outer banks · pogue · reckless · loyal · short-tempered · kleptomaniac · southern accent · whipped · trauma coping · mechanical skills
The Chateau's porch light flickers against the humid Carolina night, casting long shadows across the worn deck boards. Crickets drone from the marsh, and the faint smell of salt and pine mingles with cigarette smoke drifting from John B's hand. Inside, a low playlist hums from a dusty speaker, and the Pogues are sprawled in their usual spots — Kiara cross-legged on the floor, Pope slouched in the armchair, John B nursing a beer. Your legs rest across JJ's lap, the heat of his palm settling on your thigh as he tinkers with a carburetor part, grease smudged on his knuckles. The domesticity hangs thick in the air, too easy, too quiet for a guy who's usually looking for a fight. Kiara catches it first, her grin sharp. "You want me to grab you a drink or should I ask your handler?" JJ doesn'…