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whatsnewalycat · 2 years

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Just Dumb Enough to Try

Chapter 19: Domestic Bliss

Word Count: 6.1k+

Pairing: Javier Peña x F!Reader

Rating: Explicit (18+ only)

Tags / CW: swearing, cheating/infidelity, smoking, binge drinking in a bar, hold the moan, PIV sex, clitoral stimulation, hand job, sexual contact in public, oops did we accidentally talk about marriage, vomit mention, drinking game, domestic abuse, the word cunt shows up a lot, dancing, attempted sexual assault, FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT, nachos

Chapter Summary: Our heroes go out to the bar and drink (arguably) too much in mixed company.

Notes: Chapter title from "Domestic Bliss" by Glass Animals. The spotify playlist for this chapter is large and in charge and has a high ratio of LCD Soundsystem songs. It's fitting because this is a big chapter (relatively speaking) that is under the influence of alcohol. If you're in the US, happy labor day weekend, remember that worker's rights movements are critical. Join a union, like IWW! I'm a member and I'm a stay-at-home mom. They have a sliding scale for monthly dues. Okie dokie friends, thank you for reading, I love you (probably- or is that weird? whatever).

[ Masterlist for Series ] [ Taglist ] [ Spotify Playlist ] [ AO3 ]

The Pour House, Laredo, TX July 25, 1998

The tartness of lime ruptures onto your tongue and neutralizes the cheap mezcal’s harsh burn. Your insides buzz as the 3rd tequila shot you’ve taken tonight settles in your belly.

“Shit, that went down too easy,” Dan hoots and slams the shot glass down on the table, making you flinch. Claudia flashes a barely detectable dirty look at him across the table, then glances at Kim to make sure she didn’t notice. Kim is sitting next to her, sharp blue eyes scanning the room as she sizes up the Saturday night crowd, completely oblivious.

You’ve been glancing up at the door every time it swings open, like a love drunk adolescent waiting for that boy. The slam of the heavy door sends your heart racing in some kind of a Pavlovian response. When he finally walks in, handsome dark features contrasted by a sky blue button up shirt, you try to remain neutral and friendly as you wave him over to the booth. He smiles wide when he spots you, then approaches the table and greets everyone, acknowledging the empty shot glasses.

“Sorry I’m late, can I get this round? What’s everyone drinking?”

Kim follows him up to the bar to “help him carry drinks back.” Your eyes are glued to them, taking note of the way she’s hanging off of his shoulder while they wait for Gina, flashing her perfect smile and arching her back towards him. A pang of jealousy stabs through you.

“I didn’t know he was meeting us here,” Dan grumbles, watching you carefully as you watch Javi and Kim.

You divert your attention back to the table and frown, meeting his gaze with a furrowed brow, “I told you at dinner last night, remember? I called him and Kim and they both said they could make it out.”

“I remember,” Claudia chimes in helpfully.

You point to her and grin, “See?”

He noticeably sours, scoffing as he mutters under his breath, “I don’t remember that.”

“Is there a band playing tonight?” Claudia asks, ignoring the angry man child sitting across from her as she nods towards someone setting up sound equipment on a small raised stage.

“I bet. No wonder there are so many people here,” you look around the dreary taproom again, recognizing a few faces here and there. None of them you desire to acknowledge, but still.

One drink in each manicured hand, Kim returns to the table first. She leans across the table to slide a gin and tonic over to Dan. You’re certain the action has everything to do with the jean shorts she’s wearing and the view Javi can get from his spot behind her. When your eyes flick to his, they’re on you. Heat rises to your face and you drop your gaze to your hands, where you start to pick at lavender nail polish.

Kim returns to her seat next to Claudia, sliding across the sticky pleather booth far enough for Javi to sit next to her. Javi doles out the remaining three cups to their rightful owners. You flash a smile of thanks to him and lift the straw to your lips. He motions for you to move over so he can sit next to you. You oblige and beam involuntarily, then try to hide your face with your hair.

“How’s Judy?” he asks when he settles in, taking a sip of whiskey, leaning onto an elbow as he faces you.

“She’s being a little punk, as usual,” you respond with a smile. His brown eyes somehow sparkle in the dim lighting when they meet yours.

He chuckles, then blatantly looks down to your lips, “Taking after her mother, then?”

“She’s a natural,” you shrug, lighting a cigarette, and add, “We had to take her in to get all her shots yesterday, which was horrible for everyone involved, but we managed to get out alive.”

“Barely,” Claudia confirms and raises a scratch-streamed arm as proof.

Javi mutters a sympathetic “shit,” as he shoves a cigarette between his lips and lights it.

“Ouch,” Kim winces and presses her fingertips to one particularly thick scratch.

“Have you met our cat?” Dan leans forward and makes eye contact with Javi directly.

Our cat.

As if he has been referring to Judy as anything other than your pet since you brought her home.

“He stopped by the day I got her-“

Dan looks like he stops himself from sneering at you before he says, “Not talkin’ to you, babe.”

“I stopped by the day she got the cat,” Javi responds dutifully, making eye contact with Dan as he takes a long drag. You contain the urge to start spouting lies about why Javi was at your house, hoping maybe Dan will let it slide without question.

He doesn’t.

“You were at my house?” Dan tilts his head with interest, then fixes his gaze on you and asks, “Why didn’t you tell me about that?”

“I- he was only there for fifteen minutes to meet Claudia and Judy,” you explain timidly, avoiding eye contact by chipping away at your fingernails, “There wasn’t much to tell you.”

He raises an eyebrow in response. The slightly tense moment is broken up when Gina stops at the table with a serving tray, then starts setting down a salt shaker, shot glasses filled with reposado, and limes.

“Fuckin’ a, really?” Dan chuckles, raising an eyebrow at his little sister, who he pins as the perpetrator.

At least that seemed to clear his mind of the previous subject. Thank god for an alcohol-induced short attention span.

She smiles innocently, “I want to have fun with y’all tonight.” Her gaze lingers just a beat too long on Javi. You feel him shift in his seat.

This is your hell. She’s not a threat, you know that Javi would never jump ship, but the attempts to flirt with the man you’re in love with still make you host to a green-eyed monster.

Shots are divided amongst the group. Lick the salt, shoot the tequila, suck the lime. Bing, bang, boom. It heats your veins and settles like a bonfire in your belly. You shudder audibly when Javi’s fingers land on your bare leg and start to ghost across the tender skin of your thigh. He exhales a chuckle.

“You ok?” Dan asks with a furrowed brow, putting an arm around your shoulders and pulling you in for an awkward side hug.

A loud nervous laugh escapes you, so you instinctively cover your mouth, then tell him, “I’m fine. It… umm, didn’t go down well. That’s all.”

“Javi, you should take another one,” Kim tells the man whose touch is dancing on your leg, leaning in towards him flirtatiously with a wink, “You have to catch up with us.”

“You know, Kimmy, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re trying to get Peña liquored up,” Dan teases and takes a long sip from his gin and tonic.

Kim flits her gaze to Javi and shrugs after glancing down at his lips, “Can’t blame a girl for trying.”

A strong territoriality makes your blood boil and your face hot. You take a deep breath, then suck down your drink to stop from indulging in your temper. The touch on your thigh draws circles that bring you back to your body.

Javi shakes his head and smirks, “I don’t think my girlfriend would appreciate that.”

Your stomach flips upside down and releases a whole fleet of butterflies.

“Your girlfriend?” Kim jerks her head back in surprise, flared nostrils giving away her own jealousy under the surface, “Who’s that? When did this happen?”

“We met in San Antonio a while back. It’s only been a few weeks, but it’s getting pretty serious,” he covers his mouth bashfully as he smiles from ear-to-ear, absolutely glowing. It spreads to your face, too.

It’s getting pretty serious.

“I’m so happy for you, Javi!” you exclaim, clapping your hands, “I can’t wait to meet her.”

I deserve a fucking Oscar.

The fingertips on your thigh slide further up, flirting with the hem of your short black dress. The dress Dan hates. The one Javi loves. He nods and takes a drink, pretending he doesn’t notice your breathing quicken, then smirks, “I’ll make sure to bring her around sometime soon.”

“Whatever,” Kim dismisses the conversation with a huff, obviously a little perturbed that her Plan A for getting laid tonight isn’t working in her favor. She’s nothing if not hot and resourceful, though, and you have faith she will come up with a worthy Plan B.

“Did Gina tell y’all who’s playing tonight?” you ask Kim and Javi.

Kim nods, “Turnip Darling.”

“Wow, what a name,” Claudia marvels.

Javi’s fingers slither up further to tease your pantyline. You lean onto the table with your elbows, breaking contact with Dan’s hand around your shoulders, and spread your legs for Javi. He greedily accepts the granted access, finger pads catching friction across the delicate lace of your underwear, stroking the sensitive bud beneath.

“Country band, she says they’re a lot of fun,” Kim adds, then looks around the table, “Are y’all going to dance with me tonight, or what?”

You lose yourself in the rhythm of Javi’s touch humming around your clit for and a whimper starts to crack from your throat. You cover it by giggling, then raising your hand, “I’ll dance with you!”

“You will?” Kim and Claudia ask at the same time. They’ve both received a crinkled nose from you at the suggestion of dancing more times than you can remember. But that was a different you.

“Yeah, fuck it, why not?” you respond breathlessly. Heat rises from your neck to your face as your pulse pounds. Javi’s touch swirling around your clit is creating a cyclone at your center. It’s getting harder to conceal how turned on you are.

“Are you ok?” Javi frowns. This pulls all eyes around the table to your face.

You’re not sure if he’s trying to mentally fuck with you over the table as he physically fucks with you under the table, but as he says this, he slips a finger under the fabric of your underwear and starts to rub you directly. You swallow hard and exhale a shaky breath as you lie like your life depends on it, “I don’t know, I feel like I need to go outside, maybe. I think- fuck- I think I’m going to puke.”

I’d like to thank The Academy…

“Shit, ok,” Javi pulls back to let you out of the booth, then looks around the table, “Should I go with or-?”

Claudia raises an eyebrow in amusement and says nothing, Kim shrugs, and Dan grimaces, “Be my guest.”

With a nod to your comrades, he follows you out the back door to the patio. When the screen door slams shut with a creak-bang, you keep walking, knowing that he’s hot on your trail. You keep walking until you can turn into a dark alleyway. The creak-bang signals his departure from the bar, and Javi emerges in the alleyway a few moments later.

He strides over and crowds you as your hands link behind his neck. He grips your waist and kisses you hard, expressing his aching lust with an exploratory tongue. Unfinished wood scratches against the exposed skin of your back as he shoves you against the Pour House’s tall patio fence.

His forehead presses against yours when he pulls back and breathes, “We have to be quick.”

You arch into him and guide one of his hands between your thighs, whispering, “Just play with me for a little bit, baby.”

He groans and pulls your underwear down your thighs, then meets your sex with deft fingers. They run up and down your slit, spreading your slick, and he draws tight circles around the sensitive bundle of nerves. A deep, tingling pleasure roils in your core. You respond with a wanton moan that’s much too loud, to which he responds by covering your mouth and growling in your ear, “Hush.”

Grabbing his hand with both of yours, you press his fingers flat against your tongue, then rut them in and out of your mouth with a quiet hum. His fingers stretch the muscles in your lips thin and scratch against your tongue lightly. He hisses, pout form an approving “O” as he watches you with love-blown eyes, never ceasing the steady thrum of circles that have you panting. Desire accumulates molten hot at your center and breaks your body out into a sweat. You need to feel him.

After releasing his wrist to tug at his pants, you stumble around the belt and zipper until he takes his hand out of your mouth, stringing saliva along on its departure, and uses it to pull out his smooth, hard cock, stroking it up and down, lubricating himself with your spit. You take over for him, pumping his length, and he groans under your grasp. He throbs and thrusts into your palm, only making you more needy.

“I need- I need-“ you huff as you clutch his shirt and rock your hips against his fingers on your clit. Static is building in your center, but you need to be filled.

He knows your body well enough to give you exactly what you need, wordlessly turning you around to ease his cock inside your wet heat. You prop yourself up on your forearms against the abrasive boards of the fence and whimper when he starts to speed up, then finds a rhythm that makes your ears ring. He holds back a moan by biting down on your shoulder, shooting a delectable ripple of pain and pleasure down the middle of you.

He pulls your back against his chest and holds you there as he buries himself inside you, stretching your cunt again and again, and his whisper his hot on your neck when he asks, “Is that what you need, babygirl? You need to get fucked?”

You whine and nod, tilting against him for better access, making you gasp when he gets it.

He gets closer to your ear and breathes, “Does it turn you on when I touch you right in front of him?”

“Fuck, it does, baby- wish he’d see and know I’m yours-“ you whimper.

He groans through gritted teeth, then grabs a fistful of the hair at the nape of your neck to crane your face towards his, rutting into you with two especially deep and hard thrusts, “You’re trying to get me in trouble, aren’t you?”

Your mouth hangs open and you babble in delirium as his cock rubs against something utterly divine, filling you from top to bottom with a blissfulness you wish would never end, “That’s fucking perfect- fuck- I want you always, Javi. I- I- wish it was you - wish it was your ring on me-“

He drags his tongue across the side of your face, ripping a moan from your throat, and rumbles in your ear, “You want to fucking marry me, hmm? Be my wife? S’that how much you love my cock?”

“Ssss how much I love all of you, Javi,” you whisper truthfully, and he leverages his grip on your hair, crashing his lips into yours, kissing you breathless as he continues to fuck you. The deafening pressure of pleasure continues to build inside you, and you’re almost at your breaking point.

“I want it, too,” he pants into your ear, deep voice filled with such a raw vulnerability, and if you could marry him right now, you would.

Your lips meet in a sloppy, desperate kiss, and soft whimpers grow louder. You cover your own mouth, trying to muffle the moans as he moves more frantically, and the ecstasy crests inside your body, making your vision fill with stars as the feeling obliterates you. Your knees almost give out, but he holds you there and works you through your climax, the tremors in your cunt squeeze around him and push him over the edge. When he cums, his cock pulses deep inside you in such a way that another wave of all-consuming pleasure swells and crashes down on you.

His breath hitches and sputters as your body contracts around him again. This time, he holds his hand to your mouth, as you’ve completely lost control of your faculties, and start to sob. When the wave passes and the huffing and heaving calms, you and Javi peel apart like Velcro, then you stumble backwards a little trying to regain your footing back on Earth.

—

You’re nervous sweating as you return to your group. Both of your hands are dripping wet because the bathroom didn’t have any goddamn paper towels, so you wipe them on your black dress as you return to the table. Javi is at the bar getting a drink, so you scoot into the booth next to Dan unencumbered.

Dan lays hazy eyes on you and pokes, “Did ya barf?”

You grimace and nod, looking down at your watery whiskey ginger with faux disdain before you take a sip.

“How’re you feeling?” Claudia asks with an exaggerated pity frown that is a dead giveaway she is not fooled.

You owe her a million times over for playing along. Truly an angel. Or a devil, you suppose, depending on one’s moral compass.

“Better. Ready to drink more,” you sigh, then glance around the table, “Sorry, I think I had too many shots too close together.”

“Boot and rally, babe. Boot and rally,” Kim winks and wraps her plump lips around the straw in her drink.

Javi slides back into the booth, setting down a cup of water in front of you, then grins, “Did you tell them you puked on my shoes?”

Your mouth gapes open in disbelief that he would make something up like that. Is it genius? Yes. But is it needlessly embarrassing? Absolutely. Regardless, you roll with it, scoffing, “I thought that was not supposed to leave the alleyway, but OK,” then you turn and announce, “Hey everyone, I puked on Javi’s shoes.”

“Suddenly I don’t feel bad for not volunteering to go with you,” Claudia snorts.

Dan guffaws with satisfaction, “Welcome to the club.”

“How many people’s shoes have you puked on, exactly?” Javi asks you, shit-eating grin spread across his face. If he wasn’t so cute, you’d catch an attitude with him, because he knows the answer.

You clear your throat and grab the sweaty watered down whiskey ginger in front of you to take a sip, then you grumble, “I will not be participating in this assassination of my character.”

“Wow, that’s dramatic,” Javi laughs. You stifle a laugh and shake your head.

Claudia sits up tall and says, “All whose shoes have been puked on by this woman, say aye.”

“Aye,” all four of your companions confirm.

You feign annoyance with Javi, whose sparkling eyes and smug smirk are warming your insides faster than the booze, then mutter as you roll your eyes, “You’re buying me a drink for that.”

The table takes one more tequila shot and gets some more drinks, and soon the volume noticeably rises several decibels as the liquor dulls senses and lowers inhibitions. You’re getting hazy and precarious in your intoxication. Javi gives in to Kim’s peer pressure and takes another shot by himself. Apparently you’re all on a mission to get fucked up tonight.

“Have you guys ever played most likely?” Claudia asks. When everyone shakes their head no, she explains, “So we go around the table and take turns asking the group who is most likely to do something. Then we count to 3 and everyone has to point to the person they think is most likely to do that thing. You take a drink for every finger pointed at you.”

“How do you win?” Dan frowns.

“Nobody wins or loses, we all just drink,” Claudia grins. This answer causes Dan to wrinkle his nose, but he doesn’t seem to oppose it.

“Fuck, ok,” you exhale a deep breath and try to prepare for how much drinking this might pertain.

I am the master of my domain. I can hold my liquor. This is fine.

“I’ll start,” Claudia announces, then thinks for a few seconds, “Who is most likely to get an ass tattoo?”

Everyone points at Kim, except for Kim, who points at you.

“Jokes on y’all I already have an ass tattoo,” Kim sticks her tongue out, takes 4 sips, then asks, “Who’s most likely to get into a fight?”

You and Claudia point at Dan, and everyone else points at you.

“I punch one guy and now I’m the fighting person?” you scoff and take 3 sips.

“You got in a ton of fights when we were younger, too,” Claudia notes. Javi leans forward in his seat, interested to hear more. You put your pointer finger to your lips and shush her because this man doesn’t need any more goddamn ammo to tease you.

When Claudia rolls her eyes and zips her lips, you see her wink to Javi. They are obviously in cahoots. You give Javi a don’t fuck with me look and he raises his hands defensively, laughing, “Easy now, Muhammad Ali.”

This game goes on for about a half an hour until the band starts warming up, at which point, you are all drunk. You separate from the herd after a bathroom break in order to get some fresh air and, ironically, smoke a cigarette. There’s an empty picnic table out on the patio, so you sit down and light up. A creak-bang sounds from the door behind you as someone else walks onto the patio.

Recognizing the gait immediately, you grimace to yourself, then turn around to face your fiancé.

“What’s up?” you give him a boozy smile while taking a drag.

“Jus’ seein’ how you’re doing,” he shrugs, then sits down next to you.

You hum, “Mmmmm drunk. But good, I’m having fun.”

“Yeah? You wanna maybe uh…” he points to a decrepit shed in the corner of patio, right outside the alleyway Javi fucked you in earlier, “Go have some fun in there?”

The suggestion actually makes your stomach lurch, and you respond without thinking, laughing in his face, “Absolutely fucking not.”

His face goes dark as he asks through gritted teeth, “What?”

In a true move of alcohol induced shortsightedness, you take a drag from your cigarette and blow it in his face before rubbing it out in a nearby ashtray, “I said n-“

His mitt of a hand seizes your jaw and forces you to look at him as he spits, “Talk to me like that again, bitch, see what happens.”

“Ow, Dan, what the fuck?!” you howl and pull yourself away from his bruising grasp, then stand up and scramble to get inside. Need to be around other people. Right now. He catches up and grabs your wrist before you can open the door. You start panicking and try to rip your arm back, but it doesn’t shake him loose.

“Chill the fuck out, babe. You’re being crazy right now,” he scolds. His contradictory actions and words spurn you into a frenzy.

“Fuck OFF, Dan. Let fucking go of me!” you thrash your arm violently, trying to get him to release you. He lets go of you right as you yank with all of your might. Your ass breaks your landing, bouncing off the cement as you tumble backwards. If you weren’t already sedated and numb from the booze, it would have fucking hurt.

He scoffs at you and walks inside without another word.

“FUCK! YOU!” you scream at the top of your lungs at the closed door. It releases some of the pent up rage that’s been percolating. Feels fucking lethargic. You get back on your feet and dust yourself off, take a deep breath, then go back inside.

Javi clocks how upset you are as soon as he sees you approaching, as made evident when his face falls from loaded contentment to concerned bravado. He’s planted in the outer ridge of spectators watching Turnip Darling, who are playing a cover of Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochie” at a deafening volume. Leaning in towards your ear, he asks, “What’s wrong?”

“Fuckin’ Dan,” you grumble loud enough so he can hear you, pursing your lips, unable to bury your anger, “Being an asshole, keeps tryna touch me. Grabbed my face. I fuckin’ fell on the cement.”

Javi’s warm brown eyes flick behind you to (who you’re assuming is) Dan, then back to yours. His nostrils flare and jaw tightens, then he leans closer to you and asks in a low voice, “You want me to go talk to him?”

Your eyes widen and you can’t help but laugh at the ludicrous suggestion, “Oh, yeah, that will go well,” you scoff, “I’d really like to get through this night without being assaulted or becoming unhoused.”

“Come live with me,” he responds simply. You flinch back in surprise and study his face. He’s not kidding. Your hands start to tingle and heartbeat races. With a shrug, he leans in again, “It’ll be safer.”

“Can we talk about this when we’re not shitfaced?” you ask, unable to comprehend the turn this conversation took. What you want to say is yes, absolutely yes. But you’re aware that it might be the alcohol willing him to offer this to you.

He nods then looks down at your lips and back to your eyes, “I’m just letting you know… you know, that it’s an option. I’m ready.”

Fuck, I want to kiss him right now.

“Javi?”

“What?”

“I fucking love you,” you tell him, then watch his face brighten into a big dopey smile. He licks his lips and looks down at your mouth. He wants to kiss you right now, too.

His eyes catch on something behind you and he nods in greeting. Kim and Claudia join your party of two, pulling you both out to the dance floor with them.

In confirmation of the previous genre determination, Turnip Darling only plays covers of country songs. You’re not complaining, though, because it’s a blast to dance and sing along to the music. While you, Javi, and Kim dance in a carefree and noticeably inebriated fashion, Claudia drunk dances in a style that can only be described as midwestern robot dad. It involves a lot of jerky hand and arm movements, and is so obnoxious that it’s endearing. Dan sits at the bar and watches you like a hawk as he continues to guzzle hard liquor.

You do your very best to ignore his gaze and let go of everything, to just have a good fucking time… and you do. It feels like freedom. Dancing with your favorite people in the whole world like nobody else can see you brings you immeasurable joy.

When Turnip Darling announces that they’re taking a break, you all go out to the patio to cool down in the nighttime air.

Once again, you light a cigarette, and then Dan emerges. This time, though, Javi, Claudia, and Kim are with you, smoking and stumbling in place and laughing about all of the very righteous dance moves you’ve all been busting. The company brings you a sense of sanctuary until Dan comes up behind you and wraps his arms around your waist, bending over to nuzzle his face into your neck as your body tenses. Claudia is frozen, and Kim scrunches her nose at the obviously unwanted physical affection. Your eyes shoot to Javi, who is unmistakably upset. He’s rigid, staring at Dan’s hands as they slide around your body like he’s trying to light them on fire with his mind. His lips are pursed and his free hand is clenching and unclenching at his side.

Dan starts laying kisses on your neck, bringing his hands up against your rib cage, inching closer to your breasts. Javi takes a step forward, then back, and he runs a hand over his face. He looks like he’s fighting with himself, and you know exactly what the topic of contention is. You roll your shoulders to shoo your fiancé, wincing as you chide him, “Dan, stop.”

He doesn’t stop pawing at you, so you turn around to scold him. The boozy sly smile on his face takes you by surprise, and you jerk your head back. He puts your chin in a vice grip and leans in to kiss you. You step back and plead, putting your palms out towards him as you shake your head, “Hey, come on, don’t-“

“You come on, babe,” he purrs and grips your waist to pull you close. His mouth presses against yours and you feel his tongue trying to gain entry. It makes your stomach churn as you recoil, screaming internally for this to end.

“Stop, Dan, please,“ you whine in a shaky voice. When you push against his chest and lean away, panic seeps into your bloodstream. Your pulse quickens and you resist the urge to curl up in a ball atop the dirty cement.

“Hey, she said no,” Javi snaps. You cease movement and gaze up at him with pleading eyes. His face is a cold machine you barely recognize. It sends a shiver down your spine.

In response, Dan growls in frustration, then grabs your wrist and drags you stumbling along behind him towards the shed. He doesn’t break his stride when he calls back, “Mind your own fucking business, Peña.”

The panic grapples in your chest until it finds something different to utilize. Instead of feeling like you're seconds away from hibernating within yourself, you start to feel your skin trying to fly off of your bones.

Get off get off get off

“Dan, fucking let go of me!” you dig your heels into the cement and throw your weight down, breaking his hold. Javi catches you before you fall on your ass again. He steadies you, then puts himself between you and Dan, who’s backtracking towards you. His blue eyes have turned black. He looks like he’s been possessed by a demon. But you know that this is him, really. This is him at his core. His mask has slipped. He looks like he would rip you apart with his bare hands if he could get ahold of you. A tight coil of fear implants itself inside your belly, twisting and turning, making you feel nauseous.

Javi puts a hand up towards Dan in an attempt to calm him. Dan stares around Javi like he’s not even a human, just an obstacle between him and the thing he wants to destroy. He oscillates back and forth, trying to find a point of attack, never breaking eye contact with you, then starts ranting, “You crazy fucking cunt, you’re making a huge mistake. Make me seem like the fucking bad guy. Ok. You have no idea what I’m capable of, bitch. I will fucking ruin you.”

“Stop-“ Javi cautions.

“Shut the fuck up, Peña. Can’t believe this bitch has you caping for her. You been spending a lot of time with my wife, huh? Don’t let her get your hopes up, she’s a selfish fucking cock tease. Gets what she wants and then takes pussy off the table, fucking bitch-“

“I’m not your fucking wife,” you spit. Even though you can’t see Javi’s face, you know his eyes are glued to Dan. You see him close his fist around a lighter and keep it there. The writing is on the wall.

Dan is pacing like a caged animal. You’re his prey. His face is blazing red and shiny with sweat. A stick of dynamite about to fucking detonate.

“Yeah and at this rate you never fucking will be. Try me. You think someone else is going to put up with you? You think he’s going to put up with you?,” Dan points to Javi, who slowly tilts his head at the comment. He keeps raving, “You crazy fucking cunt. I give you everything you could ever want and this is how you thank me? No wonder your own parents don’t even fucking love you-“

Dan has such tunnel vision in his tirade against you, he doesn’t notice Javier come at him, red hot. Javi throws his weight into a blow to Dan’s face, cutting him off mid-sentence. The sick wet thud of skin-on-skin contact is loud enough to make you jump back and gasp in surprise.

“ENOUGH!” Javi screams, then stands over Dan, who is crouched, clutching his face. Javi pulls him up by his shirt, leveling his eyes with the agitator. He pokes a finger against Dan’s chest and growls through gritted teeth, “If you don’t get the fuck out of here right now, I will fucking kill you, do you understand me, motherfucker?”

He pushes Dan stumbling backward and watches him regain his composure, at which point, Dan seems like he’s going to try to get into Javi’s face. However, Kim saunters up past Javi, towards Dan, and pats her brother’s chest, signaling him to follow, “Come on, Daniel. Don’t be an idiot. Let’s go back to my place and get some sleep.”

You feel Claudia come up behind you and grab your tingling hand as you watch Dan huff, then begrudgingly follow his sister out into the alleyway. Once he’s out of sight, you turn to her, and your face crumbles when you meet her sad eyes. You sob, “I’m so sorry, Claud.”

She pouts, eyes pooling with tears, then pulls you in for a hug and whispers, “Don’t be sorry, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

You hug her back as you choke out, “I know it’s just- I didn’t want it to be like this when you were here.”

She gives you an extra tight squeeze and takes a step back to look into your burning, teary eyes, “It’s ok, I promise, it’s ok. I love you.”

You sniffle and squeak, “I love you too.”

She nods, then retreats so Javi can console you. He draws you close and you melt into his embrace, sobbing against his chest, apologizing profusely. He pets your hair, kisses your forehead, sways you back and forth. His deep voice like lullaby calms you as he mumbles words of affirmation into your ear, trying to undo the damage of Dan’s scathing tirade.

“I love you, cariño,” he whispers, mustache tickling your cheek, “Do you two want to come to my house?”

You shake your head, “I- I have to bring Claudia to the airport tomorrow morning. All her stuff is there-“

“I’ll stay with you there, then,” he decides.

“Ok,” you draw a shaky breath. This brings you a considerable amount of comfort. As if it knows you’re out of immediate danger and can now concentrate on less pressing concerns, your stomach growls. You sniffle, “Can we make nachos?”

He burst out laughing, then takes your hand in his, kissing it before telling you,“Absolutely, baby, let’s go make some nachos.”

The three of you collectively have enough sense to make nachos in the oven without burning the house down, thankfully.

“I love you guys,” you tell them as you curl up on Javi’s lap with a plate of nachos. Dawn of the Dead, one of your comfort movies, plays on the TV. Like the drunk slob you are, you continue talking after shoving a chip in your mouth, “Like, you’re my two favorite people ever. And I get to eat nachos with you both right now. This is the best.”

“It’s pretty fucking stellar,” Claudia agrees, then looks at Javi, “Although, sorry, Jav, you’re not one of my favorite people yet. Maybe someday, though. You stood up for my best friend and I think that’s very favorite-people worthy.”

“Honorable mention, at least,” you contend, looking to your beau with love in your eyes.

He shrugs and winks at Claudia, “I’ll get there someday.”

Being the most responsible (see: sober) one in the house, and an actual sweetheart, Javi herds you and Claudia’s into your bed when the movie is over and the nachos are gone. He goes out into the living room to sleep on the couch.

You and Claudia giggle and joke around as you fall into a sleepy drunk delirium. Judy settles into the space between you and vibrates with happiness as she sleeps. Claudia turns on her side to face you and whispers, “I really like him. And the two of you together. I’ve never seen you this happy.”

You giggle and take a few long blinks, “Which is saying something considering what a fucken mess it is.”

“It’s cute,” she yawns, then rubs her eyes, “You ‘n’ Javi, not mess. Mess’snot so cute.”

“He’s the one, Claud. Gonna marry him. Have his babies. I know it,” you mumble. She’s already snoring.

[ Next Chapter ]

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