𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐈𝐄 ¹- jj maybank

𝟎𝟏𝟒; 𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴

SEASON 1
EPISODE 3

"Fuck no, I don't dance."

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         ROCK MUSIC POURED from the Twinkie's speakers as it pulled up outside The Wreck, the familiar beachfront restaurant owned by Kiara's parents. The Pogues tumbled out of the car, grinning and stretching after their latest adventure.

"Stealing drones makes you hungry," Kiara said, swinging the car door shut behind her.

JJ stretched his arms above his head, gazing longingly at the restaurant. "What I would do to a beer and some shrimp and grits right now." He practically drooled as he hopped out, the scent of seafood and frying oil drifting from the kitchen.

The group entered, calling out a greeting to the familiar faces of Kiara's parents working behind the counter. The bustling kitchen was a comforting backdrop of activity, but Mike, Kiara's father, quickly noticed Victoria, and his face lit up with surprise.

"Victoria?" he asked, setting down a pan with an incredulous smile. "Holy— I haven't seen you in so long! How are you?"

Victoria's face softened with a warm smile. "Hello, sir! I'm good, thank you. How's the business going?" She stepped forward to greet him, her presence bringing back memories of her old part-time job at The Wreck. Unlike Kiara's other friends, Victoria had earned a warm place in Mike's heart for her helpfulness and charm.

Mike gave a tired sigh, nodding with a weary smile. "It's stable, quite all right. But the power's still down, hasn't been turned on once since the storm hit," he said, shaking his head with frustration.

"Just bad luck from the storm," Kiara chimed in, stepping up to her dad and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug, showing rare affection.

Mike squeezed her back, patting her shoulder. "Yeah, I'll be sure to tell the banks that," he joked, though there was an edge of stress in his voice.

After a pause, Kiara looked up at him hopefully. "Guess now's not the best time to ask for free food for me and my friends?" She glanced over at the boys, who gave hopeful waves.

Mike gave them a skeptical once-over, shaking his head. "Look at them. They're like greedy pelicans. Kiara, I told you to stop hanging around with these guys," he muttered, but his words held more concern than malice.

Kiara's gaze dropped. "Well, everybody at the Kook Academy hates me, Dad."

Mike crossed his arms, frowning. "That's because you never gave them a chance." His eyes softened, glancing at Victoria. "And, plus, Victoria goes there now, right?"

Victoria nodded, offering him a supportive smile.

Kiara scoffed, crossing her own arms defiantly. "I did give them a chance, Dad. They care more about shoes than surfing. What am I supposed to do with that?"

Mike sighed, his face torn between frustration and sympathy as he looked back at the Pogues. After a long pause, he finally relented. "Well, I got a batch I was just about to throw out. Might as well go to good use."

Kiara's face broke into a huge grin, and she hugged him again, bouncing a little with excitement. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Victoria's face lit up as well, mouthing a grateful "thank you" to Mike before they made their way over to a booth, the boys following with relieved expressions as they sank down into the seats.

After a few minutes, Mike brought out plates piled high with food—shrimp and grits, fries, and a steaming basket of fried fish. The Pogues dove in with whoops of excitement, passing around plates, elbows bumping as they piled on helpings, laughing and talking over one another.

Amid the clinking silverware and shared laughter, Kiara nudged John B with a smirk. "Come on, dance with me!" she called over the music that was now playing in the background. John B hesitated, his cheeks pink, but eventually, he grinned and got up, joining her in the small open space by the booth.

As the two of them spun and laughed to the beat, JJ, seated across from Victoria, leaned close with a smirk, lowering his voice. "She wants him," he murmured, his gaze never leaving her face.

Victoria chuckled, her eyes meeting his in a knowing look. "It's so obvious," she replied, happy to see her friends in good spirits.

As the music shifted to a more upbeat song, Victoria felt a playful impulse and reached across the table, grabbing JJ's hand. "Get up," she said, tugging him up.

He gave a mock sigh, but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Fuck no, I don't dance," he protested, though he made no real effort to pull away. But Victoria was already moving, her hand slipping into his as she drew him out of the booth.

"You do now," she teased, starting to sway to the rhythm, her smile infectious.

JJ rolled his eyes with an exaggerated sigh but couldn't help himself. He started moving with her, mimicking her steps with a slightly awkward but endearing effort. As the beat picked up, he grew bolder, adding in goofy spins and over-the-top dance moves that made her laugh.

"Okay, okay, thought you'd be shitter at this," she teased, grinning as she held onto his hand to keep her balance through one of his dramatic twirls. For a brief moment, their faces were close, their laughter fading as they held each other's gaze.

"You're better at this than I thought," JJ murmured, his smirk softening as he looked down at her, still holding her hand. His voice had a quiet warmth to it that was rare for him, something gentler behind the usual bravado.

Victoria's cheeks flushed slightly, but she kept her cool, leaning in closer with a playful grin. "You might be surprised what I'm good at," she replied, arching an eyebrow.

JJ's eyes sparkled with intrigue, his bravado slipping just enough to reveal a hint of something deeper. But before he could respond, the song shifted, and Victoria pulled him into a faster-paced dance, their hands still intertwined as they laughed and spun across the small space.

From the booth, Pope watched them, looking slightly left out. Noticing his gaze, Victoria motioned him over, still holding JJ's hand. "Come on, Pope, don't just sit there," she encouraged, tugging JJ along to include him.

Pope hesitated, but JJ threw him a grin. "Loosen up for once, man."

With a small smile, Pope finally joined in, his initial awkwardness melting away as they all danced together, laughing and losing themselves in the music. For a while, everything else—drones, treasure, trouble—faded away. The Pogues were just friends, dancing, laughing, and making memories together in the warm glow of The Wreck.

As the song came to an end, JJ looked at Victoria, a faint flush on his face. "Hey, thanks," he muttered, almost shyly.

"For what?" she asked, tilting her head.

JJ shrugged, trying to brush it off. "For, y'know— making me dance." He glanced away, the corners of his mouth quirking up in a soft smile.

Victoria squeezed his hand, grinning. "Anytime, JJ."

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Word count 1219
Short chapter but cute, more JJ and V content to come, I promise, but be patient since this is a slowburn kinda