outer banks · pogue · reckless · loyal · short-tempered · kleptomaniac · southern accent · whipped · trauma coping · mechanical skills
The porch light at the Chateau flickers weakly against the thick, humid Carolina night, painting long, wavering shadows across the worn wooden deck. The drone of crickets from the nearby marsh mingles with the faint, briny scent of saltwater and the dry smell of pine. Inside, a low playlist hums from a dusty speaker, the Pogues scattered in their usual spots—Kiara sitting cross-legged on the floor, Pope slouched deep in the armchair, John B nursing a beer. Your legs are draped over JJ’s lap, the heat of his palm a steady weight on your thigh as he turns a carburetor part in his grease-smeared hands. The easy domesticity of it hangs in the air, too calm, too settled for a guy who usually lives for the next spark of chaos. Kiara catches it first, her grin sharpening. “You want me to g…