JJ's biggest flaw was his recklessness, and his bad ideas. Honestly, that didn't seem that bad to Bexley.
Rafe's biggest flaw? Jealousy. Pure, uncontrolled jealousy.
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a/n: so sorry for not updating my Pope/Topper story and Eddie/Billy story. I'll be trying to update both by the end of the month !
tw: dark topics, mentions of abuse
JJ was scared the next morning.
Because he woke up, still beneath the bed, still hiding. But when he turned over, he realized Bexley wasn't there beside him. Panic hit him, hard. And he felt terror encase him as he wondered if someone came in during the night and grabbed her without him even realizing.
"Shit, shit," he gasped out. He tried to raise himself up, only to slam his forehead on the bottom beam of the bed. "Fuck!" he cursed, holding his head. He didn't give himself a second of rest. He scrambled out from the beneath the bed as quick as possible. He started to shout, "Bex! Bex, are you-?!"
"I'm right here."
JJ felt a burst of relief. He relaxed instantly. His eyes found the location of where her soft, quiet voice came from. She was sitting on the floor, her back against the wall just below the window. She was there, and she was okay, and more relief came upon him.
"Oh, shit-Sorry," he apologized for yelling. Despite his terror and panic from only moments ago, he couldn't help but smile at her now, seeing her alright. "Thought an intruder got you."
"No, sorry," she apologized back. She ran a hand up her face, and forced her falling hair back behind her ears. "I just..." She brought her knees up to her chest, hugging herself. "I kind of get freaked out in small spaces. I didn't want to stay there all night."
"Shit, I didn't know it was bothering you." He wished he could stop cursing. Because he realized Bexley didn't swear that often, and he wondered if it made her uncomfortable. "You should've said something. I could've found another spot, gave you some more room."
She shrugged, barely. "I...didn't really mind when you were awake with me. I'm was glad you were there. I just got scared when you fell asleep. I wasn't able to." She didn't get a single second of sleep that night. How could she? She would have cried all night had her body not ran out of tears.
JJ's eyes softened. And he wondered, for a brief moment, if it was inappropriate to feel a spark of happiness at her words.
"I don't know if John B or Sarah are awake," she told him. More nervousness. "I should've just checked but...I was scared to open the door."
JJ understood why. The night had been long, and hectic. Rafe didn't stay away after coming by one time. He didn't just check the house and move on. He came back. And then Barry came by. And then both of them were there. They tore the rooms apart. And it seemed clear that they were looking for something, and weren't planning to stop looking for it until they found it.
And it was even clearer that Bexley was what they were looking for.
Despite the horrible life he'd lived, the awful tramatic childhood, JJ didn't think he'd ever seen anyone as devastated and terrified as Bexley had been the night before.
