Alone Together • JJ Maybank

Forty Three.

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The now familiar sound of seagulls squawking outside quietly echoed through my bedroom window, but I kept my eyes forced closed, not wanting to open them and see daylight just yet. I felt arms tighten around me, encouraging me to snuggle into the warm chest and take a moment to appreciate the scent of the body beside me. JJ and I had fallen asleep wrapped up in each other and hadn't moved all night.

After enjoying the quiet moment for a little while longer, I eventually forced one eye open to glance over at the clock. It was nearly 9am, meaning the others would be here soon to prepare for today. In that moment I wanted nothing more than to lock the doors and forget about everyone and everything else for today and just stay here with JJ. But I bargained with myself that we could do exactly that as soon as today was over with, if I just got up now.

Prying myself as gently as possible from JJ's arms, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. "Where are you going?" His words all blurred into one as he groaned sleepily while rolling closer towards me and slinking his arm over my lap to keep hold of me. I glanced back at him with a content smile on my face. His eyes were still closed as he now buried his head into my pillow, with his other arm wrapped underneath it.

I leant back towards him, brushing his wild hair out of his face and running my thumb gently over one of the cuts on his face. "We've gotta get up baby. John B's fishing trip should be finished by now." I brought my face down to his, kissing the bruising gently as I whispered in his ear. He hummed peacefully into the pillow as I sat back up again, pulling my body away from his hold. "That gold's not going to excavate itself." I encouraged playfully as I grabbed some fresh clothes to change into.

He groaned again, reaching aimlessly for my body that was no longer within his reach. "Just another hour? It'll still be there then. It's not going anywhere." He whined, peaking out of one eye at me.

"You're so not a morning person, are you?" I chuckled as I walked back to him, reaching for his hands to pull him up. He held onto his sleepy dead-weight, with his head rolling back exaggeratedly. "Come on, JJ! I'll make it worth your while..." I teased when he flopped backwards again.

"OK, I'm up! I'm up!" He sat bolt upright at my words with a cheeky grin on his face as I walked out of my bedroom towards the bathroom.

When I came back, I saw him looking in the small mirror hanging on my wall. One of his hands was brushing his hair back while he was using the other to inspect the wounds on his face. "Does it hurt?" I asked as I walked back into my bedroom.

JJ jumped back from the mirror a little bit, not noticing me re-enter the room. "Uhh, no. Well, a little bit. Nothing I'm not used to." He mumbled quickly. I nodded, knowing he didn't want to get back onto the topic. Instead he sat back down on the edge of my bed, watching as I brushed out my knotty hair and finished getting ready.

"Ready?" I spun around to ask him when I was finished. He nodded, standing to follow me out as I turned towards the door, but his hand grabbing mine and pulling me back to face him stopped me.

"Abby, wait..." He suddenly looked nervous as he leaned in to kiss me quickly before glancing down at his feet like an embarrassed school boy. I couldn't help but smile at his shyness, but my eyebrows furrowed at the unexpectedness of it.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He was still holding my hand in between us as we stood facing each other.

"I- er..." He started mumbling, his cheeks blushing a faint red shade as he looked back at my eyes. "Shit! I've, er, never done this before."

"What? Kissed a girl?" I giggled, not understanding what this rare nervousness was about. "Because, unless you've got amnesia, you definitely have. And you're definitely very good at it." JJ let out a breath as he laughed at my words before running his spare hand through his hair again.