wanted to be around him. Most girls never saw JJ as anything more than a Pogue and he thought he was okay with that. Now, he knew he would never be the same.
You stirred beside him as he reminisced over the last weeks. He had never slept so soundly in his own bed before. Slowly, as to not wake you, he tightened his grip and your body and pulled you close. He usually hated sleeping on his back but he never thought of how uncomfortable he was when you were so peaceful beside him.
"Hm?" You grumble, completely unaware of what JJ was thinking beside you. You rubbed your eyes and looked up from the crook in JJ's neck. "Morning."
JJ smirked, feeling terrible he had woken you up. "Sorry."
You smiled, shrugging. "I had to wake up eventually." You glanced at the clock on JJ's cabinet and squinted. It was 9am. "We were supposed to get up one hour ago!" You move away from JJ, pushing the covers off your partially naked body.
You hurriedly bend over, looking for your shorts and tshirt. Some time in the middle of the night you had put your undergarments back on but for your tshirt and shorts, they were still on the floor. As you pull your shirt over your head, you feel JJ move from behind you. You know what he's about to do before he even gets a chance to do it but decide not to pull away. Instead, you wait as he wraps his arms around your waist. You feel his lips against the nape of your neck and you smile, the gesture tickling you a little.
"Harry Styles?" He laughs as he points to the flip flops on the floor beside his bed.
You gasp, quickly flipping over the sole of your shoes so he can't see the embarrassing drawings on your old white flip flops. "I was ten!" It was a stupid drawing of a heart with an inscription of your favourite One Direction member's name. You had meant to get new shoes but you had never grew out of your old shoes and thought no one would see it, much less your boyfriend.
"Is that who I need to be for you to stay in bed?" He teased, poking your side. You jumped from your seat in his bed and squealed, his teasing embarrassing you. You pull your shorts up and zip them closed as JJ watches your flushed cheeks turn a brighter red.
"You could never be Harry. Sorry." You joked right back, finally slipping into your shoes.
JJ finally sits up, his shorts him yesterday now on the bottom half of his body. "Rude!" His eyes go to his feet for a moment and you can hear him whisper "How does it go..."
"JJ!" You giggle, knowing exactly what he was going to do before he even had to do it.
"Straight off the plane to a new hotel!" JJ screams, playing an air guitar. You cover your face, embarrassed for him. "Just touched down, you could never tell. Big house party with a crowded kitchen -"
"Okay!" You finally jump over the bed and reach for JJ's mouth so he can stop teasing you.
He pulls away but stops singing. Instead, he reaches for your neck and pulls you close. You can see it in his eyes and you indulge him, letting him kiss you. Surprisingly, his breath does not smell and you feel a little self conscious since you know yours does.
You are the first to pull away. "I have to brush my teeth."
JJ nods, smirking. "That bad?"
You gasp, slapping his shoulder. "Rude."
He chuckles but nods, guiding you out of his room and to the bathroom that is closest to the front door. JJ opens the door to a very small bathroom with not even a shower. He goes in first, looking under the sink for a clean toothbrush. Once he finds one, he hands it to you and exits the bathroom. It's so small that there can only be one person inside at one time. JJ gives you a chaste kiss one more time before you step inside the bathroom and close the door behind you. You turn on the facet and slowly your mind wanders as you brush your teeth. As much as you know you shouldn't be smiling just because you're brushing your teeth, you can't help it. You can't seem to believe you're in JJ's house, brushing your teeth and actually acting like a couple. Nothing about your relationship so far has been normal. From buried treasure to murder, your relationship was never as peaceful as it was now. You sang a little song as you rinse your mouth, the smile still on your lips. However, once you shut the faucet off, your little happy bubble popped. Just a few feet away, you heard yelling. In seconds, you peered out the door and looked for where it was coming from. You saw that the front door was open and, as quietly as you could, you tiptoed closer to the front of the house. The door was wide open and the closer you got, the more you heard.
"What are you doing?" JJ raised his voice, finally walking in front of the door. At first, you thought he was speaking to you but he wasn't facing you. Finally, you saw as his father walked past him, a wad of cash in his hands.
JJ had been getting dressed in his room when his father arrived home after a night of gambling and liquor. He had not entered his house, only sitting on the singular chair on the porch. JJ’s father rarely was inside his own home. It reminded him of his wife and he had suppressed all his feelings over her. The less time he spent inside, the less he would think about her. JJ had initially approached his father with a coy smile on his face, handing the man the money he stole from the drug dealer. His father seemed happy and, for the first time in years, actually praised his son. Now, his smile faded as he watched his father stuff the money into a canister.
"I'm gonna take this south and triple it..." He trailed off, his mind in all different sorts of places. It was clear he was still drunk.
"Dad, that's my bail money I owe you." JJ pleaded, his eyes filled with worry. Your heart broke as JJ's father walked straight to JJ, gripping onto his collar.
"What'd you say boy?" He yelled, pushing JJ away from him. "You are nothing! Always getting in trouble. Wish you were never born."
JJ had heard these phrases before. His father was a predictable man and used the same insults. Before, they rarely affected JJ, mostly because his father was drunk. Now, however, it was different. The words were the same but the feeling they gave JJ was different. It had been so long since any parental figure had shown him even a small amount of love and he was getting tired of hearing the same thing over and over again. This time, when his father called him nothing, it stirred a type of rage JJ had never felt before.
By the time JJ realized he was fed up, you had enough as well. You had only heard this come out of his father’s mouth once and yet it already affected you. You couldn’t imagine how JJ could handle all these years. He had more self control than you thought. You were about to step in and take the pressure away from JJ but before you could do so, JJ lunges at his father, pushing him through the screen barrier around the door. The sound of both of their bodies ripping through the material makes a loud noise and you gasp. Although that sound scared you, the sound of JJ's body hitting the grass makes you scream. You push the screen door open and run to JJ who is on top of his dad, punching him viciously.
"JJ!" You scream, trying to pull your boyfriend off his father.
All JJ sees is red and he doesn't even hear your screaming. Tears stream down his face and he continues to punch his father. "I'm not a failure! You did this to me!"
He continues his assault on his father, only once allowing him to get the upper hand and giving him a few good punches to the mouth and sides. JJ had learned how to take the pain. For years, his father beat him and after a while he built up a resistance to the abuse. Now, he barely felt the punches his dad lay into him, only concentrating on punching his dad as hard as he could.
Only when you grab onto his fist, blocking him from punching his father again, does his mind clear and he realizes what he's done. He falls back, watching as his father crawl away from him. You wrap your arms around his body, asking him if he's hurt but he doesn't answer. He looks down at his hands and looks in horror as he sees his father's blood all over his knuckles.
"JJ, are you hurt?" You ask again, cupping his face. He only shakes his head, his eyes still on his father. His father has gotten up from his place on the ground and now moves in front of you and JJ.
"Get rid of her before anything happens." JJ's father taunts, a beer bottle in his hands. You gasp in horror and wonder if JJ’s dad tried to hit him with a beer bottle. He walks past the both of you, not bothering to make eye contact with you. "Us Maybank men only hurt our women."
You don't know what to do. You heard the horror stories. You knew, to some extent, how terrible of a father JJ's dad was but never this. You try to ignore the man and look back to JJ, who seems to be zoned out. He's grasping his hands together and whispering to himself. You're scared. JJ's never like this and now that he seems to have broken entirely.
"JJ..." You call, trying to wake up from this nightmare.
JJ shakes his head, pushing you off him. This action hurts you and knowing the words his father has said really has cut him deeply. JJ shakes his head, getting up from the floor without your help. He winces as he does so, his father getting in some good punches before JJ got the upper hand. You follow behind him and call out to him but he ignores you. He can't seem to shake the words his dad said to him about all the Maybank men hurting the women they love. That was more true the more JJ thought about it. His grandfather drove his grandmother to drink which ended up killing her. They were never perfect and constantly arguing. When JJ's parents gave him to his grandparents for the weekend so they could party, JJ thought it would be a break from all the fighting his parents did but he was wrong. And his mother... She was gone because of his father. All the women in the Maybank family had bad endings and JJ couldn't do that to Y/N. She deserved better. She was better.
"Where are you going?" You asked as you watched slip on his sneakers.
"Don't follow me." JJ grumbled, tears threatening to spill. Although he didn't want to leave Y/N, he knew it was for the best. He couldn't ruin her life. He never wanted his dad’s words to affect him so much but his father’s words had planted a seed in JJ’s mind and it was growing in seconds.
"Is this because of what your dad said?" You follow after JJ, watching as he clutches his stomach. Before he can walk farther away, you run in front of him and place your hand on his chest, stopping him from walking too far away. "JJ?"
JJ can't bring himself to look at you. "You shouldn't have seen that."
You shrug. "It's okay. I did and I love you."
JJ's head snaps up, glaring at you. "Stop." He hates that you’re being so supportive right now. All he wants for you to do is to leave.
Your face contorts in confusion. "JJ -"
JJ pushes you away and walks past you. "No, leave me alone."
You stand in awe, watching as he walks farther and farther away from you. Finally, you feel the tears bead down your face and you realize that JJ has just broken up with you. A hand goes to your temple, the confusion giving you a headache. JJ just broke up with you and you don't even know why.
~
Kie was the only person you could talk to. Sarah was with John B. and you knew the second you vented to Sarah with John B. around, it would get back to JJ. The last thing you wanted JJ to know was that you were getting advice about him to someone else. Kie was friends with him but you trusted her more with keeping secrets. You found her at the Wreck with Pope. The second they saw you enter, they knew something was wrong. You didn’t have to say much. The second you sat down beside Kie, Pope excused himself so the two of you could be alone. You had kept most of your tears from falling. Your entire walk from JJ’s house to the Wreck consisted of you trying your best not to look like a crying mess. The second Kie asked you what was wrong, however, you began to cry. You barely got two words out before you began to weep. Kie let you cry and only held you as you did so. When you calmed down, you finally spoke and told her what was going on. You told her about the fight and JJ’s reaction afterwards and she said nothing, not interrupting you once. When you finally finished, she took a few moments to think of the right response before speaking.
“I hate JJ’s dad.” Kie scoffed, making you smile.
“Yeah, he sucks.” You agreed.
“JJ loves you,” Kie begins, holding onto your hand. “I know. He’s never been like this with any girl. If he’s got any sense, he’ll realize how stupid he’s been.”
You nod. “What about his dad?”
Kie shakes her head. “He’ll never change, but he should not be ruining his son’s life. He’s already ruined it enough.”
You place your head in your hands. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Be there for him. Even if he doesn’t think he needs you, he does. Wait it out for today. By tonight, you should talk to him.” Kie explains, patting your shoulder in an attempt to comfort you.
You stand up, looking to the kitchen where Pope is acting as if he heard nothing. You almost want to smile because of how adorable Pope is acting. You finally look back to Kie, nodding to her. “So, can I help you guys with anything before we meet with Sarh and John B. tonight?”
Kie stands up beside you, smiling. “Of course you can.”
All things considered, the tasks Kie and Pope had to do were not complicated. Kie would go to the nearest Home Reno store and buy all of the equipment she could afford, while Pipe would go to his father’s dock and get the more expensive equipment for free. You decided to tag along with Kie instead of Pope, the sole reason being that Pope would have to sweet talk his dad into giving him the equipment and you being there would raise a lot of suspicion. You and Kie drove to the Reno store in her parent’s car, listening to music and talking intermittently. After she had consoled you, things between the two of you seemed way more mellow. It seemed like you were closer and without Sarah around as often, you couldn’t be more happy you had another girl to talk to.
When you pulled into the parking lot, you and Kie were happy to see that the lot was virtually empty. It was still mid morning so you both expected it to slow, but you were still pleased it was so deserted. It would look very suspicious to see two teenage girls buying rope, pulleys, and hammers so the less people saw, the better. Too many people gossiped in Figure 8.
“Let’s get to it,” Kie smirked at you, walking into the first aisle. You followed after her, unsure of where to go since you had never stepped foot into this store before. You had been to the Home Depot only a few blocks away but that place was way smaller and the signs were easier to read. Now, you blindly followed Kie as she guided through each aisle, looking for the items you needed.
“How long do you think it needs to be?” You asked, extending your hands as Kie made you hold one side of the rope as she measured it.
Kie shrugged, grabbing a pair of pliers and cutting it abruptly. “Hopefully this is enough.”
Slowly but surely you both made your way around the store, now pushing a cart that held the long rope and hammers. It had been easy to find the large hammers; they had their own section. Unfortunately, the pulleys were not as easy. Soon, five minutes turned into ten and you realized that neither Kie or you knew where they were kept.
“Do we need them?” You asked, pushing the cart beside Kie as she glanced through the next aisle.
She shrugged. “Last time, we pulled John B. down but our hands were burning. It would be easier if we had a pulley.”
You nodded, imagining a tired Kie pulling John B., who was definitely yelling at her to hurry up. The scene you conjured in your mind was hilarious to you and when you giggled, Kie looked at you with a puzzled look on her face. You could tell she was about to question what you were laughing at but before she could, someone spoke from behind the both of you.
“Y/N?”
Your blood turned cold, the hair on the nape of your neck standing up. With a defiant look on your face (scared to show that you were surprised), you turned around and came face to face with Topper and Rafe. Both were dressed like asshole frat boys, black helmets in their hands. You knew they both rode motorcycles, only adding to their ego. Last time you had seen Rafe, he had broken into your home and now, although you were scared, you were more angry. Although, in that moment when you were hiding with JJ, you never thought of punching him but now you did. The blood rushed to your face, thinking of grabbing the nearest hammer in your cart and using it.
“Hi.” You glumly said, watching as Kie stood beside you, defiant just like you.
“Where’s my sister?” Rafe asked, stepping closer to you and Kie.
You shrugged. “Off with her boyfriend.”
You could hear Topper scoff from beside Rafe. “That thing is still going on?”
You felt a surge of confidence, wanting to defend Sarah. “Hi Topper. Still jealous?” Topper glared at you, saying nothing. You both knew he was but he wasn’t about to admit that to you. You looked back to Rafe, your eyes narrowed. “What do you want from her?”
Rafe chuckled, glancing at Kie and rolling his eyes. “We know you idiots stole money from Barry.”
You frowned, pretending to be oblivious. You were not about to rat out JJ, even if you were on a break. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Topper scoffed again, this time speaking. “What are you guys doing with these Pogues anyways?”
You glared at Topper. “Maybe because they don’t dress as if they’re frat boys from the early 2000s.”
Kie chuckled from beside you, mumbling a thank you. Topper only rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. Topper was not quick witted enough to have a good comeback so he stayed quiet, looking to Rafe.
“What’s this I hear about you and Maybank?” Rafe asks, stepping closer to you. Topper stayed put, knowing the both of you were about to have an uncomfortable conversation.
You shrugged, trying not to show how the mention of JJ hurt you. “Why do you care?”
Rafe scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “Because a few weeks ago you were my girlfriend and now you’re with some nobody.”
This time you scoffed. “For a nobody, you sure are interested.” You pause for a moment and, without allowing Raf to rebuttal, you spoke again. “I’d like my key back.”
Rafe’s brows contorted in confusion but then shot up in surprise. You could see he was trying to control how he reacted but your comment had surprised him so much that he seemed flabbergasted. “How -”
“How did I know you were sneaking into my house like a stalker?” You cut him off, watching as his face turned bright red. Topper seemed just as shocked as him, clearly not knowing that Rafe was sneaking into your house. “I just do. Leave the key on my porch.”
You heard Kie giggle from beside you. You looked at her and smiled. She was the first to turn around and you followed after her, not bothering to look back at Rafe and Topper, both of whom remained quiet since you spoke. When you both were far enough away, Kie was the first to speak.
“What the hell Y/N?” Kie chuckled, pushing the cart into the next aisle.
You pointed forward, finally spotting the pulleys laying on the shelf in all their glory. “I didn’t know I had that in me.”
You were right; you had no idea. But you were slowly realizing, with the help of your new friends, that you were capable of more than you thought.
~
Once all of your items were paid for, you took the liberty of driving back to the Wreck. Pope had said by the time you and Kiara drove back, he would probably already be there. He didn’t think it would take long to convince his dad to use his equipment, even if it was for one night. Pope had promised the two of you that it would be, in his words, ‘easy as pie.’ All Pope had to do was tell a small lie; a seemingly easy thing for a teenager to do. Yet, as you parked beside the Wreck, Kie pointed out what you already suspected.
“He’s not here.”
You nodded, not bothering to unbuckle your seatbelt. There was no point to exit Kie’s car if Pope wasn’t here yet. Kie followed you, not moving to unbuckle her seatbelt either. “Should we go see if he’s still with his dad?”
Kie shrugged, watching the Wreck through her window. “Probably.”
You smiled, putting her car in reverse. “So much for ‘easy as pie.’” You chided, glancing at Kie and watching her smirk.
As you drive to Mr. Heyward’s dock, a place Kie said he usually was at, Kie and you stayed silent. It wasn’t an awkward silence like the ones you shared with her before. Now that she was friends with Sarah again, you both felt at ease with each other. As you drove, your mind wandered to JJ. You really tried not to think about him but every time you tried to divert your mind somewhere else, it went straight back to him. It was almost as if your brain was trying to tell you to confront your feelings head on. That was the last thing you wanted to do.
As much as you hated it, your mind went to a certain memory. The midsummer festival where you finally got to know JJ. You remembered how you felt that night. That night, you weren’t sure what it was let alone describe it but now you knew. Enchantment. You were completely enchanted to meet him. He was never your first choice for a boyfriend but the more you got to know him, the more you realized he was the only choice that mattered. He was more than anyone gave him credit for. So many people in Figure 8 saw him as a womanizing blonde with an ego the size of Russia, but he was more than that. He was caring. He cared so deeply about his friends, taking the fall so that Pope’s future wouldn’t be threatened. He was patient. He understood my caution and didn’t rush me. He seemed to care too much about what people thought of him, even if he would never admit it. He cared if Kie or Pope were upset with him. He cared that people saw you both as a weird couple since he was a Pogue and you were a Kook. JJ Maybank had more heart than anyone on OBX and you were so glad you gave him a chance. But now, it might be all gone because of JJ’s father. He had put that doubt in JJ’s mind and you could only hope JJ would soon realize he didn’t need to protect you from himself.
“You okay?” Kie asked, breaking you away from your thoughts.
You pulled the car over, making sure the car was properly parked before you answered. “Yeah. Just distracted.”
Kie nodded. “I know you have a lot in your mind.” She started, waiting until you were both out of the car before she continued. When you met back up in front of her car, she spoke. “We’ll see JJ in a few hours.”
You don’t say anything, only looking across the boardwalk. You knew what Mr. Heyward’s boat looked like, seeing JJ and Pope drive it on the ocean a few times. Although you had trouble spotting Pope and his dad, Kie spotted them right away. In moments, she pointed to the left side of the dock. You followed her finger, your eyes finally landing on Pope and his dad who seemed to be in an awkward conversation.
“Should we wait?” You cautiously asked, watching as she didn’t even answer your question and instead walked past you and towards Pope and his dad. You shrugged, following Kie even though you were sure intervening in Pope’s conversation with his father would only bring agony.
The closer you got to Pope and his father, the more you were able to listen to their conversation. At first, it was all mumbles but when you were six feet away from them, you could hear the confusion in Mr. Heyward’s voice.
“No way Pope.” He grumbled, loading bags onto his boat.
“Hi Mr. Heyward.” Kie spoke politely as she approached the two men.
Mr. Heyward glanced towards Kie and smiled. At first, he did not see you but the second you did you wish he hadn’t. His face instantly fell and he scrambled to wipe his hands on his pants. He seemed a little flustered and you were embarrassed because you knew why. Your father regularly picked up groceries from the trips Mr. Heyward went on all over OBX. Your dad spent a lot of money on Mr. Heyward’s groceries so you knew Mr. Heyward was confused as to why you were with Kie. You were even more embarrassed when he extended his hand, a polite smile on his face. To be kind, you shook it briefly.
“Hello Mr. Heyward.” You finally said, watching as a confused look crossed over both Pope and Kie’s face.
“Hello Y/N. What can I do for you?” He smiles, looking at Pope.
Pope shrugged, glancing at you. “She’s hanging out with us dad.”
Mr. Heyward frowned, scratching his head. “I see. I didn’t know you were friends.”
Pope frowned. “She’s dating JJ.”
Mr. Heyward looked even more confused, almost startled. You got this a lot. In the weeks since you started dating JJ, you had told a total of two people including your mom and dad. They had the exact same reaction as Mr. Heyward. Although they were confused as to why you would date a Pogue, they dare not say anything to you. As long you were happy, they didn’t dare to voice their opinion. It didn’t help that their faces scrunched up like they just bit into a lemon every time you mentioned JJ though.
“I see.” Mr. Heyward said cautiously, trying not to show his surprise but failing. “Now, Pope has told me that you plan to help him with his project for his scholarship and you need some materials. Is that true?”
You nod sweetly, glancing at Pope who was biting his nails. You wanted to roll your eyes. If he was acting that anxious as he lied to his dad, no wonder Mr. Heyward was so suspicious. “Yes sir.”
Mr. Heyward nodded at you and then looked at Kie who had the same fake smile on her face. “That true Kiara?”
Kie nodded nonchalantly, clearly better at lying than Pope. You figured anyone else was better at lying than Pope. “Yep.”
Mr. Heyward’s eyes narrowed, not entirely believing you all but deciding to do so anyway. “Fine, get it and go.”
Pope laughed, clapping his hands together. “Ah, thanks dad.”
You bid Mr. Heyward a polite farewell; you and Kie sweetly smiled until you both turned around. Pope followed slowly behind you, dragging the harnesses and helmets in a brown sack. As you all walked, he tried to call after you and Kie but you both ignored him. When you guys finally approached Kie's car, you were the first to turn around and watch as Pope continued to drag the sack behind you. After minutes of watching him struggle, he approached the both of you, his breath heaving.
“Thanks for the help.” He grumbled, throwing the sack onto the floor in front of Kie who was now slowly turning around. You could tell she desperately wanted to laugh at Pope and she was trying so hard to control herself.
“If you knew how to lie, we wouldn’t be here.” You teased, a smirk adorned across your lips.
Finally, Kie let out a breathy laugh and soon you joined in. Both you and Kie could no longer control yourself and soon you were both laughing hysterically at Pope. At first, he was not smiling but the longer you both laughed, the bigger his smile became. Soon enough, all three of you began to laugh together as if you hadn’t been lying two minutes ago.
In that moment, you never felt closer to Kie and Pope.
~
After the eventful afternoon you, Kie and Pope had, you all decided to head back to the Wreck for some food. You had promised each other that it would only be for an hour at the most. You had wanted to go back to John B.’s house where you knew JJ would be and you wanted to try and talk to him one last time. Unfortunately, you lost track of time and before you knew it, Kie was on her fifth story and this time it was about how she was almost bitten by a shark. The sun was setting and you had been there for hours, laughing and talking as your new friends entertained you.
“I swear!” Kie yelled, placing her hand over her heart.
You shook your head, indignant. “No way.”
Pope nodded along with you. “You might think you can fool Y/N, but I know that never happened.”
Kie chuckled, taking a sip from her glass that was half full of her third glass of lemonade. “I swear to you guys. That shark almost bit me. Got away within an inch of my life.”
You and Pope looked at each other and dramatically rolled your eyes. You spoke first, teasing Kie. “Are there even sharks in Figure 8?”
Pope nodded, pointing at you. “Y/N’s right. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a shark in Figure 8.”
Kie shrugged, taking a bite out of a french fry before speaking. “Well, it might’ve not been a shark -”
“I knew it!” Pope interrupted. Kie gasped at his interruption and threw the half eaten french fry at him.
“Well it definitely looked like a shark!” Kie defended herself, reaching for another french fry.
You shook your head, laughing under your breath. As Pope and Kie lightly argued about Kie’s fabrication, you looked over your shoulder and watched as the sun set. The sky was a huey purple tonight with a hint of orange. You loved the sunsets in Figure 8.They seemed so peaceful and serene, something the other side of OBX rarely displayed. Although technically the other side of OBX was supposed to show people the lap of luxury, the atmosphere showed a different side. Yes, everyone was rich but they were also very unhappy. You envied Kie and Pope, although you would never tell them. You knew that they would laugh and ask you what there was to be jealous of when you lived in such a beautiful house. Although that may be true, your home never felt as cozy and warm as the places here. Here, there seemed to be a true sense of family. Neighbours seemed to look out for one another while in your neighbourhood, you weren’t sure if you ever met your neighbours.
“Hey,” Kie called out to you softly, touching your shoulder.
You shook your head slightly, trying to break away from your thoughts to listen to what she had to say. “Yeah?”
“Let’s go see JJ.” Kie gave you a polite smile, almost trying to comfort you. You knew it was because JJ was still a sensitive subject.
Surprisingly, you didn’t protest. As much as you wanted to stay here for a little longer, you knew that you would have to talk to JJ eventually. Besides, when you all met up to get the gold tomorrow, you knew you had to talk to him then. He was unavoidable so you decided might as well get it over with. Kie decided it was best for her to drive to John B.’s house. Pope was a terrible driver and she could tell you were way too nervous to stay focused right now. You wished that it wasn’t true but you knew Kie was right. Even as Kie drove, your mind was in a million different places and you realized Kie was right in not allowing you to drive. Another thing you had to thank her for.
The sun had fully set and now was dark, making the drive to John B.’s house a little more risky. Thankfully Kie had made it there in one piece. You thought your heart would beat out of your chest as Kie parked in John B.’s driveway. With a deep breath, you opened the passenger side door and climbed out. Pope, Kie and you all congregated near the trunk of Kie’s car and started to whisper to each other. You weren’t exactly sure why you all were whispering but you didn’t bother to question it.
“Where are we putting everything?” Kie asked, peering over the trunk and looking at all of the equipment they had successfully retrieved.
“Sh.” Pope shushed Kie, only upsetting her.
“Excuse me?” She whipped her head around to Pope, glaring at him.
At first, you were going to give Pope an earful but then you heard it too and you found yourself shushing Kie as well. “Shh.”
Kie looked puzzled as you shushed her but when everything went quiet, she heard it as well. It was bubbles. The noise a machine would make when it was producing bubbles. You peered over the side of John B.’s house and found a trail of lights leading to the backyard. You didn’t know who was there but whoever was there, but it sounded as if they were in a hot tub.You didn’t know if John B. had money but you were sure he couldn’t afford a hot tub.
“What’s that?” Pope whispered, looking in the direction you were looking in only moments before.
Before anyone could give him an answer, Kie ran forward and towards the sound. Apprehensive, you ran alongside her while Pope was the last one to run. As he trailed behind, both you and Kie got closer to John B.’s backyard and, soon enough, entered his backyard. What you saw stunned you.
“What did you do JJ?” Pope asked first, standing in front of his friend.
JJ was, in all his glory, sitting inside a hot tub. With small lights dangling above his head, he relaxed in a newly bought hot tub. It was the largest hot tub you had ever seen, bigger than the ones at pools. JJ had placed floaties shaped as swans and flamingos inside the hot tub along with floating glasses filled to the brim with champagne. He had a shit eating grin on his face but hid his eyes behind glasses. When you all stood in front of him, he finally slid his glasses down the bridge of his nose and smirked as he observed each and every one of you. When his eyes gotto you, you could instantly see how drunk he was.
He chuckled, looking at Pope. “I got a jet going straight to my butt right now.” Pope sighed, JJ’s response not really answering his original question. Just as he was about to speak again, JJ did instead. “Y’all should get in immediately. Ya hear?” JJ slurred his words, pouring himself another glass of champagne. He thought out a pathetic ‘salut’ before gulping down the glass of champagne.
You stood there dumbfounded.You had been to parties where JJ was shit faced but he never was like this. He was aggressive all the other times you had seen him drunk but now he just seemed pitiful.
Pope looked like he was about to have an aneurysm. “How much did this cost?”
JJ grabbed the entire bottle and chugged it before responding. “Uh, well, with the generator, the petrol and, oh hey, express delivery,” he started, pretending to calculate the amount in his mind. You watched as Kie’s shoulders dropped and her head tilted back in despair. He had used so much of that money. Your hands went to your mouth, hanging off every word and hoping that he hadn’t spent all of it. “Pretty much all of it. Yeah.”
Pope’s mouth hung open as did Kie’s. You refused to react, still in total shock. “All of it?” Pope angrily said back to JJ, confirming his worst fears.
JJ smirked, avoiding eye contact with you. “Yeah, all of it.” He almost seemed proud.
“You spent all the money in one day?” Pope said in disbelief, clasping his hands together.
JJ nodded, his head bouncing back and forth. He was hammered and everyone knew it. “Yeah. Burned a hole right through my pocket. But I mean, like, c’mon guys, like, look at this? Finest in jet based massage therapy. That’s what they told me.”
You looked to Kie but she was staring at JJ, her mouth still hung wide open. JJ seemed to notice her facial expression the same time you did because he turned his attention to her. “Kie what? Can’t a man have a little luxury in life? C’mon,” JJ asked, his tone shifting to anger. He took off his glasses before he continued. “All this scrimping and scraping, I mean guys, you only live once. Right?”
“JJ -” You said, the emotion evident in your tone. His cheek was black and blue along with his right eye. The beating he received in the morning was now turning to nasty bruises.
“Stop!” JJ looked at you and yelled. “You always get what you want. Am I not allowed to get the one thing I want? Enough of this emotional shit, get in the cat’s ass.”
Kie finally spoke, her voice just above a whisper. “The what?”
JJ smiled at his joke, which made no sense to any of you. “The cat’s ass. That’s what I named her.” He stopped for a minute but then his eyes lit up again and he reached over the hot tub and grabbed something. “Oh, hey yo, I almost forgot.” He pushed a button and suddenly, a disco ball that hung from a strung above him turned on and water started sputtering out from all sides of the hot tub. “Huh? Yeah, that’s right, disco mode.”
“Are you kidding me?” Pope began to lecture, the most angry you had ever seen him. “You could’ve paid for restitution.”
“Or literally given it to any charity!” Kie butted in, just as angry as Pope was.
“Or better yet, you could’ve helped us buy some of the supplies to get the rest of the gold out of the well!” Pope added, pointing to the truck that had all of your supplies.
JJ rubbed the bridge of his nose, clearly distraught over Kie and Pope’s anger. “Ok! Well you know what?” JJ yelled over the sound of the jets, finally standing up. You gasped as you saw his abdomen but he continued to speak. “I didn’t do that! I got a hot tub!”
“Oh my god, JJ.” You whimpered, stepping forward to get a better look. If you had thought his face was badly bruised, his abdomen was a thousand times worse. There were nasty black and blue splotches all of his stomach where his father had punched him. You knew his father had gotten some good punches in but you never thought they would be this bad.
“For my friends. A hot tub for my friends. You know what? Screw friends. I got it for my family.” JJ softly said the last part, almost as if he felt weak. He looked to you finally and you saw the emotion in his eyes. “I got it for my girl.”
“JJ, I -” Kie started to say, all of the anger suddenly gone from her face and was replaced with worry.
“Look what I did.” JJ said, turning around in one spot and looking at the entirety of the hot tub. “Look what I did for you. Alright? Look at this.”
You looked to Kie as JJ’s back was turned to you and you saw her eyes brim with tears. As if she could read your mind, she looked at you and you both started to cry together. As the tears rolled down your face, JJ turned back around.
“JJ…” Kie started again, a tear sliding down her face.
“No, stop.” JJ held his hand out, pleading with her to stop crying. “Stop being emotional, it’s fine.” But it wasn’t. The second he reassured Kie it was fine, he looked down to the water and you watched as JJ himself started to cry.
You couldn’t watch this anymore. Without allowing JJ to have time to push you away, you climbed into the hot tub and lunged at him, hugging him as tightly as you could. He instantly hugged you back, forgetting about the last day and weeping into your shoulder. Kie was right behind you and hugged him on the other side. Pope was after Kie and before long, you were all hugging each other.
“I can’t take him anymore!” JJ cried into your shoulder, leaning against you.
You stroked his hair and tried to comfort him the best you could. Kie and Pope helped you, patting him on the back and hugging him tight. No one spoke as JJ cried, not exactly knowing what to say. You stayed there for what seemed like hours. It was enough time for the jets to turn off automatically and then the only noise was JJ’s weeping. He weeped for a long time but no one stopped hugging him. You wouldn’t let yourself let go. You couldn’t let go. He was in so much pain and he had always tried to cover it up the best he could but now all his walls are crumbling. Finally, he seemed to calm down and stop crying. When you were sure he was calm enough, you all let go of him. Pope was the first one to exit the hot tub and Kie was the second. Finally, you and JJ exited together. Kie ran to her car to grab a towel to dry JJ off as you and Pope guided him to the hammock near the water. When Kie returned with the towel, you silently thanked her and wrapped it around JJ. It seemed like ages before anyone spoke. You, along with Pope and Kie, had I idea what to say to JJ. There seemed to be nothing good enough to say so, for a very long time, you all said nothing.
Finally, JJ spoke. “I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for.” Kie said, looking at you.
You, Kie and Pope looked at him, almost surprised JJ was apologizing. Kie sat on the ground in front of JJ as you sat beside him and Pope stood beside Kie.
“I do.” JJ mumbled, his voice hoarse. “I spent that money when I should’ve never stolen it in the first place.”
You rubbed JJ's arm, consoling him gently. “It’s okay. Besides, I like the hot tub better.”
Everyone seemed to smile as you joked. Even JJ gave you a small smile. As the giggled died down, it became quiet between all of you again. This type of quiet, you had never experienced. It was almost as if there was so much to discuss, everyone just decided it was better not to say anything.
Finally, JJ spoke. “I’m kinda tired. Can we all just go to sleep and start all over again tomorrow?”
You looked to Kie and Pope who were already nodding. When you looked back to JJ, he was only looking at you. You nodded along with Kie and Pope. Although you still wanted to talk toJJ about what happened, you knew he deserved to rest.
As you all got situated for the night; Kie bringing blankets from John B.’s house to his backyard and Pope draining the hot tub, you couldn’t shake the feeling that this was not over.
~
You had not lay your head down for more than five minutes before you were woken by the sound of someone rustling around. Your eyes flew open, not at all tired. Although your day was tiring, you couldn’t sleep. There was too much on your mind. You sat up from your place laying on the blanket and looked around to see where JJ was. He was no longer beside you. Your heart dropped.Your mind instantly went to the worst case scenario as you imagined where JJ could be.
You got up from your place on the floor and made your way inside John B.’s house, where you hoped JJ would be. The second you entered his home, you saw a light in his kitchen on and smiled. Your heart relaxed a little. You knew you couldn’t completely relax until you knew where JJ was. As you made your way down the hall, you kept your eyes out for any noise signalling where JJ could be. Finally, you heard a sigh coming from the last room on the right hand side of the hallway. Slowly, you opened the door to see a quiet JJ sitting on the edge of John B.’s bed with a book in his hands.
“JJ?” You whispered, trying not to startle him.
JJ looks to you and weakly smiles, closing the book in front of him and placing it on John B.’s nightstand. “Hey.”
You move across the room slowly and sit beside him, reaching out to hold his hand. “How are you?”
JJ shrugged. “I’m tired but I can’t seem to sleep. Does that even make sense?”
You smile, nodding at him. “Yes.” You both stay quiet for a moment but soon your curiosity has peaked and you need to know the answer to a question you have. “What’s that?” You ask, pointing to the book JJ had put on the nightstand.
JJ smiles when he sees what you’re pointing at. It’s almost as if there is a memory tied to that book and you start to think there is. “JB’s journal.” JJ answers, watching as you smirk, surprised at the answer.
“Didn’t know John B. journaled.” You admitted, glancing at the book again before looking back at JJ.
JJ nodded, grabbing your legs and letting them drape across his. “Not anymore. Kid gave up after two weeks.There’s only a couple entries before he dad went missing and they talk about our stupid antics.”
You raise your brows, nodding happily. “I’m very familiar with those.”
JJ smirked, reaching up to cup your face. “Speaking of stupid,” he started, sighing a little before continuing. “I’m sorry for what happened this morning. I let my dad -”
“JJ,” You cut him off, not allowing him to apologize. “You don’t need to.”
“No,” JJ argued, now both of his hands cupping your face. “I do. I let my dad get into my head and ruin things for me.”
“But JJ, what you put up with is far too much.” You argue right back, making JJ smile at your stubbornness. “I want you to know you can come to me.”
JJ nodded, letting go of your face and standing up, your legs falling back beside the bed. JJ extended his hand out to help you up and you gladly reached out even though you didn’t need his help getting up. When you were standing, JJ did not let go of your hand and instead guided you out of John B.’s room and down the hall.
“JJ,” You whispered, letting him lead the way because you truly had no idea where you were going. “Where are we going?”
Suddenly JJ stopped and opened another door to another room. With only a smile on his face, he nudged you inside and followed behind you. When you realized what room you were in,you couldn’t help the smile on your face. You were in a closet. The deja vu hit you like a ton of bricks.
“Y/N…” JJ whispered, getting your attention.
When you looked at him, he leaned forward and captured your lips in his. At first, you were taken aback and didn’t react but you quickly recovered and kissed him back. You thought back to the word you used to describe how JJ made you feel; enchanted. It was like the first time all over again. It was always like the first time with JJ. You wondered, years from now, if the kisses would feel the same. You knew they would because it was different with JJ.
Finally, when you pulled apart, JJ spoke. “I love you so much it hurts.”
You smile wide, your arms wrapping around his neck. “I can’t explain how much I love you.”
JJ smiled just as wide and you and pulled you close.He smelled wonderful. He smelled like home. “Promise me, no matter what, we’re gonna be together.”
You nodded confidently. “No matter what.”
You both were not aware of the future and what it would bring. You didn’t know of the things John B. would find out in the morning on his boat ride with Ward. You didn’t know about what you all would have to do for John B. tomorrow, including evading the police. But even if you did know, your promise would have never changed. Because in the end, it was always going to be you and JJ.
Note: Sorry for the late update! Hope you guys enjoy!
Some more steamy stuff happens so prepare yourselves..
===========================================
I immediately regretted saying yes to going to the kegger, knowing I had to be at work at the ass crack of dawn the next morning. I was still slightly drunk when I woke up naked, tangled in my sheets. JJ wasn’t beside me, so I assumed he had already gone to work. As I got ready for the day, I reminisced on last nights events. The Pogues finally getting a break from Kook drama, Kie and Sarah and I making a truce, and JJ making love to me for the first time (and lots of other times when we got home). He was so sweet to me, just thinking of him made my heart burst. I loved that boy so much it consumed my entire being. Life without him wouldn’t be the same.
I took a longer shower than I had intended to, so I rushed out the door grabbing my keys on the way out. I drove the van as fast as the piece of shit could go and made it to work with five minutes to spare. I took some medicine from my locker to help with my hangover headache, the smell of The Wreck making me nauseous. I texted JJ asking him if he needed me to come pick him up after work since we usually get off at the same time. His usual fast reply didn’t come. I shrugged it off, assuming he must have been busy.
“How you feeling chick?” Kie asked me, coming over to hug me.
“I’m alright, just the usual hangover headache.” I laughed.
“Well I have a feeling it’s going to be a slow day, it’s just started pouring the rain. I think a tropical storm is headed our way.” Kie said, both of us turning our heads toward the TV. And sure enough, the news anchor was showing where a tropical storm was supposed to pass through.
“Great..I hope John B moved the boat so that big ass tree doesn’t ruin it” I mumbled.
I checked my phone again, still no response from JJ. Worry starting to bubble in my stomach. I really hoped he didn’t have to go to his house to get something. I started picking at my nails, a nervous habit of mine since I can remember.
“You ok?” Kie asked when she noticed my movements.
“I just haven’t heard from JJ, he wasn’t home when I woke up. I tried to text him and he hasn’t responded. I’m worried he had to go back to his dad’s” I confessed.
“I’m sure he’s just busy at work...You’re worrying about nothing.” Kie said, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. “You know what we need?” she asked.
“What’s that?” I asked, smiling at her.
“We need a girls night, just us, no boys” she said.
“That actually sounds awesome, I’ve been dying to have girl talk” I said. “What about Sarah?” I asked hesitantly.
“I was going to ask you the same thing. I..we talked last night and sorted our differences, so I guess we’re cool now. I think we should invite her.” Kie said.
“Sounds rad” I said.
Kie got out her phone and texted Sarah the details. I texted my brother the plans, telling him to relay the message to JJ since he isn’t picking up his phone. I actually tried calling JJ a few times, even FaceTiming him to see if he would pick up. My brother saying he hadn’t seen or heard from JJ either.
Later that day:
It was finally time for me to go and I ran to the back, got my stuff, and sprinted out of the building. I was not prepared for what I saw. JJ was sitting in the passenger seat of the van, looking straight ahead at nothing. I walked slowly over to him. I got inside the van, once I was up close I noticed he had been crying.
“JJ,” I whispered. He didn’t say anything, just kept looking straight. He wasn’t ready to talk yet, so I just put the van in drive and headed home.
Once we got to the chateau, I waited to see if JJ would get out. It was almost like he was frozen in place. I was scared, he usually would have spilled what was wrong. I wasn’t used to him going this long without talking to me. We told each other everything.
“Baby, I’m going inside to start dinner...just come talk whenever your ready.” I said. I leaned over to kiss his cheek and he flinched away. I was surprised and hurt. I got out and ran into the chateau.
I started preparing dinner, it had been a good thirty minutes and JJ sitill hadn’t come inside. I was cutting up some vegetables when I heard the front door close. I tensed up a little, but resumed what I was doing. I didn’t want him to think he had hurt me when he already had enough on his mind. I felt like someone was watching me, so I turned and saw JJ watching me.
“Um, I’m going to Kie’s after dinner, so...uh” I started, feeling insanely awkward. Why wasn’t he talking? Why was he looking at me like he had lost his puppy? I was so confused and hurt I didn’t know what to do.
“I love you” JJ said. I blinked, trying to process what he had said. Had I heard him right?
“What?” I asked, feeling my eyes widening.
“I love you, but we...you were right about our happy ending. It’s not going to work” he said tearing up.
It was my turn to be silent. I stared at him, the boy I have been in love with for as long as I can remember. The boy who I kept falling more in love with every single day. He’s fought for me, made love to me, and made me feel so incredibly happy. Now he’s wanting to turn the tables?
“I told you I didn’t mean that shit JJ” I said, now getting angry. How dare he throw that in my face the day after I gave something so sacred to him that I couldn’t get back.
“But you’re right sweets, I’m a low life. I literally have nothing to offer you. I barely get by with the job I have, I can barely contribute to anything here, and you deserve the best. And that’s not me.” he said, raking his hands through his blonde curls.
“JJ, you are it for me. I love you more than I thought it was possible to love someone. I’ve been in love with you for most of my life. I continue to fall more in love with you every single day. Whatever fucked up shit someone said to you, please don’t let that come between us. We’re better than that, stronger.” I said, staring deep into his eyes.
“No, I’m not going to let you throw away your life for me! I won’t let you!” he yelled, slamming his fist into the wall.
“JJ I’m not throwing anything away! I love you!” I yelled back.
“You can’t” he said, his voice cracking.
“Why? JJ, tell me what’s wrong.” I demanded, my voice cracking now. He stayed silent, looking at the ground. His shoulders heaving with his heavy breaths. I was getting angrier by the second because of his idiotic behavior.
“You know what? I’m going ahead to Kie’s. I’ll give you some time to think about what all you just said.” I walked into my room, shoving random stuff into my bag. I felt the tears starting to flow down my face. After everything that has happened in the last few days, he wants to call it quits?
“Baby,” JJ said coming into my room.
“No JJ, I told you I didn’t mean any of what I said the other night, and you want to throw that back in my face?” I questioned. I didn’t even turn to look at him, I continued with my task at hand. I got the courage to turn and look at him, fed up with his bullshit. “I gave you something that I can’t get back because I love you JJ Maybank,” I said pointing at him. “I gave you the most sacred part of me, and now you want to just throw it away? You want to just, give up on us? Hell no..” I started tearing up again, so I turned away from him. The rage starting to kick in and I couldn’t hold it back anymore.
“Go on, find someone else that will do absolutely anything and everything for you!” I yelled, throwing stuff at him. I threw whatever I could get my hands on, sobs building up in my throat. “Find another girl that would lay down her life for you asshole!” I sobbed. My heart felt like it was being ripped from my chest. Like it was being crushed into a million tiny pieces.
He started coming closer to me, his baby blue eyes filled with regret. I ran out of stuff to throw, so I grabbed my pillow and smacked him with it.
“Go find someone that will love you the way that I do” I said.
He grabbed my wrists, yanking me to him. I fought back, trying to get away from him. I shoved him as hard as I could, tears clouding my vision, and sobs coming heavy from my chest.
“Go JJ! Get out!” I screamed while pushing him. I didn’t mean a word of it, but I was so angry at him...I didn’t care.
“Stop it beautiful, let me talk” JJ whispered, trying to grab on to me. “I’m not leaving you, baby, please..” he said quietly.
“FUCKING LEAVE! You want rid of me, so go ahead J! You know where the door is!” I yelled. I shoved him one last time before he caught my wrist in a tight grip.
“FUCKING STOP!” he bellowed.
I quit fighting him, and just stared at him. He grabbed under my jaw and yanked me to his face, smashing his lips to mine. I grabbed at his sides, pulling him closer to me. We started walking backwards toward my bed. JJ turned around at the last second, sitting on the bed and pulling me into his lap. When we pulled away for air, I stared into his eyes, searching for what he was feeling.
“J,” I whispered. He leaned into my neck, brushing his lips right below my ear.
“I love you” he whispered.
My heart melted to my toes. I whimpered, trying not to cry again. I shoved my hands under his shirt and yanked it off of him. I did the same with mine, grabbing his face and kissing him again, both our tongues fighting for dominance. JJ ripped my bra off, then came up to squeeze my breasts. I moaned into his mouth, starting to grind on his lap.
JJ threw me back on my bed, unbuttoning my shorts and yanking them down with my underwear. He came back up and kissed me again, his hand traveling down south. I threw my head back and gasped when his finger brushed over my sensitive spot. His lips traveled to my neck while his fingers started to rub me. I grinded onto his hand, shoving my hands into his hair. He groaned into my ear, moving his hand to slowly enter a finger inside me. I wiggled my hips, trying to get some type of friction.
“You like that sweets” JJ smirked into my neck.
“Yes, please J, more” I gasped out.
He obliged by entering not one, but two more fingers inside me. The feeling was exhilarating, he started pumping his fingers. He started slow at first, but gradually sped up the more I got into it. I moaned and whimpered into his ear, tugging on his hair so hard I’m sure I would pull some strands out. The flat of his palm was hitting my nub just right and I knew I wasn’t going to last much longer. JJ started pumping faster, the obscene noises drew me even closer to the edge.
I looked down at his arms and saw the way his veins protruded from them due to how fast he was pumping his fingers, and lost it. I yelled his name and bucked my hips into his hand, he didn’t slow down until my legs started to shake.
It took me a moment to register that JJ had gotten up to take his shorts off until I felt his weight on top of me again. I heard the sound of plastic being torn, assuming he was putting on a condom. When he leaned back down I rubbed his cheek with my thumb and pulled him down to kiss me.
“I love you honey bear” I said to him.
He smiled wide and kissed me again, then he pulled back, lined up and pushed inside me. Having just came I was still a tad sensitive. I moaned loud, grabbing his shoulders. He started pumping in and out of me, I dug my nails into his shoulders because of the intense pleasure I was feeling.
JJ lifted my legs higher on his hips, hitting a new angle that touched a spot deep inside that lifted me to cloud nine. JJ sped up his pace, pounding hard into me that it was almost too much. He pulled my hair back so he could slam his mouth hard onto mine.
“JJ, I don’t think-I can-again” I gasped into his mouth. Feeling too much all at once.
“Yes you can my love, I know you can baby” he panted. He went even harder, taking his hand down to rub me hard and fast.
“J-J-can’t,” I stammered.
“Be good for me my love, cum with me baby” he whispered into my lips.
We both came at the same time, JJ buried his face into my neck, and I felt my eyes roll into the back of my head.
“I love you” we both said at the same time, laughing.
JJ went into the bathroom to dispose of the condom while I was still recuperating. I pulled my sheets over me, loving how they smelt just like JJ. He came out of the bathroom and slid under the covers with me. We faced each other, entangling ourselves in the sheets. I laid my head just under his chin and kissed his throat.
“Let’s not talk about that ever again..” I said, hiding my face in his throat.
“If it means I get to fuck you like that again, then I’m bringing it up all the time.” he joked.
“Stop” I laughed, pulling back to playfully slap his chest. He laughed, pulling me back into him.
“Never again, I love you sweets” JJ said, kissing my hair.
“ I guess you’re alright Maybank,” I teased. JJ acting mock offended trailed his hand to my side to tickle me. “JJ quit!” I giggled.
“Say it back” he said, continuing to tickle me. I kept up the act until I couldn’t breathe.
“Ok! ok!” I yelled, still giggling. He stopped and looked at me expectantly.
“Sweets,” he murmured, his hands starting to move again.
“I love you” I said, hugging him to me.
“I know, I’m pretty great” he said, laying back into the pillows.
“You’re such a dick” I shoved him again, laughing.
“Yeah, but you love me for it” he smiled at me, pulling me down to lay on his chest.
