i just don't understand women

JJ wasn’t entirely sure what this guy’s problem was; he didn’t present himself like the typical Career trainees he’d usually have issues with at school. But then perhaps the ones raised outside of Four were different, in their own way. More aggressive, less focused on their image. Or maybe JJ was wrong in his presumption, and he was just an asshole on his own, that wouldn’t be surprising either. “Is that supposed to scare me, man?” After dealing with his own father, this was nothing. He could handle any violence thrown his way, and holding his own was far better than backing down and apologising. That wasn’t in JJ’s nature, not even if he’d told his family he’d behave. This incident wasn’t his fault, anyway.

Adam simply shrugged in response. The answer was obviously yes, but clearly, verbal intimidation wouldn't work. Not when the guy was by himself. Apparently, the blonde also felt bolstered when alone, believing his actions had no consequences to anybody else. But there was always somebody you loved, somebody you wanted to protect, even for a guy like Adam, who had no real friends to speak of.

JJ had been avoidant ever since his father had moved to Alexandria. For the first few days, everything had been fine. Luke had claimed he was clean, full of the usual empty promises, and that he simply wanted a safe haven to reconnect with his son. JJ, as always, had fallen into a false sense of faith and belief, wanting it to be true. But as soon as Luke had found out about the adoption, that Aunt Maya had taken JJ in as her own, all hell had broken loose. The man had returned straight to alcohol, the violent behaviours and false blame quickly coinciding along with it.  He’d missed school the last several days, ignoring his friends every time they’d shown up to check on him. Teachers also called up about the absence, but it was all too easy for JJ to lie, having done it countless times before. He was sick, that was his excuse. Considering he was flighty on the best of days, the faculty hadn't dug much deeper into it. He'd managed to avoid dealing with it, thus far. But sooner or later, his hunger won out, and with his father passed out on the couch, he’d have to make the trip to the grocery store himself.  He intended to avoid being spotted, not wanting to deal with the emotional toll a confrontation would cause, knowing the bruises and his disappearance would ring alarm bells for his friends, if no one else. But it was the middle of the day, the store was busy, so even as he grabbed his bag, JJ suspected the possibility of a quick in and out operation being successful was unlikely. He needed to be reassured it was wrong, he needed an out. But he wasn't ready for the conversation that came along with that, to be so openly vulnerable, even in the face of his chosen family. He wasn't ready for his father to face repercussions he himself would be blamed for. He wanted to wait it out until Luke left on his own, as he always inevitably did. That way, if he ever returned, it wouldn't repeat the cycle again. Perhaps he really would get clean, next time. Perhaps JJ wouldn't have to get hurt again. They had no chance at fixing their broken relationship if it was exposed to intervention. As predicted, he was spotted almost instantly, his pulled up hoodie doing nothing to cover the purple markings under his eye. JJ stood opposite a very concerned face, trying to avoid thinking too much about their worried expression, or his own dismissive response. He needed to play it off, but it was hard to seem sincere when his stomach was aching with emptiness, and his body was slumped with exhaustion. “What, this? Nah, man. It’s fine. It’s just my dad, y’know? He can really snap his right jab off at times. It’s nothin’. We were just fuckin' around and it went too far. Seriously, it's fine.” 

Peter had been worried sick ever since he’d heard about Luke being in town. Although he’d never known the full extent of the abuse, he knew enough. Enough to want the man gone, permanently. He wasn’t good for JJ. The following absences, ignored messages, and closed front door were only proof of that. So Peter had been on alert ever since, waiting for any signs of trouble. The first few days, there hadn’t been any. JJ had reassured him of such over text, but then the tablet notifications had stopped coming, and Peter’s enhanced senses were suddenly all out of whack. Something wasn’t right. 

It had only taken a few weeks since meeting the boys for Rhiannon to wonder how she’d ever lived without them, struggling to recall her life beforehand. The trio were practically attached at the hip, Rhi getting to know them very well in only a few short months. But nearly a week had passed now with no JJ, and everything felt foreign, their dynamics out of sync. Peter was worried sick, she knew that without ever having to ask, and although she didn’t know the backstory, his mood was enough to grow the pit in her own stomach. Still, she forced her own dread aside, wanting to be there for him, both of them, without her own emotions interfering. Whatever was going on, whatever JJ’s dad had to do with it, it long surpassed her relationship with them, and she couldn’t make it about her.

Silently stacking shelves an aisle down from the trio, Adam couldn’t help but overhear every word, stomach squeezing with an unfamiliar feeling. It’s just my dad, y'know. Guilt. He was feeling guilt. And, if he really focused, some jealousy too, noticing JJ had fiercely protective friends. That he had friends at all. He then wondered how he’d managed to avoid the group's retaliation thus far, assuming he'd have been a target considering his behaviour towards them all. Perhaps JJ really had kept his mouth shut, all this time.

Admittedly surprised at the comeback, Adam raised his eyebrows a little, lifting his chin to look at the blonde. “And I don’t appreciate your fucking whingeing. All that crying’s doing my head in.” Registering the threat, Adam’s jaw set, returning one of his own. He didn’t know the guy from a bar of soap, but he looked considerably lanky, and Adam believed he could easily take him. “You do anything like that, and that mophead of yours is going somewhere a whole lot worse than the toilet, that’s a promise.” Adam returned to carving, figuring that was settled. But then JJ approached.

“Seriously, the world went to shit, and I get detention for not doing homework? There’s gotta’ be some kinda’ law against that or somethin’. I literally just moved here, too. It’s fucked up man.”