"SPREADING YOU OPEN
IS THE ONLY WAY OF KNOWING YOU."
- harry styles, fine line

ONE YEAR PRIOR.

Since meeting JJ, the blonde boy sleeping on Avery's couch had become a normal pastime. She'd go out of her room for breakfast and find JJ sitting at the table helping himself to whatever he had found in her cabinets that he didn't deem too 'health-freaky'. He always greeted her with a warm smile and a cheerful 'good morning!' through a mouthful of food.

So, when Avery went to get her breakfast and JJ wasn't sitting at the kitchen table, the Decker found it a little odd.

N0 note, no text, no waking her up to let her know he was on his way out. And he wasn't working today, his days off were Tuesday's and Friday's. She grabbed her phone, sending him a quick message, just to see where he was. Read, no reply. She sent a message to John B, to see if he was at his house. A simple no in reply.

Weird.

It had been two weeks, but a lot can happen in two weeks. JJ made Avery feel seen, like she was more than some spoiled brat. He heard her out when she talked to him about how her parents divorce made her feel, how she felt when her mother made her out to be incompetent. How she felt alone more now than ever. She couldn't bring herself to mention Isaac, though. She had never actually spoken about his death, despite the fact it had been a year. It would be a year tomorrow, actually. Speaking on it would make it all too real. And it wasn't real. It couldn't be.

She found herself in her car, driving down the road to where she had picked JJ up at. Where he had come running through the tree line and onto the road. She pulled over, grabbing her keys and her phone and putting them in the back pocket of her shorts as she climbed out of the car and looked around before walking towards the tree line.

The woods were serene in a way. They weren't very thick, and Avery could see the small house perched on the other side, but still. She found herself looking around at the trees above her, watching the way the leaves fell to the ground, signaling that fall was starting in the Carolinas, a thought that made the Decker mentally cringe as she looked at the golden and brown foliage scattered around the ground.  As she walked closer to the house, she began to piece together that there was music blaring from the small building. Some song by Seether.

But JJ hated Seether.

Avery slowly inched her way closer and closer to the house, suddenly treading more lightly as she got closer. She could practically feel the ground vibrating with house much the bass was boosted on whatever stereo was playing, and she could hardly hear her own thoughts over incoherent electric guitar and drum numbers.

What she could hear, however, was the screaming from inside the house, and that it was a voice that wasn't JJ's.

"Where the fuck have you been? While you're off fucking some whore, I'm having to work my ass off to pay the bills!"

Avery froze. What the fuck was going on? Who was yelling- this was JJ's house, right?

A window smashing pulled Avery from her thoughts, the girl looking up to see JJ bolting across the yard once more, in a similar fashion to how he had the day they met.

"JJ! Get your ass back here! I'll find you, you ungrateful little shit! And I'll kill you when I do!"

Avery found herself running after JJ, his figure distant, but she was still gaining ground on him nonetheless as she ran through the woods towards the road behind him. She could hear his heavy breathing, it was basically a desperate gasp for air as he ran like he couldn't possibly get far away enough from the house he was desperately trying to escape. Maybe the pounding in his ears was what was preventing him from hearing Avery dashing behind him, maybe the fact that he was desperately focused on getting to the edge of the woods that stopped him from even noticing the Decker in his peripheral.

As soon as JJ broke through the tree line, his knees gave out and he collapsed on the ground, coughing and desperately gasping for air as his fingers gripped the grass, his hands clenching and unclenching as they clung to the spiky blades of greenery.

"JJ!" Avery exclaimed as she stepped through the tree line, leaning forward and resting her hands on her knees. JJ scrambled, spinning his head around and pushing himself into an upright sitting position. He stared at her with wide eyes, that same sense of fear in his blue irises as they day they had met.

"Avery..." JJ breathed, continuing to gasp for air. Avery took in his appearance- the trail of dried blood running from his nose, the small shards of glass still in his hair, the purple-and-yellow hues that were painted around his eyes with a darker spot on his eyebrow resembling a ring.

"JJ, what happened?" Avery questioned softly, looking all over the Maybank boy's face, like she was trying to fully take in what she was looking at. He went to run his hand through his hair- a violent red handprint Avery hadn't seen before on his wrist.

"It's nothin'. It's not a big deal, Ave." JJ said bluntly, his voice attempting to be convincing but lacking its usual bite. The waver to his tone also threw off the usual swagger he had when he spoke.

"JJ, what do you mean it's nothing? Did you bust out a window?" Avery questioned, kneeling on the ground next to JJ and picking the pieces of glass out of his hair, the blonde doing nothing to stop her. He refused to make eye contact as he stared at the woods the two had just emerged from, his breaths slightly shaky.

"Yeah..." He whispered. "Couldn't get to the door..."

Avery felt her heart drop to her stomach. "Was that... your dad?"

JJ hesitated, still not looking at the brunette. "Uhh... yeah. Yeah, that's my dad." He practically whispered.

That was who had been yelling for JJ the day he and Avery met.

That was why JJ couldn't go home that night, why he had practically pleaded to stay at Avery's.

And she knew that that black eye and bloody nose were not a result of jumping out the window.

"Come on. My car's just over there. I'll take you to my house."  Avery mumbled, grabbing JJ's hands and pulling him to his feet. She noticed how he kept anxiously glancing around, his breathing still shaky as he climbed into the passenger seat of her BMW.

"Why were you at my house?" JJ asked when he and Avery were both sat in the car. The brunette tossed her hair over her shoulder shrugging.

"You just left, didn't answer my texts, and John B said you weren't at the Chateau." The Decker explained simply, doing a u-turn after checking to ensure the road was empty. She glanced over at JJ occasionally, noticing the bounce in his leg, the way his gaze flickered around like a cornered animal, and the way his fingertips fumbled with the hem of his shirt.

"Sorry..." JJ mumbled, still avoiding eye contact.

"For what?" Avery asked.

"You had to see all that..."

Avery pulled into her driveway and put the car in park, pausing at JJ's words. She glanced up at him, but his eyes were trained on his hands, his fingers fumbling with each other. "JJ... you didn't do anything wrong..."

Finally, the blonde boy looked up at her. Avery felt her heart crack in two at the look in his eyes. He was scared. He looked really scared.

"Hey, hey, let's go inside..." Avery mumbled, JJ nodding silently and climbing out of the car, waiting for Avery to round the vehicle and start up the stairs before he himself started up them, following her in the door and immediately sitting at the kitchen table, burying his head in his hands. Avery paused, slowly walking over to the table, pulling a chair over and sitting next to him, gently putting her hand on the small of his back.

He slowly looked up at Avery, the girl noticing the tears on his lash-line, making her stomach feel sickly and tight as she looked at him.

"JJ, hey, hey, you're okay..." Avery mumbled, gently pulling the blonde into a hug. "I'm not gonna tell anyone, it's gonna be okay."

She felt JJ's tears hit her shoulder as she gently rubbed soothing shoulders into his back with her fingertips, her other hand tangling itself into his hair, gently massaging his scalp with manicured fingernails. As the two of them sat there, a silent promise was made. Avery Decker's front door would always be unlocked for JJ Maybank.

PRESENT DAY.

Avery had practically carried JJ to Heyward's truck, helping the boy into the passenger seat before rounding to the drivers side, sliding across the bench seat to the middle spot, allowing Pope to drive the vehicle to Avery's house. When they got there, Pope and Avery helped JJ out of the truck, pulling him up the stairs and into the living room. The three ate a dinner of instant noodles Avery had found a few packets of in the cabinet before Pope went back to the Chateau to help Kiara begin the preparations for Crain's house the next day. The minute the Heyward left the house, JJ was talking. Telling her everything.

How he tried to pay his restitution, he really had tried.

How his dad had taken the money, wanted to spend it or gamble it.

How JJ tried to take it back.

How he almost bashed his own father's head in with a wrench.

And Avery listened, understanding as ever to what JJ was saying. Holding his hand and nodding along while looking at him with concerned eyes, just to prove that he had someone there fore him, someone to listen to him.

From there, Avery had helped JJ into the shower and given him privacy while he took the longest shower Avery had ever known him to take. The got him fuzzy pajama pants and one of his favorite hoodies laid across the counter, as well as his toothbrush he kept at her house, and a bottle of water and a couple Ibuprofen.

Much to Avery's dismay, she had left her tote bag with her Lexapro at the Chateau in the midst of all the rushing today. And after the robbery, it was the last thing on her mind. She was too focused on getting JJ to her house unscathed to worry about it when everything happened at the hot tub, so, unfortunately, she was without a night's dosage.

She had grabbed the basket of blankets she kept in the living room and practically covered her blanket in the fluffy throws. The TV that hung above her dresser had been set to Prime Video, where the main menu for C.H.U.D lit the screen up. She sat on her bed, texting Pope an update on the status of her boyfriend. The shower had turned off about five minutes ago, so she knew JJ would be in her room any second now.

She was, of course, correct.

The door creaked open, revealing JJ. He walked with a slight limp towards the bed, his damp hair going in all directions as his eyes stayed trained on the floor in front of him. He hadn't put on the hoodie Avery had brought, which, if she was being honest, she expected. She wanted to give him the option to cover up if he wanted, but she knew JJ well enough to know he wouldn't put it on.

He gingerly climbed into the bed, wincing slightly as he did. Avery looked over at JJ, noticing the way his teeth gritted in an effort to keep himself from making any noise of pain. She felt a frown pull at her lips as she watched JJ wince with every movement he made, the purple and yellow hues painting his torso making her feel nauseated.

"You feel any better?" Avery asked softly, noticing the way JJ still refused to look at her. He gave a small shake of his head, staring blankly ahead.

"No..." JJ mumbled softly. "I still feel like shit..."

The soft tone of his voice and the hesitance he spoke with made Avery's heart snap in half. She wanted nothing more than to hold JJ in her arms and take away every ounce of pain he had ever experienced, but she knew she couldn't do that.

"Don't beat yourself up, baby..." Avery replied, her voice gentle. "No one is mad at you."

"Pope and Kie are." JJ replied immediately. "And so are John B and Sarah. I can't figure out why you're not, you should be..."

"JJ, anyone else would have been just as mad as you were when you found out who was robbing us." Avery interjected. "You had every right to be upset. You shouldn't have taken it out on me, but I understand why you did."

The way Avery's speaking to him, gentle and caring like he actually was worthy of feeling loved, made something inside him break. Maybe it was the fact that, for once, his feelings were being validated. Maybe it was the fact that, for once, he had someone in his corner, someone to always defend him even when he definitely didn't deserve it. Maybe it was the fact that, for once, he had someone he could say without a shadow of doubt in his mind, really, really loved him.

The tears were running down his cheeks before he could stop them, and before he could process what was happening, a sob escaped his lips. JJ's whole body immediately slumped into Avery's side, his arms wrapping around her waist tightly and his face burying itself into her side. His eyes clenched tightly shut as he sobbed, everything finally becoming too much for him to handle in the moment.

He had really, really fucked up this time.

Averys fingers wove into his hair, massaging his scalp while her other hand rubbed his back. Every so often, her hand would go a little too close to his side while she rubbed his lower back, and his whole body would tense up as a gasp of pain clawed its way out his throat, the Decker immediately apologizing softly. But the Maybank never pulled away from her, he just allowed himself to be held- to be loved- by her. To feel the gentle touch he had longed for all his life, to be cared for in a way he was so mind-bendingly desperate for it made his stomach feel sickly. Although, in this moment, that could very well be the effects of the champagne.

"I- I'm gonna be sick-" JJ choked out between sobs, looking up at Avery with wide, panicked eyes, his face was extremely pale, his pupils dilated and his cheeks flushed.

"Okay, okay- come on..." Avery urged softly, helping JJ to his feet. As they made their way across the hall, JJ clamped his hand firmly over his mouth, gagging as the toilet came into view. Avery quickly helped him it on the ground, his hands immediately gripping the porcelain as he tried to stop himself from vomiting.

Avery knew JJ hated throwing up more than anything.

"Hey, hey, I'm right here." Avery soothed. "You're gonna be okay, you need to let it happen..."

"I can't-" JJ whimpered. Avery felt her heart clench- she hated seeing him like this.

"Hey, hey, you can. You're okay, you're gonna be okay, you'll feel so much better if you just let it out..." Avery attempted, but JJ continued to shake his head frantically.

"I don't wanna, Ave..." JJ choked out, immediately gagging but swallowing harshly to prevent anything from coming up. "Please- I don't want to-"

Avery's eyes were soft, one of her hands holding his. She could feel his grip get tighter as he tried to focus his mind on anything other than the overwhelming nausea in the pit of his stomach that was starting to give him a headache. The vulnerable look in his eyes as he stared up at his girlfriend- practically pleading with her to make the feeling go away- only made her feel worse, but at the same time, want to do everything in her power to make him feel better.

"I'm not going anywhere, 'kay?" Avery said, voice firm. "If it happens, it happens, and I'm here."

JJ shook his head, resting his whole head on the toilet seat, eyes focused on Avery before his face scrunched into a grimace.

"John B's asscheeks have been on here, haven't they?" He whined out, the brunette having to stifle a laugh, not wanting to make JJ feel any worse than he already did.

"Yeah, most likely." The said softly, pushing JJ's hair off his forehead. His face remained in a pout for a few more seconds before he leaned back over the toilet, breathing heavily.

"It's getting worse..." He said, his voice shaky with worry.

"You're okay... I'm here..." Avery mumbled softly. "This can all be over in about two minutes, JJ, you just need to let it out..."

Finally, he couldn't hold back any more as the inevitable happened. And, true to her word, Avery was there the entire time. She reached over to the roll of toilet paper with the hand that wasn't rubbing JJ's back, pulling off a large amount of the white tissue and giving it to JJ to wipe his mouth with once he was done retching.

"I feel like shit..." He choked out, his voice soft and hoarse.

"I know..." Avery soothed. "But it's over now, it's a done deal."

JJ nodded slowly. He held his hands out for Avery to help him stand, the Decker quickly obliging as she helped her boyfriend to his feet, letting him lean on the counter before letting go of him to flush the toilet. She then gave him his toothbrush and toothpaste, gently rubbing his back as he washed the nasty taste from his mouth. When JJ was cleaned up and his toothbrush in the trash, Avery helped him back to her room, grabbing the trash can from next to her desk and sitting it beside the bed where JJ would be sleeping in case he needed it again.

The minute the two of them were back in bed, JJ immediately cuddled back into Avery's side, allowing her to wrap a blanket around his body.

"You wanna watch the movie?" She whispered, nodding towards the TV, which JJ hadn't even noticed upon entering the room the first time. The minute he saw C.H.U.D across the screen in bold letters, his eyes immediately brightened and her nodded at Avery enthusiastically.

"We're actually gonna watch it?" He asked softly, his voice optimistic as he looked up at the brunette, his blue eyes full of hope.

"I told you we'd watch it tonight." Avery mumbled, hitting the start button on the movie. JJ had a goofy grin on his face, turning his focus back to the TV as the movie began. Avery noticed the way he mouthed along with certain parts that he knew by heart, the sight of JJ smiling a genuine, real smile for the first time all day making her chest feel fuzzy.

She knew JJ well enough to know that the DVD for C.H.U.D was the only real birthday present he had ever gotten from his dad, and it came at an age where he was far too young to be looking at dismembered dead bodies and decaying corpses. However, despite the disturbing plot and the wildly gory aspects of the movie, it was a comfort for him that he carried into his teenage years.

She also knew him well enough to know that despite the constant screams of terror and horrifying noises, this movie was the one guaranteed way to make JJ sleep like a baby. So, when she felt his body become heavier against hers and soft snores begin to escape his lips, she turned the TV off, gently readjusting her boyfriend so he was laying down in bed, but still able to hold onto her as she sat upright. JJ's head had hardly touched the pillow Avery laid it on before he immediately readjusted himself, nuzzling his face into her lap as he clung partially to her torso and partially to her thigh.

The Decker wove her fingers into his hair once more, twirling the blonde locks around her manicured fingertips as the naturally curled to fit the build of her fingers. As she sat there, the massaging motion she was making with her hands on JJ's scalp practically numbing his mind into the first peaceful, dreamless he's had in God knows how long, the gnawing feeling of guilt returns to her stomach.

The guilt was a combination of things. How could she have let JJ just storm off like that? How could she have let him go home? How could she not go to check on him? It felt like everything that had happened to the blonde sleeping next to her was entirely her fault.

Not to mention that she could have calmed him down on the side of the road. Had she not frozen up like she knew she would have, she could have calmed JJ down, this whole situation avoided. And what if Sarah was right? What if Barry came after them?

She thought of the elaborate hot tub in John B's backyard. About how unfair it was that JJ had just been through absolute hell to get the money to pay his restitution, how he had brought it to his father to prove a point. To prove that he was capable of doing something himself. That he wasn't worthless like his dad always claimed.

But when that backfired, he immediately tried to do something for his friends. To make them happy.

For his girlfriend. To make things up to her. To apologize for yelling at her, for calling her a Kook. Because JJ was awful with feelings, everyone knew it. He was worse with words. Avery knew from the second week she knew him that he showed people he cared through presents. Granted, they were never twenty-five-thousand dollar jacuzzi sets with disco balls and fairy lights, but he had known that he had screwed up, that this couldn't be fixed with a bracelet from a craft vendor.

And the worst part was that Avery would have forgiven him if he had given her a pretty looking rock her found on the ground.

What the fuck had she and her friends done to make JJ think a hot tub was the only way to make what he had done better? Had they truly become that engrossed with the treasure hunt. Were they all that obsessed with the concept of 'going full Kook'? Had they truly all conformed to becoming that selfish?

And if they had, maybe JJ was the only true Pogue out of all of them all along. Avery knew she wasn't. She was a Standard Oil heir, her entire life was set for her.

Most Kooks were born with silver spoons.

Avery was born with a rhodium shovel.

From the minute she was born, the only thing she knew was expensive silk crib sheets Talia had had custom made. Her father paid tens of thousands for his six-year-old to be dressed from head to toe in custom Chanel children's clothes not sold anywhere else in the world.

Her family wasn't famous rich by any means, no. Her family was old money. Her father had invested half his inheritance from Avery's grandfather the minute the check hit has hand. He had more than quadrupled it, taken it all out, and then pumped more of it into stocks. The ranch Avery had lived on in Texarkana made Tannyhill look like a pile of shit. Acres and acres of profound landscaping, a man-made lake you couldn't see the other side of if you stood on the shore, miles of trails for Avery to either hike or ride on horseback, because what was a multi-billion dollar family without a stable?

As much as it hurt to hear, it was true.

Avery Decker was a Kook, and she always would be.

That realization made her head spin with a mix of things. She knew she was overthinking, she knew she was starting to spiral and that that could become dangerous. She also didn't have anything to stop it.

Unless...

She slowly pried herself out of JJ's grip, replacing her body with one of the pillows next to her. She slowly made her way to the kitchen, opening the cabinet next to the fridge and grabbing the orange bottle in the drawer.

Percocets.

The bottle was clasped in her hands, and she slowly made her way down the hall to the bathroom. Avery couldn't stop herself from looking into her bedroom, from looking at him.

God, she loved him so much.

But she didn't deserve him. She was an addict. She had watched her boyfriend die in front of her and it left her fucked up in a way that you couldn't comprehend unless you had actually experienced it, and she didn't want JJ to have to backpack that for her. She was a mess of anxiety, a constantly tense ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment. Above all, she was a liability. She froze up too much, she got in the way. JJ didn't need that in his life.

Avery Decker didn't deserve JJ Maybank. And she never would.

She made her way into the bathroom, sliding down the wall next to the toilet. She looked down at the bottle in her hand, just staring. She couldn't think straight, her mind was cloudy and she felt like she could throw up, but she couldn't. Not right now.

Pushing down on the white cap of the bottle and twisting the top around, Avery looked down at the white pills inside. She poured a few too many into the palm of her hand, simply staring at them with empty eyes as she looked down. Once she did this, there was no going back. The six months she had worked so hard at staying clean would go down the drain.

She slowly raised her hand to her mouth, closing her eyes and breathing deeply through her nose. The pills had barely touched her lips when the door to the bathroom swung open. Avery immediately flinched, pushing her hand away from her mouth and letting go of the pills in a panic, the little white tablets scattering all over the floor. Her eyes widened as she looked up, cocoa eyes meeting ocean ones.

"Ave?" JJ asked softly, flipping the light on. The first thing he noticed was the pills lying strewn across the floor around his girlfriend. The second thing he noticed was the orange bottle in his hand. The third thing he noticed was the tears in Averys eyes.

She felt absolutely awful for even considering this, especially when JJ was just down the hall. She felt even worse for actually attempting to follow through with it.

"Avery, hey, hey- did you take anything? I need you to be honest- did you take anything?" JJ questioned, sitting on the floor in front of her, Avery shaking her head as her bottom lip trembled wildly. "Hey, hey- you're okay, you're okay now..."

JJ pulled her onto his lap, the Decker immediately crumbling as she sobbed into his shoulder. She hugged him tight, her tears running onto his bare skin as JJ rubbed her back, desperately trying to soothe her. However, it was no good. Avery had worked herself up to the point of complete incoherence. She couldn't speak, she couldn't think straight for long enough to form a coherent sentence in her own mind.

She pulled her head out of JJ's shoulder, the blonde making eye contact with her and wiping the tears away from his girlfriend's eyes, which were wetting the pieces of hair that hung down the sides of her face. Avery tried to speak, to apologize, to tell him she would be better, but all that she could manage were gasps for air between shuddering sobs.

"Hey, Avery, you are okay- take a breath with me." JJ said softly, grabbing one of Avery's hands and placing it on his sternum, taking a deep breath in his nose and out his mouth. Avery did her best to copy him, but sobs just kept clawing their way out of her throat.

"I'm- I'm sorry-" Avery managed to sob out. "I didn't know what else to do- I'm sorry-"

"Avery- Avery, hey, hey- look at me." JJ said, his voice firm but gentle. "I'm not mad at you. You're not in trouble. You're okay."

That only made Avery cry harder. The fact that, for once, she was being treated like an actual person after trying to relapse. The fact that someone was patient with her, that someone was taking the time to calm her down and speak to her like she wasn't wasting their time was such a breath of fresh air, and she buried herself further into JJ as she continued to bawl.

"You're okay... you're okay..." JJ soothed, putting his hand under her sweatshirt and rubbing her back, his fingers tracing over the tattoo of the shark down her spine.

"No- no I'm not-" Avery choked out.

Avery Decker was far from fine.

"I just wanted the noise to stop- I didn't mean to-" Avery bawled, her hands clenching and unclenching into fists as she desperately clawed at his back, attempting to get a grip on the t-shirt that wasn't there. A disgusting mixture of snot, tears, and slobber was running down his shoulder blade where Avery sobbed, her voice cracking as she could hardly speak between the gasps of air her empty-feeling lungs were struggling to gather.

"Avery- Ave- you never took anything, it's okay." JJ tried desperately to soothe her. She had had one breakdown that he knew of since he had known her, a couple months after she moved to OBX. John B had calmed her down almost immediately- why couldn't he? He pondered calling the Routledge, but he knew he was with Sarah, probably- no, almost definitely- very preoccupied right now.

"But I was going to- JJ, I'm so- I'm so fucking sorry-" Avery sobbed, her voice cracking repeatedly.

"Hey- hey, look at me." JJ said, grabbing Avery's chin and pulling her face up so the two of them were facing each other, cocoa eyes swimming in tears meeting concerned ocean ones. "You need to tell me what happened."

"I left- my anxiety meds are at the Chateau. I wasn't thinking and I thought I'd be okay without them but I'm not-" Avery sputtered, JJ shaking his head, his calloused hands gently grabbing Avery's wrist while his other hand pulled the little orange bottle from her fingertips.

"You don't need that..." He muttered, placing the uncapped bottle on the sink. "Go clean your face off and get back in bed... I'll be right behind you..."

Avery sobbed again, her head hitting JJ's shoulder once more. Not even because of the fact she was upset and didn't want to move away from him- because she was entirely spent from the last couple days.

"I messed everything up, didn't I?" She whispered, JJ gently rubbing soothing circles in her back as he shook his head, gently pressing a kiss to her hairline.

"You haven't messed anything up, baby..." The Maybank assured gently. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up and in bed..."

Avery nodded slowly, JJ practically having to carry her over to where the towels were hanging to dry and then having to clean her up himself. The Decker's feet drug across the floor as JJ led her back to her bedroom, allowing her to curl up against his bruised chest as his fingers twirled through her hair, the massage of his blunt fingernails against her scalp calming her thoughts more than any pill ever had.

Avery was exactly sure when she fell asleep, the rhythm of JJ's heartbeat on repeat, doing loops around her brain as she slept dreamlessly, but aware of the fact that she was safe. The first thing she noticed when she woke up was the sweet scent of pancakes down the hall and the sizzling of bacon to accompany it. She slowly climbed out of bed, her oversized t-shirt dropping to the middle of her thighs as her tangled hair fell even further.

"Hey, sleepyhead." JJ said, rounding the kitchen island and planting a kiss to the top of Avery's head, making his way over to the stove where he was pulling pancakes off a griddle and bacon from a skillet.

"What's all this?" Avery questioned, her voice raspy from her crying and her eyes still looking a bit puffy.

"I found a container of Bisquick and a pack of bacon that was gonna go bad in like a week, so I figured I'd make yo breakfast. And I went to the Chateau to get your bag, it's on the coat rack downstairs, and I made sure your meds were in it." JJ added, pointing towards the stairs. Avery felt tears of gratitude well in her eyes, which she quickly blinked away and wiped from her lash line with the back of her hand.

"God- you are the best..." The brunette mumbled, quickly making her way down the stairs and towards the coat rack, grabbing her Harry Styles - Live on Tour totebag she had gotten in 2017, reaching past her bikini's, tanning lotion, and oversized t-shirt she had tossed in the bag when she planned on spending the night at the Chateau the previous night. Her hands clasped around the bottle of Lexapro, twisting the cap off and dry swallowing one of the pills.

"You feel better?" JJ asked, Avery nodding her head, feeling the pill already start to take effect. "We need to talk about last night at some point, Ave." The Maybank added, his tone turning serious as he flipped one of the pancakes in the skillet.

"Yeah, I figured..." Avery trailed, grabbing a piece of bacon from the paper towel JJ had laid the cooked pork on, taking a bite and leaning on the counter. "I've just been really stressed these past few days... and there's a lot I need to tell you."

"So then say it, babe." JJ said as though it was the simplest concept on earth. "I tell you everything, Ave. I need you to feel like you can tell me anything too. I need you to feel like you can trust me."

Avery inhaled a deep breath, her fingers clenching and unclenching around the countertop as she looked at the floor. "Talia wants me to come home. She wants me to go back to Texas. And then all those messages started coming through from that stalker number, and I just... I don't know, J..."

JJ nodded, listening to his girlfriend while also going out of his way to ensure her house not catch on fire while he cooked. "You think you're gonna go home?"

"Absolutely not." Avery assured, grabbing a bottle of apple juice from the fridge and pouring herself a glass. "Talia is gonna have to drug me and then drag me into her car by my hair. No way I'm going back."

JJ chuckled, taking the last of the pancakes off the griddle and turning the burner off, turning his full attention to the bacon. "That's my girl... Pope's interview is today, by the way."

"Oh- shit, I completely forgot." Avery said, grabbing her phone from the pocket of her sleep shorts and typing a quick 'good luck' text to Pope. "He's gonna get it, for sure."

"Oh, without a doubt." JJ replied, pulling the bacon off the pan. "Okay, breakfast is served, m'lady. Help yourself."

"Can you get me the berries out of the fridge?" Avery asked, using her fork to put a few pancakes with her fork and grabbing a new strips of bacon. "This looks amazing- I didn't know you could cook."

"I'm full of surprises." JJ remarked with a smirk, grabbing a plate of his own, smirking at Avery as he drizzled maple syrup across the warm flapjacks, the thick, sweet liquid melting into the fluffy cake.

"Oh, I know you are." Avery added sarcastically, dropping a few mixed berries on her own pancakes before covering them in maple syrup.

"We'd better get to the Chateau." JJ commented, taking a bite of his food on the way to the kitchen table. "After breakfast, I mean."

"I figured." Avery replied, dragging one of her bacon strips through the excess maple syrup on her plate, taking a bite. "We have a winch to set up."

"Gotta get that gold." JJ added, leaning over to press a kiss to Avery's forehead, his lips sticky with syrup. "You're my gold, though."

"Aww, thanks!" Avery chimed back happily, a wide grin on her face. "You're pretty great yourself- and so are these pancakes, holy shit."

JJ chuckled, swallowing a bite of his own food. "I'm glad you think so... I'm just glad you feel better."

Avery glanced up from her plate at him, the remnants of her grin still on her face. "Me too..." She mumbled.

"You've got syrup on your forehead where I kissed you." JJ told her, Avery immediately grabbing a napkin to blot at the sticky substance, only for JJ to gasp in shock. "You just wiped away my kiss! I feel betrayed!"

Avery giggled, immediately swiping the napkin back across her face. "There, I put it back." She stated, matter-of-factly.

"I'll accept it... for now."

"You're gonna give me another in a couple minutes anyways." Avery said, JJ rolling his eyes.

"Maybe." He mumbled through a mouthful of pancake. "Now, finish your food. We have to go find the second best kind of gold." The blonde teased.

"Yes, sir." Avery replied, cleaning her plate off and giving JJ another small smile, the boy pressing another sticky kiss to her hairline as he walked towards the sink.

— || 🪼 || KENSIE'S YAP !!

oh hey long time no see

entirely by bad, but in my defense school has been horrific. basically i'm in this school club that's focused on like business and i've had a ton of contests for that, plus i have sports starting next month and i have my ACT in april, so i've spent a lot of my time writing, meaning i haven't had a lot of motivation to do it in my free time

however i have the season two book started and in my drafts, i just have to finish this one first. in addition to that i'm thinking about starting a cobra kai fic OR a book of jjavery one shots.

also my signed short n sweet vinyl came today and i listened to it while i finished this. absolutely in love and i love when artists take care of us by including like posters and inserts

literally mara is the only thing keeping me sane run (i started crying like two days ago bc i thought we were drifting)

see you in chapter 20!