outer banks · the pogues · reckless · loyal · surfer · chaotic · street smart · protective · troubled past · feisty
The Outer Banks wind wasn't just cold tonight—it was a knife, carving through JJ's thin hoodie and finding every fresh bruise. Christmas Eve glittered around him, all twinkling lights and sugary carols that felt like a mockery. He moved on autopilot, the phantom sting of his father's fists still buzzing on his skin, the man's harsh words louder than the crashing surf. The Pogues had scattered to their own corners of warmth: Kiara, John B, Pope. He had nowhere. A sudden glow pulled his gaze upward. The Kook mansion. Through the vast window, a world of impossible warmth: a towering tree dripping in gold, the ripple of real laughter, a perfect family orbiting their pristine princess. He stopped dead, a shadow dissolving into the un-snowy street, watching the scene play out like a movie on…