“Friendship” Bracelet
‧₊˚𓆉 JJ Maybank x pogue!Reader
‧₊˚𓆉 Summary: it was just a stupid friendship bracelet. simple. a way to kill the time. but you were too close to him. and the word “friendship” didn’t feel like the right fit .
‧₊˚𓆉 Warning: none! just pure tooth ache fluff. Not proofread
‧₊˚𓆉 Word Count: 1.4k words
‧₊˚𓆉 A/N: i used to be OBSESSED with making these bracelets. every summer i attempt to make one and then i either never finish or wear it until it falls off. anyway enjoy <3
masterlist
JJ’s legs twitched underneath him, staring at the unfinished friendship bracelets scattered on the table.
He picked up the string and inspected it slowly, blue eyes dropping down from the neat rows of knots to the strings that flowed underneath it.
He brushed his hands lazily along each color before picking up a string of bright orange and threaded it across each one. The string clustered together forming into a ball. He huffed angrily, throwing it back onto the counter and pulled his cap down, pursing his lips and blowing raspberries into the air.
You stopped strumming against the string of John B’s old ukulele and stood up a small smile etched on your face.
“You give up so easily,” you muttered to him and sat down on the couch, the mattress dipping at your weight.
JJ peeked under the brim of his cap, lips jutting out under his teeth in a playful frown.
“Are you pouting?” You laughed, shoulders bumping against his.
“I don’t pout.”
You rolled your eyes, picking up the knotted string and untied them, your fingers rubbing against the smooth thread.
“Here,” you muttered grabbing a hand full of the thread and thrusting it into his chest. “Sit up Ima teach you.”
JJ grumbled under his breath, pushing himself up and flipping his hat in his hands. He rested his elbows on his knee and leaned forward enough for you to feel his warm breath on your arm.
“So I just —“ He picked up four colors, cutting them and tied them together.
“Over and under,” you said over your shoulder threading each one quickly to form a pattern.
You looked at his pile, a mush of colors that definitely clashed was knotted together. The tip of his tongue sticking out in between his teeth and his eyebrows furrowed together.
You tried not to laugh, pursing your lips together. “Those are the colors you’re using?”
He huffed throwing a string towards you and tossing the rest onto the porch floor. before crossing his arms. “I thought they had potential.”
“Oh! Don’t be such a baby!” You cooed tugging at his arm jokingly. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings JJ.”
He threw a bunch of colors together and threw them at you playfully. “There, better Mozart.”
“I think you ment Picasso.” you coughed out a laugh scrunching your nose at him. He picked up the string from your lap, fingers brushing over your skin and your breath hitched slightly, enough for JJ to notice the broken pattern.
He pulled away quickly, and splayed each string along the table. You cleared your throat rubbing your hand down your thigh before lightly grabbing his wrists and placing it on your unfinished bracelet.
“Here,” you said softly. “Make a four, then loop the tail in between and pull.” You guided his hands through the motion repeating the steps again until he created a clear line. Your soft hands rubbed against his calloused ones and he stilled.
“There,” you smiled shyly. “You’re a natural.”
JJ grinned at you before his smile slightly faltered as you let go of his hands, missing the feeling of your warmth. “Bet I could make you one,” he muttered, eyes still on the strings like it wasn’t that deep, but his grin gave him away.
“Yeah?” You teased winking playfully at him not understanding the sweat that began to drip down his forehead from the way your hair cascaded down his bicep. “Think you could handle it Picasso?”
His grin lingered, then softened. “Watch me.”
It took him forever. But it was a sweet side that you rarely saw from your friend. His eyes squinted in concentration and his blonde hair falling just above his eyelashes.
The knots were uneven, the colors clashed, but something in his look showed he poured his heart into the mangled string. He held it out like it was worth something, grinning at it widely and squinting his head towards the side as if comparing it to your complexion.
“Can I?” His voice dropped. Soft. Careful. His eyes dipped towards your wrist before nodding at it.
For a second you forgot to breathe before you let out a soft “Yeah.”
He tied it on your wrist like it might break, like it was the most fragile piece of jewelry you ever tried on. His fingers traced your skin when he finished and his grin never faltered, dimples winking at you in the sun.
“Don’t make fun okay?” He voiced a smirk dancing on his lips like one of his jokes. But it was the softness that caught you off guard. The puppy dog look in his eyes that made your head mindlessly nod to whatever he said.
His eyes lingered on you for a heartbeat. Then two.
He leaned in, lips brushing against yours just enough for the ridges of his mouth to catch on your lipgloss. It was a quick kiss, barely even there. His lips were shaky and then he pulled away before you could even process it.
Everything stopped for a moment, even the air, heavy and humid, seemed to hold its breath. The bracelet burned into your skin like a silent reminder that you were in fact alive and not dreaming. The ghost of his lips still lingered, soft and unreal against your own.
JJ looked up at you, and the only thing that went through your mind was the image of your cherry lipgloss on his lips and the words Holy Shit.
“Don’t,” he hesitated before standing up. A flush color exploring all around his neck and to his cheeks. “Don’t laugh at that.”
And then he bolted leaving you leaning into the air as if he was still there. You blinked, the humidity and reality of it all hitting you violently.
A small smile spread across your face, laughing everything off. JJ had kissed you and looked genuinely shaken. Like you somehow had an effect on the boy. His cap still smashed his blonde hair, tips soaked with nervous sweat, his cheeks were burning red, and he kissed you without a sly comment leaving his now cherry glossed lips.
You blinked, a quiet breath slipping out. “What just -“
You didn’t need to finish the question, not really. The answer was plain and simple. JJ Maybank kissed you, and even though he didn’t give you a chance to kiss him back you wanted too.
God you wanted to.
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