𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐲

VIII. The Three Of Us.

AFTER TAKING a quick shower, Jake got dressed and stayed in his and Kie's room, texting his mom a quick update. He then adds that she might have to take care of Evie tonight as well, "hey Jay." Kie walked in through the doorway and walked over to sit down onto their bed, right next to her boyfriend.

"Hey. Everything good?" He turns to her and she sighs, before filling him in on everything about this blue crown from the book John B showed her and the others. "Hmm, sounds... promising." He said and she raised her hand to the back of his head. "You good?" She asks him and he looks at her right away. "Yeah." He nods, sighing before glancing away.

"Just kind of... freaking out. I didn't come down after my shower for a reason." He admitted and she hums. "JJ?" She asked and he just runs a hand through his hair. "I just don't know what to even say to him. Hell, it was hard to even tell you." He says to his girlfriend who just shrugs, tilting her head slightly.

"It's JJ. You can talk to him so easily..."

But she was wrong, even as they were drinking that night outside, by a little campfire and sitting around together, Jake has not spoken a single word to the Maybank boy, instead chugging beer after beer, laughing at his friends as Pope calls John B and JJ, "Sir Doofus and Sir Stoofus." While he goes to grab another beer, JJ grabs onto Jake, pulling him under his arm and John B under the other as the Routledge pulled Pope close, under his arm.

"We're doing it! We're doing this again!" JJ shouted and then looked at Jake. "And I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else." He turns to John B and Pope, "okay?" He says and Jake chuckles, trying to get away but JJ's grip was tight around him. "If we're actually gonna do it, we're going bigger." The Maybank now says, staring at John B now.

"It's going to be great."

"What is that about? Why is he--" JJ looks at Pope then back at John B, "why are you so stressed?" He asks him worriedly. "What are you stressing about?" JJ asked him. "I'm not stressed." The Routledge says. "I can see it in your eyes, I can see when you're stressed." JJ exclaims at his best friend.

"You're worried you're gonna become your dad. I get that, JB." Jake says sympathetically as JJ stared at him again. "I can tell you, that's not gonna happen, man. It's just not gonna happen. Trust me. You're good." Pope said, sort of slurring his words as he put a hand over John B's head. "Can I just say one more thing?" JJ now asked the other three.

"Yeah, what's up?" Pope asked then burped. "I love you three." JJ says, squeezing his arms around the two on either side. "Oh, God, I love you three too." John B says and Jake laughs. "Love you guys too..." He said, patting JJ's back a bit awkwardly. "I love you, Pope." JJ looks at the Heyward boy now.

"Say it, Pope. You've never really said it."

"Hey, spit it out. Say it back!" JJ exclaims. "Say it, dude." Jake said but Pope walks away, really close to puking. After they helped out Pope, Jake tells them he has to go charge his phone and walked away from the others. Inside the house, he charged his phone at a random outlet in the kitchen when JJ walked in. "Hey, hey, I just wanted to say I hope it wasn't weird. What I said outside, to you guys. Because I do, like with all of you." He tells Jake.

"Hmm, yeah, I know... You're the bestest friend we all have." He refuses to look at the blond, texting his mom pretty quickly before he looks up, smiling at the boy now. "I just... always feel, like, I make you uncomfortable... I don't know." JJ sighed, looking down at his can of beer in between his hands. "You never make me uncomfortable, Jay." Jake said and the Maybank slowly looks up at him.

That's when he couldn't help himself, raising both hands to either sides of JJ's face and closing the gap between them by connecting their lips together. Jake kissed him passionately, a hand at the back of JJ's head as he tasted the Busch Beer off his lips, his arm snaking around the Maybank's waist all while JJ's hands go over his arms, before pushing him back. "Woah, woah..." JJ says, alarmed as he stepped back from the Lennox boy.