𝐓 𝐇 𝐈 𝐑 𝐓 𝐘 - 𝐄 𝐈 𝐆 𝐇 𝐓
two hearts beating as one

Nobody was sure how long they had stayed there in that hot tub, surrounding JJ and holding onto him as if he would crumble. The steam wafted around her, and the heat seared her skin, but she didn't care. It had been minutes, maybe hours- they weren't sure- since JJ allowed them to bring him inside.

One arm was hooked around Pope's shoulder, the boy leading them inside while Meredith was on the other side.

"JJ, man, this looks really bad," Pope breathed out, side stepping into the door Kiara opened. "Maybe you should get it checked out- at like, a hospital-"

At his words, JJ jolted upwards, no longer leaning in a stooper. "No, no. No hospitals."

"Dude-"

"No," the blonde declared firmly, head hanging low again when they led him to the bathroom. Kiara had laid out a towel, a fresh change of clothes, and a first aid kit. "I'm not involving the cops- or anyone."

"It's okay," Meredith whispered, glancing past JJ's head to share a worried glance with Pope. "He said he doesn't want to."

"Okay," Pope nodded with a concerned sigh, letting go of the boy to let Meredith help him sit on the counter. "We'll be outside if you need anything."

"Thank you," Meredith nodded, turning around as Kiara closed the door behind her, leaving them alone in the bathroom.

Her face fell when she saw him clutching his abdomen, head lolling to the side tiredly. Meredith reached forward gently, hand holding the side of his head up.

"Hey," She whispered, thumb grazing his cheekbone. "Do you need anything? I can get-"

Quickly, JJ protested, hands finding her waist. "No, no, I'm fine." He reassured, holding her in place between his knees. "Just you."

"Kie brought some clothes," She told him, holding his head up carefully, making sure not to hurt him.

A playful smirk graced the boy's chiseled features, glancing down at her through his fallen hair tendrils. "If you wanted to see me naked, you could've asked, princess."

"Why am I not surprised," Meredith murmered, shaking the smirk off her face. "You're drunk."

"I wonder why," he sniffled, arms wrapping around his abdomen tightly, trying to rid himself of the pain seering through his body. The girl frowned, watching JJ helplessly as he shuttered his eyes closed. "Have to get rid of it somehow."

'It' as in the pain. He just wanted to drown out the pain.

"Don't say that," She sighed, reaching for his hands. "Please, don't say that."

JJ sighed, but he didn't say anything, his lips too occupied with chewing at the inside of his cheek. While he stared aimlessly at the ground, Meredith reached for the first aid kit, wetting a cotton swab with rubbing alcohol.

She stared down at his bruises, a sick feeling appearing in the pit of her stomach. How could someone who was supposed to love him do this to him? She had witnessed from time and time again the extent of his injuries, but never once had it been so bad.

She reached forward, the soaked cotton swab hovering over the abraded skin.

She carefully cleaned it, a low hiss falling from his lips at the sudden burn. She frowned, trying to drown out the sound of his pained groans whenever she wet his broken skin. His eyebrows furrowed deeply in discomfort.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, unable to stop the tears from welling in her eyes at the sight of him so vulnerable, so ruined.

"For what?" He gazed down at her through his hair, cerulean eyes catching the way her bottom lip trembled in an attempt to subside her tears.

"Hey, princess," he cooed, hand reaching to the side of her face, thumb caressing her cheek. "Don't cry- why are you crying?"

Meredith took a deep breath through her nose, dropping the swab onto the counter with a crestfallen expression. Her chin wobbled, the warmth of his hand only making it harder for her to swallow the overwhelming sadness down.

"I hate seeing you like this," She sniffled. "You don't deserve this."

"I know," JJ whispered, wiping a fallen tear that escaped her eye. "I know, baby. Please, don't cry."

"You have no idea how scared I was," the Waters girl cried, trying to blink away the tears. But, if anything, it only made them fall more. "And- and I couldn't think or eat- I couldn't do anything... and you left- you told me you didn't-"

"I know," he spoke over her, heart burning with the revelation of how much his disappearance affected her. "I know, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, of course I don't mean it."

"I thought-" she struggled for air, his hands holding her face softly, trying to push her hair past her face. "My chest, it physically hurts when I don't know if you're okay..."

JJ's heart ached because never once before in his tumultuous life had he ever had someone who cared about him as much as Meredith did. The wings on his heart flapped, trying to get closer to hers.

"I know, but I'm fine, Mer," he held the sides of her face gently, wiping every stray tear. "See? I'm okay, princess."

"No- look at you," She motioned towards his mauve discoloration, sniffling. "It's not right."

"I know," he repeated because he did. He understood how upsetting it was, how painful it was. "But there isn't anything I can do. I know it isn't fair."

JJ pulled her close, letting her forehead lean against his as their unsteady breaths mingled. The girl sniffled, her tears now dry from his efforts. When he whispered, she felt his breath fan her lips, a scent of champagne lingering.

"Im okay," his words of reassurance abruptly stopped the fast pace of her beating heart, finally pattering gently in her chest. But, her silent doubts spoke volumes, and JJ could tell she was still worried. She felt his cold hand on hers, bringing the pads of her fingers to rest on the curvature of his chest.

Against his skin was the faint drum of his heartbeat, the beat gentle against the pads of her fingers.

His ears picked up on the barely audible sigh that left her lips that he so badly wanted to kiss, but he knew she would scold him for doing so during a time of need and vulnerability.

"I'm okay," he told her again, this time more confident as if he was trying to convince himself.

Meredith breathed out, forehead against his. "You're okay."

A silence overcame them, one that she had been longing for for a while. It wasn't forced or filled with unspoken tension. Instead, it was a soft blanket of understanding. Of love.

That was until JJ broke the silence, pulling away to study her reaction. "I tried giving my dad the money for restitution," her frown returned at the revelation, but her hand hovering over his heartbeat reminded her to stay calm. "He wanted to gamble it. And... you know the rest."

He watched closely as her lip mustered the courage to pull into a comforting smile for him. "You did the right thing."

"It doesn't matter now," he shrugged, leaning his back against the cold tiles, the girl watching from in-between his legs. "I try to do the right thing, and this is what happens."

"Well," Meredith sighed, ebony eyes meeting his. "If it matters, I'm proud of you. And I trust you."

The Waters girl was well aware that part of his pain sprouted from her unintentional betrayal, one that she could never make up for. Now, she noticed that he needed reassurance, especially when he most likely didn't have much of it growing up- if ever.

"I trust you," Meredith repeated. "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you- I know you deserve to know," She also knew that he was the only one there when she needed him. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he gazed at her through hooded eyes. "I treated you like shit for it- and you aren't a mistake, Mer. Fuck, you're everything but that."

"And I'm a dumbass who overreacts," he huffed. "But, I mean, shit, I can't stand the thought of Rafe doing anything to you again."

"You aren't a dumbass," the chocolate-eyed girl shook her head. "And you weren't overreacting."

JJ knew that she was sincere, and she felt horrible for how he found out, but he knew there was more she wasn't telling him. Of course, he wouldn't pressure her to talk about something she didn't want to, but his concern got the best of him.

The blonde's hand fell to her waist, holding her in front of him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know," Meredith shrugged, biting at her bottom lip. "I didn't want you to judge me or something, or think that I was anything like him." But the truth was, she was scared. She was terrified that he would back away like her parents had- deny her the love she was searching for. "I didn't want you to be disgusted like my parents."

"Why would I ever think that?" JJ frowned, cerulean eyes searching in her chocolate-colored ones to try and find the pain writhing through her insides, digging inside of her heart.

"You don't see what I see," her voice was barely above a whisper, humiliated in herself, unaware that JJ didn't see the side of her that she so badly disliked because to him, every single thing about her was perfect.

He watched her intently, full attention aimed on her. She was showing him yet another part of herself, and he was going to soak in every word.

"And I don't like what I see," She confessed, eyes unable to meet his in case he judged her. But, it was his hand on the side of her face that forced her eyes up, contacting with his. Looking into his ocean-depth eyes, she didn't see judgment or disgust. Instead, there was pain- her pain- and he felt it. There was empathy. But most of all, there was adoration.

"But- why?" He frowned deeply, eyes casting a desolate look.

But she didn't stop at the revelation. She felt as if the words were pouring from her mouth like vomit, everything she ever felt coming out verbally.

"I hate everything about myself and you-" the words were abandoning her mouth like a water fall, and she felt so weak- tears trailing down her cheeks. "And you don't see what I see. You don't see my stupid insecurities or how much I hate my middle name–"

"Stop, Mer, stop," he shushed her, forcing her to fall silent because his heart couldn't take it. JJ's heart physically ached, and his stomach churning with refutation, grabbing ahold of her hands that had previously covered her eyes in shame. "Stop, princess, don't say that."

But, she just wouldn't listen. "And I hate how you don't see what I see because you deserve to–"

"Stop," he shook his head defiantly, holding her wrists to try and get her to listen. "Meredith, listen to me."

The girl's sentence only fell short when her lungs begged for air, bloodshot eyes flickering to his like a moth to a flame.

"Just listen to me," he told her, leaving no room for discussion. With a deep breath, she allowed him to continue, bottom lip trembling. "You're perfect, I promise. There's nothing about you that I don't like, there's nothing wrong with you- Mer, you're fucking perfect, and it kills me that you don't see that."

A tear rolled down her cheek unwillingly, the girl absent-mindedly wiping it away. She looked so desolate it almost scared him. "I hate seeing you like this," he admitted, pushing a fallen tendril of hair behind her ear.

"And I don't want anyone else because you're perfect," he repeated, hoping this time, it wouldn't enter one ear and fall out the other. He needed her to know. "Look at me."

He lifted her fallen head, making sure he had her undivided attention while he said his next words.

"I want you," he spoke thoroughly, hands holding her face as if she would slip away at any moment. "I want you, Meredith."

Quickly, her eyes flickered up to his, the sand and sea meeting ever-so gracefully. Her heart fluttered inside her chest, the strings tugging on her heart as if he were the one in control of them.

Gazing up at him through her wet eyelashes, she felt nothing but admiration for this boy that it almost physically hurt her heart because what she felt for him was stronger than anything she'd ever known.

Without another word, she leaned forward, pressing her hips against the counter to get closer to him. Standing on her tip-toes, she pressed her lips delicately on his, feeling the warmth that his skin provided when his hand snuck behind her back.

She was careful with the movement of her lips, scared she might hurt the small cut on his lower lip.

But, when his hands pulled her waist impossibly closer, she moved her lips in sync with his. Meredith's eyes fluttering shut in content.

Their chests pressed together in a passionate kiss, the feeling of a rough patter emanating from his chest.

"Your heart's racing," She whispered against his lips, palm moving to press against his rising chest.

"So is yours," he smirked, copying her action. What she hadn't known was that while his beat harshly, each thump calling out of her gentle touch, hers was racing, reacting to his because they beat in sync as if their hearts were one.

He rested his forehead against hers to catch his breath, lungs slowly accepting the air as Meredith's did the same.

She thought he might kiss her again when he said nothing, his eyelids hooded shut in content. Meredith smiled to herself, the constant flutter of butterflies swarming her stomach.

Then, JJ spoke from mere centimeters away, breath fanning her lips. "What's your middle name?"

"What's yours?" She smirked, trying to avoid the question because she he had clearly remembered her telling him how much she hated it, and that was the exact reason he would make sure she didn't.

"That's not what I asked," he murmered, thumb brushing back and forth on the exposed skin on her waist.

With a defeated sigh, she parted her lips to speak. "Elise," She whispered, cheeks flushing a rosey-pink, the blonde pulling back with a wide grin.

"I like it," he spoke truthfully, placing a chaste kiss on the bridge of her nose. He trailed small feather-like kisses all over her face, from the corner of her lips to her temple, eliciting a soft chuckle from her.

"It suits you," JJ smiled, eyes getting lost in hers. He left one last kiss onto the tip of her nose, ring-clad fingers holding her face so delicately that she almost mistaken it for a ghost.

Before she could register it, the warmth of his hands was leaving her skin, replaced with a chill. She watched as he pulled back, reaching for a golden ring on his pinky.

JJ twisted it off of his finger before reaching for her hand, which resided on the indent of his chest where his heart rested. "I want you to have it," he said, placing it on her middle finger. It was slightly loose from the drastic difference of their hands, but she grinned nonetheless.

"Never take it off," he smiled. "Elise."

"Oh, my God," the sable-haired girl scoffed, but a cheeky smile appeared on her face despite her annoyance. "You're never letting that down, are you?"

"Not until you learn to love it," This time, he pressed a gentle kiss right onto her lips, exhaling through his nose at the taste of her strawberry chapstick.

And he held her so close that it reassured the both of them that they would never leave again because they were the sand and the sea, and those two things never parted.

authors note!
meredith is so relatable, and i wanted to show that even fictional characters have flaws/insecurities, and that's okay. at first, i used to hate 'baby', but it's growing on me dammit.