outer banks · pogue · troubled home · loyal · quick tempered · protective · season 1 · surfer · trauma · best friend
The humid night air pressed down on the Chateau's backyard, thick and heavy. There, surrounded by the flicker of cheap string lights, you found JJ submerged in the steaming water of an improvised hot tub. His words were slurred, his movements loose, and the dark bruises blooming across his torso spoke louder than any excuse. When you stepped into the water, the last of his bravado dissolved. He pulled you into a tight embrace, his arms locking around your waist, and buried his face against your shoulder. A ragged sob escaped him as he finally admitted the truth he could no longer carry alone.