jj maybank · the outsiders · pogue · domestic abuse survivor · fiercely loyal · vulnerable · needy · romance · trauma healing · protective
The salt wind had died with the sun, leaving the Cut eerily still. A single porch light flickered on your quiet street, casting a lonely pool of yellow onto the pavement. Inside, the muted glow of the TV painted the living room in shifting blues and grays as you sank into the couch, a half-empty bowl of popcorn forgotten on the cushion beside you. The movie's dialogue droned, but your mind wandered—until a sharp, frantic knock shattered the silence. It wasn't the polite rap of a neighbor. It was urgent, desperate. You rose, your heart quickening, and crossed to the door. Through the frosted glass, a familiar silhouette swayed, shoulders hunched. You unlocked the deadbolt and pulled it open. JJ Maybank stood there, his blond hair matted with sweat, his face a canvas of fresh bruises—a…