𝙴𝚄𝙿𝙷𝙾𝚁𝙸𝙰 - 𝙾𝚄𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙱𝙰𝙽𝙺𝚂

- e i g h t

third person

"okay- hey, stand up!" sage said as she pulled john b to his bedroom, half-dragging him down the hallway before dropping him on the bed.

"where am i?" he slurred, clearly still drunk and out of it, sage ruffling his hair and shaking her head.

"you're at the chateau." she explained softly, john b sitting up slightly and looking around.

"i didn't wake up dad, did i?" he asked, and sage felt her stomach drop.

"dads not here right now." the blonde girl mumbled, putting her hand in john b's wet hair and running her fingers through it.

"well where is he?" the routledge boy asked cluelessly, and sage sighed.

"he's out right now, he'll be back soon though, okay?" she reassured, and john b nodded, smiling weakly up at his twin.

"okay." he whispered back, sage patting his arm lightly and standing up.

"go to bed, okay? i'm next door if you need anything." she reminded, passing the brunette a pillow which he laid his head on, still smiling at sage.

"okay." he mumbled again, sage patting his bicep and standing up.

"love you." john b mumbled as sage walked out of the room, the blonde turning around and poking her head back in.

"love you too." she said quietly, walking towards the living room where jj was sitting on the pullout.

"how is he?" jj asked, sage shrugging and sitting across from him on the pullout.

"he's either way drunker than i thought or topper caused brain damage, he doesn't even remember that dad isn't here anymore." sage muttered, jj sighing heavily.

"i'm sorry." he mumbled, patting her thigh as she gave him a tight lipped smile.

"it's whatever." sage replied, pulling her hair tie off her wrist and pulling her blonde hair into a ponytail. "i hate that i've come to terms with it first. like, john b's so determined that he's still out there, i know he isn't."

"was it hard?" jj asked. "when he left, was it hard?"

"for me, no. dad and i weren't close. john b, he didn't leave his room for a month. then he slept in mine for three because he kept having nightmares about me and dad dying, he refused to sign his death certificate, and still believes dad's out there." sage deadpanned. "so for me, not at all. for b, it was probably the hardest thing that's ever happened to him."

"he didn't leave his room for a month?" jj quizzed with raised eyebrows, and sage shook her head.

"he'd sleep all day, he was restless all night. he'd let me come in, i'd rub his back and talk to him, let him know what was happening in the outside world, he never said anything back, though." sage replied, almost guiltily. "and i hate to say the only thing that would put me in that state is something happening to him."

"i thought i'd hit low points, holy shit." jj mumbled, sage couldn't help but smile at the comment.

"go big or go home." she replied, jj shrugging.

"guess so." he said, standing up and stretching. "well, i think i'm gonna go sleep on your porch now."

"you sure you don't wanna sleep in here?" sage asked, jj shaking his head.

"it's hotter than the hubs of hell in this living room, i'll pass." the blonde replied, sage smiling at him as she stood up.

"see you in the morning?" sage asked, and jj nodded.