Chapter Text
"The world's just spinning a little too fast
If things don't slow down soon, we might not last
The world's not forgiving of everyone's fears
The days turn into months, the months turn into years
So just for a moment, let's be still"
"Let's Be Still" By The Head and The Heart
They had movie night with her parents. It was a pretty regular thing since they’d been back from South America. Every Tuesday night, they’d make pizza; Mike and Anna shared one and he and Kiara shared one. They’d alternate who picked the film and in the last six months they’d began rating them in a binder Anna started keeping on the coffee table.
When it was his turn to choose he picked Disney films, the classics, the sequels, the live action- they felt like safe options. And he enjoyed the kiddie Kie stories her parents would share. Mike and Anna told him the time Kiara wanted to be like Mogli and ran away to live in the woods. Or how she wanted to be Ariel and convinced her parents she was a mermaid, or one of his favorites, how she refused to take off her simba Halloween costume for weeks.
Her parents were significantly more accepting once they returned home- in one piece- and she told them everything that had happened. Mike actually thanked him. They usually did homework in her room before the film. Her parents were lenient with their open door policy and let JJ sleepover. Especially when they first returned and Kiara’s nightmares and lack of sleep were an issue. She’d sneak out to the apartment on the marina where John B, Sarah and JJ were living.
One night she didn’t make it out of the house before she had a panic attack. The hyperventilating and tears frightened her parents who in a panic called JJ at 2:30am. Handing Kiara the phone JJ talked her down while they drove to the apartment.
He was outside on the steps when they pulled up wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. Anna and Mike’s faces were pale and shocked. JJ opened the door to the backseat and wrapped Kie in his arms. She had pulled herself to sit facing him, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck while he stroked her back.
He repeated what he knew worked, you’re safe, you're home, we’re in OBX, everything is okay. I’m here. That time it took almost an hour for her to ground herself. JJ stood in the door of the backseat, Kie wrapped around him for comfort the entire time while her parents sat on the steps of the apartment, slumped into each other in sadness and awe.
Sometimes the cycle was faster and occasionally it took longer. Her parents were understanding that she felt safest with JJ. And after a long uncomfortable sex talk her parents agreed that for Kiara’s mental health he could sleepover.
It started with him staying in the guest room but Mike or Anna would wake up to find Kiara in there with him. They’d be fast asleep, wrapped in each other. It was the only time Kiara looked at peace since they’d all returned home.
Mike cared deeply for his daughter and in turn the boy who kept her safe. So they allowed them to share Kiara’s bed and they knew if she wasn’t in her bed she was in JJ’s. That was enough.
What Mike and Anna knew but purposely turned a blind eye to was the fact that they knew JJ and Kiara were not perfect angels who always “just slept” but they trusted them to make good choices.
And damn JJ thought more than once, were their choices good. He and Kiara were well matched in every way, but especially in the bedroom. And there were fewer things he enjoyed more than making her cum.
**
Usually he slept over after movie night. He had his own toothbrush in Kiara’s en-suite bathroom and pairs of clean clothes in her bureau. They’d spent the weekend and Monday night with Sarah and John B at the apartment. They’d spent most of the weekend out in the marsh on the Pogue with Pope and Cleo. Cleo was working on her GED and they were all helping her study.
It was weird because both places felt like home. The apartment with Sarah, John B and Kiara and Kiara’s house. He supposed the common factor of Kiara probably made her home.
They were currently on her bed quizzing each other for their English quiz on Shakespeare.
“Romeo and Juliet were 14?” JJ scoffed. Kie giggled at him. “Verona? Where’s Verona Kie?”
“I don’t think that will be on the quiz Jayj.”
“Is it a real place?”
“Italy. I believe.” He nodded in understanding.
“Pizza is ready!” Mike’s voice floated up the stairs. “Kiera get your movie choice queued up!” She smiled and slammed her binder closed.
“I’ll meet you down there, I’ve gotta pee.” JJ said, kissing her before dipping into the bathroom.
He stood, eyes wandering, before they landed on the trash can next to the toilet. He wasn’t, say, familiar, with pregnancy tests, but that was definitely a pregnancy test in Kiara’s bathroom trash can.
His heart clenched. He ran a hand through his hair while debating on actually picking it up and seeing the results.
It wasn’t his business was it? I mean Kie would have told him if she thought- if she was. His mind was starting to spiral, he flushed and started to the sink but knew he wouldn’t be able to focus if he didn’t know.
He reached down and picked up the white plastic stick. It was hidden or someone had tried to hide it. The test was pretty self explanatory and the two lines definitely meant pregnant. Which meant - his breath caught in his throat- Mike was going to kill him.
He stared at the lines again before tucking back where he found it and washing his hands. He went downstairs slowly as could be without drawing attention to himself. Mike asked him something and his brain went slack.
“Do you want a beer? If you’re going to drink I’d rather it be supervised and since I know you’re not driving….” “Oh um-“ normally JJ would say yes, but he thought alcohol right now would not ease his nerves. “No thanks.” Mike's eyebrows reach his hairline.
“Kiara?”
“No thanks dad.”
They scoop slices onto a plate and Anna’s cut fresh veggies for them to munch on. He’s quick to grab some cucumber spears. He likes the way they crunch and Anna cuts them perfectly. They make their way to their spots in the living room. JJ feels clammy. He keeps looking at Kiara trying to spot a sign but she’s normal as can be.
Kiara chose Romeo + Juliet - the one the guy from Titanic- and JJ is actually enjoying it. For most of the film he forgets what he found in the bathroom and focuses on the storyline. He finds himself shouting at the characters and even though he knows how the play ends he wishes it ends differently.
There’s a moment after when they all just sit in silence.
“Awww Jayj.” Kie coos at him and wipes a few stray tears with her thumb. Anna is also teary but holding back actual sobs as well.
JJ and Kiara clean up the pizza and kitchen before heading back upstairs. They have a routine for the most part.
It usually involves finishing up homework, putting something they’ve watched before on the tv and getting ready for bed.
Kie likes to shower before bed and he’s adapted to that. Usually if they’re going to have sex it happens pre-shower or in the shower. JJ is pretty proud of himself for having mastered the art of shower sex. So far there haven’t been any injuries.
Tonight, he’s not feeling it, but Kiara catches him in a deep kiss that changes his mind. He follows her lead for the most part, but when the opportunity presents itself, he wants to go down on her before she does anything else.
She’s mostly always eager for him and tonight is no exception. He lets himself get lost in her, sliding two fingers in and curling them. She’s breathless when she beckons him up to lay on her. She kisses him fervently before flipping them so she’s on top.
She smirks at him before adjusting so she’s sitting on his face and wrapping her mouth around him. He could practically feel his eyes rolling to the back of his head. Any coherent thoughts have left him. They’re both trying to get the other off first, it happens everytime and JJ is the type who wants to come together. His self control is pretty good and when he can feel Kie coming undone he lets her know he’s coming too.
It's a habit to give her a heads up so she can remove her mouth, but not once had Kie ever. She usually licked him clean and tonight was no exception.
She rolls over to come lay beside him; they kiss tenderly while catching their breath. He kisses her temple.
“Shower?” She offers. He nods and they strip their remaining clothes off on their way to her bathroom. He glances at the trash can nervously.
He’ll just wait until she tells him. Then he has the thought that maybe she wouldn’t tell him and she’d go to the clinic. He’s pro-choice. The choice is hers, but he thinks he’d want to know. To be able to support Kie.
He loves showering with Kiara. Even though they do it almost every night and it’s been almost a year, it hasn’t gotten old. He loves the smell of her shampoo, the way she’ll let him wash her hair sometimes. He’s a sucker for soaping her up too.
Once they’re in bed, Endless Summer plays on the tv while Kie scrolls Instagram and he rereads the final Act in Romeo and Juliet.
“Hey Kie, you know I love you right?”
“I love you too Baby.”
“You can tell me anything. I’ll always support you and your choice.”
“I know.” She gives him a weird look.
“I just want you to know that there isn’t anything that would keep me from supporting you and loving you.”
“Okay. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Is everything okay with you?”
“Yes. Everything is great.” She kissed him then. He lets it go for tonight.
A few days later they’re at Kiara’s again. JJ has his own key so he lets himself in after his afternoon surf with Pope and John B. Kiara’s parents aren’t home yet, but she had loaned him her car for surfing while she had therapy. She’s in the kitchen when he enters and she’s quick to throw him a smile.
“How’s the break?”
“Incredible. Want help?”
“Yes. Can you give the sauce a stir?” He washes his hands before heading over to the stove.
“Did you make your garlic bread too?” He asked, salivating at the thought.
“Of course.” She smiles so widely at him and he thinks his heart might burst.
“I have something to tell you.”
He spins around heart and stomach in his feet. He keeps his face neutral and nods for her to continue. She launches into a story about the gold and El Dorado. “You know how we had our own celebration?” She asks, staring at him all bright and smiles. He thinks to the night they made it back from South America. They all got drunk and smoked out Sarah’s apartment, tears of exhaustion on all their faces.
He and Kie showered together for the first time that night and the next morning had a soft, slow, gentle, exploration of each other. They didn't have condoms. And any other time he’d wrapped it up. She said she was on the pill but with all the traveling she may have forgotten one or two and now she was pregnant. Mike was going to kill him.
“We’ll they’re putting together a museum exhibit at the archives in town and want to have a big to do to show the exhibit and recognize the work we did to get the gold. It’ll be a few months. The curator said they’d get to us with an exact date.”
He waits for her to tell him. And she stares at him waiting for him to react.
“Is that it?” He asks.
“Um, yeah. I thought it was exciting and worth celebrating.” JJ realizes his error.
“It is! I just thought there was more.”
“More what?”
“News?”
“Such as?” Her eyebrows are furrowed in confusion.
“Are you pregnant?” He blurts.
“Am I what?! No!”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m pretty fucking sure. Where is this coming from?”
“I saw the pregnancy test in your trash can.”
“What test?”
“Tuesday night.” She looks at him like he has multiple heads. “It wasn’t mine.”
“But the night we got back, we didn’t wear a condom and I didn’t know if maybe-“
“Do you need to retake sex-ed? That was literally 11 months ago. If that knocked me up we’d have a two month old.” They’re silent for a few minutes.
“So if it’s not yours?”
Her head whips around so fast, “Sarah was over Monday after school while you, Pope, Cleo and John B hit waves”. Their eyes widened at the realization.
They finished making dinner in relaxed silence. “You really thought it was mine and I didn’t tell you?”
“Yeah- I thought you might eventually but I don’t know.” She nods in understanding.
“For the future, I would tell you the minute I suspected anything. No secrets and besides you’re my person I’d want and need you every step of the way. I wouldn’t even take a test without telling you.” He wraps her in a hug. “Maybe someday it’ll be ours?” She looks nervous and questioningly at him. He is the one with the harsh childhood and they’d never really spoken about kids together.
“I’d like that.” He says through a smile and quickly kisses her and lifts her onto the counter and blows raspberries into her neck.
**
Her parents come home a few hours later and warm up dinner. They can hear them downstairs starting the microwave. JJ and Kie are laying in bed having showered early after an especially intimate evening.
“There’s just something kind of hot about not being pregnant.” She’d said as he entered her from behind. It wasn’t often he’d find himself behind her. One was because she couldn’t be quiet from this angle and they were rarely in a place where no one else was home the second was because neither of them could last long once they were there.
They'd started out slow, slower than normal. Kiara said she wanted it slow and who was he to deny anything she asked for.
However, after they’d each orgasmed orally; Kiara couldn’t stop herself; she climbed on top of him and started to ride him. She had JJ suck her finger before she stroked her clit with it. And he almost came again at the sight of it.
She extracted herself from him pulling him in for a deep kiss. “Can you get behind me?” She asked. He smirked and she rolled her eyes at him but smiled and flipped over. “Is it easier if we’re both on the bed or easier if you're off it?”
“I can go deeper if I have both feet on the ground, but it’s really what’s more comfortable for you Babe.”
“Off the bed you go.” She wiggled to the edge of her bed and perched on all fours. JJ closed his eyes, unable to believe this was his life. He ran a finger down her slit, wet as water. He wanted to taste it but instead he slid a finger inside her, warming her up to a different angle.
She moaned and pushed into his hand. He slid another finger in and pumped a few times before pulling them out and sucking on them. He lined his cock up to her entrance and slowly pushed into her tight warmth.
Kie wasn’t usually vocal but this position brought it out.
“Mmm fuck Jayj.” He pulled out about halfway and slowly pushed in. Her hands grasped at the blankets on her bed. Soon they were moving faster, skin hitting skin and Kie was coming so hard he swore there wasn’t anything left in him.
Her legs shook so hard the bed moved with each ripple. She turned flushed and dripping, their fluids down her legs and kissed him hard.
“I don't think I can walk.” She told him breathlessly.
He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around him. Her arms also made their way around his neck and she squeezed him tightly. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” He sat her on the bathroom counter and started the shower.
“I accidentally gave you a hickey.” She said, pointing to a spot between his neck and shoulder.
“Nothing a shirt can’t cover up.” He winked at her. He washed her hair and rubbed her back before they climbed out and finished getting ready for bed.
They were both wiped out and neither had school the next day due to a teacher workshop or something. Last year that would have meant partying. But this year they were tired and they had plans to meet up with everyone for morning surfing.
Kiara was tucked into JJ’s side while they watched Endless Summer. Her parents knocked on the door and came to sit on the edge of her bed.
“Thanks for making dinner you guys.” Mike said, putting a hand on Anna’s shoulder. They exchanged a few words about their days before a comfy silence settled among them.
“There’s something we want to talk to you guys about.” Anna said looking more serious and worried than JJ had seen her since they came home.
“The pregnancy test isn’t mine.” Kiara blurted out. JJ ran a hand through his hair. “We’re being safe and I promise it’s not mine.” Her fingers played with the rings on his right hand.
“We know it’s not.” Mike comforted her.
“It’s mine.” Anna sighed. There was silence while the teenagers pieced together the puzzle.
“Oh.” JJ breathed in realization. “Congratulations?”
“Ewww.” Kiara winced.
“Now you get how I feel.” Mike teased and gave them a pointed look.
“So a baby?” Kiara confirmed.
“I’m about three months. I thought it was stress and then I thought it was menopause but we had you at 19 and 36 isn’t the oldest-“
“Honey you’re rambling.” Mike told her.
“Right, sorry. Yeah, pregnant, baby.” Kiara climbed out of bed and hugged her parents. JJ followed suit and even though he was shirtless they both pulled him in for hugs. He kind of liked how affectionate the Carreras were.
After her parents left, she tucked herself into JJ again and set the sleep timer on the TV. They had shared a joint earlier and its effects, plus their lovemaking had them both sleepy. “I can’t believe you’re going to graduate high school before you become a big sister.” JJ mumbled into her hair.
“We’re about to move in with John B and Sarah permanently.” She told him. “Otherwise we’re never going to want to have sex.”