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obxsummer · 2 years

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Full Pogue // Ghost of You

summary: the cameron family can't seem to keep their hands off you, sending you and sarah on the battle to get off the coastal venture and reunite with your friends

warnings: the usual obx angst, cursing, physical violence, injuries

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Exhaustion was starting to set in harder than it had before, especially when you were tucked under JJ’s shoulder in the back seat of the Twinkie. Kie was on the floor, a join between her fingers as she sat next to Pope. John B and Sarah occupied the front seat, your brother intent on driving back to Figure Eight in attempt to find Rafe. What you didn’t expect was a slewd of cop cars to be blocking the road up ahead, ruining your course of action.

“Oh shit. They found the truck.”

“Chill, chill, chill, chill,” Pope hushed Kie’s distress as bright blue lights filled the darkness of the van. You sat up fully once a flashlight glossed over your eyes, JJ’s hand refusing to leave your skin despite the cops now approaching.

“Well, lookee here,” Shoupe commented sarcastically as his light illuminated John B’s face through the open window.

“Evening, officer,” Your brother responded while keeping his face emotionless.

“Sherrif.”

“Right, sheriff. Forgot,” John B corrected his error without intent behind his words. He motioned towards the totaled truck ahead. “Speed kills, huh?”

Shoupe’s light hit your face again, making you wince and hide further into JJ’s shoulder before it moved again to find Kiara. “I pulled the tags, and I know whose truck that is. Hey, Kie. Did you drop your weed pen back there?”

“Sheriff, I just wanna say that this is all my fault. She had nothing to do with this. I take 100% responsibility,” Pope explained.

“Nothing to do with it? You wanna try that again?” Shoupe repeated before shaking his head. “Your parents reported the truck missing four hours ago, and the keys were missing from the house. I’m taking you home. Or I can pull you all in for leaving the scene of an accident.”

“Okay,” Kiara finally admitted defeat. Shoupe directed Officer Plumb to open the van door to let your friend out. Kie wasn’t even phased at the action and turned towards you guys. “Hit me up later and make sure I’m still alive.”

The sound of the door closing sent everyone into silence. You waited for a moment before the blue lights started to disappear and John B followed the tow truck that had the total vehicle on the flatbed. You knew where you were going in hopes of finding the cross and the idea definitely didn’t help the events of the night settle.

“Babe,” JJ’s voice was quiet as he pressed a kiss to your temple. “You don’t have to go. We can take you home.”

You shook your head softly, fingers ghosting over the bare skin under his shirt that you had sought out for warmth. You had come this far in the whole thing; there was no way you were stopping now. Surviving the Cameron house had been accomplished before.

The street lights provided barely enough coverage once John B pulled up outside of Sarah’s house. The five of you climbed out and ducked below the wall per Pope’s word in an attempt to see better.

“He’s got the truck,” JJ whispered as he glanced over the concrete structure. You could hear the hiss of the brakes as Rafe parked the vehicle and killed the engine.

“How much you wanna bet Rafe has the cross inside that truck right now?” Pope asked as you watched the eldest Cameron enter the large house, not without pausing to look over his shoulder.

“There’s only one way to find out.” Sarah started making her way towards the gated entrance before John B was running after her in concern. You could hear broken pieces of their conversation, especially the part where your brother said he wanted to talk about their relationship at that exact moment, which just pissed Sarah off.

John B stepped back with a smile on his face like a kid on Christmas and it made you roll your eyes. You watched Sarah creep up the driveway, busying tying the piece of your brother’s bandana around her neck as she did so. At least one good thing would come out of tonight.

“Hey! Did you want me to perform your vows while you’re at it?”

“Did you say ‘be safe’?”

JJ and Pope didn’t hesitate to poke fun at your sibling once he returned to your group. You ignored them, eyes focused on your blonde friend as she glanced inside the passenger window of the truck. She flipped around to raise her arms in confusion when she didn’t find an answer. John B motioned for her to come back, but he was ignored when she pointed inside to signal where she was going.

“No, no! Don’t go inside!” Pope whisper-yelled as he watched her disappear into the front door. He turned towards John B. “Do the bird call!”

Your brother attempted the worst bird call in history that almost made you blow your cover by bursting into giggles. You shook your head at them as they attempted to do it the right way. “Losers. I’m going over.” You pushed yourself up on the concrete wall before hopping over. John B made a move to follow you but was interrupted by the sharp honking of a horn. You took a glance back, realizing they were caught by security and started running towards the house.

You stared at the doorknob, a rush of fear running through you at the idea of entering this house willingly. It took a quick second to convince yourself that you were doing this for Pope, and even for Sarah. You weren’t about the let her walk into this house with her murderous brother on a rampage.

The door was silent as you pushed it open, thankfully stepping into a silent room as you closed the door behind you. You knew this house more than you ever wished to, and being back here was weird, but as long as you avoided that room, you hoped it would be okay.

Walking up the stairs, you headed in the general direction of Sarah’s room in hopes that she would maybe hide there first. The dark room was empty upon your arrival. “Sarah?” You whispered as you tried to navigate around it without bumping into anything.

“Oh my God, Wheeze. We gotta make this quick, okay?”

A sharp gasp left your mouth before you slammed a hand over your lips to keep quiet. Rafe’s voice echoed around the empty space as his footsteps hit the stairs nearby. He was clearly complaining to the youngest Cameron which told you that he didn’t find your friend just yet. His voice became distant before you heard quieter footsteps.

Turning the corner, you could see Rafe’s silhouette in Wheezie’s room through the crack in her door. Without wasting a second, you were darting down the stairs in hopes of finding Sarah. Thankfully, the blonde girl ducked out of a bedroom at the perfect second. You had just enough time to place your finger over her lips before she screamed. A moment passed before she processed it was you and tugged your arm to lead you down the stairs.

You followed her outside to where the truck was parked in the wrap-around driveway. “You came after me?” Sarah almost yelled as she turned to you in shock. “Are you insane?”

“In my defense, everyone was going to follow me!” You told her as she shoved the keys in her hand into the lock on the back doors. “I didn’t want to leave you alone!”

She ignored you and finally got the door unlocked. Handing you the keys, she twisted the handle as the metal creaked and swung out to reveal the back of the truck to you both. You didn’t even attempt to find the cross when the first thing you noticed was a pair of eyes staring back, unblinking. The second thing you noticed, was that it was the face of Limbrey’s partner, Renfield. Sarah’s fingers dug into your shoulder as the two of you stepped back with the realization that there was a dead body, here, in front of you, in the truck that Rafe had been driving.

An aggressive yank had a gasp falling from your lips before your back slammed against the metal of the truck. Tears sprung to your eyes as your already sore back and shoulder sparked pain down your spine. You were suddenly face to face with the person who you couldn’t seem to escape.

Rafe’s expression broke into a devilish smirk at the idea of having you back into his hands again. “I really wish you didn’t do that.”

“Get off of me!” You spat back fingers digging into his wrists that were heavy on your shoulders. You shoved him aggressively, the two of you wrestling for a moment before Rafe’s arm was arround your throat and holding you tightly against him. Sarah yanked on her brother’s hood, choking him back before he latched onto her hair, literally dragging the two of you back into the house.

The tile floor beneath you was chilly as Rafe tossed you forward without a care for your well-being. Sarah’s body collided with yours a second later before the door slammed shut and clicked locked.

“What the hell!” Sarah grabbed the first bottle of wine she could find and threw it into the wall where it shattered into pieces. Another bottle, this time champagne, followed as you attempted to pull yourself off the floor. Your spine was aching with each movement and you knew it was just a matter of time before the injury got worse. You couldn’t keep doing this running thing forever.

“Rafe! Let us out!” Sarah pounded on the door aggressively, her facade breaking.

“I’m not letting you out, Sarah. Not until you calm down, okay? I’m trying to be civil here.”

“You asshole!” You were on your feet next, your hand colliding with the wood as rage filled you. No way you were about to be trapped back in this house again. Your saving grace was the form of Sarah Cameron beside you, reminding you that you weren’t alone.

Another voice joined the conversation, one that Sarah recognized right away. “Rose? Rafe locked us in!” She turned towards you, her hand grasping yours to offer any comfort possible.

“You fail to understand that constantly, don’t you? Huh?” Rafe’s body slammed against the door causing you to jump back in shock.

“Shut the hell up!” You snapped back, your foot connecting with the barrier. You couldn’t believe this was happening all over again.

“Is that Y/N? Rafe, what the hell is going on?” Rose’s voice carried through the wood, now becoming your only hope of help to getting out.

Stepping back, you sat on the couch in the room and placed your head in your hands as you tried to breathe. Sarah continued to bang on the door, ignoring Rose’s pleads to calm down. She turned to you when the answering stopped, collapsing into your side with a heavy breath. The silence of sniffles and cries continued until the lock on the door clicked and opened to reveal Rose.

“Girls?”

The two of you clambered off the couch towards her, Sarah crying about calling the cops as she stumbled into the large arm chairs in the hallway. You sat next to her, pulling your legs up into your chest as you glanced around the room in an attempt to keep an eye out for the inevitable.

“What happened?” Rose asked as she tried to coach Sarah through her breathing. “Y/N, hey. What happened?”

“There’s a dead body in the truck,” You answered simply as you stared ahead emotionless. You took the teacup Rose offered, letting the liquid burn your throat without waiting. “Rafe killed Renfield.”

Rose hesitated for a second, listening as Sarah choked through more details while she waited for her tea to cool down. She eventually took the chance to sip on the warm drink, her breathing calming as she was forced to hold in air. “L-Last time Rafe did that… Dad took the blame, and you see where that got him.”

“Sarah, you’re absolutely right,” Rose agreed as she placed her hand on her stepdaughter’s knee. “I told your dad so many times that there was something wrong with Rafe. You just need to calm down. It’s gonna be okay.”

Taking a deep breath, your head felt light from the crying and yelling you had done. Leaning back, you crossed your arms over your chest, the exhaustion from running nonstop settling in. Glancing over at Sarah, you could see panic slowly fill her face as she looked to you. Her eyes drifted to the teacup and suddenly, your adrenaline crash made sense.

“What’d you do?” You whispered, your hand reaching out to grab onto Sarah’s sleeve. This feeling of helplessness and dread was sickening.

“What’d you do?” Sarah repeated the question as the teacup crashed to the floor so she could grab your fingers. “Rose.”

The woman in front of you dug a pill bottle out of her pocket. “I’m really sorry. Nothing bad is going to happen, I promise. I promise. I need you to rest okay? When you wake up, everything’s going to be okay. I had to do whatever it takes to keep this family together, Sarah.”

Your eyes were heavy as you tried to blink the fuzziness away but sleep… sleep sounded so so good.

Rose stared silently for a moment, her heart aching at the idea of putting you anywhere near Rafe again, but they were compromised and she couldn’t risk leaving you here and running back to your brother. Not when the feds were already on their case. It would just risk further investigation and that was the last thing she needed. After assuring you were both unconscious and conversing with her stepson about the body and where to go, she called Wheezie down to help move the final pieces.

Wheezie stared at the sight of you and Sarah, mostly asleep against each other in the foyer. “What happened with them?”

Rose shushed her and wrapped your arm over her shoulder, pointing for the younger girl to do the same with Sarah. “They’re fine, it’s just been a long day. Y/N was freaking out about being back in the house and so Sarah freaked out and they wouldn’t stop crying. I gave them an anti-anxiety pill. They’ll be fine.”

Sarah and Wheezie were lugging behind, the younger girl struggling with the weight of her sister. Rose pulled the car door open, ungracefully dropping you inside before running to help get Sarah in too. She wasted no time to climb in the driver’s seat and start the car.

Across the lawn, JJ’s heart fell out of his chest at the sight of you, unconscious, in Rose’s arms. He knew he shouldn’t have let you hop the fence, but you were stubborn and he couldn’t risk getting you caught with them in the first place.

“What’d she do to them?” John B whispered as he watched the scene unfold. The idea of losing both of you to wherever Rose was going was not about to become true. Not after you had made it this far. When Wheezie shut the door behind her and the car started moving, the two boys took off in an attempt to stop it.

Your eyes attempted to focus with the blur of lights. You could feel Sarah’s shoe in your side, the leather seats behind your back. The clothes on your body were not your own but you didn’t have the energy to piece it all together.

Hands smacking against car windows made you jump. You could barely recognize your brother’s voice, JJ’s right behind him before they faded away. Taking a deep breath, you filtered it as a dream and fell back into a peaceful sleep once again.

Waking up was nowhere near as comfortable as to when you fell asleep. The ground beneath you felt wobbly unlike the smooth bumps of a car and there was nothing but the hum of machines to fill your ears. The pounding in your skull was mind numbing and the sun shining in your eyes didn’t help either. With a deep gasp, you sat up sharply to see the small room you had been left in. Soft sweatpants and a tank top covered your body along with a zip-up jacket, most likely remainders of clothes that had been in the house from when you were trapped there.

Sarah was nowhere to be found and from the looks of it, you were alone. Glancing out the windows, your heart sank at the sight of a never ending ocean which meant you were on a boat going who knows where away from your brother, JJ, and your friends.

Moving to your feet, you grabbed the door handle in hopes it would be unlocked but that obviously was a long shot. You groaned, hand slamming against the wood in annoyance before sitting back in the chair you had originally been in. The sound of footsteps approached quickly before the lock clicked and the door opened.

You didn’t know what you expected when you looked up - a miracle hopefully, but the glaring eyes of Rafe Cameron were easy to ruin that dream. You closed your eyes tightly, digging your fingers against your scalp as if it would wake you up from this real life nightmare.

“Y/N, Y/N, Y/N… I told you we might as well be friends at this point. Make our lives easier.”

“Leave me the fuck alone, Rafe,” You grumbled as you stared at your ruined shoes beneath you. The less you had to look at him, the better.

A harsh hand grabbed your hair, yanking your head back to you were forced to look up. “You’re so lucky I convinced Rose to bring you up here. She was going to leave you at the house, all alone.”

Your hand grabbed his forearm and squeezed it tightly until he finally let go. “Am I supposed to appreciate that? This isn’t the first time you’ve stolen me from my family, you fucking psychopath!” The harsh sting on your cheek was expected and after you got over the initial pain of the slap, you couldn’t help but laugh at the situation in front of you and got to your feet. “God! What is it going to take for you to learn that I’m never staying with you, I hate every part of your being, and no matter how long you think you can keep me here, JJ and John B will find me, and you are going to lose. I will make sure of it.”

Chest to chest with the face of the person who haunted your sleep, the rush of anger and adrenaline in your veins held you still as you looked him in the eye. You refused to be scared of him, not when you were hundreds to thousands of miles from your family.

The silence was teirrifying in itself before Rafe tugged your arm and led you out of the room. You didn’t bother to ask questions and refused to let him know you were nervous. He turned a few corners, grip getting increasingly tighter before practically launching you into a room like the one you had been.

The first person you saw was Sarah, her face exhausted and annoyance evident in her features. You were thankful to see her, knowing the two of you might have a chance of getting out of here together. All of that hope disappeared the second the person sitting across from her turned to look at you. Ward Cameron, alive and well in front of you. It was almost silly to think your group would finally get a chance at the gold, or even the cross again.

Ward ignored your presence in the room, continuing to explain to Sarah about his remorse for not calling her, for the whole lie of his death. Rafe didn’t hesitate to make a shitty comment about being the only grateful child. His fingers ran across the bare skin of your neck making you tense as you stood there, frozen.

“That’s psychopathic. Both of you,” Sarah shot back, her eyes drifting from Rafe behind you to her father.

“I promised Rafe that he would’t go to prison for helping me,” Ward continued, “I had to make good on that promise.”

“Not that you care.”

“Did it look like I didn’t care when I thought Dad was dead?” Your friend defended herself as she glared at her brother.

Rafe shook his head. “It-It actually looked like you cared about running off with some asshole-”

“It looked like all you cared about was the inheritance!” Tugging your arm out of Rafe’s grasp, you shoved him away from you in favor of sitting on the couch near Sarah.

Ward eventually got both siblings to quit screaming before turning towards her again. “I know you’re angry right now, and rightfully so. The important thing is that it’s all behind us now. It is. We’re gonna live a new life, a-and Y/N can stay with us. All of us, together.”

“Oh, hell no,” You mumbled under your breath, palms coming up to rub your eyes in hopes that you would blink and be back at home with JJ. You couldn’t even be surprised about the way everything went down, and of course, Rafe gets to drag you into it because Ward doesn’t care what he does.

Sarah stared at her dad blankly as he attempted to convince her that the destination would be paradise. You kept watching as he slid a stack of tourist papers over to her. She leaned forward to catch them all in her hands before shoving them back towards Ward. “I want to call my friends, and I want to call my boyfriend. Can I at least just tell them that Y/N and I are okay?”

To your shock, Ward nodded. “Yes, of course you can. As soon as we get there, you both can call John B. He knows you’re here, right?”

You let out a bitter laugh, “No. He doesn’t. Your psychopathic son kidnapped us and your crazy ass wife drugged us!” Your brother would much rather throw himself into the ocean than let something like this happen.

Ward copied your laugh and threw all the crumbled papers into the garbage. “He came by the house not long after you two fell asleep. You know the cross you’ve all been looking for? Rafe was able to get it. Turns out, that I guess historically, it belongs to the Heywards.”

“Yeah, we know.”

“Well, it turns out that the most important thing to me, is you, so I gave John B the cross for you. And I let Rafe bring Y/N, because you need someone you can trust, and I know that’s not me right now.”

You and Sarah shared a glance, completely unbelieving of any word Ward was speaking. You crossed your arms over your chest. “Oh, and John B was okay with that?”

Ward came to crouch between the two of you. “Well, um, I had just given him a half-billion-dollar artifact, so, yeah. He seemed pretty okay. I don’t know what to tell you, girls”

You wanted nothing more than to kick him straight in the face and to watch his blood pour across his dress shirt. This family was fucked up and you weren’t staying here much longer to find out how bad. Whether you had to swim to the closest island or find a way to sneak out yourself, you were gonna do it.

Rose and Wheezie came in a few moments later, Wheezie very much excited about the idea of going to a privately owned island. Sarah completely ignored her sibling in favor of looking up to avoid eye-contact. It didn’t take long for the awkward silence to win, with Rafe and Ward heading who knows where and Wheezie leaving in search of cards for you, Sarah, and Rose to be left.

Sarah nudged your foot slightly, giving you a look before she groaned and stood up. You watched her carefully, not sure what exactly she had planned but giving her the space to do so. Suddenly, she stumbled across the room, catching Rose’s attention.

“Whoa, Sarah. Hey, what’s wrong, sweetie?” The magazine she was holding was discarded, her attention now fully on her stepchild.

“I just think I’m gonna be seasick,” Sarah whined as she leaned against one of the counters.

Rose stood up from her seat, claiming she had ‘just the thing’ to cure Sarah’s faux sickness. While Rose occupied herself with digging through the closet, Sarah was waving you along out the door that Wheezie had accidentally left open. The two of you slipped out into the yellow-lit hallway and made your way through an open door to the cargo area. Glancing around, your eyes caught sight of the one object that definitely wasn’t supposed to be here: The Cross of Santo Domingo.

Tapping Sarah’s arm aggressively, you caught her attention before pointing towards the object that was resting in a large wooden crate. With a roll of her eyes and a newfound anger, she continued out of the hallway until you guys finally came to fresh air. You took a long look at the ocean, no sign of land anywhere near, before following Sarah up a flight of stairs towards the main cabin.

From the window, you could identify two crew members inside but a freehand walkie talkie close by that you could snag given a distraction. Sarah motioned to two almost empty buckets of paint that were set nearby. She grabbed one and waved you towards the doorway before tossing it across the deck. One of the crew members turned immediately at the noise as Sarah ducked to hide.

As the crew member stepped outside, you had just enough time to grab the walkie talkie and step back out to where Sarah was hiding. Fingers shaking as you dialed 911, neither you nor Sarah even saw a crew member approaching when the radio crackled to life.

“Dispatch 60290.”

“Hello? Hello, my name’s Y/N, I’m on a boat called the Coastal Venture. I’m with Sarah Cameron, we’ve-we’ve been kidnapped. I need-” Someone grabbed the radio of your hands with a demanding shush of silence. You stared at him with wide eyes as he kept your shoulder pressed against the wall and raised the radio to his ear.

“Yeah, that’s just my teenage daughter playing pranks again. Yeah, sorry.” He ended the call and applied more pressure to keep you in your spot as Sarah watched, concern. “You’re in deep shit, kid.”

Another crew member came to watch you and Sarah while the previous one, you assumed the captain, busied himself with calling Ward. The man was quick to come to your location, giving you and Sarah a glare as he stepped in to speak with the captain.

Taking a deep breath, you slouched against the side of the boat and slumped down against the wall. You just wanted to get the hell off this ship and as far away from the Cameron family as you possibly could. Rafe’s weird obsession with you was becoming a little too real at this point, especially if he’s somehow convinced Ward to bring you along as if it wouldn’t just raise questions.

“Are you okay?” Sarah asked as sat down next to you. She knew it was an obvious question and that you probably didn’t want to talk to her, but she felt like she needed to ask.

You shrugged, eyes scanning the ocean around you. “I thought I would be free of this… repetitive endless loop. I don’t know why your brother is so obsessed with me, but Sarah… if it comes between staying on this boat or jumping into the ocean, I’m out,” You admitted as you looked over at her. “I don’t expect you to follow me, it’s probably a death wish, but I can’t stay here.”

“I’d come with you,” She admitted in a heart beat. “Somehow I just know you and I would do better out there than we think.”

Your small conversation was interrupted when Ward slammed the door of the cabin shut and stomped towards both of you. He didn’t hesitate to grab the hoods of your jackets and drag you down the stairs to the main level. There was a moment of quiet, one you dreaded because you knew the screaming match was on the other side.

“Do you want them to take you?” The question was low and heavy as it slipped from Ward’s mouth.

“We didn’t ask to be here!” Sarah defended as she tossed her hands around in frustration.

“You’re here, and you’re staying here!” Ward screamed right back, the tone of his voice enough to send you into shock as you stumbled back away from him. It had been months since you’d heard him yell that way and it still struck you in the gut the way it had before. He was terrifying, and he scared you, and worst of all, he knew it too.

Sarah smacked her dad’s hand away in order to grab yours and pull you with her as she stormed away from the scene. What the two of you missed, was the sight of your brother looking over the railing with the painful realization that Ward Cameron was alive. What you missed, was that your friends managed to sneak on the boat and were looking for you and Sarah, risking their own lives and recruiting Cleo to help their mission. Your body felt like it was floating, no doubt your brain’s defense to keep you away from all the memories threatening to cave you in. Part of you regretted hopping over the wall to help Sarah that night, but honestly, you didn’t. You didn’t want her to go through this alone.

Turning the wrong corner, your luck ran you straight into Rafe Cameron, who had obviously been waiting for your arrival. He took your moment of distraction to grasp onto your wrist and twist your arm painfully behind your back. A sharp whimper left your mouth as he pushed you along, Sarah screaming and fighting her dad behind you.

“You Pogues never learn your lesson, huh? Someone always has to get hurt.” His statement was venomous yet you still wanted to roll your eyes at him. Kook King Rafe Camerone wouldn’t be winning every battle, you would make sure of that. Especially once you got off this boat with Sarah, one of his biggest prizes would be swimming away before he could blink.

Rafe pulled you into a dark red room, an alarm blaring nearby for unknown reasons, but it was enough to give you a headache. “This is what happens when we can’t trust you,” Rafe tried to reason.

You laughed and moved away from him when he dropped his grip. “Oh, yes. Because you and your dad are so trustworthy!” You shot back as Ward and Sarah stumbled in the room together. “We saw the cross. The whole ridiculous speech you gave about trading it was see through. Do either of you ever tell the truth?”

You felt like a little kid arguing with your dad as you did so often. He always took John B’s side, never yours. He never let you do anything that your brother got away with. Your whole life, you were second place, limited, weak. And here you were, back in the same scenario with Ward and Rafe screaming at you and Sarah.

“Since you both clearly cannot make good decisions, I will make them for you!” Ward turned towards you after he finished yelling at his daughter. “Decision one, you will not see John B or that Maybank boy again. Ever. You’re both coming with us, for good. One day, you will see. You’ll grow up and you’ll see I’m doing this for you.” He pointed at Sarah before making a move to leave.

“No, you’re not!” She clipped back. “Everything you do is for yourself. You are greedy. You are selfish. You are manipulative, you are a liar.”

“I am your father.”

“And you are a murderer.”

The loud smack that followed made you gasp as Ward’s hand landed against Sarah’s cheek. With wide eyes, you launched yourself on Ward’s back and wrapped your arm around his neck, choking him with force.

“You sick son of a bitch!” You screamed as he tried to pull you off to no avail. Rafe’s hands yanked at your jacket before Sarah launched at him with a wrench she found nearby. Ward’s fingers grasped as your arms as he gasped for air, but you weren’t giving up so easily. “Oh, how’s it feel, Ward Cameron? Is this how you killed my father? Tossed him in the ocean to never be seen again? Payback’s a bitch, isn’t it?”

He moved sharply, nailing your spine into a ridge in the wall that had you crying in pain and releasing your hold on him. You didn’t hesitate to collect yourself off the ground, pulling Sarah’s arm from where she had just knocked Rafe in the back of the head so the two of you could get out of there. Sarah turned and locked the door as quickly as possible, but the heavy metal did nothing to mute the screams coming from the other side.

A broken order to meet at the tween forward hull came over the PA but neither of you bothered to listen to it and continued to run as far as you could. Sarah turned a sharp corner, leading the two of you straight to where a decent sized lifeboat was dangling over the water. She tossed her sweatshirt inside and moved to unlock all the latches keeping everything tied up.

You followed her lead, grabbing anything that looked useful before hitting the lever to move the lifeboat further over the water so you could lower it. It hit the water shortly after, both of you sharing a smile of success before you started throwing the ladder off the side to climb down. Throwing the last rung off the side, you stood up straight with a smile. “Let’s go home, Sarah.”

When the blonde girl didn’t answer, you turned around to see her in a staring match with her father who had managed to escape the lock on the door. She took a step back into your hands, pointing a sharp finger at her dad. “You get the hell away from me! I’m not doing this shit anymore, I’m not going with you!” She shouted angrily.

Ward surprisingly nodded. “I know, I get it. I mean it took a while because I didn’t wanna believe, but… I finally understand what everybody was trying to tell me. You’re not one of us. Right? Not anymore. And you never will be. But now, the problem is this… what do I do now?”

“You let us go,” Sarah said, the nerves clear throughout her body as she stood in front of him. You could tell she was terrified and after the events of today, you didn’t blame her.

“Let you go?” Ward repeated before laughing. “Let you go back and tell everyone that I’m alive and tell them where we are and what we’ve done? Baby, come on now. You know I can’t do that.” He placed his hands on her neck softly. “I don’t know what to do with you!”

In a swift movement, his grip tightened and he pushed her back against the metal side. You screamed in shock, jumping forward to grab Ward’s throat and throw him off balance. He seemed to be expecting it though, and with a harsh shove, you were colliding with the other wall of the boat.

Your body was sending big red flags with even the slightest of movements. Your shoulder ached, back scorching with pain, but you refused to watch Sarah die at the hands of her own father. Attempting to sit up, you grabbed the side of the boat but a sharp pain up your spine kept you grounded.

“Sarah! Let her go!” You screamed in hopes that someone, anyone would hear and stop Ward. You knew you were hopeful to think anyone would even come in between him and murdering someone, but you had to try.

“Get off her!”

A blur of pink flooded your vision as someone ran forward, yanking Ward off of Sarah. The Cameron patriarch crumbled to the ground with the force of the punch before you were able to focus your vision enough to recognize your brother was standing a few feet away. He didn’t hesitate to hold Sarah in his grasp, the two of them mumbling reassurances as you managed to pull yourself into a sitting position.

“John B!” Your shout was a split second late as Ward managed to get back on his feet and tackled your brother from his spot. Sarah yelled out in shock, her hands grasping at her dad in a futile attempt to make him stop. John B managed to elbow Ward in the ribs to gain enough time to pull away and kick the older man in the stomach.

Once John B had the upper hand, Sarah took a second to run to your side. “I gotcha, here.” Her hands were gentle as they helped pull you from the ground, a sharp hiss leaving your lips as you did so. All the nonstop running and chaos more than likely irritated previous injuries and subjected you to new ones. There wasn’t any time to worry about it now, though.

John B managed to hit hard enough that Ward’s skull connected with the low side of the boat causing an instant formation of blood. You watched as your brother crouched down to taunt the man who had ruined so much of his life. “Is this how you did it? Is this how you killed my father? You just threw him in the ocean?”

Tears burned your eyes as you listened to John B almost repeat the exact same thing you had said to Ward not too long ago. As much as you tried to avoid it, you were just kids. Kids who were mourning their father who had been lost. There was no closure, no happy ending, and you were thrown head first into this crazy whirlwind of treasure hunting with no form of guidance.

“I never got to say goodbye because of you. This is all your fault.”

John B shifted to pick Ward up by the fabric of his shirt, leaning to throw the man overboard as he pictured his father in a similar position. He hesitated, taking a second to look at Sarah, who gave him a teary nod. Your brother looked to you next, taking in the exhaustion on your face and the tears on your cheeks as you held yourself in a hug. He refused to let you watch him do this, and he refused to let Sarah feel alone because of him.

Deciding against what he really wanted to do, John B let go of Ward’s shirt. Sarah let out a visible sigh of relief but didn’t say a word. Your brother was quick to jump back into action. “Hey, we gotta go, okay? I got you, we gotta pick up the others.”

He turned to you a second later before pulling you into a bone crushing hug. A sob threatened to break free from your throat at the feeling of being held by your older brother, the realization that he actually didn’t forget about you this time overwhelming. You couldn’t care about the pain rushing through your body with every movement, you were just glad he was here.

“You’re okay, promise,” He reassured as he let go to hold your hand instead. Turning back to Sarah, he grabbed her hand too before the three of you placed yourselves on the edge of the boat. You could see the lifeboat down below and there was no time to climb the ladder at this point. John B gave a quick countdown before you jumped into the dark ocean below.

The water felt cool for a moment, relaxing the tension in your body as you swam to the surface. John B and Sarah were there seconds later, all of you swimming as fast as possible towards the lifeboat. Grabbing the ropes along the side, you kicked your legs as hard as you could to get some momentum to climb up the boat. Each movement caused a tingling sensation across your back, but you had come way too far to stop now.

John B climbed up next, reaching out to help Sarah before he moved to start the engine. Just as it kicked to life, you watched as two more people jumped from the deck of the boat into the water. John B quickly steered the lifeboat in their direction until you could make out Pope’s familiar face alongside a girl you hadn’t seen before.

Hands reaching out, you and Sarah grabbed onto the girl and pulled her aboard as John B hauled Pope up next to you. “Oh my God!” Sarah practically screamed as she recognized the girl you had just pulled from the water. “Cleo, holy shit!”

“Long time no see, girl,” Cleo responded as she hugged Sarah tightly. You didn’t bother with introductions, figuring it could wait until you weren’t fighting for your life in an endless ocean.

“Where’s J and Kie?”

Your brother’s question had you turning towards him in concern. “JJ?” You repeated your boyfriend’s name in shock that the whole damn crew had managed to sneak onto the boat without getting caught.

“We’re gonna find them,” John B assured you as he began to turn the boat towards the other side of the Coastal Venture.

The rush of water in your ears was almost deafening but even still, you could hear a distance scream, “John B! Help!”

You could make out Kie’s head as she strugged to swim above the rocky waves. Your heart sank as you recognized the blond hair barely moving next to her. “JJ!”

Similar screams echoed behind you as hands fought hands to grab onto your boyfriend and relieve Kie of his weight so she could climb up. You and John B managed to pull him up in between the two of you as you tried to wake him up. The sight of blood on his forehead terrified you.

“J, come on.” You were so sick of crying all the time, but nothing scared you more than the idea of JJ not being here. “Come on, come on!” You tapped his cheek aggressively, trying in vein to snap him out of shock. You were so overwhelmed with trying to wake him up that you didn’t notice the lifeboat engine stalling, or the face that Rafe had a gun aimed straight at you.

“JJ, please!” Your voice cracked with tears that you couldn’t hold back as the reality that JJ might not be coming back from this fight hit you full force. “You can’t leave me, you promised! Wake up!”

An aggressive cough finally escaped his mouth as he let out all the water he had inhaled while unconscious. A wave of relief took over as you finally relaxed next to him with your hand still on his shoulder in fear that he would disappear if you let go. Everyone crowded him with words of concern as John B continued to steer you all away.

JJ followed the feeling along his arm up to your worried face. You stared back at him, a small smile on your lips with ugly tears no doubt still on your cheeks. His expression was blank, probably confused from what he woke up to, but he was okay, and that was all that mattered.

“Sup?”

You collided against him, hands searching for any bare skin you could grab to just feel him, and hold him, and ground yourself. JJ shifted to sit up so he could hold you properly, letting you settle into his lap once he got his thoughts together. His arms were snug around you as he pieced together that you were okay, and you were here, with him. No more Rafe Cameron, no more kidnapping. You were safe in his arms.

“Just always looking for attention, huh?”

JJ laughed, one of his hands letting go of your waist to gently touch the side of his head. “What the hell happened?”

“Blunt end of a machete,” Kie answered simply, grabbing one of the towels you had thrown aboard to hold it against JJ’s head to stop the bleeding.

“Next time, duck.”

As the boat continued to coast away from the Coastal Venture, vows of the treasure hunt not being over were promised, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. You were just thankful to have your family, here, in one piece more or less. That was all that mattered.

Your group settled into a rather comfortable conversation, everyone catching up on what was missed. Cleo was apparently the girl who had helped Sarah and John B in Nassau, saving their lives more than once. Your friends had snuck onto the boat through one of the shipping containers, sweating it out until Pope and John B were brave enough to take the risk to look around. Sarah relayed your half of the story, letting everyone know how Ward had escaped and Rose was in on it.

“Hi,” JJ’s voice was quiet as he looked down at you. Your sweatshirt sleeve had been ripped off in favor of wrapping the material around his head to keep the bleeding down, but if you were honest, it just made him look silly.

“Hi,” You repeated as you leaned your head against his shoulder, not wanting to separate from him yet. Your heart was racing, the adrenaline refusing to wear off just yet until you guys found safety somewhere. This never ending battle of attempting to find some normalcy was pointless now, and all you could hope for was that your family would be able to stick together through whatever was coming.

“Are you okay?” JJ lips were gentle on your temple as he held you close. He couldn’t lie around the fear in his chest when you went missing. There was no way to tell if you were okay, if Rafe had gotten to you or if you were in a mindset he couldn’t pull you out of. JJ just wanted to make everything okay again.

You looked up at him, placing a small kiss on his jawline before settling in the crook of his neck. “I will be.”

And so, here you were. A group of chaotic, overwhelmed teenagers who had nothing to their names. No food, no clothes, just you and the wide ocean ahead of you. You didn’t know what would happen from here, if you guys would figure it out or if you would die in this lifeboat with nothing left. But you honestly couldn’t care; as long as you had your family with you, you’d be fine.

To going full Pogue.

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tags: @strawberryfolks @jinxfirebolt18902 @lnnlove @itsmytimetoodream @dazzlingnights

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cophene · 1 year

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t. una || ✦.⁺ candour.

previous chapter || giorno’s chapter || next chapter || table of contents

pairing : vento aureo x gn reader summary : a college student tries getting the attention of some of the most admired and attractive people on campus, only to get caught up with stands and vigilante groups in the process. notes : modern au, multi-chapter fic, sfw, doesn't follow canon plot word count : 2.3k+

═ ☆. TRISH REPLIED TO Y/N'S request for Stand assistance with the address to a set of expensive condominiums a few minutes from Sapiena's campus.

It's only a five-minute walk from the dorms, but let me know if you get lost, Trish texted.

(Y/n) immediately felt out of their element when they arrived. Grey and white stone paved the large path leading to the entrance, and (y/n) could spot several high-class vehicles idling outside. The lobby was polished and classy, with minimalistic decor and tiny bright lights overhead. It was a far cry from the mundane apartment they'd met Scolippi in.

(Y/n) discreetly adjusted their appearance in the elevator mirrors. They hadn't even seen Trish's condo yet, and the building already intimidated them. They couldn't imagine anyone comfortably living in such an ostentatious building. But the residents were probably used to it, seeing it every day.

The elevator ascended so smoothly that (y/n) barely noticed when it stopped. (Y/n) found Trish's door number, but it opened before they could knock, leaving their hand hovering dumbly in the air.

"How are you doing?" Trish air-kissed (y/n)'s cheeks. "I'm so glad you're here. It was going to be such a slow afternoon." Trish was wearing a cute blue sweater and shorts set. The soft colour made her pink hair even brighter. She'd taken off her makeup, and she looked younger without it.

Stepping into Trish's condo was like stepping into a furniture catalogue. The furniture was pretty but practical. Natural light poured into every room, dust motes swirling gently. (Y/n) was drawn to the various frames hanging on the wall in the living room. In one of the pictures, Trish looked to be about seven. She lookeed like she was on stage for a recital, wearing an adorable yellow dress. There was a boy on either side of her, one of them instantly recognizable as Fugo, the other with dark hair and a solemn face.

"Guess who that is." Trish tapped the dark-haired boy.

(Y/n) peered closer. There was something about his green eyes that seemed familiar.

"That can't be Giorno."

"It is," Trish said. "It wasn't until he gained his Stand that his hair went blond. He looks so gloomy, doesn't he?"

(Y/n)'s eyes went to a different picture, this one of Trish sitting on the shoulders of a man in sunglasses. With his bright pink hair, he must've been Trish's father, the elusive chancellor of Sapiena. They couldn't make out his features behind his sunglasses, but Trish must've taken after him since she didn't resemble the brown-haired woman also standing in the picture.

"Mom and dad," Trish said, confirming (y/n)'s thoughts. "My dad bought this condo for my mom when I was born, and they've been living separately ever since. They're still married, but they're just better apart."

"I guess you and your dad aren't that close, then?"

"My tuition is half what it's supposed to be. That counts for something." Trish sounded detached, as though she'd gotten used to her dad not being around.

"It's been ages since I've seen him," Trish murmured. She stared at the picture for a moment before going to open the sliding glass door to the balcony. "Come out here. Look how nice it is."

Set outside was a circular table and chairs flanked by a pair of flower pots. The balcony opened onto the condominium's shared courtyard, deliciously warm from the sun. Looking down, (y/n) admired the tiled fountain and manicured lawns.

Trish pulled out a chair for (y/n). "Mista texted that your mission on Scolippi was a success. He also said that your Stand saved his ass."

(Y/n) shrugged. "I don't think he would've died even if I hadn't been there. Dealing with Scolippi was the complete opposite of what I'd been expecting. I don't think the florist knew what his daughter was getting into."

"Mista also mentioned you met someone else at the apartment? Someone with white hair?"

"Some guy named Abbacchio. He might've been a cop, but I'm not sure. He just asked us to work with him out of nowhere." (Y/n) showed Trish the card.

"Doesn't sound like a cop," Trish said. "The name doesn't ring a bell either. If he said he's a Stand user, I'd say it's worth it to see what he has to say. He might end up helping us out."

Those were (y/n)'s thoughts exactly. Abbacchio didn't seem bad, strange as he was.

"If there's a way to control my Stand better, I'd love to learn," (y/n) said. From here, they would be able to bring up the topic of Fugo.

"With how individualistic Stands are, it's hard to figure out one thing that would make you control it better. The more confident you are with yourself, the easier your Stand ability will come to you."

So they were looking at self-confidence now? Trish laughed at the expression on (y/n)'s face.

"We can deal with that later. Why don't you just try summoning your Stand?"

(Y/n) told themself to relax. Calling on the shimmery fabric was noticeably easier this time around. Slowly, (y/n)'s Stand settled around them, draping over the balcony and trailing on the ground. Wonder softened Trish's face as the fabric drifted around her body, not quite touching her.

"It's amazing," she breathed. "You must have a beautiful soul."

With the way their Stand caught the light, (y/n) almost believed Trish.

"You Stand isn't randomly spread out," Trish said, following the fabric's path on the ground. "It's gathered around the two of us and the flower pots."

"Why is it doing that?"

"I'm thinking that your Stand is attracted to living things. Look, the part of your Stand going over the balcony is even trying to reach the trees."

If Trish was right, that explained why (y/n)'s Stand had bunched around the wall that Risotto was behind.

"I think it's attracted to Stand energy too. On the elevator, I was able to tell where Scolippi's Rolling Stones was."

"It sounds to me like your Stand only appears when something big happens—when there's a great need for it."

(Y/n) nodded. "It's harder to bring out when there isn't pressure."

"It makes sense. It's at times like that your will becomes stronger. Your body consciously wants to take action. Stand up. I want to try something."

Trish got up from her seat and moved to the balcony railing. Warily, (y/n) came up beside her.

"Try not to freak out," Trish said. She closed her eyes, and the air next to her shimmered. In the next moment, a pale pink humanoid appeared. It blinked its bright green eyes at (y/n), its body lithe and graceful.

"It's nice to meet you." The voice of Trish's Stand was melodic, just like Black Sabbath's had been.

"This is my Stand, Spice Girl," Trish said, smiling at it. "Gorgeous, isn't it?"

Spice Girl was the perfect manifestation of Trish's soul. The grid-pattern slip dress and high-heel shoes were all Trish. Bold and feminine and badass, all in one. But (y/n) did have to wonder what the various mathematical signs on it meant.

"If you would?" Trish waved a hand over the balcony. Spice Girl wrapped its fist around it, and it took (y/n) a second to understand why the railing was warping so unnaturally.

"You're softening it."

"That's Spice Girl's ability," Trish affirmed. "It can take anything and make it as soft and malleable as rubber. Amazing, huh?"

The railing drooped from its rigid position, and Trish stepped neatly over. "Be careful," Spice Girl said sternly. Trish only shrugged as she withdrew her Stand.

"Alright, since your Stand performs better under pressure, let's create some pressure. I'm going to count to three and fall backwards. You're going to catch me with your Stand before I hit the ground."

(Y/n) balked. "That's what you're doing? But—"

"No one's in the courtyard right now," Trish interrupted, looking over her shoulder. "And if you don't manage to catch me, Spice Girl will soften the ground where I fall." She put a hand over her mouth. "Oops. There goes the pressure."

Stand or not, it was a long way down to the courtyard from up here. Catching Mista had been instinctive, but (y/n) wasn't sure if they could do it again. Their Stand drifting around them suddenly felt flimsy and unreliable.

"Hey." Trish brought a piece of (y/n)'s Stand over and draped it over (y/n) like a scarf. It was warm and comforting. "I believe in you. You've got this." Her green eyes were bright with excitement. She leaned in close, and (y/n)'s heart sped up.

"Besides, I'm a lot lighter than Mista."

(Y/n) laughed. Trish tapped their nose lightly.

"Here we go then. On three. Uno—"

Trish pitched backwards. (Y/n)'s stomach swooped. To their surprise, (y/n)'s Stand shot forward, weaving together and becoming a larger rectangle of fabric. Instead of becoming a hammock, (y/n)'s mouth fell open as it dove under Trish, buoying her up.

It's like Aladdin's magic carpet.

Trish whooped. "You're such a liar, (y/n)! You can control your Stand just fine!"

"I didn't plan this!"

(Y/n)'s Stand carpet raised Trish until she was level with the balcony.

"Get on. Let's see what else you can do."

(Y/n) eyed the fabric dubiously. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Give yourself some credit. This material is soft, but it supports my weight easily. I saw the way it cut Bruno the other day on the rooftop too."

The surface of their Stand carpet was stretchy and bouncy, like a trampoline. (Y/n) gripped the edge of it, stiffening when Trish looped her arms around (y/n)'s middle.

Move forward a little; to the other side of the courtyard.

(Y/n)'s Stand followed their instructions. (Y/n) and Trish glided along gently through the air. (Y/n) banked for a turn, and that worked too.

"Do you have a name for your Stand?" Trish's voice was right by (y/n)'s ear.

"That's been the last thing on my mind. Would something like Death Cloth work?"

"Oh, come on, give it some more thought. The name of your Stand should come to you naturally. Like it wants to be called something."

"I don't know about that..." (y/n) trailed off. Something tickled (y/n)'s mind. (Y/n) murmured it under their breath.

"What was that?"

"White Satin," (y/n) said louder. As they did, their Stand rippled.

"I think that's its name."

"Be more confident! It's your Stand."

White Satin. Saying it felt surprisingly right somehow. (Y/n)'s Stand wrapped a strip around their hand as though it were squeezing it. (Y/n) guided them back up to the balcony, and White Satin dissipated as they slid off.

"Knowing the name of your Stand makes it seem more connected, doesn't it?"

It did. (Y/n)'s Stand felt closer at hand. They could feel it buzzing underneath their skin.

"Trish, controlling my Stand wasn't the only reason I came over."

"Oh?"

(Y/n) didn't know why they were deciding to tell the truth instead of the subtle prodding they'd been planning. Something seemed different between the two of them now. Maybe it didn't feel right when Trish had been so willing to help them.

"Fugo told me about what happened when you first flicked on the lighter. He's terrified of his Stand and holds it against you guys for forcing it on him. He said you don't care about what happens to people who face Black Sabbath."

Trish sat back in her seat and was quiet for a long moment. "Fugo's always been quiet. He always went along with whatever Giorno and I were doing. I think the lighter was the first time he was really forceful about something. We still didn't listen to him, though."

"I think that if you told him what it is you and Giorno are doing, there's a chance he'd join you guys. You could fix your friendship."

Trish huffed a laugh. "I'd hate us too if I were Fugo. We were such assholes back then. Still are."

Trish's candour surprised (y/n). "I think you're all just scared of making it worse."

"But leaving things the way they are made it worse," Trish murmured. She rested her chin on her hand. "Honestly, I miss Fugo. He was quiet, but when you actually listened to him...."

"So talk to him. I can give you his number. He's angry, but I think he wants to talk to you too. If it's going according to plan, Narancia should've convinced Giorno to do the same."

"Sly, sly," Trish said with a small smile. "You had ulterior motives this entire time."

"Don't we all?"

Trish looked out over the balcony. It was quiet as (y/n) gave her time to think.

"Give me his number," she said finally. "It's about damn time."

Trish walked (y/n) back to their dorm. By the end of the short walk, (y/n) found out that Trish loved crab, drank Perrier more than she did regular water, and never left the house without a coat of Givenchy lipstick. (Y/n) was surprised at how much they enjoyed learning these tiny details about Trish. They made her seem less exclusive.

They stopped at the intersection before Sapiena."Grazie, (y/n). I enjoyed your little visit."

"So did I. I managed to check off everything on my ulterior motives list."

Instead of her usual air kiss, when Trish leaned in, she lightly kissed the corner of (y/n)'s mouth. An electric jolt went through them, their skin tingling.

"We should do this again," Trish said and almost sounded shy. She smiled and began walking away.

"Trish!"

The pink-haired girl looked over her shoulder.

"I like you better when you're like this. When you actually act like a college student instead of some foreign goddess."

(Y/n) was afraid Trish would snap at them. Instead, she nodded.

"I like myself better when I'm like this too. You're one of the few people I can be myself with," Trish chuckled, seeming to realize what she'd just said. "But of course, I must just be saying that."

(Y/n) was thankful Trish left before she could notice the tiny piece of White Satin that trailed like fairy dust after her.

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#pseuminova #jjba #jjba x reader #jjba fanfic #golden wind #golden wind x reader #vento aureo #vento aureo x reader #gender neutral reader #modern au

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