#pogues writings oc

[pogues-writings]

Annnddd this is Danny…

She’s kinda the leader of our group, so we call her Captain, or Cap for short.

She’s really creative— into all kinds of art stuff. She’s basically the next Van Gough. Yenno, without the whole going mad and cutting off your own ear part.

But her parents are pretty much legends on The Cut. Her dad owns a small bait shop and teaches surfing lessons to Kooks as a side hustle. Her mom? She was my dad’s partner in crime. She died two years ago in a car crash. It kinda shook us all.

Anyway, Danny’s been apart of the group since diapers— actually, the group started with me and Danny.

She smart. And strong. And doesn’t take shit from anyone. She’s the best at rollin’ J’s, cookin’ pancakes, and surfing. (but don’t tell JJ I said that) She prefers to skate everywhere and is kind of a hothead, in the best way.

She’s blood.

She’s loyal.

She's brave.

She’s a Pogue.

[itneverendshere]

trying to behave, but i'm feelin' some type of way - r.c drabble.

request: rafe x bitchy!pogue reader pleaseeeee!!!! he just hates that he wants her soo fucking bad and she finds it hilarioussss warnings: it gets steamy but no smut!; slutshaming; mean!rafe.

you’re out of place here, which is exactly why you’re here, tannyhill.

fuck them. fuck him.

every high-strung kook princess with their perfectly manicured nails gives you a quick once-over, nostrils flaring when they catch the sight of your scuffed-up boots. not that you care. it’s not like you’re trying to impress anyone.

and why should you? you’re only here for the free booze, it’s not your fault this place is such a bore. always all pearls, pastels, and the scent of white wine and privilege. who the fuck drank white whine at a party? but the real reason you’re here, the whole damn reason, is staring straight at you from across the room.

rafe cameron. ugh and yum.

he’s leaning against the bar, muscles taut under that fitted navy polo like he was born to flex, with a scowl as always. it’s always that look—the one that’s aimed solely at you, every time he sees you. it’s practically a tradition by now. you show up somewhere, he glares.

there’s a tightness in his shoulders, something tells you he’s going to snap eventually, maybe it’s because you’ve been pushing buttons lately. maybe it’s because he’s got his daddy’s expectations hanging over his head like a guillotine.

or maybe it’s just because he wants you, and that little inconvenient truth pisses him off to no end.

you flash him a slow, lazy grin, shifting your hips as you grab a beer from the cooler. when you catch the way his eyes drag over you, lingering on your exposed skin, your stomach hums with satisfaction.

let him look. let him stew in it.

“country club,” you call sweetly, raising your bottle in a mock toast, the light catching on the condensation like it’s winking at him. “how’s it going?”

his jaw ticks, his lips pressing into a thin, flat line. “you shouldn’t be here.”

“and yet, here i am,” you sing-song back, taking a slow, pointed sip. you’re feeling reckless tonight. he’s dangerous, sure. but he’s also predictable. you know exactly how to make it worse.  “aww, what’s wrong?”

you know exactly this’ll go. he’ll insult you, you’ll insult him back, and then—

his eyes narrow dangerously, that vein in his temple ticking. “what the fuck are you wearing?”

you blink innocently, glancing down at yourself. “clothes, obviously. why? does it bother you?”

“yeah,” he snaps, eyes raking over you again, lingering on the swell of your chest, the sliver of skin peeking out above your waistband. “aren’t you tired of slutting yourself around?”

your lips curl into a smirk, the slow burn of satisfaction warming your chest. this is exactly what you were hoping for.

“slutting myself around?” you echo, voice teasing. “didn’t know you were keeping tabs.” you cock your head, letting your gaze linger on his flushed cheeks, the way his nostrils flare, and that slight clench of his fists by his side.

he’s seething—looks ready to burst into flames right here in front of the bar. good.

he’s always been like this with you. short fuse, especially when it comes to what you’re wearing, how you look, where you go. but you’re onto him. you know what it’s really about.

“you must really be obsessed with me,” you continue, “it’s kinda weird, don’t you think?” you take another sip, slow and deliberate, licking your lips as you meet his glare. he steps closer, crowding into your space, his chest brushing against your shoulder. you should back up, or at least pretend to care, but you just tilt your head, looking up at him with a smug little grin. “what’s wrong?” you murmur, “feeling a little tense?

“fuck off,” he grits out, stepping back like he’s burned. but it’s too late. you’ve got him now.

you cock your head, giving him a slow, taunting smile. “why? afraid you’ll get hard in front of your little friends?”

his eyes darken, jaw clenched so hard you wonder if it hurts. “i swear to god—”

“what?” you interrupt, teeth flashing. “you gonna hit me? break another one of your daddy’s toys?” you wave your hand around the pristine room, the glittering chandelier, the polished bar. “go on, then. show everyone what a psycho you are.”

“you think i won’t?” 

“yeah, i think you won’t,” you say softly, staring right into those burning blue eyes of his. “because you’re all bark and no bite.”

“you wanna see bite?” he murmurs, voice dripping venom. “i’ll show you fucking bite.”

then his hand snaps out, wrapping around your upper arm, and before you can react, he’s yanking you out of the room, down a hallway that’s all shadowed corners. you stumble, cursing under your breath, but he doesn’t stop until you’re both crashing through a side door into some empty back corridor.

“jesus, cameron, take a fucking xanax—” you start, wrenching your arm free.

for a second, you think you’ve gone too far. his whole body goes still, and something flares in his gaze—something unhinged and a little bit terrifying. but instead of snapping, instead of throwing a punch, he leans in, so close you can feel the heat of him against your skin.

you’re shoved against the wall, hard, his body caging yours in, his hands braced on either side of your head. you freeze, breath hitching. he’s close—too close—and it’s too hot and too much and—

“shut up,” he growls.

you should tell him to fuck off. you should knee him in the balls. you should do anything but feel the way you do right now—flushed, breathless, and…too horny for your own good. 

“do you always have to be so fucking dramatic?” you huff, placing your hand in chest in a futile attempt to push him away. you know he can break you in half if he wants to. 

he doesn’t move of course, just stares at you, chest heaving like he’s just run a marathon. he’s got that crazed look in his eyes that should make you run for the hills, and yet you stay put.

and then, suddenly, his mouth is on yours, demanding and angry.

it’s not a kiss—it’s a punishment. his teeth nip at your bottom lip, his tongue sliding against yours with a harshness that steals your breath. you gasp, your hands coming up to shove him away again, but somehow they get tangled in his hair instead, gripping the soft strands as he presses closer, closer— it’s a disaster. you’re a disaster. because you don’t pull away. 

you kiss him back like an idiot, just as desperate, your nails digging into his scalp as you pour all your frustration into the kiss. why does he have to be this hot? in your books, kooks aren't allowed to be hotter than a 5. unfortunately, rafe is a solid eleven.

he tastes like mint and rage, and it shouldn’t feel this good, but it does. god, it does. he breaks away, panting, glaring down at you like you’re dirt under his shoes. “you drive me fucking insane, y’ know that?”

“good,” you gasp, licking your lips. “you deserve it.”

he laughs, a low, harsh sound. “you’re such a fucking bitch.”

“and you’re a spoiled, narcissistic asshole,” you snap back, shoving at his chest. he doesn’t even flinch, just glares harder, and it sends a thrill through your entire body. you’d never seen him like this, so unguarded and it was weirdly intoxicating. 

“i should ruin you,” he murmurs, almost like he’s talking to himself. his hand comes up, fingers brushing your jaw, trailing down your throat. “make you beg.”

you keep your expression defiant. “you think you can?”

rafe smirks, slow and dangerous, and it makes something burst in your belly. “i know i can.”

his hand slides lower, fingertips brushing the hem of your top, and your breath catches. you should stop this again. you should slap him, kick him, do anything but let him keep touching you like that, but you don’t. you just stare up at him, heart racing.

“show me then.”

and then his hands are on you, yanking you forward, spinning you around. you gasp, palms slapping against the wall as he presses up behind you, his body solid against yours.

“you’re a fucking brat,” he growls, his mouth right against your ear. one of his hands comes up, fingers tangling in your hair, pulling just enough to make your back arch.

“and you’re obsessed with me,” you shoot back breathlessly, tilting your head to meet his gaze over your shoulder.

rafe’s grip tightens in your hair, hard enough to sting, and his lips brush your earlobe, “obsessed?” he repeats, like he can’t believe you had the fucking audacity to say it. “don’t flatter yourself, baby.”

but you feel the way his body presses against yours. your panties might be drenched but this man is just as hard. he’s close to you—so fucking close—you feel every ridge of him, and despite every insult he’s ever thrown your way, despite how much he claims to hate you, he’s here. the way he’s breathing tells you exactly what you need to know. 

you twist against him, pushing back just enough to test his restraint. “then why are you so worked up, huh?”

“i think you’re confusing us.”

“sure,” you laugh, even as his hands move down your sides, his fingernails digging into your hips. “that’s why you dragged me out here, right? because you’re just so indifferent?”

his chest brushes against your back with every ragged breath. he’s losing it. you’re making him lose it. and fuck, that feels good.

“i could ruin you,” he whispers again, like he’s trying to convince himself. his hand skim up your ribs, thumb grazing the underside of your tit, and your senses kicks into overdrive. “one word from me, and you’re done.”

“you’re all talk cameron,” you challenge, arching your back slightly, giving him more room to touch you.

you shouldn’t want this—you shouldn’t need this—but you can’t stop. 

his mouth is on your neck, hot and open, teeth scraping against your skin in a way that sends a shudder from your head to your toes.

“fuck you,” he growls against your throat, the words almost lost in the heat of his mouth. “i’m not playin’ your games.”

you bite back a moan, fingers curling against the cold wall. “you’re already playing.”

“you’re so fucking—” he cuts himself off, breathing harshly through his nose. “fuck, i hate you.”

“no, you don’t,” you turn your head just enough to catch his eye. his gaze is wild, and you smirk, taunting him with your lips just inches from his. “you wish you did.”

you know you’re pushing your luck, but then again, when haven’t you?

“you have no fucking clue what i wish,” he growls, each word dripping with so much frustration it makes you laugh.

it comes out like a soft, mocking sound. “ooh, i think i do. you wish i’d shut up. wish i’d disappear. but you really wish you didn’t get hard every time ’m around.”

his jaw ticks, that telltale sign that you’re getting to him. god, he hates you. you can see it in his clenched teeth, his furrowed brows. he hates that he wants a pogue and you find it hilarious.

“don’t flatter yourself pogue,” he snaps, but his voice is strained. his hands tighten on your hips, fingers biting into your skin just shy of painful.

you push back against him just a little harder again, feeling the rigid line of his cock pressed against your ass.

“yeah?” your voice turns breathy. “then why do i feel that?” you grind your hips subtly, just to punctuate the point, and the low sound that rumbles out of him is almost worth the risk of provoking him further.

“because you’re a fucking tease,” he mutters, voice harsh and low in your ear. “you show up, looking like you want it—”

“and so what if i do?”

it’s a dare. he’s holding you, like he can’t decide if he wants to strangle you or fuck you senseless, perhaps both. you know you’ve crossed some invisible line.

“you’re gonna regret this,” he murmurs.

“maybe,” you shoot back, unflinching. “but that’s the thing, rafe.” you twist, just enough to look at him over your shoulder, “i think you’re more scared of what you might regret.”

instead of shoving you away, instead of storming off, he does the one thing you didn’t expect. he laughs.

it’s that crazy sound he makes before he does something reckless every time, the kind that makes people run away. it’s such a humorless sound, it should scare the living shit out of you as he leans in, lips brushing against your neck. “don’t say i didn’t warn you.”

before you can answer, one hand slides up to cup your jaw, tilting your head back so you’re forced to meet his eyes. they’re wild, almost feral, just like you expected.

“tell me to stop,” he whispers, his thumb brushing your lower lip, the touch so gentle it’s almost jarring. “go on, say it.”

you swallow hard, pulse hammering in your throat. you should say it. but you don’t want to.

“make me.” you know he hears you—feels you—because the corner of his mouth lifts in a slow, taunting smirk.

“yeah?” he drawls, thumb slipping from your lip to trace along your jawline, his touch featherlight and maddening. “you sure?”

“prove me wrong. or are you scared?”

“you think ’m fucking scared of you? think i can’t handle a little mouthy brat like you?”

he’s goading you, pushing you like he always does, and every word you had prepared dies on your lips 

“i’d loooove to see you try.”

“oh, you will.”

[i-love-ptv]

I’m Crying While I’m Cummin’

JJ Maybank x reader

An: Hey Hotties! This is my first EVER fic (kinda just a blurb since it’s a littleeeee short.) I hope you enjoy!

Feedback would def be appreciated bbs!

(You’re hot if yk what song the title’s from 🤭)

Fluff + NSFW <3

JJ was always on top. Always the dominant one.

Yes, he’s had a few tourons ride him, but completely control him? It almost sounded foreign to him. He never even considered letting go; letting himself be taken care of.

That was before you came along.

Now, sometimes he finds himself thinking about what it’d feel like to let his thoughts exit his body while you take what you want from him. Milk his cock for all he’s worth until he’s withering underneath you.

Until he can’t think about anything except for you.

You, you, you.

Your scent is intoxicating, and he feels himself getting wasted on the smell of saltwater, sex, and your perfume. He can smell faint remnants of the shampoo you use and it makes him melt like the ice cream you licked off your fingers yesterday in the hot sun.

Your touch is warm: like the rays of sun beaming down on the obx.

The sun.

You remind him of the sun. You were his sun.

His everything.

He can’t help but think about how lucky he is to have you while you’re quickening your pace as you ride him. You light up his life, and right now, he really wishes you’d just choke him. He wants you to take every thought and every question out of his head until he can barely keep his head straight.

He begs, whines, and cries out to you.

Blubbering on about what exactly?

God, he doesn’t even have a clue anymore.

His speech is slurred, making you giggle softly in his ear. He feels your laughter rattle throughout your body, making you clench even more around his throbbing cock.

He lets out another hearty moan.

The sounds of the bed squeaking, and the slaps of your bodies becoming one floods his senses.

You flood his senses.

His eyes water as his throat tightens, he recognizes the diminuendo of the beautiful song you two have created together.

He thrashes around as you slick cunt takes every drop of cum out of his leaky, aching, dick.

The pair of you are scrambling around, trying to grab one another desperately; like your lives depended on it.

Life.

That’s what JJ thinks about as you coo sweet nothings into his sensitive ears.

He wants to feel this way forever: pussy drunk, fuzzy, and loved. Loved by you. At this moment he decided that he didn’t need anyone but you.

And he knows you’ll always be the one to make him feel this beautiful.

[seriesxwriting]

rafe x maybank!reader where she goes to rafe after luke beat her up, but they’re not actually dating, just friends with benefits and he gets so worried cuz he doesn’t know about how luke treats her and jj and he just takes care of her

Thank you so much, I appreciate the request!! This sounds so fun to write I hope I can capture your idea for you<3.

He’s my safe haven

Rafe x reader (jjs sister)

Series- Outer banks

Warnings- swearing, domestic abuse (fighting), degrading words, sort of kissing. Main character putting herself down.

Summary- Request 💗

-requests are open for any characters 🫶

“Where are you going bitch?” Luke scowled from the sofa. He had another beer in his hand now after I’d kicked the other one all over the floor trying to get away from him.

“Somewhere your not” I sniffed through the pain my body was going through. “And where are you going to go” he laughed out loud throwing his head bad. “No one wants you, you don’t matter to anyone” my dad spat at me before taking another slip. He slapped his lips together and put the glass on the table, getting up.

“She’s had enough!” JJ stormed out of his room to stand in front of me. “J don’t” I winced but he put his arm out to block me. “I decide when she’s had enough” luke chuckled getting closer to us. He violently grabbed JJ by the neck and threw him on the floor.

I tried to get out of the door but Luke gripped my ponytail pulling it backwards hard. I grunted as he slammed me into the wall. A second after he landed a gnarly punch to my stomach.

Repeating his actions from an half an hour ago. “You do it to yourself you know that, by just talking you do it to yourself” he screwed up his face before his fist drove back again. Using my knee I pushed him backwards before kicking him in between the legs.

He cried out in pain and I ran for the door. “You’ll get what’s coming for you one day” I slammed the door in his face and bolted from the house. Of course it was raining. In fact it was pouring down. I did hear something about a storm on the news earlier.

As much as I hated to admit it luke was technically right. I had no place to go, no safe haven. But running through the rain, crying my eyes out and being in so much fucking pain led me to one idea. It was a long shot but it was the only idea I had. And off to figure eight I went.

-<3-

I knocked on Rafe’s window after climbing up biting back the screams from the intense pain all across my body. He was laying on his bed when he rolled his head over to sus out the noise. When he saw me sitting on the seal he grinned and bounced up tossing his phone on the bed.

“Well Well Well, look who it is showing up at my window” he swung his arms smugly walking towards the window to open it for me. He lifted the glass up and I climbed in.

“Hi” I breathed awkwardly looking at him, as I did his face dropped. “What the fuck happened?” He strode forward like we were magnets and held my face in his hands. Softly his thumb ran over a bruise that was forming on my cheek. He turned my face to the other side seeing another on my jawline. “You never seen a bruise before?” I smirked leaning forward into a kiss.

Rafe softly planted a quick kiss on my lips before pulling away from my face shaking his head.

“Just help me forget it rafe” I stepped closer to him again. “Not this time y/n- sit down” Rafe ordered pointing to his bed letting go of me.

He wondered off into his on-sweet while I didn’t know what to do with myself. “You going to tell me what happened?” He asked when coming back out. “I fell” my Shoulders shrugged awkwardly.

“Well your clearly lying, will you sit down please?�� He asked again with a small medial kit under his arm. “Rafe this is not necessary, it don’t matter! I don’t matter!” I raised my voice slightly feeling my eyes prick with tears again.

“Y/n” he whispered shaking his head coming over to hug me as my chin wobbled. As soon as he did I broke down crying into his shirt balling it up in my fist just to keep him close. Rafe guided me to the bed where he sat and pulled me onto his lap. “You matter to me” he whispered squeezing me gently.

“Ive seen bruises on your body before- i think I was scared to ask in all honesty, but never on your face y/n never this bad”. I pulled away from his chest to look up at him wiping my face. “This isn’t your shit to deal with Rafe” I shook my head vigorously.

“Does it really look like I mind?” Rafe interrogated raising his eyebrow up. “Why is it so hard to believe I just want to help you” “I’ve told you how to help” I whispered moving my hand up to his face. “Don’t be stupid your clearly hurt, you need to rest” Rafe took my hand off his face holding it.

“And you need to change out of these wet clothes I can’t believe your dad let you out there in a storm”. My face dropped when Rafe mentioned my dads name and he picked up on it.

“I’m going to get you some of Sarah’s clothes from the utility room- your welcome to use the shower there’s towels in there” Rafe kissed my hand before getting up and leaving the room. It was tempting, rafes shower was the best feeling in the world. “Fuck it” I shrugged and headed to the kooks shower.

I was only in there for ten or fifteen minutes before coming back into rafes room with a green towel wrapped around me. My hair was brushed out now too so I looked less of a mess. “Hey” I smiled weakly, Rafe watched the bruising on my chest and on my thighs as I walked round to him.

He didn’t say anything just got up and put his arm out to hold my face. I flinched. I don’t know why I didn’t mean to I know Rafe wouldn’t ever hurt me. “I’m sorry I…” “…Is it luke?” He whispered pulling back and cutting me off, looking into my eyes. Now I didn’t say anything, just stared up at him.

“I’m going to get changed now” I shut down the conversation and reached over picking up the pile of clothes rafe laid out for me, walking back into the bathroom. My heart pounded against my chest. Rafe had gotten me some grey jogging bottoms, a white crop top and a matching grey jumper for over the top which I didn’t put on because I was boiling, unfortunately that left on show the worst bruise that Luke landed on me before I left.

When I came back into rafes room he was laying in bed with the TV on. He patted the other side not looking at me.

Hesitantly, I walked over and climbed in under the warm covers next to him. The boy scooped me up landing my head on his chest while his arms were wrapped tightly around me.

“He’s a piece of shit” rafe whispered to me after a second, almost like he couldn’t hold it back. “I know” I replied with a minimal response. “And so Is JJ for letting that happen” “don’t say that” I snapped shaking my head. “JJ gets it worse because he’s always protecting me”, Rafe hummed watching the tv but not listening to it. He was thinking.

“You can’t go back there y/n” he exhaled sounding worried. “I have to go back rafe there’s no where else for me to go”

“You can crash here” rafe suggested clinging onto me tighter. “He’s my dad Rafe, i cant avoid him forever and I can’t stay here forever” I rubbed his hand with my thumb. “But it’s cute you care” I smiled to myself. “of course I care” he replied quickly, “you just need to know that your welcome here when ever you need- AND that you do matter y/n, you do”.

“thank you Rafe” I whispered looking up at him. His face was so close to mine. All I had to do was close the two centimetre gap between our lips. It was tempting, have you seen that man? Of course it was tempting.

He looked down at me with his piercing blue eyes and smirked after a few seconds. “Get it out your head it’s not happening yet, your still hurt” “yet is the key word there Cameron” I grinned shrugging. Rafe chuckled hugging me tighter.

I found my safe haven. It wasn’t a place after all, it was a person. It was Rafe Cameron.

[yuna542]

[6.]

~Pogues to the Rescue~

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader/Oc

Genre: Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Smut, Angst, Drama, Action

Warnings: Jellyfish-stings, Swearing, Alcohol and drugs

Taglist: Open

Word count: 2,8K

Summary: The Kook princess is back after a year and reignites the war between Pogues and Kooks on Kildare. But she quickly realizes that after this year, nothing is the same as before. Deception, secrets from the past, and dangerous conspiracies sweep across Kildare, leaving her no choice but to work with the Pogues and her personal nemesis to find the truth and maybe even $8 million. A dangerous treasure hunt begins that turns her world upside down.

Note: Hope you like this part. Let’s say I’m pretty devastated and sad about S4…

Soundtrack:

⏯️Play: Ain’t It Fun by Paramore

“Where you're from

You might be the one who's running things

Where you can ring anybody's bell and get what you want

See it's easy to ignore trouble

When you're living in a bubble”

"Put me down!" escaped me irritably as I drummed my palm on his frighteningly firm chest as soon as we reached the stairs.

I could feel his warm skin close against mine and it was messing with my head.

He just snorted and actually let go of me.

"Wait here! And be quiet!"

Already he had disappeared into the house. I settled down on the step, sighing, since I had no choice anyway.

Only a few moments later he came back with a red plastic box with a white cross on it.

He placed it on the cheap plastic table that looked like it had been stolen from a kiosk where they sold those disgusting fries.

When I looked at it closer, I noticed that it probably was.

"Shit," I heard Maybank mutter, and he closed the box again.

"What?"

I looked over my shoulder questioningly, careful not to turn my upper body.

"It's empty. My dad must have used it all up."

He put his hands on his hips and seemed to be trying to figure out what to do with me now.

"Well, we can definitely go ahead and disinfect the wounds."

Suspiciously, I watched him disappear back into the house and return with a large bottle containing a transparent liquid.

Half of the bottle was already empty.

He sat down next to me on the step and unscrewed the cap.

"What's this?"

I grabbed his hand before he could pour the contents onto my leg.

"Vodka. Alcohol."

He looked at me as if I didn't know what that meant.

"I know what vodka is, dickhead, but is this really a good idea?"

I knew alcohol was used to disinfect, but that's about all I knew about medical treatments.

JJ just shrugged.

"It got 70%. You won't find anything better."

"Yeah, I bet."

JJ gave me an annoyed look, but I just raised my eyebrows provocatively. There probably wasn't even a pharmacy here.

After a moment's hesitation, I finally gave in. What could go wrong?

I could not use an inflammation or infection now.

So I let go of his hand and he began to pour the liquid over my leg.

Immediately a burning sensation shot through my leg, making me gasp loudly.

Several curses escaped me as I waited for the probing pain to subside.

"Now the back," JJ said, and I wanted to punch him in the face.

"On three. One. Two..."

I couldn't even take a breath, when he already had poured the alcohol over the wound on my side as well. The pain was even worse there, and because of the shock I couldn't prepare myself internally.

Reflexively, I grabbed his arm and clawed into it so as not to cry out.

Although I dug my nails into his skin, he didn't make a face, but reached for my hand to squeeze it.

When the pain finally subsided, I pulled my hand away and glared angrily at him.

"Asshole!", I hissed and braced myself to get up from the stairs.

"You're welcome," he replied, setting the vodka down on the table.

"This really should be looked at. I can drive you home so that-"

"No!", I interrupted him harshly, fixing him with my gaze.

There was no way I could go home like this. Rick would just ask a lot of questions and if he found out I was surfing, that I was on the Cut and if he saw JJ to top it all, I'd be screwed....

I'd rather not imagine his reaction.

Astonished, the blond tilted his head and crossed his arms.

Fortunately, he didn't ask any more questions, since he didn't seem to care either.

"Then I'll take you with the others. John B has a first aid kit in the Twinkie and Pope knows what to do. I was on my way there anyway."

Vehemently, I shook my head.

„No, absolutely not!"

At that very moment I staggered and would have fallen forward if he hadn't grabbed me by the wrist.

"You have no choice, though," he murmured, holding my wrist tightly. As he did so, his gaze wandered aimlessly through my face and I noticed the dark green circles at the corner of the endless blue of his eyes.

They were really intense and reminded me of the cloudless sky over Kildare.

Everything in me resisted going to the other Pogues.

For one thing, I was embarrassed to ask for help, and for another, I couldn't let myself be seen there.

If anyone found out about this, I would also be screwed. At JJ's look, however, I realized that I really had no choice.

He clearly seemed to enjoy every second of my sorrow.

I needed help and this was my only option.

He realized that I was admitting defeat and at that, the corners of his mouth lifted a bit. It wasn't until he took a few steps back that I noticed how close he had just been to me.

"We're going on my motorcycle."

He tried to support me, but I fought off his hand. I could still walk myself, even if it was hard.

I didn't want him to think I was weak or needed his help.

So he went ahead and grabbed the keys and I tried to follow him.

"Do you think your friends are really going to help me?", I called out as I tried to catch up to him with a limp.

He glanced over his shoulder at me and tossed the key from his left hand to his right.

"They're going to help you! We're not self-serving kook assholes, after all."

I wanted to hurl a counter at him, but I couldn't think of anything to say. His words hit me because it was true. Hardly anyone from Figure Eight would have even been interested in what had happened to me.

Arriving at the motorcycle, he got on and put the key in the ignition.

The engine howled and rattled away contentedly.

JJ offered me his hand, which I accepted this time, to get on.

His fingers closed tightly around mine and when I was finally seated, he wrapped my hands around his body.

"Hold on tight, princess!"

Then he was already driving off and I actually had to clutch him to keep from falling off.

The wind went through my hair and made it dance around my head.

It wasn't until we turned onto the road after the wooded area that I realized I had been clinging to him tensely the whole time.

Gradually I let go and got used to the ride.

I felt his skin under my fingers and the muscles of his stomach under his unbuttoned shirt.

Directly my fingertips tingled and I fought the urge to run over the contour of his abs while my upper body was pressed tightly against his.

I couldn't focus on my surroundings and had lost my bearings after only a few minutes. Instead, I paid attention only to the amazingly toned body and broad shoulders in front of me.

When had this happened? Just a few years ago, JJ had been just a lanky little daredevil.

The smells of conifers, fresh grass, and salt water mingled into a distinctive nuance known only from the Outer Banks.

Slowly, I began to enjoy the time on the bike and forget about the pain. All too soon, the ride ended at a driveway.

The first thing I noticed as soon as we dismounted was the huge tree with countless branches that had a hammock hanging from it.

I had never seen such a special tree. Like a monster, its branches reached for the sky, trying to grab the clouds.

Or I had simply never paid such attention to trees before.

Behind it, John B's house came into view. Like JJ's fishing shack, it was run down, but still in reasonably good shape.

It even looked quite cozy, if not very luxurious.

As we climbed over the much-too-tall lawn and shrubs, I propped myself against JJ's shoulder.

It was uncomfortable, but my leg was already shaking with exertion.

On the patio sat the rest of the Pogues.

I could make out a large campfire area and the Pogues' old boat.

The property had to be really huge.

Besides, it was really beautifully situated.

Further ahead, the shore began and a long boardwalk led out to a small pavilion out on the water.

Ward Cameron would buy it in a heartbeat and put one of his mansions on it.

"There you are at last! What took you so long?", John B's loud voice rang out from the deck and already his head appeared from behind the sofa back.

"What the hell!" he snapped as his gaze fell on me.

Now Kiara and Pope also looked up. While Pope looked surprised and confused, Kiara looked at my face in disgust.

"What is she doing here?"

Kiara was sitting on an armchair with her ukulele on her lap. Pope sat across from her, tinkering with a fishing line. John B had been lying upside down on the sofa and was now completely perplexed.

"She's hurt. I had no choice but to take her. JB, you still have the first aid kit and that ointment, don't you?" explained JJ, helping me up the stairs.

John B frowned and I was eyed suspiciously by everyone, as if I could detonate a bomb at any time. After what they had done to the Camerons today, that concern was justified.

Kiara put her ukulele aside and straightened up.

With one look at my wounds, she immediately realized.

"Every child knows that this time of year the waters are teeming with Portuguese galleys!"

Kiara seemed upset, yet she stood up and looked at my reddened skin. By now, some numbness was spreading, but the pain did not subside.

"I'm really sorry that I don't have the know-how of a simple fisherman," I hissed, annoyed, and propped myself up against the wobbly railing.

Kiara now looked at Pope, who was also slowly approaching, almost frightened, and eyeing me.

"A simple fisherman wouldn't be so stupid, anyway," now came snidely from JJ, who rummaged in his pants pocket.

I glared at him angrily.

"JJ, what did you do?" asked Pope directly, and I realized that the alcohol had indeed probably not been a good idea.

The blond was now sitting on the sofa where John B had just been sitting. The other Pogue was standing behind Pope with his arms crossed, trying not to get in the way of the two.

"I disinfected the wounds," JJ muttered, putting a joint in his mouth. So that's what he'd gotten at his place.

A moment later, the click of his lighter sounded and he lit it.

"Just like a doctor. I saw it in the movie Pope made us watch!"

"Oh please don't!" it escaped Kiara.

"What? We only had vodka there, so I improvised."

Pope buried his face in his hands as Kiara was about to push JJ off the couch.

"Vodka? Are you out of your mind? You might as well have peed on it! Idiot," Kiara hissed, turning to the other two boys.

"Hey, at least I kind of helped. Could have left her there."

He clasped his hands behind his head and seemed pleased with himself as he blew smoke into the air.

Kiara just groaned in annoyance and pointed at Pope.

"You get the ointment and bandages, please! John B, get ice cubes in a cloth and JJ get a bottle of salt water!"

She threw an empty plastic bottle, harder than would have been necessary against his chest and when the boys disappeared without protest, I had to admit that I admired Kiara for her assertiveness.

I guess she was a kook deep inside after all.

"Come on! Sit down!" she urged me, so I did as she said, since she obviously had common knowledge about jellyfish stings.

Tentatively, I settled down on the sofa and watched as she sat down next to me.

"I don't see any more nettles.... That's good."

"Oh yeah?", I returned sarcastically, whereupon I got a threatening look.

"Don't think I'm helping you because I want to. I just want you to leave as soon as possible."

"Believe me, that's my fondest wish too."

At that moment, JJ came back and threw the water bottle to Kiara. Skillfully, she caught it and unscrewed the lid.

Without a word of warning, she poured the water down my side and then over my calf.

Instantly it burned again and I tried to breathe away the pain.

"You can thank JJ for that. Vodka... Really."

She still couldn't seem to believe that JJ had done that.

In fact, the stinging was starting to subside.

Now the other two returned as well.

Kiara handed me the cloth with the ice, which I eyed in disgust. It looked as if it had last been washed a decade ago.

"Press this on the wounds and the pain should go away completely!"

Tentatively, I did as she said and sure enough, the cold on my skin was liberating. First I pressed the ice underneath to my shoulder blade until the stinging disappeared and only the numbness remained.

Then I put my leg up and placed the cloth on my calf.

In the meantime, Kiara unwrapped the bandage stuff and took the ointment.

"This stuff will make the wounds heal quickly and not leave any scars," Pope explained calmly, leaning against the wall of the house next to John B.

„It's from my mom. Her ointments work like magic..."

„Great", I mumbled sarcastically. Pope immediately looked down on the floor, remembering who I was.

Kiara was now sitting behind me and I winced when I felt her cool fingers on my skin. She carefully probed the skin on my back and I felt like I was on display.

"Watch it," was the only thing she said before she pulled the strap of my bikini open with a flick of her wrist.

Panicked, I held the fabric pressed against my body before it would have fallen off.

Pope swallowed in a panic and turned to face the wall, John B had eyes as big as plates and it took endless seconds before he cleared his throat and averted his eyes as well.

JJ, on the other hand, was looking at me with that amused grin that made me go furious.

Along the way, Kiara spread the ointment on my back.

"The bikini was in the way. I'll bandage this now so the ointment can soak in," she muttered, taking the bandage off the table.

JJ made no effort to avert his eyes and seemed to be enjoying the show. He took a drag on the joint and looked challengingly into my eyes.

"That's very true, Kie! You should really get rid of the bikini completely," he said provocatively and obviously stared at my breasts, hoping to see something more.

Immediately, heat shot up my cheeks. John B cleared his throat loudly again and disappeared into the house with Pope.

It felt like an escape.

"Shut up! If you're not going to make yourself useful, get out of here and start a fire!", Kiara beat me to it and threw the empty water bottle at him again, which he caught this time.

He stood bolt upright and saluted.

"At your command, Captain!" he shouted and winked at me.

By now a huge knot had formed in my stomach, which wouldn't let me throw anything at him in return.

Already he was skipping down the stairs and sauntering down to the fireplace with the joint between his lips.

"He's always like that. Don't worry about it. Every girl he sees, he hits on. You're nothing special."

Kiara fastened the bandage around my body and tied my bikini back on. Even though her voice sounded cool, she no longer seemed so dismissive.

"I noticed that already. Thank you"

Then she began to tend to my leg.

"You really don't seem to like each other?" she said, smirking.

Directly, I shook my head.

"No... He's so incredibly rude and annoying."

"Yes that's true," she agreed, fastening the bandage.

"But still, he brought you here."

I didn't know the answer to that. After all, he just wanted to get rid of me again quickly, right?

⬇️

© Yuna542 — 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

[adoringmaybank]

Something in the Orange-

┈━═☆ in which JJ Maybank and Adelynn Cromwell navigate helping their friend on a search for gold while fighting the feelings they have for each other.

┈━═☆ warnings: mentions of alcohol, mentions drugs(weed), mentions of abuse, angst, mentions of death.

┈━═☆ The main chapters are based off of the show! The headcannons, blurbs, and thoughts are loosely based off of it depending on what they are

Chapters:

Headcannons:

Blurbs:

Thoughts:

[princessbrunette]

i dunno if this is a weird question hah but what’s ur type in girls??

i’ll let u do tha math…… 😳

[maybanksbabe]

𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐥 ➢𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑭𝒊𝒗𝒆 - 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒃𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝒁𝒐𝒏𝒆

𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 | 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - On a mission to retrieve a drone to help the group look for the Merchant, more hijinks ensue. Kodi gives the boys an insight into why Kie might have shot down John B. And as usual, nothing goes the way they planned it.

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠(𝐬) - language, passing mention of sexuality, boys being idiots, canon-typical drama, if I missed anything lmk!

"THAT'S NOT GOLD," Pope stated with disappointment as Kie handed out a sturdy envelope with marker printed on the front.

"Holy shit," John B mumbled as he took in the sight of the envelope. Kodi helped Kie out of the hole and the two of them moved to join the boys with the envelope.

"This is from my dad." John B looked around in disbelief, clearly hesitant to open it just yet.

"Guys - code red. Code red - square groupers! Square groupers!" JJ alerted them as a vehicle approached. They all hurried around the side of the crypt and dropped to the floor.

"Lights!" Kie hissed and all the lanterns and torches went off. Kodi reached over to help JJ turn off his headlamp when she noticed he was struggling.

"It's those guys that robbed your house." There was no hiding the panic in Pope's voice as they huddled together and tried to keep as quiet as physically possible. JJ peered around the corner and everyone waited with bated breath.

"Is it them?"

"Homie's got a gun -" That was all the prompting they needed to turn their flashlights on again and take off in a run.

They scaled and cleared the gate with no issue at all. Except for Pope who got caught on the top. JJ drew the gun but John B immediately stopped him.

"No way -"

"You're gonna rip -" Pope's protests were cut off when his shorts came away and remained stuck to the gate. Unable to hang around, they curbed their laughter in favour of getting into the Twinkie first.

"Oh, my God..."

-/-/-

Back in the safety of the Chateau, they regrouped and composed themselves once Pope had put a fresh pair of shorts on. Kodi made her way into the lounge and saw JJ making a sandwich with mouldy bread.

"JJ, that bread had mould on it three days ago..." Pope remarked as he rejoined them. He just shook his head and carried on.

"I'll just pull off the bad parts. Plus, mould is good for you. It's just a natural organism..."

"I don't know how told you that but I don't think it's factually correct," Kodi interjected as she got comfortable on the sofa.

With the light of several lanterns and candles, they gathered around the table to watch John B open the envelope. JJ took a bite of the sandwich and immediately spat it into the wastebasket before rejoining them.

They all watched as John B unfolded a map and spread it out on the table. There was writing and small diagrams peppered across it.

"Holy shit..."

"Oh, X marks the spot -" Pope pointed to the hastily drawn X on the map.

"Wait - there's something else." He reached into the envelope again and this time pulled out a tape recorder. John B pressed the play button and it worked.

"Dear Bird -"

"Who's Bird?" JJ piped up, confused.

"That's what my dad called me..." John B trailed off.

"I hate to say I told you so... But I told you so. And you doubted your old man. I suspect, at this moment,  you're filled with guilt and self-loathing over our last fight. But don't kill yourself yet, kid. I didn't expect to find the Merchant either -"

They all shared looks of disbelief, hoping what they'd heard was true.

"You were probably right to call me out. Wasn't exactly the father of the decade. What can I say, kid? I could smell the barn. And hopefully, we're listening to this in our brand new sugar shack in Costa Rica, living off passive investments and pulling on permits."

With each passing second, John B's eyes got glassier. Filled with unshed tears as he listened.

"If not, and you find this for less than optimal reasons, well, that's what the map is for. There she is, the wreck of the Merchant. If something happens to me, finish what I started. Go for the gold, kid. I love you, Bird. Even if I didn't always act like it... I'll see you on the other side..."

John B got up and walked away from the table. Whilst the rest of them marvelled at the fact that Big John had in fact found the wreck, Kodi wanted desperately just to hug him. Give him some kind of comfort after everything he'd been through so far.

Kie beat her to it and offered an embrace that he seemed to melt into.

-/-/-

Later that night, sat on the dock, they all felt the need to relax and destress. Kie strummed her Ukelele and JJ skimmed rocks across the water. Thunder rumbled in the distance and Kodi could smell the impending storm in the air.

"How much was it, again?" JJ spoke up, though his voice came out uncharacteristically quiet.

"Four hundred mil," Pope replied without missing a beat.

"Alright, let's talk about the split." The way JJ spoke almost made Kodi believe that they stood even the smallest chance of actually finding the gold. It was oddly refreshing.

"Before we say evenly, may I remind you I am the only one that can properly defend us from those groupers who were after us," JJ stated and held up the gun. Kodi shook her head slightly.

"You haven't trained -" Pope began to object.

"YouTube, bro!"

"That's really not the way forward," Kodi remarked quietly as she settled against the wooden railing behind her. Whilst Pope and JJ bickered, she noticed John B was disconnected from the conversation. She stretched her leg out to bump her foot against his as casually as possible. He lowered the bottle he'd been drinking from and they shared a look.

Are you okay? Kodi mouthed to him and he shrugged it off. That didn't make her feel any better, but she'd made an effort at least.

"What are you going to do with your eighty mils, Pope?" Kie queried, curious. Kodi watched as he thought about it for a long beat before turning to look at them.

"Pay for college in advance. And also, textbooks. Those are expensive," he replied with a slight nod.

"That's smart. That's a good plan," Kodi agreed and picked at her sleeve.

"What about you, Kie?" JJ prompted and the conversation took a slight turn.

"Yeah, what does a socialist do when she's rich?"  Pope teased. Thankfully, Kie had the good sense to just laugh off their digs and remarks.

"I just wanna make a double album. About OBX, the Pogues. You know, the way Catch A Fire is about Kingston. Record it at Marley Studio. Peter Tosh on producing -"

"Peter Tosh is -"

"Dead, I know." Kodi chuckled at the interaction and all eyes turned to her.

"Kodi?"

"Travel and surf," she replied quietly, "I wanna see the world. Put some miles on my soul. Experience the different languages, cultures, and food. Surf at the Eddie Aikau in Hawaii. I wanna see life beyond the Outer Banks." They all seemed surprised by her answer before JJ spoke up.

"I know what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna get a big ass house on Figure Eight and go Full Kook."

"You're gonna go Full Kook?"

"Yep. Gonna get a marble statue of myself, and then I'm gonna get a koi pond. Put a bunch of those fish -"

"I'm never visiting," Kie joked and a chorus of wishful laughter passed through the group.

"What are you gonna do, JB?" Pope's question turned all their heads to the boy in question.

"To going Full Kook," he replied with a growing grin. Everyone raised their drinks and toasted.

"To going Full Kook!" They all agreed and sat back in their chosen seats. A hopeful air surrounded them. The determination to find gold was a mutual desire.

They were going to make it happen.

-/-/-

By the following morning, the five of them were making their way through the waterfront. People were still working on clearing the damage left behind by Agatha. JJ whistled and caught their attention.

"You guys see that?" Everyone sat up and leaned forward to see what he was talking about. A speedboat was going in the opposite direction to them. It looked beyond expensive.

"That's the Malibu twenty-four-MXZ. The world's finest wakesetter. Number one in quality, luxury and performance," JJ stated and they all watched in fascination as it glided by.

"Two hundred K. Easy," Kodi remarked and ran a hand through her hair, her head tipped back to soak in the sun.

"We picked the wrong parents," Pope lamented before Kie interrupted.

"I hate to break it to you guys, but that's Topper and his girlfriend." Their amazement quickly soured and all eyes watched as the boat passed by. Sarah was tucked into Topper's side and held her nose in the air at the sight of them.

"You don't have to act like you don't see us, bitch." Kodi stifled a laugh at Kie's comment and put a hand behind her head, the other splayed on her stomach.

"Relax, Kie. If she wanted to, she would."

-/-/-

Stretched out in the back of the Twinkie, Kodi had lost track of what they'd been planning to do until they rolled to a stop and John B cut the engine. JJ turned and tapped her ankle, stirring her into motion.

"Alright, keep a lookout. We're behind enemy lines," JJ warned before loading the gun. Kodi opened her mouth to protest but John B beat her to it.

"C'mon, man, just put it back."

"What?"

"JJ -"

"You can never be too careful," he replied and Kodi shook her head in defeat. Pope climbed out and leaned into the passenger seat window.

"I predict that bringing a weapon into a four-star hotel will likely cause more problems than they solve."

"For a change, I agree with Pope. This is a bad idea." Kodi and Kie were the last ones out of the back and slid the doors shut with ease.

"I swear to God, I'm gonna throw that thing in the ocean, JJ. Put it back," Kie chimed in and he shook his head. Thankfully, John B pulled it out of his hand and put it in the glove box. Like a sulking child, JJ relented and climbed out of the Twinkie to follow after them.

"So, where exactly are we going?" Kodi questioned as they made their way up to the hotel he bussed tables at.

"We're getting on the internet because only rich people have electricity right now," he rebuffed and clipped his employee card to his belt loop. They followed him into the hotel through the trade entrance at the back and made their way through the teeming kitchen.

Steam, loud utensils and shouting back and forth made it hard to think straight. But no one seemed to protest their passing presence.

"See, they got the backup generators going? Kooks don't miss a beat," JJ commented quietly over his shoulder as they passed through the main floor.

When they finally made it to the room full of computers and WiFi that was actually connected, they all seemed to become frantic. Uncertain as to what they should check first. Pope got into the nearest computer and John B retrieved the map from his backpack. He read the coordinates out and they all gathered around to watch.

"- Boom, continental shelf, right there," John B pointed out with a gesture to the screen and where the red pin had landed.

"Well, if it's off the deep end, it's not going to be much of a treasure hunt, is it?" Eyes fixed on the screen, they watched in anticipation as Pope zoomed in, closer and closer.

"Shit, it's on the high side. It's only nine-hundred feet," John B concluded with an impressed expression.

"Oh, yeah, that's not too deep." Kodi's sarcasm was met by a subtle nod from JJ and pointed looks from Pope and John B.

"Is that doable?" Kie whispered, brows knitted together in confusion.

"Totally doable," JJ assured her and Pope protested.

"Will we be taking your personal submarine?"

"How do you know this, Mister Dive Master?"

"The Salvage Yard," JJ replied, matter-of-fact, "They've got a drone that can drop a thousand. It has a three-sixty camera and everything. It's for, like, deep dives and stuff."

"It sounds exactly like what we need," Kodi stated in agreement.

"Can your dad get his grimy little hands on that?" John B questioned, clearly not convinced.

"Well... My dad's grimy little hands are what got his ass fired. I guess the salvage captain frowns  upon showing up shitfaced, turns out."

"Great..."

"The drone is there. It's in the impound yard, outback."

"How much did you say was on the Royal Merchant, again?" Kie shuffled in her seat slightly and tucked a few curls behind her ear.

"Four hundred million," JJ and John B replied in unison. Before any of them could reach the door, Pope had gotten up and stood in front of the double doors, arms open wide. Kie had a go at trying to move him, but it was no use. Thankfully, Pope didn't resist for long and they all made a dash out of the hotel, and back to the Twinkie.

"Can't we do anything legal for money?" the brainiac complained as they took off.

-/-/-

"Pope, we're not stealing the drone. We're borrowing it," John B explained for what sounded like the millionth time.

"Humans are the only animal that can't tell fantasy from reality," Pope quoted, staring out of the window. Kodi sat on the carpeted floor and watched as JJ rolled a joint, seemingly disconnected from the whole conversation.

"Did you come up with that?" John B questioned over his shoulder as he drove.

"No, Albert Bernstein came up with it, but it applies to this whole treasure-hunting thing."

"So, which is it? Fantasy or reality?"

"Why are you so weird, Pope?" Kodi nudged JJ with her foot. Thankfully, the conversation kept moving.

"It's fantasy, but possibly a reality."

"Reality," John B agreed with Kie. Kodi's attention turned back to JJ sparking up, the joint hanging from the corner of his mouth. Before the flame could make contact, Pope plucked it from his mouth and cast it aside.

"Keep the signal clear." The pout on his face was too much to bear and Kodi laughed as she watched him flip the lighter closed and tuck it back into his pocket.

"Alright, roll out." Kie went ahead and put the diversion in motion to draw out the security guard. Kodi, Pope, John B and JJ waited off to the side, hiding behind a parked boat.

"How's it going with Kiara?" JJ teased John B as they watched the guard follow Kie to the people carrier.

"It's not awkward, weird or anything."

"Honestly, I didn't think you were actually gonna listen to me..." JJ replied, amused by John B's answer.

"I was a hundred per cent sure she was into you. Pope would agree." Eyes turned to Pope, who was crouched at the end of the line. He refused to look at any of them.

"Ehh..."

"So, like, Kie. She definitely gave you the Heisman?" Kodi queried, both curious and just desperate to move the conversation along a little faster.

"Oh, no question. Yep."

"Maybe she's just into someone else," Pope suggested and it was Kodi's turn to snort quietly into her sleeve at the prospect.

"Or, maybe she's just not into guys." The three of them turned to look at her with confusion.

"What? I would know, I've got a foot in the door," she defended in a half-whisper. Mercifully, Kie had gotten the guard far enough away from the gatehouse and that was their cue to move in. The four of them took off in a sprint to get into the yard.

JJ was in front, John B next and then Pope and Kodi were side-by-side. She couldn't remember the last time she had to run like that without being chased. They caught their breath as JJ spun in the combination on the lock with slightly fumbling hands.

"Do you have the right numbers?" Pope quizzed as they watched him tug frantically at the lock, It didn't open.

"All right, so I might have the wrong numbers." A collective sigh of disappointment passed over them. None of them was sure of what to do next when a guard dog came sliding around the boats, barking and growling at them.

"Shit!" They all scattered in different directions. John B and Kodi hid around the side of the storage unit, whilst Pope and JJ took off.

"All clear?" Kodi poked her head around the corner of the unit and nodded. She watched him reach for a pipe and swing at the lock. Two tries and it split. They ducked inside and began looking around.

John B made a run for the storage cage and Kodi caught up to help him lug the two boxes they needed out of there.

"Well, that was fucking terrifying..."

--//--//--

@moremaybank @kraekat29 @thatsthewaythechrissycrumbles @bjrmaybank

[outermaybanks]

Out of the Woods - ch. 1

a/n: this is the first chapter of an oc x jj maybank fic that i've been writing for a while, its essentially a rewrite of OBX with my oc in it, but i plan to make aus and oneshots for it. this is a slowburn, childhood best friends to lovers (i can't help myself i love this trope)

faceclaim for junie

next

“That’s what, a three story fall to the deck? I give you about a one-in-three chance of survival.” Pope said, just as JJ opened a can of beer, handing it to me as I used the guard rail to swing my body to sit beside him on the ledge. John B was above us, precariously walking on the roof. I took a sip of the beer and watched as John B licked his finger to test the wind, making me shake my head with a giggle.

“Should I do it?” John B asked.

“Yeah, jump.” Pope encouraged sarcastically. “I’ll shoot you on the way down.”

“You’ll shoot me?” John B questioned before making finger guns at Pope

Kie came out from inside, complaining about the luxurious house development we were currently trespassing in, and how it used to be a turtle sanctuary. “Can you please not kill yourself?” Kiara called up to the boy pretending to walk a tightrope.

“Do a flip,” I called out with a laugh.

“You wanna see a flip, Junie? I’ll show you a flip.”

“Don’t spill that beer. I’m not giving you another one.” JJ scolded.

I rolled my eyes as I took another drink, only to flinch and almost spill my beer on myself at the sudden sound of a can hitting the ground. “‘Course you did, like right when I said-” JJ complained, making me giggle as I took a sip of my beer. I grimaced, never really like the taste of beer, but it was better than nothing. 

“Security’s here!” Pope called, tapping the railing. JJ was up the fastest, and I grabbed the railing to pull myself back up. JJ jumped down then held his hand up for me to grab as I jumped down. It was practically second nature at this point.

We all started running, trying to avoid the security guards as we hopped fences and quickly made our way back to the Twinkie. Pope opened the sliding door and I dove in after Kiara, JJ right behind me, but he didn’t close the door, instead he held a beer out the open door for Gary, the rent-a-cop chasing us. 

“JJ, roll up.” I commanded, if anything, to give him something else to do.

“Whoo, yes ma’am.” JJ cheered as he reached into his bag

The Outer Banks, paradise on Earth. It’s the sort of place where you either have two jobs or two houses. Two tribes, one island. 

This is the south side or the cut. Home of the working class who make a living busing tables, washing yachts, running charters. The natural habitat of... drumroll, please...the Pogues. That's us. Pogues, pogies, the throwaway fish. Lowest member of the food chain. Okay. So, the downside of Pogue life is we're ignored and neglected. But the upside of Pogue life? We're ignored and neglected, which means we do whatever we want, whenever we want.

That's JJ, my best friend since the third grade. He's about as local as they come. Latest in a long line of fishing, drinking, smuggling, vendetta-holding salt-lifers who made their living off the water. Best surfer I know. Just don't tell him I said that. Mild kleptomaniac and a future tax cheat.

The girl wrestling him for the blunt is Juniper, but she hates her name so we all call her Junie. Kooks call her Loonie Junie cause she can be a bit… much. Rumor around the cut is that we got our precious Junie after a punk rock band tour came to town. She definitely has a rockstar temperament. She’s the only one who can put JJ in his place, so we’d probably be dead without her.

And that's Kiara, or Kie, as we call her.  When not saving turtles or listening to Marley, or getting a dolphin tattoo, she hangs out with us. I'm not really sure why, though. Cause, she's a rich kid, actually. Her family owns The Wreck, this Outer Banks institution. Total cash cow with the tourists. You know, I'm not really sure how her parents feel about us. We all kinda have a thing for her.

And that's Pope, the brains of the operation... finalist for the Lucas T. Vanderhorst Merit Scholarship. And the smartest person I know. Little bit of a weirdo. His father's this legendary character, Heyward. Anything you wanted on the island, Heyward could get for you. Now, I'm not sure Heyward knew what to make of his oddball son, but it didn't matter. He was a Pogue, just like the rest of us. So, that's my crew. 

And that’s me, John Booker Routledge. And this is where I live.

“Jeeb, your bread has mold!” I shouted.

“So go get some more.” John B said, making me jump, not realizing he was so close. “Why are you awake so early?”

“JJ needed the bed…” I said with a fake happy tone, making John B chuckle. “Have you seen my shirt?” I asked. I had slept in my bathing suit after the late night swim we had. 

“Think I saw JJ’s new friend wearing it.”

I groaned. “Great. Now I have to burn it. Whatever. I’m making a grocery run!” I shouted so the house could hear.

“Can you get some more chips?” Kie asked, sitting up. I leaned down to grab the blunt from her fingers and quickly took a hit before passing it back. 

I heard a door creak open. “Grab some pancake mix!” JJ’s voice called out.

“My bag is only so big!” I called back, struggling to get my shoes on. Pope was rubbing his eyes as I passed him, and I gave his head a loving tap as a goodbye before grabbing my skateboard and pushing the door open.

-

“So you gonna ride out the storm with us?” JJ asked, popping a chip in his mouth.

“Can’t. Mom pops xannies everytime it so much as rains, so someone’s gotta be conscious to be with Cody.”

“What about Theodore?” 

“In Chattanooga for the next two weeks.” 

“Why can’t you just bring him?”

“I’m trying to limit his JJ exposure.” I teased, turning the bag to grab a couple chips.

“What? Why?”

I gave him a pointed look. “You know why.”

“Is this because I let Taylor wear your shirt? I said I was sorry.” 

I rolled my eyes and slowly stood from the table.

“Oh I get it. Junie’s jealous,” JJ teased.

“In your dreams, Maybank!” I called over my shoulder as I walked towards the shack’s exit.

“How’d you know?” JJ called after me and I flipped him the bird until I was sure he couldn’t see me anymore.

You wouldn’t guess by how we talk to each other, but JJ was my best friend. He was the one who came up to me at the beach the day I met him and John B, asking if I knew how to surf. He wouldn’t admit it, but I knew he only came up to me because he’d noticed I didn’t really have any friends. Mom used to say I was too quiet, and people didn’t like that.

Cody was like me at that age, shy, quiet. I wondered if he too would one day reach his breaking point, and finally have the courage to scream. Cody’s my younger brother, technically half brother, but I never cared for technicalities. He was my brother, even if I hated his dad. My mom met Theodore when I was 6, and he moved in practically overnight. I think my mom saw him as our way out of the Boonies, the trailer park we lived in, but even with a cushy electrician job, his alcoholism pretty much secured our spot in that damn trailer park.

As you can imagine, a trailer in a hurricane isn’t the safest place to be. But it was home, and luckily, the walk to the water was far enough. But the walk to the nearest dock the morning after Hurricane Agatha was littered with debris, me and Cody cleaned up a bit until mom woke up. My cell had lost service, so I had no way of contacting the Pogues. 

After a while, mom came outside looking for Cody, apparently all the food in our fridge went bad, she had to go get some canned goods. I walked to the nearest dock, sitting down and dangling my feet just above the water. 

“Thought you had babysitting duty?” I turned my head to see JJ standing in the front of John B’s boat, coming my way, while John B steered. I smiled.

“Xannies wore off, mom took Cody to the grocery store because the damn storm knocked out our power.” I said as the boat pulled up. John B held his hand out to help me onto the boat, and I gladly accepted.

Next stop was picking up Pope. JJ liked to rattle off the names of boats, and what he knew about them, and I liked listening to JJ talk. As we came close the port next to Heyward’s, we started waving to the locals.

“Hi Miss Amy! You guys make it through?” John B asked.

“Still here!” Miss Amy called back.

“Did you see her look at me? She totally wants me,” JJ said as we sailed past her. I rolled my eyes and brought the blunt up to my lips to inhale.

“Junie, let me hit that,” JJ said, holding his fingers out.

“Wow, JJ, way to be forward. Take the girl on a date first,” John B teased. I was about to hand JJ the blunt but the two began wrestling. “Jesus Christ,” I shouted, running over to grab the steering wheel. “Seriously guys?”. After John B let go of JJ, he walked over to take back the wheel. We were approaching Heyward’s dock.

“Boo-woo! We have a safety meeting. Attendance mandatory. Krrch,” John B said pretending to be speaking into a walking talkie. 

“I can’t! My pop’s got me on lockdown,” Pope said.

“Booooo!” I said giving a thumbs down.

“Come on, man! Your dad’s a pussy. Over. Krrch,” JJ said, joining in on John B’s bit.

“Oh I heard that, you little bastard,” Heyward said, walking out onto the dock.

“Awww, he didn’t mean it, Mr. Heyward!” I called.

“We need your son,” John B explained.

“Yeah, and island rules. Day after a hurricane’s a free day,” JJ added.

“Who the hell made that up?” Heyward asked.

“Uhh, Pentagon, I think. We have security clearance. I have a card,” JJ answered, making me giggle.

“Y’all think I’m stupid?”

“I’ll do it tomorrow, I promise, tomorrow,” Pope pleaded.

“Hell no, you doin’ it right now.”

“Get in the boat,” John B whispered.

“Make a run for it, bro,” JJ added, and that was all the convincing Pope needed before he dropped the hose and ran to jump on the boat.

Our last stop was to pick up Kie, who was already waiting at the dock near her house with a cooler. She stole some of her dad’s beers for us. As we drank, the four of us sat on the front of the boat, until John B asked Pope to switch spots. JJ stood up and held his beer out so it would fly into his mouth, only he didn’t have the best aim.

“Asshole! You got it on my shirt.” I shouted, before pulling my shirt over my head, leaving me in my bikini.

“Yeah, take it off Ju-” JJ was cut off by the boat halting suddenly, the jolt caused me to fall to the floor with Kiara. “Jesus, Pope!” Kie called as she helped me up.

“Where’s JJ?” I asked, seeing he was no longer standing on the boat. “JJ!” I shouted, and up he came from the water.

“Ughhhh I think my heels touched the back of my head.” JJ groaned, causing me to let out a laugh in relief.

I leaned over the side of the boat to help JJ back on. “Pope, what the hell did you do?” JJ asked as he came aboard.

“Sandbar. The channel changed,” Pope answered, going over to the side to look around.

“Hey, I saved the beer though,” JJ said, holding up his beer bottle.

“Congrats, JJ,” John B said flatly.

“Guys, I think there’s a boat down there.” Pope said, and we all moved to try and see what he was seeing. I could see a sliver of muted white and immediately jumped into the water, the rest soon followed. We all dived under to get a look but we needed air, so we only got a glimpse.

“Did y’all see that? That’s a Grady-White. A new one of those is like 500 Gs, easy,” JJ said before we all started swimming back towards the HMS Pogue. “That’s a primo rig.”

“Yeah, that’s the boat I saw when I surfed the surge. Maybe it hit the jetty or something,” John B said, standing up.

“You surfed the surge?” Kie questioned.

“Yeah!”

“That’s my boy, Pogue style,” JJ said smugly, dapping John B up.

“Do we know whose boat that is?” Pope questioned.

“No. But we’re about to find out,” John B answered, opening the hatch to the anchor.

“Dude, it’s too deep,” JJ pointed out. I walked over to the edge to get a better look.

“Oh, for the weak and feeble, JJ,” John B argued, pulling the anchor up.

“Well, I’m not resuscitating you. I’m just making that clear up front.”

“That’s fine.” John B walked towards the end with the anchor in hand

“John B…” Kie said softly, obviously unsure of what he was about to do.

“What?” John B asked with a laugh.

“Diver down, fool.” Pope said, making John B salute. “Diver down.” “Yeah he is!” JJ said before pushing John B into the water.

I hit his arm, making him turn to look at me.

“You could have messed up his breath!” I scolded, and JJ rolled his eyes, wrapping his arm around my shoulder to pull me into him. 

When John B resurfaced, he only found a hotel key, and he wanted to figure out whose boat it was, but Kie thought it was a bad idea, and wanted to report it, so we went back to the port to try and talk to the coast guard but they had their hands full, and wouldn’t talk to us, so we decided to try the hotel. I followed JJ as he tied us down to a post and prepared to go in with John B while the rest of us kept watch.

“Hey, don’t let him do anything stupid,” Pope said, pointing to JJ.

“Oh, we will,” JJ replied nonchalantly, I gently hit his arm. “Can you be serious for like 5 seconds?” I questioned and he shrugged in response.

“I’m not making promises,” John B agreed.

“Be careful, I mean it,” Kie said softly, handing the motel key to John B.

I made a teasing face of surprise to Pope as I walked past the two to get back in the boat. I watched with bated breath as the two boys ran inside.

©outermaybanks 2024

[cloveroctobers]

HOME | 1 of 2 SERVINGS — JJ MAYBANK x OC [Fall Randoms] 🤎

A/N: This wasn't planned! The fandom makes it a little unenjoyable to write for this show but I like many have always had a soft spot for JJ. So here I am, after a while writing something because he deserves it.

WARNINGS: Language + better endings (delusions)! & the usual banter between the rest of the pogues like a family would! + Kiara x femOC as well.

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔

IN A PERFECT WORLD no one would have to worry about a thing. People would live exactly the way they want to live without any judgment—as long as you’re not harming others of course—and just go on about their business.

Life’s good because it all worked out in the end.

The comforting thudding of a certain heartbeat only made Alma want to bury her head further into his chest. It was a common morning routine, waking up in each other’s embrace. The insomnia didn’t bother Alma much anymore, she can speak for herself on that, because the longer she stayed awake, the longer time she had. This journey through earth goes by as fast as you blink. This bothered JJ to his core, that after all this time, Morocco was still on her mind—not only that but Portugal too.

No amount of pills or melatonin (or "the purple devil," she liked to call it) was a friend of Almabelle Layton’s. Unfortunately in her teen years she was a bit of a pill popper, it all started because of her mild case of vertigo and her mother—whenever she decided to fly back into the OBX for a couple of days—forced her to go to the doctor, after getting tired of her daughter constantly choosing weed over “proper” health.

Alma was a huge advocate for natural remedies, knowing that majority of the medicine given to you is nothing but poison, since it may fix one problem but cause another.

We can talk about that at another time, though!

Regardless she’s grown used to being up with the moonlight and sunrise just monitoring JJ’s heartbeat. It wasn’t healthy by any means, she didn’t need a therapist (Dr. Montague) to tell her that but this brought her relief. Every morning, JJ would squeeze her shoulder and kiss the top of her head, voice full of sleep while he wished her a good morning.

Then she would respond with pressing a kiss to the old wounds of his abdomen from five years ago, 1-4-3 times before lifting her head to meet his hues of blue-green. The hand that didn’t hold onto her shoulder, would run a thumb along the rings underneath her eyes. He’d tried to hide the worry in his own but a soft smile was still on the corner of his lips the longer he looked at her.

She always had his heart so he felt like she didn’t have to listen too hard.

Never in a million years would JJ believe you (Reader) or a physic? If they told him this is where his life would be now. Owner of two properties, with his childhood home being transformed into an adoption agency. However with the treacherous adventure to get the blue crown, and all that they went through to get it back, it was only right that he did something that made sense.

JJ talked about it constantly with Alma and even mentioned it to the rest, who were skeptical but once it was pulled off, there were equal amounts of pride in their eyes at the grand opening. So where was his physical home? JJ got the Genrette home after the whole DNA testing process and the will was brought to his attention.

Let’s just say, shout-out to Paw-Wes!

“Is it weird that I’m choosing this place over my own home?” Alma remembers JJ asking her, after she plopped down on one of the old couches and tried not to inhale any dust.

He was walking all around the heavily decorated living room, touching any and everything. This was the day right after he agreed to take on the Genrette residence permanently.

Alma lightly shook her head, her short dark hair falling into the corner of her eyelashes, “No, I think you’re choosing what’s best for you and there’s nothing wrong with that. You get the chance to choose now because baby JJ didn’t, your mother didn’t.”

And there’s a new glint in his eye at Alma’s words when he plops beside her. Her hand goes to rest on top of the one JJ has resting on his knee. Immediately he intertwined their hands, peering into Alma’s ink colored eyes. “Thanks for being here with me, Kit.”

“Course, pumpkin.” She replies with her own personal nickname, before resting her head on his shoulder.

Building a home here, gave JJ the chance to know a family he never had the privilege to. It was a ball of emotions but he took it on because he felt like he needed to. A new beginning on his own terms this time around. To try to be close to what could have been, but also finding what always felt like what was missing in his life and holding on to it as best as he could. Although they couldn’t be physically here, JJ made it his mission to have talks with both Larissa and Wes out in the mausoleum often.

That was a project Alma took on, cleaning it up while paying her respects. It was sort of a birthday gift to JJ and once received, he thought he couldn’t love Almabelle anymore than he already did. Of course he could have paid someone to continue with the upkeep of his relatives but the pogues weren’t meant to accept handouts. It was all work hard and play hard. Being an investor in the adoption agency (which took a lot of learning and patience! Something JJ barely had.) along with still taking part in Poguelandia—which was mostly ran by John B and Sarah now—and having his own landscaping business, JJ found himself finally letting out a much needed long exhale.

Life was meant to be lived and it definitely was.

And for once it felt alright.

More than.

Like the floating of waves at your back, gliding you back to shore.

“Hey!” Sarah’s all grins as she throws her arms around Almabelle in a tight embrace, as the two women lightly sway from side to side.

It was almost as if the two weren’t just hanging out last weekend, or talking on the phone the day before last. Alma and Sarah grew even closer since her little one was the godson of JJ and that automatically meant Alma was the number one auntie.

Cleo, Wheezie, and Kiara all thought otherwise!

“There’s my favorite little guy!” JJ boasts, yanking the five year old from John B’s arms to hold upside down by his ankles before pulling the squealing chocolate haired boy back into his embrace.

Smiling softly at the two, Alma enjoyed seeing JJ with Jeremiah (yes, named after JJ himself) John Routledge. Having “little j” in their lives changed everything for the pogues; let them all be aware that there was more life out there and all of them had no problem going after it.

John B playfully shakes out his arms at Little J’s weight, making Sarah playfully whack his shoulder, before he slips in to give Alma a side hug in greeting, “What’s going on, Alton? I’ve got the pies out in the Twinkie.”

Yes, she was still (barely) running and although The Routledge’s have a more dependable car, the Twinkie was still their go to. Plus little J loved it and as parents, they would do anything to bring their child happiness.

“You say hi to the pretty lady.” JJ whispers into Little J’s ear, who already had his bright eyes (that were handed down to him from Ward) set on the bronze skinned woman.

Alma holds her arms out, Little J comes right to her, pressing a slobbery kiss to her cheeks. “Aw, thank you! Glad to see you too, pea.”

He was the perfect combination of his parents: chocolate ringlets for hair, almond shaped eyes like his mother with her father’s color eyes, high cheeks bones like John B, faint dimples on his cheeks from both parents, and a sweet smile just like Sarah’s.

Sarah laughs as she informs her friend, “If you need napkins, I have plenty!”

“That’s my boy!” JJ claps and points at little J, “But remember, that’s still my lady, huh?” He ruffles his hair, then winks at Alma before stepping out of the home to help John B with the desserts.

Leaving the men to deal with that, the three make their way towards the slightly closed off emerald green kitchen.

“I hope you didn’t overdo it with the pies this time, Sarah.” Alma says to the almost completely blonde woman, who gives an innocent shrug.

Sarah opened up her own cafe, Wet Bean Café, which was unfortunately in constant competition with Ruthie’s shitty restaurant. It’s been five years and that pathetic Ruthie still couldn’t stop her bullying ways. After dealing with massive flooding out in the cut, Sarah decided to make the decision to move it into town, using the inheritance Ward left behind, where she had to pay more for rent on the building, which Rafe was the property manager of. Go figure! The original WBC was a small lavender painted space, with a little drive-thru on the side, with two sets of bistro tables outside, and only room for three tables inside that were set up along the brick walls, with checkered floors. It felt very diner-like inside with its quirks and jukebox. The café was filled with Sarah’s baked goods and became a favorite in Kildare. It was Sarah’s but she had to make the decision to move back into town after the land had severe damage and couldn’t be built on anymore, which JJ helped confirm.

“There’s no such thing,” Sarah replies as Alma holds her son on her hip for a moment longer, “As much as these guys eat? There’s never enough! Plus it’s less than what I started with since most were donated all over the communities.”

This didn’t shock Alma.

In almost every way, all of the pogues found ways to give back, especially for those that were still struggling to make it.

“Did you hear from Cleo yet?” Sarah suddenly asks, after stealing a pineapple chunk from the charcuterie board.

Alma shakes her head before putting Little J down on his feet but he still holds onto the end of her wine colored shirt, “Only in texts. JJ was originally going to pick Pope up from Dare County because Cleo wasn’t sure if she was going to get in on time…there were delays with her helicopter situation.”

That’s right.

Cleo decided to heavily get into engineering and undergoing flight training. Sure she’s spent much of her times on boats, like most of the pogues but once Pope actually enlisted into the service to be a marine, it just made sense to want to know the mechanics of how boats and helicopters worked. Cleo’s always been a traveler so this path and with her cut from the blue crown, she had the skills that were already instilled and amplified them once she hit the books.

She had her own helicopter that she flew over on her own back to the OBX from time to time, his name was “squiggly” because he never flew straight once first brought into the air. Alma honestly preferred taking a boat rather than a flight to Nassau but that one time for John B and Sarah C. Routledge’s anniversary trip was unforgettable that’s for sure!

“I’ll check on her after I come back from the bathroom.” Sarah informs, “Are you okay with—

Blowing out a raspberry, Alma peeks down at little J who was already grinning up at her, “We’ll be just fine, shoo.”

Bending down Alma picks up little J to sit on the counter, lightly singing at him who was full of giggles at her source of entertainment, before she plucked up a slice of pear from one of the pear tree’s out front to hand over to her nephew. Her hands rested on the counter, caging him in as he snacked on the fruit, leaving her the chance to look at all the food that covered the spacious island. A large yawn rips through her lips before she can stop it, which makes little J laugh at the woman. “Auntie Mama needs a nap,” the boy teases one of his many aunts.

Alma playfully scowls at the boy, going to tickle him by the neck. Even if Alma wanted a five minute nap, her mind wouldn’t grant her that pleasure. She could have laid in bed forever with JJ but knew there were a few last minute things she needed to get done for this dinner, although Alma’s been preparing for the last week! A host’s job is never truly done. This wasn’t Alma’s first gathering for the holidays but it did bring a sense of joy that both she and JJ could provide this for their friends.

“I knew it would smell delicious in here!” A familiar voice called out, making Alma glance over her shoulder.

A smile graces the woman’s lips, “Is that Kie-Kie?!”

“The one and only.” She flicks her blown out hair over her shoulder as she pulls her friend by the elbow to embrace the sleep deprived woman, followed by her hands thrown over Alma’s shoulders.

Kiara had her eyes set on Little J, just in case while she embraced Alma before the two separated.

She then makes grabby hand motions to the five year old, “That’s right come on over to your favorite auntie!” Kiara smirks as she peppers the kid’s face with kisses while Alma scoffs.

Alma walks over to the stove across the room to turn off the handmade potpourri, “Girl, whatever! You look good! That have anything to do with your time out in the big apple?”

Kiara met Joey Del Marco who was a touron, funny enough about a year after what transpired during the fourth of July. Joey was originally from the east coast but vacationing with her new friends and she captured Kiara’s attention. It was hilarious trying to see Kiara deny her attraction and then feelings towards Joey, who extended her time out here just to see what would happen between the two. Joey fit in just as well with the group of friends: she was loud, proud, rebellious—you readers can only imagine what kind of shit she got into with JJ, both Alma and Kiara made a few trips to bail the two out of jail—before Alma got pissed enough to make JJ stay in there.

There was never anything wrong with fun but after the time the friends all had across the seas? Was too close and JJ had to learn that.

Alma was just overjoyed to see Kiara in a happy relationship. The girl was glowing, traveling back and forth from the south to the east coast since Joey’s dance career has taken off. Of course New York was the place to be for it and the distance between the two seemed to work for them just as it did for Pope and Cleo.

“Maybe,” Kiara dragged out and sent the short haired woman a wink just as the loud chatter from John B and JJ hit her ears in the background, “She wanted to be here but you know how showbiz goes.”

Alma only knew part of what Joey shared and it was exactly what Alma did not want. She could not stand the spotlight being on her yet these few pogues absolutely made a name for themselves, along with her being in love with the most well-known trouble maker on the island, who surprisingly (to those around the island) turned their life around in the span of five years.

Alma fans her hand about, just happy that Joey’s craft was also successful, “Ah, tell her to not to worry about it. There’s always Christmas and New Years to catch up.”

JJ interrupts as he carries some lavender colored boxes into the kitchen, “Christmas will definitely be at JB’s and Sarah’s! And New Years in New York with Kie and Joey?”

John B used his portion to start rebuilding the chateau before Little J was brought into the world in late April. That of course did not come easy and they took Alma and JJ up on their offer to stay with them (mostly in Demp’s quarters of the property, in which Alma scrubbed extremely clean, shout out to another trigger and coping mechanism! that is up until the colder months approached and squirrels decided to come down the fireplace) until they got the chateau the way they wanted. That was a story in itself but definitely brought the couples all closer.

Kiara pushed her lips out in thought, “…I’m down.”

“Y’all don’t know what cold is until you spend time in the city.” Alma tells the four, after inhaling the mixture from the boiling pot in hopes that the spice will give her a burst of energy.

When she was younger and not allowed to stay at home on her own, Alma had the chance to travel more with her mother who brought her to California and New York every so often. Her mother was a U.S. Customs agent who was originally from California and where she got her start in her career. She never meant to get pregnant with Alma but again, life happens and you do what you have to do. She moved Alma to the Outer banks simply because her parents lived out there and felt that would be a better place for her to grow up. Most of her time was spent in an empty home or with her hearing impaired grandparents until their passing when she was fifteen. She learned a lot from her grandparents and always thanked them for how she turned out. Alma never knew her father but she had a god-father who filled in as her father figure although he too, also lived on the west coast. Her step-father tried to be in her life but he was constantly on the go just like her mother and their marriage felt like convenience rather than love.

Alma never wanted a repeat of that kind of life in her future. She needed to be present, true, and never neglectful and of course things can never be perfect but it’s always the effort that matters.

Kiara huffs as she holds out her hands for Little J to keep high-fiving her hands, “Ha! Not with global warming constantly being against us.”

“Oh here she goes.” John B mutters, reaching out to spin little J in the air to say to him before putting him down, “Tell auntie Kie, you’re too young to listen to this crap.”

“It’s far from crap! The earth is burning and y’all need to stop being so ignorant. It’s never too late to learn about the state of the environment.” Kiara argues, fists going into her jean skirt covered hips.

Alma smiles at the brunette with a shake of her head while JJ rolls his eyes, and starts mocking her with his hands. Which makes Kiara pick up and chuck a grape at him that bounces off his forehead.

“Hey!” JJ yells, reaching for the chunk of some overpriced cheese, “Don’t start a war you can��t finish, Kie.”

Kiara furrows her thick brows, “I’ve won plenty. Do you need to see my resume?”

“Ooooo,” John B instigates.

That is coming from your very own Mayor of OBX!

Kiara’s always been political and environmentally friendly for as long as Alma’s known her. She juggled a lot, from creating a sustainable healthy smoothie drink business that was often sold in WBC but she eventually sold that off once she got deeper into politics. However Kiara did not completely sign over her rights without the promise of keeping her deliveries of supplies in Sarah’s cafe.

The doorbell made Alma zone back in on the typical arguments the two were having. She seemed to be the only one who heard it, taking her leave to the front entrance of the home to answer the door.

Rafe Cameron stood on the front step, arms full of alcoholic beverages. “Hey,” he starts.

He still looked the same, no longer sporting a buzzed hair cut, hair grown out in some sort of a mullet with spiked ends followed by a bit of facial hair growing in. He looked older yet his eyes still held unresolved issues and secrets.

There’s confusion in Alma’s brown eyes since she knew that she didn’t invite him to Friendsgiving and she also knew JJ didn’t invite Rafe either. Their beef ran deep and had its ups and downs, considering that the two knew just how to get up underneath one another’s skin. Yet the events that occurred in Essaouira and Lisbon did shift something in their relationship.

“Aren’t you going to let me in or let the dragonflies fly in?” Rafe’s sarcasm was possibly an attempt to break the ice or at least be funny but all Alma could do was blink.

There’s footsteps Alma hears and it doesn’t take long for her to figure out who they belong to. Considering…you know she’s lived and been around the guy for a while now!

“The hell are you doing here?!”

Rafe lifts his shoulders, “What’s it look like?”

“Like you’re about to get the door slammed right in front of your stupid lookin’ face.” JJ snaps.

Rafe rolls his eyes, “I got an invite just like everybody else…you got a problem with it—

“Yeah I do. It’s our house!”

“Which I can easily buy from you, Maybank.” Rafe smirked and Alma pinched the irritation forming in between her brows.

Those two still had their moments.

The dark haired twenty-something year old immediately grabbed onto JJ’s forearm, to stop him from moving around her to get into Rafe’s smug face. “We’re not doing this, alright! Rafe, I don’t know who invited you…but you better be lucky I’m in a good mood—

JJ exasperates with furrowed brows, “No Alma! No freaking way!”

Alma knew Rafe had nobody but Sarah (and Wheezie from time to time, the younger of the Cameron’s high-tailed it out of the OBX as soon as she hit eighteen). Then there was that up and down relationship he had with Barry (Alma’s ex) and she definitely did not need him here either so she would allow it. Of course Rafe didn’t want pity and this wasn’t that, Alma was just in the spirit of…giving thanks. As corny as it sounds and in simplest terms, Rafe was helpful across seas. As much as the pogues all had their personal feelings towards the eldest Cameron, he did pitch in on getting JJ help out in the desert.

A part of Alma felt like she would always be grateful for that.

“Rafe? You actually made it.” John B speaks from behind you all, keeping a hand on Little J’s shoulder who held onto his pants leg, still snacking on a pear slice.

A ghost of a small smile appeared on Rafe’s face as he stared over at his nephew.

JJ turns his glare to the brunette who raises his brows, “Don’t tell me you invited him here?”

Kiara didn’t wipe the scowl off her face either, arms crossed.

“I did.” Sarah announces her arrival finally returning from the bathroom with her phone in hand, “I know I should have asked you two since it is your house but…I wanted everyone I love here. And I hope you guys would be okay with that, to continue moving forward.”

Alma’s eyes met JJ’s, who appeared as if he was ready to chew his bottom lip off in annoyance. However the longer he stared at his lady, he loosened up, some. Flaring his nostrils he says to Sarah first, “I still wish you would have had a conversation with us first but…I get it.”

JJ turns back to Rafe who meets his gaze, “Fine. You can join our Friendsgiving but the second you act like an asshole, I’m throwin’ you out on your ass. Got that, Rafe?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be on my best behavior, just like you, right?” He winks at the blond before barging his way in.

JJ flings the door shut behind him, tapping his elbow into the palm of his other hand, and starts swatting at the air at Rafe’s back for practice, earning laughs and snickers from John B, Kiara, and Alma.

Who moves to slip an arm across her boyfriend’s waist, “We can play nice, right? Our house, our rules.”

“Damn straight,” JJ answers, eyes connecting with deep brown hues as she pokes her lips out for him to peck.

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ .𖥔

Part two can be found here since limits have changed for text posts now?

[ghostiewriter]

You know what I hate the most about obx?? And yes a part from the JJ dying storyline.

The writers never complete a plot.

-Kie and Sara’s relationship in kook year: them only mentioning ONCE and then…they could have wrote little inside jokes giving us input in what could have happen (aside of what little explanation we got). Not ONCE

-Pope and Kie’ storyline?? Why would you make them hook up if they wouldn’t have a repercussion? It was for the giggles?? Like you could have ended it in the kiss we got in season 1 and then Kiara wanting to be with Pope only because she was grieving and then realizing what she was doing but no let’s make this a item so we don’t talk about it never again.

-The melted cross????? No saying about it in season 4?? How was Pope so chill lol even Cleo could have a line delivered there.

-How the fuck Kiara was in good terms with her parents?? The kicked her out- they welcomed her but putting her in some test of sort- failed- she was sent to kitty hawk- she returned but was not welcome - they appear at the ceremony - the meet at court and all is WELL??? Excuse you what the hell?? And she even told JJ that everything was better than going to live with her parents BEFORE the court thing and AFTER the ceremony I’M…

-Which brings me to Kie’s PTSD of being kidnapped not ONCe But TWICE!!!!! Not even a little bit of a struggle?? (We could count her being locked in the hyper chamber but please DEVELOPED IT MORE)

-The obvious one: JJ discovering he is adopted and then being killed without knowing ANYTHING i want to cry please the consistent of this show is none. Like we didn’t even get an explanation of Luke’s background of why he was a piece of shit to JJ when he oh so seem so nice around him (This is purely bad writing because that man is evil and because it was so out of pocket that storyline they had to redeem him b u l l s h i t)

-Cleo life story???????? And thats my only observation. It seems they only put her in the show and as a part of the pogues so Pope could get the girl instead of building up a personality for her first.

Peterkin’s murder, Shoupe and Plumb corruption, JJ’s arc, The first gold, LIMBREY and I could go on and on. So many plots that weren’t over. If you don’t close one then don’t add more!!

And don’t get me started at how fast everything happens: Sarahs and John B’s relationship + them sinking together (if you said months or even a years passed ok acceptable they know enough about each other but they were only for days lol), the first gold hunt and the cross being one month from the El Dorado? Those kids are seriously better than Sherlock Holmes lol, Jiara looking like a newly couple when 1) theyve been best friends since kindergarden (or third grade, another inconsistency) 2) it has been like 18 months

I don’t know if it is because they wanted a teen drama show like the oc meeting the groonies blah blah but those shows were 20ish chapter long if you have 10 episodes you will never have time to explore all the things you want. And yes is a critic to the awful writing they do in this show AND the fact that they only settle for 10eps because honestly a show that envolves a lot of main characters have to have a consistency. Like in the first season all the personalities shine but then a lot of them loose depth or turned a hell of dramatic also they stopped writing good relationships and not in the romantic kind: where was Kie and John’s B relationship after season 1?? JJ and Sarah’s?? Cleo and Kie’s?? And I could go on and on…

I watched the show for the funs and the giggles but that stopped after seeing the mess of season 4 part 2 was and also may i say, Jiara fanfic writers captured all SO well and it is so funny and beautiful to read you all because you DEVELOP and DEEPEN so i think thats why i feel in love with this characters, aside loving Jiara as a pair in the first seasons: thanks to you all! So thank you!!

And here is my ranting lol I had to said something somewhere seeing as the people I know don’t give a fuck about this show (how lucky of them)

RETWEET!! REBLOG!! REPOST!! ALL OF IT!!

i could look past inconsistent plots if they had given us fun scenes here and there where the pogues felt like a family (like tbh the first episode of season four) but instead we got alligator attacks, boats blowing up, plane crashes and more bad parents that any group of friends should ever have

[seriesxwriting]

Rafe x Reader who’s Barry’s younger sister👀👀

Thank you for the request!❤️

On my mind <3

W Rafe Cameron 🩶

Series- outer banks

Warnings- cocaine od (hospital, seizure) , swearing, mentions of drugs (cocaine).

Summary- you find Rafe during a cocaine overdose and save his life. Encouraging him to admit how he really feels now that he’s been given a second chance. (Request <3)

Rafe Cameron was a regular customer of my brothers. But I knew him before Barry did. Sometimes I blame myself for his coke addiction, if he’d never met me, he’d never have met Barry. I hated the stuff never went near it and I begged Rafe to stop so many times but he was stubborn as hell.

Instead I made sure he texted me every night after a party, so I knew he was safe. Rafe agreed to that and he did stick to from then on. Apart from when I woke up this morning there was no message from him. My heart skipped a beat as I scrolled through the bundles of Instagram and Snapchat notifications.

Rafes name was not there. I’d checked three times now. My stomach grew a sick feeling inside as it twisted like someone was graphically ripping out my organs. That’s what happens when your worried about someone who’s important to you. Someone who your around all the time. And someone you’ve fallen for.

Rolling over onto my back, I texted him to inspire a reply and conformation that he was okay. Usually he was pretty quick when replying to me but five minutes past. Then ten. Then an hour. I couldn’t just sit around waiting for Rafe Cameron to text me back. Knowing him, there were probably hundreds of girls doing that, I wouldn’t be one of them.

I climbed out of my bed throwing the covers to the side and quickly changing into daytime clothes. I didn’t really care what I was wearing, that wasn’t on my mind. He was. Always was. I didn’t eat breakfast I got straight into my car and drove to my brothers trailer home to see if Rafe was with him or if he knew where Rafe was.

It wasn’t far, plus I knew where I could speed on the cut and where I couldn’t. I pulled up outside only to see that the front door was wide open. That was the first sign that everything was about to go to shit. Smoke was coming off a log fire just outside rising into the fresh morning air. Jumping out of the vehicle I raced for the door.

“Barry?” I shouted pushing the door open wider to look into his home. “You home bro?” Calling desperately out for an answer. Slowly and apprehensively, I made my way into the house. Not getting an answer was the second sign. The living room coffee table was full of bottles of beer and ash trays.

“Barry?” I called again walking through the house ignoring the disgusting state of the place. I came to his bedroom, the door was close all the way. I had a bad feeling come over me when I looked at the door. Shaking, my hand came out pushing the handel down opening the door slowly. My eyes scanned the room. Barry wasn’t in his room, he was nowhere to be seen. But Rafe was.

He was lying on the floor shaking completely out of it. “Rafe” I gasped running over to his side as quickly as I could with tears in my bright eyes. The little boy I once knew was gone, addiction had taken him over now. He’d gone too far. Rafe couldn’t move or lift his head up to look at me. I pressed my hand against his heart, his heart beat was raising.

I heard his little wheezes as he tried to gasp for breath. My heart broke. “I’m going to call an ambulance okay, your- your going to be okay rafe okay” I comforted him and my hand trembled as I tried calling the emergency services. He was unresponsive obviously but I hoped he was focusing on my voice and staying alive.

“Yo country club where you at” I heard from the other room. “BARRY” I screamed as the first tear fell down my face “y/n? What you doing h- what the fuck” Barry’s eyes widened as he entered the room seeing Rafe on the floor and me crying next to him. “Shit- your calling the ambulance?” He shouted at me pointing. “Of course I am you idiot” I cried putting it to my ear.

“What have you done” I shook my head at him “I- I have to bounce- shit- I needa get all my shit” Barry ran around his room collecting all the illegal shit he was hiding in a bag while the phone line opened for me. Everything after was a blur. The ambulance came immediately, I think mentioning that it was Rafe Cameron that needed them helped the situation a lot. Everyone knew Rafe Cameron.

His eyes started fluttering in and out of consciousness when they came. Barry had already left with every bit of evidence gone. I didn’t want to get my brother in trouble but Rafe needed me. Rafe was immediately admitted to emergency unit and they connected him up to a drip to stabilise his heart rate ensuring he wouldn’t have a heart attack.

I sat there in the hospital room with him the whole time just listen to the beeping machine and staring at his unconscious body. I’d never been more scared than in that moment.

Rafes eyes fluttered open but struggled to stay open. “Shit” I heard him mutter with a husky voice “rafe” whispering lightly feeling my heart pound against my chest. “Y/n?” He questioned squinting at me from his bed. “your okay now, your safe” “you called an ambulance?” Rafe quizzed moving his hand to his head.

“I know your going to be pissed at the choice I made but Rafe- if you had seen yourself” I shook my head unable to continue without crying. He silently looked at me next to him. “I would have done the same thing- roles reversed” he whispered gently making me feel a whole lot better. As if he’d just taken the Effie tower off my shoulders.

“Are you okay” i moved the chair a little closer to the bed to hear his quiet responses. “I feel like death” “what happed rafe” I demanded scrunching my sleeves in my hands “I dunno- there was no snow at the party so I went to your brothers afterwards- we were drinking- sniffing” Rafe looked up at the ceiling to explain the rest of the story. I think my look of disappointment was too much.

“He went out to get food when it got light- I did some more sniff I- I don’t know after that” “what is wrong with you?” I asked immediately after Rafe had finished his sentence. The boy let out a little sigh. “Why do you do this to yourself I’ve asked you- so many times to stop” I told him letting them tears fall down my face. “I know” he replied quietly. “Is this what it’s taken? Almost fucking dying- scaring the shit out of me”

My breathing became shaky as my crying turned into a full break down. My knees lifted up and my hand went to my face. “I can’t go through this again rafe I cant” I sobbed into my hands. “Y/n please don’t cry” Rafe reached his arm out to hold my wrist. “I didn’t- realise you were that worried about it all” “worried?” I asked looking up him “I was terrified Rafe, I won’t lose you to something this stupid I won’t”

“You haven’t- im not going anywhere I’m done” he told me seriously, he took my hand when I stopped moving to concentrate on his words. “You mean It? Because I don’t wanna hear it if you won’t” “No I mean it- I’ll stop it all for you” the boy shook his brunette head against the hospital pillow. “What do you mean for me” “seeing you upset it’s worse than my od to me okay, I would do anything to take it back so you did have to see that”

“You say that like it’s a normal thing Rafe- do you not realise yourself how serious it is?” “I’ll stop” he repeated looking me dead in the eyes “okay” I nodded subtly as my tears slowly came to a stop. I wiped my wet cheeks dry so i could carry on the conversation. “I think- I need to tell you something” he told me shuffling closer and trying to roll onto his side. The boy winced out in pain before breathing calmly.

“You gave me a second chance- you saved my life and it’s time I’m honest with you”. I stared back at the boy tightening my grip on his hand curious to know what it was. “I think I lived so could tell you this- the thought of dying without you knowing is- torcher” “you know what’s torcher rafe? You dragging this out making me worried as fuck” I let out a nervous laugh making him smile small. 

“I will stop for you because I’m so fucking in love with you y/n” Rafe told me slightly reserved, he was being vulnerable with me and I loved it. But it scared me too. He just poured his heart out to me. Rafe Cameron is in love with me. With me? “Y/n Im Gonna need you to say something here to save us both the overthinking” Rafe smirked at me as my lips parted to speak.

“I am same- I am- also- your always on my mind I - I’m in love with you too” I stuttered trying to get the right wording exactly. His eye brows twitched together. “I don’t know if I was expecting that or not” “I wasn’t” I answered really quickly. We both looked at each other before laughing, Rafe brought my hand to his lips and he kissed the top of it. “I will kiss you for realz just let me brush my teeth first” Rafe joked with me. “I’ll wait for you Cameron” I chuckled rubbing my thumb across his hand before bringing it to my chest.

“Barry is gonna hate this” I giggled shaking my head “I don’t need him anymore, I don’t care if he hates me” Rafe answered, perfectly. “I’m so glad your okay” I whispered hugging his arm clutching it to my chest. “I’m glad your here” “wait so are we like- together now or?” I raised my eyebrow urging an answer from the boy. “You’ve been my girl for a while, you just didn’t know it” “is- is that a yes?” I checked just to make. Rafe chuckled to himself.

“Yes gorgeous your officially my girl- and I will sort my life out for you i promise, your worth it”.

[yuna542]

[5.]

~The Greg Noll~

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Reader/Oc

Genre: Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Smut, Angst, Drama, Action

Warnings: Wounds, Banter, None

Taglist: Open

Word count: 2.5K

Summary: The Kook princess is back after a year and reignites the war between Pogues and Kooks on Kildare. But she quickly realizes that after this year, nothing is the same as before. Deception, secrets from the past, and dangerous conspiracies sweep across Kildare, leaving her no choice but to work with the Pogues and her personal nemesis to find the truth and maybe even $8 million. A dangerous treasure hunt begins that turns her world upside down.

Note: Hope you liked it till here. I would be very happy if you‘d write a comment or repost and let me know what you think. Have fun with the new chapter 🫶🏻

Soundtrack:

⏯️Play: Crash My Car by COIN

Walk in like a wrecking ball

The way she moves makes you miserable

All eyes on the golden girl

She's gonna tell ya, gonna tell ya

Fortunately, no one had been in the shed behind the hedge for years.

Not even the gardeners ventured into the unstable old shack. That was exactly why she had always liked to use that place as a hiding place.

Mom knew for a fact that Rick wouldn't bother to set foot in the dusty old ramshackle. The door creaked ominously and rays of sunlight shone through holes in the walls. It looked almost magical.

The smell of dust, wet wood, and earth rose to my nose.

The shed was empty except for a shelf on the wall.

Carefully, I stretched and groped on the top shelf.

I reached into cobwebs and contorted my face in disgust, but I didn't pull my hand back. Not that magical.

That's when I felt the fabric and got a hold of it. With a tug, I was able to grab it completely and pull it off the shelf. Dust swirled up in the bright rays of light, worsening my vision. Coughing I tried to drive the dusty air away from me.

However, all I could do was stare at the large bag in my hand. It was indeed still here.

I walked back out and placed the item upright in front of me. It was by now just a little taller than I was. Tensely, I searched for the zipper and opened it with bated breath. I looked at the surfboard in awe, stroking my fingers over the cool surface.

It looked exactly the same. The Greg Noll had been Mom's treasure. She had learned to surf with this board herself as a young girl and subsequently taught it to me.

The wooden color was crisscrossed by two bright red stripes that stretched across the entire board.

Immediately memories came up in me and my whole body longed for the sea and the high waves.

I only now realized how much I missed the surf trips with Mom. Even though we could only ever practice in secret, because I didn't want anyone to know about it.

It would be my personal downfall if the other Kooks found out that I was practicing a pogue sport and even liked it. Until I found out Topper surfed too and suddenly it was cool to do that...

But at the moment, I didn't care about those Kooks. I just wanted to feel as carefree again as I had only been on the waves.

So I unzipped all the way and jammed the board under my arm.

I looked around the street carefully and then stealthily turned into a sneaky path. A path that led from Figure Eigth directly to the Cut. It was a winding path through the woods, but it was fun to be so spontaneous and free again.

Rick would have torn me apart, but I didn't care at the moment. To him the reputation and the opinion of the others, especially the Island Club had always been more important than my interests and feelings. So I didn't have to consider his either. He wanted me to have good grates, go shopping, tan all day on the yacht or go golfing.

As I heard the surf already from afar, a ton of heavy weight fell from my shoulders.

The white bikini felt pleasantly warm on my skin and when I finally felt the sand under my feet, I automatically quickened my pace until I was running towards the water.

Once in the water, I swung myself onto the board and paddled out. The water cooled my heated skin and I welcomed the taste of salt on my lips like a lost friend.

The first attempts to catch a good breaker were really miserable and it took me forever to regain my balance, but that didn't make it any less fun. The waves weren't very practical today, barely any good barrels, but it was a liberating feeling to finally be back on the board.

As my legs were already shaking with exertion, I laid flat on the board and paddled along the coast. The sun was high in the cloudless sky and warmed my back.

I never wanted to get off the board again and would have loved to paddle around the whole island. At some point I reached the swamp at the Cut, where the paths on the water stretched out like a maze over endless expanses.

Here I had been only very rarely. It was too dangerous for a Pogue to see me there.

Nevertheless, I let myself drift a little and lay on my back. The familiar feel of the surfboard on my skin made me sigh.

The sun's rays shone in my face, making me close my eyes. I let my leg dangle off the board and enjoyed the cool breeze blowing over the water here.

I didn't know if I had been dozing like this for hours or if it had only been minutes, but my body was so relaxed that I could barely open my eyes.

Out here there was no Rafe yelling at me, no Kooks thinking I was the infallible princess, and no Rick condemning everything I did and taking his anger out on me.

Out here it was just me and the swamp. I could just be myself and breathe freely for the first time in days without that oppressive feeling on my chest.

That's when I felt a touch on my leg. Before I could react, a searing pain shot through my body and made me wince violently.

A scream escaped me and the burning evolved into a piercing sting.

I straightened up too quickly and lost my balance.

Panicking, I tried to hold on to the board, but that only made it worse. I toppled over and landed in the water. Gasping, I tried to pull myself back up, and that pain shot through me again, only this time below my shoulder blade, at my ribs.

I gritted my teeth and pulled myself back onto the board with the last of my strength. Panting heavily, I stared at my leg, which was already reddened.

Swollen wounds that looked like burns sat there and I didn't want to know what my back looked like.

Immediately I became angry at myself and wondered how I could be so stupid. I didn't know this area out here and hadn't even read up on jellyfish at this time of the year.

The pain pulsed under my skin and ate its way to my bones.

Seagulls flew overhead screeching loudly as if to mock me.

Now every movement cost an incredible amount of energy, as I had to fight against the drilling pain every time, so that I was exhausted after only a few minutes. Panting, I looked around, but the beach was too far away. Most definitely I wouldn't be able to make it.

I looked around on the water and thought feverishly.

Gradually, I could no longer stand the pain, so I headed for the nearest cove.

Between the dense deciduous trees on the shore was a small pebbly beach that seemed to lead to a sparsely populated area.

I must be somewhere in the middle of the Cut. Reaching the shore, I stumbled through the knee-deep water and dragged my board to the beach. There I laid it on the gravel and struggled up to the meadow behind the beach.

I needed to see where I was and then somehow get home without anyone seeing me.

This was going to be difficult as I could barely stand upright and my leg hurt with every step. The poison started to turn my stomach and I got sick. I looked around and spotted a small path that led to a run-down fishing shack.

In front of it were old ship engines and other junk everywhere that I couldn't name.

Next to the large hut was a smaller shed that must have been a workshop.

Where the hell had I ended up here?

I ran my hands through my hair, panting, trying to keep a clear head.

Fortunately, there didn't seem to be anyone at home who could catch me on their property. To be honest it didn’t look like someone should live in that torn down place anyway.

Now I looked at my leg more closely for the first time and cursed softly. Afraid someone might hear me.

The redness ran down my entire calf.

I would have a hard time hiding that. Immediately I wanted to keep walking, but the pain suddenly triggered dizziness, so I immediately sat down to avoid falling. I could feel the grass under my body and the throbbing on my shoulder had only gotten worse from the salt water.

Then suddenly I heard the rumbling of an engine behind the house. Then silence again. I just sat there and took a deep breath after another and tried with all my might to not throw up.

I couldn't lose control now.

"What has the tide washed up for me?" a taunting voice sounded behind me. I closed my eyes and wanted to sink into the ground as soon as I recognized him. I turned my head and spotted JJ holding a motorcycle helmet in his hands.

He was standing on the terrace of the house, placing the helmet on a plastic table. He must have come through the house to the terrace. So that meant he lived here.

With all the houses all over Kildare, I had to end up at Maybank, of all places.

„Fuck…“, I whispered before I looked at the sky to push the tears back. I kept silent, hoping that maybe he would just disappear, but it was in vain.

He was already coming down the creaking stairs and toward me. So I stood up and bit the inside of my cheek as pain shot through my limbs.

As he came closer, he seemed to recognize me, but not to believe his eyes. A toothpick was stuck in the corner of his mouth, which he casually removed for a moment.

"Diaz?" it escaped him incredulously as he took off his cap, ran his hand through his hair, and put it back on with the shield facing backwards.

"Believe me, if I had known this was your property, I wouldn't have...", I was already starting to justify myself, but at his smug grin, I fell silent.

"What the hell are you doing here, Kook?"

I was already thinking of countless possible lies that could explain my appearance, but his eyes fell already on the board behind me.

He walked past me and looked at it with shining eyes.

"Is that a Greg Noll?" he muttered incredulously, stroking the red stripes. As he did so, he shoved the toothpick back between his teeth.

"Unbelievable... It's in excellent condition. How did you get your hands on such a…“

Astonished, his gaze now wandered back to me and his expression became inquiring. I felt like a kid who had been caught stealing.

"You surf?" he asked with such an incredulous tone that it was starting to offend me.

"Every now and then," I muttered, since there was no point in lying now.

"I don't believe that... The Kooks' princess surfs like a pogue," JJ exclaimed, circling me.

I had a hard time following him, but I couldn't let him see my back. After all I didn't want any help from a pogue and besides, I was ashamed of my stupidity.

"If you tell anyone, you're dead."

Threateningly, I glowered at him, but he didn't make a face.

"No one would believe me anyway," he countered, taking a step toward me. I wanted to back away, but my leg hurt too much.

A soft gasp escaped me, whereupon the grin disappeared from his face. His gaze wandered searchingly over my features and he seemed to notice that I was studiously avoiding turning my back to him.

"What's wrong? You look like a ghost."

Sweat stood on my forehead and I was sure there was sand in the wound on my shoulder.

"Nothing," I pressed out, but the golden-haired didn't believe me.

He grabbed me by the arm and jerked me around. I almost cried out in pain, but bit my tongue at the last moment.

"Shit, did a jellyfish get you? Is that why you docked here? That looks terrible! It must hurt like crazy."

I turned back to him, wanting to scratch his eyes out.

"Yeah, obviously. Now leave me alone so I can finally get out of here."

He took a few steps back again.

"Do you even know how to treat a sting like that?"

He took the toothpick out of his mouth and flicked it away.

"I'll think of something," I hissed venomously.

He just raised his hands defensively and let me pass.

"I won't stop you."

Limping, I walked over to my board and tried to pick it up, but as soon as I bent down, the sting shot from my rib, over my shoulder, and into my chest, causing me to slump.

Before I hit the ground, however, he caught me and pulled me back to my feet by my waist.

"Are you sure you can do this by yourself? You can't even stand on your own. Those wounds should be treated before they get infected."

He looked at me and I expected him to laugh and scoff, but instead he really looked like he was worried. About me? Never.

Only for a tiny moment before he eyed me up and down and put on another smarmy grin.

Only now did I notice that he was still holding me in his arms. His hand was firmly on my hip and I was propped up against his chest.

Since he was only wearing an unbuttoned shirt that was way too big, I could feel his warm skin and his heartbeat right under my fingertips.

Angrily, I slapped his hand away and fixed him.

"And you want to help me or what?"

JJ just shrugged and buried his hands in the pockets of his pants.

"I could help you if you asked me nicely."

Provocatively, he looked me straight in the eye.

I was getting more and more irritated, and if I hadn't been hurt, I would have slapped him in the face long ago.

"Are you serious?", I snapped at him.

"You want me to get down on my knees and beg you?"

JJ grinned suggestively and raised his eyebrows. Immediately, I regretted my choice of words.

"Well, I definitely wouldn't mind you on your knees, of course."

He came closer again and clasped his hands behind his head.

"But for starters, a simple please will do."

Annoyed, I snorted, but I was beginning to realize that I did indeed need his help.

Even if I somehow got home, I wouldn't be able to fix myself up.

I couldn't let Sarah and Rafe know either, since Rick was home and that's where my cell phone was.

And I could never get to Figure Eigth alone in this condition.

Waiting, the Pogue looked at me and smirked in amusement.

"All right. Please help me," I pressed out, spitting out each word like poison.

He put his hands down and was now grinning broadly.

"There you go. Was that really so hard?," he replied, and without asking, slid his arm around my waist.

Perplexed, I clung to him as he simply lifted me bridal style and carried me up to the house.

As if I weighed nothing, he ran up the stairs and my face flushed with embarrassment. His defined abs were pressed tightly against my torso and I had to take my eyes off those sky blue eyes, before I would loose my mind.

© Yuna542 — 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐝.

[oxpogues4lifexo]

Keeping up with the Camerons

— My Alternative Ideas —

This is my WHAT IF's of my show and how different it would've been if I had stuck with my original plans. Happy halfway mark to KuwtC!!!

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

• The Characters

I wanted to write them all as they were in the show that’s why they never stuck to my original ideas.

Ward: The nicest man on the island. I was hoping to keep him as the loving father everyone knows and loves until the last episode where all hell breaks loose. Except that didn’t end up happening because then the show wouldn’t have been interesting or real.

Rose: The caring mother. I wanted to write Rose like how she is in the actual show. She cares about the girls and somewhat Rafe but wouldn’t fight for him. Except I was going to write her as the woman everyone went to for help. She cared for everyone no matter what, and even Bella and Callum. But I didn’t because defending Callum is wrong and if she doesn’t like Rafe she’d never like him. Also it just felt right to write her the way I did because she just gives off posh snobby vibes and I wanted to accentuate that!

Rafe: The disobedient kid. I wrote him exactly how I wanted to. Except I wanted him to be the one to stand up for Bella. Not the one to shy away and not help. I didn’t write him like that because then it took away from the last episode. I wrote him to do the things he did for a reason. Everything I write has a reason. It all comes out in the last episode!

Sarah: The princess. I was going to write her in as a main character. As Bella’s best friend and her and Rafe got along. I don’t really know why I didn’t it’s just I never really got many scenes of Sarah in obx where I actually learnt something about her (my opinion anyways) so I found it difficult to involve her like I did Rafe as I don’t know as much and wouldn’t do her justice!

Wheezie: The quiet yet optimistic one. She’s the same. She always was even when I planned it a few months ago. She’s the only character I’d write the same way through and through.

Bella: The sweetheart. I wrote Bella exactly how I planned her. Shes my original character. I know her inside and out. I know things about her I’ve never written because I think about her a lot. I’ve written other fics, not on here, for myself. And she’s always been the main character. So it only felt right making her this one. It made writing it alittle easier.

Callum: The jerk. I never meant for him to turn out that way. I never think when I write I just let my mind lead the way and the first sentence I got with him taught me how he was going to be. I wanted him to be the overprotective big brother. The one who wouldn’t let anyone touch her or look at her. I wish I did write him that way, I regret not! It’s one of my only regrets from writing the show. But there wouldn’t have been a plot if I hadn’t made atleast one of the characters problematic and no one cared about Callum because he’s a made up OC I thought about on the spot! So it only made sense changing him and not someone like Rafe or Rose when that wouldn’t be accurate.

Topper & Kelce: The best friends. Yep they’re the same. I meant for them to be the side pieces but they ended up playing a big part and I actually like it that way! It gives me more personalities to play with. They’re how I view them in the show. Toppers always been caring but makes stupid decisions when provoked, and Kelce is the funny one who doesn’t have a single brain cell. (Again just my opinion)

JJ Maybank: The Pogue. He was meant to play a big role. I wanted him to be Bella’s actual best friend. Not Rafe. But I thought then it wouldnt be about the Camerons and no one would care because Bella’s someone none of you know and it wouldnt make sense to just cut to them when they aren’t in the family. But even though I did cut him out from a lot of scenes I still wanted him in it way more than he was. So stay tuned for upcoming episodes! That’s regret number 2.

John B Routledge: The Girlfriend Stealer. I expected him to be the one in it the least. I didn’t expect for him to be in a whole episode and a half. But there would’ve only been half the episode if I didn’t write someone like him in to fill up the gaps. I wanted him to just be wherever JJ was as I was hoping JJ would’ve been the main Pogue in the story. But things change and it worked out so here we are!

Kiara & Pope: The others. I never intended to write them in and I haven’t. Pope has nothing to do with the Camerons. His father wouldn’t have let him be. And Kiara wants nothing to do with Rafe. She wouldn’t be in it like John B was because then it wouldn’t make sense if I’m following from the actual show.

Bella’s Mum and Dad: The Dead Couple. Well I know her mums not dead but you get the idea. I wanted them to be in the picture. Or well the dad anyways. I always find it easier writing stories where the parents aren’t involved. But I never like not having any at all. But the fact we had Rose and Ward already in the story I didn’t need more. And to make the characters more interesting to you all I wanted to get rid of their parents. It also meant she got along well with John B as they’re in the same boat. Same as Sarah and Rafe hence why that’s how they met in the first place and why Rafe’s so sympathetic towards her. It makes the storyline what it is! The mum idk. I have no idea what she would’ve been like because she would’ve been gone either way. But the dad I was going to make him Wards best friend. He would’ve been the one to look after Bella and discipline Callum but then where's the show?? Also he would’ve been going through shit because the mum left so that’s why they had to stay with Ward for a while. Because he trusts him. But none of that happened because again the show is about the Camerons and it wouldn’t have made for the plot I’ve planned out!

• Relationships

Topper and Sarah: The Kook Couple. I originally wasn’t even going to write them together. I actually don’t know why not I thought it would’ve just been different but because I did it meant we got the whole John B arc aswell.

John B and Sarah: The Troubles. I wasn’t planning to make them like each other at all. But after I had to involve John B in the situation it just made sense to because it meant more story to write and more show to read for you all.

Rafe and Sofia: Ugh. I was going to make them a couple. Thats it. I wanted more characters in the show and she made sense. But then it wouldn’t have made for the tensions coming up in upcoming episodes.

Rafe and Bella: I wanted them to end up together at some point. But in my head, the person Bella is and the shit they both go through, a relationship between the two of them is the last thing they want. It’s the only thing they have left and they can’t ruin it.

Bella and JJ: I was going to make this a thing. From day one. The first episode. I wanted to write in all the tensions of them liking each other but not being able to show it around their friends because they aren’t supposed to like each other. The build up. Them finally saying yes etc. But once again, it’s not about them and also it wouldn’t have made sense for the amount JJ’s actually in the show anymore.

Topper and Bella: I know. Just wanted some tensions in the group when everyone found out lmao. Because I’m an angst enthusiast you see! But thought Bella isn’t like that and she wouldn’t do that to Rafe even though there’s nothing there.

• The Episodes

I was hoping on doing like 12 episodes for the first season. But when making the leaked footage I realised you can only add 10 pictures and I couldn’t be bothered to argue if I’m being honest lmao. But also 12 for someone like me who’s never committed to a big project like this was too many so I settled with 8. Normal for a first season anyways I’d say.

Episode 1: Kildare Royalty. I wrote it how I wanted it. I expected it to be longer however. But I didn’t know if anyone would read it and it’s the first episode which is never normally very long for tv shows. I’m very proud of the first episode though. I love how it turned out as it’s exactly how I imagined it! And you all loved it so thank you!!

Episode 2: A Helping Hand. Basically everything that happened I had planned except the conversations on the boat would’ve been the conversations in Wards office. I’m really happy with how it turned out to be honest I'm just upset it took so long because a lot of people stopped reading my work and it was a little bit of a shock when I didn’t get many likes compared to the first.

Episode 3: Life Inside The Bubble Wrap. I didn’t have high hopes for this episode. Like I already said I don’t really have a good grasp of Sarah’s character so it was a struggle for me to come up with a whole episode that would live up to the one previous. That’s why I ended up copying from the actual show. Overall as an episode I didn't mind it, except I don't remember a single thing that happened other than the huge argument at the end. Oops. I'm not surprised it didn't do as well.

Episode 4: Prince and Princess. For this episode I really just wanted to experiment with Bella and Rafe’s relationship. Which I did! I wanted to show who Rafe could be when he’s with the right person. And I wanted to get real deep into their pasts and their feelings. I loved this episode because it was set in a completely different place and the angst was just MWAH. And it was all about Rafe.

Episode 5, 6, 7, and 8: I have these planned out. There's always just been a rough plan for them all. Obviously by the names of them you can gather; 5 is about Rose, 6 is about Wheezie, 7 is where the shit begins to hit the fan and 8 is a total rollercoaster. I'm happy with my ideas for the rest of the season but I know for sure I will not be going along with my original plan since its gone off course a while ago. I will say however, my original idea for the last episode, it would be the end of the show completely, so all problems would be resolved and everyone would live happily ever after. Spoiler alert, that doesn't happen. I wanted there to be room for more, I love writing and this has been my gateway, I don't want it to end so if people like it enough and want more then there's room to make more.

• The Plot:

At first I wanted it to be a very open show. I mean like they travel around the island (the camera crew) and just ask people like the Pogue's what they think about the Cameron's. Meanwhile the Cameron's would just be going about their day to day life. There wasn't going to be much to it and Bella and Callum weren't going to be a thing. But I'm glad I changed my mind. I'm glad I added structure and an actual storyline and I'm glad I added Bella and Callum. I didn't want to just copy the real show and make it all about the Kooks and Pogues hating each other. Although it is based around that it isn't my main focus and I'm glad I decided to do it that way. When deciding to add Bella and Callum, my first thoughts were to bring them in as extras to speak about the Cameron's but they wouldn't be at the house all the time. I never had a clear idea of a plot so what it is now is pretty much my first idea.

• Seasons:

Originally like I said already, I was going to make it a one season show but now I have written half and knowing how its going to go, I like the idea of having more episodes to write. The next season will consist of resolving the issues of these season 1 episodes and also all the characters rekindling or breaking up their relationships with one another. That could be anyone from Ward to JJ to Topper etc. I want it to be more of a, see how it goes, kind of season and just have fun with it. Maybe it be less angsty and more fluff this time around. I don't know I want season 2 to be a more follower based season where you all give me ideas for the episodes or you guide me almost. I'd like that alot.

Any other questions or things you wanted to know let me know! Thank you for reading and showing so much love to the series so far!! Almost 100 likes on the trailer is insane so thank you!!! 💕

Episode 5 is in the works!!!

Taglist: @viawritesstuff @mymelodylvr @rafeinterlude @cerya @aariahnaa @nativegirltapes @b1mb0slvt @irlfaixry

[couldawouldashoulda50]

A heart full of regret - Part 2 (William Nylander)

Part 1 is here

A/N - I’m going to start this off with an apology.  I’ve been writing as a female reader insert but did have a specific picture of someone in my mind for the reader herself, in terms of physical traits etc. Looking back, I should have probably made this a William x OC story.  I apologize if the body/hair/facial descriptions have made it difficult in any way to have the reader put some version of themselves into the story.  I’m sort of learning as I go along. 

I had planned to release this around the holidays but true to form, my personal responsibilities derail my escapism 😉

In this next part, there are some musician/song references to the late Shane MacGowan/The Pogues and Sinead O’Connor, as well as their respective funerals.  I have included the lyrics to the chorus of a song entitled Fare Thee Well Love by The Rankin Family (posted in the next blub 2.1) - but it’s passed off as a song written and sung by the reader.   While there are facts used as part of the story (including a couple of links to the reality), all of this is meant to be purely fictional.  

Warnings - overall 18+ themes (various sexual references), angst, alcohol, swearing, cigarettes, brief mention of illness/death - sorry if I missed anything.

Word Count 10K+

Thanks so much as always for dropping by.

Early December, 2023

A wide grin spans your face as the broad man, with salt and pepper hair (more salt than pepper these days), approaches you.

“Hey handsome” you said cheekily followed with a wink, as he embraced you in a friendly hug. “I hope it’s still ok that I call you that….it’s the first thing that comes to mind every time I see you”.

“Best compliment I have had all day, next to my wife’s of course. How ya’ doin, kid?” Sheldon smiles at you as you step back from him.  Sheldon has always called you “kid” despite him only being  just shy of 13 years older than you.  

“Well then, as long as Jackie doesn’t mind that I call you that either”,' you smile as you and Sheldon walk toward the players lounge. “I’m doing well…busy, but good.”

“Ah well, you know my wife - she just laughs and agrees with you…she says you obviously have immaculate taste” Sheldon quips.

You chuckle and give him a little nudge. “Yeah, well, in most cases I do”, you smile.  “Dare I ask how you’re doing? I’m not asking about hockey…I just mean with the regular, normal-ish part of your life, if you even have that.”

“I need more normal these days than what I’ve been getting…but yeah, the kids and Jackie are all doing great. Thank God for them.”

You get the hint. The Leafs have been shaky out of the gate this season with inconsistent outcomes; it’s been like watching a pendulum swinging between pure magic and potential disaster.

You shoot Sheldon a knowing smile.

“Well, thanks for letting me stop by - I didn't like asking…I don’t want to ever be any kind of distraction, but I have something special to give Jake (McCabe) and Gaby wanted me to surprise him here after practice.”

“You gonna let me in on the secret?”

You lift the heavy coffee-table style book that you had been carrying along your side into view and run your hand over the smooth hard cover. Sheldon glances at the black and white photo of you spanning the surface. The photo was taken at one of your band's first sold out shows in Manchester back in 2010; you were just in your 18th year of life. Your long layered hair is tousled around your face; a cigarette dangles from your mouth.

“Yeah, I kinda love this. I’m so happy with how this turned out…the imagery and photography of all the guitars are amazing. We’re selling these books at the exhibit…it chronicles the collection of the guitars on display.”

You flip to a page showing a nickel and steel plated guitar from the 1930’s.

“I met Jake ages ago, back when he was on the Sabres. He and Gaby approached us after an acoustic show that we played. We just hit it off, all of us - Jake and I are both total guitar geeks and over time, he told me his dream was to have one of these nickel plated beauties. I said I had one that was rare which he totally flipped out about it - it’s this one in the picture”, you smile as you recount the conversation.

“Wow…it's really beautiful”, Sheldon leans over to take a closer look.

You continue your story, “So, I’m not sure - have you heard of Shane MacGowan?”

“Oh right, my brother became a huge fan when he moved to Belfast - Adam told me he passed. You knew him?”

“Our band has strong Irish connections with two of our members being from there; we met Shane and some of The Pogues a number of years ago. We managed to stay in touch - I was very fond of Shane, and he was of me. He was almost like a protective older uncle - know what I mean?  He had a rough go with that illness since last year and so after Sinead (O’Connor) passed, I stayed behind after her funeral and spent some time visiting him in the hospital. My heart breaks every time I remember him in that hospital bed - I haven’t been able to get those images out of my mind yet.”

Your emotions were already still pretty raw with your idol-turned-friend passing in July, but with another passing of someone you held so dear just a few days ago, you could feel your throat tighten with sadness and loss.

You took a deep breath. “Anyway, Shane played the same type of guitar in a duet he sang with Sinead back in the ‘90’s. Long story short, he had his wife give me the one he used for that song. As much as I love the one I already owned here, Shane’s means a thousand times more to me. So…I thought I would surprise Jake and give him this one, knowing how much he would treasure it”.

Sheldon continues to leaf through the glossy pages. “Y/N, you are pretty remarkable, you know that?” Sheldon throws his arm around you while discreetly looking at his watch. “I’m sorry, I gotta run but I know Jake will be coming through here any minute so just sit tight and he’ll be out. Oh - and Jackie was talking about having you over for dinner so she’ll be reaching out to you soon. See ya’, kiddo”. Sheldon gives your shoulder a little squeeze and then disappears down the hallway.

Over the years, you have become a welcome sight around the Leafs organization; your presence had essentially reached the point of being more or less commonplace and didn’t warrant the media coverage that it once did. You helped out with various MLSE charities as well, having a preference for more of the hands-on local charity initiatives, whenever time allowed it.

Ultimately, you had established some strong personal connections within the Leafs and their families, so whenever you were in Toronto, it was not an out of place thing to occasionally see you turn up at a practice or out to dinner with a few of the WAGs.

As you waited for Jake, various staff and players stopped by for a quick catch-up before heading home for the day. 

Jake eventually emerged in his Leafs tracksuit, freshly showered with a baseball cap on backward. He spots you and gives you a wide smile, mixed with some confusion, as he approaches you. Gio appears right after Jake and the two circle around you for a hug.

With the book concealed, you make small talk with the handsome veterans. They congratulate you on the gallery exhibit and they assure you they cannot wait to go and see it.

Two dogs suddenly appear out of nowhere; it doesn't take you long to determine they belong to William.

Knowing he would be appearing any second, you try to calm your nerves and focus solely on the dogs as they run towards you, jumping at your feet.

Your heart melts at the sight of them, and you gush “Oh my goodness, is this Pablo and Banksy?”

William hears your voice and stops dead in his tracks. His stomach flips and churns and his heart starts to race.

Oh my God, if that's her…holy shit…

He rounds the corner to see you bending down, allowing the dogs to completely envelop you.

“C'mon, whoa, whoa, whoa….boys - down…”, William chuckles and smiles at you somewhat apologetically.

“I don’t mind one bit…but you better listen to your Dad” you said to Pablo, giving him another scratch and rub as you stood up.

You smile at William who is posturing for an embrace and as his arms pull you in, as you reciprocate the gesture.

“How’s it going, William….” which you say as more of a statement than a question.

“Really good. It’s good to see you again”, William smiles widely, hardly believing you're in front of him now.

Before you melt or explode or however your body is reacting to his touch, you calmly say “you too” with a smile.

Turning back to Jake and Gio, you desperately hope you don’t appear as flustered as you feel.

William comes up on your one side while Jake and Gio, and even a few others have gathered around a countertop in the lounge.

“So, I have a bit of a surprise for Jake - that’s why I’m here. Actually, Jake’s wife is in on the surprise so I’m just going to call her real quick”. 

The men that had gathered look at Jake who appears a little panicked, but in the best way possible.

Gaby answers and you ask Gio if he could hold the phone up, showing her face on the screen, in which he obliges once waving hello to Gaby.

You flip the heavy, hardcover book around; everyone leans in to get a glance at the cover. William catches a glimpse of the photo of you on the cover.  He's not seen many images of you from when your career started, and the photograph captivates him immediately.  Your tousled hair, your eyes that always bore into his soul, and your beautiful mouth that many times had made William almost see God himself.

William discreetly gazes at you.

You had been polluting his thoughts since he saw you at Mitch’s wedding. He wished you could have stayed. He wished he could have talked more with you; maybe could have danced with you…or better still, touched you for the first time in 4 years.

As you begin to explain the details of Jake’s surprise, you try to tame the whirlwind of emotions that circle within you. Between the loss of a dear friend, the anticipation of giving Jake a guitar that he has only dreamt of, and the remnants of feelings that you carry for William, you have to pause a few times while you speak just to regain your composure and keep the tears at bay.

William watches you open the book, and as you flip to the desired page to show Jake his newest possession, pangs of guilt and regret hit William.

William was famous for his confidence; he rarely burdened himself with many heavy thoughts, as he did not waste time dwelling on the past or anything that he could not change. The anointed King of Unbothered. And, as well as that has served him in both his personal and professional life, there were rare moments where something or someone shook him right to his core.

As he studied the side profile of your face, at this moment, you were that very person. Someone he realized that he had carelessly, and foolishly, disposed of. He disposed of your friendship, your companionship, and your love. Four years ago, he cut all ties with you, which was well within his right to do. But, the manner in which he severed those ties, never once affording you the ability to say a word in response, still haunted him to this day. What was worse is that two years later, he reached out to you, seemingly desperate to get a hold of you, and then he ghosted you once you responded. Your head spun with even more confusion and hurt than you had ever felt before and as time went on, it was yet another proverbial nail in the coffin for you and William.

William mused that when he saw you at Mitch’s wedding, you could have behaved any number of ways. You could have gone out of your way to ignore him. You could have been snide and made his entire night hell. You could have berated him for his callousness. He probably deserved all three of these possibilities.

Instead, you greeted him with kindness and friendship, which to William, only further illuminated your ravishing beauty. The way you still managed to smile at him, even though he sensed a deep sorrow behind your beautiful, deep brown eyes, it rocked William’s typical carefree nature.

And now you stood before him and his teammates, gifting Jake a precious guitar simply because you knew how happy it would make him to have it. William’s chest heaved with a mix of deep desire and the stark reality of the mistakes he's made with you.

William’s mind snapped back to the present, smiling at his teammate as Jake reeled and appeared completely flabbergasted.

“I can’t believe you remembered that conversation about this guitar, Y/N…that was ages ago. Jesus - I still played for Buffalo at the time…I cannot believe you’re giving this to me” Jake said, his face flushed as he looked at you and then turned to his wife’s face on the phone “and you knew about this…” he grins at Gaby.

“Can’t wait to hear you play for me, baby”, Gaby said, blowing Jake a kiss.

“Ok, so once the exhibit closes, I’ll get the guitar prepped for you and have it delivered. There are some nuances to how to tune her so I’ll drop by sometime and walk you through it. Oh, and here - the book is for you as well” you smile wryly at Jake “sorry, I think I diminished its value by signing it….but there is a little note for you in there for you too” you chuckle.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve this but thank you so much Y/N. I’m completely stunned.”

After hugs were given and goodbyes were said, the small group dissipated. 

You turned to see William standing off to the side, glancing at his phone while Pablo and Banksy lay at his feet.

“Awh, your boys are tired” you said, unable to contain your smile looking at the two dogs, and then at William. “They’re awesome - it figures you’d have the most fly dogs ever”.

“You ever think about getting one? I guess it’s hard with all your travel but you can take them with you. I take these guys along with me all the time, almost everywhere I go”.

“When COVID started, I was in London…I started fostering from a nearby shelter. I wanted to give the dogs that were constantly overlooked a chance to get out of that environment and see if we could get some viable adoption candidates. I have been doing that here as well - my last girl just got adopted after being in a shelter for over 8 years; I just haven’t had the chance to go see another one to bring home.”

You bring out your phone and lean towards William to show a picture of the last dog in your care, Siba, a nine-year old Asian Shepherd. 

William cheeks flushed pink as he catches the scent of your fragrance; a sudden urge to have his lips graze your skin as he recounts each location on your body where you usually dabbed each drop of perfume has his mind racing and his cock hardening.

Either side of your neck. 

Sometimes behind your ears. 

Your wrists.

Between your breasts.

Sometimes a little swipe across your navel.

“She’s so beautiful…” William said, hoping that you’d get the subtle hint he might be referring to you as well.

You shift uncomfortably for a second; he’s standing so close that you can feel his breath.

No. He didn’t get to do this to you again. The innocent remarks that whisper allusions to his desire for you is what you thought you wanted to hear for the past 4 years.  But, all the sentiment is doing now is creating havoc in your mind.

You swipe the screen to close the photo down and drop the phone back into the pocket of your coat. You turn back to William and smile, now in a little more control of yourself than before.

“Christmas came early this year I guess…for both Siba and Jake.” you said, as you lean down to pet the dogs again and say goodbye.

“Oh - wait…speaking of Christmas…” William hesitates, sensing a slight change in your disposition. “I have been meaning to get in touch with you about that…”

“Oh, right - yeah…no worries…your Mom reached back out to me and said you gave the thumbs up for staying at the house. She mentioned you would reach out but I’m sure you’ve been pretty busy.”

William has an inkling when you’ve mentioned him being “busy”, you’re not referring to his hockey schedule.

“I’ve been working out some details with your parents already…it’s all good.” You tried not to sound too curt but there was a definite chill in your response.

William senses the conversation is quickly derailing.

William’s voice becomes low and soft. “Hey….maybe we could still get together sometime?   Maybe drop by sometime?  I'd kinda like to be involved with the Christmas thing and… it’s just there are some things that we maybe need to talk about.”

Talk. He’s about a million years too late for that, you think to yourself.

“If you feel there’s a need, sure. Let me know when and where…you moved, right?”

William’s expression changed, showing shades of remorse. “I’ll text you the address. I just have practices for now; we don’t play until the 7th so any afternoon is good. Today even, if that works for you”.

“I’m flying out to Ireland again late on the 5th so yeah - maybe today or tomorrow…” 

Thinking back to your conversation at Mitch’s wedding, William joked with a slight smirk “Ireland again? Not another funeral I hope…” 

You quickly looked away, tears threatening to well up in your eyes. 

“It is, actually” you said softly.

Oh my god, you idiot, William berated himself in his mind. ”Fuck…Y/N….I’m so sorry…I shouldn’t have joked”.

“No, I know, Will. It’s ok…I’ll be ok” you smiled, faintly. It seemed like, for the thousandth time that day, you fought to suppress the ache deep within you and had to fight back tears.

William gently reached for your hand and pulled you into his arms. Involuntarily, you gripped onto his hoodie, probably a little too tightly, all in an effort to not completely fall apart in front of him.

You pull away, still trying to hide the anguish on your face with a smile. It broke William a little to see you struggling to maintain your composure. Always putting on a brave face, no matter how cracked or broken you felt, was what you did. It was how you were wired.

“Here…if you’re leaving, I’ll walk you out to your car” William said, searching for his keys in his pocket.

You were tempted to come up with an excuse to avoid spending any additional time alone with William, simply because every molecule in your body was inexplicably drawn to him.

Fresh out of reasons or rationale, your mind was too overwhelmed lately to come up with the excuse needed to flee in the opposite direction. The 4 of you walked down the corridor together in a comfortable silence, and exited into the parking lot.

Pablo and Banksy bolt forward out into the daylight, but do not stray far from their Dad, as they happily jump on each other while nearing your vehicle. William smiled to himself and shook his head. Of course your vehicle of choice wasn’t a super luxury SUV or sports car. You took your key fob out and unlocked the black crew cab 4x4 truck. He could picture it now; you in your tank top and jeans, covered in dirt and dust with your work gloves on, hauling lumber and bags of concrete mix for a mini home project.

You were always a parallel of opposites.

Poised and immaculate at high-profile events and functions versus you at home, decked out in ripped work clothes with sweat and sawdust stuck to every part of your body.

Your ultra-cool and larger than life demeanour on stage as you absorbed the electric energy from the crowd versus your sometimes quiet, humble, and super composed personality off stage.

Your vocabulary and your way with words versus your ability to spout off more profanity than a pissed-off truck-driver.

The innocent and submissive side you showed William while making love on many occasions, when he was between your thighs versus the absolute rocket you became when you flipped the switch and took complete control of his body.

“So….what about today. Do you think you could come by later on…I could order in some food - we could catch up?”

You open the door to your truck and Pablo and Banksy both put their front paws on the running board, their tails wagging furiously.

You look at them and chuckle, and bend down to let them bombard you with affection.

“Yeah, you know what…sure, that sounds good. But if you don’t send me your address and end up ghosting me yet again…William….I just - don’t even….”, shaking your head and chuckling, leaving the sentence unfinished. You hop into the truck and William shoo’s the dogs away from the truck door.

“Awh - Y/N - fuck…” William winces at your sarcasm, rubbing the back of his neck, showing a mix of guilt and acknowledgement that he deserved it. “I’m not going to do that”.

“Uh-huh….famous last words,” you said in a cheeky tone, rolling your eyes as you turned the ignition on. “I guess we’ll see you later…bye boys…”.

William chuckled and watched you drive off towards the exit. Walking back to his SUV with the dogs in tow, he felt an excitement, to the point of giddiness, which he hadn’t felt in ages about anyone. He had no idea how the future would pan out but he could at least look forward to tonight so the two of you could finally clear the air. 

William arrives home and after one last bathroom break for the dogs, he starts his typical routine of making calls while eating whatever he picked up from the chefs at the rink or on the way home. He knows your food preferences and makes a mental note of which restaurant he’ll call for take out from. The last thing he does before his afternoon siesta is a quick home delivery order of red wine and other essentials.

He stretches out on the couch that he recently had deep-cleaned due to his last few

sex-capades, none of which seemed to end well or at least warranted an invite for a return visit. He begins to drift off; his dogs curled up around his feet and legs.

Panic suddenly grips him as he realized he had not sent you his address.

See? no 👻 - 😉 William texts as he sends you the address.

If I had forgotten - what a fuckin disaster William thought before falling into a restful sleep.

A couple of hours later, and at least an hour before William was ready to wake up, his phone began to dance and vibrate on the coffee table. Groaning, he grabs the phone off the table and fumbles with it until he can focus on the caller.

The name “Trina” is illuminated on the display.

“Fuuuuuuck” William grumbles while forcing the call to voicemail. “Should have fucking blocked her”.

Since the last time William and Trina had seen each other, there had been a few harmless texts; mostly Trina following up on William’s health and well-being. 

Despite the rather unappealing outcome of their last meeting, William had started to think perhaps he had been too hasty in judging their first sexual experience together. She was beautiful, eager, and readily accessible; these are the exact qualities William needed for a short term fling. He decided to keep his options open, although he continued to feign being unwell until he was ready to see Trina again.  

This all was, of course, prior to William seeing you again.

A voicemail notification appears on the screen followed by a text message bubble.

Missing you - let me come by and make you feel better 

William rubs his hand over his face, stroking his moustache as he thinks about how to respond. Thanks but I’ll be ok. Just need some more rest. I’ll msg you soon. Good enough, William thinks and sets his phone back on the table. 

He leans back on the couch, and closes his eyes again, when another chime sounds from his cell.

“Jesus - take a fucking hint…” he mutters, grabbing his phone. 

It’s from you:

You sure about the no 👻… you didn’t tell me what time… have you already started 🏃?

William laughs and responds:

I’m not gonna 🏃… too tired.  I might hide tho.  How’s 5?

Dots appear as you type your response:

Ooof 💀. K - see you then.

90 minutes from now. Fuck. I should have told her 4.

William continues to read your text exchange over again as he smiles to himself. You always succeeded in making William laugh, no matter how small the exchange was. Your individual senses of humour seemed to mesh flawlessly - he seemed to get you and your little idiosyncrasies, the same way you understood his.

He looked forward to the possibility of earning your friendship back and maybe even more. William wondered if you had met anyone; he had heard rumblings a while ago about you catching the eyes and interests of a few other NHL’ers but he hadn’t heard anything since. In William’s mind (and he was aware he had no claim on you), he dreaded the idea of you being with anyone, but there was something so much worse if that guy was another hockey player in the league. 

He pushed those thoughts to the side; he would need to establish rumour and fact later, and it made him queasy just thinking about it.

Rather than trying to steal a few more minutes of sleep, William putters around the condo tidying up here and there, but feeling no pressure in having the place look unlived in.

Nerves were starting to build. William seemed to wander aimlessly from one room to the other, serving no other purpose than to kill time. Although he had a shower after practice, William decided on another long shower to help him relax, and to allow him to take some additional care with his grooming regimen.

William steps into the hot water and closes his eyes as the warmth and the steam envelop him. Every quiet moment lately, William has thought about the two of you and your past. Memories that never seem to erode; images that William would often rely on when he needed to drift off to sleep or relieve some built up “tension”.

Streams of water weave their paths down William's broad chest, through his chest hair and down his toned abs, eventually trickling down the veins of his cock, and dripping off the tip. He begins to feel a stirring, an urge with the thoughts of your arrival. William's strong hand gingerly wraps around his shaft and he begins to pump himself with long, methodical strokes.

He remembers the occasions with the two of you in the shower….

….you on your knees before him and encouraging his cock further into your mouth until the tip is rubbing against the back of your throat. With his hand fisting the hair at the back of your head, you allowed him to fuck you deep in your mouth until you tasted the pre-cum seeping onto your tongue. William marvelled with how much your mouth could accommodate as you expertly controlled your gag reflex and breathing.  It seemed with your years of voice and mouth exercises, the benefits were many, beyond simply increasing your vocal range and pitch.  

As William spouted broken sentences of praise for what you were doing to him, you would masterfully take control of his cock with your hands, stroking his girth, alternating between licking and sucking the rounded head as it turned shades of feverish reds and purples. William’s grunts and loud groans never ceased to arouse you as William began climaxing.  You lapped at his balls, gently sucking on them as you continued to pump his shaft.  You ached to hear the warnings before he cums, desperately waiting for him to unload.  Gripping his ass, your mouth engulfs his cock, your head moving back and forth at a frenzied pace.  You force the oozing head towards the entrance of your throat.  William’s hand cradles the back of your neck, allowing you to look up.   Your eyes locked on each other as his seed coated the inside of your mouth. You smile as you enjoy the taste of him, and slowly guide his cock away from your open mouth as strings of your spit mixed with his cum stretch from the head.   Your eyes remain fixed on his; soft smiles and intimate words are lovingly exchanged as you continue to lap, suck and fill your mouth again and again with his generous cock.

William shuddered as he watched you intently overtaking his semi-erect member into your mouth.  With you maintaining his heightened arousal, the urge to spread your thighs apart for him to greedily feast on your pussy took hold. You always claimed to be a better giver than receiver, but William was now hell-bent on respectfully pushing your boundaries. Without fail, each and every time, you had given him the hottest oral of his life, and William was determined to reciprocate until your pussy was properly worshipped.

He pulled you up and pressed you hard against the shower wall with his thick and muscular frame. He scanned your face, focusing his gaze on your lips; he watched as the water washed away the remainder of his cum that had oozed from your mouth.  He used his thumb to slowly guide the fluids back into your mouth, allowing you to suck on the tip of his thumb.  He kissed you; his lips were hungry and eager on your mouth as his tongue manoeuvred around yours. His hands moved skillfully from massaging your tits, down along your sides, and towards the front of your abdomen. You let out a gasp and bit your lip hard as 8 fingertips gently landed with a faint, feather-like touch near your pussy, as he began to lightly graze your wet and ready folds. You begin to shiver at his touch and have the goosebumps to prove it; your pussy is past the point of throbbing and you are almost on the fringes of insanity waiting for William to binge on your core.

He wanted to mark you tonight. His mouth slid down your body, nipping and sucking some of the most pleasurable, albeit discreet, areas of your toned body. As he knelt on the shower floor, he caressed your long leg, leaving love bites at the apex of your slender thigh which he then guided one over his shoulder. His mouth instantly latches onto your folds as he slowly strokes your clitoris with his pointed tongue. You shriek, reacting to William suddenly engaging his jaw muscles to tongue-fuck you in concert with mercilessly licking your clit. William rubbed his facial hair repeatedly over your most sensitive spots, feasting on your swollen pussy as if it was his favourite dessert, moaning with pleasure as your arousal hit his taste buds. He loved hearing you cry out his name, watching you let go of your usual collected composure and allowing him to help release your inner inhibitions.

As an added bonus, he inserted his middle and ring fingers slowly and deeply inside your cunt. He adjusted and moved the ends of his fingers eventually hitting the most desirable spot as he watched you writhe in pure ecstasy. He wanted to see you succumb to the sensation as he continued lapping and stroking your clitoris with his tongue. He began to move his fingers rapidly in and out of your entrance, until your thighs began to shake and quiver involuntarily. William increased his already formidable pace with his fingers and his tongue as you fight not to collapse under the sheer magnitude of your impending orgasm.

And when he brings you to the highest level of pleasure, he vigorously gyrates his fingers deep inside your core, inciting you to cry out as you squirt for him. After he made you spray for him a few more times, he laced his fingers with yours and he stood up, pressing you against the shower wall again. One hand slides back down to your pussy and he gently rubs two fingers against your engorged clit. William’s eyes are locked on yours as he slowly pulls his fingers up to his mouth, and wipes the sheen from your arousal on his pouting lips. He runs his tongue along the shiny trail he made with his fingers, whispering in your ear of how delicious you are.

Back in a lonelier shower, William’s head falls back under the steady stream of hot water that begins to collect in his open mouth as he’s reaching his orgasm. He spits it out and begins to grunt as streams of cum erupt into the flow of water heading to the drain on the shower floor.

He pants for a moment, catching his breath. He needed that. He needed to take the edge off before you arrived.

William steps out of the shower and wraps a towel around his midriff. The steam quickly dissipates as he exits the bathroom into his bedroom, and he takes his time selecting the relaxed and casual attire for the evening. He glances at his phone to check the time. 4:30.

He sighs and smiles slightly; he’s really looking forward to tonight, to just have you there relaxing on his couch, catching up on the past few years.

He checks his messages, making sure there was nothing new from you.  There is, however, another text from Trina.

My friend and I are going to Mademoiselle for Happy Hour and then dinner. Maybe it will do you good to come out - we can all have a little bit of fun?

Knowing the message will show as being read, William sends a short response.

Not tonight, but thanks anyway.

Trina responds with just an emoji showing her disappointment.

William shakes his head and finishes getting ready. Minutes tick on but it feels like hours, and he’s getting impatient.

The ringtone on his phone assigned to building Security begins to chime, startling William for a moment and each of the dogs perk up their ears in response. He answers the call and his stomach flips once the guard announces your arrival.

He can hardly believe how nervous he’s become and silently kicks his own ass in his head for being so ridiculous. But on the other hand, it’s you. The one girl he still finds himself longing for after so many years.

He props the door open wide enough so you can spot him once you get off the elevator; Pablo and Banksy sit at William’s feet anxiously anticipating the arrival of someone new.

Once the elevator reaches William’s floor, he can hear the chime and the doors sliding open. You step into the plush waiting area and then follow the signs pointing to the appropriate suite number.

You round the corner and see him waiting in his doorway. It’s no use to try and conceal your smile when your eyes land on his grinning face. He opens up the door allowing the dogs to fly down the hallway in your direction.

William watches you beam with delight as you bend down to greet the two.

After tummy rubs and a lot of cooing from you, the dogs follow you back towards the condo where you greet William with a friendly embrace.

William takes a moment to gaze at you; your curls are contained by a loose bun, you are dressed in a tan coloured pea coat, black turtleneck with black slacks. You managed to make clothing that were simple and understated look elegant and absolutely fucking sexy. He inhales deeply - your appearance already has William rattled.

He takes your coat and you remove your heeled boots at the entranceway. The dogs follow your every move as you scan his condo. Had it not been December and the days being so short, you could imagine how a sunny day would radiate throughout the place from the large windows and glass balcony doors from the living room.

“This is really beautiful, William. Such a fantastic part of the city too,” you said smiling, your eyes wide and shining.

“It’s small, but I’m on a waitlist for a larger place up on the penthouse floor. It’ll be better when my family comes to visit…so they don’t need to crash at your house at Christmas again” William laughs. 

“Well, yeah…I get it but I have to say, I’m really looking forward to having them stay. It’s far too big for just me, so having some life around will be amazing. At the very least, I’m hoping someone in your family will kick your ass at ping-pong…or at any of the other games, really…” you smirk.

“Ha, yeah…never gonna happen…” William laughs.

“Ah, well…pardon me as I try to squeeze by the giant ego that just arrived” 

“Ouch…hey, I'm just telling it like it is”.

You roll your eyes and scoff. “Ok, King...let’s leave it there.”

The conversation and friendly banter ensues; there are no awkward moments or strained silences. The shared mood is happy and light and soul-warming, much like it had been all those years before. There was a tinge of bashfulness at times as you both would steal glances at each other. It seemed apparent that you both were still very much attracted to one another.

Prior to seeing him, there were moments that you found it annoying to still have these feelings simmering just beneath the surface, given your spirit had been shattered for much of the past four years. Nevertheless, he wasn't to blame for the anguish you shouldered…it's how life was; you caught deeper feelings for him than he did for you. End of story.

At that very moment, it didn’t matter anyway. Or at least, you were going to bury those thoughts way back in the proverbial closet for tonight.

The wine arrives via delivery, followed by dinner. You both opt to sit on the floor and eat at the coffee table in the living room, devouring the variety of sushi and sashimi pieces William had selected.

You filled him in on some of the different music and business ventures you had been a part of since COVID. He asked you about certain gigs and various celebrities, trying to get you to spill some dirt (although tempting, you did not oblige). 

He in turn told you about some of his brother’s exploits with women, and you reminisced about the old days and the unhinged female drama involving Kasperi and his ex-girlfriends that you witnessed firsthand a number of years ago.

Your muscles in your face began to hurt from smiling and laughing; it’s been forever since you’ve been able to truly unwind like this. You realize that the wine is going down far too easily and you felt a little more buzzed than you should, with remnants of jet lag still plaguing you from the previous round trip from Europe.

William had excused himself to the bathroom, and in an effort not to submit to the wave of drowsiness that was creeping in, you got up off the floor and started cleaning up the containers and plates scattered around the table.

William appears from the hallway and tells you to leave everything - he will clean it up later.

“Ha – no, I need to move - I had a brutal travel schedule at the end of November and it nearly killed me. This exhaustion just strikes whenever, so I had to at least stand up…otherwise, you’re going to find me passed out on the floor.  I feel like a narcoleptic lately.  Plus - that wine…is really, really fucking good…I feel a little drunk,” your face flushed as you laugh.

“You can stay here tonight, if you want?”

You hesitated as waves of nostalgia and cautiousness, in equal measure, washed over you. “Are you sure - I wouldn’t want to cramp your style…”

Before you can stop yourself, you blurt out some musings - or misgivings rather - about his current love life that had been bouncing around in your head.

“I’m sure your dance card is pretty full these days…maybe you’ve got a young model-type waiting for you later somewhere?” you try to joke as you rinse off the plates and stack them in the sink. Your fear that he'll see right through your comments as you look for some clarity on his current love life.

William chuckles and shakes his head; he knows this is partly because of what has been stirred up about his personal life during the Sweden trip.

Touch her. Hug her. Kiss her….do something William thinks.

“I’m positive…I really like this…us hanging out, you and me again. And…please - stop cleaning up” he laughs.

William offers you a small towel and helps you dry off your hands. He smiles as he gazes at you.

“It's really been amazing to see you,” William says softly.

You're certain that the surface temperature of your cheeks are reaching five alarm status as he pulls you closer against him as he leans against the kitchen counter. William feels your light touch as your hands gently lay on his chest.

He searches your face. “And we haven’t really talked about the stuff from before - with what happened with you and me. Do you think maybe we should?” William asks quietly.

You can only manage to look directly into his eyes for brief moments; anything longer will make you crumble.

“I think we can shelve it…it’s not going to change anything that happened before. It’s been such a fantastic evening already…I don’t think we should spoil it by dredging everything up from the past.”

You stare at the thick chain around his neck using it as your main focal point.

 “Yeah, ok…you’re right. It doesn’t change anything that went down.”

You nod your head and look up at his face, blushing more heavily as you try to contain your wide smile.  

Your head is swimming but your need to be in control of your emotions takes hold, and you apologetically excuse yourself and head to the washroom.  William just smiles and lets his hands slide down your hips as he releases you from his embrace.  

You try to stabilize your heart rate and your thoughts. Your desires versus your logic are each trying to get the upper hand in your mind. You take your time, willing yourself to sober up a bit before heading back out to William. You drink some water from the tap to try and dilute the effects of the alcohol you’ve consumed. You study your reflection in the mirror and after repositioning a few curls here and there and applying a little more lip gloss, you exit the bathroom.

Suddenly, there’s a knock at the door spurring the dogs to start barking. You hear William pad over to the entrance and pause for a moment before turning the lock and opening the door.

You hear a female’s voice shriek “Willy!! Heeeey….I missed you so much”.

You can hear the sound of bracelets clinking as the woman wraps her arms around William, followed by an audible kiss. It's crystal clear that she currently has something going on with William.

You hear the dogs muffling whines once William gently commands them to quiet down.

You stop dead in your tracks, feeling completely trapped. Part of you wants to return to the bathroom and not hear any of their conversation. The masochistic side, however, wants to hear every word.

Your brain begins to spiral out of control.

How did you manage to misread this situation again? What was that in the kitchen….was it meant to be platonic? Would he invite you here just to tell you about her?

It feels like a literal punch in the stomach, and you instinctively place your hand over your abdomen as though it would help numb the ache coursing through your body. You stand in the hallway, completely motionless as if your feet were concrete blocks.

“Trina, what are you doing…I mean, how'd you even get in?”

“I dunno, the security guy and the other one were dealing with somebody, someone else was leaving, they held the door, so…we just walked in. Oh, this is my best friend, Lara. I told her how fucking amazing our first date was. She's a fan of yours too. We were out for a few drinks and I thought the two of us could come by to help you feel better. You and I haven’t seen each other since the last time….I know you said not tonight but here we are,” Trina giggled, her words slightly slurred from intoxication.

Lara glared at her friend. Trina had said William was ok with them coming over anytime she wanted, and she claimed he would be game for anything they wanted to do.

William’s present demeanour is definitely contradicting Trina’s story.

For years now, Lara, being the pragmatic one of the two, had been suspicious of how much truth was behind Trina’s claims when it came to the men she had met and dated. True, William and Trina had sex; that much was obvious. However, based on the number of times Trina initiated contact versus William, Lara surmised William might be only willing to meet solely on his whim, given the tone of his short and dry text messages that Trina showed her. Trina was too wrapped up in all the media attention William had been receiving lately to even notice the bland tone behind each of his responses.

When Trina and Lara arrived at Mademoiselle that evening, Trina was clearly on a mission, ordering multiple Perfect 10 Martini’s because, in her inebriated words, she was exactly that. Her mission was to make sure William felt that about her too.

When Trina came up with the brilliant idea of dropping by William’s in order for the two ladies to seduce him and coax him into bed, Lara thought there was no way she was being serious. Lara allowed Trina to call the shots just to humour her; she had learned long ago it was better to play along first before pulling the plug straight away on Trina’s antics. If Lara was being honest though, the exciting flipside of this situation is that if she was ever going to have an opportunity for her first threesome (and if he was truly willing), it might as well be with William Nylander.

As Trina continues to ramble about their evening and some explicit ideas she has for the hours that lie ahead, Lara scans the scene in the living room. Her heart drops when she realizes William is not alone. First she spots two wine glasses - William had filled up your glass while you had stepped away to the washroom. She looks over to see your Louboutin stiletto boots placed off to the side. Then your jacket. She glances at William and can’t quite determine what emotion has registered on his face.

“I….I’m sorry William - I didn’t know you told Trina not to come by tonight” Lara interjected. William looked toward Lara and verbally confirmed, he definitely told her not tonight.

“I have a guest so it would be better if you both just head home” William said calmly.

Trina’s eyes suddenly widened. “A guest??” Trina's voice is raised as she emphasizes the last word. “Do you have another girl here tonight? Where is she? So…what - is she fucking HIDING? Come on out, bitch…let’s see you - I guarantee it, you got nothing he wants” Trina yelled into the air as she looked around the space.

“Alright - enough…you need to leave or I’ll fucking calling security…” William's jaw was clenched as he warned Trina and Lara.

“No - please William, I’m so sorry…we’re leaving. I'm so embarrassed - she said we could come by.”

Lara grits her teeth when she looks at Trina. “You…we’re going….NOW…”

Lara grabs a hold of Trina’s trench coat and half guides but partially shoves her as she stumbles down the corridor. Lara’s voice was a low growl as she berates her until the elevator arrives.

William watches the two girls vanish around the corner to the elevator, hearing the chime as it arrives on his floor. He steps out of the doorway into the hall making a call down to security to ensure they have exited the building. Sometime soon, William will have to go down and find out how they got in from the get go.

He stood there, exasperated as he rubbed his forehead as he re-entered the apartment. The dread of facing you now is creeping into his mind. William is genuinely worried that the fallout from tonight’s events is that you won’t want anything to do with him going forward.

Indeed, that was one of the many thoughts going through your mind. You knew you were judging him and his lifestyle, and you knew you had no right to do so. Just because you chose to abstain from casual sex or any kind of relationship for all these years, certainly did not mean he had to do the same.

You’ve known all along that he was super popular with women. He didn’t have to do much to have girls reaching out to him in droves. Through various means, you also knew he took advantage of his popularity, with being spotted out and about with a number of gorgeous girls over the years.

However, acknowledging reality in theory and seeing it first hand was completely different.

As you stood there listening to Trina drunkenly spout off details of what she and William had done previously and the plans she had for him tonight, you wanted to wretch. The worst part about it was you knew your soul that you still wanted him, but William had moved on, many times over. 

You and William may have started as convenient and casual hook-ups but it never was just about sex with you. It was about all of him. No amount of time or distance or how much you pushed it down could cure you of your feelings for William, up to this point anyway.

But now, all you can feel is torment and defeat from that gut punch from the last 5 minutes. The universe had to be telling you something; the first time you spend time together after four years had passed, and within hours, he had two women show up at his door propositioning him for a threesome.

Here you stood, the week before your 31st birthday, a multi-platinum award winning musician, composer. entrepreneur, philanthropist, advocate, model, actress, and the list went on.

Yet, with all of your achievements under your belt, right now, you were just another girl in a veritable ocean of females all vying for William’s affections. If there was ever a chance that something could have transpired tonight between you and William, the moment has now been instantly derailed by some drunk girl who fucked your ex-hook-up….lover…whatever label fit.

At the end of the day, William could fuck whomever he wanted. He could do whatever he pleased with as many girls as he chooses. It’s his life… It was his decision how he wanted to enjoy his downtime and really, it was none of your business anyway.

Your sometimes passive-aggressive nature, mixed with hurt feelings, made you want to see him twist a little. As you appeared from the hallway however, his expression made you think twice about adding to his misery.

He looked completely crushed, embarrassed, and lost. “Are you ok?” you asked, softly.

“It’s more like, are you…” he said. “Y/N, I am so sorry”.

“Well, it doesn’t seem like it’s really your fault, though…I’m assuming you didn’t know she would sneak into your building, hammered …and well, try and…” you nod your head toward the bedroom.

“Well, no…but I sorta led her on. I’m not even sure why I did…she was kind of…I dunno…like…just there” William struggled to come up with the right word.

“Available…”

” “Yeah…something like that” William confided, feeling a little embarrassed.

He pulls you towards him. “So much for the fantastic night…I guess I ruined that” he said into your ear.

Based on the looseness of your embrace, he knows your feelings have shifted. William feels horrible, desperately wishing he could rewrite the past ten minutes.

You took a step back and you could feel your expression soften. You manage a faint smile and tell him that it was mostly fantastic - even amazing - night but you could have done without the plot twist at the end.

“So….I think I’ll grab an Uber or something and head home, if you’re gonna be ok?” You paused.

No, I’m not ok. I want you to stay here, he thinks to himself.

“Maybe you should stay. Seriously, that girl - just in case she gets it into her head to hang around and watch whoever leaves the building” William says gently.

“Shit…do you think she’d stalk you?”.

“Not sure” William smoothed his hand over his beard. The last thing either of you need is to have your names splashed around the social media universe because of a drunken altercation with a girl in a parking lot, who had been recently fucked…and then slighted, by William Nylander.

You consider the options for another moment, and finally agree that it might be for the best to stay. The couch looks pretty comfortable so you offer to sleep in the living room.

William looks hurt. He wants you in his bed. The urge to wrap himself around you is almost too much for him to handle.

Given the circumstances however, he knows how self-serving it will seem asking you to sleep in the same bed as him. Despite you trying so hard to hide it, he knows you are hurt. He’s beginning to feel a sense of hopelessness from the damage that’s been done tonight.

He grabs some dog treats and tells you to just stay and try and relax while he heads out for a walk with the dogs. He wants to drop by the concierge desk and security just to make sure all is clear around the outside of the building before he ventures out with his boys.

After William and the dogs leave, you survey your surroundings and allow a release of the emotions that have been simmering just under the surface all day. Tears well in your eyes as you stare at the wine glass he filled for you earlier. You lower your head in your hands and weep quietly.

Moments pass and a blinding headache begins to form behind your eyes; the pressure making your eyelids feel heavily weighted. Between the wine and William’s unexpected visitors, the unmitigated happiness you felt only 30 minutes ago has completely evaporated. Like a magnet to steel, a force anchors you to the couch, and you can’t help but to lie your head down and close your eyes to try and get some relief. 

Exhaustion eventually takes hold of you, and you fall into a deep sleep within minutes of your head hitting the pillow.

William and the dogs return after spending longer than anticipated on their walk; the one night William really needs Pablo and Banksy to do their business quickly, it took them forever to get it done.

William enters the condo in a hurried pace, only to find you curled up on the couch asleep. His heart expands and breaks all at once as he approaches you, your figure gently rising and falling with each breath.

He considers waking you up to offer his bed anyway, wanting you to have a more comfortable place to sleep but he vetoes his own thoughts, given all that has transpired.

Instead, he grabs a blanket and gently lays it over you.

It feels strange for William to leave you in the living room by yourself. He watches you for another few moments, your face scarcely illuminated by the dim light from the kitchen that he's left on for you. Desire and disappointment grip his stomach as he turns to head to his bedroom.

The next morning , you awake to something cold and wet brushing up against your face. “Pablo….down, buddy” William chuckled.

Opening your eyes, you’re initially disoriented from waking from a deep sleep. You see Pablo sitting in front of you (you swear he’s smiling), waiting for some kind of acknowledgement.

A wide grin spans your face.

“Oh…sweet boy…thank you for the kisses” you softly say, encouraging Pablo to hop up onto the couch. Pablo gladly obliges and lies lengthwise on your torso. You murmur words of affection to Pablo’s face as you rub behind his ears and nuzzle him back with your nose.

Banksy comes bouncing across the room wanting to join in on the love fest.

You smile apologetically at William. “Sorry I passed out before you came back; I wasn’t able to keep my eyes open.”

“I’m glad you stayed…looked like you needed the rest.  The snoring though - you sounded like a freight train” William says with a smirk.

“I’ll take my snoring over you ripping farts all night” you jokingly retorted.

“Hey…I couldn’t help that…it was better out than in. I seem to remember you laughing until you almost wet yourself…you weren’t exactly complaining”, William laughs.

“You held me under the blankets…fucking Dutch Oven - and that wasn’t laughter, that was gasping”.

William starts laughing that trademark laugh.

You roll your eyes as you smile widely at him. “Yeah, keep laughing there, chuckles. Good times”.

Yeah...they were. So many good times together William thought.

You both take a lingering look at one another, and before he notices you blushing, you excuse yourself and head to the washroom.

Every thought in your mind concerning William has shifted. Last night, prior to Trina's arrival that is, you felt a closeness resurfacing with William. The calmness he always seemed to provide to you, just naturally with his presence, had begun to return.

But now, with this new day, there's just uncertainty and uneasiness that has settled in your gut. You realize now that you don't know him like you used to. Maybe it was a stretch to think that you ever did. After all, in the three years you were involved, you only managed to string together a month here, or two months there - and then you would have to leave. Only experiencing the best side of each other; it seemed true that no two people could be more entranced with one another than you and William when you were together.  But everything has changed since then and it’s doubtful that you want the same things from life.

Returning to the living area, William’s about ready to head out with the dogs. Both Pablo and Banksy run over to you, falling over each other for your attention as if you’ve been gone the whole day instead of just 5 minutes.

“I’m not sure if they love me as much as they seem to love you…I feel like a distant second to them now”.

“Awh - boys, you better go see your Dad…he’s feeling a little jealous” you say as you kiss and nuzzle the tops of their heads.

“I was going to ask if you wanted to come with me for their walk but I think it’s pouring out there now. I might just take them to the rink and let them run around there, I guess.”

“I would have but one - it’ll kill me to walk in those things” you nod your head towards the stilettos. “And, two - I better head out…there’s a ton of things I have to get done before I leave. Otherwise, I would have loved to.”

You finished getting ready and within minutes, the 4 of you were descending in the elevator towards the main lobby. William offers to walk you out to the parking lot but you decline. Figuring his car is in the underground lot, there was no need for him to get him and the dogs soaked as the heavy December rain ensued.

“It was good to see you…memorable in the most legendary Nylander way” you say smiling.

Before he could respond, you crouch down to acknowledge the dogs, allowing them to put their front paws on your knees for more wet nose boops and kisses.

As you stood up, you could see his expression had changed. He didn’t look like his normal light hearted self. He looked weary. He looked like he had a million things to say but wasn’t able to utter a single word. Instead, he reached out and pulled you into him, wrapping his arms around you in a firm embrace. You felt his breath on your neck as he lowered his head and rested it against yours.

You pull back slightly and give him a warm smile. “I know you’re travelling too pretty soon - wishing you great games and safe travels, ok?”

“Yeah, you too. Shit - we didn’t get to talk about Christmas - the family coming - or anything like that though…”

“I’m in contact with your parents about everything - someone is bound to fill you in but seriously, there’s nothing for you to worry about. As long as you show up sometime after you fly home from Columbus, you’re golden” you say with a grin.

This time, the silence between you weighed heavily in the air.

“Ok…you better get going there, superstar. Traffic’s going to be shit…I don’t want to hear Sid Seixeiro bitching about you being late on Breakfast Television again.”

William laughed out loud. “Yeah - got a lot of flak for that one…I didn’t know you knew about that”, William says as he sheepishly rubs the back of his neck

“Well, it was pretty much splashed around everywhere at the time. I couldn’t avoid it”, you smirk.

You turn to look out at the steady stream of rain and sigh; half of you wants to go with him and the other half wants to get the hell out of there, downpour be damned.

“Ok then…I’m off. See you later, boys”, you grin at William and the dogs, turning to head across the lobby and out into the miserable and wet December morning.

William heads back into the elevator, hands jammed in his pockets, feeling uneasy about how everything with you was left up in the air.

[simpingcorner]

WRECK MY PLANS ONE

Pairings: Rafe Cameron x OC!Isla McCewan; kook!king x pogue Chapter warnings:  asshole kooks, English isn’t my first language, trauma(?), kids (idk my friends told me to put it as a tw), swear words, not proofread, let me know if I missed something. WC: 1.456 Disclaimer: All characters are aged up cus I don’t feel comfortable writing about teenagers romance and there’s some really strong themes on here.

All her life she’s known never to cross the big names of the island and all her life she’s been in the shadow, working her ass off everyday since she was a kid, never giving those big names any reason to know of her and, especially, never giving them any reason to get mad at her and have her as their rage target.

The air was different here than in the Cut, it felt better, lighter, it smelled like sea and home cooked meals, which wasn’t all that new but the lack of weed, gasoline and nicotine sure helped the fantasies that this was her life, this was where she lived, who she was and the three young kids running and laughing around her in the backyard filled her heart more than anything ever had before.

It’ll happen, you’ll have the life you deserve, just a few more months and you’re gonna be out of here, never looking back and never having to worry about any of them ever again. Those were the thoughts that lived rent free in her head, dreams and fantasies she deep down knew would never become reality, but what’s the hurt in imagining?

“Isla! Isla! Look what we can do.” The little dark haired boy giggled pushing his sister on the swing giving her the feeling of flying out and about in the sky, “Wow. You know if you push her even faster she might fly over to Bermudas.” She replied smiling at the kids, “I wanna go to Bermudas.” said the girl pouting. “I know you do Luce, mama will take you there one day. I promise.” “I’ll plan everything, and we go for Christmas what you say Luce?” shouted a voice from inside the house, “Gotta ask first Jamesie, you know we can’t just up and go to Bermudas.” “As if they could ever tell her no, come on Is, it’d be vacation for you too, not like mum can’t do it alone.” “What can’t I do alone, James?” the calming voice of Emily Lighthouse came sudden like a rainstorm in the fall to her ears, “Luce wants to go to the Bermudas…” explained the oldest, “And do you know what the Bermudas are baby?” asked the woman picking the still pouting little girl up from the swing. Isla hang back a few moments watching the older woman walk inside followed by her two loving boys, her heart hurt at the scene, her memory blank searching for a moment like that with her parents, a loving parent who’d go out their way to make sure she was safe. One day. As she walked in the house, she had now been working at for the past six years, she couldn’t help but let her eyes wonder around studying the luxury and money this side of the Island showed off like bread to birds. “Sweetheart I asked if you’d like to stay for dinner, I made way too much food for us four only.” Isla’s baby blue eyes widened at the woman’s words, not that it was unusual for her to spend the night at the house, there had been years when she spent more time there than at her own place, but something in her still warmed at the kind request, she knew the Lighthouses weren’t a normal Kook family, they were always nice to her, treating her basically like family, never ever doubting her even when the rest of Figure 8 would go out their way to make her the bad guy. “No, thank you. You enjoy it for me though. I actually have plans tonight.” The girl said quietly, “Well you’ll tell us all about your night another day then. But please take something home. And please be safe they say Agatha’s headed this way.” Isla’s cheeks warmed at the kind words of the rich woman in front of her, she reluctantly accepted the food, got her helmet and jacket and said her goodbyes before closing the door behind her and starting her walk out the neighbourhood.

“Going back to your tree house McCewan?” a deep, unfortunately too familiar voice said in the darkening sunset light, “Look, I’m just leaving, I don’t want any trouble.” said the girl with her head down and her eyes on the pavement, “Oh come on, not even a snarky comment? Where’s the Isla McCewan everyone’s always talking about?” “She’s tired and just wants to go home and sleeps, so can you let me pass.” “But where’s the fun in that then? You know you can always come to my place, it sure as fuck is safer than whatever shit hole you live in.” the brunette kook said walking way too close to the girl, finally caging her between him and the wall behind her, she knew she could have gotten out of there really easily, if there’s one good thing that came out of the Cut it’s knowing how to defend herself, but she was tired of having to defend herself and she knew no matter how bad things turned out to be it was always gonna be her fault, so she simply looked at him hoping he’d let her go with a sudden change of mind. What she didn’t expect was the Kook king to come up to them, “She’s not worth it Gold, trust me girls like her are not as fun as you’d think.” her eyes moved to meet Rafe Cameron’s dilated pupils and she knew he didn’t do it out of the good of his heart, the younger kook looked behind him and left them with a scoff, “One day McCewan, I assure you.” he said before going back in the garage he had came out of.

Isla picked her jacket, that had fallen off her grip and started making her way back to her bike, “Wow, not even a thank you. I knew you Pogues don’t have manners but that’s just low.” the older Kook said walking behind her, “Thank you your majesty Rafe Cameron I’ll make sure to offer you my biggest pig and cow to thank you properly.” she said not even looking behind at him, she simply couldn’t, she knew the rumors, she knew what was being said about him and she had promised herself never to go back there, not to that at least. “You really shouldn’t let that tongue run like that, you never know how people might react.” He said with a grip on her wrist, that wasn’t as tight as he’d wanted it to be, “Also you should really look at the person who’s talking to you, it’s very disrespectful not doing it.” she turned to him, his red eyes bored in her blue ones with something she had never been able to read, “Oh thank you Rafy, you’re my saviour I will never be able to thank you properly, please let me suck you off to show you how grateful I am.” Her words were laced with sarcasm and a poison he knew she only used for and with him, “Come on Cameron go back to your underground bunker and cuddle up on daddy’s lap, I’m sure he wouldn’t want his precious baby out here in such dangerous weather.” his jaw twitched and clenched for a second, “At least I have a dad who cares about me and my safety.” “Keep telling yourself that, maybe it’ll become true.” she said getting out of his grip and finally making it to her bike, once her helmet was on, visor down and the bike had started she let her mind wonder and her throat felt full of thorns as she left Figure 8, Rafe Cameron watching her from afar holding on that conversation.

The lights were out in the little black and grey shed she had to call home, she had left her bike at the Flores’ gate not to make a noise and not to be seen, she opened the door praying whatever god was watching that the house was empty, her heart and breathing the only noises in the house as she walked and closed the door behind her, the room was the same as she had left, mouldy black walls, broken pieces of a dresser and lamps were scattered on the floor, the broken and way too hard yoga mat and her baby blanket the only place where she could sleep. She laid on the mat pulling the blanket over her legs as she stared at the ceiling, a few of her old glow in the dark stars still stand between a mould stain and the other, she watched them, memories of her childhood came to mind as she fell asleep surrounded by the creaks and raindrops noises.

divider from @enchanthings