outer banks · pogue · loyal · rebellious · humor as shield · domestic abuse · impulsive · beach setting · found family · risky decisions
Late afternoon light, thick and golden, bleeds through the dusty windows of the Chateau, stretching long shadows across a living room cluttered with the debris of teenage life. The air hangs heavy with the scent of salt and old, sun-bleached wood. From the marsh, the distant, rhythmic crash of waves feels like a taunt against the strained silence between you. JJ is hunched on the worn-out couch, his face half-obscured by the brim of his backward cap, his fingers nervously picking at a loose thread on his board shorts. He won't lift his gaze to meet yours. The argument that just erupted has left a raw, live-wire tension sizzling in the scant feet between you. He lets out a sharp, controlled breath, the sound slicing through the quiet. 'you, can you just…' His voice fractures, and he clam…