So I recently watched and rewatched this show and I couldn't get the idea of JJ and Kiara out of my head. This is the result. Hope you like it! Rated for language and mentions of drugs, alcohol, and inexplicit sex.

Tears streaming down her face, Kiara tore away from her parents. She didn't have to think about it, didn't really want to think about it. It wasn't the right time to consider why she immediately left her parents to go to JJ. For the moment, it was enough that he was alone. The one person he had always relied on was gone, possibly forever. Wrapping herself into his arms, Kiara vowed to be that person for him. Vaguely, she was aware that JJ was whispering curses and words of comfort into her hair, trying to contain his anger and hurt to comfort. She felt safe in his embrace, trusted him to protect her against whatever the world threw at them next. So she whispered her promise to him, barely audible against his neck. "I'll go with you, back to the Chateau," she swore, feeling him shake with silent sobs, "We'll stay there, you and me." She didn't include Pope, knew that he would want to stay with his parents. They would need to talk, eventually, about the kiss she shouldn't have let him give her. For the time being though, all Kiara wanted to do was make sure to get JJ back to the Chateau, screw her parents' opinion on the matter. They'd forgive her eventually.

Slowly, she extracted herself from his arms, looking up at his reddened eyes. "Come on, JJ," she urged quietly, ignoring the indignant exhalations from her parents, "Let's go home." Taking his hand in hers, Kiara gently tugged JJ along. He flinched, his fingers tightening around hers as she stopped in front of Deputy Shoupe. "Can we go now?" She could tell the man wanted to argue. Somewhere though, it seemed that he finally accepted that if he tried to tell them to stay, they'd just leave anyway. So he nodded.

"Deputy Plumb'll take you."

"Kiara!"

Once again, JJ squeezed her hand tight, a gesture to support her. Kiara squeezed back and faced her parents. She was glad that JJ was keeping his mouth shut, Lord knew what he would accidentally spit out if he tried to say something. "You can't stop me," she stated, voice barely trembling, "We just… we just lost our friends." Her mom faltered, while her dad glared at JJ as the blond pulled her into his arms. Taking a deep, shaky breath, Kiara tried to straighten up a little. The silent judgment, the unspoken but blatantly obvious disapproval would forever be something she refused to stand for. "JJ and I will stay at the Chateau tonight," she informed them as clearly as she could, "Either you accept that, and we'll be back tomorrow, or we say goodbye." She felt JJ's breath hitch in his chest, her back pressed against him as she sought warmth and comfort in the feeling of him enveloping her. The silence was strained as her parents shared a look. Both Kiara and JJ sagged in relief when they nodded, resignation written over their features.

"We'll talk more tomorrow, then."

Sensing that Kiara was dazed by the long-awaited approval, no matter how reluctant it was, JJ took the initiative. Their fingers entwined, he guided her over to where Deputy Plumb was waiting with a squad car. For just a moment, JJ contemplated the fact that in that moment, Kiara's hand in his, it was the first time he was getting into a police car without having been arrested first. Deputy Plumb didn't even ask for directions. Everyone knew where the Chateau was. Even if the family it belonged to no longer… he stopped himself from going further, pulling a quivering Kiara into his side.

They stood in the rain, staring at the Chateau, long after Deputy Plumb had left them there. Neither could really fathom the idea of going inside with the possibility of John B never coming back there. It was his home far more than it was theirs. "He'd want someone to… to look after it," Kiara said finally, just loud enough to be heard over the pouring rain, "We should, you know, just in case…" Just in case they come back. It was a bleak attempt at being hopeful. JJ let it slide, nodding. Together, they walked into the house.

Kiara dug through the drawers that had become theirs over the years, filled with clothes and other essentials. Cigarettes and weed in JJ's. Bandanas and tampons in hers. Grabbing dry clothes, she walked over to the blond. He remained frozen in the doorway. With a weak smile, Kiara quickly changed out of her wet garments into the dry ones before moving to prepare the pull-out while JJ followed her example. Finally, they both lay side by side, staring up at the ceiling. White smoke intermittently obscured her vision but, for the first time since everything started, she didn't try to stop him from getting high.

When they eventually fell asleep, they did so with Kiara's head resting on JJ's chest, his arms wound tightly around her.

In the morning, neither really talked. JJ didn't protest when Kiara stopped him from smoking. She didn't push him away when he pulled her back down onto the pull-out, didn't complain when he rolled on top of her and burrowed his face into the crook of her neck. It was the closest to physical comfort they could get without stepping over boundaries they were too vulnerable to cross. They stayed that way, his breath tickling her skin while her fingers combed through his hair, until Pope walked in some amount of hours later. In the single look shared between Kiara and Pope, while JJ reluctantly pulled away from her, they agreed that the kiss between them would be forgotten.

"It was sweet," Kiara admitted quietly after they'd convinced JJ to get a shower, "But we… JJ and I… we've always been heading this way." The hurt in Pope's gaze was mellowed out by understanding. He even managed a small smile when JJ came out of the bathroom and, without any conscious thought, pressed a kiss to Kiara's temple. In that moment, sitting on the porch as they ate the food Pope brought, they came to the slow, reluctant acceptance that their lives would go on without John B and Sarah.

Heyward picked them up later that day, mostly to make sure Pope actually went home. He dropped Kiara and JJ off at the Wreck, where Kiara's dad waited for them. Both teens could tell that he wanted to comment on the fact that they were holding on to each other as though the mere idea of separation would kill them. He didn't say anything though, letting them get into the waiting car. In fact, the whole ride to Kiara's house was silent.

The house itself wasn't quiet for long. All it took for hell to break loose was four simple words. Simple only to say but oh so very complicated in their meaning. "I'm staying with JJ." The moment she said it, her mom slumped back in exhaustion and her dad flew out of his chair. JJ's grip on her hand loosened and Kiara immediately turned her glare to him. He raked a hand through his hair, at war with himself. "Really," she questioned sharply, "You choose now, of all times, to be selfless again?" Not giving him a chance to reply, she tightened her hold on his fingers.

"Kie…"

"What do you want from us, Kiara," her mom asked tiredly, "What do you expect us to do?" She looked warily between the two teenagers, her gaze lingering on the worn, torn fabric of the blond's clothing before it swept over his unruly hair and the scars peeking out from beneath his shirt. He wasn't one of them. Never had been, never would be. Her daughter could do better. So much better. "He's a Pogue, Kiara," she stated, frowning deeply, "He's not—"

"It doesn't matter what you think he is or isn't," Kiara spat, already backing away from them, "I think he's an asshole, one of the biggest jerks on the Outer Banks." JJ gawked at her, clearly surprised by her outburst. Her parents looked relieved. They wouldn't be for long. Once again, Kiara wrapped herself into JJ's arms, letting him hold her against his chest. "But he's an asshole who would protect me with his life," she told them, allowing the softest of smiles to slip onto her lips as she reached up to squeeze his forearms pointedly, "These have kept me safe through everything that has happened, JJ made sure I always got away."

JJ was reeling with the revelation that the half-Kook half-Pogue girl trusted him to protect her and keep her out of harm's way. John B had always been that life-line for him. He'd never thought that he'd be that for someone else. And in that moment, he realized that Kiara was his new home. A safe haven, a comfort. Not that he'd tell her that. Somehow, he would show her. If he survived the remainder of the heated conversation with her folks. JJ tightened his hold on her just a little as they watched her parents have some sort of silent conversation. He didn't want to be the reason she lost her parents. But he didn't know what he'd do without her either. Pope's parents couldn't afford to take care of him and there was no way he was going back to his dad's. With or without Kiara, he was going back to the Chateau.

"Fine."

Snapping her gaze to her dad, Kiara furrowed her brows suspiciously. "Fine what?"

"You can stay with him," her dad agreed darkly, "But the only way you're keeping your allowance and your phone is if you still work at the Wreck." He hated letting her go off with the blond teen holding her tight. She was his little girl, damnit. His little girl… who had grown up far too quickly because of what happened with her friends. And if she said that the young man had protected her through it all, he'd believe her. For now. "You better keep her safe," he warned, looking at JJ, "Keep her safe or I'll hunt you down myself."

Thus began their new normal. Kiara would work at the Wreck, JJ would pick up whatever small jobs he could find. Together, they put food on the table and, slowly but surely, returned the Chateau to its former glory.

It took a long time for them to move on. It wasn't the same, life without John B. Days turned to weeks. Weeks became a month.

It was Kiara who got the call. A month to the day after John B and Sarah disappeared at sea, her phone rang while she was preparing dinner. JJ barely looked up from the chopping board, halting his movements just long enough to give her the phone before he returned to cutting the bell peppers in front of him. "It's an unknown number," she muttered, putting the device away, "Someone probably called the wrong person." It was a reasonable assumption. She rarely got calls. After Ward Cameron had been sent to prison, and the investigation had closed, they were left to mind their own business. The few people who did call, her parents and Pope, were in her contacts. But it was hard to believe that it was an accidental misdial when the same number called again. And again.

While it was Kiara who got the call, it was JJ who picked it up. He quickly switched to speaker mode and gestured for her to say something.

"Hello?"

"Kiara, thank God, I thought you'd never pick up!"

JJ nearly dropped the phone while Kiara looked up at him, stunned. He cursed colorfully. "Who the fuck is this?" A month had gone by. They had no reason to think that John B and Sarah were alive. The voice on the other side of the line sounded so much like their lost friend, so much like the boy whose house they lived in. It had to be a sick joke. "Fucking answer me, damnit!"

"JJ, it's us," another voice replied, "It's Sarah and John B."

He cursed some more, seeing the tears streaming down Kiara's cheeks. "Nah, man," he growled, "No fucking way." He wanted to believe it so badly it hurt, wanted to believe that his best friend had somehow survived on his own with a Kook for a month after disappearing in a storm. But the odds of that happening were slim, too slim. "Listen here, motherf—"

"Tell us something only Sarah and John B would know," Kiara interrupted, finding her voice as JJ's arm found its way around her waist, "Tell us something about us that only they would know." She wanted to believe it too and, for once, she was willing to let JJ be the reasonable one. It sounded like them, it really did. All they had to do was prove it.

"JJ, come on," John B's voice pleaded, "Remember that time in fifth grade when you said you wanted to run away, and I asked you where you would go?"

The strangled noise that escaped the blond had Kiara facing him with worried eyes. He ignored her, staring down at the device in his hand. He was aware that his grip on her had to be getting painful but she was the only thing keeping him from smashing the nearest window out. "Yeah," he choked, "What did I say?"

"That you'd go to Kiara's," maybe-John B replied, "Because you wanted to know what it was like being a Kook."

"Fucking hell." JJ turned to Kiara, nodding incredulously. He believed them. He believed that the people talking to them were really John B and Sarah. But he could see the uncertainty in her eyes, an uncertainty that reminded him of the promise he'd made to her dad. He refused to pull her into danger because he believed that his supposedly dead best friend was back. "Gonna need something from both of ya," he hissed, resting his forehead against Kiara's, "No proof, no help."

"Kiara?"

It was Sarah's voice again. JJ wasn't having it. "Oh no, you're talking to me now," he warned, "Tell us something that only Sarah would know." Kiara was looking at him with a strange mixture of annoyance and gratitude. He'd have smirked at her, had it been the right time to do so. He looked back down at the phone, impatient. "Clock's ticking."

"That night, when they tricked us," Sarah's voice rushed, "When they tried to get us to make up, we agreed to make them think that we hadn't, just so we wouldn't give them the satisfaction."

Looking to Kiara for confirmation, JJ opened his mouth to speak again, only to be interrupted.

"I kept saying 'Hey, Kiara' and you asked if it was the first time I'd smoked."

The tears in Kiara's eyes were accompanied by a smile as all doubts were wiped from her mind. There hadn't been anyone else with them that night. "Where are you guys," she asked, voice trembling as JJ let go of her and handed her the phone, "Where… where have you been?" JJ was already pulling together a bag of stuff behind her, finally digging into the drawers they had left John B's things in after weeks of leaving them untouched.

"We're almost back," Sarah replied, her voice as unsteady as Kiara's, "The ferry from the mainland leaves in an hour."

An hour. Long enough get to Pope's and convince him that it really was John B and Sarah. Long enough to have the conversation they had been saving until they knew for sure that their friends were never coming back. "We'll be there," Kiara promised, watching as JJ threw a bunch of clothes into a duffel bag, "JJ's packing some stuff for you."

There was an unmistakable sob on the other side of the line as Sarah seemingly lost her composure. There was some shuffling before John B spoke. "Thank you, guys," he breathed, voice crackling as the air hit the receiver on the phone, "For everything."

Kiara hung up. For a moment, everything was still. JJ stood by the door, waiting for her. They stared at each other, happy tears still prominent on both their faces. She walked over to him, taking his outstretched hand as they made their way over to the bus. They could talk on the way to Pope's.

JJ dropped into the passenger seat, throwing the bag into the back of the bus while Kiara started the engine. Once they were on the road, he turned to her. "Remember how we agreed not to do anything until we knew?" It had been, for the most part, a silent agreement, one that they had stuck to. They had refrained from affectionate gestures beyond what happened on that first night, afraid to commit just in case they were doing it out of grief. They had agreed that, if their friends weren't back by the end of the summer, they would grieve for real before they finally explored what was going on between them. If they turned out to be alive, they would talk then. And as fate would have it, they were alive. "What do you wanna do?"

"Does it change anything," Kiara asked in turn, "Does it change anything now that they're back?" That was the only thing she was worried about. She'd lived alone with JJ at the Chateau for a month, working at the Wreck by day and spending her nights on the pull-out with the blond. She hoped that they would continue that routine, even if John B and Sarah came to live with them again. They could take the bedroom after all. "It doesn't for me," she added when JJ didn't reply, "I still want it, us."

The blond let out an audible breath of relief. "Pull over," he demanded, earning a confused glance from Kiara, "Kie, as much as I like living on the edge, I'd prefer not to die because I kissed you while you were driving." He grinned wickedly when she quickly pulled over to the side of the road. Barely had she put the bus in park before his lips descended on hers in a kiss that had been years in the making. He'd be lying if he said his patience hadn't been wearing thin in the weeks that they'd lived together. Deepening the kiss, and reveling in the moan in coaxed from her, JJ shifted them, trying to be subtle in maneuvering them into the back of the bus.

With a breathless laugh, Kiara pulled away from him slightly. "JJ, we've got less than an hour to get Pope and convince him we're not insane," she chided, even as she tipped her head back to accommodate the kisses he was pressing to her skin, "We really don't have time for this."

Ignoring her, JJ pulled her out of her seat and laid her down onto the floor of the bus. "Fuck that," he muttered, nipping at her exposed collarbone while his fingers trailed along the hem of her shorts, "He'll believe us when we show up with John B and Sarah later." Had he known that it would be enough to convince her, he'd have led with that.

"Where's my top," Kiara asked half an hour later, still out of breath, "We're in a bus, how the hell could it get lost?" She lifted her hair as JJ retied the knot on her bikini top, sifting through the junk lying around in search of her shirt. Coming up empty, she moved to get back into the driver's seat, only to pause as JJ handed her his own t-shirt, tattered as it was. Pulling it on, and seeing the way he was looking at her, she rolled her eyes. "You only did that to see me in your clothes, didn't you?" He didn't reply, but the quirk of his lips was all the confirmation she needed.

Needless to say, they never stopped by Heyward's to get Pope. By the time they arrived where the ferry would stop, they only had minutes left. JJ got out first, leaning against the side of the bus, his eyes never leaving the docks. Kiara stood beside him, tucked under his arm. The sun disappearing fast and the streetlights around them flickered on. They heard the foghorn first. Then the gangplank. And then, finally, someone calling their names.

The group met halfway, Kiara launching into Sarah's arms while JJ roughly pulled John B into an embrace. Several minutes passed before they switched. John B and Kiara let go of each other, watching with amusement as JJ, self-proclaimed anti-Kook, hugged Sarah tightly. Together, they all walked back to the bus, where John B immediately changed into his own clothes for the first time in a month. He drove toward Heyward's, absently stroking the wheel with his thumb as he listened to Kiara and JJ telling them about everything that had happened on the Outer Banks since they got lost in the storm. They purposely avoid mentioning personal stuff, saving it for when they can all talk together at the Chateau.

"Hey, Pope," JJ called, tossing pebbles in the direction of Heyward's, "Get your ass out here, me and Kie's got a surprise for you." He grinned at their friend as he poked his head out through the door.

"No offense, man," Pope replied drily, "Your surprises usually suck."

"Oh yeah, even this one?"

Sarah and John B popped out of the bus, racing toward the shocked Pope. Kiara and JJ lost it, laughing so loud even Heyward himself heard them. The man came out, likely intending to yell at them for the noise, only to stop short when he saw what was happening. His slack-jawed expression only sent the spectators into further hysterics. "Mind if we borrow Pope for the night," JJ managed as he tried to regain his breath and soothe the stitch in his side, "We've got a lot to talk about." Sarah and John B pulled Pope into the bus without waiting for permission.

John B looked around in amazement as he stepped over the threshold to the Chateau. It still looked like his house only… better. Kind of like it had before he'd lived practically alone in it for nine months. He turned to his friends, eyes wide with appreciation. "You guys…" While the mess had become home, seeing what the house looked like without it was a different kind of home. His friends had kept it safe for him, made sure no one trashed the place. Considering that JJ was known to have people seeking some sort of retribution and that the blond was known to hang out at the Chateau, it felt a little bit like a miracle.

"Me and Kie's been staying here," JJ admitted, digging his hands into the pockets of his board shorts, "Keeping it livable, you know, in case you came back." He itched to reach out and touch Kiara somehow, so accustomed to doing so within the walls of the house even before their relationship took the turn they'd been waiting for. But they hadn't talked to the others yet, hadn't discussed the whole Pogue-on-Pogue macking thing. Their rule. One that had gone straight out the bus window. "I say we celebrate," he continued, moving to take out his stash, "If you wish to join me in this endeavor, do take a seat on the pull-out."

Without really thinking about it, Kiara took a seat close to JJ, accepting the hit when it was passed to her. She, in turn, passed it to John B, who coughed roughly after weeks of not practicing the habit. Sarah coughed too, simply because she never actually had time to get used to it before Pope just passed it back to JJ. "So… tell us everything," Kiara said, glancing at JJ in surprise when he didn't take a hit, "Where were you guys, why didn't you come back earlier?"

It was the first sign John B noticed. He knew things would have changed, though he never thought he would see JJ pass up the opportunity to get high as a kite. "The boat tipped," he told them distractedly, watching the glances exchanged between his friends, "We managed to signal to a passing cargo." Again, Kiara's gaze flickered to JJ, who was staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face. The weed lay forgotten. "The captain agreed to take us to Nassau." Something flared up in JJ, something dangerous and familiar. That was the second sign John B saw that helped him get some sort of understanding of how much had changed. JJ flared up, only to immediately back down when Kiara's hand slipped into his. "We got off the cargo in the Bahamas, turned gold to green," John B continued, "We stayed there a couple of days, made our way to Florida."

"We've been moving around since," Sarah added, "Miami was nice but we moved on to LA, Vegas." It had been the best, weirdest trip of her life. Spending all that time with John B had been a dream come true. "When we finally heard that my dad was arrested and sentenced, we decided that it was time to come home."

Something wasn't right, John B realized. Across from him, JJ was shaking, his expression thunderous. Beside the furious blond, Kiara looked shocked. And Pope… he was simply glancing nervously between them all. John B turned back to his best friend since the third grade, freezing at the loathing he saw written across JJ's features.

"You could've called," he said darkly, "Could've let us know you were, you know, fucking alive!" He was out of his seat and out the door before the others could stop him. He needed to vent. Smash a window, or a taillight or anything. The door behind him opened again, Kiara stepping out onto the porch. She didn't approach him, didn't try to stop his pacing, for which JJ was grateful. "They could've called, Kie," he raged, "They could've fucking told us that they were alive!" Kiara voiced her agreement but still didn't come closer. Not until he stopped pacing, not until he took the initiative and pulled her into his arms.

Sighing heavily, Pope turned away from the scene outside to focus on the one inside. "We grieved you, you know," he muttered quietly, uncomfortable with the way John B was staring at Kiara and JJ, "They told us they'd lost you and when you didn't come back or call… we thought you were dead or lost at sea or something." He looked down at his hands awkwardly, unsure of how much to tell the newly returned couple about what had gone down that night. Something told him John B wouldn't react well to learning how Kiara and JJ had leaned on each other. "JJ had no one after you disappeared, John B," he said quietly, "She fought with her parents for him, made sure he didn't turn out like his dad after you left."

"What happened to no Pogue-on-Pogue macking?"

"You're with Sarah, aren't you?"

"Sarah's a Kook."

"Technically, so's Kie."

They turned back to the window, watching as Kiara ran her fingers through JJ's hair, even as he pointed toward the house with an infuriated look on his face. Only vague words could be heard inside, most of them either curses or Kiara saying JJ's name in an attempt to soothe him. "We don't blame you for living it up," Pope continued, crossing his arms, "Would've been nice not to think you were dead though."

"Are they actually… you know?"

Pope glanced uncomfortably between Sarah and John B, contemplating the question. He really didn't know if JJ and Kiara had made things official yet. In all honesty, he didn't care all that much. Kiara kept JJ out of trouble, JJ kept Kiara grounded. If whatever they were worked for them, he was happy for them. "The morning after you guys disappeared, I walked in on them," he admitted, wincing at his choice of words when he saw both Sarah and John B's eyes widen, "Like, they weren't actually doing anything, it was just a really fucking intimate moment." Outside, Kiara was tapping her foot impatiently, arms crossed over her chest as she stared at a pacing JJ with an exasperated expression on her face.

Something about the way John B looked at their friends outside made Sarah wonder if maybe he had feelings for Kiara, even though he told her that he'd gotten over it. For the second time in her life, Sarah had to admit that she was a little envious of her old friend. The first time had been when she'd seen the four on a boat before everything happened. They'd been drinking, laughing, even dancing together, while she'd been held to Topper's side like a trophy. While she wanted to claim that John B looked at her the way he looked at Kiara at that moment, she wasn't so sure. It was a comfort when Kiara and JJ came back in, hand in hand.

"I know how you can make it up to us," JJ stated, pointing at John B, "Do it, and we're good." He was a pretty simple guy with equally simple needs. All he needed in life was food, Kiara, and…

"I guess we're throwing a party then," John B replied, grinning, "Tomorrow night, here at the Chateau."

Exhausted from a long day full of excitement and emotions, not to mention the fact that it was nearing two in the morning, the group dispersed. The arrangements were mostly what they had always been. Kiara on the pull-out, Pope on the couch on the porch. Rather than JJ taking the bedroom with whichever girl he'd convinced to sleep with him, John B and Sarah got the bed, sharing a look when their blond friend didn't even pause before he crawled beneath the blankets beside Kiara.

Neither John B nor Sarah had known what to make of Pope's comment the night before. How could anything except sex be 'really fucking intimate'? Walking into the living room the next morning, both of them realized what he meant. Like Pope had said, they weren't really doing anything. Kiara was lying on top of JJ, both of them smiling softly as they stared at each other. JJ brushed a curl behind Kiara's ear, whispering something to her that made her smile wider.

"Good morning, guys," Sarah greeted, grinning wickedly, "Been up long?"

Both Kiara and JJ groaned at the interruption, though neither were in a hurry to get away from each other. Instead, the brunette girl just slid down to lay beside her blond lover, her head coming to rest on his chest as his arms wrapped around her. "Morning," she replied, absently removing one of her loose hairs from JJ's chest, "We'll get breakfast started in a minute." Without really thinking, she stretched lazily, pressed a kiss to JJ's lips, and stood. She passed by John B and Sarah, quickly checking that Pope was still out on the porch before she locked herself into the bathroom for a shower.

In the living room, JJ stared after Kiara, smirking to himself. As much as he wished he could join her, he wasn't about to complain about watching her walk away either. He stretched too, rubbing the remnants of sleep from his eyes as he moved toward the kitchenette. "Y'all want toast or cereal," he called back to his friends, rummaging through the cabinets, "And could ya wake Pope, if we're up he'll have to get his lazy ass up too." He followed the routine he'd settled into, taking out whichever ingredients he thought Kiara could use for the omelet she usually made while fixing a pot of coffee.

"You make breakfast now," Sarah teased, leaning against the counter, "How domestic."

"Nah, Kie would kill me if I tried to cook," he joked, dropping two pieces of bread into the toaster, "I do toast and I do coffee, anything more and she thinks I'll burn the house down."

"Would you?"

"Probably."

Kiara entered the kitchen, smiling when she saw JJ whisking the eggs for the omelet. "Thanks for prepping everything," she said, hugging him from behind, "Where'd the others go?" Neither John B nor Pope were anywhere to be seen, while Sarah was helping with breakfast. She couldn't help but wonder what they'd talked about the night before, while she was outside with JJ. Had they said something that made things weird? Or wasn't John B okay with her and JJ? He'd better be, after everything he'd put them through. Especially considering what JJ's been through most of his life. The thought made her pause and place a tiny kiss between his shoulder blades. "Is that almost done," she whispered, "If it is, you should go find the guys, maybe talk."

"I don't wanna talk," JJ replied, turning around in Kiara's arms to face her, "You know I don't like talking about stuff." The look in her eyes though, begging and pleading with him to make sure there wouldn't be trouble. He didn't want that either. For the first time in his life, he had something resembling Kook life, and he refused to let their friends' reaction ruin that. The Chateau, Kiara, food on the table. "Fine, but if he's gonna be a dick about it…" Kiara nodded. Technically, John B wasn't allowed to live in the Chateau. They were, his dad didn't care and hers had given reluctant permission. With both of them working, they could just about cover rent, bills, and food. Which meant that they could kick him out. Sighing heavily, JJ kissed his girlfriend deeply before going off in pursuit of their friends. "Holler when the food's ready!"

He found them by the dock, heatedly discussing something. As he got closer, he could hear what they were saying. It sent him into a rage not unlike what he felt whenever he had to deal with his deadbeat dad. "You gonna kick us out, John B," he asked dryly, "After everything we've done for you?" He stretched his arms out, gesturing at the land around them. Land that only still belonged to the Routledge family because he and Kiara kept paid the dues. "Me and Kie, we paid the rent, we paid the bills," he told him acidly, "You can't do that, can you?" He'd stayed up most of the night thinking about it. He hadn't told Kiara his conclusions but he knew she'd thought about it too. Pope probably had as well, because he didn't look at all surprised by the accusation.

"I've got the gold."

"No, you don't," JJ argued, "Look who you're talking to, man, my dad fed me that bullshit for years." It had taken him several hours to come to terms with the revelation. But it was clear that John B and Sarah had been content to let them think they were dead, had been perfectly happy traveling around the country. He couldn't help but wonder why they hadn't come back sooner. Sure the whole Ward Cameron excuse worked for a while. But if that had been the only reason, they could've called to make sure the rest of the group knew they were alive. No, they wanted to live it up. Had torn up the East Coast. "You ran out of money, right," he taunted, "Came home 'cause you had no other choice." Pope's eyes widened as John B looked away from them, trying to figure out what to say. JJ scoffed, raking a hand through his hair. Never did he imagine that he would be in a situation where he had something John B wanted. "Can't throw us out if you'll lose the place, right?"

Kiara had just set the omelette down on the kitchen table when she and Sarah heard Pope's shout. They shared a panicked look before rushing out toward the docks. JJ was on top of John B, throwing punch after punch, with Pope trying to pry the blond off of their friend. "JJ, stop," Kiara called, watching with mild surprise when he actually listened to her, "What the hell is going on out here?" She ran her gaze over her boyfriend, stunned to see him bleeding. Almost as though…

"John B hit first," Pope told the worried girls, "JJ got the upper hand just before you guys came out here."

"That still doesn't explain what the fuck happened."

JJ let Kiara swipe blood from his chin, glaring fiercely at John B. "He wants to throw us out of the house because we're together, even though they wasted whatever they had left of the gold," he spat, "Apparently, pointing out that he needs us to keep the place warrants calling one of his best friends a slut."

"He called you a slut and punched you?"

Clearing his throat, Pope stuck a hand in the air. "Actually, he called Kiara a slut," he explained, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck, "JJ kinda just snapped that he only said it because he was jealous and apparently that hit a nerve, 'cause… well, look at 'em." He gestured awkwardly at the bruises that were starting to show on both boys' faces and JJ's chest. The air around them was still tense, simmering with barely contained anger. Pope didn't do well with that kind of tension. "Look, John B, JJ is right," he said carefully, "You can't pay the rent, or the bills, so you can't throw them out." He paced a few steps, muttering to himself. Clearly, the whole Pogue-on-Pogue macking thing was going to be a problem for John B, while the fact that he hadn't planned on coming back was going to be an issue for JJ. However, for them to stay in the same house, they needed to be reminded of the fact that, whether JJ and Kiara were dating or not, whether John B and Sarah had come back or not, they were all friends. Best friends. "C'mon guys," he pleaded, "Let's just call it even, alright?"

A moment of silence passed. Then, bloodied and bruised, JJ and John B did the group's official handshake and everything was back to normal. Kiara shook her head in exasperation, slipping her hand into JJ's. She winced at the feel of his split knuckles and carefully ran her thumb over the skin. Glancing up at him, she found him already looking at her.

"It's fine, Kie, I promise."

Still, she insisted that he let her clean him up before they ate. Once at the kitchen table, they all talked quietly about plans for the day. Both Kiara and JJ had work, her at the Wreck, and him mowing lawns. Pope had to help his dad with something. Sarah and John B had a party to plan. After eating, they clambered into the bus and drove off, dropping off Kiara and Pope at Heyward's, and JJ at some manor in Figure Eight. With their friends where they were supposed to be, Sarah and John B got started on cajoling their contacts to donate to the party.

The group reconvened at the Chateau that night. JJ was getting a fire started as people started arriving, music already blaring loudly around them. Somewhere closer to the hammock, Kiara and Sarah were discussing the importance of saving the sea with some Tourons. John B was managing the keg while Pope tried to flirt with some red-head none of the others had seen before.

Though he wasn't sure if it was the unfamiliar sight in such familiar circumstances or just the fact that he was aware of their relationship, John B found himself watching JJ. Rather than using every trick he had up his sleeve to bed an unsuspecting Touron, the blond was laughing with some guys while occasionally checking on Kiara. And whenever she asked him to dance, he did. They still did their thing, Kiara talking about the environment, JJ getting high. But there was a sort of synchronicity to it that John B had never seen before. They were fully aware of each other, yet free to be who they'd always been. Even John B had been persuaded to dance, Sarah having grabbed his hand and pulled him up before he could object. "I love you," he whispered, holding her close, "So much."

"I love you, too."

Smiling at their friends' obvious happiness, Kiara sunk into JJ's lap. He offered her the blunt that was being passed around, kissing her when she took a hit. The smoke lingered in the air between them and suddenly she couldn't wait to have him all to herself. Kiara stood, pulling JJ along with her until the bedroom door was shut and locked behind them. Without pausing to undress, she pushed him onto the bed, falling with him as he grabbed her hands. They laughed between kisses, removing pieces of clothing at their own leisure. Once there was nothing left separating them, JJ took control, lovingly coaxing her over the edge twice before he joined her.

Afterward, JJ's fingers danced over her spine. Kiara was asleep beside him, the peaceful expression on her face making him smile. Though he'd planned to do it earlier, he figured he could wait till morning to tell her he loved her.