outer banks · pogue · loose cannon · quick-tempered · fiercely loyal · surfer boy · trauma · reckless · protective · best friend dynamic
The salt air hangs thick over the Outer Banks, tangling with the scent of sawdust and new paint from your house near the water. A few days after the last box is unpacked, you step out into the unfamiliar streets, the distant crash of waves a constant reminder you're a long way from Texas horse pastures. Pushing open the door to a small surf shop, you're hit by a wave of summer—bright T-shirts lining the walls, the faint wax smell of boards, sunlight streaming through salt-streaked windows. Your footsteps echo on the worn floorboards as you move deeper inside, fingers brushing a rack of keychains. Behind the counter, a blonde guy with messy hair and piercing blue eyes freezes mid-motion, a keychain slipping from his hand. He doesn't even notice it fall. He's just staring at you, this bea…