Paradise Falls ||JJ Maybank||

[8] Something Died

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The morning sunlight filtering through the curtains brought with it a harsh reality. As I stirred from my slumber, a scratchy sensation clawed at the back of my throat, a painful reminder of the events of the previous night.

With a groan, I peeled my eyes open, only to find myself alone on the couch. It took me a moment to register that JJ was sprawled out on the floor, his form a tangle of limbs and tousled hair. I knew he hadn't intended on sleeping down there; we've comfortably shared the couch bed and Big John's bed in John B's place more times than I could count.

"J, get up," I muttered, using my foot to nudge him awake. Despite my own reluctance to face the day, the urgency of our situation left me with no choice. "We gotta check on John B."

JJ groaned in response, his movements sluggish as he propped himself up into a seated position. "Why the fuck am I on the floor?" he mumbled, rubbing a hand over his tousled hair.

I offered a nonchalant shrug, my voice strained as I spoke. "Must've fell off the couch in your sleep," I replied, wincing at the roughness of my own voice.

Leaning back against the couch, JJ regarded me with a mixture of concern and amusement. "You alright from last night?" he inquired, his gaze searching my face for any signs of distress.

I shrugged, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I recalled the events of the previous evening. "Do I sound alright to you?" I asked, my voice cracking with fatigue. "My vocal cords feel like they've been through a cheese grater."

A chuckle escaped JJ's lips, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he leaned his head against my leg. "At least you don't look like you've been through a cheese grater, but you do sound like-" he began, a playful grin tugging at his lips.

"Finish that sentence and I swear to you I'm gonna yank your hair so hard you'll scream," I threatened, though the corners of my lips twitched with amusement.

Undeterred, JJ's smirk only widened. "That would be hot," he remarked, earning himself a smack in the face with a nearby pillow.

As I began to rise from the couch, JJ's words echoed in my mind, spurring me into action. "I have to pee then we are gonna go by the chateau," I announced, making my way to the bathroom. "Do me a favor and don't raid my house."

"Trust me, I don't want any of your crap," JJ called after me, his voice carrying a hint of laughter.

Emerging from the bathroom, I found JJ in the kitchen, his expression contorted in disgust as he peered into the refrigerator. "What'd you do?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Nothing, man!" he protested, his voice muffled by the fabric of his makeshift mask. "Open that and tell me it doesn't make you want to die."

Reluctantly, I obeyed, bracing myself for the onslaught of foul odors as I swung open the refrigerator door. The stench that assaulted my senses was nothing short of putrid, a noxious blend of rotten eggs and spoiled milk. "Fucking hell!" I exclaimed, slamming the door shut in a futile attempt to contain the smell. "My god, I cannot deal with this right now."

JJ's mischievous grin only widened as he proposed a solution to our olfactory woes. "How long can you hold your breath?" he asked, his eyes glinting with mischief.

Rolling my eyes, I resisted the urge to laugh at his antics. "I'm not kissing you right now," I retorted, fully aware of the way JJ's thought process works.

Chuckling, JJ took out a black bandana from his pocket, his hands deftly tying it around his face to shield himself from the offensive odor. "Let's make this quick," he declared, brandishing an empty cardboard box as we prepared to tackle the malodorous task ahead.