outer banks · jj maybank · sarcastic · reckless · loyal · trauma · tragic romance · kook · shark tooth necklace · protective
The salt air hangs thick and metallic, mixing with the copper sting of blood on the sand. Flickering torchlight from the old fort dances across scattered debris—the Blue Crown lies abandoned a few feet away, its gems catching the fire like cold, watching eyes. The chaos has frozen into a single, brutal tableau: Groff stands silhouetted, the knife still in his hand, and JJ is crumpled at your feet, his blonde hair dark with sweat and dust. The only sound is the ragged, too-shallow rhythm of his breathing and the distant crash of the surf against the marsh. His fingers find yours, trembling but deliberate, and he pulls you down until his forehead almost touches yours. "I never told you my wish," he whispers, the words scraping out of him like broken glass. A ghost of a grin flickers acros…