JJ Maybank stood in front of the March house, his lips pulled into a straight line as he looked back at the Twinkie. John B had the window down, his lips turned up in an ecstatic grin that he had been wearing since he had gotten the call from June. He had spent the last hour telling JJ just how much he was almost completely sure they had been together that day on the boat, JJ still using his ability to gaslight at an all time high so he could try and deny. It was impossible to try and convince him otherwise, so JJ just refrained from confirming.

"Tell our girlfriend I said I love her and I knew something was up." John B said, giving JJ a finger gun and a click of his tongue before lifting the bouquet of flowers from the passenger seat and throwing them at him through the window.

"Whatever...how do I look?" JJ asked, holding the bouquet in his hands and spreading his arms out. John and eyes trailed over his dress pants and button up shirt, the boy stifling a laugh at the tie that he was wearing. John B pretended to wipe a tear, his hands knitting together and resting against his cheek as he tilted his head at him.

"You look so good. Real kook like. Perfect." John B said in an endearing tone, JJ internally cringing at the thought of himself looking like a kook. Financially he could be considered one, but mentally he would always be a Pogue. This was the second time in about a week that he had dressed up like this, except this time around he had no idea what he was walking into. "Knock 'em dead you phoenix of love! Your love dies and rises from the ashes! It's beautiful man...really."

"That's not—well actually that's kind of poetic but a little weird but I'm kind of into it. Whatever! I've got to go...I'm late." JJ said, turning away and running a hand over his hair and then turning back and giving John B a small smile. "We're not back together."

"Okay. See you later man." John B said, honking the horn and making JJ wanna punch him. He drove off laughing, the boy turning around with a nervous look on his face. His confusion was evident still due to the fact that he had no idea what he was here for, 'dinner' being a very vague description.

The front door opened as he approached the steps, the sight of her making him even more nervous. She was perfection, wearing a black dress with her hair straightened and a beautiful smile. She met him where he was, her eyes lighting up even more at the sight of the flowers.

"Are these for me?" She asked, greeting him with a kiss on the cheek as he pushed his hand down his leg, his palms too sweaty of even stand. He attempted a smile, June gazing endearingly at him as he spoke.

"No...they're for your dad. He's inside right?" He joked, June laughing at his joke and accepting the flowers when he held them out for her. She wrapped her arm around his waist and they started up the stairs, her eyes dropping over him as she spoke again.

"You look nice." She said, JJ unable to accept the compliment with words due to the fact they were nearing the door at an alarming rate. Dinner with the March family meant a lot, considering their history, considering everything. Considering Adam didn't like him...he wondered if it would be possible to have a night without tension between the two , and then he looked at her and knew he would have to. They stopped right in front of the door and she detached from his side, reaching for his tie and fixing it with her hands. She smiled at him and pat his cheek, an amused chuckle falling from her lips as she pushed some hair out of his face. "You're so nervous and it's so cute."

He blushed instinctively, his neck and cheeks brightening with red as she pulled him through the doorway. The air inside of the home was different than the last time he had been here, something about it feeling less frigid and more homey. There was laughter coming from the kitchen and there was music as well, June giving him a reassuring smile as she pulled him by the hand into the kitchen. Sitting at the island was Adam, the boy locked in a conversation with his father who was stirring something on the stove. Mrs. March was putting forks on the dining table, the voices carrying between the two rooms.

"Dad seriously I don't know if you should be eating all of this fried stuff...you're heart isn't as strong as it used to be. You know the doctor said—" Adam March was cut off by his father, the older man speaking with a reassuringly light tone.

"I know what the doctor said, I'm fine...it's been almost a year."  Mrs. March returned to the kitchen and with her return was the realization that their dinner guest had arrived, Junes arm securing around JJs waist as her mother spoke.

"JJ! Nice to see you son!" Jason March rounded the island, a genuine smile on his face as June moved to go put the flowers away. He pat the younger boy on the back as his wife moved to his side, smiling at the boy as well.

"Hey sweetie, we're glad you came." Heather said, pulling him into a brief hug. JJs returned pleasantries but watched as June moved about the kitchen, his eyebrows furrowing in even more confusion as she seemed comfortable. He wasn't sure what had changed but it was evident something had.

"You got my daughter flowers? Good man..." Jason said, walking back towards the pan that was sizzling on the stove. JJ looked at Adam, the boy staring down at the kitchen countertop and avoiding looking at JJ. The Maybank boy swallowed hard, his attention going to his girlfriend when she reached for his shoulder.

"JJ come with me...I wanna show you something." Junes voice sounded from behind him and she gave him a downward smile, the boy feeling like he was on cloud nine hearing her beckon him. He floated up the stairs and into her room on that cloud, the boy walking inside with an almost dazed expression from how blinded he was by the unexpected positivity.

June closed the door behind her and he heard the lock click, his head turning to look back at her as it pulled him from his strange trance. She pressed her hand gently against his chest before he could fully turn around, her lips brushing across his and immediately igniting a terrible fire in his stomach. His eyebrows furrowed as she spoke, the boy confused by everything that was happening.

"I missed you." She whispered against his mouth, the boy intoxicated by how close her mouth was. He leaned forwards to meet hers but she made sure to stay just out of reach, her other hand going to the back of his neck and playing with the ends of his hair.  "Did you miss me?"

"You're kidding me..." JJ breathed against her skin, Junes lips turning up in a mischievous grin as she gripped his tie. He was flustered, his face filled with confusion and frustration as she got him riled up.    Her hand dropped from his neck and  his tie and she trailed her fingers down the button up, JJ feeling a pit of desperation in his stomach. He could not wrap his head around what was going on, and yet still he knew exactly what he wanted was standing in front of him.  Her fingers hooked into his belt loops and she pulled them together, finally kissing him. He noted that her lips tasted like cherries, and he wanted to indulge in them all night. June bit at his bottom lip,  JJs heart fluttering at the feeling of it. She started to walk forwards , pushing him back and onto the bed. She was quick to hike the skirt of her dress up, climbing onto his lap and pressing her lips to his again. His hands flew to her hips and she began to trail  her lips from his mouth, her tongue pressing against his neck and her fingers pulling at the button in his shirt. She hit a spot on the underside of his jaw that made a breathy noise escape from his lips,  June chuckling against his skin and pulling him from his daze

"Woah June...I'm totally into this—I'm not like stopping it but your family—they're right downstairs."  He was flustered, pulling back his head and looking up at her with wide eyes. She looked down at him with glazed over eyes and a sultry look, the girl scooting closer to him on his lap. He adjusted slightly, feeling a knot in his stomach as he hoarsely protested.

"So? Never stopped us before." She looked down at him with about the most convincing look ever, the girl laying them both back, her arms on either side of him. His fingers found her wrists and he ran his thumb over her pulse, trying to find a way to argue with that logic. He realized she was correct and he was too weak to try and move on so he threw his head back, his eyes closing as he realized this very much was not what he was expecting. However another thought somehow occurred to him and he grabbed her hand as it struggled with his shirt button, her head lifting from his chest as her hair fell over her shoulder.

"Is this what you wanted to show me?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked up at her. She pulled back altogether and his mouth dropped open, the boy sitting up and grabbing a pillow from her bed. "Not that—not that this isn't great. I love it seriously and you but I just—I'm confused right now and you kissing me has my head all jumbled and I don't even know why you invited me to dinner I'm just so confused and I—"

"Relax dude...this is what I wanted to show you." She was walking back  over from the vanity,  a small envelope in her hand that once again confused him. She sat down beside him on the bed, the boy using the pillow to cover his lap and avoid embarrassment. She pulled the envelope open and then looked over at him as she reached inside, an endearing smile on her lips as she gazed at him. "I got these developed for us to have. Just to remember, you know."

She pulled the photos from the envelope and he immediately smiled, his eyes brightening as he looked at the photo. The picture was of the two of them, both in their underwear and holding a slice of that delicious pink funfetti cake on the beach. JJ is mid bite, theatrically of course, and June is holding the phone, a big smile on her face as she leans her head on his shoulder, her other hand holding up the piece of cake. It was a cute picture...perfect for the two of them.

"I love it." He said simply, his eyes going to her as they cuddled closer together to look at it. She looked back at him with a twinkle in her eyes that he hadn't seen since the first time she had told him she loved him, his stomach fluttering as she handed him the picture. He watched her face while she reached into the envelope again and pulled out another picture, the same one but smaller...wallet sized. He could see where this was going.

"And this one is for your wallet. To put in front of that old one." She said, holding the picture out for him. A strand of his blonde hair had fallen over his forehead and she thought he looked more handsome than he ever had in this moment, her stomach fluttering as he took the picture. His hands moved and he reached into his pocket, pulling out the wallet in question. She watched him intently as he put the picture in front of the old one, the boy knowing when he got home that he was going to find a place where he could see both of them. He gazed down proudly at his wallet and the picture that was in it, his smile unwavering as he nodded slightly. "It's perfect." She said, wrapping her arm around his waist and putting her head on his shoulder. He nodded more, pressing a kiss to the top of her head and continuing to admire the picture of them. He felt like they didn't have any pictures together...this one was perfect if it was really their first. "Are you sure you don't wanna do something real quick?"

JJ looked over at her with a wide eyed look, his lips parted as she shrugged at her own words. She took that as a no, the girl mumbling something about it being worth a try before she stood from the bed, taking the envelope back to the vanity and then reaching a hand out for him. He took it, throwing the pillow back onto the bed and hoping he had been given enough time to cool. She had a few hairs sticking up in odd places, the boy smoothing them down for her and then opening the door for her.

"Hey why would you call John B...he thinks he knows now." JJ said in a low whisper, Junes shoulder shrugging in a surprising gesture of nonchalance.

"I don't care...if he knows he knows." His eyebrows quirked up at that and she gave him a small smile, the boy wondering what had changed her mind. Her mind had changed when she realized she was going to hold so tight to this relationship and never felt it go, so the doubt was gone...and she didn't care to keep it a secret any longer. That was why she purposefully called John B. She held his hand as they descended the stairs and then went into the kitchen again, her mother now indulging in a glass of wine and her father still stirring something on the stove.

"June can you go out check the grill?" The March girl dutifully nodded, pulling JJ towards the living room and out of the sliding doors. With the candlelight and the fairy lights lining the walls it was a beautiful setup, the boy admiring the yard as she began to mess with the grill. It had been awhile since he'd been in the back yard, it looked different than it did when he had worked there. The shrubs were no longer out of hand, it looked completely different. JJ felt a burning sensation in his mind, his head turning and his eyes immediately catching the culprit. Adam March was glaring at him through the window, his head turning down to the deck as he realized Adam very much still didn't like him.

"I think your brother hates me."

"My brother hates everybody." June said, her hands going to her hips as she looked at him. A breeze blew past them and her hair moved with it, the boy taking her words into consideration. His stomach turned as he watched her, remembering what had happened upstairs and how much he wishes he would've just let it go on.

"He doesn't hate Zach." June blinked at his suggestion, quick to think of something to say.

"Well you're not Zach." She said, walking towards him and patting him on the cheek. "And good thing...all things considered."

"Carly I want you to be totally honest with me." She turned to him again, the lights making her eyes glisten and making his heart want to stop. His lips turned up into a cocky smirk and he asked his question, the girl almost looking nervous due to his build up to it. "Did you leave Zach for me?"

Junes eyebrows furrowed and she tilted her head at him, shaking it not long after. She thought back to the beginning, her lips tightening into a straight line as she tried to pinpoint what it was. Technically she broke up with Zach because he wouldn't give up on the war with the Pogues, but if she was getting into the nitty gritty details technically he was the Pogue she was telling him not to mess with. Still the answer would be no, because she gave him an ultimatum, to leave the Pogues alone, and he didn't. She wasn't romantically interested in JJ until after they had broken up. She considered saying yes, just to appease him, but then she saw the lame look on his face, and she rolled her eyes.

"No. Absolutely not. Actually I don't even know if I liked you at all back then." His mouth dropped open as she laughed, the boy shooting towards her as she ran into the yard. He grabbed her from behind and she yelled when he lifted her, his arms going up and making her yell again. "Oh my god—did you— are you wearing deodorant? Wow never thought I'd see the day."

"Wow you're just mean..." He said, his arm wrapping around her shoulders. They looked out at the yard for a second before she pushed him away, her smile the widest it had been all night when he called her mean. She started to walk away but he pulled her back again, the sliding door opening just as she yelled again.

"Okay I like you kid but not that much. Let's put some feet between you and my daughter." Mr. March said from the sliding door, the two teens shooting apart as JJs eyes widened. He nodded at the older man, Jason giving him a thumbs up and heading back inside.

"Don't you think it's kinda weird that your dad just like...forgave me?" JJ asked as they walked back towards the house, June closing the grill as she walked by, the veggies continuing to roast beneath the lid. She didn't look like she agreed much with his question, the girl shrugging and stopping him right before they walked inside.

"Not really...he's pretty forgiving. He probably forgave you right after it happened and he's just been waiting for the day you came around. You know...if you wouldn't have jumped the gun that day  and broken up with me—he probably would've been cool with us by the end of the week. Me and my mom are the grudge holders. Other than Zach...my dad did not like Zach." JJ wasn't impressed by her mention of him breaking up with her but he also wasn't impressed by the fact that his excuse for doing it didn't seem valid anymore. How was he to know her dad was a forgiving guy? June pulled the sliding door open and gave JJ a pointed look, shrugging her shoulders as he followed her inside. Before they could get all the way inside she turned around, stopping him in his tracks and breathing out a few haunting words. "Which you better not ever do anything like that to me again."

"June come in here and play us a song while we wait!" Jason March said, the man gesturing the piano in the corner of the living room. June groaned and then shot a look at JJ, his eyebrows furrowing as he mother also insisted. June took a few steps towards the piano and then sat, Jason and Heather sitting down in the couch and then gesturing for JJ to sit. Adam sat opposite JJ, avoiding looking at him so he didn't glare at him.

June sat behind the piano and JJ wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but what he got was far from what he had assumed. He figured it was self explanatory that June was some sort of piano prodigy, he figured it was correct also that he had no idea. Apparently he didn't know hardly anything about her. He watched and listened to her play with intent, the boy sitting nervously on the edge of the couch. It was beautiful, whatever son she was playing sounded amazing, like he could get lost in the notes only she would play. His eyes were glued to her as she amazed him with another unknown talent, his disbelief becoming evident in his face as she finished.

"Beautiful isn't it? Our Juneys been taking lessons since she was 9." Mrs. March said, clearly proud of her daughter. JJ nodded because he was unable to form words, a small pit in his stomach at the fact that she never stopped surprising him.

"She was going to play at a gala last fall but...she uh—she wasn't here." Mr. March said, his eyes glazing over as he remembered just where she was. JJ swallowed hard, his eyes turning down to the floor because he knew who they blamed for that. The notes of the song she played still bounced around her head and for a moment there was a tense, unbreakable silence.

"Well she can play at this years gala...dad—is dinner ready yet?" Adam was the one who swooped in to save the day, his hand lifting and gesturing to the grill outside. The older man nodded and stood, the melancholy look melting from his face as he was brought back to reality.

"You all bring the rest of the food and I'll bring the veggies and meet you at the table."

"Can do." Mrs. March replied to her husband, June rushing across the room and grabbing JJ by the hand. They all walked into the dining room, Adam and Mrs. March carrying all the food in before June and JJ could even help. They sat it on the table as June pulled a chair out for JJ, the two of them sitting beside each other. On the opposite side was Adam and Mrs. March, the boy sitting across from JJ and her mother pulling a spot out for her dad at the head of the table. He rolled back inside just as they all settled in, holding a platter of grilled vegetables and sitting them on the table.

"It's a free for all tonight...grab what you want." JJs eyes were traipsing over the food but June was lost in her gaze that she had on him, her brother seeing it from across the table. He felt his own pit of despair over the fact his sister had to choose about the worst guys she could find. For a few seconds he thought he would've almost taken Rafe over JJ, because at least Rafe protected her. And then he scolded himself when he remembered what June had told him about  what Rafe did to her, and he no longer thought he was the best option. Zach was...but June would never go for that.

"So JJ...how are things with you? You working anywhere right now or...?" Mr. March was the one who spoke, June looking down at her plate as she ate. JJ looked up, swallowing his food and then shaking his head.

"Not at the moment...I am looking though."

"And school? How's that going?" Mrs. March asked him.

"Well it's...not going at the moment." JJ said, his lips closed and  nervous look covering his face.

"Oh you passed? That's awesome." Adam interjected, a devilish smile on his face as JJ picked up the sarcasm in his tone. Her parents looked at him and then June looked at JJ, seeing the uncomfortable look on his face and turning towards her dad.

"He's not in school at the moment but dad...how about that call you made?" JJ looked at her with furrowed eyebrows and then to her dad, confused as to how a random phone call would be useful  for this conversation.

"Right...thanks for reminding me. JJ...June told me about the fact that you want to be a firefighter one day." Jason March said, JJ feeling even more riddled with confusion and also a little betrayed that she had told her dad about his dreams.

"Uh yes sir."

"Well I put a call in to the fire chief...close friend of mine—and he said they're looking for some volunteers and that he wants you to come over there and fill an application out. He pretty much told me you're a shoe in...he told me it was about time you called around." June turned her head to look at JJ as her dad dropped some serious weight on him. His lips parted and June slid her hand onto his under the table, her fingers knitting with his. 

"What do you think JJ?" June asked, her eyelashes fluttering as she looked at him. He felt strange as he considered it, his heartbeat pounding at the possibility of one of his deepest dreams coming true. He swallowed hard as he zoned in on her face, realizing this was all her doing. They all sat in anticipation, JJs lips turning up as she looked at him.  His heart stopped, a chill going over his body as he realized the culmination of his dreams were being brought to life by the beautiful woman in front of him, who made them all within reach.

"That's...wow—I don't even know what to say. Thank you so much sir." JJ felt his heartbeat restart  as June smiled at him, a proud look in her eyes as she looked at him. JJ drew a heart into the palm of her hand just so she'd know how much he really loved her, and he knew that later when he got the chance he would have to show her. To tell her. His heart pounded as he felt a lump in his throat, the shock of the possibility settling into his stomach.

"Of course...anything for my daughter."

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Idek what this chapter is but here you go