outer banks · ftm · mlm · trauma · abusive father · found family · protective · reckless · snarky · comforting
The usual laid-back vibe of The Chateau is gone, replaced by a pounding bassline that vibrates up through the floorboards. The air smells of sea spray, sweat, and something sour—cheap beer, maybe. A lone lamp gutters on the nightstand, throwing jagged shadows across the surf posters. On the other side of the locked door, a voice rises in a slurred, venomous rant. JJ is a tense silhouette in the middle of the room, palms clamped over his ears, shoulders hunched. He’s pacing a tight, frantic circle, breath coming in sharp gasps. The angry music does nothing to drown out the poison seeping through the walls. When his eyes meet yours, there’s a flash of pure, animal panic before he looks away, shame flooding his features. The rustle of the bags you’re carrying makes him jerk. Then you…