The Bends - JJ x Kiara

Flashback

(This chapter takes place right after chapter 2)
•
(Rafe)

I mean this with all sincerity.

I don't give a flying fuck that my sister's dead.

She always stole my thunder. Dad loved her best. Treated her as such.
I was the black sheep.
He couldn't care less.
Kicked me out of my own house. Tried to take Sarah with him to the Bahamas.
Why not ME??
What's wrong with me?
I've never done anything but try to impress his old ass.
Just like when I shot Sheriff Peterkin.
I saved him. I saved his ass.
It wasn't Sarah. It was me.

Here I am. Standing by my father's side. In a tight, scratchy as fuck black suit.
Tears rolled silently down his bearded face.
He didn't make any noise. He just let his emotions run free.
Mourning Sarah.
But me?
This is what I wished for all along.
Once we were done, Rose came up to hug me. Wrapped her arms around my neck. When she pulled back, she said;
"I'm so sorry about your sister, Rafe. I respected her as much as I did you."

I let crocodile tears run freely down my face.
"It'll be ok. We'll be ok. Eventually."
Once she turned away,
And once I wiped the fake tears off of my cheeks,

I tried to hide my smile.
•
(Kiara)

I woke up.
Sand was sticking to my hair. My body.
I propped myself up on my elbows.
I was still where I was; looking out to sea with JJ.
Except the sun was rising. Not setting.

What had happened?
JJ was sleeping quietly next to me.
He was resting his head on his arms.
The wind was blowing gently through his soft waves of hair.
A wave of deja vu rushed over me.
The night before they went missing.
JJ and I.
Every day, the memories came back more and more vivid.
I felt myself get hot at the thoughts that coursed through my brain.
I remembered what his moans had sounded like.
But, it happened once.
I pushed it to the back of my head.

I giggled to myself.
I reached over and lightly smacked him on the cheek, which made him flinch. His eyes flew open, and on instinct, his hands balled into fists.
Once he saw it was me, he relaxed completely.

"Jesus, Kie?? What the fuck??? I was having a nice dream, y'know." He sat up. A few seagulls cried in the distance.

"Sorry. But the sun's already risen, dumbass. I wasn't going to let you sleep all day."

He gave me a sarcastic look, as he pushed himself off of the sand, wiping it from his swimming trunks.

"I need to take a leak."

Right before he was able to take another step, I instinctively grabbed his hand.

"Wait."

His eyes met mine, expectantly.
So blue.

"JJ- we need to put some ointment on your cuts."

I ran my thumb over a long slash that ran down his lower arm. This time, he didn't wince. He let me stroke his scars. Lightly. Gently.

A small smirk appeared on his face, and he intertwined his hand with mine.

"Fine. Only if we can go surfing someday soon?"

He pulled me up on my feet, using his strength, letting out an "oof".

I flashed him a giant smile.

"Sure."
•
(JJ)

Ok. I gotta keep my cool.
It's not a big deal.
Just Kiara applying oil (which looks like lube) to my cuts.
It stings. I flinch every now and then. She calms me down right after.
I'm sitting on the edge of the bathtub, and she's standing in between my legs. Dabbing a piece of cotton on my face.
She didn't need to know where the face wounds came from.
As much as I wanted to look at her chest right now, I just let my eyes stay shut.
I tried to fight off some demons in my head.
Her voice helped with that.
The voices were telling me to do things I needed energy for. Bad things. Things that would hurt. Hurt so bad.
Fuck. I need a therapist.
Actually, fuck going to a therapist. I hate talking about my feelings.
Fuck, she smelled good.
She always does.
Her hair fell on my shoulders. One hand caressing my jaw, the other on my forehead, dabbing the cotton.