Kind Of Infinite (Outer Banks)

Chapter 7

"Hey, wanna play catch at the beach?", Ava asked in excitement, when they walked past the small, hidden bay. JJ chuckled and shook his head. He put his hands into his pockets and kept walking, while Ava stumbled across the pavement just a few feet behind him. After she had broken someone's nose and had thrown up over John Bs shoes, JJ had decided to bring her home. He had been worried, but after 10 minutes of Ava singing and dancing on the street, JJ had realized that she was fine. Just totally stoned. Pope kind of stoned.

"No, we're taking you home. You need to sleep.", JJ answered and heard Ava whine dramatically.

"Stop treating me like a child.", Ava complained and went faster to catch up with the blonde boy.

"Then stop acting like one, cupcake.", JJ answered with an amused smile and looked down, when he felt how Ava wrapped her arms around his. She looked up at him with big eyes and leant her head against his arm. The girl finally stayed quiet and JJ smiled to himself. Once they reached the grey house, JJ broke the silence by knocking on the door. Avas father opened the door soon after and pressed his lips together to suppress as laugh. He leant against the doorframe as he stared down at his daughter.

"Did she get lost again? Maybe I should give you a bonus card for every time you bring home my daughter.", Trevor joked and JJ shrugged his shoulders.

"8 times of bringing her home and I get to insult her bad surfing skills for free.", JJ replied and looked down on her again.

"I hate you both.", Ava commented and shook her head, before she eventually let go of JJs arm and stepped inside the house. The both men laughed at her and Ava brushed past her father, before she turned around again. With his hands still in his pockets, JJ stood on the porch and smiled at her lightly. Ava wanted to thank him for bringing her home safely, when she suddenly felt a sting in her heart. Did anyone ever bring him home safely? Was he safe, if he'd leave now and go to his house?

"You wanna come in? I can make us a sandwich and we can have a midnight snack.", Ava asked and tried not to laugh at his sudden, shocked expression. JJ looked at her with big eyes, before he looked back at her father. Ava noticed and nudged her fathers arm. Trevor looked at her carefully, before he got the hint.

"Oh! Yeah sure, you're always welcome here.", Trevor said and awkwardly moved aside. As he noticed, that JJ still didn't show any intentions to move, he cleared his throat and went back inside the house.

"I uhm... is he fine with that?", JJ stuttered and Ava watched how his feet nervously moved around.

"Yeah, it's really fine. If you want, you can come inside.", she answered and smiled, when JJ slowly nodded. He walked inside and Ava quietly closed the door behind him. She led him through the hallway and up the small stairs, before she opened the door to her room. JJ didn't know what he had expected. Maybe fairies, unicorns and rainbows, something as soft and cute as she was. But her room wasn't like that. And the more he looked around, the more he thought that her room was just like her. Sure, she had this soft, perfect face and her cute smile could light up the world, but she was more than that. She was tough. Carefree and strong, even a little sassy. She just had this great energy, that could either put you to pure relaxation and peace, or it could make you feel, like you own the world. The wall on the left side, where her bed stood, was completely black. The phases of the moon were painted onto it and a few pictures and CDs stuck on it. Right next to her bed was a black book shelf, covered in fairy lights. A white cupboard stood on the right side and right across from JJ, a brown leather couch was placed right underneath the window. A small coffee table stood in the middle of a nice patterned carpet and was covered in books, paper and pencils. There wasn't much room between all of the furniture, as the room was quite small, but JJ liked it anyway.

"I feel like I'll die of thirst.", Ava suddenly said and pulled JJ out of his thoughts.

"Sure, that's the weed. Have you never been high before?", JJ laughed and Ava shrugged her shoulders.

"We smoked weed in Iceland, but I guess the one in Outer Banks is... stronger. After all, we get it from elves there so, you know." Ava ran her fingers through her blonde curls and JJ noticed how her knuckles had started to turn blue. He stepped forward and softly took her hand in his.

"You should really put some ice on that.", he said and ran his thumb over her knuckles like he had done earlier. Watching how his fingers ran over her skin, Ava lost herself in the feeling. Staring down at their hands, she tilted her head.

"You really need to sleep.", JJ chuckled, when he noticed how sleepy her glassy eyes had become.

"Can you stay?", Ava asked quietly and looked up at him, when he didn't answer. JJ waited for her to say something again. Something like she was just joking or brabbling herself out of it. But she didn't. All she did was look at him in peaceful silence.

"Yeah.", JJ whispered and watched how her lips turned into a smile. In less than a minute, Ava was back to the bubbly child she had been on their way back home and JJ had trouble to figure out what part of her was just high and what was sober thoughts. After he had made her take a cold shower and drink a bottle of water, she walked back inside the room with wet hair, an oversized t-shirt and shorts.

"Feeling any better?", JJ asked and made some space, when she let herself fall onto her bed face first.

"I was feeling great before. Do you need another blanket or something?", Ava replied and turned her head onto the side to look at him. JJ had his upper body leant against the headrest and his legs crossed on her bed. Unsure of what to do, he had just taken off his shoes and cap.

"Nah. What is that? Don't tell me you sleep with your socks on.", JJ said and pointed at Avas feet. She looked down at them and wiggled them around.

"Look, it's cold in Iceland, alright? It's a habit. Now stop complaining or I'll make you sleep on the couch. And only trolls sleep there. Don't be a troll." JJ laughed, but felt a little more relaxed, when he got the hint. Ava shook her head at him and turned off the fairy lights on her bookshelf, before she climbed underneath her blanket. Being on her side to face him, JJ looked down on her.

"JJ?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you rather always mistake a baby for a muffin, or change your gender every time you sneeze?"

"Oh my god, please, go to sleep.", JJ laughed and shook his head, even though Ava couldn't see it in the dark. The same way, Ava nodded her head.

"JJ?"

"What?"

"Did you know, that trolls turn into stone, if they are touched by the sunlight?"

"No, I didn't. You can tell me more about it tomorrow." Ava nodded her again and mumbled a quiet ok.

"JJ?"

"Fucking hell, I'm starting to regret staying over."

"I can't sleep." JJ sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. He finally laid down next to her, close enough that in the dim light, they could see each other's faces.

"If you'd just close your eyes, you'd fall asleep in a minute.", JJ said and placed his arm underneath his head.

"Yeah, but I like to look at you.", Ava smirked and JJ smiled. He watched her face carefully and noticed how she blinked at him sleepily. Instead of answering, JJ reached up to place his hand on her cheek. And finally, after so many days of wanting to touch her, of hours he had stared at her, his fingers finally traced the beautiful paths of moles on her face. Ava finally closed her eyes at his touch and her mind finally made it to focus on only one thing. JJ ran his thumb over her cheek one more time, before his fingers wandered to her hair. Running them softly through her blonde curls, Ava breathed in and out deeply. And just when her mind finally settled, JJ knew, that his mind wouldn't find any peace that night, if he didn't know the answer to his question. When he felt his heart melt at how Ava suddenly grabbed his t-shirt, JJ sighed and closed his eyes.

"Ava?"

"Mhm?"

"Why did you ask me to stay?"

"I like to be with you. You make me feel safe. In all kinds of ways."