Chapter Text
The enclosed beach was quiet, only interrupted by the sound of rolling waves and the laughter of three girls tanning in the blinding sun. The sand was white and the ocean brightly turquoise and Miami was probably just the place to be.
(Y/N) reached for her lime daiquiri and took a refreshing sip before leaning against the lounger again. "I thought the clubs in LA were nicely taken care of."
"Right? But Miami's like, you can't compare it to the LA scene." Sophia agreed.
"They're not even in the same playing field." (Y/N) nodded, eyes closed as another balmy breeze offered momentarily relief from her cooking skin. "I still love LA clubs, they're good as well, but Miami's..."
"Heaven." Tara finished the sentence. "I love you guys. This is the best ever. I am actually so happy right now."
(Y/N) giggled, but agreed with a hum, just like Sophia did too. "I love you, too. It's been super nice so far."
"Annnd tonight we're gonna go to a bar." Tara reminded them. "I don't care if you guys are tired or hungover, we're here now and we're gonna f*ck this opportunity in all holes."
"Jesus Christ." In the same moment as someone said this, (Y/N)'s closed vision seemed shaded, and she opened her eyes to see Johnnie blocking the sun standing by her lounger. He wasn't looking back at her, but at Tara, and Jake was next to him.
Tara sat up straight in her chair and sipped on her daiquiri. "You guys gotta try the Pina Colada here. It was amazing." She said.
"How many drinks have you had so far?"
"Hey! It's hot, we need to stay hydrated." Sophia joked. "Just kidding, it's only our second. We ordered some daiquiris. I've got a banana one."
"Strawberry." Tara said, sipping again before putting it back down on the little table next to her.
(Y/N) picked her own one up to give the straw a sip before extending it out to Johnnie. "Taste it, mine's lime, it's so good."
Johnnie looked down at her which he had avoided until now, cause he knew the girl was half-naked, or, well, just wearing a bikini, and it was lowkey freaking him out, and now he looked at her, and he felt his stomach both drop and rise at the same time, or maybe something else was rising, and-- "Thanks." He said and took a sip, and that meant that he just shared saliva with (Y/N), and-- "Yeah, it's good." Lucky he missed the part where they put on sunscreen!
(Y/N) looked up at him through her lashes, noticing his nervous manner and she wasn't 100% sure what was causing it, cause this emo boy was usually not hanging around the beach and obviously out of his comfort zone, or if her skin-showing-state was making him uncomfortable. She listened in on Tara's conversation and turned her head to look at her.
"Sooo lunch in an hour and then what? Shopping?"
"I don't really wanna go shopping." Jake shrugged. "You girls can go."
"Nooo, we're here to celebrate you."
"I think you guys should do whatever you want to, explore Miami a bit." Jake said with a genuine smile. "If we eat lunch together with the others first."
"And then maybe we can split up again." Johnnie said.
"What, you tryna shake us off?" (Y/N) questioned with a playful smile.
"Get rid of us?" Tara added with faked offense.
Johnnie looked at (Y/N) and then to Tara, "No! I-I just-"
"We're kidding Johnnie." Tara cleared up and looked back at Jake. "We'll eat and then we can decide what we wanna do."
"Alright. See you outside the hotel in an hour then."
"We go with Alyssa and you two go with the others, yeah?" Sophia asked.
"Mh-hm." Johnnie nodded, "See you guys."
"See you." Jake said.
And Johnnie stole one last glance at (Y/N)'s body hoping she wouldn't notice, trying to imprint her glowing skin in his memory in the most respectful way he possibly could.
~~
It was a nice long lunch at another classy restaurant and (Y/N) really enjoyed getting to know the others. Of course Jake only hung out with fun cool people, so it wasn't really a surprise, but considering (Y/N) kind of judged every influencer for being shallow and chronically online, she was caught a little off-guard. They were so nice.
Tara, Sophia, (Y/N) and Alyssa spent a few hours going around shops in this big mall and trying on clothes. Of course (Y/N) made sure to send photos to her friends back in LA, especially to Brooke, trying to keep contact as she made new friends.
Afterwards they retreated to the hotel room to redo their makeup and put on outfits for the night. Finally, with their hair styled, makeup perfected, and outfits on point, they made their way out of the hotel, the anticipation of the night's adventures palpable in the air.
Johnnie and Jake were already standing outside, ready for the evening. "Did you buy anything?"
"I found a dress and a shirt!" Sophia said. "I can show you guys later."
"They were super cute." (Y/N) added on.
"I bought another lighter as well since I lost mine last night." Tara said. "But that's all."
That made Johnnie frown momentarily, "Ah, f*ck, I think I forgot my pack of cigs."
"I have." Jake offered.
"Ahh, I really want my own." Johnnie replied. "I'll be fast, hang on." He said and headed for the hotel.
"I'll come along." (Y/N) offered her friend and hurried after, catching up to him. "Are cigarettes really that essential to a none-smoker?"
Johnnie elbowed her gently as he watched the numbers of the elevator go down until it finally reached their floor. "The Uber driver can wait a minute."
"That's not very nice." (Y/N) followed him inside the confided space, casting a glance at the mirror in the elevator. "Jesus Christ. Do I look hungover? Ahh, that's not good."
"(Y/N), you're as good as good gets." Johnnie replied without thinking. "You definitely don't look hungover at all. Not even tired. I'm amazed."
(Y/N) tilted her head at the compliment, the subtle tension growing with each millisecond as they looked at each other. She broke the silence with, "I'd say the same about you but I'd be lying."
Johnnie wasn't wearing any dramatic makeup, he just had some slight smudged eyeliner around his piercing eyes and probably some color corrector. "If I was in LA I'd stay in bed all day."
"But we're not in LA." (Y/N) reminded him and the doors opened behind her. She turned around and stepped out.
"I know that, dummy. But if we were, I'd be f*cking this- I'd be sleeping through this f*cking day. My head hurts so bad that I'm considering scheduling a new goddamned piercing-- a 9mm bullet through my f*cking brain."
"Language, Johnnie, Jesus." (Y/N) whispered with a sharp tone as they passed a couple in the corridor.
Johnnie stopped outside his room and fiddled for his card in his pocket. "Or maybe just make it simple and grab a f*cking gun myself. I love that we can buy guns so easy in the US. Isn't that so smart? We can f*cking-"
"Johnnie!" (Y/N) snapped in a whisper, pointing at the couple that were still within hearing range. "You're gonna scare everyone at this hotel."
Johnnie found it a bit too entertaining to annoy (Y/N). With the same high voice, he continued, "We can get whatever f*cking--"
(Y/N) pushed past him when the door unlocked, grabbing his wrist and pulling him with inside, the door shutting.
"OR MAYBE--"
(Y/N) put her hand over his mouth, pushing him against the door behind him. "Shut up, idiot!" She giggled, her body pressed against his, chest against chest, hips against hips.
Johnnie swallowed under her hand, his fleeting gaze accidentally catching a glimpse of her cleavage, and up to her eyes again, and then back down, and then the image of her on the beach, and Jesus Christ, he was such a boy--
"John..." (Y/N) looked down and then up again when she felt something poke against her foreside. "Johnnie!!" She gasped and hopped backwards. Yeah, a boner. [sorry johnnie i hope he never reads fanfics]
"Oh, my God, (Y/N)--" He didn't really have anything to say in defense. "I'm sorry-"
"Pfft!!" (Y/N) gasped again and scoffed. "You're kidding me."
He shrugged and fought to find the right words. "I-I-I... f*ck, I don't--" Sweat drops were probably forming under his bangs. "I'm so sorry, I-"
"Terrible, Johnnie!" The grin on her face was a mixture of amusem*nt and teasing, and decreased into a playful soft smile as she took a step closer to him again.
"I--..."
(Y/N) tilted her head with an innocent look on her face. "Do I make you nervous?" She put a finger on his waistline, causing Johnnie to blush even harder.
"S--I-I..."
She scoffed, pulling at his pant's waistline and letting go, making it slap against his skin(and making him groan silently) and shook her head with a giggle. "Get your f*cking cigs, dude. The Uber's waiting. We don't have time."
Johnnie swallowed, stepped past her to find the carton on his nightstand. What if they had time? Would she-- "Don't you dare make fun of me." He whispered, trying to establish some level of control again, though his cheeks burned with embarrassment.
"You're cute when you're flustered."
The vibe had shifted since yesterday. Maybe it was the Florida air and the crazy partying and the substances or the pregaming, but the tension was growing.
... This was just purely embarrassing though, Johnnie thought.
(Y/N)'s mind was spinning. Did this mean that Johnnie-- well, obviously he was attracted to her. Obviously. Maybe this was her cue to get down on her knees. Uhm, no. Don't do anything you'll regret. Would you regret it? Jesus. Standing in the small elevator space again did not help the electric air between them. How did one move past what just happened?
"Are you really that suicidal today?"
"Even more now!" Johnnie said and it caused (Y/N) to giggle, and then the two laughed as they walked through the lobby and out to the gang.
"Everyone, Johnnie just--" (Y/N) started the sentence and Johnnie slapped his palm against her mouth. "Johnnie, my lipstick-" She mumbled under the pressure of his hand, then licked it, which made him pull his arm away with an 'ewww, (Y/N)!!' and then they snickered again and (Y/N) gave his shoulder a gentle punch.
Thank f*cking God (Y/N) was so chill, Johnnie fought back a sigh.
"Guys, we don't have time for you goofin' around, the Ubers are waiting." Tara said.
And the girls piled into their awaiting Uber, embarking on the next chapter of their Miami adventure. (Y/N) quickly forgot about the incident while warm air encased them as they rolled down the windows, seeking relief from the lingering heat of the packed car. With the wind tousling their hair and the city lights flashing past, they sang along to the radio, hopefully not annoying the driver too much. He seemed chill with a big smile on his face. Occasionally they leaned out of the windows, capturing snapshots of the nightlife whizzing by, the pregame back in their room just spurring on their energy.
It wasn't a long ride, and soon they were stepping into the said bar, sitting down next to the guys and joining in on their convo. Johnnie looked up at (Y/N), and then immediately away, and (Y/N) was reminded of their little... bump.. earlier, and stopped herself from snorting as she switched her focus to the currently talking guy in the group and hopped in on the subject.
Tara tugged at (Y/N)'s shirt and motioned for her to follow, and they walked over to the bar. "I want to order like, birthday cake shots. You think we can do that?"
"Probably, I feel like this place can do whatever you want." (Y/N) said and they went ahead to order a shot each, well, two for Johnnie. The bartender gave them a 'birthday discount' with a wink to the two attractive girls. He was cute himself.
"He was so hot."
"Right? I would've!... Yo, we should've asked him to play Birthday Sex." (Y/N) whispered back.
"OH MY GOD!" Tara scoffed. "You're so right." They snorted and shook their heads and returned with the tray to the table and the group cheered.
An hour passed quickly. Their faces were flushed by alcohol and infectious laughter. Alyssa recounted a hilarious story from her trip to Key West last month, gesturing animatedly as she spoke, making the group snicker, and (Y/N) added onto the joke, making everyone laugh out loud.
Jake and Johnnie occasionally chimed in with their own witty remarks and Tara's belly hurt from laughing so hard. Their laughter was almost harmonizing with the background music and in this moment, life was pretty perfect, with perfect friends, an accepting safe zone where everyone was locked in. :D
Jokes and anecdotes flew back and forth like playful sparks, igniting bursts of laughter and sparking lively debates about everything from politics to pop culture.
Another round of shots, and then they were off to bar hop, waddling down the busy street to the next intriguing place. It was a nice pub with cool looking people. Fortunately there was a table big enough for their big group and they settled down with a drink each to continue the chatting.
The night deepened and with each round of drinks inhibition melted away, and that's probably the only reason Johnnie dared to say, "I'm coming with", when (Y/N) reported that she was getting another drink for her and Tara.
They leaned against the bar waiting for their drinks. "Cigarette after this?" (Y/N) asked.
"Exactly my thought."
"Always on the same wavelength."
Are you sure? Johnnie wondered if she felt the same chemistry simmering between them. Why couldn't she just make a move already? Johnnie had made plenty before, and she had dodged them all, so the teasing she did earlier in his hotel room was pure evil.
"I f*cking love these people we're hanging with. Really dig 'em all." She said, watching the bartender mix the last drink.
"Right? Such a good vibe. Jake's loving it."
"Yeah, he seems to really enjoy it."
"Believe me, he is."
"And so am I." She thanked the bartender and looked back to Johnnie before leading the way back to the table. Another fifteen minutes passed before Johnnie did the smoke sign to (Y/N), and she nodded and they got back up again, walking to the outside and stepping away from the entrance of the pub.
"Whaaat time is it?" Johnnie mumbled as he picked his phone up to check. "Just a bit past 12."
"Another long night, huh?" (Y/N) said, enjoying the slight added euphoria coming from the nicotine and tobacco.
Johnnie put the phone in his pocket and looked back at her. "I feel better now, at least."
"Alcohol does the trick. Best way to cure a hangover."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He rolled his eyes with a small smile on his face.
"Sometimes I feel like I understand alcoholics."
"Shut up, (Y/N)." He said and they snickered. "Not funny."
(Y/N) shrugged. "Sorry, sorry. Man. I don't understand how you can live with being, like, a celebrity."
"Celebrity? In that case an F-list celebrity." His joke made her snort, and still, after being friends for quite some time now and always laughing together, it still gave him this sense of validation that no one else could.
"I'd get cancelled everday."
"Look, sorry to disappoint, but you're not that controversial." He said and she giggled again. "I mean, you joke, but every single one of your opinions-"
"--Are right. I'm just always right. Right?"
"--Are objectively rational and intelligent."
"Wow."
"But you're definitely not always right, though."
"That just means that you're irrational whenever you disagree with me. That's basically what you just said."
"Don't twist my words."
"Did not." (Y/N) crossed her arms, exhaling another cloud of smoke. "You said that my opinions are always objectively rational and intelligent, but you don't always think I'm right-"
"That's not what I said-"
"You know I'm right."
"You know you're right."
"That's-- Okay, yeah."
"Agree to disagree."
"We just agreed?"
Johnnie shrugged and snickered drunkenly, almost stumbling into (Y/N) and realizing he was plenty tipsy at this point. "I think you could tell me that grass is black and I'd trust you without checking."
"Hey, I saw a TikTok the other day where a guy said that, well, basically, 'if you like someone, you become completely gullible and kind of believe whatever they say'. Or like, that's a sign of someone liking you."
"Well, yeah, but you don't believe anything I say."
"Hm. Right. And you're just pretty gullible. Maybe he was wrong-"
The twos' heads spun around to the sound of their friend group coming out the doors. "Guys! There's a karaoke bar just down the street!" One of the guys yelled.
"We're gonna sing!" Tara added on.
Johnnie and (Y/N) exchanged quick looks before following the company to the next place.
It was another big bar with both private rooms and a huge area with open karaoke going on, drunken tone-deaf people shouting their lungs out to cliché songs that everyone knew. What a f*cking vibe. Tara and (Y/N) immediately joined the clung of people sharing two mics singing 'Unwritten' by Natasha Bedingfield whilst Alyssa and Sophia went to the bathroom for some snow and the guys sat down at a table.
(Y/N) was laughing at a joke Johnnie did before she replied with a sharp defense, and the banter went on, making them snicker more. Sophia grabbed her attention and showed her something on her phone, and (Y/N) giggled, before one of the guys called (Y/N)'s name to ask her a question, and they went on to talk.
At some point, (Y/N) found herself with a mic in her hand, singing some well-known old pop song together with Johnnie and Jake, giggling mostly but also managing to form a word every now and then, and (Y/N) reminded the boys of her talent for singing. Jake was loving everything about this trip, and what would make him even happier was for Johnnie to actually confess his feelings for his best friend( Y/N not Jake ) and he pushed them together. Johnnie put his arm around (Y/N)'s waist and continued singing, the two of them sort of pretending to be in a music video, acting out the words with dramatic passion.
They finished the song laughing together, Johnnie keeping her close as they returned the mics to the bartender for the next people to sing.
"Another beer?" Johnnie asked as the two took a step away from each other.
"Honestly, what time is it?" (Y/N) replied with a question back.
"Uhh, 2.40."
"Jesus Christ. We're gonna be projectile vomiting for the whole flight back, man."
Johnnie shrugged. "You're right. But when will we be in Miami partying again, huh?"
"Okay, you're right." She said, and the two sort of looked at each other in silence for a moment before Johnnie went ahead and ordered for them. They stood there chatting whilst waiting until the bartender gave them their drinks.
"Uhh, should we head back to the gang?"
"Hold on, they're singing Summer of '69!!"
"What did you say?? You wanna try 69? (Y/N)!!"
She scoffed and giggled, shaking her head. "Shut up." They stayed put by the bar as she grabbed one of his hands to sing to him, "Standin' on your mama's porch, you told me that it'd last forever!"
"Oh, and when you held my hand," Johnnie grabbed her other and held them up between them, "I knew that it was now or never!"
"Those were the best days of my life." She said and they once again shared a moment of silent looks as their hands sank. "Uhh... I'm getting... Kind of tired."
"Oh."
"Yeah, I mean, I don't know about the others, but I could get back to the hotel after this uhh, last drink." (Y/N) said carefully, letting go off his hands to reach for her beer and take a sip.
"Oh!... Uhh, me too. I uhh, I'm ready to head back, too. Yeah." Johnnie's heart skipped a beat and he took a couple sips from his beer.
(Y/N) nodded and hummed along to the Bryan Adams song as she lead the way back to the group and officially reported that they were ready to call it a night.
The response was of course negative, "Already? It's only 3AM! Boring!" But they respected it, not really thinking anything of it. Last night was rough and 3AM was reasonable...
