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obaex · 10 months

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you, the ocean, and me (pt. 2) - jj maybank

summary: life is picture perfect until the past comes knocking at your door, unwilling to let you go.

word count: 11.2k

warnings: 18+ mature, sexual/suggestive content below the cut, canon-level violence, and one terrible ex

a/n: i am squealing and kicking my feet in the air to finally be sharing this with you! i am obsessed with these two and their story. there are some flashbacks to things that happened in the past, all in italics. please note this one is spicier than part one, please read responsibly.

the vibe: the vow/ ruthanne (listened to this on repeat while writing this, i know it was in part one, but it’s just it for me fam) & coastline / steve kroeger

part one here!

Ever since you had come back to the Outer Banks, JJ was so uncontrollably happy and so smitten he was nearly unrecognizable. He waved to strangers on the street, his other hand tucked firmly in your own, he held doors open, he was a hugger all of a sudden, scooping Heyward into a bearhug the last time you were all at Pope's as the old man tried to swat him away. "Boy have you lost your damn mind?!" he had asked. And maybe he had a little bit. But he didn't care. He was floating through life. You were back, you were here, with him, what could possibly phase him? He had literal heart eyes for you, anyone could see it. It might have grated on his friends if they didn't love to see how happy you made him. He was insatiable around you, always pulling you onto his lap, wrapping his arms around you or tugging you away from the group at the chateau to 'grab another beer' which resulted in your back pressed between the cool refrigerator door and his warm body as he kissed you deeply, passionately, his hands tangled in your hair, your hands tangled in his shirt, eliciting a groan from deep within his chest. "Princess please let me take you home" he'd beg as you dragged him back outside.

Perhaps the most notable change, though, was his behavior at work. He managed to contain his eyerolls and help the waitstaff at the Island Club with extra tasks; tonight he had even volunteered to help with a particularly difficult table that had just been seated with everyone's least favorite customers: Rafe, Topper, Kelce and a handful of their friends JJ didn't recognize. But even they couldn't bring him down. Every insult rolled right off his back no matter how hard they tried to rile him up. "Dirty pogue" "Marina rat" they snickered, eliciting laughs around the table. Even when Kelce 'accidentally' knocked an entire bottle of expensive wine off the table and blamed it on him, forcing him down on his hands and knees to clean it up. He had heard it all before and he didn't care because at the end of this godforsaken shift was you, and that was all that mattered. He was zoned out, thinking about you as he picked the glass off the floor, half-listening to the conversation at the table above him.

"Anyway, thanks so much for having me, I appreciate any help you can give me" an unidentified voice said.

"Of course" Rafe replied "How can we help?"

"I'm in town looking for someone. A guy. Probably from the club. All I know is that he surfs and he has a dirt bike."

JJ's ears perked up at that, his hands faltering slightly with the broken glass as he tuned further into the conversation.

"Shit, man, you just described half the guys at this table" Rafe said amidst a smattering of uncomfortable laughter as the guys traded glances around the table.

"Unfortunately, my mother-in-law didn't have the pleasure of meeting him. He made some... untoward advances toward my fiancée. She's down here with him still. We're worried about her. It's time he and I had a little chat."

JJ had frozen on the spot. His heart was pounding in his chest and he realized he was squeezing the glass in his hand hard enough for it to break skin. He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes and willed himself not to lunge across the table. Fury was rolling off of him in waves as he stood up and hazarded a glance at the guy. Even a cursory look told him everything he needed to know, he was every bit the pompous asshole he had imagined in his mind, smug and arrogant. He had laughed along at each of Rafe's jokes at his expense. The thought of this guy with his hands on you flickered through JJ's mind and he knew he needed to walk away while he still could. His legs and feet felt glued to the ground, his body urging him to stay and knock this asshole clear across the dining room. But with every last ounce of strength he had, he let out a deep breath and walked away, the gears in his head turning as his worst fears were confirmed.

"What did you say her name was?" JJ heard Topper ask.

"Y/N" he said. The sound of your name on his lips burned in JJ's ears as he kicked the kitchen door open violently.

JJ spent the entire ride back to the cut debating whether or not to tell you what he had heard.

He didn't want to lie to you, and he knew you were going to find out eventually. More than anything, he didn't want to admit that he was scared. Scared that Carson being here was going to shake the carefully constructed fairly tale he had built around you, that he had you all to himself, that you could leave your old life behind and be here with him, that he would never lose you again.

He pulled into John B's driveway and when he made his way to the backyard your eyes immediately met his as you hopped up from your seat and ran over to him, jumping into his arms as he lifted you off the ground. He would never get tired of the way you were always so excited to see him, even if it had only been a few hours or a few minutes. "Mm'missed you" you murmured into his shoulder. The tension in his body eased as he felt your heart beating against his and the way you were trying to nuzzle impossibly closer to him. He let himself enjoy one last moment of peace, one last moment with you in his arms, afraid he was going to ruin everything, but knowing, especially with your past, that he would never keep anything from you.

He let out a deep, shaky sigh and set you down as you searched his eyes. "Hey, what's wrong? Tough shift?" you asked, concern written all over your face as you brushed his long hair out of his eyes. He rubbed the back of his neck and hung his head.

"Kinda" he said.

He looked back up at your doe eyes, the way they were all consumed with concern for him, a small pout on your lips. God he did not want to do this... "Look, I don't know how else to say this but uh Carson is here. And I don't think he got the memo that you two aren't a thing anymore."

In a million years, with a thousand guesses you would have never thought that's what JJ was going to say. You felt your heart plummet to your feet and took an involuntary step back, the news literally throwing you off balance.

"W-What are you talking about?" you said, your voice shaking but also rising with panic. "Here where? In Outer Banks?" Your mind refused to process this information, you were in denial. "How do you know it was him?!"

"Short brown hair? Brown eyes? Black Rolex watch that cost more than my house?" JJ replied, his voice now rising too. Why were you questioning him? Why would he ever make this up?

You squeezed your eyes shut, remembering the watch you had bought him for his birthday two years ago as you covered your face with your hands and let the realization crash over you like a wave in a strong current, threatening to pull you under.

"He was with Rafe, Topper, and Kelce. He's asking around about you, about me, but he doesn't know who I am. He thinks I belong to the club" he laughed bitterly, "guess they never thought you'd end up with the busboy, huh?"

Even though your mind was reeling, your stomach clenched at JJ's tone, at the hint of bitterness, of the hurt. Rafe and his friends were relentless on the best of days, you couldn't image what Carson might have said about you, about JJ that he'd had to sit through tonight.

You let your hands fall from your face and pressed yourself back into JJ's arms, your head falling against his chest and your arms winding around him, squeezing him tightly. You didn't know what to think, you just wanted to be near him, to feel his arms around you. He was your safe place and you knew as long as you were together, you could face anything.

JJ had been painstakingly analyzing your reaction as his words hit you, frustrated at himself for letting his anger and insecurities slip through, terrified that for some reason you would change your mind now that Carson was here looking for you.

And yet.

You didn't look conflicted. Your first reaction was to fall back into his arms, pressing your warm body against him, wanting to be near him, wanting to know that everything here was going to be okay. He felt like an asshole as he shook off his own self-doubt. He scooped you off the ground and your legs circled his waist. "Hey, I'm sorry, it's alright, it's gonna be alright princess" he whispered against your hair. "I'm here."

Your heart thudded with fear, trying desperately to focus on the feeling of JJ's arms around you as the last words Carson had said weighed heavily on your mind.

2 Months Ago

You slid the ring off your finger and held it out to him. He looked at it with such deep confusion it could have been an award-winning performance.

"Carson" you had said, much more boldly than you'd felt as you tried to keep your voice steady, "I can't marry you. And, I know. About you, about Lauren. I've know for awhile.”

"L-Lauren and me? What are you talking about?" he said in his exaggerated state of confusion.

"Don't do this, don't treat me like a child" you said. "I know, okay? There's no use in pretending."

"You don't know anything" he said dramatically.

You rolled your eyes, holding your hands up in front of you, motioning for him to stop. "It really doesn't matter anymore" you said wearily, unwilling to fight about it as you turned to walk back upstairs.

Now that the words were out of your mouth, the next steps became abundantly clear. You needed to leave, you needed to get back to JJ, now. Right now. Fear and excitement in equal parts catapulted you up the stairs as the fog you had been living in began to clear. You had wasted so much time here, you realized. You needed to get back to him.

"Where do you think you're going?" Carson's voice echoed, following you harshly up the stairs.

"Well, I'm not staying here" you replied sassily, huffing into your room as he chased after you.

"Y/N stop, please, let's talk about this." You could hear the whiny urgency in his voice as he began to piece together the bigger picture: no you, no company, no access to your trust fund, as he tripped over himself following you into your closet as you pulled out your suitcase.

"Look, nothing happened, okay? She-she came on to me! What was I supposed to do? It was a mistake. I know that now. Look, we have our whole future ahead of us baby, baby please what about all the good times we've had? It's always been you and me." He had switched tactics, trying to play to your emotional side. It was far too late for that. So, when begging didn't work, and tugging at your heartstrings didn't work either, he flipped to another emotion you hadn't expected as you flung clothes haphazardly in your bag. He got eerily silent and laughed quietly to himself.

"You can't run away from this" he said, his voice steady. "Do you really think your parents are going to let you fuck this up for them? For me!?" his rising voice sent chills up your spine. "No chance! They've worked too hard, we all have for you to be so selfish, so ungrateful." His eyes followed you, unrelenting in your efforts to pack and get as far away from him as possible when he suddenly ripped the clothes out of your hands, reaching for your suitcase and pulling the clothes out to toss them on the floor. "No! You're not leaving!" he yelled.

"Stop! Carson! Stop it!" you yelled back, trying to wrench the clothing out of his hands when his eyes fell to something that wasn't part of your designer wardrobe: a black extra large hoodie, far too large to be your own from Pelican Marina, Outer Banks. He crumbled it in his fist, his eyes alight with rage and accusation. Your breath caught in your throat at the sight of JJ's sweatshirt in his hands as he shook it in your face.

"I see how it is" he said, a twisted smile on his lips. "You little whore. This was your plan all along, wasn't it? Come home and make me look like the bad guy so, what? You can run off with some asshole you just met?! We've been together for TEN YEARS and you're just going to throw that away!?" He was screaming now and you weren't going to dignify him with a response as you frantically threw your clothes together, jumping at his words as fear pulsed through your veins. You tore the sweatshirt out of his hands and met his eyes defiantly despite the tears welling in your own. You wrangled your suitcase down the stairs as he followed you, watching you struggle the entire way.

You made it all the way to the front door before he put his hand on it, preventing you from leaving. He leaned over you, a sinister sneer on his face as he growled through gritted teeth, "This isn't over. I'm not going to let you ruin this for me" before you finally shoved him out of the way.

At the end of the night, you slid onto JJ's bike as he drove you both back to his small house around the corner from the chateau.

Your heart warmed as he pulled into the dirt driveway. Home. You really hadn't thought through the details of abandoning your entire life to come back here, to JJ, including where you were going to stay. JJ had offered for you (begged for you) to stay with him and you would have been lying to yourself if you said you wanted to be anywhere else.

2 Months Ago

You had been to JJ's house briefly before, but that first night that you were back for good held a heavy tension to it as he led you by the hand up the porch stairs and inside, giving you a short tour of everything that ended with the bedroom. You could tell he was a little shy about it, trying to grab clothes off the floor and kicking things out of the way for you to walk, but you didn't care. "So, that's it, really" he had said, rubbing the back of his neck, his cheeks a rosy red. He was afraid you would take one look at his life, his house, and walk right back out the front door. He eyed you warily.

You looked around the room and smiled deeply. It was perfect in a way you couldn't put into words: the maps on the wall, the posters, the surfboards propped in the corner and the tousled sheets that made your heart skip a beat knowing that this was where JJ slept as you bit your lip shyly. Everything here felt more like home to you than yours ever had. "It's perfect, JJ" you said, "so perfect" and he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as he met your eyes and pressed his lips to yours.

You had only known each other for a couple of months at this point, half of which you had spent apart from each other. JJ was hyperaware of the situation and he didn't want to push any boundaries, so he was adamant that you take his bed and he'd sleep on the couch despite your protests that you would be perfectly happy on the couch yourself. His insistence and respect for you made you appreciate the kind boy he was even more.

He left you that night with a searing kiss before closing the bedroom door gently behind him. You had pulled on one of his t-shirts and a pair of his boxers to sleep in and you snuggled into his sheets. His scent was overwhelming: sandalwood, sunscreen and something so distinctly JJ it was almost too much for you to handle, especially knowing he was on the other side of the door. You didn't last 15 minutes before you got up and pushed the door open.

JJ sat up quickly on the couch, eyes alight with concern. "S'wrong?" he asked and you swallowed at the sight of him shirtless in his boxers as his blanket pooled around his lap. His eyes tracked your every move as you came over to him and slid onto the couch, curling in next to him as he settled with you in his arms, your bodies molding perfectly together in the small space. His heart was racing so hard in his chest he was having a hard time catching his breath; the feeling of you pressed against him, knowing you had come to find him in the middle of the night, that you wanted to be close to him, made every inch of him tingle. He was still pinching himself that you were even real, here, with him, in his house.

"I didn't come back here to sleep alone" you whispered, your voice, your words sending a shiver through JJ's body as he pulled you closer to him, into his arms, eliciting a giggle from you as he snuggled into you, pressing his lips to your hair.

"Then I can promise you, you never will" he said.

You hadn't intended to move in with JJ two months into knowing him, it just happened. Like everything with him, it felt natural, easy, unforced as you fell into a simple rhythm, your two lives tangling into one. You just fit. Of course, there were times when things were awkward and new, but it was JJ, he would make a face to get you laughing and soon enough you'd both be over it, your feelings for each other bigger than any problem in front of you.

1 Month Ago

Before long, JJ had insisted on taking on you on a proper date. He told you to meet him at John B's dock at sunset. No matter how much you pestered your friends, no one would tell you what he had planned.

You took your time getting ready, wanting everything to be perfect. Even though you spent nearly all day every day with him, there were butterflies in your stomach, you were nervous. This night felt important, monumental in a way no other night had yet. You wore a short summer sundress and met him at golden hour, the world awash in deep yellows and oranges. He was waiting for you in jeans and a clean white t-shirt, you could tell he had put effort in too. Something about the night just felt so heightened and special, you weren't sure if it was the surprise or the fact that he was standing with a bouquet of peonies, but more likely it had to do with the overwhelming feelings you had for him that bubbled to overflowing every time you were near him, especially now. When he'd seen you, he'd bowled over, putting his hands on his knees and wiping a hand over his face at the sight of you dressed up for him. You could tell he was nervous too, you could feel his hands shaking as they snaked around you and he pressed a kiss to your lips, his eyes searing into yours.

"Princess" he whispered, the weight of it carrying a thousand unspoken words behind it, "You are so goddamn beautiful." He handed you your flowers and scooped you into his arms bridal style as he stepped onto the boat parked at the end of the dock and you gasped. He had hung string lights around the entire boat and had piled the bow high with blankets, pillows and your favorite takeout. You squealed with delight. It was so JJ, so perfect. Your mind flashed for only a moment to your first date with Carson; you had worn an impossibly uncomfortable dress and he'd taken you to a five-star restaurant that was exorbitantly expensive where he proceeded to send his food back. Twice.

You shook your head, unwilling to waste another second thinking about the past. You split your dinner with JJ and settled next to him at the wheel as he navigated to a quiet, secluded strip of the marsh just as the sun set in a brilliant show of a thousand colors that ignited the horizon, the only sound around you the gentle lapping of the waves against the boat and the cicadas.

As the breeze picked up and the stars blinked to life, you settled deep into the blankets, nearly nose-to-nose, staring into each other's eyes and giggling like a couple of kids as the boat rocked you gently from side to side.

"This is so beautiful, JJ, thank you" you whispered. You were a little choked up as you thought about how much work he had put into this, all for you.

"Yeah? You're happy?" he asked.

"Of course I'm happy" you said, as you saw something shift behind his eyes.

"I just didn't want you to have any regrets coming down here. I know that took a lot for you to do. A massive amount. I don't think I'll ever understand what that meant for you. I didn't have to give anything up... I just got the girl in the end." His brow furrowed in confusion at how that could be, unused to being on the receiving end of so many gifts from the universe as he looked at you. "I keep pinching myself, every day since you first came back. Even that first night on the couch, I was terrified I'd wake up and you'd be gone, finally realizing what a mistake you'd made. I-I don't even have air conditioning" he said, laughing half-heartedly, but you could hear the raw emotion in his voice, the fear, the tenderness.

"JJ, I have never been happier or more scared in my life. But there's something so right about you, about us. I have no regrets. I'll never have any regrets when it comes to you."

It was only a matter of seconds before his fingers were tangled in your hair and he pulled you on top of him to straddle him, pressing you chest to chest as his lips moved tantalizingly against your own. Your head was dizzy with the feeling of him pressed into you, engulfing you, and the way his hands roamed your body.

Only a few weeks with him had made you realize that you had never really been kissed, never really been touched before, every movement of his lips against yours completely overwhelmed you, clouding your mind and sending a tingle to every inch of your body. You had only been with one person in your whole life, you didn't know any better, but JJ seemed to do everything with a mind for how it would make you feel.

Now, with his every touch you nearly came undone, his one hand grasping your waist, the other in your hair, his tongue at the base of your neck, relishing how you responded to everything, how your body came alive for him, it drove him absolutely insane to feel you writhe against him, how your fingers grasped for him like you could never get enough.

"Mmm'Maybank" you hummed as his fingers toyed with the hem of your dress that had ridden up significantly at this point, "Don't get overzealous, it's only our first date" you said teasingly, as if you hadn't spent every night for the past two months pressed against him in bed, all too aware of how his body responded consciously or unconsciously to your presence, to the sight of you tangled in his sheets wearing nothing but his t-shirt and boxers.

He pulled away to look up at you, his lips swollen, eyes glazed over and twinkling mischievously as he bit his bottom lip and bucked his hips ever so slightly, pressing himself into you. You bit your lip in return, trying and failing to suppress and involuntary moan that had JJ's jeans stretching so hard against him he wanted to die.

"You sure, princess?" he teased right back, before running his fingers up the inside of your thigh and recapturing the spot at the base of your neck with his lips as you moaned again.

"You don't sound sure" he murmured.

"Jayj..." you were barely able to whisper as his fingers finally grazed you and he nearly growled at how you felt for him.

"You don't feel sure" he said, quieter.

And any pretense you had been trying to uphold about being a self-respecting woman on a first date fell away as you brought his face to yours, kissing him hungrily, greedily. The feeling of your tongue against his was all he needed. Your clothes came off in a dizzying pace of grasping and pulling, desperate to have them off, more desperate to keep your lips and bodies attached, any distance between you feeling painful at this point.

JJ rolled himself on top of you, pausing only for a moment, pulling his lips off of yours much to your dismay. He could have died at the pout on your face at the feeling of your lips being without his.

"You're sure you're okay with this princess?" he asked.

You nodded quickly and reached for his lips again, finding his smile.

"Need to hear you say it, want to hear you say it, princess" he whispered huskily, the words curling your stomach, your toes.

"Want you JJ, all of you... please." Your words and the fact that you were quite literally begging for him at this point sent him.

You had never felt such intense pleasure in your entire life. Nobody had told you that being with someone could be like that. It was readily evident how much you had been missing over the last ten years as you fell apart for him over and over and over again as he worshipped your body. You were insatiable and he was too, like a man starving, he couldn't get enough of you. He swore on his life that this wasn't part of his plan for tonight, but the way you looked at him, hungry, needy, full of lust after so many nights pressed against him, had him in euphoria. Neither of you got any sleep that night, but as morning crested over the horizon, you had never felt more relaxed, more energized, basking in the way your body felt tangled with his.

Carson's threat lingered over you like a storm cloud... "This isn't over, I'm not going to let you ruin this for me." And true to his promise, he was relentless in his pursuit of you, which began to extend past the manicured gardens of Figure 8.

John B was at work at the Kildare Surf Shop, head nodding to the music that filled the store, intently focused on waxing the board in front of him when the front door chimed and Carson Peters walked in.

Carson looked around with narrowed eyes and an air of distaste before his gaze fell on John B. He looked him up and down, taking in his long hair, backwards hat, colorful shirt and the ratty remains of a bandana tied around his neck before clearing his throat.

"Hey man, do you do surf lessons here?" he asked.

"We do" John B said coolly, assessing him quickly. What the hell is this kook doing here? he thought.

"I was wondering if you could tell me who some of your instructors were? My fiancée was here a few weeks ago and took some lessons. We uh had some feedback."

The gears began to turn in John B's head as his eyes narrowed. He walked over to the computer and barely glanced at it before meeting Carson's gaze with a fake smile. "Yeah sorry, no lessons that week."

Carson's eyes narrowed in return, suspicion written clearly on his face.

"Oh-kayyyy" he conceded, "Well, do you recognize her?" he asked, holding out his phone.

John B eyed the picture of you and Carson for a few seconds, really letting him think he was taking it in. "Yeah, nah man, never seen her before."

"Hmpf" Carson grunted, turning to leave and slamming the door behind him.

Later that night, John B was retelling the entire story to you and your friends on his back porch as you waited for JJ to get home from his shift. You were all cracking up at his reenactment of him squinting his eyes to look at Carson's phone as if you hadn't spent every single day at his house for weeks.

As your laughter died down, you heard a car door slam and the sound of heavy footsteps on the front porch followed by a loud pounding on the front door. "Y/N!!!!" the voice shouted "Open this fucking door, I know you're in there!" You stood up quickly, a look of pure panic and fear on your face, which John B registered immediately as both of you recognized the voice at once. John B held one arm out in front of you and put a finger to his lips.

"I've got it, John B, let me talk to him" you whispered.

"Are you joking?! I'm not letting him anywhere near you, JJ would never let me hear the end of it. Stay here" he replied.

He made his way to the front door as you all listened in.

"Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me" Carson said, his eyes glistening with recognition at John B's face as he opened the front door. "Where is she!?" Carson shouted, shoving him.

John B shoved him back, his tone even as he replied, "Get off my property, dude."

Carson let out a maniacal laugh as he took in the rundown house, getting right in John B's face, pointing at him "I will sue you for all you're worth, I will take your piece of shit house, your piece of shit car, I will make your life a living hell for what you've done to her, what you've done to all of us!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, man. There's nobody here--"

"--I know she's here!" he shouted, brandishing his phone in John B's face again. He could see his map app open and a blue dot blinking right over his house with your name on it. "I called our phone company and tracked her location." Then, louder, mockingly, "You hear that, sweetheart? I know you're in there!" A moment of silence passed as your friends turned to you, eyes wide, mouths agape and you covered your face with your hands.

"Did you ever stop to ask yourself why she doesn't want to see you?" John B quipped, bitterness rising in his voice at the way Carson was yelling at you. "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that she's literally not your fiancée anymore?"

Carson's head snapped to him before lunging and tackling him to the ground.

"Stop it!" you shouted, running out of the house as the boys rolled around in the dirt and sand. "Carson, stop!" He heard your voice and shoved John B away, brushing himself off as he stood up and took in your appearance dressed in JJ's black sweatshirt and a pair of denim cutoffs. "Thank God you're okay, what are you doing here?" he asked accusatorily. "Nevermind, it's not safe, come on, it's time to go home." He waved you forward like you were a lap dog that would simply fall in line and follow him to his car.

When you didn't move and he took in your face, your eyes scrunched in confusion at the words coming out of his mouth, he continued impatiently, "I forgive you, okay? You don't have to do this anymore, you've made your point. I get it." He waved at you again, trying to hurry you along. He's lost his mind you thought.

"You think that's what this is about?" you said incredulously, your voice rising, "Me making a point?!" you laughed, "Carson, I'm happy here--"

"--You're happy here?" he said laughing back, mockingly as he looked around, "With him? With this?!" he gestured to John B, his house, his yard, kicking an empty beer can on the ground for emphasis. "With JJ" he seethed as he looked at John B. He was clearly confused, thinking John B was JJ, but your heart had stopped beating. How did he know his name?

"What did you just say?" you asked.

"I called the phone company, sweetheart, I pay the bills. They sent me every phone call, every disgusting text message--"

"--At least I had the decency to break up with you first!" you snapped. "And not that I owe you any explanation, but this isn't JJ. He's not even here."

Carson's eyes narrowed as he looked at you, his tone changing icily. "Well, I look forward to meeting him" he said simply, letting the unspoken threat linger in the air. "You should know your parents are on their way, I let them know that I'd found you. I'm sure they look forward to meeting the white trash you've chosen to throw your future and their future away for."

John B moved to lunge at him before you grabbed him by the shoulders. Carson jumped back nervously, eyeing John B like a rabid animal before dusting off his shoulders and walking back to his truck. As you watched him speed into the distance, John B put his arm around you and walked you back inside.

You hung out for awhile longer, but Carson's visit had left you all in a somber mood. Truth be told, you were struggling with the way he was insisting on ruining everything you had built here, crashing your fairy tale, insulting you, JJ, your friends. Your friends’ eyes shifted to you in concern and pity after getting a small glimpse at what it was you had been running from the past few weeks.

You rode your bike home after that, wanting to curl up in JJ's bed, wishing more than anything that he was here with you now. It was dark enough that you didn't notice the truck parked in the street that followed you at a distance, slow and quiet with its headlights off until you pulled into your driveway. It found a place to park out of sight but close enough to watch you unlock the door, flip on the lights and busy yourself inside, your movements clear through the large front window.

Carson watched you with equal parts rage and delight. Rage at the sight of you in another man's home and delight that he had finally tracked you down, one step closer to restoring perfect order to his life. He perked up at the sound of a dirt bike coming down the street and sat straight in his seat as he saw your reaction too, setting down what you were doing and running to meet the figure at the front door, arms flung wide as you jumped into his arms. Resentment seeped further into Carson's veins at the fact that you had never greeted him like that. Not once in ten years. As he leaned closer over the steering wheel, he clocked the uniform the figure was wearing, the vest, the bowtie, the mop of blonde hair and he began to laugh out loud to himself, giddy in his realization. A busboy from the Island Club? You have to be fucking kidding me. He picked his phone up and dialed.

The next day, JJ was back at work when his manager came to find him to tell him he was requested by name by a customer on the back patio.

When JJ pressed him with questions, his manager’s eyes shifted slightly before telling him to attend to the customer as quickly as possible. Confused, JJ wandered outside to see a middle-aged man, dressed impeccably, sitting alone at the bar with two drinks in front of him.

“Can I help you, sir?” he asked kindly enough.

The man turned to look at him, his expression not unkind, but his gaze deeply scrutinizing, like he was trying to judge JJ’s entire character as his eyes brushed over his long hair, his crooked bowtie, his shark tooth necklace and the rings on his fingers that were tapping against his thigh anxiously. JJ tried to stand a little straighter in response. After a moment, the man smiled good naturedly and gestured to the seat and the drink next to him.

“I uh appreciate that, sir, but I can’t accept that during my shift. Is there anything else I can get for you?”

The man turned to him knowingly, “Take a seat, JJ.”

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” he asked, his anxiety rising.

“No, son, you don’t…” the term grated on JJ as he thought of the way his father used to use it… “but you seem to know my daughter very well” he continued smoothly, meeting JJ’s eyes with a cold glare and JJ’s heart plummeted.

Shiiiiiiit he thought. Not quite how he had imagined meeting your dad.

He slid onto the seat, clearing his throat as he leaned in, "Sir" he started, his mind racing, realizing he had an opportunity here to mend things, to help put things right for you, to make your dad see that despite his long hair and minimum wage job, he would do anything for you, anything. He needed to make him understand. He felt like a little boy again, desperately seeking his own father's approval as familiar feelings of fear began clawing at his chest. Your dad simply held up a hand, stopping him before he could start.

"Look, I get it" he said.

I really don't think you do JJ thought as he opened his mouth to say so.

"You love her, don't you?"

JJ was taken aback. He took a deep breath and wiped his hand over his face. Of course he did. The words danced on his lips every night as he held you against him, every morning when he woke up next to you, every day he came home to see you, in the home you had made together. He was madly in love with you, desperately trying to find the right way to tell you.

He exhaled deeply, "Yes sir, I do."

Your dad met his eyes. "Good, I'm glad we can be honest with each other. You seem like... a nice young man, JJ. I can tell you care about her." The words sounded both genuine and condescending at the same time, the tone behind them holding a hint of mockery.

"That's how I know you'll do the right thing here. She's made for more than this, son. She has a future and friends and a family that love her and miss her dearly. She has a life and security, one that I'm afraid you just can't provide for her. It's time for her to come home. I know you think you can make her happy and, hey, maybe you can with boat rides and surfing and all the silly things she didn't get a chance to do when she was younger. But what happens in four months? In six months? In the winter when the tourists are gone and your novelty has run out and you're struggling to pay your mortgage and she begins to despise you and the decision she's made?"

JJ's mouth had run dry as this stranger verbalized every one of his deepest fears. Fears he had tried and failed to push further and further away: that you would come to regret your decision, that he would never be enough for you, that you would decide to leave him one day, just like his mom had, just like his dad had. He wasn't good enough for them, for you, for anybody.

"What happens then?" your dad pushed further. He could tell from the pale look on JJ's face that he was hitting his mark. "Carson is smart. He won't wait around and I don't blame him. He's a godsend for even coming down here to try to salvage this. He's what she deserves, son. You've got to stop making this about you and start making this about her." He slid an envelope towards JJ before standing up, finishing the drink in front of him in one sip, gripping JJ's shoulder and walking away. JJ watched him leave before hanging his head in his hands, swallowing the fear and the tears that had bubbled up inside him. He stood to leave, turning back and grabbing the envelope at the last minute, flipping it open to see more cash than he'd ever seen in his life. He swallowed the bile in his throat as he shoved it in his back pocket.

JJ didn't come home after work, and he wasn't answering his phone.

You had gone from anxious, to worried, to downright panicked, pacing around the house with all sorts of worst-case scenarios running through your head, about to call John B to borrow the twinkie and go out looking for him when you finally got a text from JJ. "Sorry baby, I have to stay late to help out with some things, don't try to stay up."

You were happy he was okay, but your heart sunk a little as you crawled into bed by yourself, remembering JJ's promise that as long as you were with him, you'd never have to sleep alone.

You had no idea what time it was when you finally heard the putter of his bike and the soft whack of the screen door as he shuffled into the room, quietly pulling off his clothes and crawling into bed. You were somewhere between awake and asleep but your body immediately responded to his presence as you reached for him. After a moment, you felt him wind his arms around you, tentatively at first, as he let out a deep sigh.

"S'wrong?" you asked, your voice thick with sleep.

He took in the sight of you in his bed, wrapped in his arms, tangled in his sheets, wearing his oversized t-shirt, it was a sight that normally stole his heart. Now, all he could see were the holes in the t-shirt, his dirty clothes on the floor, the squeak of the cheap ceiling fan setting his teeth on edge as his head spun in circles.

"Nothing. Just a long day" he said in response, sounding uncharacteristically short with you, like he was a thousand miles away.

You pouted at that and tried to pry your eyes open to look at him. "JJ?" you asked again, his name on your lips getting his attention finally, "What's really wrong?" you asked again.

He exhaled loudly, clearly frustrated as he fidgeted like he was trying to squirm his way out of the conversation. "It's just..." he tried "...like, what are you doing here? With me? What about your whole other life back home? What happens after the summer's over? What-what happens when you wake up and realize you don't want this, that I'm not good enough for you? That you made a mistake?" His pain was palpable as it seeped through his voice, each of his questions hitting you like a physical blow. Where was this coming from? He was always happy, goofy, oozing confidence around you. This didn't sound like him at all. And that's when you realized these weren't his words.

You sat up fully and he moved to sit up beside you, leaning against his headboard as you crawled into his lap, now wide awake, expression serious as you looked at him with sad, sleepy eyes. His heart crumbled at the sight of you and though he tried to hold back he couldn't help himself from resting his hands on your hips, finding the curves of your body naturally where his hands fits so perfectly.

"Who told you that? Who said you're not good enough? JJ you are more that enough. For yourself, for your friends, but most of all for me. You're more than I could have ever asked for or dreamed of. What happens in six months? I'll be right here, in your bed, loving you. And in the winter? I'll still be here, loving you. How I feel about you isn't going to fade away with time or the seasons, babe."

He broke his eye contact with you briefly, eyes shifting downwards a confused look on his face before a small smirk found his lips that your sleepy brain tried to register.

"Loving me?" he whispered, his eyes finding yours again.

You realized you had let slip how you felt. How you'd felt for awhile now. There didn't seem to be any point in continuing to dance around it.

"Yes, JJ. Loving you. I love you. You have to know that by now?" you said, taking his face in your hands.

He ducked his head again, bashfully, happily, trying to avoid your gaze as his cheeks flushed and he felt himself get choked up. "It's still good to hear you say it. All of it" he replied "I needed to hear that. More than you know."

His hands found the back of your neck and he kissed you with a different sort of passion this time, with longing, with need, with the reassurance that only those three little words could inspire as he spun you onto your back beneath him, his fears draining away, fully this time, at every touch of your bodies, at the feeling of your hands running over his skin, an incomparable amount of love and belonging in the way that you held him. "I love you, Y/N" he muttered against your lips, finally pulling back and holding your face gently in his hands. The look in his eyes was so serious and sincere, it nearly took your breath away. "I need you to know that. More than anything in this world, okay? I love you so goddamn much."

That night he made love to you in a way he never had before, languishing, passionate, slow, achingly slow and full of emotion; his eyes trained on you, his lips never leaving yours, like he had to show you with every part of him what you meant to him. You were sure in the deepest part of your heart you would never be the same again.

When you woke up the next morning, your body felt heavily relaxed from a deep sleep and the night before. You were tangled every which way in JJ's limbs, his arms holding you against his chest. Your eyes fluttered open slowly to find him watching you as he rubbed soft circles in your back and your cheeks pinked under his gaze as you laughed shyly and he laughed back.

"Morning princess" he muttered as he pressed a kiss to the top of your head. You lifted your eyes to meet his and he tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. "Mm'morning handsome" you said back and he pressed his lips sweetly to yours.

His mind was still reeling from the night before, how he had felt the deep, hollow hole that sat heavy in his chest since the day his mom left slowly begin to mend itself, righted somehow by knowing how you felt about him. You were here, with him, for him. His blue eyes searched yours and he saw his love mirrored in them before something flickered briefly under the surface. "All good, baby?" he asked.

"I'm good..." you said hesitantly, not wanting to break the spell on the perfect start of your day. "...But last night... what you said... I know those weren't your words, your thoughts, JJ." You were scared to ask the next question, too afraid you already knew the truth. "Who said that to you? You never told me."

JJ pursed his lips and let out a deep sigh. He promised he would never lie to you, he wasn't going to start now.

"...Your dad... He came to see me at work" he said quietly.

You look horrified and tried to sit up but JJ quickly pulled you back into his arms. "Hey, it's okay, it's alright" he said.

"It's not alright, JJ" you said, your breath coming quicker. "You are the best thing that's ever happened to me and in one conversation he had you questioning if we should be together?! If my feelings for you were real?!" You could feel your eyes brimming with tears as you realized just how close you may have been to losing everything. What if JJ has listened to your dad? What if he had never come home? What if he had broken up with you? Your mind was racing and JJ could see the gears turning in your head as you began to panic.

"Hey, look at me, princess" he said, cupping your face gently, turning you to look at him. "I don't want you to ever question how I feel about you, nothing that anybody says could change that. He's not going to scare me away from you. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

You nodded to him, letting him know you understood and he pressed a tender kiss to your lips.

"It shouldn't be like this" you whispered. "It's not fair to you and it's not fair to me. I don't want to keep running from my past. I want my parents to acknowledge my future, my choices, my decisions."

"What are you suggesting?" he asked cautiously.

"I need to go talk to them" you said, your voice resolute even as the feeling of dread washed over you.

"Then I'm coming with you" he said.

"JJ" you cautioned, gearing up to tell him every reason why that was a bad idea.

"I'm not letting you do this alone. I mean, tell me if that's what you want, but I want to be there for you, with you, please?"

You really did want him to come with you. You didn't want to do this alone, but you also didn't want to drag him down with you either, he was already on the receiving end of so much negativity from your parents, and from Carson.

"Please?" he repeated. "Let me be there for you." And just hearing that he truly wanted to be with you through the good, the bad and the messy warmed your heart.

"Okay" you said, relenting.

He smiled and pressed a kiss to your lips again. "Me and your dad go way back, this will be great" he said, eliciting a laugh from you as you whacked him with your pillow and he laughed back tickling you, doing anything he could to keep that smile on your lips for as long as possible.

You reached out to your parents and agreed to meet them for lunch, absolutely refusing to go to the Island Club, and instead, after significant arguing, settling on more neutral territory at The Wreck.

JJ tried on three different shirts before settling on what he wanted to wear. He even tried combing his hair, but you quickly ran you fingers through it, mussing it all over again. He was adamant that you leave an hour early, not wanting to be late. Your heart squeezed at how much he cared about this, about trying to make things right. He could tell you were nervous, even if you wore your nerves much better than he did. He took your hand in his and squeezed as you walked inside. Sure enough, you were way too early for your reservation, so he tugged you outside to enjoy the view of the water, hoping that the chance to see a few dolphins in the river might calm you down and keep your mind off of things.

"Richard, really, I don't know about this" your mom tutted as she stood in the dirt and sand parking lot of The Wreck, her three-inch heels sinking into the ground as she clung to your dad's arm and he tried to steady her up the creaking, uneven wooden front steps.

As they walked inside they looked around in disdain at the kitschy seaside décor: rusted crab traps, fake bass and neon beer signs on the wall. Your mom actively tried to avoid touching any surface unnecessarily as they navigated around the crowd looking for you.

Your dad saw you both first, eyes landing on the tangled mop of JJ's blonde hair, his jaw twitching in frustration as he guided your mom to the back door.

When your mom finally saw you, it was like her heart let out a sigh. She was relieved to see you safe and well, her mind spinning the last few weeks over what might have happened to you. She took in your denim shorts, which she thought were entirely too short, and the loose-fitting top you had on; it was actually quite cute but she wouldn't dream of giving you the satisfaction of saying so. She took one look at the boy you were standing with and nearly turned around; his hair desperately needed to be cut, his clothing was second-hand and the rings on his fingers made her scrunch her face in confusion and distaste. He was so different from Carson in every way... She turned back to you, trying to piece it all together.

Your hair desperately needed to be cut too, she thought. She longed to brush it like she did when you were a little girl. Her heart clenched as she watched this rough-looking boy reach out gently to tuck a strand of your hair behind your ear. You glowed at him with a thousand-watt smile, which made her falter, and not because of her heels on the rickety floorboards. She sincerely had never seen that expression on your face before. She had known you your whole life, through every happy moment, every birthday party, every surprise, every gift, yet she'd never seen that look. You looked so happy, so peaceful, so full of joy, she put a hand on your father's arm to stop him from disrupting the moment in front of them. He looked down at her in confusion until he saw her expression, eyes totally transfixed on you and he followed her gaze.

JJ leaned over to whisper something in your ear and you laughed, a full-belly laugh that radiated like the summer sun, blushing your cheeks, your eyes squeezing with joy. It was a sound your dad hadn't heard his little girl make... in years. In fact, he hadn't realized how much he'd missed it. It broke something deep deep within him, and when he looked back at his wife, he realized she could see it too. You were... you again. A you they had long forgotten, perhaps long given up on as they got caught up in the business, the wedding, everything... Maybe they had been wrong all along. Maybe they had made a huge mistake. His wife looked up at him as he looked down at her, his head bowed, resigned, ashamed, knowing she felt the same way.

As they approached you, your mom cleared her throat, breaking the two of you apart as you turned to face them. Upon seeing them for the first time in months, you didn't want to admit that you'd missed them, but you had. At the end of the day, they were still your parents. You took a shaky breath and JJ reached for your hand, looking down at you and shooting you a quick wink, we're in this together.

Lunch went.... much better than expected. It was undoubtedly tense at first and there were plenty of awkward gaps in the conversation, but your mom actually enjoyed the fried seafood and very strong mixed drinks, though she'd never admit it to anyone else. It was clear your parents were still unsure about your life here, but shockingly they didn't argue the point. They let it go. They couldn't argue with how happy you were now that they'd seen it in person. They were just happy to be here, with you, talking to you again. You couldn't put your finger on what had changed their mind, but you could tell your mom watched your interactions with JJ closely, the way he looked at you when you were talking, how his fingers tangled with yours on the table. Maybe they were starting to see what you had hoped so desperately to explain to them: JJ was it for you.

After lunch, you walked out together alongside your mom as JJ trailed behind you with your dad.

After a few moments of silence she said quietly, "Y/N, I owe you an apology." Your eyes fell to her, the shock clear on your face as you heard the words you never thought you would. "I lied. I told you I would support your decision if you wanted to leave Carson and I didn't. I'm sorry. You deserve so much more than Carson and the way he treated you, sweetie. You deserve... hell, everyone deserves to have someone look at you the way that boy looks at you." You both looked back and JJ caught your eye, smiling at you.

"It may take some getting used to" she pressed, "I'm not sure how ready I am for all of... this" she said, gesturing broadly to you, JJ, The Wreck, your new life in general and you smiled and laughed at her reaction as her words began sinking in. "But I respect your decision."

That was all you had ever wanted to hear.

You hugged her closely, tears brimming your eyes.

JJ followed a few steps behind you, chatting with your dad about deep sea fishing, an activity that both of them could agree on. Watching you and your mom warmed his heart. It was so nice to see you with your family, with something he'd never had. Getting a glimpse into your dynamics made him realize that all families were messed up in one way or another, but he admired you for making yours work.

"Sir, I wanted to return this to you" he said, pulling the unmarked envelope out of his back pocket and handing it back to your dad. He looked utterly ashamed before meeting JJ's eyes directly and sticking his hand out. JJ looked down and shook it, your dad's grip strong, but not crushing his hand. "Take care of her" he said simply. The weight of it and the or else that lingered wasn't lost on him. Nor was the fact that your dad had essentially just given him his blessing, trusting him with his daughter, his only daughter. "I will. With my life, sir" JJ said earnestly, never breaking eye contact. Your dad nodded at that.

Just as you felt you were getting as good of an ending on this day as you could have wished for, you noticed a truck in the parking lot and the figure leaning against it, waiting for you. Carson saw you and your mom first, arm in arm, and quickly misread the situation, running up to you. You tried to back away from him just as your mom said, "Come on, Carson, we're leaving." She tried to shepherd him away from you. "Come on, dear, what's done is done and it's time we all accepted it. We can talk in the car, I know Richard and you have a lot to work out." He yanked his arm out of her grasp and grabbed you brusquely just in time for your dad and JJ to see it.

"Carson!" you shouted in surprise, trying to wiggle out of his grasp as JJ came up behind you and your dad moved to hold your mom.

Carson's eyes landed on JJ, transfixed. He was seeing red and he squeezed your arms tighter in response; you could feel the beginning of bruises starting to form where his fingers pressed into you painfully.

"JJ" he said, his face twisting like the name was sour on his tongue.

"Carson" your dad warned, "It's time for us to go, let her go, we'll take you home, we can discuss things on the plane."

His eyes didn't leave JJ’s and he didn't even acknowledge your dad. JJ looked right back at him and you felt his hand curve protectively around you waist, pulling you out of Carson's grasp and against his chest. Carson's eyes flicked to JJ's hands on you and that's when he snapped, his eyes finally finding yours.

"I can't believe you would slum it with someone like him. You're a whore, Y/N, you disgust me."

"HEY!" your dad yelled as he moved to come to your defense, but JJ beat him to it, as he let you go, placing you carefully behind him before shoving Carson back with both hands.

"That's real rich coming from you, buddy" he said as he got right up in his face. The boys were similarly sized, JJ had maybe an inch on him. Carson was fairly athletic but right now he couldn't match the crazy in JJ's eyes upon hearing what he had to say to you.

"You can say whatever you want to me, but you don't talk about her like that. Not in front of me, and certainly not in front of her parents." JJ grasped the front of Carson's shirt, walking him backwards towards his car as he continued, "She has tried every way to kindly tell you no. And I am begging you to give me one reason to explain it to you myself." You had never seen JJ so riled up before, his voice a low rumble.

"Alright, alright man" Carson mumbled, putting his hands up in defeat. JJ eyed him closely for a few seconds, chest heaving before he let him go. Carson hung his head for a split second and just as JJ turned to walk back to you, Carson swung, a sucker punch intended to connect with JJ's jaw. JJ saw it with just enough time to dodge it and all of his fury was unleased as he reloaded and punched him right back, sending him onto his ass in the parking lot as blood immediately began gushing from Carson's nose.

Your mom shrieked and your dad quickly caught up to them, a hand on JJ's chest to hold him back as he looked down at Carson. JJ was breathing heavily and shaking out his knuckles as Carson squirmed and cried. Your dad looked down at Carson, then back to JJ, nodding at him with a newfound level of respect.

"With my life, sir" JJ repeated as he turned to walk back to you and wrapped you in his arms, your mom reaching to pat him on the back.

You couldn't wait to get back to the chateau to tell your friends everything that had happened, recounting every gory detail as they cheered you on and JJ iced his swollen knuckles. You were giddy. You were glowing. You finally felt like you had it all, the boy, the life you wanted, and your family by your side. Somehow you had found a way to make it all work. You knew it would take time to figure it all out, but as you looked at the blonde boy next to you, you knew you could do anything with him by your side. He caught you glancing over at him and pulled you into his lap, nuzzling into your neck as you laughed. "Hey" he whispered out of earshot of your friends, "Sleep with me on the boat tonight?" you nodded eagerly and before long you both piled the boat high with pillows and blankets and he guided you through the marsh, back to your spot.

Once you had anchored, you wasted no time curling into JJ's arms, tangling your fingers with his, running yours gently across his bruised and busted knuckles.

"Thank you" you said quietly, "I don't know if I said that already, but, thank you."

"Always happy to defend your honor, princess" he said, smirking.

You laughed quietly, "I'm serious, JJ. You've stuck by me through a lot. My parents aren't easy but... they like you. I've never seen them warm to someone that quickly…” A pause. “…I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, you stole my heart, it's no surprise you stole theirs too."

He laughed quietly in an attempt to mask the way your words began to choke him up as he looked down at you, running his thumb across your cheek, basking in the way you were looking at him, like he hung the damn moon. And for just a moment, he let himself think about what it would be like to have a family. Maybe he would never have the one he was born into, maybe yours would find a way to accept him one day, but his heart raced at the idea of another family. Of you and him, of a few little ones running around, of the way he would do anything to protect that, to make it something better for both of you. He knew he was getting ahead of himself, but at the same time, when he looked at you, he saw that future with you so clearly, one he hadn't even known he'd wanted until you came into his life. Fuck he was crazy about you.

Your eyes searched his, trying to decipher the way he was looking at you, a look in his eyes you'd never seen before. It made you want to blush and pull him closer all at the same time.

"What are you thinking so hard about, JJ Maybank?" you asked, lifting your hand to cup his face.

His mind wandered to the sizeable amount of cash he had been saving to buy a new boat, and the perfect diamond ring he had seen in the window of the jewelry store a few weeks ago as he turned his head to kiss your palm and then each of your fingers, knowing how perfect that ring would look on you. Soon.

He had sworn he'd never lie to you, but for once he thought this little white lie was worth keeping from you.

"Mm'just thinking about how much I love you" he muttered, pressing his lips to yours. "I don't think you'll ever understand how much you mean to me, princess" his voice thick with emotion and sincerity, "But I can promise you, I am going to spend every day of our lives trying to show you."

taglist: @gillybear17, @a-j-stuffs, @princessbl0ss0m, @lucky7rosie, @sweetestdesire, @softcoremaybank, @idli-dosa-reblogs, @alimaybankkk, @stormberry-12, @everydaydreamer, @slut4drudy, @loveu-always, @ietss, @palmwinemami, @m-indkiller, @ephemeral4, @dilvcv, @always-reading

#jj maybank #jj maybank fanfiction #obx jj #obx jj maybank #jj maybank x reader #jj obx #jj outer banks #outerbanks jj #jj x reader #jj maybank fluff #jj maybank angst #jj maybank x you #obx fanfiction #obx fic #obx #outer banks

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eurydice-pens · 3 months

Note

can i have forgotten vaugarde au info of some sort. i went through your tag and im obsessed with the concept

hi!! yes yes of course >:3c thank you for being interested! i am in the process of plotting out a big fic for the au so i will hold some cards close to my chest, but here’s a bit of info just for you 💗💗 /pos /silly

Forgotten Vaugarde AU

Concept / Story

Toward the end of the ISAT canon, the King makes a wish that “everyone would understand how he feels.” This results in a rewriting of the Universe such that Vaugarde, rather than the Island Country, was forgotten, and the individuals to whom this wish was most directly addressed (Mirabelle, Isabeau, Odile, Bonnie, and Nille by virtue of association with Bonnie) become Travelers with no identity and home or, in the case of Odile, becomes someone for whom half of her identity is even less accessible than before.

The King and Loop are thrown into this new reality with their memories intact. The King’s body, however, is not preserved, as he finds himself Loopified into a tear-headed creature. They end up sharing a decidedly unamicable life inside the home of the version of the King who has never lost his memories or home, Aesop, as the King (who eventually names himself Luke) contends with the fact that he has become the very force he had feared so gravely: the one that erased Vaugarde, the land that had welcomed and loved him, from existence.

Mirabelle, Isabeau, Bonnie, and Nille (who had a chance encounter with Luke when reality was first rewritten, at which time, out of guilt and painful empathy, he told each of the, their names) wander the Island Country until they are discovered by Siffrin, whose family essentially adopts and raises them into adulthood / preteenhood. Odile eventually joins the group when she is visiting the Island Country essentially as a tourist and becomes attached to the group through her friendship with Siffrin’s parents and with Loop.

Mirabelle knows that she is very lucky, to have a home, to have some semblance of family and belonging. Nonetheless she is the one out of the group who most feels the pang of something real, and integral, and important missing from her, who is the most loathe to accept the belief common among the people around her that things happen as they should, and Fate is immutable, and every change (…Change?) merely the slow erosion of bodies, minds, and souls against the winds of Time. So when the mysterious Queen emerges and begins to wreak havoc across the Island, when she agrees to journey to the tyrant and to protect the country from the Queen’s Remaking with her friends, she has some inkling that there is something wrong, something missing, some reason why every glimpse they’ve gotten of the white-haired Queen has felt so achingly familiar.

It all feels so strange, and so important, long before Time stops for the first time.

Interactions with Other AUs / Headcanons and Contributors (so far)!

This AU borrows and expands upon @the-bitter-ocean ‘s Islander Euphrasie theory and shares a heart with @felikatze ‘s Divorce AU.

@princemonarchempress , @floating-far-from-earth , and @the-bitter-ocean have all contributed ideas to and inspired parts of the story!

And a special thank you to @snickerpuffs-art for drawing Luke 💙💙

thank you so much for reading and for your interest in the au!! i hope to make a lot more things for it in the future <333

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moon-huny · 7 months

Text

Stole the Moon - Chapter Six

CW: My content is not for anyone under 18. Minors DNI. Reader uses she/her pronouns. Character death (mom related)

Word Count: 1.1K

Summary: In sleep, a memory comes back to you, forcing you yet again to remember a painful part of your past. Buggy is smitten but god forbid he ever tells you. You make a plan to visit a friend.

A/N: I still feel – at all times – like I am being hit with a bus. Oh my god that is so dramatic, okay no. I don't actually feel like that, but I am getting some burnout.

I think that is fairly common with fic writers, especially when you know you have a story to tell but getting it out takes a while.

However, writing and posting does help with my mental health as it is a good creative exercise, so, to make a compromise, I decided that this chapter and maybe the next few will be a bit shorter than normal.

Thank you all for reading and commenting and liking and re-bloging. I recently got the update that let's me comment back as moon-huny in the mentions so you best believe Imma be doin that now.

Okay, that's all, enjoy.

masterlist ✧˖°

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As soon as the air hit your little lungs, you began to cough up sea water onto the rocks beside you. Still not registering much in your state, you heard voices clamoring around you.

“She’s alive”

“Course she is, I saved her”

Waves hit rocks and rain pelted your face. Squinting through the gales, you could make out those most gorgeous creatures you’d come to befriend.

“Please, you have to help! My mother! She’s … where is she?” You were frantic and screaming over the storm.

“Well we didn’t like her as much as you”

“She was already bound to drown no matter which way you look at it”

They weren’t yelling back at you. They were barely moving their mouths. You couldn’t hear a word they were saying and, truth be told you never could, they spoke like the waves, hushed and foreign.

They tread the water with such ease even though the sea was churning all around them. They had placed you on a small rocky island, close enough to see the shore but nowhere near close enough for you to swim to it.

“I can’t … I can’t understand you! Please! My mother! Where is she? Please, save her too!” You could no longer tell whether it was rain all over your face or your tears.

You couldn’t quite tell how many there were, they all swam around you like sharks around prey. They would dip in and out of sight coming up briefly to exchange glances and what you thought were words.

“We don’t like her”

“She’s already dead girl”

They made eye contact with you, their lips moved but nothing you could understand fell out of them. You began to shout. “Mama! Mama!” but you knew it was futile.

“I want to give her the fruit,” said one to another. Perhaps it was out of pity at your crying form shivering in the storm or maybe it was their love of tricks but it was that moment they decided what they wanted to do with you.

///

You tossed and turned in your sleep as he watched you. Sitting upright in bed, one of his arms perched on his bent knee. He just looked down at you. The ocean was quiet while you slept.

He’d awoken only a little while ago to a knock at the door. If he were honest though it was more of an aggressive pounding at the door. It just so happened that the two goofballs obsessed with one another were looking for you. He’d dismissed them when he opened the door just slightly to reveal your sleeping – presumably naked – body.

After they left, he had the opportunity to wake you, begin a day full of questions and fights to get the upper hand away from you. But that could wait. While he watched you sleep, that could all wait.

You slept on your stomach clutching a pillow the way he wished you would cling to him. You weren't awake, there was nobody here, he could let himself think whatever he wanted, and he wanted to think about you.

The way your eyebrows furrowed in your sleep and your lashes would flutter made him weak. You were so beautiful and full of danger and uncertainty. Any pirate with half a mind would have kept you in a cell far below deck, confined to a tub of seawater, behind multiple padlocks.

Hostages weren’t new to Buggy or his crew. Sure, he knew he had a few bleeding hearts here and there but nobody disobeyed him. This was his ship, his crew and he wanted you to be a part of it.

You began to stir. Slowly you opened your eyes to find Buggy on the other side of the room pilfering through maps and charters and journals. You could have sworn you’d felt his presence beside you. He was so warm and you’d woken up with the thought of embracing him.

“If you were as good at using your power as you were at sleeping I’d be sailing the Grand Line by now,” he said in no way regarding you.

The opposite could be said of you. The man stood at his desk, low hanging trousers not concealing anything as it seems this morning he was too hot to put on a shirt.

“What are you looking at?” you asked, rubbing the sleep from your eyes and looking for something to cover your body with.

Your voice in the morning sounds like heaven, he thought. “Get up and see for yourself, sweetness.” He smirked over at you.

You rolled your eyes which did land on an article of clothing at the end of his bed. Grabbing it and throwing it over your head you realized it was his shirt. You gathered yourself off the bed and walked over to him in nothing but his own clothes.

Leaning against the edge of the desk next to him you pushed yourself up to sit next to all of his important work. His eyes flicked over to you and slowly moved down your body.

“So what are we looking at?” You ask him, sucking your lower lip in between your teeth and giving him a sweet smile.

“I’m looking at an attention seeking whore.” He throws back at you.

That’s okay. You know you’re winning.

Your eyes travel lower to that oh so desirable part of him. “And I’m looking at a certain pirate that is terrible at hiding how he responds to the attention seeking whore.

You liked this. The banter helped you take your mind off of the intense memory you were having. One you really desperately wanted to wake up from.

Your eyes drifted across the desk to a sketch of a mermaid skeleton.

“You know anything about those, Clown?” you asked.

“What happened to Captain?” he responded by raising an eyebrow when you looked back at him with frustration. He sighed when he realized you were the toughest crowd he’d ever performed to.

“Not a lot, babe so quit with the questions.”

“You know,” you said, hopping down from the desk and confronting him head on. “I think I might be more willing to explore these so-called powers I have if I knew a bit more about myself.”

“Well, talking about feelings isn’t really daddy’s forte so maybe go find someone else to gab with.” You soured at the mocking use of the nickname he’d pulled last night. The name he clearly didn’t have a problem using for himself but one you were a little embarrassed you liked.

“Fine, maybe I will,” you responded, turning your back to him to hunt for your clothing and planning your trip to Beau’s.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚

taglist: @tokoyamisstuff @mommymilkerfanclub @chaoticqueen33 @tootoomanycats @cefni @ruledbyproblematique @crayolacat-lilybelle @melissahew @hallow1090 @soulkingbimbo @kurinhimenezu @teh-vampire-bunny

taglist is open. (plz let me know if I left anybody out)

#stole the moon #buggy the clown #buggy x reader #buggy fanfic #buggy x you #buggy opla #buggy smut #buggy x y/n #captain buggy #buggy d clown

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yuujispinkhair · 2 years

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Summer Paradise with Yuu (Chapter 1)

I swear you put the sun up in my sky, so hot it's like the middle of July

When you agreed to join your friends on a spontaneous summer vacation, you didn't expect to a) get pulled out of the ocean by some random guy who thinks you are drowning and b) that this guy is hotter than the summer sun.

Pairing: Yuuji x Reader (female) Genre: fluff, smut, Lifeguard AU but not really lol Word Count: 2.4k Warnings: 18+, smut in later chapters, falling into the ocean. All characters are of age. This story is 18+. Minors don't interact.

This will be a short summer series because Yuuji is my sexy summer boy, and I am obsessed with the idea of summer vacation with him! I'm trying to keep the chapters short!

Chapter 1: I swear you put the sun up in my sky, so hot it's like the middle of July Chapter 2: All your kisses taste like Malibu Chapter 3: Touch me like a summer night, you feel like a holiday Chapter 4: Back to Summer Paradise with you

Chapter 1

Summer vacation with your two best friends on a beautiful island with a beach right out of a fantasy. It sounds like paradise. And so far, it has been that! But right now, the summer paradise is about to turn into summer hell because you are about to make a huge fool of yourself.

You squeal loudly as your Flip Flop catches on an uneven plank of the idyllic wooden pier you are currently strolling across, making you stumble and lose your balance. You reach out for something to steady you, but your fingertips only manage to graze your friend's elbow before your fate is sealed, and you tumble very ungracefully off the pier, right into the ocean.

Of course, something embarrassing like this has to happen to you!

Above anything else, you are angry at yourself. Who the fuck falls off a pier? And now everyone is pointing at you and probably laughing.

Your pretty sundress is soaked with salt water, and your brand new Flip Flops are lost somewhere in the ocean. Luckily your friend is holding your bag, so at least your phone and money didn't fall into the water.

It's only a little comfort, though, because the embarrassment is too big. Your heart is pounding in your chest, and you are filled with shame as you cough and spit out the water you swallowed.

Fear of drowning is the last thing on your mind. Because after all, you can swim and the ocean is calm and warm. The shore isn't far away either. But you feel nauseous at the thought of having to swim all the way there while all eyes are on you.

Oh god, there will probably be funny videos of you all over social media! You hate it! You want to hide away forever.

Just as you start your swim of shame towards the beach, you are startled by a loud splash behind you. And then something wraps around you and pulls you against a solid object.

Another squeal escapes your lips, this time a scared one. What is going on?

You struggle against the tight grip, trying panicky to get away from the thing. Are there any big fish here? Is something trying to pull you underwater?

"Shhh, it's ok! It's ok! I got you! Please stop struggling! You aren't drowning! I got you!"

What the fuck??

You blink rapidly, looking down, and suddenly you realize that the things wrapped around your body are arms. Strong arms! You can't see who they belong to, but they are muscular and hold you in an iron grip.

Oh no! Did you cause a lifeguard rescue mission? This is the last thing you want! Now there will be an even bigger commotion.

"Hey! Stop! I don't need help! I'm not drowning! I am fine!"

"It's ok! You are safe with me! I will bring you to the beach! I got you!"

Either he didn't hear you, or he doesn't believe you. You try to shake him off again but to no avail. The mysterious stranger is strong! And he is on a mission to "save" you. Before you can argue more, he has already started swimming towards the beach, dragging you along with him, one arm wrapped tightly around your waist.

You want the ocean to swallow you whole and never let you go again. On the hitlist of your most mortifying moments, this is probably in first place.

You lift your face to look up at the pier but regret it instantly. A little crowd has gathered by now, watching the "rescue mission". Some have their phones out and are recording it.

It feels like forever until you reach the sandy beach and the water gets shallow enough for you to stand. You try to put one foot in front of the other, but your savior is having none of it.

"Stop! You are too weak for that! I'll bring you to safety. Don't worry, please. I'll help you! Everything's gonna be ok, sweetie."

By now, you have resigned to your fate. It can't get any more embarrassing, right? And so you don't even put up a fight when your mysterious Baywatch guy lifts you up into his beefy arms and carries you bridal style towards the beach.

People are cheering and clapping upon seeing the hero carrying the poor damsel in distress, while you groan and hide your face in your hands.

Why is this happening to me?

You still have no idea who that guy is who pulled you out of the water. But now he has reached the shore and carefully lays you down on the warm sand.

The first thing you see is pink hair. It's plastered to a tan forehead which belongs to a handsome face with pretty honey-colored eyes that watch you worriedly.

Water droplets are dripping down the short pink hair and get caught in long black lashes before they fall down further and land on strong muscular thighs, which are kneeling next to your head.

You gulp hard.

Your personal Baywatch guy is hot! And fucking ripped! No wonder you stood no chance when you tried shaking him off. His bare torso is adorned with buff muscles, toned biceps, and big pecs. He looks so strong. All muscles and smooth tan skin.

You watch dazedly as small water rivulets run down his defined abs before they disappear in the elastic band of his red swim trunks.

His voice sounds worried when he addresses you while his big honey eyes scan you for any injuries.

"Are you ok? Do you hurt anywhere? Did you swallow a lot of water?"

You are too stunned to answer. Your mind is still trying to catch up with the whole situation. Falling into the ocean, embarrassing yourself, and getting pulled out of the water by this hot guy.

You want to tell him you are ok. You really do! But those muscles and the damn water droplets glistening on his skin are too distracting!

But your savior seems to take your stunned silence as an indication that you aren't ok at all. His pretty eyes widen in panic.

"Shit! Oh my god, I think you swallowed too much water! Fuck, fuck fuck! I have no idea how this works! But I won't let you die! Come here!"

Your mind is working too slowly. You just stare at your "savior" in confusion, trying to make sense of what is happening. What does he mean he has no idea what to do? You thought he was a lifeguard! Or isn't he? Did a random stranger jump into the water to rescue you?

And before you can do anything, your mysterious savior leans down. His large shadow falls over you, and the next thing you know, two strong hands are cupping your cheeks.

And then a warm mouth gets pressed onto yours.

Your eyes widen. What the fuck? You don't understand what is happening. Why would that guy kiss you so out of the blue?! Is he insane? Is he some pervert?

Your hands come up instinctively to push against his broad chest. But he doesn't even seem to notice and instead keeps fumbling around on your face with his hands while his mouth moves over yours.

You feel his hot breath on your lips. And that is when it dawns on you. This doesn't feel like a kiss... He is trying to blow air into your mouth!

Oh.

He is trying to give you CPR!

If your mouth wasn't covered, you'd burst into hysterical laughter. The whole situation is so fucking awkward. Your eyes are wide open, and you can see the legs of the crowd surrounding you and your mysterious lifeguard.

And just when you think things can't get any worse, you feel your savior's lips leave yours, and his fingers wander over your face and up to your nose. Apparently remembering that he should pinch your nose, but before he can do that, you react and do the only thing that comes to your mind: You turn your head and bite his finger.

"AAARGH!!"

Your savior is sitting back on his heels, shaking his hands and looking with big eyes at the finger you bit.

Finally, you find your voice, and it comes out as an enraged cry:

"Stop it already!! I wasn't drowning! I am fine! I told you I am ok!"

"What?"

Honey eyes meet yours, and Mr. wannabe lifeguard blinks at you in confusion.

You sigh and try again, calmer this time. After all, you know you shouldn't be angry at him. The only one to blame for this awkward mess is you and your inability to walk down a pier without tripping!

"I am fine. I wasn't in trouble. And I didn't swallow any water. I am just super embarrassed about the whole commotion this caused, and I would very much like to just disappear."

"Oh? So.. um... you weren't drowning?"

You shake your head,

"No, I wasn't."

"But I thought...oh crap! I am sorry!!"

Your personal lifeguard scratches his pink hair, blushing and making a sheepish expression. He looks really cute, if you are honest.

Suddenly you feel bad about snapping at him. He is a good guy! He literally jumped into the water to save your life. How was he supposed to know you didn't need help?

And so you force yourself to smile weakly at him.

"No, don't be sorry, please. It's nice that you wanted to help. Thank y..."

But you can't finish your sentence because at that moment, a girl appears behind your mysterious savior and grabs his shoulder.

"Itadori! What the fuck are you doing? Just because you're wearing red swimming trunks doesn't mean this is Baywatch or something! You're embarrassing all of us! Leave the poor girl alone!"

You blink up at your still blushing hero and a girl with ginger hair and indignant brown eyes, who is leaning over your savior's shoulder to gaze curiously down at you.

"Hey, are you ok? I apologize for this idiot! He is a bit dumb but means well."

The only thing you manage to do is nod as you watch in stunned silence as the rather petite girl pulls the wannabe lifeguard called Itadori to his feet. He towers over her, tall and muscular, but the girl is unrelentingly tugging on his arm and cussing at him while his honey gaze meets yours again, and he smiles apologetically.

"I'm so sorry for this mess!"

"Shut up! You're just making it worse! Now get back with us!"

Your gaze wanders from him to the girl and back again, but before you can say anything, the girl already drags Itadori along. He holds up a hand in an awkward little wave, grinning sheepishly at you,

"Sorry again! Enjoy your stay at the beach!"

You weakly lift a hand as you watch him stumble after the girl and hear them both bickering.

"Oi Kugusaki let go of me! I was just trying to help!"

"You are so fucking dumb! Can't take you anywhere!!"

You sit up slowly, staring dumbfounded after the pair. Your drenched sundress clings uncomfortably to your body, and you are sure you look absolutely horrible. But your gaze is still glued to the muscular figure of your savior, and you catch yourself thinking that his smile was really pretty. As bright as the sun somehow.

Luckily the crowd around you gradually dissolves, saving you from further embarrassment. But you still sigh miserably as you think about having to walk all the way back to the pier and search for your friends.

That's when you see two familiar figures run towards you. Apparently, your friends already found you. They are both out of breath, panting heavily as they bombard you with worried questions.

"(Y/n), are you ok? How did this happen? Is everything fine again?"

"What was that guy doing? Who is he? Are you ok?"

You blink up at them, and suddenly the whole story seems so stupid that you can't help but snort with laughter. You take your friends' offered hands and let them pull you to your feet, where you try to smooth down your ruined dress and finally manage to get out:

"Yeah, I'm ok. As ok as I can be after tripping and falling into the ocean in front of everyone and getting pulled out of the water by a stranger who decided to play lifeguard because he thought I was drowning! And everyone was watching and filming it! I have never been so embarrassed in my whole life! I will never be able to show my face again on this beach! But yes, physically, I am fine!"

More laughter erupts from your mouth as you gesture down the beach towards where Itadori is walking.

Your friends both turn to stare after your "savior," who is still getting dragged along by the ginger-haired girl, bright red swimming trunks and pastel pink hair clearly visible across the sandy beach.

There are two types of people in this world, and so when your friends both start talking at the same time, one of them says compassionately:

"Well, that's super embarrassing. I'm sorry this happened to you!"

While the other one whistles lowly under her breath and announces in an amused tone:

"Ooooh, Mr. "I jump into the ocean to save random girls" has a cute ass and a nice broad back! You are so lucky!"

Itadori chooses that moment to look over his shoulder back at where you are standing. When he sees you looking at him, he lifts a tan hand to wave at you and smile that bright sunshine smile once again. Even from a distance, he looks dazzling. And the movement of his arm makes his toned biceps flex beautifully.

He might not be a real lifeguard, but he sure as hell has the body of one of those Baywatch guys you saw on tv.

Your friends grab your arms at the same time and dig their nails into them. The one who was already gushing over Itadori adds in an excited whisper:

"Damn! And his face is really nice too! And those arms! He is fine as fuck! He could pull me out of the water every day!"

You don't know why you do it, but before you can stop yourself, you mutter:

"He gave me mouth to mouth."

There's a stunned silence for a moment, and then both of your friends turn to you simultaneously and scream.

"Oh my god, he did what? He kissed you?! Hot Baywatch guy kissed you? This is the stuff romantic movies are made of! You are living the dream, girl!"

"We must find him again so you can go on a date with him! Oh my god, this is so exciting! He's gonna be your summer romance!"

You hide your face in your hands. Ok, maybe there is only one type of person among your friends, and it's the crazy type!

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this little summer romance with sunshine boy and wannabe lifeguard Yuuji ;) I am losing my mind about him A LOT!! And I hope you find him sexy too! If I wanted someone to pull me out of the ocean, Yuuji would be my first choice.

Please let me know what you think about "lifeguard" Yuuji! Comments and reblogs make me happy!

Chapter 2

#yuuji x reader #yuuji fluff #itadori x reader #itadori fluff #jjk x reader #yuuji x you #yuji fluff #yuji x reader

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marshmiillow · 2 months

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Fabric Mods I Use For A Vanilla+ Experience

I don’t use many mods, but I do use a few mods and datapacks in order to improve some quality of life things, and add a few fun features. I’ve played with these mods for years (though some are more recent additions), and I’ve absolutely loved it and now I can’t play without them. Let’s go through them.

Xaero’s Minimap and World Map

This is a pretty simple mod! It adds a customisble minimap and world map, with built in waypoint system for easy navigation and teleportation. The menus can be a little daunting, but once you get it set up you never need to look at them again! I love being able to keep track of how far my miscellaneous adventures take me, especially since I play on a large biomes world.

Optifine & Optifabric

A well known essential, optifine improves graphical processing for Minecraft and adds support for other mods visual features. It also gives me a zoom button, which I once tried to press in real life while trying to look at something far away. Thanks optifine.

I also use optifabric, which is just a compatibility mod to make optifine run with the fabric installation.

Dye Depot

Probably my biggest departure from vanilla, dye depot adds 16 new dyes and accompanying coloured blocks to help fill in a couple of those transitionary colour gaps. As a builder, I cannot stress how much this has inspired creativity and given life to old builds. I mainly play on my project world, where I’m building a big island covered in different themed builds and after spending over a year on it, some of the older builds started to disappoint me a little. Not anymore! All these beautiful new blocks add much desired vibrancy!

Fish of Thieves

Now I actually added this mod to my build project server for my partner, who wanted to see more life in the oceans with different kinds of fish other than just cod and salmon and the occasional tropical fish. However, there is one feature this mod adds that we have been absolutely obsessed with: fish mounts. Now that might sound really weird until you look at the fish mounts and realise they are just better, more decorated signs. I use signs so much in building and rarely do I need to write on them so the fish mounts’ variations are such a delight.

Just look at them.

Amendments

Amendments is a recent addition to my server but I’ve already used so many of its excellent features. From stacking skulls, to hanging signs off fence posts and lanterns on walls, to carpeted stairs and slabs, amendments has had excellent compatibility with my other mods and added some features I never knew I needed so badly.

Infinite Trading

Infinite trading does exactly what you think it does. I abuse this regularly,

Vanilla Tweaks

Technically not a mod but a datapack! Vanilla tweaks is very well known and incredibly customisable through their website. Personally I love extra mob heads, mini blocks, cauldron concrete, fast leaf decay, multiplayer sleep, armour statues and extra shulker shells. I use a lot of these features very regularly and if you don’t want to or can’t mod your Minecraft game, please consider trying out some Vanilla Tweaks datapacks.

And that’s everything! Hopefully you’ve seen something interesting here, let me know if you use any of these and what mods you like to use for that vanilla+ modded experience :) also i am not sponsored and wasnt asked to make this post by anyone, these are just my thoughts :)

#minecraft #minecraft mods #modded minecraft #mod spotlight #vanilla+#minecraft vanilla+

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exactlycleverpirate · 4 months

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Aeternum Vinculum

Story set to explain Rafayel and MC's first life together. Will build up to his Fragrant Dream Tender Moment (which I am obsessed with). Will also try to explain various tidbits from the Myth about their past. Thus, there will be spoilers for Rafayel's Myth, and likely other stuff as well. Not currently NSFW, but may change later.

Thousands of years ago, Lemuria was a thriving civilization under the sea. The humans were aware of them, but did not understand them, and indeed feared them.

They built a temple to the God of the Sea on the Island of Songs, from whence many a sailor had heard haunting melodies emanate across the water. The king of the nearby human kingdom decided to send a sacrifice to the Island, to serve as a temple slave until the ocean drowned her or the Sea God tired of her and killed her. In order to ensure the worthiness of the sacrifice, he sent his own daughter, a princess. (In later times, the names and story would change, so that the origin of Poseidon and Andromeda would be lost to time. It would be forgotten that it was Poseidon, not Perseus, who rescued and wed the fair Andromeda.)

She lived alone on the Island of Songs, surrounded by the sea, doing the same things, tending to the temple, day after day. She fetched fresh water from the small spring on the island and ate what she could glean from the bushes and the sea. At night, she shivered on the cold stone floor of the temple, for she was too afraid to sleep in the softer sand outside its meager shelter.

The first time she heard the beautiful melody, she was both enchanted and terrified, hiding behind the pillars of the temple. But as the song visited her again, day by day, she grew to love it and rely on it.

Along with the song, she would find little gifts around the temple and the island: tangy, juicy fruits from the mainland, fragrant roses reminiscent of those that used to grow on her bedroom balcony, silks and wools like those the palace would purchase from merchant ships traveling from abroad. All were of the finest quality, all rich and lovely, and took just a bit of the edge off her homesickness. And sometimes, at night, she could swear she felt the gentle heat of a fire warming her as she slept, though nothing appeared burnt or singed come morning.

Then, one day, the song do not come. She waited and waited anxiously, wondering if something had become of the singer. She paced along the beach, stared distractedly into the crystal spring water, ran her hands carefully over the lovely gifts.

After several days, the song returned. Relief surging through her, she rushed down the temple steps, towards the water and the sound of the voice.

“I feared you were lost,” she cried out to the wind and waves. “Please, don't leave me alone, God of the Sea!”

The song paused. Then a smiling voice answered, “I was called away on a task. I do have my duties to attend to, after all.” Silence stretched for a moment, followed by a soft chuckle that nearly disappeared in the sea breeze. “Did you miss me then, princess?”

Something about the teasing lilt in his tone gave her the distinct impression that he'd planned this from the start. Huffing in embarrassment and annoyance, she scoffed “I hardly know you. How can I miss a disembodied voice?”

She turned, intending to stomp back to the temple. But his voice stopped her again.

“Would you like to know me better then?”

Before she could answer, her eyes were drawn to movement between the rocks, where the waves occasionally crashed and foamed. Water dripped from sea lavender hair, and his white tunic clung to his body, leaving little to the imagination. She could feel her cheeks burning as he sauntered toward her, but she couldn't look away. Leaning forward, he met her gaze, now little more than a handbreadth between them. His vibrant eyes, like a pink sunset beneath a darkening sky, seemed to laugh and dance. It was as though he'd snatched the very air from her lungs.

His smile grew the longer she stared. “I know. I know. I’m quite the catch,” he teased, running his fingers through his hair and winking at her.

That snapped her out of it.

“Why you…you arrogant…urgh!” Now she really did stomp away, feeling like her face was on fire and her heart was running a race.

“Ah, come on. Don't be mad,” he entreated, as he jogged up beside her. “It was a joke. Surely they have those where you come from?”

“I liked you better as a disembodied voice,” she snapped, without much heat.

“I’m Rafayel, by the way,” he pressed on, ignoring her barb. “None of this God of the Sea nonsense. That's much too stuffy.”

Feeling petty, the princess turned to glare at him. “I am but a humble temple maid, Oh Great and Mighty God of the Sea. Surely you have more important things to do than harass little old me, like sinking ships or brewing storms.” She turned to march toward the temple once more.

“I usually save that for moonless nights,” he retorted without missing a beat. However, when he realized she was leaving in earnest, he reached out and grabbed her arm. A frission of heat shot through her, and she spun around, ready to bite his head off. He raised his hands in surrender.

“Hey, hey, I apologize, alright? There's no need to run off. It's not as if you have anywhere pressing to be.” At his words, she deflated, sighing heavily, and he shifted with a guilty look. “Sorry. I wasn't trying to rub it in.”

They stood in awkward silence for a moment, before it seem too much for Rafayel to take.

“Do you like the gifts? I know its not the same as being home, but I figured it was better than nothing.”

Remembering her collection of treasures, her heart softened. “Thank you. They are lovely gifts.” She paused, tilting her head. “But shouldn't I be the one bringing you gifts? You are the god, and I the temple maid after all.”

He snorted. “Such as? Shells from the beach? Sea grass? You don't have a lot of options here, princess. Besides, I enjoy giving gifts. Surely, a benevolent god should bestow blessings on his devotees?”

And so their strange friendship began.

Some days he would come and sing, or perhaps he would play his flute beneath the temple window at night to draw her out or coax her to sleep. Occasionally, she would try to sing along, and he smiled, charmed by her off key rendition.

She told him about her family, and how her stepmother had never been fond of her, and surely convinced the king to be rid of her. Rafayel looked offended on her behalf, and asked if he should smite them for her. She laughed and shook her head a little sadly.

“What good does revenge do? Besides, I never would have met you, if not for her scheming.”

He pouted, looking as though he rather enjoyed the thought of raining down terror on the weak king and his selfish queen.

“Maybe I could just make all their left shoes disappear or something,” he mused, eyes twinkling mischief.

She snorted. “How would you even pull that off?”

“Don't underestimate the God of the Sea,” he assured her, puffing out his chest in mock pride.

On another day, he came to her with barely concealed excitement.

Leaning down to look her in the eyes, he asked, “Do you trust me?”

She studied him skeptically. “Why do I feel like this is a trap?”

He leaned back, placing his hand dramatically over his heart. “You wound me, fair maiden. And here I just wanted to share the beauty of the sea with you.” He reached out his hand, waiting to see if she would take it.

Intrigued, she placed her hand in his.

“Don't be afraid,” he reassured her, voice soft and soothing, as he pulled her into the sea. So enchanting was his smile and sparkling eyes that she thought wildly that perhaps she would follow him even if he did intend to drown her.

But once she was below the waves, she found there was no need to fear drowning, for she could breath. She stared at him in wide-eyed amazement.

“How?” She gasped, astounded her voice rang out clearly in the blue expanse.

“Hey now, I thought I told you not to go underestimating me,” he said, grinning and pulling her close. “But don't stray or you really will drown. Stay close to me.”

The water began to swirl around them and iridescent blue scales glistened on his cheeks and neck. She felt something smooth and cool brush against her legs and looked down to find he no longer had legs at all, but rather a magnificent sweeping tail, covered in similarly iridescent scales in shades of blue, green, and purple. Her eyes shot back to his, and he smiled self-consciously.

“You're beautiful,” she assured him in full sincerity.

His smile turned bashful as he blushed all the way to the tips of his ears. She'd never seen anything so endearing.

He pulled her effortlessly through the water. All around her, vibrant life in an array of colors filled her vision. Little fish darted curiously at her toes and fingers, kissing them before shying away. She giggled, reaching out to coax them back. “That tickles, you silly little things.”

Together, they continued on at a leisurely pace, but Rafayel clearly had an end goal in mind.

As they left the reef behind and moved to deeper water, she could see they were approaching a swirling mass. She felt a moment of terror that they might be swimming into a swarm of sharks, but then decided if Rafayel felt safe taking her there, surely he knew what he was doing. But as the shapes grew more distinct, she realized they were not sharks at all.

“Oh! Flying carpet fishies!” she cried out in delight.

She could see Rafayel trying to cover his smile behind his hand, quirking a raised brow at her. “They do have an actual name, you know.”

She ignored him, watching with fascination as the graceful giants glided calmly around and around.

“What are they doing?” she asked in a whisper, somehow feeling the occasion called for it. Rafayel followed her lead, leaning down to speak softly into her ear.

“I think it's some sort of mating ritual. This sort of behavior is a pretty rare event. You almost never see so many in one place. That's why I knew I had to bring you to see it.”

They spent the rest of the day playing in the sea. When night fell, they sat on the beach, gazing at the moon, while Rafayel's fire dried them.

“How do you even have fire powers?” she asked after swallowing one of the many oysters they gleaned beneath the waves that day. “Aren't you supposed to be a water god?”

“My talents are many and varied.” Rafayel insisted, as he formed a flower of flame in his hand, before blowing the sparks off into the night like so many fireflies.

“My flames are unquenchable. They can even burn underwater.” He boasted.

“Well, thank you.”

“For what, exactly?” He asked as he swallowed down an oyster of his own.

“For today's adventure. For showing me so many beautiful things. For being your real self with me. And for the gentle little fires you warm me with each night.”

She could see his ears were quite red again. She considered teasing him, but decided to let it go. There was something soft and gentle in the air between them. It felt like something was changing.

He walked her back to the temple after their meal, eyes watching her with a strange intensity. It thrilled her and made her nervous all at once.

“Well, goodnight then,” she blurted out quickly, darting inside.

After a moment she heard his voice call. “Hey, princess!”

“Yes?” she asked, sticking her head out the window near where she heard his voice.

He took her hand in his, then leaned forward slowly, keeping his gaze locked on hers. She didn't even realize that she'd been holding her breath until his lips touched her fingers and she gasped.

“I can't believe I let those little fishies beat me to it,” he grumbled, pouting with mirth dancing in his eyes. She giggled.

“Very bold of them, really,” she said with a solemn nod. “You'll just have to outdo them in the future.”

He watched her intently, weighing her words. Before he had a chance to respond, she reclaimed her hand, pulling away from the window. “Goodnight, Rafayel.”

She hummed a song of her own making as she danced lightly to her bed. She heard Rafayel's soft chuckle, then felt his presence fade into the night. But a little fire sprung up not too far from the plush wool and silk bedding she now had instead of a hard stone floor.

To Be Continued...

#love and deepspace #rafayel love and deepspace #love and deepspace rafayel #Love and Deepspace fanfiction

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saltiestblkgirlofall · 2 years

Text

A Song of the Moon and the Sea [Chapter 1]

Summary: Even amongst her hidden people, there were stories of sirens and seductive creatures, lurking beneath the murky depths of the ocean. She had put little stock in her mother’s tales, until a battle forces her to land near a sea serpent’s domain.

Notes: So. Here I am, simping for the damn fishman. And who is surprised? Absolutely no one, least of all myself. I had to hop on the Namor bandwagon, it's only right. (Although I just wanna talk about that moment, and by talk I mean fry him up and serve him with butter sauce before licking the sauce off AYE) A lil bit of housekeeping: I write OC content. If you don't like that, adhere to the golden rule of fandom: don't like, don't read. And more than that, I write black female OCs exclusively. I, a Afro-Caribbean woman, write for myself first and foremost, I just post in the void. If you would like to be tagged, LMK. This story will (hopefully) have Saturday updates and be less than 10-15 chapters. Takes place in the same continuity as Spark.

Word Count: 1.75k

Warnings: Namor is his own warning and you can see the seeds for an obsession planted in his chapter.

177X

The crash had broken the still of his watch.

Namor had observed from a distance as something plummeted from the skies and crashed into the surf near the small, uninhabited island. Sense told him to leave matters be, to return to his people. He had heard the distant sounds of a battle, beyond the roar of the storms. Even at a distance, he could see flashes of light, hear unfamiliar screams. It had been less than a year since some stinking surfacer had washed up onto the shores of the island. Namor followed, intent on killing then dumping his body in the ocean.

Only for the man, in the tongue of the hated invaders, to begin babbling about ‘angels’ and ‘demons’. From what he could glean before putting him out of his misery, his ship had been attacked by angels. They had ‘stolen’ the ship’s human cargo, brutally murdered the captain and then sunk the ship.

He had sneered and stabbed him through the neck, before returning to the sea. Let the beasts of land have this carrion.

Now…he wondered if that thing hadn’t just been babbling out of fear and pain.

Through the darkness of the night he spotted something. A person. Small and feminine, wearing black armor and a pale mask which covered their face. A pair of long, silver white wings extended out from their back.

As he drew closer, the figure drifted down from the surface of the water, sinking like a rock towards the tranquil ocean floor. He was able to reach them, extending his arms. The tides gently pushed the body into his grasp.

What was this creature? This thing? Whatever it was, he should drown it. Clearly it did not possess the means to breathe underwater, as he did.

Yet he rose, bringing them just above the water so that they could breathe. It was a woman, small and solid, based on its shape alone. The black and silver of their clothing, soaked through by the saltwater, glittered in the moonlight.

After several moments, they choked, spluttered, and he saw water drip from the small gap between mask and face. Curious, he thought to himself.

From behind the mask, he could see eyes the color of the moon staring back at him. They were bloodshot and confused. When she spoke, it was with a liquid accent, as smooth as seaglass.

“Who are you?” She breathed.

“My people call me Ku’Kul’Kan.” Her eyes widened behind the mask, ever so slightly. “But my enemies call me Namor.” He heard her sharply inhale, gasp, and clutch her side. When her hand came away, there was silver blood on her hand. He ignored this, focused on her eyes for a moment. Eyes were windows to the soul and he could see fear in them. Abject terror and flightiness. But something intrigued him. Reaching up, he made to take her mask off.

He grasped, and tried to pull, as she grabbed at his wrist, weakly trying to extract herself from his grasp. She struggled with all her might, and it did not even phase him. He cocked his head curiously and reached down, grabbing the smooth surface of the mask. He pulled. It did not give.

Her soft hands squeezed his wrist and she groused, “It won’t come off, even if you attempt to rip it from my face.”

“And if I killed you?” Namor purred, a threat woven through the sensually intoned works. “Could I remove it then?”

—

The woman was silent from the shock. Her heart beat wildly against her ribs, like a bird fighting to be free of a cage. She could see her second’s disapproving expression now, his lips parting to tell her that she should not have sent the others away. Now here she was, in the grip of a man dripping in lunar stone, jade and precious metals.

“You have nothing to gain from killing me.”

It was a bluff. Breathless words thrown out by a woman who did not believe them. The man holding her stared silently, watching, waiting with his cruel, deep brown eyes. And then he smiled thinly, baring perfect white teeth with sharp incisors. The winged warrior squirmed in his grasp, but he held her fast and tight.

Would she see Valanca’s gates again? Or had this meeting only sealed her unpleasant fate? Her intent had been for this to be a straightforward raid. To destroy one of the surfacers’ grim, black boats, rescue their victims, and then return through the Moon Gate. Now she was at the mercy of…whoever this mysterious man was.

Her vision swam, body laboring from the numerous injuries she had sustained.

“No.” He finally answered. His smile remained the same, but his gaze grew just a shade warmer. Is he amused by me? She thought. “Although perhaps I may have nothing to gain from your harm, I would lose nothing by killing you.” The smile on his face grew sharp to the point of becoming threatening. Her chest began to ache, and true terror filled her body. He held her tight, preventing her escape. His physical strength far exceeded her own. “What do you think, my lool ujo?”

“Lool ujo?” She tasted the words on her tongue. “What are you talking about?”

“I have told you of my name.” He said. “What of yours?”

“…” The woman’s blood crawled. When her mother yet lived, she’d told tales of the surface. Of sirens which dragged even their kind down to the murky depths of the ocean. Never fly too close to the ocean, my child. Her mother had warned her, imploring her with large, dark eyes.

“Cyrianthe.” She mumbled. His body felt firm and warm against hers. There was power in names and yet here she was giving hers freely, as though under compulsion. “My people call me Cyrianthe.”

“Cyrianthe.” Her name sounded like sweet blasphemy upon his lips. Sensual in his musical accent. “And tell me, Cyrianthe. Why should I release you?”

“Because I mean you no harm.” Her voice was small, but steady. Firm. “I simply wish to rest and then return to my home.”

“What makes you think I should let you go, hm?” Her mouth became dry, as though cotton had been stuffed into her throat. In his mind, she had already seen too much. She flailed, and the feeling of her wings smacking him caught him off guard. He dropped her, and Cyri took the opportunity to get away.

—

Namor watched as, without a glance back, Cyrianthe swam (flailed) to the shore. It was clear she didn’t know how to swim, but he admired her tenacity. Her wings beat loudly against the water, not so graceful now that the feathers were saturated by the sea.

She crawled upon the beach, briefly removing her mask to retch up seawater and bile, but still, he could not see her face. Without bothering to replace it, she promptly collapsed halfway out of the water, wings spread wide.

If she was left there, the surf would drag her back out to the ocean. And given her exhaustion, she was likely to drown. He watched, he waited, he sighed and swam towards the shore. As he emerged from the water, he took the opportunity to study her.

She was wearing vibranium, but it felt different from that found in Talokan. Her black clothing felt soft, but when he pulled, it did not give, as though made of steel. Despite her pittance of strength, it was clear that she was a warrior of some sort. Kneeling down, he hefted her gentle weight into his arms, careful with her wings, and walked further up the sands with her.

When they were clear of the shoreline, he placed her back down upon the white beach and stared.

A high forehead, hair concealed by a wrap. A broad nose from which blood the color of molten silver dripped and plump lips, with high cheekbones. Her skin the color of freshly turned earth. Her brow was tensed in pain. The rising sun gave her skin an ethereal glow.

Between her wings lay a sheath, and he pulled forth a sword with grooves etched into the sword. Slashing it downwards, he was shocked when it lengthened, becoming more akin to a bladed whip, blue-white energy crackling and sending a light shock up his arm. He turned the blade this way and that, admiring the craftsmanship. Carefully avoiding stepping her outstretched wings, he stepped around to Cyrithin’s head.

Carefully, he turned her over onto her front. She didn’t appear to be bleeding there. Her chest rose and fell gently, and she let out what sounded like a moan of pain. He frowned, until his eyes trailed up to her wing. It was bent at a strange angle. Ah, he thought. It must be like sitting strangely on one’s leg or arm.

He pushed her back onto her stomach, and her wing flopped onto the sand, free once more.

The light caught on her hand. He leaned over her. And grinned at the sight. He crouched down for several moments, then stood back up and returned to the water—he had what he wanted.

—

It was hours before she showed even the minimum signs of life.

Namor watched as, an hour after sunset, she finally sat up. She looked around, as though dazed.

Slowly, she staggered onto her feet. Her wings spread, silver from tip to tip, the great mass of feathers and bone engulfing her smaller body. The pale and cold light caught on her inhuman appendages, colors dancing against the glossy sheen of the feathers as she flapped once, twice.

He couldn’t bear to tear his eyes away.

She launched herself into the air and he dipped back beneath the waves as she flew over the ocean.

She swooped low over where he hid, as though she could see him—sense him. Circled once. Twice.

And then as quickly as she had appeared, she vanished into the dark, cloudy night. As though she had never been there at all. He peered at the knitted bracelet he had taken from her wrist—made of some fiber he could not put name to, embedded with pale stone. It looked worn—well loved. A little smirk curled his lips. It was a memento. A treasure of some sort. It must hold some value to her.

The moon flower will come again, he thought, eyes fixed upon the night’s sentinel rising into the sky.

And when she did, he would be waiting.

Translations:

lool ujo: Moon Flower

Taglist: @chaneajoyyy @muse-of-mbaku

#namor #namor fanfiction #namor x oc #namor x black!oc #namor imagine #black panther fanfiction #namor x cyri #oc: cyrianthe #a song of the moon and the sea

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