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Veronica has to admit, she doesn’t entirely enjoy hanging around at JD’s place. The house feels like a shell, undecorated with just the essentials placed around the space – JD’s belongings are still mostly in a bag rather than in his closet or his drawers. But it affords them time alone, to have fun or sometimes just to relax with no one else around for a few hours.
Still, there’s always the threat of Bud Dean returning home, and the tension that snaps into the air as soon as her boyfriend and his father are in each other’s vicinity is uncomfortable to say the least.
It’s even worse that they’re about to leave this time, ready to out about the town when Bud arrives and grins over at them. Veronica feels JD go stiff and cold at her side, and squeezes his hand.
“Hey Pop, glad I bumped into you. I need some help with my homework.” Bud says, gesturing with a thumb back out to the driveway and then laughing. JD sighs, shifts a little, runs a hand through his hair. Lets go of Veronica’s hand. “Got a big-ass building just waiting to go sky-high. I need a second pair of hands to help me out.”
“I’m busy.” JD mutters, not quite looking Bud in the eye.
Bud tuts, shaking his head. “Not too busy for this, sport. Come on, get to the truck and help me load it.” He says.
“I’m going for milkshakes with Ronnie.” JD presses. Bud’s expression darkens a little and Veronica shifts as she looks between the two of them. She can practically feel the dark look behind JD’s eyes at he glares at his father’s feet, hard and cold.
Bud sneers. “What was that, Jason? ‘Yes Dad, I’ll be right there.’?” He goads. Veronica crosses her arms tight across her chest, curling into herself a little. She doesn’t want to watch them fight, but she can’t just walk out – she’s trapped in the middle of a fight no-one is meant to see. She sees JD’s lips twitch towards a snarl, a small flash of teeth, and he looks up to meet his father’s gaze.
“I said, I’m going to get milkshakes with my girlfriend.” JD snaps, hunching his shoulders and standing firm. He glowers fiercely as his father stalks up to him.
Bud slaps JD sharply about the face, making his head snap sideways. The sound almost echoes in the wide empty room. Veronica gasps, hands going to her mouth, wide eyed as she watches. She watches JD’s mouth open and close a few times in shock, and then he just stands, and shakes, breath coming quick but quiet.
“Gee, sorry for talking back like that Dad. I didn’t mean to rile you that bad.” Bud says, low and careful. JD keeps his head down, jaw clenched tight, and glares down at the ground.
“That’s alright son.” He mutters. “Just you make sure you don’t do it again.”
Bud nods and marches off. “Say bye to your girlie and meet me in the car in 10. Don’t make me come find you.” He says.
For a moment, it’s like they’re still frozen in a tableau - Veronica stood in the perfect position of shock, JD with his head still snapped down by the blow, trembling. Then JD lets out a harsh huff of breath and rubs a hand over his eyes.
“Goddammit.” He hisses. He abruptly whirls around, punches into the drywall hard enough to put a hole through it. “Goddammit!!”
“JD.” Veronica breathes, and hurried over to his side. “JD it’s okay...”
“It’s not!” JD shouts, fist still in the wall. His cheek is red. “God I wish I could kill him. Stick him on top of one of his own fucking bombs and watch him blow to bits, give him what he fucking deserves, let him see-”
“JD please.” Veronica begs, grasping his elbow. He falls quiet for a moment, heaving heavy, angry breaths.
“I’ve thought about it so often. Taking his trigger, letting him go to figure out the problem then… boom…” His eyes are vacant, staring off beyond the wall. There is something so cold in there, and it makes Veronica shiver.
“Please.” She says. “You promised me.”
She can see tears in his eyes, wetting the skin beneath them. She reaches out and gently swipes her thumb under his eyes, wiping away the moisture. He lets out a long, soft breath, and turns his face into her hand; it fits against the mark from his father’s, where she can feel the heat from his skin, the redness peeking out past her fingertips.
“I’m sorry.” JD murmurs against the heel of her hand, lips brushing her skin. “I’m sorry, I know I promised.”
He shifts to slot his body to hers, wraps his arms around her waist, looks into her eyes. He kisses her palm, then buries his face against her neck, curling himself small to hide his face against her for a moment. She automatically puts her arms around his shoulders in return.
“I won’t. I promise I won’t, I just got mad. That’s all.” He says softly, swaying them back and forth, back and forth. “I just got mad.”
“It’s okay.” Veronica sighs, starting to run her fingers gently through his hair. He nestles closer to her a moment, kisses the skin of her throat, then pulls back with a small, weak smile.
“I’d better go. He’s already at the end of his tether, don’t want to get worse.” JD says. Veronica feels her heart squeeze tight at the thought that Bud’s temper can get worse – that JD may have seen it worse. “We’ll get milkshakes tomorrow. We could go bowling, how does that sound?”
She smiles at him and laughs lightly. “Yeah. Bowling sounds good.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up at 6.” He says, and leans down to kiss her. It’s soft, and loving, and good – passionate and open, everything she loves about him. Every time he kisses her is a reminder of why she’s staying, why they’re trying to make it work. His smile is stronger, more genuine when he pulls back, giving her waist one last squeeze before he lets go and sets off after his father.
She watches him go, and wonders to herself how different he might be, if his father wasn’t Big Bud Dean.