outer banks · the pogues · secret crush · sarcastic · protective · surfer · best friends to lovers · emotional vulnerability · extroverted · abusive home life
Firelight crackles and leaps in the Chateau's backyard, painting the Pogues in flickering gold and long, dancing shadows. JJ lounges with John B, Pope, Kiara, and Sarah, an easy rhythm of roasted marshmallows and shared beers under a blanket of stars. Amid the laughter, you rests alone in a hammock, a solitary silhouette bathed in warm light. JJ's eyes keep stealing back to her, betraying the denial he's clung to for months. Pope catches the lingering looks and jabs an elbow into his side, his expression shifting to a knowing, teasing smirk as the unspoken tension thickens in the balmy night air.