Together

29. Happy Birthday Kie

Sometimes all I think about is you
Late nights in the middle of June
-Glass Animals

JJ groans as the alarm on his phone goes off. He rolls on his side and nearly collides with Kie, who is dead to the world on top of her pillow. He meets her face to face, admiring her features while she sleeps. His eyes trace over the freckles on her nose, the smoothness of her bronze skin, and the small scar above her right eye from the accident some months ago.

It's been a week since Kie confronted Mike, packed her bag and stormed out of her house, swearing she wouldn't be coming back.

They were at Sarah's. JJ hadn't spent a night away from her since they got back together. Either he would stay with her at Tanny Hill or she would sneak through his window at his place. She wouldn't go back to her house, though.

Mike hadn't come up to him at his work since the last time, though JJ kept a watchful eye. Kie told him that Anna claimed to not have had any idea that Mike was threatening to send her away or that he had seriously looked into boarding schools. That did nothing to appease JJ's anxiety over her potential of being taken away. He didn't trust either of them.

For that reason he begged her to tell them that they remain broken up. He couldn't handle it if he was the cause of her being sent away.

When JJ told her about Mike trying to get a restraining order Kie was convinced that he was showing desperation and that her mom wouldn't cave and allow her to be sent away so they were safe. It was that desperation that scared him though. Desperate people do stupid things and he didn't want to risk it with Kie.

Meanwhile Kie hadn't actually even spoken to her parents in the last week. Anna had called her several times but she didn't pick up. Just texted her back saying she was fine and wouldn't be coming home again.

JJ was beginning to get worried that they were running out of time. Eventually her parents would demand she return home. She wasn't like him or John B. She had parents that gave a shit. And honestly, until he started living with Shoupe he didn't think he understood that. But he does now. And when Mike and Anna come to get her, they would have to make a decision about what to tell them.

Kie didn't want to hide the relationship the way JJ did. She was sick of pretending, and look what happened the last time she lied to them about it. They found out anyway and it was nearly the end of them.

JJ reached over Kie to grab his phone, and she stirred when his arm brushed hers while doing so. She hummed as she opened her eyes, happy to be waking up with him so close.

"Hey," she whispers.

"Just tell them I left," he pleads.

"JJ.." she says annoyed. He was always doing this lately. Taking a perfectly good moment and turning it into how to deal with their relationship and her parents. She wasn't going back, so why did it matter?

"C'mon Kie," he says. "I'm freaking out, alright? You haven't been to the Wreck in days, your mom is calling all the time, God only knows what Mike is gonna do."

Kie groans in frustration. She sat up, throwing off the comforter and striding across the guest room to the en suit.

She starts to wash her face. As she rinses the face wash she feels two hands slide across her waist, and a chin rests on her shoulder when she straightens up. He comes at her much softer now.

"I'm just scared, Kie," he murmurs. She silently sighs, meeting his eye in the mirror. Him being this open with a vulnerability like fear is significant. JJ has always been more open with her than others, but even that had its limits. Of course he was scared. He broke up with her to keep her in Kildare, obviously he'd be worried to be with her openly after that.