𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲

forty: To John B.

        

     IT'S BEEN a while. The group now all stand together, well what remains of the group, Pope, Kie, Kai and JJ. Pope chops at the wood of the tree as Kai torched the tip of the metal tool that JJ was holding up, which his boyfriend now uses to write John B's name.

Kai torched it some more as JJ finished off, John B Routledge. P4L and the year the boy was born, and this year. Kai turns off the torch, JJ turning to him and leading him towards Kie and Pope standing together. JJ now passes beers to Kie and Pope, and then Kai.

"To John B." He raised a flask. "And to Sarah." Kie says softly, glancing over at JJ and Kai standing together before ahe looked over to Pope standing on the other side of her. They all raise their drinks then all of them take a shot out of them. Kie puts the last thing that goes in the box, kneeling down and setting it into a little hole they had dug up. All four of them grab a flower each they set onto the top of the box before they all push the sand, burying it.

That night, Kai and JJ were in Kai's room together, holding each other close as JJ softly sighed into his neck. "Kai..." He whispered softly and Kai brushed his hair. "Yeah?" He says and JJ begins kissing his cheek, "can we..." He trailed off, reaching down slowly.

He reached for Kai's belt, grabbing the belt buckle and the other just looked around, "um... I'm actually pretty tired, J... can we try again... tomorrow or something?" He says, shrugging and JJ just leans up, kissing his cheek. "Yeah... that's okay." He nodded quickly.

Kai smiles softly, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek before he laid down, flipping over. JJ wraps his arms around Kai's waist, kissing his neck gently before closing his eyes. "I love you..." JJ whispered quietly. "I love you too, JJ." Kai responds with, rubbing JJ's hands that were right above his stomach.

"School starts soon..." Kai sighed, leaning back towards JJ who reached up, touching his face gently. "Yeah... That's why I wanna spend the rest of summer before school having fun." He whispers and Kai chuckles, "we can do that tomorrow night, okay? I'm tired." He says and JJ grins, leaning closer to him.

"I have work tomorrow... but you better be ready when I come home." He whispers and Kai rolls his eyes. "We can't do that here... we can go to John B's..." He says and JJ nods, "I'll meet you there then, mi amor." He says before kissing Kai gently on the cheek.

"Yeah..."

The next day however, when JJ got back, it wasn't at the end of his shift. He walked in, looking upset and angry so Kai got up, "hey, what's up?" He says, watching as Kai walked towards the boy. "You know, that ex of yours? Sterling? Or whatever, him, Kelce, Topper, they were all talking shit about John B. Everyone there was!" He says and Kai sighs, "you... lost your job?" He says quietly.

"Yeah... not like I wanna work around those assholes any longer anyway." He says and Kai walks over to him, raising his hands. He caresses JJ's face gently with his thumb before pulling him into a tight hug, rubbing his back gently as they did. JJ hugs back, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath.

"You owe me a night of really hot, steamy sex, Kai." JJ whispered suddenly and Kai laughed, pulling back from him as he laughs, pushing JJ's face away. The blond laughs, not letting go of his waist and holding him close.

"No, but seriously, I really wanna get some stuff off my mind right now. And it's either you, weed or drinking that helps..." He says, stepping closer before he smiles widely. "Let me do all three." He says and Kai just rolls his eyes.

"Maybe not all three... but, uh, I unfortunately have to head home right now. But I swear I'll be back tonight..." He says and JJ just nods, glancing away. "My mom wants to talk to me and I'm sure it won't take long. I'll take a shower... and get ready for later on." He says before grabbing JJ's face, leaning in.

He presses a kiss to JJ's face, then smiled softly as he rubs his thumb along JJ's cheekbone. "I'll see you tonight." He leans in and JJ holds his hand over Kai's mouth, "if I kiss you now, I won't stop, Kai..." He whispered.

Kai grins widely, "I'll see you." He kissed JJ's palm gently before grabbing his bag and leaving. These past few days, he's been staying at the Chateau with JJ, watching after the place for John B. One, mostly because JJ doesn't live at his home anymore after he walked out, and two, they like being alone there.

At home, Kai walked in and set down his bag, groaning as he stretched. "Mom?" He walks into his home and Aurora sighs, glancing up at her son. He entered the kitchen, she sat there, drinking cheap wine with beer, weed and condoms on top of the table. "You seriously really need to hide these better..." She says, sipping the white wine in her glass.

"Mom... I'm a teenager, what do you expect?" He says and pursed his lips together as she sighs, crossing her arms. "I don't think you should go back to the Chateau..." She says and he scoffs. "What? Why?" He says right away and she shrugs. "You're let off the hook too much now, Kai... You're going off the rails and... I don't like who you hang out with, truth be told." She says and he just stared at her.

"You love John B and JJ..." He says and she points. "Loved... Past tense. John B is... gone and JJ has become a bad influence on you. I don't know much about Pope and Kiara to tell you my opinion on them but I don't think they're good influences either." She says, shaking her head. "Mom, I really love JJ and I believe that John B is alive, out there and... you can't control who I hang out with." He says.

"Oh, but I can, Kai. I'm your mother. You're only seventeen years old." She says and he grimaced. "Fine then I'll get emancipated..." He says and she laughs. "We're Pogues, we don't get emancipated, divorced..." She says and he sighs. "Stop bringing him up." He says quietly and she just looked down.

"I just don't want the same happening to you, Kai... I don't want you being let down like I was when I was your age. I don't want you to end up disappointed and stuck in this stupid place like I did." She says, glancing up.

"I won't... I promise, mom."

AUTHORS NOTE
oh my god they're back... kai and jj <3 i really missed writing for this book 😭