Birdy || Outerbanks || JJ Maybank & Rafe Cameron

21. First kiss

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"..so are we gonna talk about it, or are we just gonna keep avoiding it?" JJ spoke up after a while, sitting close to Wynonna. His eyes were narrowed into a glare as he stared at Charlie, Wynonna's supposedly dead father.

"Yeah, are we? I mean, you two are supposed to be dead?" Kiara said, glancing between Charlie and Wynonna.

"..he pulled me out of the house before it blew up, and he wouldn't let me leave the house until I snuck out today. Thank God for that." Wynonna spoke, glaring at Charlie.

Charlie glared right back at her, "You shouldn't have left the house in the first place."

"She saved my life, I'd say give her a break." JJ told him, crossing his arms over his chest.

Charlie ignored him, "it was dangerous, Wynonna. You could've died."

Wynonna chuckled, "Apparently, I'm already dead, if you haven't noticed."

"Wynonna, I'm being serious here." Charlie told her,

"Serious? The word "serious" isn't in birdy's vocabulary," JJ said, and Charlie finally looked at him, noticing how close JJ was to Wynonna.

"You don't have a say on what birdy can do and what she can't do." JJ told him,

"JayJ." Kiara called out his name in a warning tone, but JJ ignored her,

"No," JJ let out a small laugh, shaking his head, "you think you can just walk back into her life after everything that you put her through?"

"Nah, I don't think so, man."

"JJ." Pope whispered his name in warning, but he was ignored.

"I know.." Charlie started but was cut off by JJ, who stood up,

"No! You don't know shit!" JJ snapped, "You left her! Did you know how much birdy suffered because of you!? No, because you weren't there for her!"

"You can't just waltz back into her life and start controlling her around. I won't let you. Unlike you, I won't hurt her, I won't fake my death for years , I won't send her into a deep depression," JJ rambled, rubbing his chest.

Wynonna noticed, and she stood up, grabbing his hand in hers. She threw a look at her father before she pulled JJ away and towards the back, towards an empty room.

JJ seemed to be having some sort of panic attack.

Wynonna closed the door, and she turned to face JJ, who was having trouble breathing. He kept rubbing his chest, pacing back and forth.

"J, J, baby, listen to me, you need hold your breath, okay?" Wynonna calmly told him, stopping him from pacing, and JJ's blue eyes met hers.

"I'm...I'm trying but..I can't.." JJ stammered out, and Wynonna did the only thing she could think of.

She gently cupped JJs face in her hands before she leaned forward, placing her lips against his.

JJ's eyes widened before he closed them, wrapping his arms around Wynonna's waist, pulling her closer as he kissed her back, feeling his heart racing in his chest, but not from the panic attack, but from the feeling of finally kissing the girl of his dreams.

Wynonna pulled back, and JJ opened his eyes, "Wow, um.. I should've had a panic attack earlier. If it meant I finally got to kiss you."

Wynonna blushed, moving back, but JJ pulled her closer again, "did you kiss me to stop the panic attack or.." JJ trailed off,

Wynonna leaned her forehead against JJ'S. "Well, kinda, I read holding your breath stops a panic attack, and you were kinda hot when you were yelling at my dad."

JJ grinned, "You find me hot?" Wynonna let out a small chuckle, "of course that's all you get."

JJ leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to Wynonna's lips before shyly backing up, "was..was that okay? I mean, kissing you? Can I keep kissing you?"

Wynonna smiled, "Yeah, I would very much like that."

JJ smiled and kissed her again. Wynonna's lips against his were so soft.

JJ moved his hand a little, and Wynonna winced, moving back, and JJ looked at her worriedly

"What's wrong?" JJ asked, and Wynonna looked down at her side,

She lifted her shirt, and JJ saw a bandage on her side.

"What happened? Who did this?" JJ questioned,

"Back at the house, one of those men tackled me, and my side smacked against the edge of the counter." Wynonna quietly replied

JJ placed his hand under the bandaged, his thumb brushing over it.

"I'm sorry, birdy." JJ quietly said, and Wynonna shook her head, "Nothing to be sorry about, baby."

JJ smiled, "I like it when you call me baby." He frowned, a bit

"Rafe helped me." He told her, "What?" Wynonna asked in confusion,

"After..when we thought you died, his family paid for your funeral, he picked out your headstone, I have to admit it was beautiful, but Rafe, he was guilty, he looked.." JJ sighed,

"He looked sad, he said he was just trying to protect you...I believe him, I mean,I was angry at him first..but then I just understood him, what he did what he did,"

JJ'S eyes met Wynonna's again, "I would do anything to protect you."

Wynonna didn't say anything, but she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him, and he hugged her back.

"We'll find him." Wynonna promised him, and JJ rested his head on Wynonna's shoulder, closing his eyes as he held her, felt her heartbeat against his.

"I love you, birdy.." JJ whispered, "I love you, too, JJ.. There's a but." JJ chuckled at Wynonna's reply.

"I think I love Rafe too." JJ confessed, his hold on Wynonna tightening as if he was afraid that confession would make him lose his birdy all over again.

Instead, Wynonna let out a small laugh ,"Guess that makes both of us. We Pogues really have things for the Cameron's, huh?"

JJ didn't know what came over him, but he just let out a small sob before his body shook as he cried, his sobs muffled by Wynonna's shoulder.

Wynonna just held him, running her fingers through his hair.

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Word count - 1017

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