Serenading Sunshine - JJ Maybank

"Mornin', sleep well?" I hadn't meant to startle the poor boy but I did, "sorry too early for jump scares?" He scoffed but it was more so a laugh than an action with ill meaning, "you're not exactly a jump scare."

I placed a hand over my chest and 'awed', "well I'll be, seems like you're warming up to something sweet for me John B," I cringed mentally at my own words not truly understanding myself even but I had a feeling he understood anyway, "oh uhm," I watched keenly as he rifled through a cabinet, "here."

Blinking in shock I smiled softly, "thanks," he nodded and I pulled a toothbrush from the package before piling a good glob of paste on it, "so, did ya sleep well? Never answered me," he nodded with a shrug, "good enough for now, what are you doing?"

I stopped in my tracks, water dripping onto the toothpaste from the faucet, "I'm wetting the toothbrush... Don't tell me you use a dry toothbrush," he watched as I turned the faucet off and pulled my hands away before he glanced back at my eyes and inched forward to copy my previous action, "no..."

"You don't have to do that if you don't wanna," I notched a brow as I watched him sheepishly copy me, "I do this all the time," swallowing a laugh I nodded with a frowning smile, "if you say so."

"I do say so, in fact I haven't, never done this," I nodded more exaggeratedly at his mixed up words, giving a small snort of a laugh as he shoved the brush in his mouth, my hand following and bringing my brush up to my own.

"Hey so," I turned my eyes to his face in the mirror, both of us just awkwardly standing beside each other with our free arms crossed over our stomachs, "Pope said you were a Glades?"

I almost swallowed, stopping myself so I could nod as he shoved his brush back in mouth while I spoke up, talking around the brush instead of removing it completely like he had done when he questioned me, "yeah, I mean I've always had the name..."

He gave a nod as if confirming that his question was stupid to himself, "he said you just found out then?"

"I didn't have any idea of what my uncle did for a living, he adopted me right before I got here." He paused, "I thought you lived with your parents..." I smiled, shaking my head as I stopped brushing my teeth again, "no I, I was about to be put into foster care on the mainland so he snatched me up before my parents lost their rights to me."

"Shit, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" I laughed, hoping not to choke on the brush in my mouth, "don't worry about it, not everyone should have kids you know?" He nodded, leaning over the sink to spit and rinse his mouth while cleaning his brush, "he was born and raised a pogue, but he worked hard and now he practically owns all those rich bastards."

I watched him pull from the sink wiping the water from his face before I moved forward, washing my brush first as he stood back and watched me, "I didn't know that..." I gave a closed lipped smile before leaning down and setting my brush aside so I could spit out the foaming paste, my eyes widened when my hand met his though.

He had gathered my hair, wrapping it around his fist and for a moment it stunned me but I was quick to finish cleaning up so I could turn the water off and wipe my face down with my hands, "I didn't know either, till after I had already met all y'all. At first," I turned to face him as he let my hair go, "I didn't know if I should say anything, yall seem a bit aggressive when it comes to that lot, I didn't exactly wanna keep it from anyone but I also didn't want anyone to hate me either."

His eyes just stared back into mine for a moment until he swallowed and they flickered over to my temple, he reached up and I couldn't help but flinch noticing how he paused while he watched me. His fingers moved and swiped something off of my skin, brushing against me, "eyelash..."

"Thanks," he nodded, clearing his throat and kind of just turning to throw it away as best he could as it stuck to his finger, "hey John?"

Swallowing as he turned back to me expectant, I thought for a second on how to express my thoughts properly before licking my lips, his eyes flicking down for a second before they moved back up to look me in the eye, "for what it's worth, even though I haven't been around for long. I'm sorry..."

"Whatever we need to do to find him," I paused as he stepped forward and wrapped around me, his mind clouded with emotions at my words, "thank you, and for what it's worth, it doesn't matter to me if you just got here."

"I'm happy you are here..."