JJ Maybank Oneshots

Too Close for Comfort

Plot- JJ gets into a fight and the insults hit close to home. Kiara tries to help him calm down.

When Kiara got the call, she thought the fight was petty. It wasn't uncommon for JJ to pull out the gun and flash it like a shiny new jewel. For him, it was almost like a precaution. She wasn't surprised that Rafe had finally gotten on his last nerve.

The difference was that JJ had fired the gun this time... and not into the sky. He tried to shoot Rafe. Thank god, he missed, but he needed a ride out of there before the cops arrived.

So Kiara jumped in her dads truck and sped to the scene. She drove around the golf course until she saw him sprinting from the snack shack.

He wasted no time yanking open the car door and getting inside. They were back on the road in less than two minutes, JJ staring out the window.

Kiara drove in a silence that got progressively more uncomfortable. He was way too quiet for his usual self. She glanced at him from the drivers seat to find his fingers interlocked in a tight knot.

She then let out a breath before attempting to question the situation. "What happened?"

"Fucking Kooks." He spat, voice rough and strained.

Kiara jumped at his sudden outburst, and then decided they would talk about it later. JJ was tense the entire way home.

***

When they arrived at the chateau, JJ was glad to see John B wasn't there. He didn't want to explain anything to Kiara, let alone his best friend.

He knew exactly what they would say. The pity that coated their words made him want to rip his hair out. They all thought he was the reckless one. It wasn't that big of a deal.

He should've just walked away, but the rage that had consumed him in that moment couldn't have been stifled. There was just no way.

"JJ?"

He didn't even look at her. His hands slowly formed fists and then released themselves in an exhausted exhale.

"You gonna tell me what-"

"No, I'm not." He bit back. "It was fucking pathetic. I should've killed him."

His eyes softened at his own words. Kiara's hand was suddenly on his back, rubbing circles and forcing him to notice his uneven breathing.

"Please?" She whispered, and his eyes welled in tears.

He quickly dried them on his tank top before rolling his eyes.

"It was just a fight. I didn't like what Rafe had to say, so I put him in his place." He bit down on his lip, and it instantly drew blood. "He's an asshole. They all are."

"What did he say?"

It was becoming harder and harder for JJ to keep his voice even.

"A bunch of bullshit, like usual."

Now her hand was on his knee, thumb moving up and down as he spoke. "What's that mean?" She inquired.

Her voice was calm, and JJ definitely didn't match it, but he did lower his tone. It was almost like a subconscious agreement to copy her. She seemed to have all the best ideas anyway.

"I don't know." He mumbled, leaning back against the sofa. She followed, practically cuddling into him.

"You don't have to tell me about it, J. I won't push. I just wanna help, you know?" He doesn't say anything, so she tells him she'll be back in a moment.

He nodded, but he still can't meet her gaze. Then she presses a kiss to his forehead. It's soft, and warm, and JJ swears nothing else in the world could've snapped him out of his blind rage.

When she comes back, she has a cotton swab and some kind of ointment. He watched as she returns to her original spot, and then meets his eyes.

"May I?"

JJ hadn't realized she saw the blood. He supposed she was asking to clean the cut, which didn't sound fun, but he knew she would worry if he said no.

His breathing has returned to normal, and he sighs. A nod comes after, and Kiara does as he predicted. A hiss follows the contact, and she whispers an apology.

Once finished, she presses her lips to his. It was only three seconds, but it was the best three seconds of his damn life. At least until she kisses him again.

Something about that kiss was intoxicating. She always had her ways of getting him to speak.

"They said shit about my dad." JJ's reluctant response rings between the two of them, ricocheting off the walls that surround them. "I don't know, I guess I lashed out. Sue me."

Kiara looked down, hand slowing to a stop with the circular movements on his back. He stiffened at her lack of movement.

"It's okay, J." She says, and he exhales lowly. "I understand, okay? You have every right to be upset."

JJ hates himself for it, but he starts to cry. They're quiet tears, and he doesn't wipe them away before Kiara sees. She's hugging him now, and he's weakly hugging back.

"I know it was dumb." He says after a moment, and his voice breaks. "But they're stupid as hell. And they knew it would get to me! It always gets to me."

"It's okay." She repeats. "They wanted a rise out of you."

"And it worked." His hands fly up in defeat before thumping back at his sides. "I fucking tried to walk away... and I-I couldn't."

"J..." His eyes meet hers, and for a split second, he looks like a totally different person. He looks small, and it matches the way he feels.

When she doesn't know what else to say, she hugs him tighter, letting her hand reach up to his hair. Kie can feel his tears on her shirt, but she pays no mind to it, instead choosing to kneed the skin on the back of his neck.

JJ falls quiet, inhaling the scent of her shirt. While large parts of him are embarrassed, he's also glad he didn't keep everything from her. It was suffocating to say in the least.

He pulls back, and she almost think he's shrinking away from her again. That is, until his lips press into hers. She melts, as surprisingly comfortable as she is shocked.

JJ can see he's actually managed to catch her off guard, and he smiles as a result. She's grinning back as she pulls away from the kiss, cheeks reddening by the second.

"Unexpected..." she deadpans, looking away.

"Was it?" He laughs. "You didn't know I could do it too?"

They're both laughing by then, feeling the tension leave the air. The conversation went better than he could've hoped for.