𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 first time in a long time, the pouges felt like teenagers. Real, youthful teenagers. They drank, they partied, they kissed and they had an honest, good time. It was great. One of the best nights they had had in a while.

Kaz was put to sleep a couple of hours ago, which allowed his parents to do whatever the hell they wanted in the yard. For some, drunken reason JJ had an empty box over his head, and Kaci found it hilarious. He kept his arms wrapped around her as they sat on the edge of the hot tub, occasionally poking her in the belly button for fun. Usually Kaci would've told him off for it, but she was pretty out of it herself and laughed at almost everything that happened.

Eventually, JJ got up to have a playful fight with Pope, who surprisingly won. "Alright, I'm done," he said, raising his hands in the air with a laugh. "I'm out of here."

JJ nodded to him, taking another two beers from the box and jogged back over to his girl, who was sitting at a chair and laughing with her older brother and Sarah. "Hey, Princess," he mumbled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She turned up to meet his eye with a light smile, raising her head to kiss him on the lips.

Seeing that Pope had left, Kie tried to slip away, fighting the smirk that grew on her face.

However, despite her efforts, she didn't go unnoticed. Sarahʼs eyes widened. "Really?!"

"Way to be discreet!" JJ called to them, getting comfortable as he sat on the leg of Kaciʼs chair, his arm slung around her shoulders.

Kaci laughed. "Get it, you hot tomato!"

Once they were both gone, John B shook his head and turned to JJ. "I leave, and this is what happens."

JJ pointed to himself with mock offence. "Are you blaming me?" he asked.

"Just a little bit. Uh-oh." John B looked down at his fake watch and started to stand up. "Your boy's out. Beer time."

"You guys are the ones that died, okay? Like, that was..." JJ continued to rant, staring at the other three around him incredulously.

Luis shook his head, sipping on a soda. Being the oldest out of the group, he didn't want to drink incase anyone did anything dumb. Well, more specifically, incase John B or JJ did anything dumb. He liked his sisterʼs boyfriend, though — he was a good kid at heart, and a really great father —, but Luis would be lying if he said JJ wasn't one of the dumbest humans he had ever come across. He really hoped Kaz would have Kaciʼs brains. Or not. He didn't really feel like having a serial killer as a nephew. Basically, the only good genetics Kaz had from them was their looks.

"Literally one job, JJ," Sarah said sarcastically, unable to hide her humour.

Kaci nodded, putting her freezing cold can against his cheek and making him flinch back, which caused him to fall off the chair and hit his head onto the grass. The two girls giggled, finding it way funnier than they would've if they were sober.

"Okay." JJ stood up, rubbing his hurt head, and threw his other arm out.

"No pouge-on-pouge macking," Sarah reminded him, enjoying his reaction.

"One job?"

"One job," she confirmed.

"Sarah, one job?" He shook his head, like keeping his friends from fucking was nearly impossible. "Okay — I'm not doing this, Blondie. We're out. Let's go, Princess."

Kaci and Sarah continued to giggle as the boy held his hand out for the girl. She took it with a large smile and he pulled her closer to him, directing her towards a tree that sat back and almost out of view. Kaci knew where he was taking her — the tree house. He built her tree house.

Luis watched them leave with a raised brow. "I'm watching you, Maybank!" he called out, half-joking. Sarah laughed and patted her brother on the shoulder.

Kaci turned back to face him, JJʼs palm hovering over her ass. "Relax, Loo, we're not going to fuck in a tree."

A smirk on his face, JJ pulled her back around and leaned in close to her ear. "Well, there goes my plans," he whispered.

𖧷

𝗞𝗮𝗰𝗶 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀 moaned, her back arching as she scratched against JJʼs naked back, digging her nails into his shoulders. "Oh, my God, yes," she breathed, her legs hooked around his ass. "Do that again."

The blonde boy smirked, looking down at her body with a mix of admiration and lust. "Do what again, Princess?" he teased, leaning down to press a hard kiss to her neck as he twisted his hips again, his pubic bone rubbing against Kaciʼs clit and making her moan loudly. "That?"

"Yeah...just keep doing it," she ordered, pushing him closer to her with her legs. She was desperate for him. To feel him, to touch him. She was addicted to him, to the achy feeling she got whenever he stopped touching her, to the filling feeling she got whenever he started again.

JJʼs smirk grew at the sight of her, of what he did. Her nails tickled against his spine, and he made fists with his hands, balancing his weight and careful not to crush the girl beneath him.

His hips flexed and his breaths quickened as he thrusted himself into her deeper, harder, faster. He balanced on a single hand, moving the other down to where their bodies connected, using his rough fingers to rub circles on Kaciʼs clit.

Kaci dug her nails further into his back, running her hands up his frame until they were tangled up in his blonde locks, her moans growing louder and louder the closer she came.

JJ came first, but continued to pump into the girl as he trembled in release, more movement going into his thrusts. The feel of his climax was enough to set hers off, and she bit down hard onto her lip, not wanting to be any louder, in fear of alerting the others what was going on, even though they probably already knew.

A satisfied grin on his face, JJ rolled over onto his back, drowning in the soft comfort of all the blankets that cushioned the wooden floor of the tree house. Kaci shifted and put her head against his chest, wrapping a loose arm around his waist. JJ lifted an arm to put it up at the back of his head as he sat up a little, using his other to cuddle the girl close.

She lifted her head up to meet his crystal eyes, a slight panic in her chestnut ones. "We definitely used a condom this time, didn't we?" she questioned.

JJ chuckled lightly and nodded. "Yup."

Kaci sighed in relief. "Thank God." She shook her head. "Kaz isn't old enough to be a big brother yet."

The Maybank boy nodded in agreement, the small room going quiet for a few moments. The couple kept themselves in each otherʼs embrace, never having felt so warm and at peace in their lives. JJ traced light patters on her stomach, staring at the soft look in her eye as she scanned over the inside of their tree house.

"You did good," she told him, and JJ was pretty sure that it was one of the best and only compliments she'd ever given him. It made his heart flutter a little, and she pressed a kiss to his chest.

JJ nodded, finally taking his time to appreciate it himself. It had a warm, homey touch to it, looking like a mini, out of place family room. There was a two-seated couch on a slant in the corner, a few mismatched cushions sitting against the head. The floor was filled by warm and fuzzy blankets of all different colours, and the walls were filled by fairy lights and polaroids of their family. Kaz, Kaci, JJ Pope, John B, Sarah, Kie. Jordan.

The boyʼs eyes lingered on the little picture of Jordan holding Kaz the day he was born. He was so hurt by his dad, but so proud and happy for his big sister. Not even Kie was as excited as he was about the birth of his nephew. He was still just a kid when he died, and the youthful gleam in his eye was evident in the photo. He deserved better. It wasn't supposed to be his time.

"Yeah, it would've looked a lot better if I had Jordan to help me out," JJ finally said honestly, a soft tone to his voice as he stared down at the girl to watch her face shift at the mention of her little brother. JJ gulped, not meaning to hurt her, and squeezed her tighter. "You can talk about it, if you want, you know? I'm always here for you, Kace. You know that, right?

Kaci nodded against his chest, and she tilted her head up to look back at him. "It just doesn't feel real," she admitted sadly. "I keep thinking he's just gonna come back in and start running his mouth or asking for girl advice or —" She cut herself off, not wanting to break, not wanting to cry, and shrugged. "I just miss him," she said.

JJ nodded understandingly, rubbing his hand up and down on her arm, trying to bring her the comfort she so obviously needed. "I know," he whispered, pressing a light kiss to the top of her head.

"I love you, JJ," she told him, eyes getting teary. "I really fucking love you."

He smiled back at her, no humour behind his blue eyes, only genuine love for Kaci Flores. "I love you, too, Kace."

Something hard suddenly hit the window of the tree house, and the couple looked up, only to be faced with the darkness from outside. Kaci furrowed her brows, sitting up and covering her naked chest with a blanket.

Another stone was thrown against the window.

JJ eyed it suspiciously, turning to his side to hand Kaci a shirt to cover up with. He stood up and quickly threw on his boxers, walking over to the window.

There was a third tap.

He opened it up and craned his neck around to see where it was all coming from. Poking out of the tree opposite them was a strand of golden hair.

Grateful to finally have JJʼs attention, John B peeked over Sarahʼs head and put a finger to his lips, nodding towards the Château.

Kaci finally stood up, wanting to know what was going on, and cringed at the sight of their friends opposite them. "Oh, my God — how long have they been there?" she hissed, and was immediately shushed by her older brother, who was also hiding out in the tree.

"KACI!"

At the sound of Rafe Cameronʼs roaring voice, the girl flinched. Her eyes went even wider and she finally looked back at what the others were. JJ glared ahead at Sarahʼs brother.

Flashbacks raced through Kaciʼs mind. It was only a day ago, but the memories felt so vague already. Rafe rescued her, took her out of the prison their dads were keeping her in, wiped away her torture, only to shoot her brother in attempt to murder her baby.

The sudden thought hit Kaci over the head, and she turned to JJ with alarm, whose facial expression mirrored hers, the two of them thinking the exact same thing.

Kaz.

As JJ got ready to leave, his jaw clenched and body ready for a fight, there was a crash coming from inside the house.

"Yo!" Barry called, skipping towards Rafe with a pistol in his hands. "What d'you wanna do about the kid in there?"

JJʼs whole body tensed up and he put a hand on Kaciʼs waist. He was going to kill someone. Nobody was going to touch his son. Not again.

Rafe shook his head. "Don't do nothin', bro," he told his dealer, so fucked up on the cocaine that he forgot about the current beef he had with the baby. "Kaci's here somewhere — she'll just hate me more if I do somethin' to Maybankʼs sperm."

Barry sent his friend a look, honestly confused about how a single person managed to switch up every two minutes. One second, he wants to kill Kaci Flores, the next, he wants to win her back — another goes by, and he murders her brother. "You seriously think she's gonna have you back after what happened?" he questioned, starting to feel worried for the kook.

Rafe shook his head adamantly. "Listen, you don't know her like I do," he said, voice slurring a little. "You don't know the shit we've been through together. I'll have her back to me once she screws her head on and cuts it off with the pouge."

Barry raised his hands in defence, too tired to even comment anymore.

A frown settled itself onto Kaciʼs face as she stood by and watched to ordeal with JJʼs hands on her. How did she ever fall for Rafe Cameron? He put her through constant hell, but she always stayed by his side. Cheating on him was wrong and unforgivable, but she came out of it with the best things ever. A baby she loved more than the world and a boy that loved her more than the universe. Kaci was grateful that she didn't have to be there while Rafe turned into the psychopathic, monster they all knew him as today. Who knows what kind of danger she'd be in if she had stayed?

"KACI!" he roared again, looking around the yard.

JJ was growing more angry by the second, eyes darkening.

"ʼP4Lʼ," Barry read out the carving on the tree with a mocking laugh, which was a shrine to John B after his supposed death. He had the tree, Kaci and Kaz had the tree house, Sarah had a burried box underneath.

Rafe laughed along, too, the sound of his a lot more chilling than Barryʼs ever could be, and he pointed his gun at the tree.

JJʼs grip on Kaci got tighter.

"So, your sister and your ex're pouges for life, huh, Rafe?" teased Barry. "Now who would've thought?"

Rafe held a glare with the tree for a few moments, biting on the inside of his lip, before he spun around and screamed, "SHIT!"

"All right, chill."

But Barryʼs words were nothing but a static noise to the Cameron boy as he aimed his gun and shot at the carved words on a tree.

His dealer and friend tried pulling him back, concerned about Rafeʼs behaviour. However, Rafe continued to shoot above, his bullets flying everywhere and almost hitting the people in the trees.

From a distance, they could all hear a baby start to cry.

Rafe stopped shooting. His body relaxed and he fell silent. Barry let go of him.

Anxiety shot through Kaciʼs stomach like one of the bullets had actually hit her, and JJ slowly took away the hold he had on her waist, eyes glued to the scene outside.

"That. Fucking. BABY!"

JJ was about to leave. The door was open and his face held nothing but red, hot fury. There was no way he was going to stand around and let someone like Rafe Cameron — who stole a part of his family — scare his son.

There was a thud. Rafe and Barry were both too distracted to see where the person came from, but a hard punch was thrown across the killerʼs face, the force of it sending him straight to the ground.

JJ froze at the doorway and Kaciʼs eyes widened.

"Go near that baby, and I'll kill you, Cameron," threatened Luis Flores, holding Rafeʼs own gun to his face.

Rafe wasn't fazed by the boy, and instead pressed his head against the weapon with a dark chuckle. "Do it, Luis," he dared with a grin. "Add me to the plan."

For a moment, the pouges all thought Luis was going to do it. That he was really going to end Rafeʼs life. For a moment, Kaci felt the world stop. A slimey feeling of guilt slithered its way up her throat.

That moment passed.

Luis kicked Rafe in the head, sending him back to the ground. "Stay the hell away from my family," he growled, and glanced over to Barry, who looked about ready to intervene. "You too, mash-head."

He stepped back and allowed Rafe to get up. The Cameron boy sent one last daring look up to the oldest Flores, and it sent a horrible chill through Kaciʼs body.

"I'm betting she doesn't know yet?"

"Don't make me hurt you, Cameron."

Rafe stared at him for a long moment, challenging him, then shook his head with a scoff, jogging back to his car with Barry behind.

The second they were out of sight, Kaci and JJ rushed out the tree, jumping off it, landing on the ground and shaking off the pain, too focused on getting to their baby.

Kaz was all well and still tucked into his parentsʼ bed, crying a little at the shock and fear the loud noises gave him.

Kaci stepped to the side, letting JJ take care of this one, as she had spent every day with him, while he had to carry the grief on his back since they were separated. She smiled up at him, and she couldn't have been prouder to be able to call a boy the father of her baby. JJ was amazing.

Once he was wrapped up in his dadʼs embrace, Kaz immediately went silent, burying his head into JJʼs neck and holding onto him so tight that his hands started to go red. He didn't know much while he was away, but he knew he missed his daddy.

After a minute, the others slowly started to pile back into the Château, with the exclusion of Pope and Kie, who were off having sex somewhere.

Luis and JJ held eye contact for a moment, and even though the teen boy was standing in nothing but his pants, the girl beside him wearing only his t-shirt, the older brother sent him a calm nod, telling him he trusted him. He approved.

JJ nodded back with respect.

They didn't have to worry about Luis. He was one of them.

Authorʼs Note
despise this chapter more than chalkboards, but i needed to give y'all an update. ngl i can't write straight people smut to save my life so i used elle kennedyʼs writing in the off-campus series as a structure for it. soft jaci has my heart.
love, tay </3