Too Much (Sequel to Baby Pogue) // JJ Maybank

16. coca-cola

"You look stressed." JJ stated as he stood in front of Avie's apartment door, River leaning against his leg. She had just woken up from her nap in the car though the car ride was short since they were only coming from John B's place. He had watched her while JJ was at work today.

"Thanks." Avie replied bluntly as she walked away from the door.

JJ chuckled to himself and let him and their little girl inside, closing the door behind him, "What's goin' on?"

It had only been a week since their.. night together. Things had been going better than they ever had since their breakup. It had gotten awkward a few moments here and there but overall, the energy had changed immensely. They were able to joke with each other, they spoke about their situation when they knew they were both in the right state of mind, and they even took a nap together on Avie's bed one day by accident.

A couple days ago JJ was helping get River to take a nap before he left when he fell asleep thanks to not getting much sleep himself the night prior. Coincidentally, Avie had also not slept well the night before thanks to the new baby, and while feeding him his bottle next to River and JJ, she had passed out.

They both woke up quite confused and rushed to remove themselves from the bed. They prefer not to talk about it.

JJ knew the boundaries that Avie had put up. He did not want to jeopardize how well things were going. That and he even had given himself some boundaries since their night together.

He wanted her back.

He wanted her back so bad.

But he knew pushing and prying at her will only make her push him further away and that was the exact opposite of what he wanted out of her. He wanted her to be his again. She still was. In a way. He felt anyway.

So, he had given himself the rule not to lead her on. He did not want to make things into something that it was not. Not only would that push her away, but it would hurt him more in the end even though all he wanted to do was get her back.

River followed closely, too tired to even acknowledge her mother. Normally it would offend Avie if River didn't greet her but today she was too stressed to even let it upset her.

Avie sighed as she threw herself on the couch, "My mom said Daylon is getting worst."

JJ noticed the cot set up by the couch instead of her bedroom then sat on the opposite end of the couch from Avie, "Alright, what's that gotta do with you? How's that your problem?" He looked into the cot and felt his world light up when he saw his son stirring in his sleep, breathing peacefully as he laid there.

"One babysitter down." She looked at him.

JJ laughed slightly, "That much is true." He took his eyes off Skye and focused on Avie.

She smiled and rolled her eyes, "I'm kidding. He admitted to not taking his meds, my mom knows he's talking to some girl, and now she's scared that he's gonna hurt her." She paused as she looked down at her hands in her lap, "Like he tried with us before he was on medication."

JJ looked down as he thought about her words then looked at her again, "Is there anything you can do about it?"

She shook her head, "No."

"Then don't worry about it." He placed his hands behind his head as he kicked his feet up on the coffee table. River climbed up on the couch and crawled over his lap, kneeing him in the process, and sitting herself between her parents.

Avie sighed and smiled sadly at her daughter, "I don't want him to hurt her."

"Who? Riv?" JJ rested his arm above her head on the couch.