Work Text:
God, he couldn’t even get a day off.
He goes home and it’s his dad. He goes out and it’s the Kooks.
JJ just wanted a break. Or for it all to be over.
JJ had finally landed a job serving drinks at one of the richy-rich restaurants on the right side of the island, which meant he got reasonable pay, but it also meant he had to deal with richy-rich assholes. JJ was bad at dealing with richy-rich assholes, especially when their last name was Cameron. It was even worse if their first name was Rafe.
Rafe had had it out for him since day one. Of course, it made sense, they were polar opposites. Rafe grew up in a mansion with the perfect family, and JJ grew up in what could barely be considered a shed with no family. At least, no family he liked to admit. They were no better than oil and water.
Or maybe neither of them really tried to actually get along with anyone.
Either way, Rafe and JJ were not friends. Yet somehow, JJ always seemed to end up alone with the guy. Not by choice, he might add.
JJ was just trying to get his paycheck. All he wanted to do was serve his drinks and get paid and go home, but he felt the eyes on him. Rafe had been staring down the back of his head for the past twenty minutes at least. He knew it was coming before it happened, not life Rafe was particularly subtle.
The moment JJ went through the door to the kitchen he felt Rafe behind him. He thought about escape routes, but he was too tired to give any of them a try. And anyways, it was too late to change his mind as the storage room door clicked shut behind him. JJ braced himself.
Rafe was predictable. He grabbed JJ by the shoulders and forced him to turn around and look at him. JJ was smirking. He couldn’t help it, even though he knew it would only make things worse. Rafe said something, but JJ wasn’t listening.
Rafe took a whole two seconds before wiping that smirk right off his face. Right hook to the jaw, left jab to the gut. JJ offered a swing back for show, but didn’t really care if it landed or not. He was on the ground within seconds, a few feet, a few fists. Hard to keep track.
After a minute or so, JJ could no longer remember which spots hurt because Rafe just now hit him there, or if they were bruises being reinjured from his dad the night before. Not like it really mattered.
Rafe was looming over him, holding him up by the collar of his shirt with one hand and beating his face in with the other. Blood spilled down JJ’s face, and he could see the white of his shirt seeping away. He laughed.
It must’ve caught Rafe so off guard because he stopped for a moment, fist in the air.
“What’s so funny, Maybank?” Rafe demanded. JJ choked around a laugh, shaking his head. “What’s your problem? Finally realized you can’t take me?”
JJ shook his head again. “Look man, you and my dad seem to be doing a hell of a job tag teaming me until I’m dead so I might as well just get it over with. You actually have something to lose, and I’d rather destroy your life than his, so do it. Kill me. Have your fun then finish it.”
JJ’s eye had already begun to swell, and the blood wasn’t improving his vision, but he could still see the change in Rafe. He stood over JJ, holding his head up by the collar, fist overhead… and then he just dropped him.
Rafe seemed more shocked than JJ by his actions. Rafe took a few steps back and sat down while JJ, head dead weight on the ground, stared up at the light above him. He’d never noticed before that it made a small buzzing sound. Or maybe that was just his ears ringing, hard to be sure.
JJ laid there on the cool tile for what felt like hours. Then he realized that he never heard the door open. It took some mental convincing and all his physical effort to prop himself up on his elbows and lift his head to look.
Rafe was still sitting there on the floor next to JJ’s limp legs. JJ plopped his head back on the floor. He decided not to waste energy on trying to figure out why the guy hadn’t left, or why he hadn’t gone back to kicking the shit out of him, or why Rafe did anything.
Finally, Rafe made a move to stand up, and JJ figured he was coming back for round two. Instead, he made his way over to the fridge and started rummaging around.
Oh great, now he’s stealing from me too. I’m definitely getting fired.
Rafe returned, two beers in hand, and sat back down across from JJ. JJ lifted his head to stare at the guy who’d always hated him holding one of the beers out in his direction. He must’ve been as tired as JJ was.
As confusing as it was, JJ was not the type to turn down alcohol, especially when his head hurt as much as it did, so he propped himself up on his elbows again and took the can. Neither boy wasted any time cracking the top and taking a large swig.
They sat there drinking and staring until Rafe finally broke the silence. “I don’t actually have that much to lose.”
JJ just stared at him.
“Sarah is the favorite. I’m the fuck up. My dad’s not all that great either.”
“Right. I’m sure the mansion is just salt in the wound. Not very many places to hide in a place so small,” JJ scoffed.
“Listen, Maybank, you’re not the only one with problems on this island.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better? Cause last I checked, I don’t have anyone to bail me out or cover my fuck ups or leave me with a shit load of money. The best I have going for me is prison, and every goddamn person on this island knows it and is just waiting for me to screw up big enough to take me down. That ever happen to you?” Rafe was silent. “That’s what I fucking thought.”
JJ was tired of looking at Rafe’s face, and knew he had to get back to work, so he took another long drink and forced himself to a sitting position. It hurt like hell, but he refused to show that on his face. He put the can down and his hands on the floor behind him in an attempt to push himself up, but fell back to the floor. JJ grit his teeth and tried again, but it was no use. He finished off his drink.
Rafe stood and offered JJ a hand. The third surprise of the day. JJ started to believe he was hallucinating, but took his hand anyway. Rafe lifted him from the ground to his feet, and JJ winced as his shoulder was stretched. JJ did not thank him for helping, only turned around and went to find another shirt. This wasn’t the first time something or someone had ruined his white work shirt, so he knew where they kept the extras.
JJ stripped his shirt off and threw the new one on, hoping he’d remember to come back for the bloody one to burn later tonight. When he turned around, Rafe was staring at him with wide eyes.
“Admiring your work?” JJ deadpanned.
“A lot of that was not my work.”
JJ shrugged. “You’ve never had a real fight.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure.”
“Oh yeah?” JJ asked, taking a step toward Rafe. “When was the last time your dad hit you, tough guy?”
“This morning,” Rafe answered, without a breath of hesitation. “Guess he’s not a fan of cocaine.”
JJ took a moment to think, then replied, “Too bad. I could use some. Got any on ya?”
Rafe snorted. “In the middle of the restaurant you’re supposed to be working?”
JJ shrugged. “I’ll be fired in a week. Might as well have some fun.”
JJ sat down and Rafe joined him on the floor. He pulled a bag, not of white, but of a brownish-green out of his pocket. JJ scoffed. “Oh come on, I thought you had something more interesting.”
“Best I could do,” Rafe retorted. Each boy rolled like a pro and lit up themselves. Clouds of smoke soon filled the air. The headache JJ had was finally subsiding.
They got more than halfway through their joints (it wasn’t a competition but JJ was burning through his quicker) before they broke the silence.
“We’re gonna end up just like them.” The statement was so shocking to hear out loud that JJ didn’t realize it was him that said it until Rafe responded.
“It’s not looking good.”
“We can try, can’t we? We have a shot…” JJ said it with more skepticism than hope.
Rafe sat on that for a while before replying, “We can pretend to, but…” He cut himself off, shaking his head.
JJ mirrored the motion and gave a single laugh. “We’re too far gone.”
Neither spoke after that. When the paper burned out, JJ got up to go back to his job. He left Rafe there on the floor of the storage room with his thoughts and a half-inch left before the fun ran out.
JJ wasn’t quite sure exactly what had happened within that half-hour, and wouldn’t have been able to convince himself it was real either if it weren’t for the change in behavior.
At the next party, Rafe and JJ had to pull Topper and John B off each other, but that’s where the excitement ended. They stood there for a few seconds staring at each other, but then Rafe gave a single nod, JJ returned it, and they took their friends away with them.
After that, Rafe and JJ had a silent agreement to leave each other alone. Not friends. Never. Not even close. But they realized they had enough unfortunate similarities to call it a day. And neither was complaining about that.