microwave meals.

Hours went by and Otto was sitting with the girls, she didn't really contribute to the conversation all that much.

Mainly because most of it was them reminiscence on events she wasn't apart of, and secondly she was beyond tired. Everything down to her bones was utterly exhausted.

She use to be able to run on a few hours sleep and be fine, but now she needed at least eight hours. She usually didn't get eight hours which meant she was tired and a little grumpy. To combat her grumpiness she tried not to speak that much, for fear of snapping at someone who didn't deserve it.

Although people nearly always deserved it.

Otto had to squeeze her eyes shut really hard and open them again to try and push the sleepiness out if her body, it only worked for a few minutes then she'd have to do it again. The two girls either didn't notice or didn't acknowledge the strange behaviour.

She was usually in bed an entire hour ago, but she'd stayed up late because JJ hadn't seen his friends in years.

But at that point she was seriously debating driving and leaving JJ there, he'd lived there for so long it wouldn't weird.

If Otto was tired a few months ago and she wanted to be awake she'd just dig through her stash and find something that'd keep her awake.

She didn't do that. Obviously.

She really wished she could. It would make her life a hell of a lot easier.

To be fair she was exhausted because her body was working overtime to create an actual, real life human. That seemed like a good excuse to be tired. A very valid reason

Otto was actively fighting sleep, a battle she was slowly losing to, her head would drop ever so slightly occasionally.

Once again, Kie and Sarah didn't notice, they were engrossed in a story about some old psychopath with an axe. A story Otto would've been extremely interested in if she wasn't three quarters asleep.

Someone did notice though, albeit he didn't notice until the slight drop of her head. He'd have known almost instantly if she was facing him.

Otto was usually asleep over an hour ago, completely passed out with his hands running through her dark locks.

It was just like magic.

He stood up and did some weird army like salute to John B before saying goodbye to them both. They were slightly confused before they saw him turn around and walk over to Otto and patted her on the shoulder. She knew what he meant instantly and said goodbye to the girls, when she got up she said goodbye to the boys before she and JJ left.

That's when it sunk in for John B, JJ was completely and utterly in love with Otto.

JJ's priority was no longer the family he found in the Pogue's, it was the family he had with Otto. He knew that now, he saw how important it was. He was determined to do everything in his power to get it all right. To give the baby what he didn't get.

He took the keys back from Otto, "You're too tired to drive, it'd be super inconvenient if you drive the car into a tree."

"My car, not the car, my car. You've got the hideous yellow monstrosity."

JJ scoffed, despite knowing her words were true. "That also isn't my car, it's John B's but considering he was essentially dead I decided to claim it."

"So you are currently homeless and carless?"

"Wow, you're kicking me out?"

"You're on thin ice, my friend."

Friend. That word stung JJ, he was very aware of how he felt. And he was even more aware of how he thought Otto felt.

"What would your mum say to that? I'm pretty sure that woman is in love with me."

"Pretty sure she's still grieving my dad, you know, the one that died like two months ago."

"I probably should've throught that one through a little more."

"Probably, but then you'd not say half the dumb shit you'd say. And that really would be a travesty."

"You find me endearing?"

"That's a big word, and you used it incorrectly." He hadn't. But she found enjoyment in screwing with him.

"What? It came up on my word of the day app? Doesn't it mean like something that makes someone like you?"

"One, I was screwing with you, you used it correctly. And more importantly, two, you have a word of the day app?"

"Well considering we are going to be spending a lot of time together I'd like to know what you're saying. Mainly to know if you're insulting me."

"I don't insult you that much."

"The look on your face says otherwise, you get this evil glint in them."

"I get an evil glint in my eyes?"

"Yes. That is what I said, and I stand by it."

"You're getting awfully confident, J."

"I think you're rubbing off on me, Tillie."

She was about to say 'you wish' but they pulled up at her house before she got the chance.

"You could've stayed you know, I wouldn't have been offended." She said before they got out.

JJ stilled his movements, the phrase was on the tip of his tongue, begging to come out. But he didn't let it.

It would scare her off.

And he couldn't let that happen.

"I can't go back to that lumpy, probably black mould ridden mattress after tasting a slice of squishy heaven that is you're mattress."

Otto rolled her eyes and they went into the house, her mum was asleep so she didn't say goodnight but still texted her goodnight. She went straight to the bathroom and brushed her teeth, she had a shower that morning and couldn't be bothered to have another. After getting changed she climbed into bed.

JJ took his time, having a long shower and brushing his teeth before he got into bed.

The air was freezing but as soon as he got into Otto's bed he was enveloped in warmth. She had some blanket that warmed up, some rich shit he didn't understand.

There was a mixture of her shuffling back to him, and him pulling her to him, but the end result was her snug into his side.

His arm was lazily laid on her side, then he felt it.

He assumed it was a kick.

It was creepy, and he didn't like it, so he moved the hand away and ran it through her hair that was sprawled on his chest.

JJ hadn't felt a kick until that point, mainly because Otto never offered.

She didn't really let anyone touch her on the stomach, she didn't really do it herself. She hated being pregnant, she didn't feel like herself.

Don't get it wrong, she was excited for the baby, she still didn't feel like she loved it, but she was excited now.

He was too.

The next morning Otto was out of the bed before JJ woke up, that sent alarm bells off in his head.

She was never up before him.

JJ got out of bed like his arse was on fire, "Otto!" He shouted, running down the stairs.

"Calm down, jeez, you're a little dramatic."

She was in the kitchen, when he walked in, his pulse still racing but now calm. Laura stood opposite her, a mug of tea in her hand and an amused expression kn her face.

"The granny flat was finished yesterday, and my mum was reminding us that we should probably put together the baby stuff."

The rest of the day was spent with JJ telling Otto to stay put while he carried everything he could to the granny flat. Laura had ordered all the big stuff that would be hard to move a while ago and had it put it in yesterday. She also filled the kitchen up, doing all the little things like that because she knew the two teenagers would be a little useless.

Then it got time to build the baby furniture, it all came in a flat pack. Despite telling him she was very good at putting them together JJ insisted she sit down and read the instructions.

It wasn't misogynistic, he just didn't want her to do more than she had to.

"That's not right JJ." She said every ten seconds, he'd then look up at her with the most confused expression a human has ever made.

Whenever she tried to help he banished her back to the sofa.

"You need the Alan key for that, using the screwdriver isn't going to work."

"The fuck is an Alan key?" He sounded exasperated.

"The bent metal thing."

"I threw that out, it looked useless."

He had to dig through the rubbish and come back with the Alan key. They, hours later, made their way through the first item.

They had three more to go.

"JJ, that's backwards"

"JJ, I said A3 not P7."

"JJ, use the Alan key."

And finally, "JJ, with peace and love I'm going to finish them, I will be driven insane if I have to keep watching you butcher this."

He finally let her take over, she didn't even give him reading the instructions privileges.

JJ was astonished at how quickly she did it, she did all three in less than the time he did his. Not to mention that his was the smallest.

"Dont look so surprised, I am a jack of all trades."

"Doesn't the saying continue to sa--"

"Why does the one saying you know have to be that one?"

"I am smarter than you give me credit for."

"What's six times six."

It took him half a second before he answered. "Thirty six."

She raised her eyebrows, "Name three African countries."

"South Africa, Chad... two is close enough."

"Two is close enough." Shs smiled.

Otto opened the fridge and it was full of food, her mum was quite literally a saint.

She cooked JJ a meal that didn't involve take away or microwave meals. It had actually vegetables and chicken that wasn't frozen.

Otto put it in front of him, "It smells really good."

She say beside him and began eating the stir-fry, he put his fork through a vegetable covered in sauce before putting it into his mouth.

"This tastes so much better than Richard's Pizzaria."

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