❪ 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗚𝗡𝗘 & 𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗘 ❫

𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗍𝖾𝖾𝗇 ━━━━━━━━━━━━━
place in me. ╱ season one, episode five.
❛ 𝖽𝗈𝗇'𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗆𝗈𝗏𝖾, 𝖼𝖺𝗇'𝗍 𝗐𝖾 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗒? 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝗐𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗍
𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋? 𝖽𝗈𝗇'𝗍 𝖿𝖺𝖽𝖾 𝖺𝗐𝖺𝗒. '𝖼𝖺𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎'𝗅𝗅 𝖺𝗅𝗐𝖺𝗒𝗌 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖺
𝗉𝗅𝖺𝖼𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝗆𝖾, ❜

KENNEDY NEVER minded wandering eyes, they were a side effect how the people perceived her. The looming gazes were usually easy to ignore, but right now Kennedy tensed when anyone glanced her way. After escaping midsummers with her hand tightly gripped in JJ's, everyone refused to look away from them. Kennedy wanted to snap at the pogues around her but she knew they were only stunned by the sudden closeness of her and JJ.

Kennedy's dress clung tightly to her skin. Sweat and ocean water dripped from her skin, she didn't care about her appearance for the first time in her life. Jumping in and out of the HMS Pogue left the bottom of her expensive dress in ruins, but she couldn't care less. She was only focused on the people around her. Kennedy hadn't felt this free in a long time. The rush of leaving all of her fellow kooks in astonishment was gratifying to her soul. The heaviness she once felt lying on her shoulders was gone, soon replaced with a goofy smile that was twisted on her lips.

Her heart hasn't stopped jumping in her chest since she fell in with JJ's steps. The boy has refused to let her leave his side and she certainly isn't complaining. Every once in a while the boy shifts his gaze to her, solely to make sure she's alright. The simplest actions from the boy show her how much she really matters to him. In JJ's eyes, she's not some cash cow or a socialite that people suck until there's nothing left. JJ doesn't expect anything from her, he's not waiting to use and kick her to the curb when he's done. To him she's not some object, she's just Kennedy. His Kennedy, his person. In some way, she's always been the girl he fell in love with from the moment he saw her. Even then, he didn't care that she was broken, possibly forever damaged by the people around her. They both were shattered within, and maybe that's what made their connection stronger.

The fire crackled in front of Kennedy, her eyes were glued to it while the others around her discussed the task at hand. The moment that Kennedy found out about the gold there was a part of her that wanted to stay as far away as possible. Going on the hunt for something as dangerous as gold was nerve-wracking for her. She knew they weren't the only ones looking for it, which could lead to more trouble than she liked. But now she was in too deep to back out now and John B had made it clear that if they find the gold she was not leaving empty-handed.

Kennedy could see the leering gaze of Riley in her peripheral, but she refused to make eye contact, knowing that he was only going to send her a smug look. Since they arrived at Rixon's Cove, Kennedy has been glued to JJ's side, and it was exactly Kennedy's decision either. The boy had instantly gripped her hand since he helped her off of the HMS Pogue. She didn't say anything about it, simply because she enjoyed the affection that she ached for.

The pogue sat her down next to him, not wanting her to leave his proximity. The log was much smaller than she expected, with each shift their thighs, they were always touching. The warmth of his presence gave Kennedy some solace, but the late-night air nipped at her skin and she wished she had a jacket.

After dropping a piece of driftwood into the fire, Pope swiveled around to glance at the group around the fire, "Hey guys, so like my dad's already gonna kill me, so what's this mandatory meeting about?"

John B whipped his head to JJ, sending the blond leisured finger guns as his cue. JJ nodded at the gesture, "Might as well tell him man before we're gaffed,"

Kennedy straightened at the violence in his words, her eyes widened slightly, and glanced at John B for clarification. "You ready for this?"

The teens around him all chorused an impatient "yeah" before the boy continued, "So, the gold never went down with the Royal Merchant,"

Pope let out an exasperated sigh, "Oh my god, here we go again with this,"

The hesitance from Pope made JJ jump out with a convincing tone, "No, alright wait. Hear him out, alright?"

"It's been here the whole time," John B concluded, his lips twisted into a smug smile. "it's on the island,"

Kennedy's eyes widened at the revelation, quickly making brief eye contact with a shocked Kie and Riley. Kie was fast to send him a confused and skeptical glance, "Are you serious? Oh my god,"

"I'd like to voice my skepticism," Pope chimed in. Kennedy quirked her head at the boy, wondering what he had to say.

"I'm sure you would, Pope," John B sent him a smile as he jumped up from the log, "But can I please present you with my evidence, sir?"

Pope sighed to himself, "Proceed,"

"Alright so, in my backpack, I have a letter from Denmark Tanny," John B started, pulling out a wilted piece of paper.

Kennedy sent him an odd glance, "Who the hell is that?"

John B responded to her with a quiet huff, "Well, Denmark Tanny was a slave that survived the Royal Merchant wreck,"

"What?" Kie questioned as John B passed her the letter.

"Okay, slaves weren't mentioned as crew members on the ship. But my dad, he found the complete manifest, that was his big discovery." John B began as the letter was passed around the circle of teens. Kennedy was soon passed the paper with a small whistle from Kie. The blonde kook glanced at the outdated language on the withered confused at what was written on it. "So, Tanny used the gold from the Merchant to buy his freedom. After that, he bought his farm. Drum roll please because that farm is...Tannyhill Plantation,"

Kie squinted her eyes at the boy, "Tannyhill?"

"Yeah," John B was quick to move away from the topic, his excitement getting the best of him. "So after that, he used his money to free even more slaves, and then he sold a shit-ton of rice, which pissed off all the white planters and then they decide to lynch him,"

There was a brief pause that followed the heaviness of his words. Kennedy passed Pope the letter and began fidgeting with her ring-less fingers. John B took the silence as his cue to continue, "So on the day they were coming to get him, he writes a letter to his son as a farewell, and in the last line of that letter he leaves a coded message about where to find the gold,"

"Where?" Riley questioned, his face full of anticipation.

"Harvest the wheat in parcel nine, near the water. Except...there's no wheat," John B replied, his voice pausing on and off for effect. Kennedy began tapping her barefoot on the sand below her in annoyance, wanting the boy to hurry up and finish his thoughts. "You see, wheat is code for gold, check this out,"

The boy whipped another paper out of his pocket, placing it up against the letter in Pope's hands. "The gold is in parcel nine, near the water,"

A surprised chuckle escaped Kennedy at his words. She would've never believed in a million years some random stubborn boy would find the missing piece of the puzzle.

"All we need is an original survey map of the property and we've found gold," John B exclaimed, a smile bright painted across his lips.

Pope slumped back in disbelief, "Okay, so this might have a small chance of being actually true,"

"Dude, it's like king tut," Kie jumped in, her voice full of amazement.

Kennedy glanced around at the people around her, just waiting for someone to say this is all a joke. There's no way that they're this close to the gold, there needs to be a hitch to this all. But no one said a thing. JJ rose from his seat to give John B a hug, happiness beamed off of him as he embraced the taller boy.

"Okay, Woah, hello fire, you're near the fire, you're gonna burn,"

JJ released the boy, quickly taking John B's face in his hands, "I'm so proud of you right now,"

John B sent him an odd glance, lightly patting the blond's face in return, "Thank you, that's really sweet of you,"

"Okay so guys," Pope began in order to gain the attention of everyone, "What's the plan?"

"Good question," John B replied, quickly walking around the fire so he could see everyone, "Sarah Cameron's coming tonight, she's gonna bring an original survey map-"

Kie immediately stiffened at the mention of the blonde kook, "Wait, wait, hold on. Sarah? Why Sarah?"

Kennedy grimaced at the words, her mouth twisting in discomfort at the sudden tension that fell over the group. She made quick eye contact with JJ, who was already looking at her with the same emotion swirling in his eyes.

"This is gonna be good,"

The blonde kook instantly slapped JJ's leg at his comment, a reprimanding look painted all over her face. There was no reason for the comment, it would only make the situation worse. The boy sent her a shrug to which she rolled her eyes before she crossed her arms and slumped back on the log under her.

"Sarah, um, she...she got me into the archives in Chapel Hill yesterday, and that's where I got the letter,"

Kie promptly shriveled back in disgust, her lips were twisted in anger. "You were in Chapel Hill with Sarah Cameron?"

"Yeah...um-"

"He was mackin' on her," JJ interrupted, his eyes jumping between the two, eager to see their reaction.

John B paused, glaring at JJ, "I wasn't macking-"

"You totally were macking Sarah Cameron,"

"JJ!" Kennedy clipped, her tone full of surprise at his confession, knowing it wasn't his place.

"Wasn't macking on her, okay?" John B hissed, his eyes turning to slits, "I was using her for access,"

"There's was access alright," JJ mumbled lowly. Kennedy kicked him roughly, wanting him to just shut up already. The boy sent her an overdramatized shrug, which made the blonde glared at him lightly.

Kie ignored JJ's comment and zeroed right in on John B, "Did you tell her about the treasure?"

"I was just trying to get into the archives,"

"Is that a yes?"

John B refused to answer the question, but Kie already knew the truth, "I left out key details,"

"Yo, what?" The brunette cupped her own cheeks in frustration, "You let a kook in on our secret? What about Pogue Lyfe? What about the t-shirt company, bro?"

Kennedy ground her teeth together, attempting to stop the hurt from seeping into her bones. She didn't fully know where Kie and her stood, yeah they hashed things out, but she feels like she's still walking on eggshells. The difference in reactions between her and Sarah must mean something. Becasue she was here, not Sarah. She shouldn't feel hurt, but Kennedy felt like she was intruding. Maybe this was a mistake. She wasn't a pogue, to them she was still a kook. Hell, to everyone she was still a kook.

"I was using her for information,"

"Why don't I believe you?" Kie seethed, her tone rising with each second.

"I'm trying to make us filthy rich here," John B scoffed, glaring at the brunette, "Okay, so that we can pay off a boat, or send Pope to autopsy school to study dead bodies. Look, you guys know me, do I look like the type of person to fall for Sarah Cameron?"

Kennedy sucked in a breath, the last words hit her especially hard, knowing that he was completely full of shit. She barely knew him, but it wasn't hard to tell that he would fall for someone like Sarah. Clearly, others had the same idea as they began to speak out.

"Do you want us to answer that, or?"

John B huffed, "Just..just stop,"

"Look, you don't know her yet, I do! You can't trust her!" Kie pleaded.

"Her brother did hit me in the back with a golf club," Pope chimed in, defending Kie's point. Kennedy nodded along to that point, but Sarah and her brother are vastly different, she would never hurt a fly.

"Rafe and Sarah are completely different human beings," John B snapped back, his voice calm but uncomfortably angry.

"What did she do to you, exactly?" JJ questioned Kie. Kennedy scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion, thinking that the whole crew already knew what happened between the two girls.

"She's like a- like a- spitting cobra...," Kie began, Kennedy bit her lip trying not to look amused at the analogy that Kie was using. The analogy was very wrong in Kennedy's opinion but she didn't wanna say anything. "First she blinds you...and then-"

Riley was thinking the same thing as Kennedy when they made knowing eye contact before he spoke up, "This is a bad analogy,"

"Listen to me," Kie's voice was much more forceful than it once was, making the slight humor that Kennedy felt dissipate completely. "Whatever we get, she's gonna try to take,"

John B let out a rough sigh at the words, clearly not wanting to deal with this anymore. Kennedy thought this argument was done completely until John B's eyes fell between her and Riley. "You guys are friends with her, you know she's not like this,"

Riley sighed, shaking his head, "I'm not getting into this man, you know I love Sarah but I'm not gonna make Kie's problems with her insignificant,"

John B rolled his eyes but turned to the girl next to JJ. Kennedy was looking down at her feet hoping the boy would take Riley's answer and assume it was for the both of them. But as soon as her eyes met John B's, she knew he was waiting for her response.

"Look, I love Sarah, my image and experiences with Sarah are different than Kie's," Kennedy began, her eyes dashing between Kiara'a and John B's, "But I do think a lot of the hatred you have for her was because of a lack of communication. I don't personally think Sarah's a cobra or whatever Kie said she was. Kie, you hated me up until we hashed shit out, I think it might be good for you two to do the same."

Kie glared at Kennedy with an unreadable expression, making the blonde's breath hitch out of nervousness, "Sure, she fucked you over, but maybe making amends might be a good thing,"

The brunette scoffed loudly, crossing her arms over her chest in defense. "I would rather die,"

Kennedy's hopefulness faded instantly and her lips formed a line, feeling embarrassed that Kie immediately shot down what she was saying. The small group awkwardly segued into the plans for tonight while Kennedy stayed silent, fidgeting with her hands in her slight awkwardness. Suddenly a hand slid in between her hands and intertwined with hers. Glancing to her side, she met JJ's softened glance as he squeezed her hand lightly as a sign of comfort. At the moment it helped, but nonetheless, she still feared that she had completely fucked up what she fixed with Kie by defending Sarah.

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THERE WAS trepidation each second as they drove down the dirt road that lead to Hawk's Nest. Kennedy felt a wave of nervousness fall over her watching the trees shift in the darkness due to the wind whipping. The air shifted dramatically since they left Rixon's Cove, the air became dense and thick. Thunder and lightning boomed outside, occasionally lighting up the nature around them, making Kennedy nervous to go forward with the plans at hand. Kennedy constantly picked at her red dress, the dirtied material becoming more confining and suffocating than she liked.

Kennedy sat quietly on the beat-up red leather seating that outlined the back of John B's van. She kept to herself, occasionally snorting at comments that were getting thrown around by the rest of the pogues. She didn't really have much to say, she was focusing her energy on the anxiety she felt about this plan. It's not that she didn't trust Sarah, it wasn't that at all, she was freaking out about how she felt. To her this all felt too easy, there was something bound to go wrong and she didn't know if she wanted to be here for that.

Kennedy had spent a good five minutes shuffling around in her seat trying to find a comfortable position. JJ sat patiently in front of her, waiting for her to get comfortable so he could lean against her seat as he sat on the floor below her. She let out a breath of relief, finally finding comfort as she hiked her dress up a bit so she could cross her legs, while JJ shuffled into his position on the floor in front of her, mindlessly rolling a joint for later use. Kennedy picked at the ends of her dress, noticing little clumps of dried sand sticking to the trim of the material.

Without noticing, Kennedy realized the van come to a stop. Looking out the window, she saw that they arrived at the Hawk's Nest. John B quickly turned off the engine and the backlight flashed on, illuminating all the teen's faces so Kennedy could finally see them clearly.

"All right," John B began, turning his body towards the other teens, who were all preparing to get up. Kennedy slid her legs back to the floor of the van as JJ moved towards the door. She let out a sigh of relief as she stretched them out, in the motions of beginning to stand up.

"Hit it, boys!" JJ exclaimed in a dramatically gruff tone, to which Kennedy rolled her eyes, "Let's go, recon mission,"

Kennedy began lifting from her spot on the seat, but John B's voice made her freeze, "Yo, uh...so, I think I'm gonna do this one by myself...tonight" His words were scattered and stuttery when his eyes glanced toward Kie, whose piercing gaze wouldn't leave him. Kie sighed in annoyance, her face knowing and pissed off. Kennedy cleared her throat watching the small exchange, soon sitting back in her seat, unsure of how long she was gonna have to sit in this van and wait.

JJ soon fell back against the seat next to Kennedy's legs with a sigh, "Really?"

John B's eyes flashed to the blond, "What?"

The boy shook his head in response to the question, whipping his hat off as he fidgeted with it, "Nothin' brother,"

John B huffed as he saw JJ's features change, "Look, I just don't want to spook Sarah with the peanut gallery,"

Kie's annoyance quickly morphed into anger as she took in John B's response, "I just don't understand why we're involving her at all,"

"Kie, we're not involving her, okay?" John B quipped back, to which the girl visibly rolled her eyes. "It's just...like a business meeting...thing,"

Kennedy pursed her lips at his vague words, but it quickly turned to disgust as she watched JJ mimic a blow job with the joint in his hands. The blonde lightly hit her leg against his arm, "You're disgusting,"

"Yet, you still like me," The boy stated matter-of-factly, his features turned smug.

Kennedy sarcastically smiled as she sat back, "In your dreams Maybank,"

The blonde felt the leering gazes of Pope and Riley as they watched the small moment between her and the Maybank boy. Kennedy refused to meet Riley's analyzing stare, so she instead just glared back at her hands and dress.

"Look, once we get what we need, we cut her loose, alright?" John B announced to the group of teens, but mostly to Kiara, whose scrutinizing glare was clearly affecting him. "Plus, we need the map,"

"Promise me nothing's happening between you two," Kie stated, her voice concerningly calm, but the other didn't dare to comment on it.

John B sighed, his eyes rolling, "Nothing is happening Kie,"

"I'm being serious," The girl commented, seeing his last reactions as him not being truthful. "This isn't about you, and this isn't about us, it's about her,"

"Okay..."

"Dude, she's gonna get inside your head," Kie huffed wearily, "Just promise me nothing's happening between you guys,"

John B stared at the girl for a moment before nodding, "I promise."

The small group of teens in the back glanced around at each other before breaking out.

"That was really believable,"

"A hundred percent believable,"

"Agreed,"

"I swear to god I almost thought it was the truth, but the delivery was slightly off,"

All eyes turned to the last comment from the group the blonde kook's mouth. JJ's amused eyes turned towards her, but her gaze was on John B, who looked visibly frustrated at her comment. She just shrugged in defense, soon waving her arms to the three boys around her, "What? You're just gonna act like those three idiots didn't say anything??"

The boy shook his head, "Anyways, I'm gonna take care of business,"

JJ snorted, his eyes glancing down at the hat in his lap, "You're gonna take care of that business so well,"

"We'll just sit here..." Pope began, his eyes moving along with John B's movements.

"Yep," John B clipped in response, his attention barely on the boy who was speaking to him.

"In the hot ass car..."

"Yeah."

"While it's lightning,"

With those final words from Pope, John B climbed out of the front seat and shut the driver's door behind him. Once John B walked out of sight, the van erupted into a small beat of silence before Riley glanced towards the two teens sitting close to one another. Kennedy was gazing down at her hands, While JJ was examining his work on the joint. But both stopped what they were doing when they heard Riley speak up, "You two, explain right now,"

Kennedy jumped at the sudden words, her eyes flashing up from her lap to his face. Her mouth opened as if she was going to say something but it quickly closed. The girl glanced down to the blond pogue on the floor, his eyes already on her. She noticed a slight panic swirling in his eyes, so she decided to take the lead, "I don't know what you're talking about,"

Riley sent her a knowing glance, straightening up in his seat. "Be serious, what the hell is going on between you two??"

"I'm curious too," Pope blurted, a look of confusion spread across his face.

"Nothing," Kennedy replied cooly, leaning back against the van seating.

"Bullshit, that kiss in front of fucking everyone at midsummers didn't look like nothing," Riley clapped back, his eye slitting in a challenging way, hoping that Kennedy would crack.

"It was hot, that's what it was," JJ blurted, smugness rolling off in waves.

"Die," Kennedy hissed, kicking his arm with her foot. A glare from the boy was sent her way as he gripped his arm, but she ignored it. Silence bled into the air as the two kooks began a stare-off, but it only lasted a few seconds because Riley's looming gaze immediately got her, "Ugh fine,"

"I'm waiting," Riley pressed, arms crossed in a pompous manner.

Kennedy sighed in frustration, her head tilted towards the ceiling of the van. She wished that she could avoid this conversation or at least the other culprit next to her would speak up. But the boy only glanced at her in amusement. Asshole.

"Okay, so for some clarification," Kennedy turned her attention towards the boy sitting closest to the door, "Specifically for Pope,"

The boy in question nodded in appreciation, "Why thank you,"

"So, JJ and I secretly dated last summer and broke up, thus creating our little feud,"

"Little?" Kie scoffed loudly at Kennedy's words, "You guys verbally attacked each other every time you were in the same vicinity,"

"We literally had to pry you away from him before you punched him...on multiple occasions," Riley added to Kie's point, making the blonde send him a rough glare.

"Okay, so maybe it wasn't little," Kennedy seethed, her tone only amusing the other kook more. She took a deep breath before continuing her story, "Anyway, we hated each other for a while but then life kept making me have to deal with his stupid ass, and then we talked it out and realized that we still had feelings I guess, and here we are,"

Kennedy concluded with a shaky breath, glancing around at the teens, weary to see their reactions. She refused to meet JJ's searing gaze, in fear that he thought or felt different than she did.

"Yeah that's basically it," JJ added, his words making Kennedy visibly relax.

"I always fucking knew something was up with you two," Pope piped up, his eyes falling between the two teens. "Hating someone out of complete nowhere never added up,"

Riley, Kie, and Pope burst out in conversation, reminiscing about all the stupid fights and situations that Kennedy and JJ created. But two teens that were the topic of the discussion didn't say anything, instead, Kennedy slid down from her spot and plopped down on the floor next to JJ. His eyes met hers briefly, and his hand wandered into Kennedy's lap as he intertwined his fingers with hers. The gesture was small but sweet enough to get her heart thudding lightly in her chest.

"We really were stupid for the longest time," JJ's words were hushed, just quiet enough so only Kennedy could hear.

The girl smiled at their intertwined hands, but her eyes quickly met his, "Yeah, and that's just putting it lightly,"

The boy smiled cheekily, unthreading their hands to throw an arm over her shoulder, "Care to partake in a little marijuana consumption?"

Kennedy snorted at the words but nodded as the boy teasingly dangled the joint at her, "Please, after what happened today, I need something to take the edge off,"

"That's my girl," JJ praised as he dug through his pocket for his lighter.

Kennedy bit her lip to suppress a smile at the words, glancing down at her hands to avoid looking sheepish in front of the other. Just as JJ's fingers curled around the lighter, Kie suddenly jumped in her seat, eyes frantically scanning outside the car. "Wait, did you guys hear that?"

The blonde perked up at the words, glancing around at the other teens next to her hoping to find some answers. But all she got was the same reaction as she had. The guys immediately erupted in responses of "what?", but Kie didn't answer she was only focused on hearing what was happening outside. Thunder crashed as the whole van erupted in silence, but a desperate cry for help—which sounds a bit too much like Sarah Cameron—made them all tense up. Kennedy quickly rose from her sitting position as everyone began doing the same.

"Oh wait, no, I hear that," JJ replied as he practically jumped out of the van.

Kennedy, along with everyone else, piled out. They all were quick to take off running to the sound of the desperate voice. Her bare feet thudded on the dewy ground, with each second moving faster as the cries for help got more frequent. Kennedy's heart raced frantically, and her stomach twisted tighter with each step, knowing that what was upon her was not going to be a pretty sight. She knew something like this would happen. She worried about John B, hoping that he was alright. But stumbling up to the scene, that hope immediately flew out the window.

A rough gasp escaped Kennedy, her eyes fell upon a hysterical Sarah as the girl kept a tight grip on the exact unconscious boy Kennedy was worried about. Kennedy stumbled back, finding balance when she gripped someone's arm. Looking back, she found a frantic Riley glancing at her in shock.

"Sarah, what happened??" Pope questioned, his words spewing out in a panicked voice, glancing down at his best friend, who lay unmoving on the grass under him.

The girl held a tight grip on John B, her eyes dashing between all the people around her, "I don't know what to do, he needs help, Topper shoved him,"

No. He couldn't have.

JJ tensed, he scanned the area around them with ferocity in his eyes, "Where the hell is he?"

"Please, please, please please get help. I don't care who, just call someone,"

The Heyward boy jumped to call 911 and turned to go to the van. JJ agreed with him and was quick to shove Pope in the direction of the van and urged him to hurry. Kennedy glanced around, still not believing this was happening. Tears cascaded down her cheeks, while her hand never left her mouth. The people around her screamed, telling Pope to hurry his movements up. Kennedy's eyes never left Sarah's death grip on the boy under her as the Cameron girl pleaded for the boy to stay with her.

Her brother pushed John B. He did this.

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SOFT BLUE EYES met meek cobalt ones through the mirror, jewelry was being shed by the small blonde, leaving them astray on the dresser. Her hair was now matted, no longer holding the same ethereal glow it had earlier in the night. The dress stuck to her curves with the residue of rain from the hour before, when attempting to save John B after he had fallen from the rickety tower.

Silence filled the room, as the kook and pogue resided. This night was life-changing and they didn't know where to move. After knowing John B would be okay, the two came to the empty house of Maggie Thornton, hoping this would a be safe haven for the night. The dirtied suit the blond pogue wore hours ago, laid crumpled on the floor next to Kennedy's jacket and accessories that she wore during the night.

Heels got kicked off as exhaustion flooded the small blonde, she hadn't spoken much, being the only thing she said was where her friends could drive her and her pogue. The night had been too much, words needed to be left unspoken. For things to work out right now, things needed to be left unsaid. If words and emotions, were confessed, the two would implode.

The moonlight seeped into the room, illuminating the ruby red dress that had never left Kennedy throughout the events of the night. The dress was confining, it felt as if was hard to breathe. Kennedy attempted to unzip but it was out of her reach.

"JJ, could you unzip me?"

The boy glanced at her through the mirror, wordlessly he nodded, making his way to the small girl. His hands ghosted her hips, instantly pulling her into his front. Kennedy's breath stuttered lightly but instantly ran her arm up around his neck, hugging herself into him. His head dug into her neck, finding comfort in her blooming rose scent. Kennedy shifted her body to face him, wrapping her arms fully around him. The boy did nothing but grip her tighter, finally feeling the solace he so desperately needed.

"It's been a long night, let's get some sleep okay?" Kennedy mumbled into the blond's head as she ran her fingers through his tousled locks.

The boy moved his head away from her neck, pulling her even closer to his body, "I haven't been this close to you in a year, I'm gonna savor it as much as I can,"

A blush bloomed on her cheeks, turning her skin a light crimson, "JJ, we have the rest of our lives to make up for lost time, let's get some sleep okay,"

"Sunshine, I need you now," JJ mumbled, his eyes holding much more than lust, the love they held took her breath away. "This isn't making up for lost time, I just need to be close to you, I need to feel you,"

Electricity shot through Kennedy's body at his words, the butterflies violently erupted in her stomach. The girl nodded wordlessly, her breath barely being there, "Okay,"

"Are you okay with it? If you're not I won't be upset," The blond whispered softly, his hands gripping her soft cheeks, wanting her as close as possible.

"I'm okay with it JJ, I'm just worried about you, with everything that's happened, I didn't think you would want to,"

"Sunshine, I need this, I need you,"

The small blonde nodded, running her hands softly up and down his arms, "Then have me,"

Their lips met fiercely in a fiery kiss that the two would never forget. After a year of yearning, they were finally back in each other's arms and it felt like heaven. Life outside of this bubble they created didn't matter, this moment was for them. Everything outside of this would be there in the morning, but right now this feeling, this love, felt as if it could go on forever and they didn't want it to stop.

Kennedy's dress was unzipped before she could even notice. The material thudded to the floor, but it only gave JJ the contact he desperately needed. His hands felt like fire as they danced across her skin soft skin. She felt exposed, but with JJ, she didn't try to hide it. It all made sense with the blond boy, the touches, the sensations, the emotions, nothing felt out of place. The feelings she desperately tried to chase for so long were finally here and right in front of her. He was back in her arms, he wasn't an enemy, he was who he needed to be. Her companion, her lifeline, her person.

JJ felt on top of the world, the high of being with the girl he fought for and finally being in his arms was too great. Kennedy was finally his, the whole town knew, he wouldn't have it any other way. His heart felt complete, feeling her in his hands, something he dreamt about for so long. And here she was, being there for him in his moment of need. She was his place, his home, and he had finally realized that. Feeling her plump lips on his, there was nothing that gave him more joy than this moment.

He ached for her to come back, for her to be his home again. She did it without thought, even if she didn't know, he knew he would be nothing without her. Even when they detested each other, he was nothing, he needed her even if he didn't know it. With everything going on in his life, he knew he could go into his bubble with the girl he loved more than anything.

Clothing shed without the two noticing, which ended up in crumpled piles lying unmoving on the floor. With the short blonde's legs wrapped around his waist, he moved her towards the bed. Their breathing was heavy and ragged. Emotions filled the small space, where one of them started, the other began, it felt infinite.

Kennedy's heart raced, feeling his soft touch travel around her whole body, the feeling setting her skin ablaze. The rough pads of his fingertips skimmed her skin, her breathing stuttered, feeling his eyes watching how she reacted. With her head resting against a pillow, she stared into his deep blue eyes. Her innocent and loving gaze stared into his soul. JJ wanted nothing more than to lose control but moments like these don't happen again, he'd be stupid to waste it. He wanted to feel every inch of her, he wanted to love her like he knew she deserved.

He loved to see her heavy breathing, her chest rising and falling roughly. He loved to see the small bruises forming on her neck from his lips. He wanted the world to know she was his person, his home. But right now, he wanted her to know that.

Kennedy appreciated the small, tender touches, but it was to the point that her body ached for more. With the look swirling in his eyes, she knew that would happen soon. His hair drifted to flop on his forehead and Kennedy adored every second of it. Kisses and confessions of love were something they both needed to hear, but the passion began to overflow.

The tender touches turned into fast-paced grabs of skin, but the two didn't notice the change of pace. They were so enthralled with each other that they didn't notice how the final articles of clothing were shed and nothing separated them. Legs were wrapped around waists and stomachs began bubbling with ecstasy. Small, slow movements began to be rough, the pleasure making it hard to do anything but.

With Kennedy's head thrown back in bliss, it gave him the opportunity to dive in and mark her with everything in him. He wished they could be permanent, but it only made him make more knowing they would all eventually fade away.

Soft gasps and whimpers slipped past the girl under him, the noises only pushing him to go further and further. Her hands gripped his arms like a vice, her legs shook, the pleasure being more than she could handle. It had been too long since Kennedy felt these types of emotions about someone. It was all too much, but she knew JJ would be there to pick up all the pieces.

The boy kissed her softly, feeling her come closer and closer to the end. Kennedy soaked up the affection, her heart thudded in her chest, hoping this would never end, but her body had other plans. As the ecstasy filled her veins, the pleasure finally bubbled over. With all her strength, she gripped the boy on top of her, her body twitching from the aftershocks. A small smile twisted at her lips, feeling the blond pogue shake lightly and he tucked his head into her neck, waves of pleasure washing over him also.

Soft breathing filled the small room as Kennedy ran her hands through his sweaty locks. Bliss was all she could feel, knowing that everything she needed was right next to her, drawing small circles on her hip. The boy rested his head on her bare chest, enjoying the closeness that he was able to have with the girl who meant the world to him. They were each other's home and they would be nothing without it.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

↝↝↝↝↝ 𝐓𝐀𝐘𝐋𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐀𝐘𝐒... ↜↜↜↜↜

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Heyyyyy guyssssss, it's summer so you know what that means!! OBX time bitches 😮‍💨😮‍💨

This chapter was a lot in many ways and JJ and Kennedy were absolutely slaying this chapter!!

Also for the last part of the chapter I BEG listen to Place in me by Luke Hemmings it's literally their song like fr fr

Hope you enjoyed!

BUT IMPORTANT THING.

What did you all think?

I really would like your feedback on this, so please leave a comment.