PARADISE ON EARTH ( jj maybank ! )

THREE. Non Existent Brother-In-Law

( PARADISE ON EARTH ! )

— gold can't get the things we really need
don't let the good life pass you by —

DONT LET THE GOOD LIFE PASS YOU BY — CASS ELLIOT

I GROANED THE MOMENT. I woke up, realizing the mess that had happened the night before. Hurricane Agatha hit the outer banks, and I just knew everything would be hell from now on.

I stood up from the very comfortable couch at the château, making my way to the kitchen to serve myself a hot cup of coffee. On the way there, I looked out the window, already spotting chaos outside, but that was just a part.

I heated some water, and while I waited for it to bubble up, I grabbed the mashed coffee and a little spoon. I look at my surroundings, mentally noting that I should help John B clean this place later. I also saw JJ sleeping shirtless on the other couch, with his face smashed into the cushion; I wondered if he could even breathe.

The shirt and shorts I was wearing were pretty comfortable. However, I was still a little bit cold because of the wind flowing through the house, so I searched through a pile of clothes and bed sheets to try and find a hoodie; Lucky for me, I did, so I put it on, and immediately felt my entire body warm up thanks to the fabric.

When the water was boiling now, I turned off the fire and poured the liquid inside the mug, to then proceed to drop the grains in it and mix very well, I would typically add some cream and sugar, but for some reason, John B has none of those. I opened the door that led outside and walked a few steps to lay on the hammock hanging from a pair of trees.

I was relaxed, something that didn't happen too often; I sipped my coffee, staring at the birds fly a few meters away from me; the water moved calmly in the direction of the breeze, and so as the grass. A couple of minutes passed, and I could feel my eyes closing up; my eyelids felt heavy, and my extremities started to soften; I didn't want to drop all the hot liquid on me, so I placed the mug on the ground, returning to my initial position.

I almost drifted away when I heard the door open again, and far away, John B's voice complaining about the hurricane's aftermath; his steps came closer and closer when he spotted me.

"Hey, Lari. I was wondering where you were." The brunette kept approaching me; he pushed me slightly, scooting me away for him to lay down on the hammock with me. I whined, moving away from the center as his weight tilted the hammock to his side. "Whatcha think?"

"I think we're gonna have to clean all this," I answered as I turned my head to stare at him, raising my index finger and moving it in a circular motion to indicate our messy environment.

"Yeah, but it's not so bad if we do it together, right?" He looked at me, a grin plastered on his face. I debated whether I should've answered something loving or just a snarky remark.