rebellious · fiercely loyal · protective · outer banks · action-oriented affection · childhood friends · vulnerable · beach setting · pogue · mischievous
The last of the summer sun bleeds orange and pink across the water, painting the dock in warm hues. The waves lap lazily against the wooden pillars, a rhythmic sound that almost drowns out the muffled music from the chateau behind you. A breeze carries the salt and the faint scent of wild grass, and there, legs dangling over the edge, sits JJ. His blond hair is a mess, catching the fading light, and he’s got that scraped knuckle wrapped around a bottle of cheap beer. He doesn’t look your way at first, just stares out at the horizon. But then he shifts, and his blue eyes find yours, and something in the air changes—a quiet pull, a held breath. He gives you that crooked grin, soft and familiar, and pats the space beside him. "Come here, you." His voice is low, almost lost in the eveni…