stevie | outer banks | JJxOC

23- Your eyes are sparkly

"Don't let it get in your head bro," JJ told Pope as they helped out Heyward the following day. Stevie stayed at Pope's, trying to avoid home in case DCS were there. JJ went home to an empty house, at least this time it was clean. Although it was empty, it felt full of the memories created by Stevie. He could still smell her in his room. On his pillowcase. On the clothes, she left behind. "It was an unfair fight. If John B were here it would have been more even."

"Ok, rude." Stevie acted offended, her voice still sounding very hoarse. "Why did you use your head?" Stevie asked with a bit of humour, still contemplating whether this initial attack was good.

"I don't know," Pope sighed, releasing it wasn't a great idea, "I kinda acted off instinct. I was a cornered animal"

JJ and Stevie stood on either side of the counter slightly to the side of Kie and Pope allowing them to have a private conversation, "Am I gonna get my clothes back?" JJ asked quietly, leaning over the counter and into the girl so she could hear. Their faces centimetres away.

"I don't know," Stevie smiled reluctantly, still wearing the shorts and jumper, "they're pretty cosy."

JJ smiled, he didn't really care if she had his clothes, he thought it was cute. He liked the image. "You thief." JJ accused the girl jokingly.

"You hypocrite," she smiled back.

"Hey Pope," Heyward interrupted their little conversation, "there's someone here to see you." 

When Shoupe emerged, the group became tense. Both Pope and JJ knew exactly what he was here for, Kie and Stevie had to guess but knew it was to do with the fight last night. Either way, no one was feeling positive. "I have an arrest warrant for felony destruction of property." Shoupe started walking over to the boy and the Pogues panicked. He was the golden boy. The boy with a chance to get out. "Hands where I can see them."

A bystander wouldn't notice but to Stevie's trained eyes she could see the glance from Pope to JJ and she knew what JJ was going to do. She knew he was stupid and selfless. Whilst Pope was being walked out by Shoupe after being cuffed, Kie, Stevie, JJ and Heywards all protested the arrest until JJ snapped. "It wasn't him!"

Before he could finish and before Stevie knew what she was doing she yelled, "It was me." the words felt foreign to her brain, like she had no idea what she said. It just came out of her mouth. Shoupe looked at the three teens equally confused as everyone else. Shoupes's video wasn't high enough quality to tell gender or race, just it was a young person.

"Wait, no." JJ turned to the girl beside him confused, "It was me. I did it. They had just been beaten up and I was sick of those arseholes from Figure Eight."

"I'm not letting either of you take the blame." Stevie looked at the two boys. "Shoupe, how many times have you busted me for stealing?" Stevie tried to incriminate herself.

"For once in my goddamn life, I'm telling the truth." JJ said directly to Shoupe, "I took his old man's boat, dropped Stevie off before I did it..."

"JJ..." Stevie interrupted.

"Shut up." he snapped. Not out of anger but desperation. He was selfless. Too selfless. Selfless in ways that came from feeling worthless. "Please." He said to Stevie so quietly he only really mouthed it. Although it broke her, she nodded. "It was all me. They're good kids. You know where I'm from."

"That's the whole truth?" Shoupe asked the other teens but JJ answered, "I know what you think, damn it. I'm asking them."

"Yeah that's it." they both reluctantly replied. Brimming with tears, Stevie's eyes began to well up. The thought of the boy in prison hurt. It hurt because, in some twisted way, he thought it was his destiny. That's because of his long and tortured family history, even though he hates his dad knowing he'd become like him. In and out of prison, a coke addict. The prison bit didn't scare him. It can't be that much worse than his home life already. But he was scared of letting others down. He was scared of being a Luke towards a little JJ. He was scared of leaving Stevie.

"You're an idiot," Stevie muttered. Her chest moved quickly to match the pace of her breath.

"Your eyes are sparkly." He said calmly pointing out the shine from the tears. He wasn't panicked like the rest. He was calm. He was happy that he protected them. Her.

a/n sorry for the super short chapter but this is gonna be a double release. the tension between the two is building aaaaaah. I am so excited for when they get together.

i feel like Shoupe would have taken Stevie because of DCS but please just ignore the plot hole