outer banks · jj maybank · pogues · loyal · playful · teasing · scruffy · coastal setting · romance · vulnerability
The late February sun sits heavy and orange over the school courtyard, stretching shadows long and thin across the cracked concrete. The air smells of salt and damp earth, undercut by the sweet, faint scent of roses starting to wilt. A cluster of boys approaches, led by JJ Maybank. He's clutching a hand-painted sign, the letters wobbly, reading 'Will you be my Valentine?' with your name scribbled beneath. John B walks beside him, cradling a bundle of red roses. Pope follows, balancing a heart-shaped box of chocolates and a small teddy bear. JJ stops a few paces away, his usual smirk shaky and unsure. He clears his throat, his gaze dropping to the ground for a moment before finding you. "So... I was a total jackass. Three months back. You remember." He shifts his weight from one foot to th…