#dw they close the blinds and there are no cameras sldjflkasjdlf

[nobedofroses]

December 3

pairing: Javier Peña x reader

warnings: kinda spicy, Javi is just a bit ass-ish at the end, but in a hot way lmao

words: 1.2k

a/n: longer than I expected!

Last, Full List, Next

🏔🏔🏔

Working at a bookshop had its ups and downs. As with any customer service job, how each day was was usually dependent on the customers themselves. Your store was on the outskirts of Chicago proper, so you had regulars who lived in the area and then people from the city as well. For the most part, though, everyone was great and you had a lot of downtime to read if you had all of your stocking and organizing duties completed. 

Since the holidays were coming up, things were busier, but you didn’t mind. You had control of the music so you could play only what you liked, decorations were up, and everyone who came in looking for a gift was always so happy when they found the perfect thing (or failing that, a gift card). 

One day in early December, you were busy stocking the mystery shelves when you realized that you needed to put some things on the top shelf and you hadn’t brought your little step stool. It was only three books though, so you thought maybe you could try to get them up there with some reaching and jumping. 

You started with one because they all went in separate spots, and couldn’t get it just reaching. So you got on your tiptoes, as high as you could go, and used your other hand to balance yourself. Stretching as much as you could, you could just get the bottom edge of the book on the shelf, but couldn’t push it into place, and as soon as you let go it would fall. 

Huffing, you thought for two seconds before you placed your foot on the bottom shelf. 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” came a voice from no more than three feet away and you whipped around to see a tall, broad shouldered man standing with his hip cocked out and a smirk on his face. 

You could barely keep from literally looking him up and down, but you did notice his full lips, mustache, and aquiline nose before you met his eyes. While his comment could have seemed condescending, the twinkle in his eyes was playful and his tone was flirty. 

More than a few customers had tried to flirt with you before. Most of the time, you were polite but refocused them on the books or their transaction. A few times you had had coffee with regulars that never went anywhere, and once or twice you had slept with one. And this man, whoever he was, was handsome, very handsome, and you didn’t mind his flirting at all. 

“Oh yeah? Are you some kind of bookshelf expert?” you asked him, matching his tone. Your eyes flicked down to his hands and then back to his face, “A carpenter, maybe?”

He smiled and laughed, “Not a carpenter, I’ve just done a lot of stupid things and got hurt in my time. If you’d like, I can put those books up there for you.”

You bit your lip, hesitating for a second because you didn’t want to inconvenience him. Then again, he offered, and he was looking at your lips. You smiled, “I shouldn’t say yes because I shouldn’t let customers do my work for me, but… yes, that’d be super helpful.” 

The man took a few steps over to you and held out his hand. You gave him the first book and noticed how small it looked comparatively and had to look away. 

“Okay, that goes in between Clark and Clay right there,” you pointed to a spot nearly right above you. There was just enough room for deniability’s sake, but he got close enough to you that you felt the air his body moved on your back and suppressed a shiver. 

It was the same process for all three books, except both of you moved a little bit closer each time. By the end of it, you were ready to just push him up against the shelf and make out. 

But you controlled yourself and instead turned to face him (still incredibly close) to say, “Thank you very much for your help.” 

He smiled charmingly at you and held out his hand, having to bend his elbow past 90 degrees so that it fit between your bodies, “I’m Javier.” 

You shook his hand, trying very hard to keep your voice from getting shaky as you responded because his hand was so big and warm. 

A few seconds more than a normal handshake went by before either of you let go, but when you did, you asked, “Is there anything I can help you find, Javier?” 

Before answering, he reached out and grabbed a book off the shelf that was at waist level for you, and you weren’t sure if his hand brushed your waist on the way back or if you just really hoped it did. 

“I’ve got the book I wanted right here, but I’d appreciate a guide back to the register,” he told you and you were glad because if you rang him up you could write your number on his receipt. 

On your way back to the front, you realized just how dead the shop was. It had been slow all day because of the weather, but now you realized that the person you checked out before meeting Javier must have been the last person in the whole store other than the two of you. 

When you got near enough to see the window, you understood why. It was snowing thick enough that you couldn’t see the shops on the other side of the narrow street. It was also clear that the wind was strong because most of the snow was falling diagonally. 

“Oh my goodness,” you murmured, stopping before you even reached the front desk just out of surprise. 

Javier came to your side. You heard him breathe an expletive and worried that the weather was going to disturb whatever plans he had for the day. But then he surprised you by saying, “Well as long as the power doesn’t go out, I think I’ll just stay here and get a start on this book.” 

He had gestured to the couch that was in front of an electric fireplace the owners had installed because they loved creating a welcoming and cozy atmosphere more than anything. 

A few seconds went  by while you processed everything that had just happened in the last five seconds. And then you smiled slowly and said, “I might just join you, that stocking was my last task today other than the register.” 

Javier smiled back but it wasn’t slow and it held a lot more meaning than yours had. “Well, sweetheart, the only thing that could make this better is if you had some whiskey stashed away somewhere.” 

You gasped softly, ignoring for the moment the flush of heat on your neck and between your legs when he called you “sweetheart,” and then told him, “I think this is getting to be our lucky day.” 

As you hurried off towards some sort of office, Javi watched your retreating figure. Especially the way your hips moved and how your flowy skirt threatened to expose the lower swell of your ass with every quick step. He grunted softly and sat down in the middle of the couch, ready to keep you close because he was pretty sure his day wasn’t the only one that was getting lucky.

🏔🏔🏔