Work Text:
There really wasn’t much that Pope didn’t like love about JJ. He was fearless, strong, witty, bold, sexy, loyal, cute, and at times a little obnoxious. But, Pope would defend this minor flaw till the day he died. JJ didn’t get a lot of attention growing up and so he had to make sure that people wouldn’t forget about him. Honestly, more times than not Pope found JJ’s rambunctious behavior more adorable than anything else, so it didn’t really bother him anyway. It was part of what made JJ JJ and Pope loved JJ. Except for one small, itsy bitsy tiny little detail that if he could he might maybe consider possibly changing: JJ was candid. He said the first thing that popped into his head and never thought twice about it. Which would be totally fine if more often then not it didn’t make Pope’s cheeks heat up and have him wish that he could grow gills and hide in the water for the rest of his life.
It was always little comments. Just small absent-minded things that JJ would say to be funny and everyone else would pass off as a joke, but that Pope would stay up at night analyzing in his head. Like the time he wore a new pair of bright blue swimming trunks out on the HMS Pogue and after staring for a little too long (Making Pope feel a little embarrassed and feel like maybe he should have went for a large instead of a medium) made the comment “Damn Pope I think blue might be your color” and then after awkwardly patting him on the shoulder jumped into the water and didn’t emerge for another fifteen minutes. Or like how anytime the Pogues would do anything that required them partnering up JJ would immediately grab Pope’s hand and call “dibs”, and that anytime he would wear one of JJ’s shirts that he would lazily leave in his bedroom after spending the night, JJ would tell him that he “Looked better in it than him anyway,” Like what the fuck was Pope supposed to do with that information?
Pope thought that maybe he could handle the flirting if he did it to everyone. If it was just JJ being his free-spoken self and loving his friends in the flirtatious way that he did, but he didn’t do it to anyone else but him. Every once in awhile he would tease Kie about how hot she was and that she could get any girl on the island but, with her, it was obviously just that, teasing. When JJ would comment something about Pope it had too much heart, it cut too deep. It killed him. It killed him because Pope couldn’t do anything about it.
JJ was straight. He flirted with girls, he talked about girls, he even hooked up with girls. But then just like clockwork every day, after hooking up with some random touron he would come back out on the boat and tell Pope that he had a pretty smile. Making the poor boy’s heart swell and head hurt at the same time. Pope wished he could just tell him to stop. That it made him uncomfortable and he didn’t want JJ to say stuff like that anymore. Only they didn’t make Pope feel uncomfortable, they made him flustered. They made him feel hopeless because JJ didn’t really mean these things and he wanted him to more than anything in the world. Beside bros should be able to listen to their bros call them cute without wanting to pin them down and kiss them until neither of them could breathe so Pope was kind of fucked either way.
There was a party happening at the Boneyard and it was probably going to be one of the last of the year. The air was getting colder and the number of tourons was steadily decreasing. JJ was making most of the party and dancing with girls, drinking beers, sloppily singing along to whatever lame songs the radio was playing. After a while, he came over to Pope and wrapped an arm around his shoulders with a bright smile “There’s my golden boy,” he placed a wet kiss on Pope’s cheek and Pope did his best to not go weak in the knees. “You drunk yet?” He teased and took a sip out of the plastic cup that JJ was carrying around, surprised for the sizzling of coke to burn his tongue. “Nah, I’m DD tonight,” JJ smiled, dimples dotting his cheeks “So, that you guys can have fun, I did my partying this year, I figured it’d be fair.”
Pope shook his head with a fond smile “That’s sweet of you J,” He praised and could have sworn he saw a faint blush appear on the boy’s cheeks, but it was probably just the chilled wind hitting his face. JJ shrugged “Yeah well,” He moved to grab Pope’s shoulders and shake him “Come on man I’m doing this for you! Party!” He shouted and Pope giggled and moved to cover JJ’s mouth with his hand “Shhhh,” He teased “JJ stop people are staring,” He released JJ’s mouth with a wide smile on his face, but still kept his arms around his friend. “Well yeah, of course they’re staring,” JJ stated without missing a beat “You’re the hottest guy here.”
Pope’s face fell and he let go of JJ. “Why do you always do that?” He mumbled and JJ’s eyes widened. “Wait Pope I’m sorry I-I didn’t mean it like that,” The blonde spoke with panic in his voice. “Yeah JJ I know you didn’t mean it like that, so why the hell did you have to say it?” He shouted “Why do you always have to make me feel like maybe just maybe you might like me back and then rip it away seconds later. If fucking hurts man.” JJ’s mouth gaped open “Like you back?” He whispered. “You like me?”
“Well duh JJ of course I like you! I’ve always liked you and every time you say that I’m hot or cute or anything else you make it so much harder to get over it so can please for the sake of our friendship just for once in your life shut-” Pope was interrupted by cold hands cupping his cheeks and a warm mouth pressing against his. His eyes widened before he quickly melted into the kiss and wrapping his arms around JJ’s waist. After a few seconds, JJ pulled away for air and too check and make sure Pope didn’t still want to punch him. “Up,” Pope finished his rant with a dazed look in his eyes.
“I don’t just call anyone hot Heyward. You should know that by now,” JJ smiled and earned a breathy laugh from Pope. “I think people really are staring now,” Pope whispered but didn’t dare look anywhere that wasn’t JJ. “Let em,” JJ whispered back before capturing Pope’s lips once again.