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#this show would have worked so much better if din hadn't done this shit on a whim
iguessitsjustme · 1 year
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I have a lovehate relationship with the ending of Chains of Heart. I liked that it didn't end with Ken and Lue/Din back in love and Ken having forgiven everything. If anything, it seemed like Lue/Din was going to have a lot of work to do in order to earn Ken back after the world's dumbest plan. And then he just...disappears again. Which I think is great because I think after all that, Ken can move on and start living his life again without Lue/Din.
But then Sai called and said that bullcrap about the 7th month of the 7th year and implying things and I hated that. Sai really and truly is the worst sister. Why didn't she stop Din? Why did she go along with his whim? I digress. I like to think Ken moved back to help his dad with the restaurant and he starts building a life there. His only connections to his life in Thailand are Hin and the parents. Who were all victims of Din's stupidity. They talk on the phone from time to time and Hin visits when Ken opens up his own restaurant. Ken's new life doesn't even necessarily need to involve new romantic love.
Ken can go back for Sai's wedding. He can see Lue/Din there. But it doesn't have to mean that they're together and that Ken has forgiven him. Ken can love Lue/Din. He doesn't need to be with him. Sometimes, love isn't enough for a relationship. This is one of those times.
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lozriftsintime · 10 months
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A Hero's Choice: Mural
They'd done it. They'd gotten married. It was almost a year ago now, but Link was still having trouble wrapping their head around it all. Just the fact that Ravio had chosen to return to them instead of staying in Lorule had blown Link away and it had taken time for them to readjust to having someone in their life other than Zelda. But then accepting that Ravio not only wanted to stay but loved them? That had taken a whole other struggle. In retrospect it shouldn't have been, Ravio had been showing them affection nearly the entire time the two of them had known each other. Link had just been blind to it. Willfully perhaps? Marin had still been fresh on their mind when they met Ravio after all.
But all of that was in the past. They'd long since accepted Ravio's love and devotion, embraced it even. And returned it in equal measures. To celebrate their marriage Ravio ended up surprising them with a trip to several of the places that Link had traveled to during their adventures. So that Link could see old friends, and Ravio could meet the people he'd heard stories of. They traveled to Holodrum to meet Din, Dimitri, Ricky, and Moosh before heading to Labrynna to meet up with Nayru and Ralph. Then, finally, they went to Hytopia to see Styla. Ravio even managed to get ahold of the two other heroes that Link had befriended during their last time in Hytopia, setting things up for both of them to be there too! 
Needless to say, Link had a blast. Traveling around to see old friends while having someone that fully intended to stay healed things they hadn't even been fully aware were hurt. They would have to find some way to show their husband how much all of this meant to them. Link had done their best to tell the merchant how much it meant, but Link had always been better with actions instead of words. They'd have to think of something they could do as a proper thank you. It would be easier now that they were almost home. They'd probably see if they could get Zelda to help as well. She'd helped Ravio set up his part after all. Actually. They needed to do something for their sister too for that fact...
They could work on making dinner instead of having Ravio do it? But they weren’t the best cook, so maybe that wasn’t a good idea…Maybe spend some time this evening pampering Ravio? They knew their husband loved having their wings preened and Link did love getting to preen them. Those wings might be one of the few physical differences between the two of them (outside of coloration), but they often brought the two of them closer together rather than pushing them apart. Oh! Oh they could-Gah! There were too many ideas bouncing around in their head.
But those plans were put on hold as the two of them rounded the final corner that allowed Link's orchard to come into view.
"Shit." Yep. That about summed up how they were feeling right about then. Right in front of them, just off to the left of the path to their house, was what Link could only describe as a rift in the air. It wasn't as neat as the cracks that had led to Lorule, but it was clearly something similar enough. Couldn't whatever this was wait until they at least got all the way home from their Honeymoon? This was rude. That's what it was.
"I'll go back your gear." Ravio's sigh cut through Link's frustrated thoughts and the Hyrlian spun to look at their husband.
"Ravi I'm sorry! I-" Ravio cut them off, quite effectively, by putting a hand over their mouth.
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beskarhearts · 3 years
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Tension (Javier Peña x reader)
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gif credits @bestintheparsec
Pairing: Javier Peña x f!reader (no use of Y/N)
Warnings: mentions of drinking/prostitution, use of the word whore, canon typical violence (shooting), cursing, SOFFTTT Javi (bc I am a hoe for it)
Word count: over 7.1K
Summary: Your relationship with Javier Peña was complex enough and becoming a source to relieve tension for each in a surprising way made it even harder to navigate.
Notes: SURPRISE SHAWTY! I have never written for someone other than Din so I am pretty nervous about this. I love Javi so so so much but I don't know if I write him well. So please give me your honest opinions, like, reblog, share, etc. It means the world to me!
______________________________________
You knew who was knocking at your door before you even opened it. You didn’t know how you always knew but something deep down in you could always just tell, almost instinctually - like your gut knew it before your mind even did. It wasn't like the knock always followed the same pattern. No tell-tale melody that echoed into the still walls of your apartment that clearly indicated whose hand was knocking away. It was always sharp and short but never quiet the same. Yet you knew.
You let out a small puff of air as you dragged your legs over to the door, tossing it open and not even sparing a glance at your visitor as you stumbled to the bottle of whiskey on the empty coffee table you had. “I’m trying to drink into complete oblivion. Go away.”
You poured the golden liquid into the cup, giving yourself a more than fair portion which you greedily gulped. You allowed the warmth of it to wash over you, fill your senses if only for a moment. The silence continued to drag on and you thought that maybe, just maybe, he had left until a husky, hoarse voice spoke out. "Care if I join?"
He sounded exhausted, beaten down. You supposed you sounded the same but it seemed to be more impactful when he was. He sometimes tried to seem so cocky and put together in front of you, didn't ever want his tough façade to crack in front of other people. But in the end, you were both fighting the same battle - one that often left you feeling hollow at the end of the day.
You looked around the apartment you had, your eyes dancing across the plain walls and rarely used furniture. It had become a place for you to merely sleep and drink, and thats if you even had time to drag yourself home. It was empty and lonesome and it had none of the warmth or refuge that a home was supposed to offer. It reminded you of yourself - cold and bare and vacant. And you didn't want to be reminded of that. Hence why you were seeking some semblance of something within the alcohol that danced over your tongue.
Maybe he needed the same. Or maybe you were just hoping he could be the something that would make things a little better.
"Knock yourself out, Peña." you finally spoke, your own voice laced with the kind of exhaustion that was so strong that it made it so you couldn't even sleep. Like sleep and rest was a foreign concept meant for people that weren't you. Meant for people more deserving and more normal. You finally turned as the dark-haired man leant forward, his fingers grazing yours as he grabbed at the bottle. You tried to ignore the rush that ran through you at the contact but after all, isn't that why you allowed him to stay?
He brought the bottle directly to his lips, taking a long sip from it as his eyes fluttered slightly. You scoffed as you walked away, dropping your body on the couch you had and looking up at him. "Thanks for drinking out of the bottle, asshole."
You held out your cup as he neared, allowing him to pull it from his lips and pour it into your glass. Once he had done so, he sat down on the couch next to you and leaned back, letting out a long sigh. You couldn't help the way you studied his face. His brows were furrowed, looking almost stuck in the position, as well as the wrinkles on his forehead that were scrunched up. His neck was trickled with sweat from the baring heat of Columbia as his chest rose and fell, his button-up shirt revealing some of the skin of his collarbone. He took another long sip of the whiskey, bringing the bottle to rest at the coffee table. "This whiskey tastes like shit."
"Then go home and drink your own whiskey." you countered, taking a sip before bringing your own glass down to the table, next to the bottle.
His head lolled over to look at you, brown eyes tracing over your own as you settled into the couch more, bringing your legs up. "I don't want to go home."
The words were said so softly and you understood them. The brokenness and the wear and tear of the job. You tried your best to give him a small smile but was afraid your own face was stuck in a scowl of sorts. "Then don't complain about my liquor."
A small chuckle finally left his lips at your joke, warm air that smelled like cigarettes and whiskey fanning over you. You didn't want to bask in it, show you enjoyed it. But for some reason you did. You had hated the stench of cigarettes before. Thought it was absolutely deplorable. But that was before Peña. Before the smell of cigarettes and liquor always made you think of the DEA agent you had come to simultaneously despise in some ways but also admired greatly in others.
You tried to pull yourself from the endless stream of thoughts that ran through your head, all of which consisting of Javier Peña. But you found it difficult to and you didn't know if it was because the effects of the liquor or the intoxicating pull that he somehow had on you. A small gasp almost left your lips as one of his hands reached out to grab at your knee, coarse fingers gently drawing small movements into your skin that felt like they were being etched into the deepest chamber of your mind. These were the small things that he did that stayed with you. Things you would sporadically remember throughout your day and would make your stomach do twists.
"Peña, what are you doing here?" you asked, not pulling away from his movements despite the future wellbeing of your mind begging you to do so.
"Call me Javier."
You froze, raising a skeptical eyebrow as he turned away from you, staring straight into the bottle that sat in front of him. You couldn't remember a time you had ever called him by his first name. When you had first met him, you had called him Agent Peña and he had teased you for doing so ruthlessly. Saying how your experience in D.C. had made you too much of a goody two-shoes for Columbia. You had resented it at first but ultimately let it get to you, instead calling him just Peña. Calling him his last name had just been a natural thing now, something you always did. First names felt too personal, too deep. Like you were stepping over the lines of work and into a darker territory you couldn't make your way through.
But he had asked.
"Javi, what are you doing here?" you repeated, trying to ignore the way the softer nick name had slipped from your lips rather than his full name. You didn't even know where it came from but it felt more natural.
He let out a small hum, bringing his hand up to run over his face and down his strong nose and past his mustache. "I don't know. Needed some company I guess."
"Isn't that what the whore houses are for?" You didn't mean for it to sound so harsh but the inkling of resentment you held deep within you had managed to slip out. Javier's hand slowly left your knee as he rested them on his thighs, fingers spread and clenching. You shouldn't have said it, shouldn't have made things less civil than they were.
"I guess I wanted your company." he admitted, reaching forward for the bottle and taking a big chug. Your gaze wandered over his back and neck, the muscles seeming so tight. He wasn't relaxing at all. He was so full of tension that it seemed to radiate off him.
You would blame the whiskey on it later, though you knew deep down you hadn't had enough to warrant this behavior from yourself. You would never mention it again. But you let your hand settle on his shoulders, making him freeze. You waited for him to push you away or tell you off, but when he didn't you let your fingers just barely dig into the muscle. His shoulders settled back as he seemed to lean into the touch, his eyes falling closed as his head tilted back softly.
You shimmied your way behind him, each knee on either side of his back as he moved forward to give you more room to settle behind him. You dug your hands in deeper, letting them push into the muscle that seemed as hard as a rock. You pushed into it, worried you had been too hard but a small moan left Javi's lips that sounded like blissful heaven to your ears. It seemed to echo throughout the primarily empty apartment, or maybe that was just your mind playing it over and over again like it was scripture.
"Relax, Javi." you whispered as your hands lowered slightly, digging into the muscles of his back.
A groan this time, one that sounded just as beautiful as the first noise. You closed your eyes, soaking in the contact. You wouldn't admit it but you were desperate for it. Simple touches at the office seemed to light you on fire sometimes. A brush of the shoulder, a hand on your back as he made his way past you, a nudge on your side to get your attention. All of it had felt like so much. But this... this was too much in the most addictive way.
Minutes had passed before your hands made their way up to his neck, lightly massaging the skin there as your eyed his hair. It was always so enticing and so soft. Fuck it. You ran your fingers up and into his hair, letting them spread over his head and he definitely leaned into the touch then, a small sigh leaving his lips.
You knew Javier Peña had been touched. His reputation was no secret. But you wondered if he ever got this. Was physical contact limited to a rough fuck in his apartment with some woman he had to pay afterwards? Or did another's fingers dance and dig and knead into his skin like yours was right now? When was the last time someone had softly ran his hands through his hair with the lone goal to just relax him?
"Bebita..." The word drew out of his lips slowly, almost as if in a prayer. He had called you it once before, shortly after you started, and you had scolded him for it. You remembered the way you had jabbed a finger into his chest, ridiculing him for using such a term with you. But it no longer sounded sinister or condescending like it had that time. It was soft and gentle and you wanted to hear it over and over again. Part of you wanted to beg for it, plead for the word to spill from the lips you admired daily, but you couldn't do it.
Your fingers ran through his hair, down his shoulders and back one last time before you slowly pulled them away. You didn't move from the position you were in, allowing his lower body to pin you against the back of the couch and for your legs to anchor into his sides.
A silence flowed through the room but this one didn't seem as lonesome and volatile as it usually felt when you were by yourself. It was filled with the soft breathing of you and Peña, the small shuffle of his leg as he shifted his head to look back at you. Your breath caught in your throat as he turned his body slightly, eyes staring straight into yours. "Thank you."
You nodded dumbly, your hands coming together so you could twiddle them with the nervousness that filled your body. You were usually so strong, so defiant, so loud. But he had melted you like butter and you felt like you could barely breathe with the way he was looking at you.
When he rose from the couch, you let out a small breath in relief. He would leave, maybe go to one of the women who kept him bed warm, and you could pretend this never happened. Not a word would be mentioned of it and you would see him at the office tomorrow like nothing happened, ignoring the phantom traces of his skin that danced across your fingertips and the way cigarette smoke and the scent of whiskey he exuded seemed to wrap your whole body up and soak you in it like some sort of intoxicating bath.
He slowly made his way to the door, a hand reaching out for the handle but pausing at it. He faced away from you and you looked up at him slowly.
"Goodnight, Peña." Confirmation. It was you telling him to go do what he did and to pretend that you hadn't shared that moment with him. Allow yourselves to both dwindle on it independently but never dare delve into what it just might mean because that would come with answers you don't think either of you were prepared to face.
A small sigh left his lips as he opened the door, offering a small "Goodnight" before he closed it behind him.
Your eyes drifted to the bottle of whiskey, the one his lips had been on, and you brought your hands to your face. The aftershave he used filled your senses and became all you could smell. You tore your hands away and rushed to the small kitchen, where you scrubbed at your hands like they had been stained with blood.
_________
"Thank you for... last night."
Your head whipped up as you found Peña at the head of your desk, hands resting on it as he leant forward so he could quietly speak the words to you, avoiding any other ears that might barge in on such a sensitive topic.
You raised an eyebrow. He wasn't supposed to mention it. He was supposed to pretend it never happened. Not walk to your desk while you were working and thank you for it.
"It's fine, Peña." you said back, trying to keep your voice even and clear. Act like you had nothing to hide. That you had felt nothing and that the feeling of him hadn't been seared into your brain all night and made it impossible to sleep.
You could see Murphy's head pop up slightly, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Pena's softened face and your perplexed one. You cleared your throat and dug a file out from under your desk, opening it and pretending to read the words. But the agent still lingered at your desk, so close that you felt like your chest was tightening up. "You need something, Peña, or just enjoying the view?"
Yes. Sarcastic remarks and plain stares were what you needed. What had to happen because if he looked at you like that anymore and you said something, even the smallest thing, everything would spill over. Peña finally straightened up, fingers dragging off your desk as he looked down at you, his face morphing for the same softness he had used last night to his usual scrunched up eyebrows and plain stare. "No, agent."
You tried to ignore the way the words seemed to be said with some grit, some non-discernible layer that was soaked with annoyance or frustration or maybe even...hurt? You didn't dare look at him again as he walked away, leaving only you and Murphy sitting at your desks. Your eyes traced over the same word over and over again as Murphy let out a small noise.
"Did you sleep with Peña?"
Your head whipped up as your glared at Murphy, the blond-haired man looking slightly intimidated by the harshness in your eyes. "Jesus Christ, Murphy! Do I look like one of Peña's whores?"
"Then what was he thanking you for last night for?"
You had hoped Peña had spoken the words quietly enough but Murphy was after all an agent and could read in between the lines well enough to detect a change in the air between you two. You softened your harsh expression, still giving Murphy a critical look but not one that could kill. "He just... came over for a drink. That's all."
Murphy paused, his eyebrows just slightly bunching together as he looked you up and down like he was trying to find the slightest inconsistency so he could piece together something far more exciting than a drink. But hadn't that been it? A drink and sure, a lousy massage. But nothing else. Nothing special. "A drink?"
"Yes. A drink."
"Why?"
You weren't surprised by the question. You and Peña had a relatively complicated relationship. It had started off with a lot of disdain and aggravation. You were a strong woman, new to Columbia, and you weren't about to be swindled around by the man whore of the DEA. You didn't even have to know the rumors to know that was the case. All it took was walking in the room and seeing his sly looks and flirtatious quips he had given you at first, until he realized you weren't going to fall prey to his good looks and charm.
But once he settled down, realized you were going to be his and Murphy's partner and you were serious about the work, your relationship became amicable. You worked well together - more than you had thought possible initially. You couldn't quiet find out why but you were able to read him pretty well, even more than you usually could with your co-workers. Maybe that was why you always knew it was him knocking or knew when he walked into a room before you even saw him. But you two worked together. So for a while you two remained steady partners with a good work flow.
But once the curtain had been pulled back and you realized Javier Peña might be something other than a work-junkie man whore, you started to appreciate him. You admired his determination and work ethic, because while the man could be brash and a little hot-headed, he had good intentions behind what he did at work. You identified and respected the passion. He wanted to nail Escobar just as badly as you did. Hell, maybe even more. And while it wasn't clear upon first glance and it took you a while to see it, he cared. He cared about people. He might not have loved them but he even cared about the girls from the brothels he visited. He cared about Murphy and you think somewhere deep down, he might of given a shit or two about you.
But it wasn't anything obvious. You don't think anyone would point to you two and remark about how great of friends you were or anything of the sort. In the end, you weren't friends - not really. Or maybe you were in some fucked way that made sense for people like you and Peña. You didn't normally question it. And while you had wondered why he had come to your place for a drink last night, it made sense to you. You couldn't explain why but it just did.
You looked back at Murphy, realizing you had gotten lost in thought and hadn't answered his question. You shrugged slightly, trying to appear non-committal and unbothered. "I don't know. Maybe one of his girls was too busy for him last night."
_________
Five nights. In a row.
You would hear the knock at your door and you would answer every single time, knowing who it was and knowing what would happen. If the whiskey bottle wasn't already out, you would grab it from a cabinet and let him sip from it directly and make a sly comment about how bad it was. There were a couple nights he would try to make conversation but he either didn't know what to say or was too exhausted to try to stall the inevitable. Eventually your hands would land on him and knead into his muscles, stripping it of its tension until he walked out of your apartment.
Javier hadn't bothered to say anything at work again. No additional thank you's or asking if it would happen again. You and him both knew it remained better unspoken and unplanned. You both would rather just have him turn up at your door. Even when it was just you two in the cloak of darkness that wrapped around your apartment, he didn't say anything about it.
Tonight was the first time in a few days you didn't think you would make it home but perhaps to your dismay (or maybe your luck), Javier wouldn't be either. Murphy had given up not long ago at all, leaving the office with a loose tie and frazzled state of mind, muttering something about seeing his wife. The rest of the people had been long gone by then meaning once Murphy left, it was just you and Peña sat at desks across from each other, staring into an endless void of paperwork.
You couldn't tell what time it was, not that it would matter anyways with how much reading you had to do. The less glamorous and exciting side of being a DEA agent meant loads of paperwork and reading, something you hated more than you could describe. You finally blinked, realizing you hadn't done so in a while with the way your eyeballs were stinging. You looked around your desk and let out a grunt. Seven paper cups lined the front of it and you raised an eyebrow. Had you really had seven cups of coffee? Papers were strewn all about, so many little letters that seemed to swim in your mind and become muddled symbols to your weary eyes. The room was mostly dark, except for the glow of your lamp and Javier's.
"You okay?"
You jumped slightly, the sound starling you after what had seemed to be hours of silent reading with the occasional rustle of paper work, sips of caffeine, and puffs of Javier's cigarette. You looked up at Javier who looked just as disheveled as you felt. He had long forgotten his jacket, that was now thrown over the back of his chair with an arm dragging over the floor. His tie was on his desk and a couple buttons of his shirt had been undone. His hair was rustled, like he had been running his hands through it (and looking like it usually did when you were done massaging your own fingers through it). His eyes were lidded but he looked over at you intently.
"Yeah." you croaked out, feeling like the sound of your own voice was foreign after not talking for so long. "Just...exhausted."
"You should go home."
"Nah. I'm not going to sleep. Just drink whiskey and-" You froze. What were going to finish that with? And wait for you to show up at my door?
Peña didn't seem to want you to finish your answer, either because he could fill the restnin on his own or because he didn't care. "You look tense."
"Oh, yeah. Just the compliment every woman wants to hear." you joked, leaning back into your chair and giving Peña a sly smile that he returned.
"Well I tried to call you beautiful once and you yelled at me."
You snorted that time, remembering the memory clearly. Peña had called you hermosa once and you had told him to fuck off, thinking he was trying to just get under your skin. "Yeah. I did."
"If it helps, you look-"
"Don't." you said abruptly. You couldn't handle that. Peña was smooth with everyone but you didn't need him doing it with you. You were already twisted up enough.
"I was going to say you look exhausted as well." Peña cheekily said, one end of his lips quirking up into a small grin.
You rolled your eyes. "Thanks."
You looked back down at your desk, grabbing a piece of paper and lamely looking at it. You didn't look up when you heard Javier rise from his seat and his steps echo into the empty room. You assumed he was leaving, having given up on getting any more work done. That was until you felt two hands rest on your shoulders.
You sat straight up, your body becoming stiff as your felt the hands spread over your shoulders. They were so warm, even through your shirt. You let out a soft sigh when you felt his fingers dig into your shoulders, applying a perfect amount of pressure that felt heavenly.
"This okay?" he softly asked.
You nodded your head. "Yeah, Javi."
He continued pressing into your muscles, each one seeming to relax almost instantaneously with his touch. You hadn't even realized how stiff and sore you had been. How much your body was craving something like this.
You let your eyes flutter shut as you leaned into his touch, letting out a groan when he dug deep into a really wound up spot. "Your muscles feel like shit." he said as his hands drifted lower to your upper back.
"You are full of compliments tonight." you softly said.
"Sorry, bebita." You let out a small hum at the nick name, letting a small smile tilt your lips. Javi was close enough to feel the warmth of his body, to smell cigarettes and the aftershave that had seemed to be stuck to your hands for days now.
Javier seemed to pick up on the small noise before you had, ripping his hands away from you right as the door to the room opened. You sat up straight, grabbing at a piece of paper lamely as Javier shuffled behind you.
'God damn, Murphy.' you thought as the taller agent looked at the two of you, raising an eyebrow.
"I just forgot something." he quietly said, walking to his desk where he grabbed his wallet. He looked back at you two, raising an eyebrow at the way Peña awkwardly started to walk towards his own desk. "Did I interrupt something?"
You sighed, standing up from your desk and grabbing your jacket. "Nope. I was just about to head out for the night."
"Me too." Peña said, grabbing his own jacket and giving you and Murphy a single nod before marching out of the room.
Steve looked back at you, a single eyebrow raised. "Okay. What happened?"
"Nothing. I was just showing him a paper." you muttered, grabbing a file to bring home, already knowing you wouldn't be sleeping at all with the way your mind was whirring.
"What paper?" Murphy critically asked, following after you as you ushered out of the room.
"DEA stuff." you mumbled, hating how you felt like you were being integrated by one of your own partners.
"That's not vague at all." he teased, a small smile popping up on his face as he saw how you were getting more and more flustered.
"Fuck off, Murphy." you huffed, marching out of the office and leaving him behind.
________
The knock on your door this time was much harsher and louder, still enough for you to know who it was but also enough to know Peña was in no good mood tonight. You had come to look forward to the nightly visits but today had been a field day for you that had gone very awry. You were tired and you felt like you were burnt to pieces, crumbling to ash before everybody’s eyes but nobody could put you back together because the damage had already been done.
You waited a few moments but when the knocking presumed at a much faster rate, you knew there was no hope he would walk away and let you spend this night alone to wallow in the events of the day. You opened the door, this time standing at the entrance where an incredibly disheveled Peña stood across from you. For once, he didn’t look tired like he usually did at night. If anything, he looked like a fire had been lit under him that was consuming him whole, swallowing him until he was the orange burst of flames itself. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top like usual but wrinkled. His hair was all over the place. You couldn’t help the way your heart slightly dropped. He looked like a man who got laid.
You slowly walked away from the door, hearing as Peña walked in and slammed it shut behind him. “I’m not in the mood tonight, Peña. Go fuck another one of your girls or something.”
“What the fuck?” he growled.
The aggressive and frantic tone alarmed you, causing you to turn and face him as he stared at you. Upon better inspection, he didn’t look like a man who got laid. But a man who was pissed.
“What the hell is your problem?” you asked, crossing your arms over your chest as you stared him back down, not daring to back away from the challenging gleam in his eyes.
“You nearly got shot today!”
Oh, yeah. It’s not like you had forgotten. It had been the main event of the day, the bullet that was meant for your head just barely grazing you instead. Murphy had been there and said something about it being dumb luck. You had tried to say something about how you didn’t believe in luck and it was just your quick nature, but you had barely been able to get the words out with the way your mind was doing somersaults and the way your whole body seemed to shake with an electrifying cocktail of adrenaline and fear. You had been on the brink of coming to a rather unfortunate death and yeah, you were glad you hadn’t died. But you weren’t glad that the mission had led to little of anything. It had been a fruitless effort and that was the worst part.
“Well, I didn’t so whoopie doo.” you sarcastically answered, throwing your hands up rather undramatically as you tried to make your way to the kitchen to fetch the whiskey as normal. But Peña was faster, marching towards you and grabbing an arm to pull you back.
“You could of died.” Peña hissed, locking eyes with you. The fierceness held in his eyes was almost intimidating, so stark and powerful that it seemed to blow the wind out of your lungs almost as much as your graze with death had earlier in the day.
“Okay. But I’m still alive so I did something right.”
“What were you doing on the field today?”
“Umm... doing my job.” you said, your face scrunching in confusion as you looked up at the man before you. His chest was rising and falling quickly, his hairline beaded with droplets of sweat.
“Why didn’t I know? I should of been there.” Peña demanded, his hand still holding your wrist. The touch was hot and poignant. You didn’t know how but the way his calloused hand grabbed onto your wrist seemed to hold such a vast array of emotions you couldn’t even begin to place them.
“I didn’t realize I had to come to you with everything.” you sarcastically quipped back, trying to pull your hand away with no effort. His grip still remained strong as his eyes wandered all over your face. “Peña, what the hell is your problem?”
“My problem is that you are running around, nearly getting killed.” Javier barked back.
“That’s kind of part of the job!” you yelled back, feeling a frustration grow inside you that felt unfair. You wanted to relax or sleep or get drunk or who knows what. Not have a yelling match with Javier Peña in your shitty apartment.
“You don’t even try to be careful!”
“Well, there are parts of the job that nobody likes but oh well! I don’t like that you nearly get killed or fuck who knows how many women but fuck it, it’s who we are and what we do!” You fired back, feeling your mouth clamp up when you realized the words that were spilling from it freely. The emotions of the day and the heat of the argument was too much and you felt flooded in every which direction. You couldn’t control the onslaught of confessions that tore from your lips and you hadn’t even expected.
Javier hadn’t seemed to either, pulling his hand away from your wrist. He stared back at you, chest still rising dramatically, but his face seemed less enraged and more questioning, curious, and thoughtful. You felt your face warm even more than it had been from the fight, stepping back slowly and nearly stumbling in the process. You were the first to look away, staring down at your hands which were shaking slightly.
“Sit down.”
You looked up at Javier, letting out an awkward chuckle at the bizarreness of his demand. “What?”
“Sit down.” he repeated once again, leaving no room for additional questions and his unwavering stare seemed to demand you to do so. You let out a small sigh and wandered over to your couch. Once your bottom landed on it, you let your body cave forwards, your elbows rested on your knees and hands cradling your face. You didn’t look up even as you heard Peña walking around your apartment, opening cabinets and grabbing glasses. You just kept your face buried within yourself, trying to shield yourself from things you couldn’t comprehend. Perhaps the events of the day or maybe feelings that always seemed to grow within you each time you saw Javier Peña. You couldn’t tell but you had felt like your brain was working at half-capacity, if even that, and you didn’t want to waste it on dwelling over what was plaguing your mind in that moment.
You heard Javier step towards you and you finally brought your hands away from your face, coming up to meet his outstretched hand holding out a cup full of whiskey. He had abandoned his tie he had been wearing when he first entered, his shirt slightly unbuttoned like it always seemed to be. You grabbed the glass from his hand, ignoring the slight tingle that rushed through your fingers at the minimal contact, and took a small sip of the liquid.
“That good?”
You looked up at Javier again, who was still standing in front of you. You nodded slowly. “Yeah. Thanks, Peña.”
His gaze softened as his eyes drifted over your face. “Don’t call me that. Not right now.”
You nodded again. “Thanks, Javi.”
He seemed to visibly relax at the use of the nickname for him. It wasn’t like he had never been called it before. Some people at work had called him that. Family members back in Texas definitely had. Even his former late night companions had yelled out the name in throes of passion. But it sounded sweetest slipping off your tongue, like warm honey. It was something he had come to crave in the last few days like he craved his cigarettes. You had only said it for the first time a few days ago but it had become addicting, sending this sense of calmness through Javier that nothing else seemed to - not even his typical vices he used in abundance.
“Sit on the floor, bebita.” you didn’t bother this time to send him a curious glance, instead just slipping off the couch and plopping your bottom down on the carpeted floor. You felt the couch shuffle behind you as he carefully sat down, one leg swinging over so one leg was framing each side of your body. You leaned back softly, your head meeting his upper body and you let out a soft hum, bringing the glass to your lips to take another sip. Your eyes fluttered closed when you felt calloused fingers meet your neck, rubbing it up and down in a way that was slightly ticklish, but not in a bothersome way. They were warm and rough but also soft. They knew what to do to put you at ease, something you can’t remember ever finding in a person. Touch had never been your love language, instead oftentimes making you uncomfortable. But Javiers touch had always done something to you that you couldn’t explain. Maybe a thrill, maybe a need. You didn’t know but did it really matter when no matter what it always felt so good?
“You mind if I take this out?” Peña whispered, his hands trialing up to the hair tie that held your hair back into what was now a rather messy ponytail. You didn’t speak, only slowly nodding your head. He gently began to pull the tie down, letting your hair slip out from its confines and cascade down. His fingers lightly brushed through your hair, occasionally getting stuck in tangled that he gently worked through for what seemed to be hours. You let him do so, the gentle touches and silence making a warm peace fill you. Eventually his finger tips moved upwards, reaching your scalp and lightly moving slow patterns through it. “You are so beautiful, bebita.”
You were so relaxed that you didn’t allow anxiety or confusion to run through you from him compliment. You just let out a small hum, opening your eyes and tilting your head far back to make eye contact with Javier. He looked straight down at you, brown eyes full of so much warmth and admiration that it seemed to take your breath away. You didn’t want to but you managed to somehow pull your eyes away, looking back down so he could continue massaging your scalp. “I need you to be more careful.”
“If it helps, it freaked me out too.” you gently offered, trying not to read too much into his request.
“Are you okay?”
“I will be.” I will be if you stay.
“I just want you to be okay.”
The softness with which the words were spoken were so new, so vulnerable. It was a new side to Javier. He had always seemed to keep an eye out for you but you assumed it to be because you were partners and that’s what you should do. But this wasn’t just two partners watching each other’s backs. This was personal and raw and meaningful. So much so that you couldn’t try to deny it or brush it off as some meaningless, odd occurrence. At least you prayed to God you couldn’t.
“Are you okay?” you asked, slowly bringing a hand up to rest at one of his knees. It was an awkward angle but you just wanted to hold him in some way. Part of you yearned to bring your fingers to your head and intertwine them with his but you didn’t want to step over a boundary and ruin the haven that seemed to encompass you both.
“I’m okay when I’m with you.” Javier confessed. “If anything happened to you...”
His voice drifted off but you didn’t need him to fill in the blanks. You had voiced those same concerns to yourself in the middle of the night and before missions. What if? It was such a terrifying, earth shattering question. More than it should be for two people who were just ‘partners’.
“I’m here, Javi. And you are here. We are okay.” you soothed, your hand rubbing his knee slowly. You slowly turned your head, causing his fingers to slip away from it as you adjusted your body to face him. You looked up at him. “Can I do something?”
“Anything.”
You slowly rose from your spot on the ground, pulling yourself up slowly as you slipped one leg on each side of Javier. You slowly lowered yourself, not breaking eye contact as you sat onto his lap slowly, moving at a snails pace. His hands seemed to instinctually reach out, wrapping around your back to shimmy you closer to him. You lowered yourself into him, sinking into his warm embrace and allowing your face to cradle into the nook of his neck. One of his hands moved back up to your hair, running down it. You took a deep breath, taking in the scent of him: the aftershave and the cigarettes and the smell that was so inherently Javier. You reached your hands up to wrap around his neck, pulling him into you like your life depended on it. “Javi?”
“Yes, hermosa?”
“What is happening?” you mumbled into his neck, your warm breath fanning into his skin.
“What do you mean?” He knew what you meant but he needed you to say it. He couldn’t because this was one of the few things in life he was genuinely scared of.
“This isn’t just massages, is it? This is...more.” You didn’t mean to sound so needy or pleading, like your well-being depended on the answer. You weren’t that type of woman normally. But you needed him to say something now, something that wouldn’t break your heart into two.
“It’s not just massages.” Javi said, stilling his moments. You slowly pulled back, now facing him. You brought your hands down to his shoulders, rubbing them softly with a nervous smile on your face.
“What is it then?”
Javi took several moments to respond, simply staring back into your timid eyes. You were nervous but you found shelter in the way his breathing seemed to pick up and his eyes had a nerve-wracking glimmer in them.
“I’m not good at this.” He confessed.
"Me either." A small smile finally broke out as you said the words, causing Peña to give you a small, lopsided grin. He brought a hand to your face, his thumb brushing over your cheek in a way that sent a shiver down your spine.
Javi finally let a long sigh pull from his lips, his gaze not wavering as he spoke. "I just know that I want you."
"I want you, too." you barely whispered out.
"I don't know how to do this." he whispered, shrugging slightly.
You leaned into him, giving him a hug as you furrowed yourself into the shape of his body, allowing yourself to meld into one. You had once thought that if a moment like this ever happened, your heart would race and you would panic. But in the moment, everything, for once in your life, seemed to fall in place. "Me either. But I wanna do it with you."
You felt Javier nod against you, relaxing further as he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you in even deeper. "Me too, bebita."
You had never felt this feeling before but somehow, in the back of your mind, you knew everything would be okay.
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nicolewoo · 4 years
Text
Meeting Joe
Pairing Joe Anoai X Reader.
Warnings: none. This is pretty darn fluffy.
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I had just gotten to the arena when I spotted red hair down the hall a bit. I slipped behind Becky and tapped her shoulder lightly. With a start, she stopped her conversation with Colby and turned around to see me standing there. She immediately screamed in delight and we fell into a great big bear hug.
“Bloody hell! What are you doin' here?” Becks asked as she pulled back to look at me.
I grinned from ear to ear. “I got called up.”
The news sent Becky into another bear hug as she said, “Why didn't you tell me?”
“I wanted it to be a surprise.” I pulled away from the hug and smiled at her.
She placed her hands on my arms and looked me over. “Never had a better surprise!” She smiled. Our glee was interrupted by Colby clearing his throat. A look of slight panic ran over her face as she realized what she'd said, “I mean, except for the day you proposed,” she said to him as he wrapped an arm around her waist. “Colby, t'is is Y/N. My very best friend from mah indie wrestlin' days. Y/N meet my fiance Colby.”
I was totally fangirling inside, but I managed to keep my calm as I shook his hand. “Oh, you're THAT Y/N?” he quirked an eyebrow at Becky. “I've heard all about you,” he smiled back at me.
“Whatever she told you,” I paused for effect. “It's probably true.” At that Becky and I both bust out laughing.
“Come on. Come on. We've gotta catch up.” Becks said grabbing my suitcase and heading down the hall with me in tow. “We can share my dressing room tonight.” She was walking so quickly down the hall that she didn't realize the puzzled look Colby shot her as he stopped dead in his tracks.
“Um, Becks.” I called to her from a few steps behind her. “I think we broke him.” I said turning back to Colby.
She turned to see the look on her fiance's face before realizing what she'd said. “Oh, Yeah. Sorry babe,” she reached out to grab his hand when he came closer to her. “Um, Y/N. We share a dressing room.” She pointed between she and Colby. “I got so excited, I forgot. Is it ok to use the general dressing room?” She asked.
“Actually,” I said as we continued down the hall, “I don't want to be treated special because I know you. I deserve to be in the general dressing room.”
Becky linked her arm in mine. “You're right, of course. You always are.” A look of incredulity crossed Colby's face.
“I've never heard her say those words before.” He said in mock wonder, which caused me to laugh.
“Really?” I quirked an eyebrow at him. “Because Becks used to tell me I was right all the time. Of course,” I looked at Becky and we both smiled before saying in unison. “I'm always right.” We both laughed at that.
“You two are gonna be trouble, aren't you?” Colby sighed out.
Becks went to him and wrapped her arm around his waist. “Of course we are darlin'. So just smile and go with the flow.” Again, we both laughed heartily at ourselves.
Becky got me settled into the locker room, making sure to introduce me to some of the other girls, so I could make friends. Being the new girl in a locker room is always an unnerving experience. Yes, the rest of the talent tried to be warm and welcoming, but there was always an underlying feeling of wondering if I was going to take their place. I was kind of used to it by now. I'd been the new girl in 4 companies. After the first few days, everyone always warmed up to me. One of the tricks I'd learned to ease the tension was to get to hair and makeup before anyone else. Most of the girls preferred to have their hair and makeup done just before going on stage, so they could look fresh. Since my hair was straight, and I wore only one braid in my hair so I didn't care when it got done. My hair would hold up for hours. As long as I didn't mess up my makeup, I was good.
Becky and I had agreed to meet in the mess hall at 5 pm. I felt a bit deflated when I realized I arrived before her. In fact, I was sitting alone at 5:05 when Dana Brooke approached me and invited me to join her table.  
Becky and Colby came in shortly after, with Joe Anoai tagging behind. Once they'd gathered their food, they joined us. “Joe, this is my good friend Y/N.” Becks began. When I looked up to greet him and our hands touched to shake, my eyes locked on his, and my heart stopped. Literally stopped for a beat. I thought that kind of thing only happened in cheesy romance novels, but apparently, my heart thought this was a cheesy romance novel, because it really did skip a beat.
“My pleasure,” His voice was low and raspy, and for a second I thought I could feel it inside me.
I tried to keep my wits about me as I shook back, “The honor is mine.” Should I stand up? Should I stay seated? I thought of a million things to say to him. I'm a big fan. I prayed for you when you were sick. Can I please give you a lap dance? Just take me now! I was just shaking off my immediate thoughts when he smiled down at me, which made me almost swoon. Thankfully, they all sat down, Becky on one side of me and Dana on the other. Joe sat across from Seth on the other side of Becky.
There were a lot of the normal first day questions. Where have you been wrestling? Who trained you? Everyone wanted to know about me, some out of kindness, others to see if I was a threat. Becky was happy to start rattling off my accomplishments, but I stopped her by changing the subject quickly. “Becks, what was the name of that song we used to sing all the time?”
I saw her face change, as she processed what I was doing. “Oh Yeah... I would walk 500 miles...” she trailed off.
I pretended that I didn't know and she'd just reminded me. “Yeah! That's the one. Remember singing it at O'Connell's Pub?”
“I LOVE that song,” Nikki Cross interrupted and started bouncing in her chair as she sang out the chorus. That got everyone at the table involved. Then the next table over chimed in, and soon the two tables were singing lines of the chorus back and forth.
My plan had worked. I grabbed my phone quickly and text Becky, “Hey, let's not talk about my accomplishments. I don't want anyone to think I'm bragging.”
I waited a second as she text back. “You're not bragging. I'm bragging for you!”
I sighed as I read her response. “Just, please, let's drop it.” I sent the message and waited for her to nod in response. Dinner was outright fun after that. There were lots of tales told and laughter shared among the two tables. A few times, when Joe was talking, I got to stare right at him, but when he wasn't talking, and he was pretty quiet tonight, I stole a few glances at him. A couple of times when I stole a look, I found he was already looking at me.
After dinner, I returned to the locker room with a few new friends in tow. I was so happy to be accepted so easily. Being friends with The Man was a good thing. As I stretched out, my mind wandered back to dinner. Well, not dinner so much as Joe. Was he trying to steal glances at me? Was he as affected by our touch as I was? Was that why his voice was so low when he greeted me?
I shook off the feelings. I shook off my suspicious. After all, I was here to work, not to hook up. This was the biggest opportunity in my life. I had to stay focused. I tried to think of Joe as a friend. I tried.
After wrestling, showering and changing into my street clothes, I headed to the common area where everyone was watching the show. I found Joe sitting by himself in the back. Immediately, I tried to calm the feelings that were rising up inside of me. I'd have to sit in front of him to keep myself from staring at him, because quite frankly, he was beautiful and I wasn't sure I could NOT look at him. I headed for a seat by Nikki when he beckoned me to sit by him.
“Hey,” He said as I sat beside him. “Did you get all settled in?” He asked sweetly.
“Yes,” I nervously brushed some of my hair behind my ear, and instantly regretted it, because I knew I looked stupid with my hair brushed behind my ear. How could I fix it without looking like the nervous Nelly that I was? Shit. There was nothing I could do now except hope I could get it to fall down again. .
As my mind went into a spiraling mess of nervousness and lust, he asked, “Is everyone being nice to you?”
The sincerity of his voice touched me. He really cared about it. “Yes. I didn't have any troubles.” I smiled at him, and he smiled back.
“Listen, Colby, Becks and I were talking. We've got a free seat in our car if you want to ride with us after the show.” As soon as he said it, he looked like he wished he hadn't.
“Um, you don't have to do that. I'm sure I could catch a ride with someone else.” I looked down at my feet.
“No. You should ride with us.” He seemed so calm about it. He didn't seem to be nervous like me. Of course he's not. I thought to myself. He's just being nice. He's not attracted to you. My mind reeled off a dozen negative thoughts Well shit. I had to ride with him now or it would look suspicious.
“I guess if you don't mind.” I paused as he smiled at me. “Thanks.” I said shyly and focused my eyes on the TV. Colby was just starting a match, and Joe's face changed. He was glued to the TV watching the match intently so I did the same.
“Wow. Did he land wrong?” I asked when Colby went down at an awkward angle.
Joe leaned closer to talk over the din of the room, “Nah. He's fine. Watch... he'll start forgetting to limp on that leg.” I watched and sure enough, after a bit of time, Colby forgot to limp.
“You called it.” I said, laughing.
Joe laughed back, “He always does that.” He looked down and shook his head in disappointment.
“I'd hate to hear what you say about my wrestling.” I teased.
“Nothing.” He looked at me, so I turned to face him.
“Um. What?” I asked.
Joe started fidgeting with his hair. Is he nervous? Of course not. One of the best wrestlers in the business is about to give you tips. Listen to him and get your head out of the gutter. “I've seen a few of your matches. You do an awesome job. Better than some of the most popular wrestlers.” He said it so matter-of-fact that I ignored the desire to ask what he meant. I simply looked back at the tv and thanked him.
After the match, Joe said, “I'm gonna go finish packing. Meet you here at 10:30?” He quirked an eyebrow at me which made breathing difficult for me. You need to get over this NOW. You're not going to be able to avoid him, so you need to bottle up these feelings. As the new resolve rushed through me, I agreed to the meeting time and went back to the locker room to gather my things.
“There she is,” Colby said as I entered the room.
I looked at Becks, Colby and Joe. “Am I late?”
Joe smiled as he walked up beside me and placed his hand on the small of my back leading me out to the hallway. “Not at all.” He said as Becky and Colby followed us. I expected once we were headed the right direction, Joe would remove his hand, but he didn't. Don't read anything into it. Everyone in the WWE was touchy/feely. He's just being nice.
“Shotgun!” Colby yelled as he went to the passenger side door.
“I figured you guys would want to nap in the back.” Becky said.
Colby climbed in the front seat, “Nah, it's only a 2 hour drive. I can make it.” He told Becky.
As I climbed into the back seat next to Joe, I sighed. God, if you're trying to be funny, please stop. I can only be tempted so far. We settled in for the drive. Becky and I were talking about old times, basically shutting the guys out of the conversation. We were only about 30 minutes into the drive when I noticed Joe starting to nod off next to me. He looked pretty silly too. His head was falling back, his mouth was open, his eyes closed. I tapped Colby on the shoulder and pointed out Joe.  “Yeah, he's a lightweight. Always falls asleep in the car after shows.” He chuckled.
Becky and Colby started talking, and I looked out the window at the passing farmland while I listened to the sound of Joe's breathing. Now, in the near silence with nobody talking to me, I began to feel tired too. I removed my jacket and balled it up to use as a pillow. I leaned it against the seat and curled up for a nap myself.
“Y/N” I heard a beautiful low voice say my name. I sighed. “Time to get up. We're here.” I knew that voice, It was Joe. I opened my eyes to realize I had my head in his lap. My jacket was spread over me like a blanket, and Joe was stroking my hair.
“What?” I said in a panic.
“We're here.” He smile down at me.
“But....” I sat up and stretched my arms out. “How did I end up in your lap?” Should I apologize?
Joe smiled kindly at me, “You started falling over, so I led you to lay down, and I put your jacket over you to keep you warm.”
“I'm sorry?” I half said/half asked.
He just chuckled, “No worries.” He smiled as he got out of the car.
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