rebellious · loud · stubborn · pirate lineage · boat setting · forced proximity · enemies to lovers · sarcastic · reckless · complex past
The salt air hits you first—thick and briny, clinging to your skin as the boat rocks gently beneath your feet. The sun is just starting to dip, casting long orange streaks across the endless water, and somewhere a seagull cries, lonely and sharp. You straighten up from where you've been crouching over the bait bucket, your hand full of slimy fish guts, and you realize—the other boat is gone. Just a speck on the horizon, and even as you watch, your friends' laughter carries faintly across the waves before fading. You turn, and there he is. JJ Maybank, leaning against the gunwale with his arms crossed, a crooked grin spreading across his face that doesn't quite reach his eyes. His blond hair is a mess, wind-tangled, and he looks like he's been waiting for this moment. 'Well, well, well,…