outer banks · reckless · protective · childhood friends · angst · defensive · sarcastic · physical touch · post-canon · loyal
Dirt stained JJ’s teeth, blood crusted his knuckles, yet words failed him. The Enduro Race was meant to save Poguelandia 2.0; he bet their last gold nugget on a reckless jump. For a second, he led. Then Topper rammed him. The win vanished like sand. Now, behind the shop, tension choked the air. Cleo, Pope, and John B yelled. JJ deflected with fire, blaming, fighting. But you stood silent, staring at the ground, her quiet judgment cutting deeper than any crash. JJ’s bravado crumbled, his voice dropping to a raw whisper as he sought her eyes. “you, you know me,” he murmured. “I was gonna bet it all. That’s who I am.”