#javi can always shave him later

[conradrasputin]

via @abusivelittlebunny

X

[pascalpanic]

Caffeine Rush: Chapter Three / Cappucino

Summary: Javier shows up to your coffee shop again, at an ungodly hour.

W/C: 3K

Warnings: food/eating, coffee, implied age gap (reader is about 25)

A/N: I don’t have anything to say I just hope you guys enjoy :)) OH JK YES I DO: I’ve decided that Caffeine Rush will come out on mondays or tuesdays, alternating every week!

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Cappuccino: two-thirds frothed milk, one-third espresso. Light and airy, full of fluff. Has a stronger coffee flavor than a latte.

As you drive him back to the hotel, you smile over at him. He looks so gorgeous, his dark hair dampened from the snow, his lips soft and extra pink from being pressed to yours. “How long did you say you’re in town for?” You ask him.

“A month,” the man tells you with a nod. “There’s a whole policy with vacation time. Use it or lose it, basically. They told me I had to use it now, so I told them to give me a month. I really have about… three months saved up now,” he chuckles.

The thought makes you grin. Javier will be here for Christmas. He’ll be here for New Year’s- that is, if he’s staying.  “And what are your plans for it?” You ask softly. You hope whatever they are, they won’t take him away from you.

Javier is eating the second red velvet cake in the passenger’s seat, and you giggle at the sight before turning back to the road. Crumbs gather on the top of his shirt and in his mustache, flecks of red in the warm brown.

He smiles at your laughter. “I have none. I have no work to do. I can’t go back to Colombia early- well, I could, but I won’t be working so it wouldn’t be worth much,” he sighs, thinking aloud. “I could go home and visit my father, but I couldn’t stay there for very long. My hometown is a place you only want to stay for two or three days, at most.”

Your eyes watch his face, that surprisingly soft skin and how it moves with his expressions. Your eyes are holding a question, even if you don’t ask it aloud. Javier can read it without your words as he turns to look at you. “I’ve heard D.C. is nice over the holidays,” you offer softly. It’s less of an offer and more of a silent question: please stay. I want you to stay.

Turning back to you, there’s cream cheese frosting in his mustache and an adorable smirk on his face. Just when you thought it was impossible for this man to be any more beautiful. “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea. Then, like I said earlier, I have time to properly romance you.”

You grin and stare at the road. “I don’t normally kiss on the first date. I don’t think it’ll be hard for you to romance me,” you tease. “I can be your personal tour guide to the city. I only work mornings, so we can do whatever we want all day and night. Which is good, because the Smithsonians are only open during the day, and I want to take you to all of them.”

You ramble when you’re excited. Javier can already tell, can see you slowly leaving that shell you’ve hidden yourself in through all of your time in D.C. Your eyes glimmer in excitement as you consider the things you can do, the places you can take him.

Javier smiles back. “You’ll have to show me everything. I’ve never been here for anything other than work.”

“Oh, trust me,” you laugh. “I know all the best parts of the city. You’ll never be bored with me around.”

Javier’s immediately certain that’s true.

-

You told Javier last night that you work from 5:00  to 10:30, and he told you he’d swing by for a coffee. What else did he have to do without you?

What you didn’t expect was for the door chime to jingle at precisely 5:34, and for the customer that enters to be none other than the newest head of the DEA’s investigations into the Cali Cartel.

Rushing around the counter, you laugh and throw your arms around him. “Hi, Javi,” you chuckle and bury your face into his neck. He wears a warm red flannel and dark blue jeans, boots beneath them and a thick black coat over it all. He smells like soap and aftershave.

“I’m starting to like the fact that you’re a hugger,” he laughs as he hugs you back, resting his head on top of yours.

You break away and brush off your apron. “When I said you should come visit me, I meant, like, at normal human functioning hours. Like, maybe 9 or something.”

Javier frowns a little as he looks at you. “This is when I normally get up. Later than normal, actually,” he shrugs and puts his hands in his pockets. “You got a dark roast this morning?” He asks as he nods his head to the side, gesturing to the big vats of brewing coffee.

You smile at the question, chuckling a little. Of course he’s observant and remembers little details- it’s his literal job. “We do. Large redeye?” You ask, already heading behind the counter and back to the ceramic mugs.

The man tilts his head. “Actually… I think I changed my mind. Can I do another peppermint mocha?” he asks, a shy look on his face.

Looking up at him, you bite your lip at his expression. He’s so goddamn cute, really, even when he’s being ashamed for something stupid. “You don’t have to be shy about it,” you tease and nod. “There’s nothing less manly about you for ordering something sweet. In fact, most of the sweet drinks we make here are ordered by the business guys or Congressmen.”

Javier chuckles and leans forward on the counter on his elbows. “Oh, yeah?”

You nod and laugh at the memory of other customers. “Matthew, he works at the senators’ offices downtown, he’s a regular. He orders a caramel frappe with marshmallow and vanilla. Full shots of both.” As always, you happily chat as you make the recipe you know by heart.

Javier’s brow furrows. You’ve known the man maybe 24 hours, but you’re starting to get a good read on him. You can tell when he’s confused or worried or happy or stressed by the way his eyebrows position themselves. This one is a lighthearted confusion. “What’s a frappe?”

Your eyes glimmer with uncharacteristic excitement for so early in the morning. “Wait. So you’re telling me you’ve never had one?”

He shakes his head, pulling his leather jacket tighter around him. The shop is cold this early in the morning, before the body heat of customers and the steaming espresso machines warm the building. “No. What is it?” He asks again.

“It’s delicious, oh my god,” you grin. “It’s kind of like a coffee milkshake. It’s frozen and creamy, blended with ice and coffee. It’s my favorite in the summer, when hot drinks just feel too much.”

“So it’s light?” He asks, gratefully accepting his ceramic mug when you hand it over. It’s peaked with foamy white cream and pieces of candy canes. Javier thinks it reminds him of you. Soft, warm, sweet and indulgent. Energizing. Not like anything he’s ever had before, but he’s already addicted.

“Not really. Like I said, it’s really creamy. It’s like a milkshake, really. That’s the best way to describe it. Do you want me to make one and you can try some?” You offer as you stir the spare espresso shot with a little cream and sugar in a to-go cup for yourself. The warm sugary scent rises and you smile to yourself.

Javier shakes his head. “Not if it’s a cold drink. It’s too cold outside anyway. And in here. You do have heating in here, right?” He asks dryly as he sips the hot drink. You can see his broad shoulders soften, the tension rising into the air with the steam from his mocha.

You roll your eyes but shrug. “It’ll get hot in here later. I just appreciate that it’s cold now,” you chuckle and chug the espresso shot, tossing the paper cup into the garbage. “What can I get you for breakfast?” You ask as you nod to the pastry case further down the bar.

He shakes his head. “Don’t eat breakfast.”

You frown. “That’s going to have to change. You seem like the type who doesn’t take care of yourself, thinks he’s too good for it,” you tease and fold your arms on the countertop, leaning into it.

Javier scoffs. “I am not too good for breakfast,” he says, amused.

“Then eat.”

The mustached man rolls his eyes. “Fine. Maybe I don’t take very good care of myself, but I don’t need you to take care of me.”

That makes you frown. “Well, that’s too bad, because if you want to kiss me like we did last night, you’re going to have to let me take care of you, Javi.”

Javi. No one ever calls him that. He’s always Agent or Agente Peña, usually just Peña for the sake of convenience. Those who know him better call him Javier, people like Steve or Trujillo. True, he asked you to call him Javi, but the name is like a song from your lips, as soft as calling him baby. He absolutely fucking loves it. Can’t get enough of it.

You begin to babble on about the baker here and his skills, talking about the various treats beneath the glass case. There are muffins and scones, donuts and sweet breads, croissants and various puff-pastry delicacies. Javier is overwhelmed. He normally doesn’t eat many sweets, even though he loves them.

A cinnamon-sugar sprinkled pastry twist calls to him. He asks for one of those and insists that he pay for it, even as you wander away from the cash register to prove he can’t pay.

Javier stands at the bar as you make yourself your own hot drink, chatting as you stir the syrup with the espresso. God, you love that mustache, you think as you smile to yourself and look down. “So. How did the mustache come to be?” You ask him, smiling and tilting your head to the side in question.

Javier raises an eyebrow. “This?” He laughs, smoothing it down with his forefinger and thumb. It brushes out some sprinkles of cinnamon and sugar from his pastry and you bite your lip to hold back a laugh.

You both have to talk a bit louder as you begin steaming the milk for your cappuccino, but it hides your giggle as you say your next words: “Yes, the porn stache.”

“Hey,” he frowns and sips his drink, setting it back down and smiling again. “It was a thing with my father. When I turned 30, he told me I was a real man now, and real men wear mustaches. He always had one, so I said okay. He shaved it for me and taught me the right way to do it and everything. I liked the way it looked, and it stuck, I guess,” he shrugs and chuckles.

“Really? Because that thing looks straight out of 1975, but I don’t think you’re old enough for it to be that old.” You giggle. The mustache is very retro, certainly behind the times and the fashion of ‘93. “You can’t possibly be… what would that make you from ��75… 45?”

Javier shrugs. “Well, you’re not far off. I’m 40.”

Your brow furrows. You certainly hadn’t expected that. He looks so young, really. 40 wasn’t even a thought in your mind- maybe a stressed-out 30. “Really?” You ask, though you doubt he’d lie and make himself seem older. He should probably know that you’re around the proper age you are, seeing as you’ve told him about just finishing grad school.

He frowns too. “Is that a problem?” He asks hurriedly, standing up straight from his hunched position, where he leaned over the counter to be closer to you.

“No, no,” you shake your head, and his body relaxes. “Of course not,” you smile and put your hand over his. “You just look really young for 40.”

Javier shakes his head, smiling a little at the compliment. He doesn’t get many of those, the ones where people tell him he looks young or he’s cute or any non-sexual compliments in general. “No I don’t. You’re just being cute.”

“No!” You laugh happily. “You saw my face. You’re a special agent of the D-E-A,” you say, drawing out the letters. “Head of the Calí Cartel investigations. You can read me like a damn book, Javi,” you smile at him. “Tell me, do I look like I’m lying?”

Javier shakes his head, the smile growing wider and his cheeks turning a slightly warmer shade. These kind of honest, pure and uncomplicated compliments make him almost embarrassed. “Yeah, yeah,” he sighs, brushing it off.

You’re absolutely beaming by now. “You’re not used to this, are you?” You tease as you scoop the foam from the milk pitcher into your ceramic mug, with chocolate and almond syrup in the bottom already. Mandy’s in the back stocking something, and no one else is in the shop yet. With this privacy, you lean across the counter, and Javier matches your position.

His face is painfully close to yours. You can feel his coffee breath, and you giggle softly. “Hey. Javi.”

“Yeah?” He asks teasingly.

“I like you a lot.”

Javier laughs genuinely, kissing you softly for a moment before breaking away and standing up straight again. “I like you too, abejita,” he says and finishes off his peppermint mocha.

“What does that mean?” You ask him. You’re nearly fluent in Spanish, from having studied it for years, but the word is unfamiliar.

“Little bee,” he chuckles. “You’re fluttering around this coffee shop like you’re on an adrenaline rush and it’s 5:30 in the goddamn morning.”

Little bee. It makes your heart race in your chest like a bee’s wings, a million beats per second. Goddamnit, this Javier knows what he’s doing, you think to yourself. He must be doing this for the sole purpose of stealing your heart; why else would he be this fucking sweet and sexy and flirtatious?

“It’s the caffeine rush,” you shake your head and wave a hand dismissively. You’ve already chugged a few shots of espresso, and your chocolate-almond cappuccino is about halfway gone now. Either way, Javier makes your resting heart rate double just from looking your way.

“Sure,” he teases and raises an eyebrow. “I’m gonna hit the bathroom. Be right back.” He sticks his hands in the pockets of his heavy wool coat as he heads to the restrooms, near the front of the store.

You take his mug back and Mandy wanders out from the back. “Wow. Who’s got you so chatty?” She asks out of genuine curiosity. She didn’t see Javier come in or go to the bathroom.

You’d talked with Mandy while you prepared the store, filling her in on all of the details of last night’s date with Javier. “It’s, uh, Javi, actually,” you laugh softly as you pull more espresso shots to make him another peppermint mocha.

“You’re kidding,” the woman squeals, her curls flipping over her shoulder as she tosses them back. “Why is he here so early?” She asks in confusion, making herself a drink on the machine next to you.

Your foot taps out a quick rhythm against the tile floor beneath you, the energy already flowing through your body. “Beats me. He says he wakes up this early normally. I don’t know if I believe it, but…” you shrug and stir the shots into the peppermint syrup, scooping chocolate chips into a steaming pitcher with milk and putting it under the steaming wand.

“He’s in the DEA, isn’t he?” She asks. “Maybe they start work really early in the morning. I’ve heard they work really long hours.”

“Well, he did say he works a lot,” you nod. “I don’t know. Doesn’t matter. He’s here now and he’ll get to see me cry my way through the morning rush,” you say sarcastically.

Mandy nudges your shoulder. “Says the most competent barista who works here,” she scoffs. “You have everyone out the door in under three minutes. That’s no easy feat.”

“Okay,” you roll your eyes and pour the chocolate milk into the syrup and espresso, stirring it with a long, twisted spoon. “I doubt that, but thank you.” You swirl a perfect peak of whipped cream on the top, then sprinkle the candy cane pieces on.

“I think she’s right,” you hear Javier’s voice from the other side of the counter.

“Stalker,” you tease and put his mug in front of him.

“Am not. Just think you’re good at what you do.”

“I made you a refill,” you say, ignoring his compliment. “Oh, Javier, this is Mandy. You might remember her from yesterday. Mandy, this is Javier.”

She nods and shakes the hand that Javier offers. “Nice to meet you- well, again,” she says with a bright smile. “You got the prettiest girl here.”

“Mandy,” you roll your eyes. She just laughs as she makes her way to the back of the store again.

Javier watches her then turns back to you with a smile. “I think she was right on both of those,” he comments with a smile on his face.

“Go sit down, stop flirting with me, and drink your damn coffee, Javi,” you teasingly scold him with a smile, turning away to go wash the steaming pitcher and spoon you used to make his drink.

Another customer walks in the shop. You can tell from the jingle of the bells on the door. With that, Javier finds a table in the lobby and sits at it, reading the daily newspaper and sipping his peppermint mocha. He’s starting to see why you’re so addicted to these. To him, they taste like you. -

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[tiffdawg]

Curriculum Vitae: Chapter Fifteen

Gif: @bestintheparsec​

curriculum vitae noun cur·ric·u·la vi·tae Latin. the course of one’s life.

Pairing: Javier Peña x Reader (fem; no y/n)

Word Count: 7.0k

Rated: E  | Warnings: NSFW – explicit sexual content, sex, public sex, oral sex (female receiving), cumplay, dirty talk. Mentions of alcohol. Mild language. 18+ only.

Chapter Summary: In this chapter, you and Javier attend the holiday party for the social sciences’ faculty.

A/N: I really risked it all for y’all just to login and post this. I still haven’t seen the finale so I’m going to drop this and run but I’d love to know what you think. I hope this chapter makes the extra-long wait worth it.

Read on AO3

CV Masterlist | My Masterlist

… . …

Chapter Fifteen

Unsurprisingly, things were tense the next morning

Javier was up before you but that wasn’t out of the ordinary. Although considering it was a quarter past seven you wondered how much sleep the man could’ve gotten. What was surprising was that you woke alone.

Then you ate breakfast together in silence. Moved about your 400 square foot studio in silence. Worked across the dining table grading papers in silence.

Javier was never an overly talkative person but that was unlike him. It was unlike the two of you. You knew there were things from his past that troubled him. Things you couldn’t even begin to imagine. The longer you’d known him, the more time you spent together, the more you felt his sadness. But he seemed determined to hide it from you.

However, you couldn’t dwell on it. Not until you’d finished grading exams and assigned final grades and could put the fall quarter behind you. With a Monday deadline, work came first.

Eventually, Javier finished his grading. He gathered his things to go home and dress for the faculty party that evening, leaving you with just a kiss on your cheek and a promise to pick you up at six. You hummed noncommittally as you watched him leave.

Sunny whined at the closed door before looking over her shoulder at you with a silent question in her wide brown eyes. “I don’t know what’s wrong either,” you answered with a shrug. She laid down where she was, head on her paws and a rather sad expression of her face.

… . …

By some miracle, you were able to focus long enough to finish your grading with enough time to spare to get ready for a night out. At 5:58 you walked out of your building into the dark evening and found Javier waiting for you at the bottom of the stoop. It was a chilly night and you pulled your wool coat tighter around you as you closed the last bit of distance between the two of you. For the first time that day, as he held his hand out to you, he smiled. It was nothing more than a slight pull at the corner of his lips, but it was something.

You took his hand and let him lead you toward his car. When he reached into his coat pocket, presumably in search of his keys, he pulled out a half-finished pack of Nicorette. He tossed it in a nearby trash can.

“Why did you do that?” you asked without thinking.

He shrugged as he unlocked the car and opened the passenger door for you. “I don’t need it.”

You made no move to get in. “I thought you were trying to quit.”

“I… I did.”

“Really?” you asked, not bothering to hide your excitement.

“I haven’t needed it for a couple of weeks now actually.”

 “Javi, that’s amazing,” you smiled as you brought him to you for a kiss by the lapels of his coat. “I’m so proud of you.”

 He chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re proud of me?”

 “Yeah,” you said easily. He still didn’t seem to believe you. You continued tentatively, afraid you might say the wrong thing but needing to say something all the same. “Sometimes I just– I feel like I don’t actually know that much about you. Or, I should say, about your past. And I don’t need to know anything more than what you want to tell me,” you added quickly. “But I see you. I see you trying to be a better man. Everyday.” Your hands moved on their own accord to cup his freshly shaved cheeks. “I’m proud of you. Even if you think it’s silly.”

“I–” Javier opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn’t manage more than that single syllable.

Instead, he stared at you. You might’ve crossed some unspoken line, but you didn’t care. You’d meant everything that you said. His eyes shifted away as he stared at something past you for a drawn-out moment. “Come here,” he finally managed, and he pulled you into his embrace. The two of you held each other in the middle of the sidewalk, letting the few people out and about walk around you. “You’re too good for me, compañera.”

“I know,” you teased, trying to lighten the mood. His fingers dug into your sides and you laughed. “Are we going to talk about what happened last night?”

He sighed heavily. “I’d rather have one good night with you before I leave. I’m not going to see you for more than two weeks.”

Deciding not to question it, you put it out of your mind. Maybe what happened was a one off. Still, you pulled back and scowled at him. “Then stop being such a….”

“An asshole?”

“Exactly.”

He huffed a laugh and rolled his eyes but nodded his agreement. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled as he pressed a kiss to your temple.

“You gonna make it up to me?”

 “Yeah. Yeah, I’ve got plans for you tonight.”

A chill shot down your spine at the insinuation. “Good,” you smirked, “so do I.”

… . …

The country club was only a short drive past the university and up into the hills amongst rows of gated mansions. Slipping out of the car before the valet approached, you darted in ahead of Javier. The bubble that the two of you were living in still didn’t extend to work, not entirely. Not beyond fucking in your offices and occasionally brushing hands under the table at faculty meetings.

Inside, the already gilded ballroom was draped in silver and gold holiday decorations from ceiling to floor. Every inch sparkled and shone in the chandelier light. Your colleagues from across the school of social sciences crowed the hall, all dressed to the nines with glasses of champagne and hors-d’œuvre topped with caviar in their hands.

You politely made your rounds before you found yourself conversing with Debra by the bar as you waited for a cocktail. She was her usual gossipy self, going on and on about the latest office drama. That was when you first spotted Javier amongst the crowd.

He wore a well-fitted black suit – one that was significantly more flattering than some of his older ones and you idly wondered if it was new – with a white shirt, forgoing a tie so that his tanned chest was still exposed, even on a winter night. His dark hair was styled just enough to keep it off his face. Even from across the room, you could see the glimmer in his warm brown eyes as he chatted away with someone. You were surprised when he walked right up to Rafael Garcia, one of the younger professors from the political science department. You watched as they shook hands and he was introduced to his wife, noting the genuine smile on his face.

“We just started seeing each other a couple of weeks ago but it’s going well so far. I really like him.” Deb’s voice brought you back to the present.

“That’s nice,” you replied absentmindedly.

“What about you, doc?”

“What? Oh, no. I don’t have time for something like that.” You waved her off, but your eyes still followed Javier across the room. You tried to ignore the heat pooling in your stomach.

“That’s a shame.” Debra looked out at the crowd and sighed. “He never flirts with me. Not anymore, at least.”

“Your new boyfriend?”

“No,” she laughed and smacked your shoulder playfully. “Javier,” she answered, lowering her voice.

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes. Although you hoped it wasn’t that obvious who you’d been looking at. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. And don’t you have a boyfriend?”

“Sure, but Javier was always fun to flirt with. It certainly made work more interesting. You know,” she took a sip of her martini, “the two of you seem awfully friendly lately. I thought you hated him.”

“I do,” you answered quickly.

“Well, don’t let Dr. Campbell hear you speak ill about his favorite lecturer.” She raised her brows over her class as the department chair approached the two of you. You stifled a sigh.

… . …

Javier sipped at his drink as he listened to Sofia Garcia regal him with the story of how she met her husband. He’d hardly spoken to the man before than night, but after five minutes with his loquacious wife, he felt like he knew his whole life story.

“I played on the Mexican women’s national team for a few years after college until I injured my knee. But it was a blessing. I was offered a coaching position here a week later and by the end of my first season we were engaged.” She held up her left hand where a modest diamond sat on her ring finger. “That was nearly fifteen years ago. Now he’s the only one who plays soccer.”

“Yeah,” Rafael scoffed, “I play in an adult league with my cousin and some old college friends. That hardly counts. She’s the real athlete.” He looked fondly on his wife who beamed back at him. Even Javier had to admit they made a handsome couple. And it had nothing to do with his expensive looking suit or her champagne dress. It was something about the way they looked at each other. they were easily better conversationalists than most of the people in that room. You weren’t kidding when you said academics only knew how to talk about journal articles and research funding. “You ever play, Peña? We’re actually looking for one more.”

Javier shook his head. “I played when I was a kid but that was a long fucking time ago.”

“Don’t worry, man, it’s not that serious. We drink the whole game. All you gotta do is pay for the keg when it’s your turn.”

Javier laughed, surprised by his answer. “I could get on board with that.”

The conversation moved on, but Javier was only half aware of whatever question he was being asked. Just over Rafael’s shoulder, he caught sight of you. With a red dress with thin straps draped across your form that left everything and nothing to the imagination, you looked… alluring.

“Hey, uh, you look like you could use a refill,” Rafael commented, pointing toward the bar where you were standing.

“Yeah,” Javier nodded, “I’ll catch you later. Nice meeting you, Sofia.”

“I hope to see you around, Javier.” She smiled kindly at him, but Javier was already on the move, swiftly cutting through the crowd as he contemplated the ways that he could get you alone.

“Whiskey. Dry,” he ordered, leaning against the bar next to you.

“How are you enjoying the evening, Professor Peña?” Debra simpered.

“Much better now that I’m talking to you lovely ladies,” he answered without missing a beat.

On cue, Debra’s whole face flushed bright red.

“I’ll have you know I’m spoken for now. Your charm won’t work on me anymore.”

“That’s too bad.” His eyes slid to you. And then up and down your body. “What about you, sweetheart?” He offered you the perfect set up on a silver platter. And you took it.

“Not in your wildest dreams, Peña,” you shot back. His lips quirked as he repressed a smile.

“Don’t you two ever get tired of antagonizing each other?” Debra scoffed before traipsing off. He was hoping that would work.

The bartender placed Javier’s drink on the counter and then he turned back to you, still admiring your dress. Now that he was near you, he noticed the fabric was a soft red velvet he wanted nothing more than to get his hands on.

“You looked like you were enjoying your conversation with Rafael.”

“He does some interesting work on South American politics,” he offered distractedly, his eyes snapped back up to yours. “I probably shouldn’t ask you to dance.”

You reeled back a little, as if the question surprised you. “Probably not. That might ruin the whole facade of me hating you.” He made a sour face as he looked at his glass in his hand, swirling the amber liquid a few times. “I wouldn’t have taken you for the dancing type, Javi.”

He grinned. “I love dancing.”

“You never take me dancing.”

“Fucking shame. I’m gonna start.” You beamed at him, uncaring, just for a moment, who saw. It was a smile nothing short of dazzling. He took a step closer. “You look stunning.”

“You drove me here.”

“I thought you were stunning then too. But you were wearing a coat and I didn’t get to see this.” He ran the back of his knuckles down the fabric of your dress just over that sensitive spot on your side he liked so much. “You were right. This is definitely worth it.”

“What if I told you there’s more,” you said unaffectedly, feigning interest in your empty glass. The mischievous look in your eyes when they met his confused expression gave you away. Gently, you brought his hand to your thigh, just under the hem of your dress, and his fingers instantly hooked around the strap of the garter belt holding your sheer stockings in place.

“Holy fuck,” he whispered. “Are you trying to kill me?”

“What a way to go,” you cooed. His hand traveled up the strap to the apex of your thighs where he found little more than a thin piece of lace below the belt. “Careful,” you warned him, pushing his hand away.

Turning so that his body pinned you between him and the bar top and shielded you from the rest of your colleagues, he grasped your hand and brought it to the front of his pants “Can you feel what you do to me?” he said against the shell of your ear.

“That’s what I was hoping for.” Your smile was absolutely wicked.

“Do you have any idea how fucking hard it is not to kiss you right now?”

“Yes.” You squeezed him through his trousers. Javier might’ve looked remarkably calm, but he knew you felt his reaction. He steeled himself as he finished his drink and set the glass on the counter behind you.

“Follow me.”

… . …

Keeping a few steps behind him, you followed Javier back to the front of the club. You assumed he was leading you out to the car but apparently, he had something else in mind. He swung open the door to the coat check, since abandoned by the clerk now that all the guests had arrived and the party was in full swing. With some idea of what he had in mind, you hoped no one was inclined to leave early.

His mouth was on yours in an instant and as soon as the door was shut, you were pressed up against it.

“The coat closet at the holiday work party?” you asked in between fevered kisses. “Isn’t that a little cliché?”

“Honey,” he murmured against your neck as his lips moved lower and lower, “I know for a fact it turns you on when we fuck in public.”

His hand slipped underneath your dress again, following the same path as earlier, and he pressed his fingers against the lace covering your cunt, now soaked with your arousal. He pulled away to raise a brow at you, daring you to contradict him.

Instead, you palmed him again, finding him harder than before. “I’m not the only one,” you shot back. With your eyes locked on his, you dropped to your knees to loosen his belt and unbutton his trousers. Then you leaned forward to slowly pull the zip down – with your teeth.

“Fuck me” he gasped around a ragged exhale, his hips automatically bucking toward you. He watched you, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, before he hauled you to your feet with a hand on either arm. “Fucking dirty girl.”

“Wanna be your dirty girl, Javi,” you sighed, batting your lashes at him. You wanted him unraveled and unrestrained.

“Yeah?” he asked with a hint of excitement in his voice, and you nodded, satisfied with the response you’d gotten from him. Before you realized what he was doing, he spun you around and hiked your skirt up over your ass, letting it bunch around your waist.

“Hey, be careful. This dress is vintage.”

He just laughed against your ear. “You should’ve thought of that before you started this.” With one hand on your hip to hold you up, he kicked each of your ankles to prompt you to spread your legs before hooking a finger under the band of your thong and sliding them to the side. “Damn,” he growled when his fingers met your wet cunt. “I think you’re ready for me.”

“I was ready for you the moment I saw you tonight,” you answered truthfully.  

You felt his grin as he kissed the nape of your neck. He freed his cock and ran the tip through your folds. You knew better than to tell him not to tease you. That was part of it. That was what he enjoyed. He wanted you so strung out by the time he slipped inside you that you were already a mess and he knew just how to get you there. And that was exactly where you wanted to go.

He started to press inside you, slowly stretching you around him with each inch, and you delighted in the slight burn. Usually, he spent more time preparing you, but there was no time for that. Not when you were just hoping to finish fucking each other before someone came to collect their belongings.

You were wet and ready for him, but you were unable to stop the yelp that escaped you as he pushed in a little further.

“Quiet,” he snapped. Then, softly, he asked, “are you okay?”

You nodded. “It just takes a minute sometimes. You’re so big, Javi.” You felt him twitch inside you.

“You take me so well. This cunt was made for me.” Your ego burned bright at his praise and he slid in a bit more as you relaxed around him.

He held you, gently caressing you while you adjusted in what you assumed was a merciful act of patience. When you were ready, you rolled your hips to encourage him.

“Keep – shit – keep doing that. Feels so good on my dick.” You could imagine the debauched look on his face. You reveled in it even though you couldn’t see him. He reached around you to cup your pussy, fingers rubbing against your clit and following your movements as you circled your hips. You moaned in unison.

But it wasn’t enough. Not for you. Not for Javier.

“Hold on to something.”

His warning came just a moment too late. With a gasp, you fell forward clawing at the coats in front of you and fisting an expensive looking black peacoat in hopes of staying upright as he set a brutal pace. “Oh, fuck yes!” you whined.

“Are you even trying to stay quiet?” Javier hissed.

“Yes,” you replied weakly.

“Fucking liar.” You heard the smirk.

The hand playing with your clit moved to your mouth and he slipped two fingers past your lips. It effectively muffled your noises of pleasure as he pulled you down hard on his cock with every thrust. The only sound was the wet noise of him sliding in and out of your slick cunt and the slap of your stocking-covered thighs as they bounced against his. You felt that delicious pressure deep in your belly, right between your thighs, building steadily.

Until you heard a noise just outside the door and the two of you froze.

Without pulling out of you, Javier held you to his chest. As if that would somehow help. You could feel his heart beating against your back just as your own threatened to break through your ribs. Two sets of wide eyes watched the doorknob, waiting for any sign that someone on the other side was about to turn it. You held your breath as you listened carefully to the low voices murmuring, unable to tell who they belonged to or what they were saying. It was like they were hovering just outside the door. Taunting you.

Just as you were about to suggest redressing and making a run for it, Javier started moving in and out of you as a torturously slow pace. Despite the voices nearby, a small whimper escaped you. He shushed you gently. “Quiet, baby,” he whispered.

“But–”

“You wanted this.”

“Javi­–”

“You wouldn’t have worn this” –he fingered the garter belt– “if you didn’t want to end up just like this.”

He was right, of course.

“What if–”

“I’m not going to let that happen.” You had no idea what he thought he was going to do if someone did catch the two of you, but he seemed confident enough for the both of you. Coupled with the easy rock of his hips, you relaxed into his hold. The truth was, as much as you liked the freedom of your home, you missed this. This thrill that you trusted only him to give you.

As soon as the conversation faded away, he resumed his previous pace, punching the air right out of your lungs.

“Yes! Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop,” you chanted, forgetting the precarious situation you were in only moments ago. The coil in your belly tightened as you neared your crest, and you could tell by his less than precise movements that Javier just as close. And then, right as you were about to fall apart on his cock–

Javier pulled out and spun you back around in one swift movement. Before you even knew what was happening, he yanked down your panties and came all over you. Jaw dropping, you watched him work his length until every last drop was on you. White spurts of cum marked you and pooled in the black lace, already dripping down your thighs to the tops of your stockings. You placed a hand on either of his shoulders to steady yourself as your legs threatened to give out under you and stared down at the mess. Somehow, you were more turned on than before. You felt like you would actually combust from arousal. He held your panties in place for a moment, admiring his work, before letting the elastic snap against your skin and drawing your attention upward.

His breaths were jagged, stuttering and uneven. His head tilted back, and he looked down his nose at you with dark eyes that shone with something feral. Something sacrilegious. He was flushed and panting but a smirk tugged on his lips as he tucked his cock away and belted his pants. “You said you wanted to be my dirty girl.”

You swore you could feel your last brain cell short-circuiting. You were hyperaware of the errant drop sliding down your thighs, but you couldn’t look away from him. “Always,” you promised quietly.

You kissed him with everything you had. Javier took it greedily.

“You’re so good for me. Letting me cum all over you,” he said breathlessly, still kissing you. “I want you to keep it all in your panties so that while you’re out there talking to those pretentious professors you can feel my cum between your legs. Okay?” You nodded and he graciously straightened your dress, letting it fall over your messy thighs. “You first.”

“But I didn’t–”

“Only good girls get to cum,” he replied quickly, apparently knowing exactly what you were going to say.

“Javi,” you scolded breathlessly and pointlessly, “I– I am your good girl.”

“Not tonight. You can’t keep quiet. Do you want everyone we work with to know I’m fucking you in this god damn coat closet?” You shook your head. “Don’t worry, honey, this was just foreplay. I’m not done with you yet. Tonight, I’m gonna make you cum so fucking hard you’re screaming my name at the top of your lungs. I can’t do that here, but I can get you ready.”

Your head buzzed.

Some filthy part of you liked that he’d cum all over you. That he wanted to do that to you. You didn’t even need to cum because it’d felt that good. And you knew by the look in his eyes that he planned on making up for leaving you wanting, for making a mess of you. You instinctively understood that this was part of it. That even greater pleasure waited for you if you could just be patient and... and trust him. And you did trust him. You knew he would take care of you.  

If this was going to be your last night together for weeks — after hardly spending a night apart the last month and a half — then this was just the start.

“Okay,” you agreed. “But you’re a fucking tease, Javier Peña.”

He laughed with genuine mirth in his eyes. “You started it.”

“I’ll finish it,” you promised.

“I’m looking forward to that.”

You hesitated, teasing your bottom lip with your teeth. “Do we really have to go back out there?”

“It would be rude to leave so early.” You knew he didn’t care about staying. He was just tormenting you, playing a fucked-up game that had your head spinning like crazy. “But don’t worry. Eventually, I’ll take you home and fill you up. Just the way you like it. Now be a good girl” he said with a swat on your ass, “and go out first.”

Feeling defiant, you turned around and planted a kiss on his neck, purposefully leaving a smudge of red lipstick on his crisp white collar.

“Are you trying to get me in trouble?”

“Maybe I do want everyone to know your mine.”

He wiped away the lipstick he smeared when he stuck his fingers in your mouth with the pad of his thumb. “You know. That’s all I care about.”

… . …

The two of you didn’t make it another hour. Fifty-two minutes to be exact. Javier knew because he kept checking his watch only to decide that time had crept to a halt. He wanted nothing more than to take you home and finish what he’d started. Every time he glanced at you across the room, he found you squirming as you tried to keep a straight face while chatting with some colleague, and he had to look away and recompose himself.

It hadn’t been his intention to leave you wet and wanting and covered in his cum. It’d just happened in the heat of the moment. Some wild idea that he’d decided to act on. But you… you’d liked it. And so did Javier.

In reality, fifty-two minutes wasn’t that long, but it was enough time to suck up to the school’s dean. If Javier was going to be put on display as his prized lecturer for the year, he’d make him listen to him in return. Even if he had to turn up the fake charm to a ten in front of a group of wealthy alumni.

“Here she is now,” Javier said, taking a hold of your elbow as you passed by, physically dragging you into the conversation. You shot him a confused look, but he just smiled at the dean.

“Ah, yes, professor,” Dean Dalton started, “It would seem you’ve made quite the impression on Agent Peña.”

Javier elected to ignore his choice of title.

“Really? I wasn’t aware.” You glanced at him out of the corner of your eye, but he could tell you were happy.

“I’ve had the privilege of reading a few chapters of her upcoming book,” Javier explained. “Trust me, you’ll want to see what she’s planning next.”

“As luck would have it, I’ve been talking to a few of our more generous donors tonight. Perhaps we should meet when classes resume to discuss how the school might be able to help your research.” The dean clinked his glass against yours and ambled off.

“What did you just do?” you asked, disbelief lacing your voice.

“I told you I would help you.”

“Oh my God… thank you,” you said softly. You stared at him for a long moment and he just held your gaze. “Will you take you home now?”

“Yes.”

Without wasting another second, you turned on your heel and headed toward the entrance. He followed eagerly. “Wait.” You stopped suddenly and his chest hit your back. You peered at him over your shoulder. “Don’t forget our tradition.”

He quirked a brow in silent question and your eyes flicked to the bar in response. It clicked. “Got it,” he said with a grin. He swiped the first bottle of champagne he could reach. Something so expensive he couldn’t even imagine the price tag. Something neither of you could ever afford on an academic salary.

… . …

Javier drove with one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on your knee, drawing circles on your thigh over the sheer material covering your skin. Late on a chilly December night, the streets were empty, and the drive was easy. The city was unusually peaceful.

“I still can’t believe you pulled that off,” you murmured dreamily. He squeezed your knee in response.

A few minutes later, he’d stopped at a light when you quietly said his name. He turned to you and found you staring at him. You looked relaxed and happy. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you how handsome you look tonight. All dressed up for me,” you offered sweetly. “You’re absolutely breathtaking.”

“How much did you have to drink?” he deflected.

“One drink hours ago. Nice try, but I’m sober.” You laughed but your teasing tone gave way to something softer. “You really are the most beautiful man.”

In his periphery, the light changed, bathed the inside of the car in a bright green light. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from your beautiful face. Not when such an open, vulnerable sincerity graced your features.

“The light’s green,” you whispered.

“I know.”

A small smile broke out on your face.

… . …

Behind you, Javier trailed soft, lazy kisses along the slope of your neck as he slowly unzipped your dress, letting it hang loose around you. Your eyes fluttered shut as he smoothed his hands down your exposed back, thumbs gently digging into your flesh to massage your tired muscles. Every kiss, every touch, stoked the fire he’d ignited inside you hours ago.

“Let it fall,” he murmured against your skin. You slipped the straps over your shoulders and the fabric pooled at your feet. Then you reached for the clasp of your bra. “Leave it. I’ll take it off when I want to.” You bit back a devilish smile as he continued his ministrations. His lips followed his hands down your spine, and you gasped when he placed a kiss on the small of your back.

“Can’t decide how I want you first,” he mused.

“I want your mouth on me.”

He kneaded the flesh of your ass as he placed the lightest kiss on one cheek. “It is.”

“Not there.”

At your complaint, he snapped the garter belt strap so it stung against your flesh. But a firm hand on your back urged you forward until you were kneeling on the bed and he mouthed your cunt through the lace. “Here?” he asked, voice muffled.

“Yes,” you moaned, desperate for more.

“Maybe I should clean the mess I made on your pussy.” Without waiting for an answer, he pulled the fabric away and sealed his mouth over your hot, wet core, drawing an inarticulate slew of curses from you.

Hands gripping the backs of your thighs right at the tops of your stockings, he alternated between sucking on your clit, teasing the little bundle of nerves between his lips, and fucking you with his tongue. The constantly changing pressure was as intoxicating as it was frustrating — it was never enough but plenty to keep you hovering right on the cusp.

Until he finally – finally – gave you what you needed most.

Holding a steady pace as he flicked his tongue over your clit, Javier pushed you right over the edge.

Unable to breath, unable to move, unable to even think, you sobbed, cunt still pulsing around nothing, when he unceremoniously flipped you over and entered you. He slid into your dripping heat easily. And somehow, your first orgasm rolled right into the second as his cock struck something magic inside you, sparking a whole new wave of pleasure.

“You can’t stop coming, can you?” he asked, grunting as he pounded into you.

It just kept going. And going. Wave after wave relentlessly rolling through you. Unceasing in the best way imaginable. Javier knew your body so fucking well. He was the only one who knew how to do this to you. “No,” you mewled deliriously, body still shaking under him.

He thumbed away a tear rolling down your cheek. You hadn’t even realized you were crying. His hand left your face to knead a lace covered breast. “You look so fucking hot.”

“Fuck me harder, Javi.”

He pulled out all the way and your hips lifted, chasing him, but he pushed your knees to your chest and shouldered between your legs. “You’re not going to be able to walk when I’m done with you.”

“Good. I wanna feel you for days.” you said, ignoring the pang in your heart that told you that you were going to miss him.

“Fuck,” he spat. Your cunt drenched his cock as he slipped back inside, and your breath hitched as he hit deeper at the new angle.

“Right there!” you cried, arching up against him, “oh, God, right there!”

“One more. Give me one more,” Javier demanded, lacing your fingers together and pining your hands above your head, “But not until I tell you.”

You nodded eagerly, happy to give him whatever he wanted. “I get to tell you when too. Please, Javi.”

“Whatever you want baby. You fucking earned it.”

He kept slamming into you and every stroke of his cock rubbed against your inner walls perfectly. You swore you could almost feel every ridge and every vein of his thick length as he fucked you. Your third orgasm was tantalizingly within reach. You just needed his blessing, and you’d break.

“Alright, baby,” he panted as he rocked his hips against yours, grinding his pelvis against your clit, “cum all over my cock.”

Just like that, that tight coil inside you he’d been winding up all night snapped, and you came for a third time with a wanton cry. His name tumbled from your lips repeatedly as your body writhed beneath him, cunt spasming around his cock.

“I need to cum,” he ground out, voice cutting through the haze of pleasure.

“Ask me nicely,” you teased when your senses had returned to you just enough that you decided it was your turn to play with Javier. You wanted it to be just as good for him as he made it for you.

“Please.”

“No.”

“Please.”

“No.”

“Baby, please.” Javier’s broken words trembling around the edges as he begged you. His brown eyes, eclipsed by his dilated pupils and wet around the edges, stared deeply into yours and you almost gave in.

“Don’t stop.”

He made a desperate sound but kept going, snapping his hips against yours harder and harder.

“Almost there, Javi. You’re doing so good for me,” you praised, encouraging him. His jaw clenched and you kissed his neck, sucking hard on the straining muscles. His hands gripped yours so tight it hurt, and his face screwed up as he panted with each thrust. “You can cum for me, Javi. Fill me up.”

His lips crashed against yours in a desperate gratitude, and his hips stuttered as he came hard. He gasped for breath even as your mouths moved messily together. His cock twitched inside you as he painted your cunt like you’d been patiently waiting for all evening, until his body gave out and he collapsed on top of you, still locked in an embrace.

“Was that good for you?” you asked. When you didn’t get an answer, you prodded his side. He startled, eyes suddenly blinking up at you.

“What?”

“I asked if that was good for you?”

“Yeah. Yeah, that was... it’s always good with you but that was...” He trailed off and you thought he might’ve actually fallen asleep on you. “I’ve never cum so hard in my life. I think I fucking blacked out.”

“I didn’t know my pussy was that good.”

“Are you kidding me? I fucking love your pussy.” He was positively beaming at you. He cursed with a sigh as he laid his head back on your chest and you threaded your fingers through his damp locks, holding him close while you could.

… . …

You sat half in Javier’s lap in the middle of your bed, sheets strewn about from your previous activities, both completely naked but freshly showered. He moved his mouth against yours, tasting you, drinking you in until he was as lightheaded from your kisses as from the champagne. His hands roamed your body, touching you for no real reason other than to memorize your gentle curves. One hand cupped a breast and the other squeezed your hip, both moving slowly until they met to cradle your face.

He pulled away to look at you. No fancy dress, no jewelry, no make-up. Just you.

“Still stunning,” he whispered.

You smiled softly and pressed your lips to the bridge of his nose. “Still handsome,” you countered. Chills erupted across his skin, but you mistook his reaction. “Come here.” you pulled the blankets up as you settled back against the headboard. He followed, swiping the bottle of champagne off the nightstand. Without bothering with glasses, surely a disservice to something so expensive, he took a swig and handed it to you. It was bubbly and light and perfect for the evening.

“You never told me what you’re doing for the holidays.”

“Oh, nothing much,” you responded as you took the bottle from him. “Bev’s family celebrates Christmas. They always do gifts with the kids in the morning but then her mom and in-laws and whoever else in the family is around go over for a big dinner. She insists I come to keep her sane. Her mom and mother-in-law don’t exactly get along.”

“What about New Year’s?”

You took a long pull before sighing. “Well, I usually spend the night with Sunny watching old movies and drinking too much wine.” Your face pinched. “That sounds much sadder when I say it out loud.”

“You don’t mind being alone?”

“It’s been this way for years now.” You smiled, a rueful thing. “I’m used to it. I’m usually so tired after the quarter ends that I don’t mind the time alone.” You tried to brush it off, but he could hear the sadness in your voice.

“You could–” Javier stopped himself. “You could call. Anytime. I’ll give you my dad’s home number so you can reach me.”

That time your smile reached your eyes, crinkling the corners as you looked away bashfully. “That’s really sweet of you.” You reached for his hand and added, “I’ll call you at midnight in Laredo.”

“We’ll talk until midnight in Los Angeles.”

You curled up next to him before Javier could decipher your expression.

When he felt your breathing even out, surely sated from the sex and exhausted after the quarter, he pried the bottle from your grasp. He finished the last bit before setting it aside and switching off the lamp, careful not to disturb you.

Javier held you close, not unlike the way you’d held him the night before. He knew he needed to get his shit together. He didn’t want you to see that part of him. He needed to protect you from his past. But he didn’t know how to do that when he couldn’t even protect himself.

He flicked off the light and hoped for a peaceful sleep.

… . …

The first thing you noticed when you woke up the next morning was the dark bruise that you’d sucked onto Javier’s neck the night before. You ran your fingertips over it, outwardly cringing but inwardly, well, preening. This time it had been you who left those little love bites on his neck.

“Did you mark me?” he asked, his voice barely more than a quiet rumble. “Fucking felt that last night.”

“I didn’t mean to,” you answered, looking up at him as innocently as possible.

“Don’t lie to me,” he grumbled as his eyes blinked open. “You were a woman determined last night.”

“Why didn’t you stop me?”

“I liked it,” he grinned, but it faded quickly. “I forgot I was going home today. My dad’s picking me up at the airport.”

“Oh shit,” you laughed, burying your face against his chest.

“Don’t laugh. That’s not funny.”

“Maybe you should try buttoning your shirt like a normal person for once.”

In one smooth movement, he flipped you over and caged you beneath him. “You’re pushing your luck,” he tried to warn, but the grin on his face and the glint in his eyes betrayed him.

“What time is your flight?” you asked, soothing a hand across his face.

“One.” He glanced over at the clock. “It’s ten now.”

You wondered, just for a moment, if he would stay with you if you asked him to. If he would pass the holidays with you so you wouldn’t have to be alone. But that was foolish. And more than a little selfish. He had his family to go home to.

“You should probably go.”

“Yeah,” he sighed, “I should.”

He eased his hold on you but made no move to leave. Not until he’d placed a kiss on your lips and one on your forehead in a gentle goodbye.

... . ...

Thank you for reading! 💗

Forever Tags: @leo-moon @readsalot73 @frietiemeloen @huliabitch @jerusomeeno @benedrylcumbersnatch @b0n-chann @scapricciatello @liadamerondjarin @pedropasscals @paintballkid711 @mistermiraclee @honeyand-roses

Curriculum Vitae Tags: @softpedropascal @roxypeanut @unstoppableforcce @technicallykawaiisoul @mrsparknuts @weirdowithnobeardo @seeking-a-great--perhaps @assultsofthought @arrowswithwifi @larakasser @romewritingshop @none-of-your-bullshit @the-bird-suit @magneticbucky @bbygrgu @luminarahan @buckstaposition @grapemama @emzd34 @itsilvermorny​

Javier: @wander-lustbabe​

Tag lists are always open. 

[honey-dewey]

We all Cope Somehow

Javier Peña x Reader

Word Count: 2,017

Warnings: Javier gets sad, Steve gets drunk, Javier is creepy for all of two seconds, Javier has a breakdown, talking about scars and injuries. 

Permanent Taglist: @phoenixhalliwell

The fight is hard, and at the end of the day, everyone has their coping mechanism. Steve drinks until he can’t remember why he opened a bottle. Javier gets lost with some corner girl who won’t remember his name or face. You cook and nurture your boys because no one else will. That’s just how life is, until Javier comes home late, unable to find his forgetfulness.

“Javi?” 

“What?” 

You shuffled slightly, the ache in your back ever persistent. “I made dinner. Are you staying?” 

Javier nodded, putting out his cigarette and coming in from the balcony, seeing Steve with his third drink at the table already. “What’s for dinner?” 

“Figured we could use a taste of home,” you said, putting a plate with a steak on it in front of Javier. “Texas, right?” 

Another nod from Javier, who wordlessly began to eat. Steve gulped down his drink and shakily picked up his knife. You immediately stepped in, taking the steak knife and cutting Steve’s food for him. 

“Thank you,” he slurred, and you smiled.

“Any time.” 

After dinner, you cut Steve off, giving him some water and bread and sitting him down on your couch. Javier scooped his jacket up and made to leave, turning back to look at you one last time before silently slipping out. 

You noticed Javier leaving, not bothering to say anything. Turning to face him walking out your door would be painful, seeing him and knowing he was going to bury himself in some stranger on the street, not looking for comfort but escape. Knowing those kind eyes would go dark with a feral, primal lust that couldn’t be stopped. You tucked a blanket around Steve, left him two painkillers, and went to go sleep yourself. 

Harsh knocking at your door hours later woke you. Steve groaned, and you immediately tugged a robe around yourself and ran to the door. 

“Go back to sleep Stevie,” you said softly, peering through the door’s peephole and seeing the back of Javier’s head. “It’s just Javi.” 

Steve fell back into the couch, disappearing into sleep once more. You tugged the door open quietly, shushing Javier as he went to talk. “Shh. Steve’s asleep.” 

Javier nodded, gesturing to your bedroom. You silently agreed, bare feet making almost no noise as you two headed towards the room. 

“What are you doing back here?” You asked, shutting your bedroom door and turning to Javier. “You never come back after you leave for the night and, Javi!” 

You shouted his name, shoving his hands off your body. In the dim bedroom lights, you could see his pupils blown wide with that lust he reserved for women who could handle it. But now, with no outlet and no other options, Javier was turning to the next available thing.

“C’mon,” he crooned softly, reaching out for you again. “You know you want me.” 

“Not like this!” You shouted, jumping away from his wandering hands. “Javi! Christ, get away from me! Javier!” 

That seemed to break Javier, his body crumpling as you shied away. You knew that no matter what state he was in, he would never hurt you. But this still wasn’t comforting. 

“Javi?” You asked softly, seeing him still. “Javi, honey, you okay? Are you in there?” 

Javier shook his head. Tiny, minuscule movements that made you scared. 

“Hey,” you said, reaching out but not touching. “Let’s go for a drive.” 

He followed you out, numbly climbing into the car and waiting for you to start it. Taking a midnight drive probably wasn’t advised, but it calmed Javier down and to see him smile again, you’d personally fight Escobar, no matter the odds. 

Taking a turn out of the neighborhood and finding your favorite winding road, you drove in relative silence, Javier gazing out the window as the lights grew smaller and smaller until they looked like bright stars in the sky, making messy bunches of constellations. The hum of the car and the rock of the road beneath you calmed him, easing his troubled mind until he finally began to cry. 

“Oh Javi, honey, it’s okay,” you mumbled, stopping the car in an abandoned parking lot and leaning over the console to hug Javier. “Hey, it’s okay honey. You weren’t right, and that’s just fine. It’s okay to not be okay, you hear me?” 

Javier nodded, burying himself in your arms and mumbling out soft, broken, apologies. 

You hummed, smoothing a hand over his heaving back. “Javi, I forgive you. I will always forgive you.” 

Another agonizing ten minutes passed, during which you held Javier as he shook and cried and let everything out. You simply rubbed his back and held him close, promising you would always be there. 

Finally, finally, Javier pulled away, still trembling. You held his hands, smoothing your thumbs over the scarred skin on the backs of his hands. “You never told me about this,” you realized, peering deeper at the pebbled scar that spanned the entire back of Javier’s left hand. 

Javier pulled in a breath. You couldn’t tell if he knew you were trying to distract him, but you needed to get his mind off his current pain. “My brother,” he said slowly, a horrible rasp to his voice. “we had a treadmill, and my hand got caught in it. My brother was running on top of it. It wasn’t his fault.” 

You smiled, examining his face. Pushing sweaty hair off his forehead, you traced another scar, barely an inch long, in the dead center of Javier’s forehead. “This one?” 

“I was six,” Javier remembered. “My sister threw a ball under a table, and I ran too fast to duck in time. Hit the stupid thing head on. Thirteen stitches.” 

Another kind smile, and this time you moved forward to press a warm kiss to the scar. “And that one on your elbow you refuse to tell Steve about?” 

That was able to draw a laugh out of Javier, even if it was skittering and faint. “My other sister, the oldest, let me have her old roller skates when she outgrew them.” As he talked, Javier’s words got steadier and steadier, the shake to his hands slowly fading. “We lived on a street with a cul-de-sac at the end, and there was a hill leading up to the circle. My sister showed me how to turn at the cul-de-sac, in a big loop. I started at the top of the hill to gain speed. But I fucked it up. I was going too fast and couldn’t control myself, so I ended up tripping, and skidded three feet. It’s a miracle I didn’t break something. My elbow was somehow the only casualty.” 

You giggled, rolling his sleeves up and lifting his right arm so you could kiss the quarter sized scar. “A daring injury,” you promised. “That one on your ankle I teased you about?” 

Javier shook his head, a small smile pulling at his lips. “A glass cup my sisters used to shave shattered in the shower. Cut me in two places. Why are you asking about the boring ones?” 

Shrugging, you traced a longer, more wicked scar on Javier’s left arm. “Because they’re fun scars. War stories are interesting, but they’re not you.” As you explained, you felt a knot in your chest grow, drawing the breath from your lungs. “Those little scars, they tell me who you are. You’re a dork, a family man, a brother, a lover, a truster. When I ask about the bad scars, all I see is a soldier.” 

Javier grabbed your arms, steadying you. “Tell me about this,” he said, poking a scar on your cheek that was often mistaken for a dimple. 

You nodded. “I was a toddler. Ran into a bannister in the hallway, and the sharp edge got my cheek. I needed two stitches.” 

Tracing down your arms, Javier turned your wrists over and thumbed over the identical lines that were burned into the crease of each wrist. “These?” 

“A common contact point for the blazingly hot pots and pans I cook with.” You shivered as Javier kissed each one. “I dunno if there’s much feeling in that bit of my skin.” 

Javier’s eyebrows knit, the worry plain in his face. “And you cook anyway?” 

“It’s my escape,” you said softly. “When I cook, I can imagine we’re not getting death threats, that we’re just a few close friends on a trip together and we didn’t want to go out for dinner. I can imagine I’m back home, cooking for my family or that we’re celebrating your birthday when I make a cake instead of us getting a huge lead. You find women who help you forget, I cook and bake to escape.” 

“Oh.” Javier smoothed a thumb over another small scar, half an inch long, on the delicate flesh between your finger and thumb. “Knife?” 

You nodded. “I got myself pretty good there when I was cutting veggies a few years back. No stitches, but I bled like crazy. My roommate thought I was super hurt.” 

Gently resting your captive hands on the wheel of the car, Javier ticked the radio up, letting soft music fill the space. “Thank you,” he said. “For driving me out here. For not hating me.” 

You shook your head. “I could never hate you Javi. You were just lost. I helped find you again.” 

That grin you’d worked so hard for finally returned, the one that he’d give you over dinner when you made something impressive and when he had to help you with your bulletproof vest. “Should we go home? Steve’s gonna wake up soon.” 

You nodded. “Sure. Poor thing’s gonna be so hungover today.” 

Sure enough, when you two got home, Steve was sitting up on the couch. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but you were DEA agents. You woke up before the day even started. 

“Where were you?” Steve said, standing and stumbling to the door. “I was so worried!” 

“We went for a drive,” you reassured, grabbing Steve’s arms to steady him. “Javi, darling, will you grab a pack of bacon from the fridge? I’m gonna make breakfast.” 

Javier grabbed the bacon while you steered Steve back to the couch. 

“You called me darling,” Javier noticed once you’d entered the kitchen, tossing on an apron and turning a small portable radio on. “Intentional?” 

You grabbed his shirt collar and kissed him. “Yeah. Intentional,” you said as you broke away, opening the bacon. “Start the coffee?” 

Javier swore softly, grabbing the coffee and three mugs. “I guess I should stop finding those corner girls to help me forget, huh?”

Taking out a pan, you shrugged. “I could always teach you to cook,” you said. “Or you could take up photography like Steve. Or, better yet, sewing. I know you can already do it.” 

“I cannot sew.” 

“Yes you can,” you countered, reaching around Javier to grab the eggs. “I watched you fix a shirt once.” 

Javier swore again. “I think I’ll try cooking,” he decided, standing behind you and loosely wrapping his arms around your middle. “Scrambled?” 

Nodding, you cracked six eggs into the pan. “Start making the toast please,” you said, and Javier did so, touching you every time he passed. Just soft touches, a comforting hand brushing your back or shoulder when he walked behind you. 

Over breakfast, you read the paper as best you could, occasionally asking Javier to translate. Steve had his head in his hand, the other hand holding his coffee cup. He listened halfheartedly, not making a sound as he took in the information. 

“Alright,” you said, folding the paper and standing, taking everyone’s empty plate. “Get ready for work. Today’s gonna be busy.” 

Steve left, heading upstairs to grab clothes. Javier went across the hall, finishing first and coming back, finding you already ready, adjusting your lipstick in the mirror. “Waiting on Steve?” 

“Waiting on Steve,” you confirmed, turning to Javier. “Well don’t you look good.” 

Javier smiled. He was wearing the red shirt you openly adored, the top few buttons popped open. 

“Lovebirds,” Steve said from your doorway, adjusting his own shirt. “C’mon, we’re gonna be late.” 

You laughed. “We could never. Not with how you drive.” 

Javier nodded his agreement and followed you out to the car. Steve looked back at the two of you, arm in arm. “So, what’s this?” 

“This, Steve,” you said, turning a finger and gesturing for him to look where he was going. “Is love.”

[hopelikethemoon]

The NSFW ABCs of Annie & Javier {MTMF}

You can find out everything you need to know about Maybe Today, Maybe Forever right here. 

(gif from @heather-lynn​‘s gifset here)

A = Aftercare 

Javier is dedicated when it comes to aftercare. Regardless of who he’s with, whether it’s a one night stand from the bar or a sex worker, he knows how to dole out aftercare. He had a really good reputation among the brothels in Colombia, because he took care of the girls after he was done with them. He wasn’t just a pump and dump. It was a whole thing for him. 

But with Annie, it becomes his top priority. Especially after particularly rough sex, he absolutely loves doting on her. He’ll leave the bed to grab a washcloth, returning to clean her up and leave kisses along her inner thighs. He loves leaving marks on her, almost as much as she loves when he leaves marks, and even days later he’ll check on them to make sure bruises are fading and marks are healing. There are some moments, at the beginning of their relationship, where he tends to feel a little guilty about leaving marks on her or being too rough. 

Annie loves doting on Javier, but it drives Javier absolutely fucking up the wall. Especially after they get more adventurous in their relationship, the aftercare continues the entire day after sex. He secretly loves it though, even if he says he hates the attention. 

B = Body part 

Annie has always been a little bit in love with Javier’s nose and his hair. Even before they were together, her fingers were known to find their way into his hair. But after they’re together, she’s always finding reasons to play with his hair, fingers at the nape of his neck, fluffing the hair that falls across his forehead. 

It might be cliche, but Javier loves Annie’s body — like really loves it. He’d happily just sit and study her, if she’d let him. He also really loved when she was pregnant, there was something he just adored about seeing the way her body changed as their child grew within her. He sometimes wishes he’d taken more time to worship her during both pregnancies, even though Annie would assure him he was very devout in his adoration of her body. He also loves her stretch marks, knows each and every one of them by heart. 

Javier is a tits man, so it kinda kills him that he goes literal years without being able to play with Annie’s the way he wants to, but he’s not the type to complain about it. She told him once not to touch them, while she was pregnant with Josie, and he respected that request until she told him otherwise. He really enjoys them, regardless of whether he’s allowed to touch them. He’s content to just look. 

C = Cum

Javier doesn’t have any qualms about kissing Annie after she’s had her mouth wrapped around his cock. He also doesn’t have an issue with going down on her while his cum is still leaking out of her pussy. In fact, he kinda enjoys it. It’s messy, it’s primal, it’s intimate. She’s the same way, honestly, she doesn’t mind a little making out, while Javier’s lips taste like her. 

When it comes to sex, these two are not fans of condoms. Javier almost always finishes in her, preferring the actual act of sex over getting a blowjob. But that’s not to say he doesn’t absolutely lose his shit when Annie gives him head. The things she can do with her mouth? Incredible. 

The first time they tried pegging and Annie made a show of licking his come off his stomach? That went straight into Javier’s spankbank for the rest of eternity. 

D = Dirty Secret

Their dirtiest secret is pegging. That is probably the one sexual activity of theirs that no one will ever find out about. They’re both fairly open about their sex lives with their friends, like Steve and Connie, but pegging will be the secret they take to the grave. That’s between Javier, Annie, and everyone’s favorite sex shop worker Rocky. 

Javier might not be the best at expressing himself, but deep down he enjoys how liberating it is. He loves when Annie takes control. He loves being completely at her mercy. Not to mention, there’s something much more powerful about when he comes that way. Even though he hates being fussed over, he loves how Annie treats him afterwards. She’s very doting. 

E = Experience 

Both Annie and Javier are very experienced. Given the nature of their friendship-turned-relationship they’re also pretty intimately familiar with who each other has fucked and how. Honestly, that was one of the things they both loved about each other early on. There was no shame, no judging, and they actively supported each other in their pursuit of getting their rocks off. 

Lance was the longest “long term” relationship Annie was ever in. She dated a little in high school and college, but nothing very serious. Similar to how Javier’s only “long term” relationship was Lorraine. 

F = Favourite Position 

I feel like it would be easier to discuss which positions they don’t like. They’re both down to try anything once. Later on in their relationship, they mostly stick to positions that won’t hurt Javier’s back or knees. But he’s willing to soldier through a little pain.

Annie and Javier are both switches, though Annie has a tendency to start out in control and then let Javier take over. Annie also tends to enjoy rough sex more than Javier. They both love any position that lets him fuck her hard and deep. 

Annie secretly loves it when they get so worked up, Javier barely gets a chance to undress before he starts fucking her. Maybe it’s because it brings back memories of them in the bathroom, or maybe she just loves the urgency of the moment. There’s something hot about feeling his jeans scrape the back of her thighs as she rides his cock on the sofa after the kids are down for the night. 

G = Goofy 

Javier and Annie both look like they could kill you with a single look, but they’re the biggest dorks when it comes to each other. Sex for them, while often intense, is always fun. There’s teasing, giggling, and absolute adoration in every encounter. Annie in particular is a goofball when it comes to Javier. 

But it wasn’t always like that with other partners, being goofy is something that is reserved for the two of them alone. 

H = Hair 

Annie keeps her bush maintained, but it is indeed a bush. She is not a fan of waxing or keeping things hairless. And Javier certainly has no issue with it. If Annie had her way, she wouldn’t ever shave her legs either. But alas, she wears dresses too often to really enjoy going au naturale.

Javier also keeps his own pubes neat, but there’s no real manscaping going on there. Javier always keeps his mustache neatly groomed, but will often let his facial hair on his cheeks go untamed because he knows Annie loves it. 

I like to think they’re both forged in the 70s and they fall in line with a lot of the ideologies of that era. 

I = Intimacy 

Their love language is touch. 

Annie and Javier are both deeply romantic people, even if they won’t admit it. In the heat of the moment, there’s always loving touches, tender kisses, and murmured words of encouragement. 

They’re very touchy people too — even before they were together, they were very comfortable touching each other. That shifted into their signature three squeezes, when they couldn’t verbally or really physically express their feelings for each other in public. 

Even their roughest sexual encounters are layered with passion and intimacy. They care so deeply for each other, it’s hard not to show that compassion in the moment. 

J = Jack Off 

While they’re both always going to prefer fucking each other, they both have a healthy relationship with their own hands. Sometimes Annie isn’t in the mood, but she’ll know Javier’s wound up so she’ll ask him to get himself off and let her watch. She loves it, even if she isn’t really aroused. There’s something super hot about watching Javier come for her like that. 

Ever since they moved to Miami, Annie has had her vibrator to help take care of her own needs. Sometimes she’ll have had a really exhausting day at work and she just needs to take the edge off. Maybe she’ll sprawl out on their bed, face buried in Javier’s pillow while she uses the toy to come or maybe she’ll take a nice long shower and use her own hands and the showerhead. Javier’s definitely caught her in the act a handful of times, he loves watching her as much as she loves watching him. 

K = Kink 

Annie loves being marked and she loves marking Javier. If she doesn’t have a few finger shaped bruises, she’s not happy. She especially loved this when they were keeping their relationship secret in Colombia, because she knew they were both covered in marks, but no one else did. 

Javier has a definite hair pulling kink. He loves when Annie gets her fingers in his hair and pulls. That little twinge of pain, the pull at his scalp that sends little tremors of pleasure straight to his cock? Yes. 

Other kinks? Annie loves being overstimulated and Javier loves getting her off more than once when they have the time to make an evening of it. 

L = Location

Don’t judge, but Javier and Annie love a quickie in the bathroom of their favorite bar. It drives Steve and Connie crazy because they’re not subtle about it. At all. There’s something really sexy about fucking in the bathroom and returning to the table — Javier loves knowing that he’s dripping out of her and Annie loves the feeling of it too. They’re usually all over each other afterwards too. Javier will keep a hand on her leg or wrapped around her shoulders, while Annie will sit there playing with his hair, all but laying on him. 

Javier also loves when they fuck on the sofa or really anywhere where that Annie can straddle him and ride his cock. 

M = Motivation 

A brisk breeze could get them going. 

These two are truly and completely in love with each other and pretty much constantly thinking about how they can get the other one alone. Annie’s kink is Javi and Javi’s kink is Annie. Which isn’t to say that there isn’t the occasional dry spell — like that seven month period where neither of them really instigated anything beyond a few kisses and a cuddle before and after Sofía. 

They don’t need an excuse. As long as they’re both in the mood, they’re good to go. 

Sometimes Annie has a dress on that sits at just the right place on her thighs and it drives Javier wild, making him think about pulling it up around her hips and sinking his cock into her. Other times, it can be in the midst of a heated conversation where they both get off a little on the argument. 

They really feed off each other’s desire. 

N = NO 

You know, they’d probably be willing to try almost anything once. That being said, they would never have a threesome and they would never invite anyone else into their relationship. Annie and Javier are both extremely greedy personalities and they don’t share. 

Miami, unsurprisingly, actually had a pretty active swinger scene during the time period that they lived in the city. They’ve definitely been propositioned by couples and they probably accidentally ended up at the wrong type of party before. Especially since they’re not married, they’re not interested in marriage, and they just refer to each other as partners. People mistake that for meaning that they’re in an open relationship and they’re not. At all. They wouldn’t even humor that as a scenario for their relationship. 

O = Oral 

If they’re going to have sex, Javier is going to be between Annie’s thighs at some point. He could spend hours eating pussy. He loves it, she loves it — it happens a lot. 

They both love giving and receiving. But, like I mentioned above, Javier really prefers having sex over getting head. If they’re planning to go at it for awhile, he’s more amenable to letting Annie get him off with her mouth. At least then he has time to work himself back up to actually fuck her. 

Annie and Javier also have an agreement about somnophilia. They’re both very open to being woken up by each other that way. Annie, in particular, really loves being woken up with an orgasm. 

P = Pace 

It honestly depends. Annie really enjoy rough sex, Javier not so much. But even during rough sex they’re very sensual and tender with each other. Soft caresses, partnered with sharp thrusts. Sometimes they take their time, enjoying a little lovemaking, other times Javier’s fucking Annie into the mattress until she can’t walk straight tomorrow. 

Sometimes they’ll start out with Annie on top, setting the pace as she rides him — but they’ll both realize they need more. That tends to be how she ends up face down-ass up with Javier pounding into her.

Q = Quickie 

They love quickies. See Location. 

With two kids and both of them working? Quickies are a must. They try to work a little alone time into every day. Sometimes that means a quickie in the morning, or hopping into the shower with each other, or taking advantage of the girls naptime.

They make it work. Especially since sex is the quickest way for both of them to get on the same page and ground each other.

R = Risk 

They’re always up to experimenting with toys, but even then Javier has it definite hard limits with how far he’s willing to take things like pegging or using toys on him. 

The riskiest thing they’d be up to is semi-public teasing and sex. They love the increased risk of getting caught. Whether that’s Javier fingering her in the back of a cab or Annie palming him under the table at the bar. 

Mostly, they love seeing how far they can push it before one of them snaps. 

S = Stamina 

With enough build-up, Javier is usually good to go at least two rounds. Maybe more. But again, it really depends on the foreplay and the intensity of the encounter. They’re both pretty worn out after particularly rough sex or if they’ve really wound each other up beforehand. 

Annie loves when Javier can pull multiple orgasms from her. They have safe words for a reason, just in case it’s ever too much. 

T = Toy 

Initially, she only has the one, but later on in their relationship Annie buys a couple vibrators for her personal use. Though she’s definitely been known to use them to tease Javier’s cock. There’s something she just loves about watching the way it twitches and the way he squirms while she edges him towards a release. And of course, she has her purple rocket for use during anal play. 

Of course, they have the neon blue dildo they use on Javier that also fits into her strap-on harness. It’s the only one they ever procure. Javier isn’t really interested in trying any sizes larger than that one and he prefers it because it’s just an oblong toy that doesn’t look phallic at all. 

Annie would 100% be down for wearing the rocket while she does laundry or make dinner and letting Javier tease her with it. They definitely experiment with remote control toys. 

U = Unfair 

They both love teasing each other, but never in a hurtful fashion. Annie, in particular, really enjoys a good delayed orgasm and she loves how attentive Javier is when he plays with her. A little overstimulation goes a long way. 

Javier enjoys being edged, but he much prefers edging Annie. He also loves when Annie plays with his nipples, it’s never really something that was done before Annie and he enjoys the stimulation. 

V = Volume 

Annie could be really loud if she had the opportunity. But usually they’re in an apartment or they’ve got the kids down the hall. 

Javier definitely expresses himself and is pretty comfortable letting Annie know exactly how much he enjoys what they’re doing. But Annie is, without a doubt, the loudest of the two of them. And Javier loves it. 

W = Wild Card 

Javier is way more into roleplay than Annie is. She cannot take it seriously and any of their attempts at roleplay usually descend into giggles. He’s fine with it not really being part of their relationship and the few times they have managed to make it, he really enjoyed it. 

They have only had success with roleplay when it involves them being their past selves. Which works for Javier. 

X = X-Ray 

Let’s just say, Annie is very satisfied with the length of Javier’s cock. He’s got length and girth working for him. 

Y = Yearning 

I love how yearning is about libido, because Annie and Javier both have extremely high sexual drives but they also have extremely high yearning drives too. 

These two are the picture in the dictionary under yearning. They spent five years yearning for each other, but they still yearn for each other even when they’re in a relationship together. 

Z = ZZZ 

Javier definitely falls asleep first. 

Annie tends to stay awake, fingers playing through his hair or stroking any patch of skin she can reach. She loves listening to him snoring quietly and usually follows him shortly afterwards into the afterglow of post-sex sleep. 

They alternate between who is the big spoon. Sometimes they go to sleep with Javier’s arms wrapped around her, other times they’ll wake up and Annie is curled around his back. 

Javier secretly loves being the little spoon because homeboy just needs hugs and cuddles. 

[drpepperwithcream]

Day 3: Prom/Marriage

So this is one is longer than the last two, but I find it cute! @twdgrarepairsweek day 3 of that good Marlontine content for #twdgrarepairsweek and bonus points if by the end of this you can guess what Marlon’s favorite candy is. Also, we have some very special guests from season 3, and some cute shit from them too. Hope you enjoy!

------- Marlontine -------

Five years. It’s been five years since Clementine and AJ crashed their car near Ericson’s Boarding School for Troubled Youth and they were saved by the survivors there. Five years since Marlon confided in Clementine about the Delta and what had happened just a year before. Five years since Marlon began to become a better person.

Five years since Marlon, Clem, and AJ went out and captured two Delta soldiers and Marlon confessed what he’d done to everyone. Five years since Clementine was reunited with Lilly. Five years since the Delta tried to free their people and take all the kids and failing, falling back after most of them were dead.

Five years since bombing the Delta’s boat and ambushing them with walkers to kill the last of them except Minerva. Five years since they tried to help Minne, but in turn attempted to kill Clementine and Tennessee for killing her new “family.” Five years since Clem was bitten and AJ brought back Clementine in a wheelbarrow with a missing leg. Five years since she took over Marlon’s position as leader.

Five years since she and Marlon began dating.

It’s been a long ride and it has been amazing, a bit difficult at times, but in the end, it was always worth it. For Marlon, to have her in his arms when they go to bed was always a happy moment for him. She was beautiful, and he was lost in her eyes when she told him this.

“I need to visit Richmond.” She said while they were doing the dishes at the river. She dropped it out of nowhere.

“Richmond? As in Virginia?” He asked.

Clementine nodded.

“Isn’t that where what’s-his-name lives? Javier, right?”

“Yeah. I… I meant to head back there after I saved AJ from the ranch, but I just wanted my last memory with someone I care about to be still alive. So I never did.”

“And you want to go back now?”

“I just want to see if he’s still kicking, and he did promise to teach me about baseball when I came back. I want him to know I’m okay and that I’m out here with you, with AJ, with everyone.”

He understood. It’s something she needed to do. He didn’t blame her. Clementine wasn’t someone to leave things unfinished. It’s one of the things he loved about her.

“Do you want to come with me?” She asked.

Marlon was surprised. He assumed only AJ would go with her, but if she wants him to come, he couldn’t say no.

“Yeah, of course I’ll come with you. Rosie, too, if you want.” He told her. He saw the gears turn in her head. “So you, me, Rosie, and AJ?”

“Actually, I just want you to come with me.”

He was speechless. He didn’t expect that.

“AJ is safe here, and I don’t want to risk that. If something happens to me out there, you’ll be able to get back to the school and AJ’s last sight of me won’t be me dying. I went through it when I was a little younger than he was, with Lee, and I don’t want him to go through that.”

Marlon held her hand. “I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”

Her smile when he said that warmed his heart.

When they got back, Clementine made her announcement that she had to visit an old friend in Richmond, wanting to check on him due to all the wars. She said only Marlon was going with her and that she was leaving Aasim and Violet in charge until they came back.

AJ was upset and she was prepared for that. He didn’t want her to leave. She promised that she’d come back, and she assured him that she’d be okay since Marlon was going with her. AJ came up to Marlon later that day, he said he trusted him. Marlon promised him that he’d to keep her safe.

“If she gets hurt out there…” AJ’s hands curled into fists. “Just… don’t be a dummy.” Even as a ten-year-old, he still used words like dummy.

The next day, Clementine and Marlon boarded the horse they stole from the Delta and headed out, just them. His arms wrapped around her torso as they were on their way towards Richmond.

Their first night, they spent it at an abandoned mall. The first night they realized they could be couple-y and go on a date without the worry of being interrupted by AJ, Rosie, or get barf and gagging sound effects from Violet, Mitch, and the rest of them.

They had a candlelit dinner together, and for a moment, the world hadn’t ended for them. They shared a sweet kiss after dinner then headed to bed together, savoring every cuddling moment they had.

Before they left the next morning, they played a game. One was blindfolded and the other pulled clothing from racks and shelves and dressed the blindfolded person.

They both had a laugh at dressing each other. It was a good time, unfortunately, they had to head out in order to make some good distance on their way to Richmond. Whenever they stayed at a place with clothing, they’d play that game, occasionally snagging some things for everyone back at Ericson’s.

At last, after a week of being on the road, they were at Richmond’s front gates that were still standing tall.

“State your business!” A guard yelled after they dismounted the horse, their hands in the air.

“I’m here to see an old friend!” Clementine yelled back. “He was in charge last time I was here, Javier García!”

“Who are you?”

“If he’s still here, give him my description! He’ll know who I am!” She was glad she brought her hat. Something for him to instantly know she was here.

One guard left, and they waited patiently. The gate began to rise, they could see someone walk forward, and when the gate got high enough to see the person’s face, Clementine’s face softened seeing him and Marlon admired it.

The man’s face smiled as he instantly hugged Clementine.

“Hey, García.” She greeted, hugging him back.

Marlon watched and smirked at the two. He could tell they were both happy to see each other again.

“It’s really good to see you, Clem,” Javier said to her as they pulled away. “God, look at you. You’ve definitely grown up since I last saw you. You look great, especially with that permanent judging scowl gone.”

“You look good, too. I might be more inclined to shave, though,” she said pointing out his beard that has grown since the last time she saw him.

“What? You don’t like it?”

They both chuckled at their banter.

Javier noticed Marlon. “He with you?”

Clementine nodded.

“You both can come in, you’ll have to go through quarantine first. Protocol.”

They both complied with the rules as they were brought inside. It didn’t take long for them to get checked out. Javier soon came to get them.

“I’m guessing that you’re not AJ.” He said to him.

“No, Marlon.” They shook hands.

“AJ is safe. I was able to find him and he’s back home with everyone else.”

As Javier guided the two through Richmond, Clementine proceeded to explain Ericson’s, how she ended up there, and how it operated. Javi was proud of her for being a leader.

While they talked, Marlon noticed a ring on Javier’s finger. It was nice to see somethings still being held up, like marriage. Huh… Marriage… His eyes shifted to Clementine, actively listening to Javier catch her up on Richmond, especially with the wars going on.

He shyly brushed his fingers against hers. Clementine gave him a glance then interlocked her fingers with his. They made it to a house and they walked up the front porch steps and went inside.

“I’m back, and I brought someone!” Javi called. They immediately noticed a boy roughly their age sitting in a chair reading, wearing a beanie that was familiar to Clem.

“Who did you bring-” He looked up and his voice went dry.

Clementine smiled.

“Clem?” He immediately put the book down and ran up to her, hugging her.

“Hey, dork.” She said to him.

“Daddy!”

As the hug ended, Clem saw a young girl, maybe about four, run up to Javi. He scooped her up in his arms as another woman came downstairs.

“I was just about to put her down for a nap!” She said to him. Her expression softened seeing Clementine. She gave her a quick hug.

“We were all worried.” She said to her.

“I know.” Clem pulled away. “I’m sorry. I meant to come back, it was just nice seeing you all alive when I left. Hoped to keep it that way, you know.”

“Who’s this?” The woman asked.

“Oh,” Marlon was so invested in the reunion he forgot he was there. “Marlon.”

He held his hand out, she shook it.

“Kate.”

Then he shifted to the boy.

“Gabe.”

Marlon turned to the girl in Javier’s arms. Clementine was looking at her too, she seemed a bit surprised to see him with a child.

“She’s new.” She said to him.

The little girl hid her face in his shirt.

“And she needs to take a nap,” Kate said as Javi handed her off to her. She headed back up the stairs and the little girl peaked over Kate’s shoulder and shyly waved bye.

“She looks like you,” Clementine said to Javi. “She a handful?”

“At times. She’s shy, for the most part.”

“That’s so cute.” Clementine smiled. “What’s her name.”

Javier beamed. “Amaya. Amaya Marianna Clementine García.”

Clem breathed in shock at the name. Her mouth curled upward slightly. She hugged him, holding back tears.

“You’re going to make me fucking cry!”

She heard him chuckle and felt her boyfriend’s hand on her back. This was a great day!

—————————

“And that’s how we defeated the Delta,” Clementine told Javier. “I mean, it was just that one group, but they haven’t come back so…”

“I hope those fucks are dead.”

It was night time. Javi and Clem were both drinking a can of warm beer, saved for special occasions, out on the porch. They sat on either side of the steps just talking.

“Me too.”

“So how long are you two staying?” Javi asked her.

“A couple days, I have to get back home soon.”

“You enjoying leadership?”

“For the most part. It’s hard at times, but still, it’s nice to have a place to call home you know.”

“I’m glad you and AJ are safe. If anything happens, you’re more than welcome to come here. Technically, I still owe you a car, but if you need anything, I’m here.”

“Thanks, Javi.” Clementine glanced back at the house hearing a door open. Marlon stepped out, closing the door behind him. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Marlon sat down next to her. She leaned against him and he put his arm around her.

“Kate wanted me to let you know that she has the couch set up for us. And that Amaya is asleep so we need to keep it down.”

They both nodded, then Clem turned back to Javi.

“I still can’t believe you named your kid after me.”

He chuckled then his face turned serious. “When you didn’t come back… we assumed the worst. Anytime a walker would near the walls, I’d check to see if you had turned.” Javi said. “I had a feeling you were still kicking somewhere, and I get why you didn’t come back, but I was worried.”

Clem felt Marlon’s hand rub her arm.

“We were thinking about naming her after Mari to honor her, but Kate felt weird about having another girl named Mari and Gabe didn’t want a cousin named after his sister. Then we thought of you and how none of us would be here if it wasn’t for you, but if you did come back, we thought it’d be difficult to differentiate between you both. We both liked Amaya and we decided to give her two middle names, after both of you.” Javi smirked. “She knows about Mari, but when she asked about you, I told her that it was the same name of the toughest girl I knew. She’s wanted to meet you ever since.”

That warmed her heart.

“So if I ever have a kid, do I have to name it after you?”

“You could. Could call him JJ for Javier junior.”

“I’ll be sure to tell him how you got kicked out of baseball and how I saved your ass.”

“I hope your kid has as much sass as you. Just so you get a taste of your own medicine.”

They all shared a laugh.

“I’m heading to bed. My leg needs some time to breathe out of the prosthetic.” She said leaning forward out of Marlon’s hold. “You coming?”

“I think I’ll stay up a bit more. I join you soon. Do you need help?”

“I got it, Melon.”

They shared a quick kiss before Clementine went inside.

Marlon’s gaze stayed on her as the door closed behind her.

“I can’t believe she’s only got one leg now,” Javier said to start a conversation.

“Yeah, it was rough. When AJ brought her back all pale with a cartelized limb, we thought she was dead. If not from the blood loss, then the bite.” Marlon sighed. “Had AJ listened to her… she’d be dead.”

“Has Clem talked about New Frontier at all? Or what they did?”

“She showed me the brand, but she didn’t like to talk about it. I never asked further.”

“Not to worry you, but you should know that she wasn’t in the best place, mentally. She was okay for someone to shoot her at one point.” Javier explained to him. “But she seems happier now, is she happy?”

“I think so. She’s a lot more relaxed now than when I first met her. Her kid’s safe, she’s safe, the leg thing definitely threw her through a loop but, I’d say she’s happy.”

Javier smiled. “I’m glad. She deserves it.”

“She does.” Marlon picked up Clem’s fourth-full beer can.

There was a beat of silence between them.

“So…” That was the sound of a prying uncle. “How long have you and Clementine been together?”

“Five years,” Marlon told him.

“Five years?” He sounded impressed. “So this happened not long after you met her?”

“Well, you don’t meet someone like her every day.” Marlon looked down at the can in his hand. “She helped me out with some bad shit I did, and helped me fix it. She just knew I needed help and I was able to become a better person, honestly, how could I have not fallen in love with her?”

Marlon looked at the ring on Javi’s hand.

“You seem like a good kid. She likes you, that’s all that matters to me.”

“What about you and Kate? How long have you both been together?”

“God, it’s been about eight years now. We got married about two years after Clem left.”

Marlon thought for a moment. “How did you know that she was the one?”

Javier paused. He could tell that he was asking for himself.

“Do you love her?”

“What?”

“Clementine, do you love her?”

“I- I wasn’t asking about…”

Javier smirked. He saw right through him. Marlon knew that. Then he nodded.

“I love her. I love her so much.”

“Then there will come a time when something will happen, it may be with her or it may be with you, but it’ll make you want to be with her for the rest of your life. When you feel that, then you’ll know.”

—————

Ever since he said that Marlon’s been trying to figure out what he meant. He already wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. He told him that and Javier said that the feeling would be different and then he’d know.

That conversation was almost a week old and he was still hung up on it. They were nearly home now. Clementine was happy that she got to reconnect with Javi, but now she was excited to get back to Ericson’s. They found the abandoned mall they stayed on the first day of their trip and decided to settle there and get one last day together with just the two of them.

They spent their time going around the various stores, Marlon pushing Clementine a cart as they picked out stuff to take back to Ericson’s. They grabbed some new toys, nail polish, comics, books, clothes, all while trying to figure out how they were going to get it all back to the school on one horse. As they continued to go through the stores, Marlon’s eye caught on a jewelry corner store. He could see the broken glass and scattered rings and necklaces in the display case. He could only assume people tried to rob the store when everything went down, they probably didn’t get very far.

“Let’s go in there!”

Clementine pointed to a store full of hats, patches, buttons, and other accessories. Marlon snapped out of his gaze and pushed her into the store. He parked Clem right next to a bin full of patches and she began to dig through them. Marlon began to dig into a bin full of buttons.

Clementine climbed out of the cart, putting gentle weight on her prosthetic leg. She then walked over to the counter and sat down on it, she grabbed a needle and thread that was left there and she began to take off her jean jacket.

“Can I sow something on your jacket?”

Marlon smiled at her. “Yeah, sure.” He took off his letterman’s jacket and handed it to her. She quickly sat on the patches she was going to sow.

“I’m going to go look around, okay?”

“Okay. Stay safe, Melon.”

“Of course, KitKat.”

They shared a quick kiss before he left the store. His eyes immediately caught on the jewelry store they passed earlier. He walked inside the corner store, getting a better look at the posters on the wall.

The staged images of a smiling couple, the woman’s hand clearly showing a shiny ring. Diamond-encrusted heart necklaces for thousands of dollars. Rings with chocolate diamonds which made him hungry. Fuck, the shit he’d do for an actual KitKat right now. He looked in the display cases, and Javi’s words came to play again.

“Then there will come a time when something will happen, it may be with her or it may be with you, but it’ll make you want to be with her for the rest of your life.”

He loved her, there’s no doubt about it. Clementine meant everything to him and he knows that she feels the same way. Every day when he wakes up next to her, he’ll always smile. She has made him a better person and the only thing he’s given her in return was love and affection. He only wished he could give her more. Honestly, he didn’t know what she saw in him, but he knew he wanted to be with her forever.

“When you feel that, then you’ll know.”

What else was he supposed to feel though? Maybe they just weren't ready? Maybe marriage was just something for the adults who’ve lived through the old world or for those who were desperate to hang on to something normal. Nothing was normal for them anymore, and unfortunately, the walkers were becoming their new normal. Kids like AJ and Amaya who were born and are growing up is this new age of walkers threatening their lives at every moment.

Marlon huffed as he stormed away from the case. This was stupid. How could he think that marriage was an option for them? Especially for Clem. Her being in a relationship at all was a huge hurdle for her. It’s why they kept it on the down low when they first got together. She’s told him about all the death she’s gotten used to, not to mention why they were even going on this trip in the first place. She was too scared to go back to Richmond in fear of the Garcia’s being dead or watching them die. His relationship with Clem, while five years strong, has yet to outweigh the years of death she’s seen. Him asking her to marry him might be too much.

He kicked some broken glass and it slid over to a few coin-operated toy dispensers. Nothing special about it, he’s just surprised that it hasn’t been ransacked. Then again, who would ransack something that dispenses stickers, small animal figurines, temporary tattoos… and rings…

Marlon took a moment to stare at the cheap, adjustable, fake diamond rings, each in their individual plastic container. The more he stared the more he thought about it. Next thing he knew Marlon muttered a swear as he went to the cash register to find a couple quarters. He went back to the machine and inserted the coins and turned the knob. A plastic container popped out. He opened it to see what he got: a ring with a fake purple gem on it. She loved purple.

He put the ring back in its container and stuffed it in his pocket as he headed back to the store he left Clementine in. It was a stupid idea and she’d probably think it was stupid.

Clementine was humming to herself, he could hear her as he walked back into the store. She was still sitting on the counter, but his jacket was draped around her shoulders as she was sowing a patch on her jacket.

She looked up and smiled when she saw him. Clementine gave his jacket back to him and he put it back on. Marlon quickly noticed the half slice of watermelon on his arm. He smirked at the new patch. Of course she gave him that, she calls him melon and melonhead on occasion. Her way of giving him a fruit name. Marlon looked back at Clementine, watching her put her jean jacket back on. His heart skipped a beat seeing a new patch on her shoulder: the KitKat logo.

Marlon’s mouth was agape as he watched her slowly get off the counter. With the little light they had due to the sun beginning to go down, it made her glow and the way she looked back at him with a smile.

“What?”

He shook his head out of his trance. “Nothing. Just…” Was this what Javier meant? Seeing her, with a KitKat patch, a name that he calls her, on her jacket, a patch she willingly sowed on her jacket, then the lighting, her smile, her eyes shining in the golden hue; it made him fall in love with her again. It made him want to be with her forever. She could only hope she felt the same. “Let’s play that dress up game that we played.”

She took hold of his hand. “Okay.”

They both walked out of the store, going to the nearest clothing shop. Marlon said he’d go first. Clementine blindfolded herself and waited for Marlon to pick something out. Marlon was pretending to look through the clothes, batting the clothes on the racks to make it seem like he was looking, but in reality, he was debating on if he should go through with this. Was he seriously going to propose to her or he should wait? They may never get another moment alone like this.

Fuck it, he loves her. That’s all that matters. He grabbed a purple dress from the rack and brought it over to her. As he was dressing her, his hands were shaking, the weight of the small plastic container in his back pocket suddenly becoming much heavier. Once she was dressed, he pulled the ring out of his pocket and quietly pulled it out of the container as he knelt beside her. Now or never.

“You can look.” he said.

Clementine looked at the mirror in front of her. She liked the color, dresses always reminded her of happier times, especially frilly ones like this. She then turned to Marlon who was on one knee beside her.

“Clementine,” he breathed, taking her hand into his. “When I first met you five years ago, all I could think of was saving you from that wreak. And what you gave back to me was something I can never repay. You’ve made me the person I am today and I’m a better person because of you. Every time I look at you or when I hold you, I just want to protect you and love you… And I want to do that for the rest of my life… that is if you’ll let me.”

Her other hand covered her mouth as his other hand pulled out a ring. He heard her voice hitch.

“Clementine, Kitkat, will you marry me?”

She blinked back tears forming in her eyes before nodding. “Yes! One hundred times yes!”

Marlon slid the ring on her finger as he stood. She launched herself into him for a hug and a passionate kiss. He felt so much love for her and it’s good to know that she felt the same way. They couldn’t wait to come home tomorrow with their new patches and to tell the others that they’re now husband and wife-to-be.