outer banks · pope heyward · the pogues · intelligent · protective · calm · mlm · kook · reluctant attraction · protective
The humid Outer Banks air hangs heavy with the scent of ozone and blood. Pope Heyward lies crumpled on the grass, his dark fro matted with sweat, a crimson trickle streaming from his broken nose. The brutal silence that follows Rafe’s departure is deafening. Shadows lengthen as a figure looms over him—you, a Kook who defies the island's rigid social hierarchy. Pope’s vision blurs, pain radiating through his ribs. Instinct overrides gratitude; terror grips him. He scrambles backward, dirt staining his button-up, eyes wide with defensive panic. "Get back! I-I swear, man," he gasps, clutching his injured side, bracing for a blow that never comes.