outerbanks imagines.

stray bullet-john b

y/n's heart was pounding.
she worried that it'd shatter her ribcage and leave her broken inside,
but all of it was unmatched to the panic that settled in her body at the thought of john b.
all of the pogues were hiding in the tree branches above the bonfire they'd just put out,
having to hide from the threats of rafe and barry.
she couldn't help but think the worst.
and losing john b happened to be the worst thing imaginable.
y/n mentally prayed and begged to whomever remained above them to keep them safe and protected.
john b turned his head towards y/n,
noticing the fear deep in her expression.
he longed to reach out and hold her,
to tell her that it'd all be okay,
but it would have to wait.
still,
y/n could see the reassurance in those wide eyes of his.
their moment was interrupted when rafe began yelling below them,
having been so angered at their escape.
he unloaded bullets into the tree and into the air,
making y/n's heart sink to the lowest point of her stomach.
she had to hold back the scream threatening to slip past her lips.
when they finally disappeared,
john b hurried to help y/n down from the tree and embrace her.
she fell onto his chest,
relishing in the staccato of his pounding heart,
but found that white-hot pain bloomed from her stomach.
when she looked down to see the source of pain,
she was met with sticky blood;
deep crimson and staining her shirt.
her first thought was that john b was bleeding,
until she felt another burst of pain that made her cry out.
a stray bullet had hit her.
y/n collapsed onto the ground,
knees becoming bruised from the impact,
and her vision swarming.
she was losing too much blood too fast.
john b had an arm around her while trying to talk her into staying awake,
but all she could focus on was the darkness waiting to welcome her.
she hadn't heard john b's cries begging her to stay.
when she closed her eyes,
john b felt his blood become cold.
"no...no, y/n! don't do this to me!"
jj helped heave y/n into the twinkie,
though john b was much too unsteady to drive.
all he could do was stare at his y/n,
becoming drained of her color and surely her life.
"it's gonna be okay, jb,"
kie said from his side.
"yeah. she's-she's okay,"
pope added.
john b meant to reply,
but the words dried up in the cracks of his throat.
what would his life be without y/n?
he had been with her for as long as he could remember.
they had never spent a moment apart.
and when they finally decided to begin their relationship after a decade of pure friendship,
it had been nothing but bliss.
there had been a time john b doubted the idea of soulmates,
saying true love only existed in the movies.
but y/n had proved him wrong.
she loved him with every fault he had,
supported him through every crazy idea,
and never failed to make him feel comforted.
y/n was his heart in human form.
he couldn't stop his tears from spilling when he grabbed her hand into both of his,
noticing how cold they felt.
this was john b's worst nightmare,
he was living it scene by scene.
***
john b hadn't slept in days.
y/n laid in the hospital bed before him,
hooked up to so many machines that it made his head hurt.
but he would never leave her side,
not until she woke up.
"anything new?"
john b looked up to see y/n's mother coming into the room,
her eyes swollen and red to mirror john b's.
unfortunately,
he shook his head.
"no. she's still...still asleep."
her mother handed him a cup of coffee that was too bitter to truly enjoy,
but he swallowed it anyway.
his body needed the caffeine desperately.
"they said there'd be movement by now,"
john b said with a shake to his voice.
"i know...i'm worried too."
"i just hope it's soon. i really hope it's soon."

y/n had never felt so happy.
she was twirling on the tips of her toes,
being surrounded by warm air and calming sunshine.
it all felt perfect,
except for the missing piece.
but what could possibly be missing?
everything's perfect.
y/n thought to herself,
collapsing onto the ground that seemed to mold around her figure.
above her,
the sun seemed to shine brighter and brighter as though it were climbing closer to her.
it was almost tangible;
she could feel the heat emanating from it.
"please, y/n! don't leave me!"
y/n turned her head away from the expanding sun and searched for the source of the voice.
i know that voice...
"y/n, i love you! come back to me, please!"
"john b?"
y/n called out,
knowing the voice despite not being able to match a face to it.
whomever it was,
y/n knew she loved him deeply and would do anything to keep him happy.
"oh, god. y/n, no!"
y/n scrambled to her feet and ran through the field.
"i'm coming, john b!"
"i can't do this without you...please don't die!"
"i'm not going to die, john b! i'm coming!"
it didn't make sense to y/n,
why he was still so worried when she told him she was coming back to him.
the field suddenly seemed endless;
it stretched on for miles.
until she found doors that seemed to appear out of thin air.
before she entered the doors,
she turned back around to stare at the white light from afar.
it was almost heavenly,
but john b needed her.
y/n's decision was made.
she pushed through the doors and fell.

"y/n! oh my god, y/n!"
y/n winced at the bright lights above her,
though they were shielded by john b and the plethora of doctors and nurses surrounding her.
she went to speak,
but found that her voice had been taken from her.
she widened her eyes at john b.
"it's okay, angel. you're back...you're here. you're alive."
"y/n, it's your doctor. can you follow this light for me?"
she did all the necessary procedures for what felt like hours until she was cleared.
they said she was very fortunate,
having lived through a gunshot wound and come through with no brain damage.
when she had water in her system,
replenishing her once dry throat,
and ice coating her lips,
she said,
"i heard you."
john b had to lean in to hear her.
so she whispered again,
"i heard you."
"heard me when?"
"i almost went with the sun, but i heard you and came back."
john b ran a gentle hand down her cheek and smiled,
though his eyes were growing watery.
"i'm glad you came back...i don't even want to think about a life without you beside me."
"you can't get rid of me that easy, jb,"
she teased through her scratchy and quiet voice,
but it made john b laugh nonetheless.
y/n was still sore and in pain,
but having john b by her side made it somewhat easier to manage.
her pain would never be felt alone,
always shared so long as she had her love.
the passing days in the hospital,
y/n was greeted by her friends and family,
all while being alongside john b.
she begged him to go home and rest,
but he refused,
making y/n giggle every time.
then,
she was finally discharged and able to live her life again.
she spent her first day out at the beach with the pogues,
doubled over in well needed laughter that echoed throughout the city.
john b loved it more than he ever had before.
it sounded so perfect in the air,
settling well inside of him and his memories.
he would forever cherish the moments with y/n now that he saw how fickle life could be.
and as though the day couldn't possibly be more perfect,
y/n and john b reunited in the bed of the chateau when the stars covered the sky.
they were freshly showered,
exhausted from the trials of the past few weeks,
and ready to dive back into their missed moments of love.
even though the two were tired to the bone,
neither of them wanted to rest that night.
"i've never been so scared like i was then,"
john b admitted,
holding y/n closer to his chest in fear she'd slip loose from his grip.
she nestled herself against his embrace and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"i know...it was terrifying."
"promise me you'll avoid bullets in the future,"
john b joked carefully.
y/n giggled and nodded her head.
"i'll be sure to jump out of the way next time."
"no, there will be no next time."
she looked up to see that his joking expression has quickly faltered into something grim.
she laid her lips to his gently,
feeling the passion and ardency warm her veins and heal her like no medicine ever could.
their fragmented hearts were slowly coming back together,
piece by piece,
now that they realized everything was okay.
they were safe and back in each other's arms.
john b caressed y/n's cheek with the pad of his thumb and smiled softly.
"no next time for either of us,"
y/n agreed,
lying back down onto his chest.
john b traced circles against her back as she drifted off to sleep.
all he could think about was how lucky he was to be in love with someone as good as y/n.
everyday with her was a win in his eyes.
and he would do all that he could to keep her safe.
john b knew that,
should the time ever come,
he'd take a stray bullet for her.
but for now,
john b pushed aside those thoughts and cuddled up to his angel on earth,
falling asleep as easily as ever,
and as happy as ever.