June March sat on the curb of a corner store, a damp rag pressed to her head as she bounced her leg up and down. Her head was killing her and leaking blood, and JJ had run inside to get some painkillers, and some first aid. Her eyes were glued to the pavement as she tried to distract from the clear and obvious pain in her forehead, her heartbeat calmed now that she had become accustomed to the pain of it. The fluorescent glow of the store lights cast a strange shadow over the curb she was sitting on, and she felt almost like she was on a completely different planet the way that the world around her looked at this particular moment. June looked down between her legs, her eyes on the cracked pavement as she let out a deep sigh. Of course this night would take a turn for the worst, but she assumed it couldn't get any more fucked up than it already was.

The sound of screeching tires pulled June from her thoughts and she looked up, a black and dangerously familiar car stopping halfway on the curb. The drivers side door flew open and June felt panic grip her as she saw who sprinted around the front of the car.

"Jesus Christ are you— what happened to you?!" June sprung up from where she was, approaching Rafe Cameron with wide eyes and a completely shocked expression.  She could see it in his eyes, the look that sent a bolt of terror through her on approach. This wasn't her Rafe, this was the other Rafe... the one she needed to be worried about.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" She said, grabbing him by the sleeves and trying to push him back towards the car. His face was red and his eyes were wide with worry, June seeing just how concerned and panicked he looked. She did not need this right now. She didn't need his dramatics when she was trying to do something. "Rafe what are you doing here?!"

"You weren't answering your phone! You weren't answering and I got in my head and I got scared something happened and I had to—"

"How did you know I was here?" June said in a irritated voice as she looked over her shoulder, trying her hardest to watch for JJ who could come out at any minute. It was not in any ideal scenario that June getting caught with Rafe, no one in the group even knew she had contact with him right now. When she looked back at him he had wide and guilty eyes and his hands were gripping her arm, his head slightly shaking. She knew if JJ came out and saw this that there would be no going back, that his condescension would be through the roof considering the fact that he would be absolutely correct about all the shit he accused her of.

"I tracked your phone. You gave me your location and I—" Junes hand slipped as she tried to keep her balance, Rafes face going pale as he saw the cut on her head. His jaw clenched and she saw the spiraling in his eyes, the descent into that anger, into an episode. "What happened? Who did this to you? Who did this?!"

His hands now gripped both of her elbows and he shook her only slightly, June looking at him with worry. This was the worst she had seen him in months, and she knew she needed to get him calm or he would backtrack on a lot of his progress right now. She let out a breath through her nose and really tried to figure out how to move away from his insanity, how to ensure him that she was absolutely fine.

"Nothing happened. Nothing it was an accident—" June was cut off by Rafe getting pulled back by someone, a gasp leaving her lips as she realized it was JJ. Rafe seemed shocked for a moment, resulting in being caught off guard for when JJ pushed him back. June yelled out as Rafe stumbled back, his eyes wide and his anger spilling out as he looked back up at him. His head turned to June and he seemed to piece something together, the Cameron boy stepping forwards and pushing JJ back.

"What the hell did you do to her man?! Huh?! Whys she walking around with a cut on her head?! You did that didn't you?! You hurt her?!" Rafe was yelling now, his hand gripping the front of JJs shirt.  June let out a groan, dropping her face into her hands and trying to keep her cool. This was the last thing she needed right now. Rafe was throwing a humongous wrench in her plans.

"You don't touch her! You keep your hands off of her!" JJ shouted back, June feeling her heart plummet to her feet as JJ pushed out of Rafes grip. "What are you doing here man?!"

"I can't do this right now." June said to herself, her face falling completely as she watched the two of them start their fight. She considered just running off and letting them have it out, but she knew that Rafe was dangerous at the moment, especially when he had that look on his face. She turned her head left and right and looked for an escape route, once again considering just leaving because she was so terribly not in the state of mind to do all of this. She wanted to go home before things got bad. "Guys please can we just not...can we not do this? Rafe, I'm fine, okay? Can you please just leave?"

"Did you hurt her Maybank?! I swear to god I'll beat you to death if you touched her!" Her face paled at his threat and the fact that she knew this wouldn't end, the girl already trying to figure out something else.

"It was an accident." June said to try and reiterate so she could get them to stop but she should have known better. She should've known better.

"If I touched her? You forgetting the part where you tried to kill her?! Is that what you showed up here to do?" June knew this mention of what Rafe had done would trigger him completely, and she was unfortunately correct, that civil part of him snapping at JJs mention of what he had done. He stood there for just a second, shaking his head before a sadistic smile overtook his lips, June freezing at the sight of it.

It all moved very fast here, Rafe springing forwards and tackling JJ to the ground. The Maybank boy fell with a thud but didn't easily give up, his arms wrapping around Rafe and attempting to roll him over. They were both pretty strong, but in terms of fainting ability it was easily Rafe that had the advantage. June stood frozen, screaming in her head that she needed to do something but not being able to put it into action. She felt panicked at the fact that she'd have to pick up the pieces of this mess, her stomach turning as she just watched the two of them. In a way it was kind of therapeutic to see the two of them beat the shit out of each other, her heart that burned with hatred igniting when she saw Rafe landing blows on JJ and JJ hitting Rafe back. She was so fed up at this point, maybe this was the best way out of the issue. She wanted to punch herself for thinking that way, it made her sound insane.

"Guys stop! Stop!" She yelled, JJ getting a few blows in on Rafe. He jabbed at his side and his stomach, the Cameron boys unearthly rage blocking him from being able to falter from the hits. JJ managed to get over him and he wasted no time hitting him in the face, June flinching as blood pooled in Rafes mouth. However it was only a few seconds later before Rafe had hit JJ in the ear, the blonde boy hunched over on the ground, trying to stop the ringing that came from the hit. Rafes breath was heaving as he pushed himself up, kicking JJ onto his back and sucking in heavy loud breaths. JJ grimaced in pain and attempted to fight back but Rafe was already over him, pulling his fist back and launching it into JJs face.

Junes legs allowed her to move again as she snapped out of whatever daze she was in and she shot forwards, her first attempt at stopping it being her trying to grab Rafes arm in the air. It was getting out of hand now, she needed to stop it. She was yelling for him to stop but he was too blinded and she knew that, June wrapping her arms around him and using her body weight to pull him back. They stumbled back together and he hit the ground just as hard as her, June up in a second as she crawled towards JJ.

The distant sound of police sirens made a new sense of panic fill her and she looked down at JJ, her hands grabbing his face as he groaned and gurgled the blood in his mouth. Rafe looked at JJ who was definitely injured, a bloody smile crossing his lips as he saw the pain on his face. The smile soon dropped when he realized she was at JJs side and not his, Rafe breathing heavily as he tried to figure out in his head who had really won this.

"JJ oh my god! Oh my god are you okay?" It was a rhetorical question, it was very obvious that he was not okay. Panic clouded her vision and she looked back at Rafe, the boy sitting behind her and trying to catch his breath. "Damnit Rafe! Why the fuck would you do that?! I told you he didn't do anything!"

The sirens were getting closer and Rafe closed his mouth, seeing that look on her face that he never wanted to see again. The one where she looked at him like he was a monster. She looked back at JJ and held the side of his face, Rafe looking around and realizing there were people watching. When she looked at him again she had a beyond angry expression and she seemed to be so upset that he could hardly understand what had happened. He looked down at his aching hands and then at JJ, feeling like he had snapped out of that rage and right into a moment of realization. Blue and red flashing appeared far down the street, the lights illuminating June as he looked back at her, realizing she was saying something.

"Get out of here before the cops come! You have to leave. Please leave!" She was trying to help him. He felt the blood drop from his chin and he looked at the begging and pleading on her face, realizing he needed to listen to her. He stumbled as he got up, making his way to his car and soon disappearing from the scene. June watched as he drove off and then looked back down at JJ, her face red and aggravated as she grit her teeth assessing the damage. His face was dark and bloody, the boy struggling to keep consciousness as he laid on the ground. June tried to kickstart an action plan, reaching for his shoulders and beginning to pull him up. He assisted as much as he could, the two of them managing to get him to his feet. "Come on...come on we gotta get out of here."

She got him down an alley as the cops passed, his hand pressed to his side as he groaned with every step. June felt like her heart was going to explode out of her chest when he had to stop, the blonde boy leaning against the brick wall of the alleyway. She stood in front of him and dropped her face into her hand, wiping her mouth and her eyes and then cursing at nothing.

"Fuck!" The adrenaline coursing through her seemed to simmer down when she looked back at JJ, the boy hunched over and trying not to pass out. His breaths were loud and short, a hoarseness and raspiness in every one of them. She snapped instantly back into move mode, standing right in front of him and reaching for him. "We gotta get you out of here. We gotta— come on."

The entire way that they walked back to her house she felt that sick feeling of impending doom, her chest heavy and her thoughts a storm. She knew she'd have to explain Rafe, but at this moment all she was worried about was JJ, who was looking worse and worse by the second. She knew that choosing to walk was the worst idea, and even when she got through the front door of her house she realized how extremely unlucky they were. She helped him up the stairs and into her room, sitting him in the bed and telling him to wait. She came back a few moments later with rubbing alcohol and a wet rag, JJ finding it particularly hard to breathe.

"Okay hold still." This reminded him of a moment from a long time ago when she started to clean his face, his eyes wide and dazed as he looked up at her. She cleaned the blood from around his mouth first, a worried expression on her features and through the pain he was happy to see her so worried and caring about him for the first time in awhile. And while she was worried for him, she was more worried about the conversation coming up, the terrible thoughts she had had in her mind when they were fighting, and how she was possibly going to spin this to where her and JJ would still be okay by tomorrow. When his face was clean she pushed his blonde hair back from his face, JJ closing his eyes at the comfort of her hands in his hair and then his moment of bliss was soon ruined when he remembered what had caused this moment.

"How did Rafe even find you?" June had been dreading the 21 questions, knowing that she'd have to reveal her secret in this moment. She was out of options. She dreaded that he would be right.

"He tracked my phone. I don't...I don't know. Jesus I don't even know what happened it all happened so fast and I—"

"So you have been seeing him?" He had gripped her wrist in midair, a hurt expression on his face. And she could see behind his eyes that he wanted her so desperately to say no, that he didn't want her to say anything that would hurt him the way that telling him she had been would. She felt that familiar jolt of anger but she put it rest considering the situation, the girl not wanting to explain herself because she truly didn't have to.

"He's...he's been getting better. He's in therapy and it—"

"Oh yeah June it's really working! Getting better?! He seemed like the same old Rafe to me!" June felt attacked at the fact that he didn't see the progress like she did, but how could he...things between them were not the same as things between her and him. Her jaw clenched and she looked guilty as he dropped her wrist from by his face,  shaking his head and standing from the bed. He felt a lot better now, maybe just because he didn't want to be in here anymore, the boy starting towards her bedroom door. June sprung up, rushing after him and trying to stop him. He couldn't leave this room on bad terms. She felt dread as she played into the persona that he wanted her to have, the one where she was sorry for spending time with Rafe, the one where she would beg for his forgiveness even when she didn't want it. He couldn't leave without being on her side.

"Wait JJ please! Let me explain okay?!"

"I don't want to hear you explain. You've been with Rafe! Probably this whole entire time and that isn't as surprising as you might think! It's actually pretty not surprising considering it is you!"

"I made a promise to Ward! I made a promise to Ward that I would help him because nobody else will. And I...I don't know after he died I felt obligated to follow through with it. And I don't know if you'd understand what that's like—keeping a promise— but I don't care that he was a bad guy, he was trying to be a better dad." At the mention of a better dad JJ stopped, his hand on the door handle as he paused. His breaths picked up speed and he tried to leave, he really did try. But he couldn't help but not be mad at her, because she had made a point. He let out a defeated sigh and dropped his hand from the door, June watching with a lump in her throat as he slowly turned back around. She had a strangely triumphant feeling in her chest, and she knew all she had to do was drive this home. Then he would be all hers. "I know you don't understand because all you've ever done is hate him, but it's hard to see someone you loved hurt, even when it's him."

JJ looked at her and truly believed what she said, remembering how bad seeing her hurt had been. He let out a sigh and walked back toward her bed, dropping onto the side and looking up at her.

"I thought you were getting better." His words were a blow to her and her face instantly scrunched up, a perplexed expression taking over.

"I am...I am getting better." She had lied through her teeth, the swirling memories of everything ailing her flashing through her mind. The ocean, Singh, the void from the Hawks Nest. She was probably worse off now than she was before. And she was getting reckless...she was trying to rein herself in.

"Then why is he still stuck to you like some kind of...like some kind of leech or something?" June didn't want to explain herself any further, the girl letting out a groan and sitting down beside him on the bed. JJs face was aching so bad now, his mind hurting and his ribs and arms burning.

"Because he still needs my help." JJ looked at her with a dumbfounded expression, the girl seeing the thoughts processing behind his eyes. He was trying so hard to avoid being angry, to avoid ridiculing her any further and doing something that might set them back. June watched with a tense expression as she waited for the other shoe to drop, for the argument to continue.

She was surprised when he dropped his head, sucking in a deep calming breath and running a hand through his hair. She still watched him, knowing him and knowing that he was just thinking of something hurtful to say. He reached for his pocket and she was now very confused, at least until she saw what he pulled from it. He held a joint in his hands, rolling it between his fingers and then looking back up at her, a completely different look on his face. He looked complimentary, he seemed like he accepted that there was nothing he should say...so he just raised the joint and spoke to her wildly confused face.

"Alright well...well my face really fucking hurts. And I've got this joint here and it has the magical power to take that away. And I'm willing to share it, I guess." Junes face softened and even lit up a little, the corner of her mouth lifting as she tilted her head at him, pleasantly surprised by the fact he hadn't continued to attack her. She scolded herself internally for having this thought; maybe he was trying. She looked between his face and the joint and felt the lump in her throat dissolve as she realized he was exactly where she wanted him, she just had to keep it up. He was going to be eating out of her palm again, admissible to anything she said so long as she finished this night out correctly.

"You guess?"

"Under one condition." He said, and she very much wanted to know what the condition was. "You drive us to get milkshakes after."

June let out a short giggle, and then nodded, her lips pulled into a downward smile as she pushed herself up from where she was crouching. She extended her hand for him to take and he took it, June smiling to herself as she realized she was absolutely killing it. Maybe things would be easier this time around.

"Deal."

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Here we go.....