Together

7. Playing Chicken

We have so much in common
We argue all the time
You always say I'm wrong
I'm pretty sure I'm right
-Khalid

JJ and Kie are driving back from the lookout point in Shoupe's truck. Kie grabs his hand and holds it over the center console. JJ looks over to her and smiles softly. She returns it, biting her lip and giving him a look through hooded eyes. He wonders if she is still thinking about it. He definitely was.

What a fucking great night.

He can't even believe it, honestly. He was nervous that the date was going to be cheesy or not nearly what a date should be but of course, Kie seemed like she loved it. He immediately relaxed when she breathed out her response to the view. He picked the location because he believed it was the best lookout point in Kildare.

Before all the bullshit of the last summer he'd come to the spot a lot. Just him and his thoughts. Usually when he was having issues or trying to work out a problem he could find clarity there. He spent more than one night there thinking about Kie. When she was gone in her kook year, then when she was with Pope for that brief time.

So when he thought of a date with her that was the spot he wanted to take her. Replace all his ugly talks with himself about how she was too good for him and he didn't deserve her with her physical presence. As if to say, fuck you I got her. Maybe even, fuck you she wants me.

And what a presence she was.

Her falling apart in his hands was more than he thought he'd ever have. God, he'd thought about what that moment would be like a thousand times but none of those made up scenarios came close to how it felt to make her go over the edge in real life.

It wasn't expected, but he should've known she would offer to send him over his own edge. He declined, playing it off with a joke.

"I don't expect you to put out on the first date, Kie," he said, with a smirk. She, of course, rolled her eyes before pulling him into a kiss. 

He didn't want to end the night on him. He wanted it to be about Kie tonight, only her. To have her leaving thinking about him and how he made her feel.

Him pleasing her was a way of reassuring himself that he could be enough for her, as stupid-insecure as that sounded. That he could fulfill her sexual desires, maybe even add a few to her list. That she would continue to want him in part because of that.

Mission accomplished, he thought.

"Am I taking you to Sarah's or the chateau?" He asked as they pulled onto to main road and started to head through the Cut.

Before Kie could answer a flash of red and blue lights illuminated behind them. Kie turns around to eye the Kildare Police car that had come up behind them.

"Fucking great," JJ mutters, leaning his elbow on the windowsill and running his hand through his hair. He wasn't even sure why he was being pulled over.

"It's okay," Kie assures. "You didn't do anything wrong, just pull over."

JJ sighs, rolling his eyes and irritated with the pending situation, but does what she says and pulls over to the side of the road. He takes a deep breath as he puts it in park and waits for the officer to come to his window.

"Hey," Kie says, pulling his attention back to her. He's fidgeting and nervously biting his nail. "Jayj, it's okay."

Her reassuring smile, though appreciated, is not reciprocated. JJ hates cops. His father's reputation followed him before he ever even made an illegal move. They looked at him like he was a ticking time bomb. He felt like it most of the time. It was frustrating to be watched like that and he never got used to it.