▌Mutual Feelings ─ JJ Maybank
▌PAIRINGS ─ JJ Maybank x Fem!Character
▌SUMMARY ─ Jennifer Murdock, or Jenn for short has feelings for JJ, but thinks that he doesn't feel the same way about her. But after getting trapped in a fantasy world and escaping she might just be wrong about the way that JJ feels about her.
▌REQUESTED BY ─ KindLittleTribrid
▌CONTENT WARNING/TAGS ─ Fem!Reader, She/Her Pronouns, Mild Cursing, SFW
▌AUTHOR'S NOTE ─ I hope you enjoy this. And I hope it was okay. I overall really had fun writing this as the first one shot, so thank you for requesting it. I didn't want this to be short so I hope that was okay. Plus after I really got going I was just able to write a lot.
▌WORD COUNT ─ 4.4K Words

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━━━━━ THE SUN SHINED brightly in Jennifer Murdock's room. Sighing softly she removed the covers off her body and turned herself, throwing her feet onto the cold floor. Jenn moved around her room changing into a tank top and jean shorts. Afterwards she grabbed a hold of her shoes and slipped them on. Work was calling her name, she was always so excited to get to work in the morning during the summer.

Spending time with books allowed her to escape for her burning reality, things were great but sometimes they could be better. Grabbing her phone and her bag she made her way out of the room and down the steps. Her mother was cooking breakfast and her father was reading a newspaper. She looked around for a brief moment as she came to a stop in the doorway. Something seemed odd to her, something wasn't right but she just couldn't place it.

"Everything all right, Jenn?" Her father voiced, looking up from his newspaper, his brown eyes rested on her. Jenn locked eyes with her father and placed a bright bubbly smile on her face.

She sent him a soft nod before saying, "yes, just excited for work like always." Her feet pulled her over to the table and she sat down next to her father. A plate was already at it's place and some food sat on the table begging to be eaten.

"Dig in, you want a balanced meal before you go to work, Jenn." Her mother said walking over to them and placing pancakes down on the table with the rest of the food. Jenn wasted no time in grabbing the food, placing it on the plate and digging into it. "Will you be with your friends after work?"

"Uh, yeah, we are having a bonfire tonight, so I might get home late."

"As long as you have fun, sweetie." Her father sent her a smile and focused back on the newspaper. Eventually her mother sat down to eat with them, and before Jenn knew it she was riding her bike to the library for her shift.

Jenn was working until 2, afterwards she would be meeting up with JJ, John B, his girlfriend Sarah Cameron, Kiara, and Pope. She smiled brightly as the wind brushed through her long locks. Skidding to a stop, she pulled her bike up to the post and locked it tight. Heading into the library, she greeted her co-workers and moved to the back clocking in for her shift. It was a slow day to say the least, Jenn has spent the first half of her shift putting books back on their respective shelves.

When it came time for her 15 minute break she went to the back and ate her lunch. It was a lunch that her mother packed. Opening up the lunch bag she looked at the contents of the food, a sandwich, an apple, a cheese stick, and a fresh cookie. But as she sat there she looked around again, noticing that something didn't add up.

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JJ, John B, Kiara, Pope, and Sarah Cameron all had panicked looks on their faces. Jenn had opted to go into a house that they knew nothing about and now she was trapped inside the house with no escape. They could see her lying on the floor in the first room, but the windows were blocked off and it meant that they couldn't get into the room through the outside.

"Why did she have to go in there?" JJ questioned his friends, the panic running through his voices. He was desperate to get into the house and into that room to make sure that Jenn was okay. He couldn't lose her.

"She volunteered. We should've stuck together like always." Kiara mentioned, though her comment didn't really seem to ease him in the slightest. The others weren't oblivious to the feelings that JJ and Jenn held for each other. It was clear to them that they both liked each other but both were in their own ways too stubborn to see it.

"There's got to be another way into this house." Pope implied.

"Maybe there's something in the back that we missed." Sarah spoke up, looking around at her friends while briefly looking back at JJ.

"Why did she have to open that damn box?" JJ questioned once more, only changing what he asked this time. "What if we can't wake her up?" To say he wasn't worried about Jenn was an understatement. He was scared to lose her, he was scared that she wouldn't be able to come out of whatever dream-like state she was in.

"JJ, Jenn is strong, and she will wake up, we'll get her out of this." Kiara said, hoping to give him some kind of hope. He needed it right now, because if he didn't have it he was going to fall apart.

The blonde boy switched his eyes around looking for something that would help them get into the house. They couldn't use the key, because it was on Jenn's unconscious body in the room that was also locked. Not finding anything that could help them, he took Sarah's suggestion. He was the first one to take off running towards the back of the house with the others eventually following behind him.

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Jenn had finished her lunch and went back to work finishing up placing books into the correct order and or in the correct section if they had been misplaced. 2 o'clock rolled around quicker than she imagined it would. Heading to the back one more time for the day she clocked out and grabbed her things. Saying goodbye to the coworkers, she headed outside and unlocked her bike. She was going to head home so she could change her clothes, she knew very well that no one would be home at this hour.

Pulling up to the small house, the bike fell to the grass and she walked towards the front door. Keys were now in her hand and she was unlocking the front door. Quickly entering into the house she made her way up the steps towards her room. After making it into her room she dropped her things and proceeded to change into different clothes that were more suited for a bonfire on the beach. It was supposed to be a small party, but she was sure that a few of the kooks would be there as well.

And if that was a case then it wouldn't be a small party. Once finished she grabbed her backpack and slipped it on heading out of her room and down the steps, briefly looking at the pictures that rested on the wall. She stopped on the last step where a picture taken of her and her parents on the day of her birth stood. Tilting her head she looked closer at the picture, it was one she had never seen before so why all of a sudden was it here now. Her mother and father were staring straight at her in the photograph, while holding onto her younger self.

Taking a deep breath she released it giving the photo one last glance before exiting out of her home and locking the door. Heading back to her bike she took off riding to John B's house where she would be meeting everyone. They were going to hang out for a bit at John B's house and then head out to the beach where the party was supposed to be, which is another reason why Jenn thought that there would be more people than she had been told would be there. Like always she was so excited to see her friends.

The last few days had been busy for her with work, and because of that Jenn hadn't been able to see anyone and that included JJ. Jenn very much missed the blonde boy that no matter what she was feeling always seemed to brighten her day. Catching her breath, she climbed off the bike and placed it against the wall outside John B's house. Then she found her feet dragging her towards the door, opening it and walking in where everyone was.

"Finally, it took you long enough to get here!" Kiara shouted, with a bright smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Sorry, sorry. Had to go home and get changed into something else." Jenn replied, walking over to Kiara and sitting down next to her. Sarah sat with John B, while Pope and JJ were next to each other. JJ was of course staring at Jenn, however she didn't seem to pick up on his eyes. "Please tell me that this party is going to be just us?" Carefully Jenn looked around at everyone, her eyes eventually falling onto JJ who was still staring at her.

"There's gonna be a few others, but I promise nothing big." John B informed her. Even though he had said it she didn't trust his words. Jenn was sure that what was supposed to be a small party of just them would be a big party which meant that she would have to socialize with more people than she wanted too. It's not that she had issues with people because she didn't, Jenn just wanted to be around the people she trusted and knew the most.

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JJ and the others made it to the back of the house. He pushed into the door trying to break it down but something was blocking it from the inside. Sarah and Kie were searching for something that could get them into the house. The two walked onto the side of the house searching what was on the property of the abandoned house. Sarah gently smacked Kie's arm and pointed to some doors in front of them.

They cautiously moved towards the doors, eventually coming to a stop. It was cellar doors and they assumed that it led them to a basement which meant that they would have a way to get into the house. And if they had a way in then they might just be able to save Jenn from whatever nightmare she was in. The two girls came to a stop at the doors and noticed that there was no lock which meant they could in fact get into the house.

"Guys, over here." Sarah shouted as loud as she could, turning her head slightly. Pope, JJ, and John B peered around the corner and looked at where Sarah and Kiara were standing. Eventually the three joined their sides and stared down at what the two had found.

"Looks like we found our way in." Kiara mentioned, pointing to the doors.

"Let's go then." JJ said, launching forward and pulling the wooden doors to the basement open. They fell into the slightly tall grass, spider webs encased the steps slightly but that wasn't stopping JJ from getting to Jenn. JJ walked forward, being the first to walk down the set of stairs. One by one the others followed behind him. When they were in the basement of the house they made sure to stay close, as they didn't know what was in the house.

There were more spider webs in the basement, some rested on the rotting wood that was being taken over by termites and other small creatures. They stepped on small shards of glass, it crackled beneath their feet as they made their way towards the set of old steps that looked too dangerous for all of them to be on at one time. JJ looked back at his friends, they had come to a stop in front of the rotting steps. A plan had been forming in his head, that much was clear.

"One at a time, slow and steady." JJ spoke softly, turning back towards the steps.

He moved forward slowly lifting his right foot up slightly and placing it down on the step. Soon his left foot followed behind only it was placed onto the second step. He continued to repeat this process until he was at the top. His hand grazed the door knob and he turned it pushing the door open, listening to it creak as it swung open. The door hit the other side of the wall and once it was out of the way JJ stepped off the final step turning back around to look at his friends.

He so badly wanted to run to the front of the house and find a way into the room that Jenn was in but he had to wait until all his friends had made it safely up the rotting steps. Sarah was next, she repeated the same thing that JJ had done. She was careful to avoid the steps that he had to avid so he wouldn't fall through. After Sarah made it to the top and was with JJ, Kiara went next. Pope followed behind Kiara after she had made it to the top, and then John B went last. After making it to the top the five moved cautiously towards the front of the house.

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The group of 6 arrived at the beach as the sun started to set, and as expected there were already more people than she had counted for. She knew for a fact that it was going to be a long night. Making her way over to the alcohol she grabbed a solo cup and filled it up about half way, not wanting to drink a lot. Making her way to the fire she sat down next to the warmth, watching in content as the flames danced around each other.

At some point during the night she had decided that it was enough, picking herself up she took a sip of the alcohol and walked down towards the water where the waves were crashing. It was a nice night to say the least, very warm and cool. The moon was now out and shined brightly, so bright that it could be used as a night light. Jenn walked through the sand, the waves crashing at her feet sending a wave of coolness through her body.

The blonde boy that she had her eyes on for a very long time had suddenly made an appearance next to her. His sudden appearance caused Jenn to jump slightly, her drink spilling on her arm, while her other hand reached to her heart. She gasped lightly, but then rolled her eyes.

"You can't sneak up on people like that." Jenn mentioned, placing her eyes on JJ who had a smile on his lips.

He laughed, "I'm sorry, you just made it so easy." JJ told her. Jenn rolled her eyes at him and started to walk away from him. "Wait, you know I didn't mean to scare you."

"I know, but it was still annoying."

JJ grabbed a hold of her free hand stopping her from walking further away from him. She felt her breath get caught in her throat as she looked down at their connected hands. JJ grabbed the solo cup and threw it to the ground, then he reached for Jenn's other hand and pulled her closer to him. Shock was running through her face as she stared into his blue eyes. It was like looking into the ocean when she looked into them.

Jenn adored his eye color, she adored everything about him. JJ moved forward, closing the space between them. No words were given, no words needed to be given, they both knew what they wanted and JJ was the first to act on it. He lifted his hands to Jenn's neck, soon his lips found a hold of Jenn's as he kissed her passionately. Jenn kissed him back, feeling the fire run through her body and igniting the kiss even more.

But then something changed, memories of JJ popped into her head. She had always liked him but there was no way that he felt the same way about her. Jenn disconnected their lips and pulled away from JJ's body. She could see the shock resting on his face as he stared at her.

"What's wrong, Jenn?" JJ inquired, trying to move closer to her. Jenn however backed up slightly. All day something felt off, she knew it wasn't right. This reality wasn't the one she remembered. It was different.

"You wouldn't kiss me, you don't even like me." Jenn whispered, the words that she spoke hurt her more than she had intended them to hurt but she knew it was the truth. The JJ that she knew did not feel the same way about her.

"What are you talking about, Jenn. Of course I would." JJ remarked.

Jenn started shaking her head, her locks moving off her shoulders. "No, this can't be real."

Once again JJ tried to walk closer to her, "what are you talking about, Jenn? Of course this is real."

"No, it's not. You don't like me."

Jenn backed away more from JJ, it was confusing her to no end. What the hell was happening to her. Without thinking she took off running off the beach. JJ started to chase after her but stopped soon shouting her name out.

"Jenn, where are you going?" He shouted at the top of his lungs. John B, Pope Kiara, and Sarah stood up from where they were and looked at JJ to see him standing alone and still calling out to Jenn who was no longer in sight. Her pulse was fast as she continued to run back to her house. Her calf hurt but she wasn't stopping until she made it back.

"Finally." she thought to herself as she saw her house getting closer and closer. She could see her mother and father outside on the porch, a small light was on so the two could see. They both looked at their daughter when she came to a stop in the yard to catch her breath.

"Jenn, sweetie, are you alright?" Her mother questioned, after she had stood up and walked to the edge of the porch to get a better look at her daughter. Jenn only ignored her, she picked herself up holding her shoulders high and walked into the house to look around. There were more pictures around than when she had left earlier. This reality that she was stuck in was trying to make her believe that this was a life she had.

But it had come back to her clearly, JJ didn't feel the same way about her, and she didn't have parents. She was an orphan, her parents died when she was young. John B's dad always looked after her after her parents passed. Jenn turned in a circle looking around at all the pictures, they were telling a story that didn't belong to her. Maybe in another universe, she thought. Everything was spinning as she took in the new information that she had discovered.

Her parents finally came into the house, with JJ and the rest of her friends in tow. They were all looking at her in confusion. "Honey, what's going on?" Her father asked, he was trying to walk towards her but Jenn only moved back away from them.

"This isn't real." Jenn answered, staring at her father directly.

"What are you talking about, sweetie?" Her mother asked, with a tilt of her head.

"This is like some kind of alternate reality where everything is perfect. But it isn't perfect, this isn't my life." Jenn explained, her eyes scanning everyone to see their reactions and for the most part it seemed that their reactions to what she had said were neutral. Her eyes then landed on the pictures again, she walked over to one and picked it up showing it to them. "This isn't me, this is someone else."

"What? Of course that's you, I think I would know my own daughter, especially one I gave birth too." This reality that she was in was really trying to fight back, it was trying to make her stay in a perfect place where she had her parents and she knew JJ felt the same way about her.

"But you died, you and dad died when I was young. I'm an orphan. And JJ," Jenn paused as she looked at the blonde boy who stared back at her. "You don't feel the same way about me, sure I've loved you for a long time but I know you don't feel the same way about me, you treat me like I'm "one of the guys"." She said, lifting her hands to put quotes around the phrase one of the guys. "This isn't real, I have to find a way back to my home. Back to my real reality."

Jenn placed the picture down on the table where it had been picked up from. Without saying anything else she moved up the steps to her room. JJ pushed through the others and ran up the steps after her calling out her name. When she made it into her room she locked the door so JJ couldn't get in.

"Jenn, don't do this! You can be happy here!" JJ said, trying to coax her to stay in this reality. She turned back towards the door and placed her head on it.

"But I can't be happy here, not if it's forced. I promise no matter how much it scares me when I make it back to my reality I will tell my JJ how I feel about him and accept whatever he says, even if it ruins the friendship." Jenn voiced out to him.

She pulled away from the door and closed her eyes. When she opened them up again she was back in her reality. JJ, John B, Sarah, Pope, and Kiara were gasping when they saw her open her eyes. Sarah and Kiara laughed and hugged Jenn tightly.

"Please, don't ever do something like that again." Kiara cried out.

"I didn't know that was gonna happen, Kie." Jenn choked out as she hugged Kiara and Sarah.

"Do you know what happened?" Pope asked her, as he and John B grabbed a hold of her arms and lifted her up just enough to where she was still sitting on the old flooring.

"The doors closed, I couldn't get out. And then I saw that box and walked over to it. When I opened it some smoke busted out of it and into my face. I was in a different reality, it felt real, I wanted it to be real." She lowered her head, she couldn't bring herself to look at JJ. Like the others he wanted to know what she wanted it to be real. She couldn't help the tears that fell down her face. "My parents were alive, I had them in that reality and I could've had more but I couldn't leave you guys." Sarah, Kiara, Pope, and John B looked at JJ who stood still.

"We'll be outside." John B said he placed a kiss on top of Jenn's hair and stood up exiting out of the room with Sarah, Kiara and Pope. That only left JJ and Jenn in the room. Once they were gone Jenn stood up from the floor and the blonde haired boy ran to her picking her up and hugging her tightly. She giggled softly, hugging him back tightly.

"JJ, I need to tell you something." Jenn whispered. JJ set her down and looked at her, she had a serious look on her face. Jenn was terrified to share her secret with JJ, she didn't want to ruin their friendship but she couldn't keep her feelings hidden from him especially after that alternate reality showed her what she could have with him. "I don't know how you'll react to this, and I'm sure it might ruin our friendship. But I can't keep this in anymore and I understand if you don't feel the same way."

"What are you talking about Jenn?" JJ questioned her, as a look of concern flashed through his face. He knew what direction this conversation was heading, he was about to hear either bad words or good words that he always wanted to hear her say.

She breathed in, briefly closing her eyes. Then she exhaled that breath and opened her eyes again staring directly into JJ's blue eyes. "I love you, JJ. And I have for a long time. I've always been so afraid to tell you out of fear of what it would do to our friendship. But being stuck in a world where I had my parents and you made me realize that I don't want to be in this world unless I can have you. And I'm just tired of being your friend, I don't want that anymore."

The words seemed to come out easily but soon enough she was starting to regret saying them. JJ was just staring at her not saying anything back. The longer he stared at her and didn't say anything was enough confirmation that she had messed up, but what happened next took her by surprise. JJ walked closer to Jenn, closing the space between them. He lifted his hands to her neck and held them there.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear those words, 'cause the truth is I love you too. And when you came into this house, and collapsed after opening the box, I thought I was going to lose you without telling you just how important you are to me. You came back to me." JJ whispered the last sentence, briefly looking down at Jenn's lips.

"I'll always come back to you J." Jenn leaned forward just a little and connected her lips to JJ's kissing him for real this time. All the years of pinning for each other had finally caught up to them.

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