Small Touches and Simple Gestures
Summary: Javier Peña x Fe!Reader -> For years you've pretended to be married to avoid unwanted attention. But what happens when the lie you've been living, suddenly becomes true. Well, at least a part of it.
Disclaimer: Swearing, fluff, one of the agents making a move on Reader though nothing happens (Javi stops it). Fake dating, falling in love, embarrassing mothers, office romance. Heavy smut towards the end, so 18+. Happy ending. A lot of smaller intimate moments between Javi and Reader away from the smut, too. Kinda a long one. Not Proof Read.
If someone had told you that three years into working with Agent Javier Peña you’d be wearing a wedding band, marrying you to him for at the very least, the foreseeable future…you wouldn’t have believed them.
And you would be right not to. Because that, technically, wasn’t what it was for.
And it had all started with a question that Peña asked you one day as you sat at your desk.
“Was he real?”
You slowly tore your attention away from the case file in front of you. “What?”
“Your husband.”
For a moment you forgot all about how you’d first come to interact with Peña. He had asked you out. Well, flirted heavily then asked you out.
“What husband?”
Javi stood as he talked, walking towards your desk and sitting down on the edge of it closest to you. “One day you’re wearing a wedding ring telling me you’re married, the next it’s gone.”
You looked at your hand. “Oh. Yeah.” You decided to admit the truth. “I made him up.”
Despite his constant theories, he was still shocked. “What?”
“I made him up.”
You said it as if you were asking him how his day was. Like it was nothing new.
“You made him up?”
“You try and be a single woman in this office who doesn’t like getting hit on by every guy who thinks with his dick,” you told him. “See how quickly you make up a fake family.”
He had to laugh. “But I hit on you.”
You looked at him, suppressing an already knowing smirk on your face. “My point exactly.”
“Think I got something.” From the door, Steve came sweeping inside and threw a couple of files down on Javi’s desk. The previous topic was dropped for now but you took a moment to revel in the shock graced on Peña’s face.
However, a few hours later, it was brought back up again.
You’d been standing in the evidence locker, looking for yet another misplaced case file. Could people not read in this office? Had they lost all sense of the alphabet? You sighed heavily.
“How long have you been doing it?”
You jumped and found Peña standing behind you. “Jesus, Peña. Make a noise or something. Fuck.” You turned back to the messy shelf in front of you.
“So?”
You sighed. “Doing what? This? Feels like hours.”
He shook his head and rounded you before leaning against the side of the shelves. “Not the files. You being married.”
“Oh, uh…” You pulled a few hefty files and handed them over to him before reaching down onto the lower shelf and pulling those files up. “Couple years, I guess. Since before the Academy.”
“Why?”
“Didn’t you hear me earlier, or do I need to repeat myself, Peña?”
He shook his head again and put the files down. “No, I heard you. But that’s here. Why did it start?”
You sighed and stopped what you were doing to look at him. “Why are you so interested all of a sudden?”
He let out a small chuckle. “What? Come on, you’re one of the first Agents here to reject me not once, but three different times.”
You raised a subtle eyebrow. “I was married when you did that.”
“The first time, yes.” Javi corrected. “But that was an honest mistake. The second and third time, there was no ring on your finger. And, after this morning, you technically weren’t married at all. Look, just answer my questions and then I’ll drop it forever.”
“You promise?”
He held up his hand. “Scouts honour.”
You gave a questioned hum. “It’s difficult to imagine you as a Scout.”
“Y/l/n.”
You groaned. “Fine. It started because I got asked out a couple of times by this guy. He seemed nice and all but I wasn’t interested. So, when he asked why I kept saying no, I told him I was married. Swapped my rings over under the bar top before showing it to him. He took it well, apologised and said my husband was a lucky fella.”
Peña continued to listen.
“Then I moved away. The second time I was with someone but this guy just kept hitting on my friend. She went to the bathroom and then he started on me. Told him I was with someone. He didn’t believe me. So, I showed him my wedding band. Said my friend was married, too. He,” you sighed. “Eventually backed-off. After that it just kinda became my go-to. People I interviewed preferred to see a married woman than a single woman being a cop. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t start out my job as married. But the minute the compliments, and the touching and the dates being pre-arranged because they expected me to say yes…once they all started, I started wearing my wedding ring.”
“So why take it off?”
You shrugged. “Guess I must have forgotten. Besides, nobody has tried anything in the last couple of years. We’ve all been too busy.”
For a moment, Peña’s demeanour seemed to shift. “But I’ve flirted with you.”
You smiled a tired smile and stepped back from the files for a moment. “I work with you, Peña. I like you but I think I’m immune.”
“That hurts.” He deadpanned before placing a hand over his heart. “That…wow.”
You laughed. “I think you’ll bounce back.”
And he did. That night he walked out telling Murphy he had a date with the stall girl he’d met a few days ago.
The following weeks were hectic as different cases made their way across your desk, all with connections to Peña and Murphy’s biggest case; Pablo Escobar.
From interviewing victim’s families, to interrogations, to the crappy coffee in the break room. Your days and nights were spent looking over files and dealing with your case loads. Until one afternoon in the breakroom led to something you never had expected.
There was another Agent working at the Embassy. You’d seen him around a few times, shared a conversation or two. But most importantly, he had seen your wedding ring. You hadn’t missed his behaviour over the last couple of days. It started with smiles in the hallway – innocent enough. Then you found him in your breakroom more. Apparently the coffee was better. Then he was sitting at your table during lunch – apparently his partner was out for the day and he felt like some company. You didn’t miss his eyes clocking your hand.
“Your wedding band. It’s gone.”
You didn’t know why at the time, but the lie fell from your lips. “Oh, yeah, It’s in for a cleaning. It had a couple dark patches and scuffs on it.”
More things started creeping up. Like how he always stood just that little bit closer and not in a comforting way, when you were both talking. Or how his eyes looked you up and down before you got to speaking distance from each other.
Then in the breakroom, the ‘compliments’ started. How your hair looked – how it always looked. How you always made ‘women’s clothes look so much better’. How he enjoyed spending time with you because you actually talked to him.
“You know,” he trailed a finger up your arm and you were three seconds away from breaking it and running to take a scalding hot shower. “I was thinking we could get away for a while. After all, we both deserve a break. Maybe take these lunches outside of the office.”
You stepped back. “I’m married.”
“Oh, come on, we both know that’s a sham.” He told you, taking a step closer as you took another one back. “You never bring him to office parties, there’s no pictures on your desk-”
“I don’t need to prove to you or to anyone else that I’m married.”
He laughed. He actually laughed. “You’re not about to tell me he lives in Canada are you?”
“No. He-”
“He’s right here.”
It was safe to say you were shocked, but the agent didn’t seem to notice as he turned round and found Javi standing in the hallway.
“Peña. I was just-”
“Scaring my wife?”
The guy was turning paler by the second and yet somehow his ego carried him through. “You mean work-wife, because I have to say Javi, that doesn’t really count.”
“How about a marriage certificate? Does that count for you?” Peña finally found you by his side before he whispered to you.
“You okay, cariño?” All you could do was nod, the shock of him pretending to be your husband still settling over you.
He looked back to the agent who had been hitting on you. “I’m gonna tell you this once and only once. Hit on my wife or scare her again, and I’ll kill you.”
“Javi-”
“I don’t think Messina would be happy to learn one of her best Agents was being sexually harassed.”
He nodded, backing away. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
Javi shook his head. “Not to me. To her.”
Awkwardly, the guy looked from Javi, around the room, back to Javi and then to you. “I’m sorry.”
You didn’t move. You didn’t speak. Peña’s your husband?
“You can go.”
Taking Javi’s instructions, he left. Peña then waited a minute before turning towards you. “You sure you’re okay?”
You nodded. “I’m fine. Thank you, by the way.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“But you shouldn’t have done that.”
“What?” He asked, holding the coffee pot in one hand and your mug in the other.
“Javi…” You looked around the room before looking back at him. “This is gonna spread around the office. You and I -- married.”
He shrugged. “What’s the big deal? Now you’ve got a physical person to pretend to be your husband.”
“Javi.” He handed you your cup of coffee before pouring his own. “Please tell me you are aware of your own reputation? And the fact that we are colleagues? And the fact that I have been making a husband up for god knows how long? People are going to know this is fake and then I’ll be judged – heavily – for it.”
“Why would you be judged?”
You rested a hand on your hip. “This is gonna look like I’ve used you to be my pretend husband and everyone will just feel sorry for me and make a big joke about it with you.”
“Except I’m the one that told him.” Peña pointed out. “If anything, that’s what’s going to spread around the office.”
“Ah yes, I can see the headlines now; ‘Agent Javier ‘slut’ Peña finally ties himself down with a female colleague.’.”
He shrugged. “We don’t have to be tied down if you don’t want to.”
You hit him on the arm. “Be serious.”
“Look,” he set his coffee cup down and took you by the shoulders. “If it becomes anything then we just fake it. We already spend most of our time together anyway, and who hasn’t had an office romance once in their life?”
“I haven’t.”
Peña paused for a second before nodding. “Congratulations. You’ve just lost your office romance virginity.”
“Peña.”
He shook it off. “All I’m saying is, if it becomes a thing, we just…roll with it.”
“Roll with it?”
He nodded. “Roll with it.”
“There’s a chance our careers hang in the balance because I’m pretty sure this breaks at least three rules in HR. And your grand solution is to…’roll…with it.’.”
Javi nodded once more. “We’ll be fine. I promise.”
It was not fine. Neither of you were fine. Especially considering two days later you were both forced into Messina’s office where, before you could spit out the truth, Messina interrupted and said she didn’t want to know. Just that you both had to remain completely professional and that if someone ever caught either of you, you’d both be suspended.
So, things remained somewhat neutral. You both received a couple of looks from other co-workers. Murphy teased both of you relentlessly, despite being the only one to know the truth since you stopped the elevator when all three of you were inside to tell him as much.
But then the loud rumours started and people didn’t even try to hide them.
Whilst pouring you and Peña a cup of coffee each – something you had done almost everyday for three years, you could hear people gossiping.
“Maybe he knocked her up. Shotgun wedding, you know?”
“I don’t think they’re even a couple. I mean, they never show any kind of affection to each other.”
One disagreed with that statement. “No, I’ve seen him with her a few times. Little touches here and there. Must be their love language. Small touches and simple gestures.”
“That’s cute, I guess. But I kinda expected more from Javi. He was always so…you know.”
The woman beside her sighed, “Yeah.”
You walked away more confused about life than you had been since before you started highschool.
It was clear the rest of the office ‘knew’ about ‘you and Javi’. And that they each had a different opinion on the matter. And some of them you didn’t even know about, but Javi did.
He’d heard everything from your marriage to him being a sham because he got you pregnant, to both male and female staff asking him “why y/n?”. Except, it was never in a friendly manner. To the men, it was either because they thought “Javi could have any choice he wanted, and he went for her?”, or because he’d gone for one of the women they had wanted “a shot at” themselves. And to the women it was…much of the same thing, with an added jealous streak wondering why he went for “the one woman who didn’t want” him, when most of the other women who’d worked with him “actually wanted” him.
Javi’s eyes trailed your every move from the coffee station, back to your desk and then towards him. “You okay?”
You zoned back into reality and handed him his coffee. “Yeah. Fine. What have you got?”
Turning the case file around, he told you.
Around a month or so later, not much had changed. People were still gossiping about your marriage to Peña, the case was gathering little evidence so the constant reviewing of previous case loads was underway. Between keeping up the lie of your marriage to Javi – despite neither of you having to do much out of your normal routine – and the case work and the constant heart attack you got when Messina would stop walking when stood directly between your desk and Peña’s before humming and moving along, you were running out of energy.
“Come to mine after work.”
You looked around. People were looking but they were too far out of earshot to hear.
You took the paper from Javi.
“Why?”
“You’re tired, and I’m tired watching you eat that shitty stuff from the cafeteria. I’m cooking dinner.”
You looked up at him, shocked. “You can cook?”
He smiled. “Yeah, yeah. After work. I’ll leave the door unlocked for you.”
Javi tapped your desk twice before walking away and looking around the office. Everyone who had been looking quickly looked away before looking back at you. Once they found you looking, they turned back to their work.
For a moment, you looked at the half stale coffee on your desk. It would be nice to have a decent meal considering you’d been eating left-overs for about a week and half.
And he kept his promise.
Javi had left work an hour before you were supposed to. He’d grabbed his jacked off the hook behind your desk, bent down and pressed a kiss to the top of your head, your body too tired to fight off leaning into him when he did so. You had meant to clock out of work an hour later but staring at words, losing concentration and trying to focus back in meant when you finally looked at the clock, you were getting close to being forty minutes late.
“Shit.”
Not bothering to drop your stuff off in your apartment two floors up, you found Javi’s door unlocked like he’d said and you walked inside.
It smelt like heaven. Good, hot food. And Javi.
It was quiet as you walked down his hallway and eventually found him relaxing on the sofa, his legs thrown across the rest of it. He was watching reruns.
“Relax,” you could hear the smile in his voice despite not being able to see his face. “Figured you’d be late. Food’ll be ready soon.”
With a relieved sigh, you dropped your bag by the steps and walked around. He moved his legs for you to sit down and he watched you for a moment as you pushed the heels of your hands into your eyes and leaned back.
“Tired?”
“Exhausted,” you admitted.
“Come ‘ere.” His voice was soft and quiet as he reached out for you by the shoulder. Looking at him for a moment before silently agreeing, you let him pull you down until eventually you were laying beside him, your head on his chest, his legs tangled with yours.
It took him a moment, but Javi removed your hair-tie letting your hair loose before running his fingers through it. You relaxed almost immediately, feeling the once growing headache slowly melt away with each touch of his hand.
You could have fallen asleep but he didn’t let you. “You’ve gotta eat. I didn’t slave over a hot stove for nothing.”
You groaned a little and buried yourself deeper into his side. “How are you this calming?”
“It’s my natural touch.” Javi told you before kissing the top of your head and sitting up. “Come on. Dinner’s ready. Then I promise, you can fall asleep.”
“Hallelujah.”
It took you a moment but your head eventually stopped spinning long enough for you to sit up and walk over to the table where Javi had set down both of your meals. And it was one of the best you’d ever had; either because he was a great cook, or you were starving enough that any food that wasn’t cafeteria left-overs would taste like heaven at that moment. Though, you had a feeling it was the first one.
In silence, you both washed and dried. Until you spoke out the pressing question on your mind.
“What happens if we meet ‘the one’?”
“What ‘one’?” Javi handed you another freshly washed plate.
“I mean,” you spun it through the dish towel. “To everyone else, we’re married. But what if we end up meeting the person we actually want to date and marry? What do we do then?”
Javi shrugged. “Guess we get divorced.”
“But we’re not actually married.”
“Then we play it by ear. They say when you know you know…maybe when we know, we just…tell them the truth. But I doubt that’s gonna happen.” Javi nearly crapped himself. “For me, not you. I doubt that’ll happen for me.”
You looked at him. “Why?”
For a moment, he was quiet. Thinking. Deliberating. “Back in Texas, I was gonna get married. Lorraine. She was a wonderful woman but…I don't know. I was driving to the church and I just stopped.”
“You left her at the altar?”
“I never made it to the church,” he admitted. “I don’t know. I suppose at some point I’d settle down but…” Javi shrugged. “I can see it happening for you though, so, whenever you do meet him, I can be there to help explain this whole…situation we’ve got going on.”
You laughed a little at that. “Thanks.”
Twenty minutes later, you were half asleep before Javi pulled you over to him once more. The last thing you could remember was you taking a deep breath in, the scent of him, his home and his cooking fill your senses.
When you woke up, you found yourself still on the sofa, the news playing on the TV and Javi cooking in the kitchen. It took you a while before your brain registered you weren’t still dreaming and you’d fallen asleep not only at Peña’s, but also on him.
“Hey,” Peña shook you back awake. “Breakfast is ready.”
You placed your hand over his and nodded. “Okay.”
Neither of you said anything when you ate, just listened to the news that passed over the speakers of the TV.
“Who taught you to cook?” You asked, turning to look at him as he drove you both to work.
“My dad. My mom helped, but dad was the one who burnt less stuff.”
After eating, you’d run to your apartment to get a fresh change of clothes and run a brush through your hair, only to be greeted by your husband at the bottom of the stairs. “I’ll drive us to work.”
So, now you were driving to work with Javi before hopping out of his car and being led with a warm hand at the bottom of your back through the hallways of work before you both finally reached your desks.
And for the first time in weeks, you finally had the energy to get through your work day. And so did Javi.
Although things started to change when you got a surprise visit from your mother.
You’d been working for weeks on the same case and in between all of the case work, the fake marriage and the few months that followed, you’d forgotten to write to your mother.
It was her one agreement with you moving to Columbia. She knew there was nothing she could do to stop you – it was your job and you were good at it, plus, despite all of the gear grinding you had to do every now and again, you loved it. But knowing she didn’t accept your decision to work as DEA in Columbia would have slowly killed you – and her, too.
Any time she called, you’d either been dead asleep – either at yours or Javi’s – or at work. So, she took the notion to come and see you.
So when you walked down the hall towards your office and heard your mother’s voice ask you a question, you felt your entire body crash to a screaming halt before realising what and why she was asking.
“You’re married?”
“Mom.”
Your mom called your full name and walked towards you. “What this lovely woman just told me better not be true, or else that means I’ve missed my daughter’s wedding.”
You tried your best to remain calm and relaxed. Two emotions you were desperately clinging onto for dear life. “She tells me his name is Javier Pen…”
For a moment, she looked back to the secretary who nodded and whispered his name again for your mother to repeat with full confidence to you. “Javier Peña.”
“Mom, maybe it’s best we-”
Then the secretary spoke up in excitement. “Oh, there he is. Javi!”
Looking up from his own case file, about to turn down the hallway, he found who was calling him before seeing who was standing in front of them. You and, from what he could guess, your mother.
Shit. Your mother? No. She was back in the States. Maybe he’d remembered her face wrong from the picture behind your desk.
Walking over, Javi’s hand came to your lower back before he quickly brushed a kiss against your cheek. “Cariño, you okay?”
You tried to remain calm as you said the next sentence. “Javi, this is my mother. Mom, this is my..husband..Javi.”
Then something you hadn’t expected to happen, happened.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Mrs Y/l/n. Y/n’s told me a lot about you.”
“I wish I could say the same.” But she still shook his hand and allowed him to press a light kiss to the back of it.
Carefully, Javi stepped back and pulled you closer towards him, your mother’s eyes never once stopping to not examine the couple that stood in front of her.
Javi nodded. “We are sorry about that. But, maybe we can make it up to you.”
You looked at Javi a little panicked. But your mother was already interested. “Oh?”
“I’m guessing you’re staying here for a few days? Come and stay with us. I can make us dinner and we can all get to know each other.”
Then your mom smiled. Apparently Javi already had her approval. “Well…I think that would be lovely. But don’t think either of you are getting off lightly. I missed my daughter’s wedding that I didn’t even know about.”
“Honey, give your mother our address, I’ll ask-”
She shook her head. “No, no. You all seem busy. I can take myself there. And I’d like to see what’s around the market stalls. Is there anything I can bring for dinner?”
Javi shook his head. “No, not at all.”
You smiled. “He’s got it covered, mom. Just bring yourself.”
“Alright then. Well, I look forward to seeing you both for dinner.”
In the space of five minutes you’d all said your goodbye’s and you had ever so sweetly pulled your husband towards your office before closing the door and blinds and turning back to your partner.
“What the hell are you thinking?”
Javi shrugged. “She’s come down here to see you. We might as well make the effort.”
“We? Javi. We don’t live together. She’s gonna take one look around my apartment and realise I still live there. She’s gonna take one more look at my face and realise everything that’s happened is a complete sham and then she’s gonna parade it around town that I’m still single. She won’t mean it harshly, but she will.”
“So, we don’t tell her and just say we haven’t had a chance to move things since getting married. We’ll be okay.”
You let out a panicked laugh before you started pacing. “I knew this was a bad idea. It’s bad enough we’re lying to people here.”
“You’re the one that started it before I got roped in.”
“Hey! You roped yourself into this. You were the one that said you were my husband.”
“Would you have preferred for Agent Dickbag to keep pushing?!”
You took a breath. “Javi…I don’t know if I can lie to her. What…what do I tell my family when they find out? This was just meant to keep people like Agent Dickbag away…”
Reading the panic all over your body, Javi stood and walked towards you until you were wrapped in his arms. “Hey, it’ll be okay. We’ll keep the secret up long enough to make sure nobody else finds out the truth, and then you can just say we rushed into things. We got a quick divorce and moved on, civilly.”
“I think you missed your calling in Acting.” You told him. “I think my mom already has your seal of approval.”
“Really?” He pulled back a little and smiled. “That’s a first.”
“We’ll be okay?”
He nodded. “We’ll be okay.”
And you believed him.
Because it was true.
In the space of about fifteen minutes, you and Javi managed to move some things from your apartment, into his to make it seem more…homely. Like two people actually lived there. Especially since your mom would be living in your apartment for the next couple of days until she flew back home to the rest of your family.
“Will she really check the bedroom?” Javi called from the kitchen.
You’d moved some things to the second bedside table. One or two books, a couple of hair-ties, plasters, “stray” pens. You tried your best to make it look believable as possible.
“You don’t know her like I do. This woman is Jessica Fletcher. Unsuspecting to the world, but in fact sees everything. Trust me, you do not want to end up in interrogation with my mother. Happened to a perp once. She came in to visit my dad but he was wrangling a couple of the officers so she walked around, found the perp sitting in holding and she actually got a confession out of him. Cops had been trying all day and nothing. A five minute conversation with my mother and they got a full written confession out of him.”
Javi gave a low whistle. “Wow.”
“Yeah. So, trust me, what I’m doing? It’s gonna, hopefully, save us some grief.”
Javi was still cooking by the time your mom knocked on his door and you brought her inside. Immediately her eyes scanned the place picking up on the pictures, books and music.
“It smells delicious.”
“He’s a good cook.”
And for the first couple of minutes everything ran smoothly. Your mother did everything you’d expected her to do. She even passed Javi in the kitchen to look into your bedroom.
“She really did it.” Javi mouthed.
“Told you so,” you mouthed back.
“Mom, do you wanna come and sit down? I can get you a drink.”
“I’ll have a soda if you have it, please.”
You got your mom a soda and poured it into a glass with ice, handing it to her as she stood still examining your home.
“So, how is he in bed?” She whispered a little too loud to you.
You felt yourself go bright red. Redder still when you heard Javi chuckle from the kitchen. “Mom!”
“What? I’m allowed to ask my daughter these questions. I need to know you’re being satisfied in every aspect of your marriage.”
You groaned and covered your eyes. “Mom.”
“You’re being careful? Using condoms? You know pulling out doesn’t work as birth control.”
You could have died. “Mom, please. Stop.”
Javi let out a small laugh as he walked from the kitchen and handed you a drink. “Mrs Y/l/n, if you really want to know-”
“Oh no. No, Javi, please. Please don’t encourage her.”
“We’re being safe. Having a family right now probably wouldn’t be the best move for either of us.”
Your mother just graced him with a soft smile. “Well, I’m glad to hear it.”
“I’m not,” you groaned a little. “Can we please change the conversation?”
“You know, she’s always been like this.” Your mom told Javi who only seemed to revel in your terror.
“Really? This isn’t a new thing?”
“No,” you mom told him. “She went just as red when I gave her the birds and the bees talk.”
“That’s because you decided to tell me in the middle of my middle school hallway during a Parent’s Evening.”
“And when I took her to the doctors to get her on the pill.”
You covered your face. “I’m in hell.”
Javi’s hand reached for your shoulder and shook you lightly as he sat on the arm of the chair beside you. You leaned into him.
“I’d finally got it out of her that she’d had sex and next-”
“And next thing I’m being wrangled into an office chair with the doctor having my mother shout from the rooftops her daughter was no longer a virgin.”
Your mom gasped. “It wasn’t like that,”
You leaned into your husband who’d just let out a small laugh. “Please make it stop.”
“Okay, I’ll drop it.”
“Thank you.”
“But I’m glad to know you’re being satisfied. Your face tells me more than you think.”
“Okay!” You stood up quickly and tried to run away, only to feel Javi’s hand reach out and pull you back, spinning you to stand by him. From the light red in his cheeks, he felt a little embarrassed, too, but he seemed to handle it a lot better than you.
He was chuckling. “Don’t think you’re able to run from this. I wanna know more about you from your mom.”
“Doesn’t mean I have to be here for it.” You tried to make a break for it again, but Javi caught you and for a moment, the rest of the room seemed to slowly disappear from sight as you found yourself trapped in his hands and arms, and his gaze on you, just as yours was on his. And for a moment, you wondered what it would be like if you kissed him.
Little did you know, he’d been thinking the exact same thing.
Then a timer went off.
“That’ll be the food.” Javi kissed a quick peck to your temple before standing and walking towards the kitchen, leaving your gaze to trail after him.
“You really do love each other,” your mom pointed out from her spot on the sofa. “I can see why you got married. You both need to tell me what your wedding was like!”
And so you did over dinner. With the added linger of whatever had happened when he’d pulled you closer to him.
You caught Javi looking at you a few times, and subsequently, he’d caught you, too. And, without rehearsal, you’d both managed to bullshit your way through explaining why you’d both decided to get married so quickly.
From you and Javi, your mother had learned you’d both met when you started in Columbia and you were both ‘friends’ for a while. Not much had to be lied about in that department. Javi’s reputation. Your “ability” to make every man that asked you out believe you were taken. How you’d worked together for a long time before becoming actual friends. Then the lies started…right?
About how you and Javi made a true friendship of sorts over the late nights working, swapping smaller stories until something changed.
“It was like…my heart had stopped and rebooted itself. Suddenly, everything felt like it had shifted and changed somehow.” Peña explained to your mom. “Nothing had ever been more…clearer and more daunting than ever.”
Then Javi looked at you, and you found a mirrored expression. Sadness? Confusion? Desperation? Fear? Realisation? You didn’t know what to call it, but whatever it was, you felt it. For some unknown reason, everything he’d just said rang true in your ears, your head and even your heart.
Nothing had ever been more clearer and more daunting than ever.
By the time your mom decided she was ready for bed, you were already fast asleep against Javi. At some point in the evening when he’d sat beside you, he’d slung his arm behind you and between the warmth and familiarity of him, you’d let yourself truly relax.
“I’ll walk you up.”
Your mom shook her head as Javi led her towards the door. “I know my way and you’re both tired. I’ll be okay. Get her to bed.”
Javi looked back at you for a moment and smiled.
“You really do love her.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Your mom smiled at her supposed son-in-law. “I understand why she fell for you, but I hope you know, just because you’re the first one of her boyfriends, well, husband now. But just because you’re the first I approve of, doesn’t mean I won’t be judging you. You look after her, and you look after her well. Love her everyday. It’s not every day someone gets to spend the rest of their lives with my daughter. I hope you see that as a privilege.”
Javi nodded. “Yes, ma’am, I do.”
Javi was telling the truth and your mom nodded. “Good. And thank you for dinner. Sleep well.”
“You, too, Mrs Y/l/n.”
Javi waited until he heard your apartment door lock before he shut his own, locked it and kicked off his shoes.
His socks padding his footsteps as he walked back to you, he was careful to pick you up before carrying you to bed and covering you up. You were still fast asleep by the time he climbed into bed beside you, but either way, you naturally rolled towards the slight dip in the bed before reaching out for him like you did almost every time he’d carried you to his bed because you’d fallen asleep in his apartment.
The only times he didn’t was when he fell asleep with you and woke up as the sun peeked through his blinds in his living room.
With a contented sigh, you slipped into a dreamless sleep beside him and for a few minutes, he laid awake, listening to your breathing. Then he let his mind slip back through the evening. If the funny feeling in his stomach and chest wasn’t what he hoped it was, but rather was what he suspected it to be, then he would have to soak up your actions as a married couple over the next couple of days before everything went back to semi-normal.
Because if he was right, and he was growing feelings for you, then these days would have to be enough. Your marriage with him and his marriage to you was meant to be for appearances, only. Nothing real was meant to come out of it, was it?
Because the feeling in his chest as he looked down at you, asleep by his side and in his arms…that feeling sure felt real.
Waking up in the morning, you felt more comfortable than usual. No creaky mattress spring giving you a sneak attack from beneath your sofa and into your back, no blinding light coming through curtains you’d forgotten to shut, no cold side to your bed as you turned over.
Instead, you felt warm. You found warmth.
Asleep on his front but his arm still across you, you found Javi. Fast asleep, seeming as though not even a gunshot would wake him.
And rather than jump out of bed or rollaway like you usually would when you found yourself in this position with any man, or even him going off the last couple of months.
You’d found yourself falling asleep countless times at Javi’s and the majority of the time, you woke up in his bed.
But waking that morning, especially after the night before, had something feeling different. So you took your time.
For the first time you…studied him.
You’d found yourself doing it more and more in recent months. How he sat in a chair, the look on his face when he was annoyed, amused, sometimes even scared.
And for the first time, maybe ever. He looked…
Peaceful.
As if it was a Sunday morning and neither of you had to get up for work. Like when he’d wake, you’d both spend the morning in bed before relaxing in your home.
And for a moment, you let yourself dream about that life. A life where there was no fear of maybe never coming home. A life where you could both…be peaceful. Happy.
Together, maybe?
After a few moments, you felt a gentle touch against your cheek, and slowly opening your eyes, you found Javi’s hand cupping your cheek, his fingers brushing soft patterns into your skin.
“Cariño…”
You smiled, finding comfort in the common nickname. “Hey.”
“You been awake long?”
You shook your head, softly. “Not long.”
“Good.” Javi then leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to your forehead. “Come here.”
Granting yourself permission to do as he said, Javi rolled over onto his back and pulled you into his side before he decided to ultimately face you.
Down your back, he traced a singular line back and forth as you both synced calming breaths and listened to the comfortable silence of the room.
“We could call in sick.” Javi said after ten minutes. “We’ve built up enough time to take the day off. You could show your mom ‘round.”
“We can’t,” you pointed out. “What about the case?”
“The case will still be there tomorrow. And besides, if something changes, they’ll call us in-”
Then you both heard the front door lock open.
“Javi-”
Pressing a finger to his lips, he sat up and so did you. Quietly, he moved over towards his bedside table and pulled out his gun before checking the bullets.
You both heard the door open and just as Javi was about to leap out of bed, you both heard your mother’s voice.
“Y/n? Javier? You two sleepy heads awake yet?!”
You let out a huge sigh of relief and sat back against Javi’s headboard. “Jesus Christ.”
“Your mom has a key?” Javi put his gun back and closed the draw as he looked back at you.
“I told you. Jessica Fletcher.” Then you called out to her. “Mom! We’re in here.”
Letting out a breath, Javi sat himself back beside you just as your mom walked into your bedroom. “Mom, you can’t just break in,” you told her, tiredly.
“I didn’t break in. I had a key.”
“Both of us could have shot you.”
Your mom looked over both of you and gave a coy smile. “Then it’s a good thing I called out then. You both look…well rested.”
It was too early to even pretend what she thought had happened, had happened. So, tearing your eyes from Javi, you looked to your mom. “Why are you here?”
“Because I have made breakfast for both of you since Javi cooked us such a wonderful dinner last night.”
“Mrs Y/l/n, you really didn’t-”
“Hush now. I was happy to do it. Now, chop chop.” Your mom clapped her hands. “There’s plenty of time for this,” she gestured to you, Javi and the bed, “later. Come on. Before the day is gone.”
And as she walked out, you felt yourself collapse into Javi’s sheets, already feeling your face go hot.
“She really doesn’t hold back, does she?”
“No.” Your voice was muffled through the sheets.
Ultimately, Javi convinced you to take the day off with him and after a homemade breakfast, yet another awkward conversation surrounding love-making in the shower – to which Javi nearly choked on his toast. Both you and Javi had showered (separately) before getting changed and deciding to show your mom around the different places in town.
And despite the stories shared by your mother; thankfully not all of them made you want a hole in the ground to open up the floor.
You also found spending the day with Javi, outside of work talk, to be more than pleasurable. With his hand in yours, or his arm around you, holding your own across your stomach, you’d both walked side by side for most of the day. He told your mom some things about Columbia even you didn’t know before, easily sharing some stories of his own childhood when your mom asked.
And you felt…glad, maybe? Like for the first time since moving to Columbia you were home. And it wasn’t just because your mom was there, but rather because of the person who stuck by your side all day, letting you see behind the personal walls he had up at work. The ones that, if you didn’t look closely, you wouldn’t know were even there.
Yet, despite the entire day feeling like one giant butterfly in your stomach at every touch, look and graze you felt from Javi, nothing made it feel like the tornado it was when your mom asked if she could film your ‘first dance’.
Dinner had been long over and the TV had shut down. In the background, a few different records played until one came on and your mother gasped.
“Oh, please. Please let me see your first dance. I love this song, and I’ve always imagined seeing you dance to it the way me and your dad do.”
From your side, Javi lifted his hand. It was up to you.
Looking at your mom’s face, you couldn’t say no. So, you nodded and both stood. Javi started the song from the beginning and turned back to face you. In a matter of moments, you were in his arms, your hand in his whilst your other lay on his arm. You could feel his firm hand at the bottom of your back, holding you up steadily.
Finally, leaning into each other, you could feel his moustache at the shell of your ear. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
That was when you found out Javi could dance. At the very least, much better than you could. He led you around the small section of the floor, your temple’s still touching and for a small moment, you closed your eyes.
You’d also both forgotten anybody else was in the room other than you two. Breathing, heartbeats, pulse, chemistry. It all became one.
And just as the song slowed, Javi lifted his head to look at you. It was like there was a new light to you in the fading sunlight. New features he’d never noticed before. The small freckles dotted across your face, probably having surfaced after a day in the sun. The soft streaks of baby hairs framing your face. The arch and bow of your cupid’s bow and lips. The light flush in your cheeks as for a moment, he caught your eyes doing the same thing he was.
Looking. Gazing. Studying. All to commit it to memory.
Javier Peña, for as best as he’d known, he’d never been so scared in all of his life. But there was one final thing he wanted to commit to memory, whether it be good or bad. And if he didn’t do it then, he was afraid he never would. So, for the first time with you, he did what he wanted to do because, and he hoped, by the look on your face, you wanted it, too.
With the final few notes of the song, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to your lips. It was firm, steady, strong and then softer. The kind of kiss that you feel long after it’s over. Silence washed over the room as the record came to an end and you and Javi found yourselves looking at each other, only realising you weren’t alone when your mom gasped.
“Oh, that was just beautiful.” She stopped the recording. “Thank you so much for doing that for me.”
You and Javi seemed to step away from each other despite it being the last thing either of you wanted to do in that moment. It wasn’t long after that your mom decided to go upstairs to bed. And once Javi heard the door lock upstairs, he locked his own and took a moment before turning back around to find you.
But you were already trying to avoid the conversation that came next.
Javi took his time. You both needed a moment to find clarity. After the faucet had been running for a few minutes, only to be switched off by you as you washed the plates in the bowl of soapy water, Javi stood at the kitchen door.
He watched you for a moment, wondering what to say. What just happened? I’m sorry? He didn’t mean for it to…be that way? Did you feel it, too? Did you want it, too? Did he cross a line?
Then he realised he didn’t have to say anything at all.
You felt him before you heard him walk slowly across the kitchen floor and stand by your side. With a gentle hand guiding your arm, he spun you to face him and in the silence, your faces shared a thousand words between each other.
Javi brushed your hair from your face before gently cupping your face. It took enough time between each of his movements to let you object if you wanted to. You stepped closer into him.
Then he kissed you.
Having dropped the sponge into the sink, you felt yourself tumble against him as your own hands came to pull him closer towards you. Things seemed to move slightly quicker than before. His hands moving down your body to eventually lift you up and move you onto the counter top, his fingers pushing their way through your hair as your own pulled him in by his collar to kiss you once more.
With your legs wrapping around his waist, securing him against you, you let out a small sigh behind your kiss. Javi only chased those small noises more after you made your first one.
“J-Javi.” You managed to find your voice in between his kisses. “Wait.”
He stopped, forcing himself to pull his lips from yours. And for a moment, all you could hear was his breathing and your heartbeat. Both rapid. Both unsteady.
“We…we shouldn’t…”
His hands still tangled in your hair and his forehead against yours, he shook his head in agreement. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”
All either of you could do was breathe. Slowly. Trying to catch some form of air that was at least a close equivalent to the others.
Kissing you was like a lifeline, and without you he was dying.
His eyes finally gazing into yours, he found your own tracing his face, already reminiscing on the kiss, wanting more.
Kissing him was like life was finally being pushed back into your lungs, letting you breathe clearly for the first time and without him, nothing was in focus.
“Fuck it.”
His lips on yours again, he began to devour you and your taste. He could feel your hands pulling him closer to you, like if you’d let go of him, you’d drown.
He needed you more than he wanted to admit.
But you didn’t want him to hold back. So leaning away from his kiss for a moment, you made sure he focused on you.
“Bedroom.”
He was still drunk on your kiss. “Javi, I’m not fucking you on the kitchen counter. Bedroom.”
His lips curved onto a smirk as he pulled you towards the edge and lifted you up.
“Didn’t anyone tell you we’re married? Cariño, it’s called making love.”
You laughed and so did he before it was muffled out by another kiss.
By the time morning rolled around, you found yourself wrapped in Javi’s arms, his scent swirling around your senses, locking it into a memory you’d never forget. Even if you wanted to move, you couldn’t. From the arms wrapped around you, to the soreness in your legs, your body was too happily exhausted to move.
For the next few moments, you watched as he slept peacefully. His mouth parted slightly, simply looking at his mustache made you blush at the memories from barely a few hours previous. Tracing the curves of his face, you leaned over and pressed a light kiss to his cheek.
His arms twitched around you. “Javi, I need to use the bathroom.”
Still half asleep, he returned the next kiss you pressed to his lips before mumbling; “Come back.”
“I will,” you kissed him once more before climbing out of bed and heading towards the bathroom.
Whilst in the bathroom, you picked up the long forgotten towels on the floor and picked up the tossed body washes and shampoo bottles from Javi and your haphazard entry into the bathroom after the first two orgasms before the third.
However, you must have taken too long because as you stood at the bathroom skin, a newly familiar pair of arms made their way from holding your hips, to cradling around your waist.
You could feel the hair from his moustache as he kissed your bare shoulder, making his way towards your neck where you leaned back against his chest and placed a hand behind his own neck to hold you steady.
“Javi.”
One of his hands slowly made its way under your top before running his fingers from the top of your chest, across your breast and down below the waistband of your shorts.
“I missed you.” His tongue dampened the graze of his teeth against your neck.
“Javi.”
“Is this okay, baby?”
You bit your lip, your hips bucking against his fingers, chasing the pressure he was beginning to swirl around your clit. You hummed a response.
“I need your words, baby. Is this okay? Do you want this? Because I can stop.”
You shook your head quickly and wrapped your hand around his wrist before he pulled away any further. “No. Don’t stop.”
“Whatever you say, baby.”
With his fingers circling your clit and his mouth having free range of your neck, you felt your knees grow weak. “Want me to stop?”
Again, you shook your head. “I need…I need more, Javi.”
“How many, baby?”
“Two, ohh…” Your mouth opened and you threw your head back against his shoulder, reveling in his fingers slipping inside your cunt and his thumb applied pressure to your clit. Then you heard him chuckle.
“Asshole.”
“You fucking love it, baby.”
You did. You really did. It wasn’t long before Javi could feel your walls pulsing against his fingers, growing tighter for him. And his dick hadn’t even left his pants yet.
“You’re so fucking wet, cariño. This for me?”
You found the strength to nod. “Just for you, Javi baby.”
But whatever strength or control you had left disappeared as the wave began to crash over you and you chased Javi’s fingers as they pumped deeper and faster inside of you. “Ride ‘em, baby. Take what you want.”
You moaned his name, almost chanting it as you came over his fingers. “Fuck,” Javi growled. “You’re so fucking hot when you come.”
Letting out a breathy laugh, you felt the ache in your legs, still leaning against Javi.
“Then maybe you should do it again.”
Sharing a look with Javi, he smirked before biting down on your bottom lip, then kissing it better. Pulling his fingers from inside of you, he slowly spun you around by your hips until you faced him. Once he’d tasted everything he could from your mouth, he teasingly made his way across your jaw, down the length of your neck, under your clothing before pulling your soaked shorts down your legs, leaving your glistening and sensitive cunt for him to see.
Then he tasted the rest of you.
Pushing you onto the edge of the sink counter, you white-knuckled the edges in fear of gripping his hair too tight to pull him closer to where you needed him.
You could feel the burn of his moustache against your inner thighs, panty-line before finally his tongue circled your already sensitive clit.
“Fuck, Javi.”
“You like that, baby?”
You nodded, “Fuck. Yeah.”
“Want more?”
“Y…yes. Javi, please.” Your hips bucked as you chased the feeling of his tongue licking your pussy. “Fuck, Javi.” You let out a gasp as his tongue dipped inside of you for a moment. “Fuck, right…right there.” With one of your hands tangled in his hair, you pushed him closer in order to taste all of you.
And just as you leaned back to grant him more access, he pulled back. You whimpered, wanting him back. “Touch yourself.”
“Javi-”
“I want to see how long you can hold it before I fuck you. Touch yourself.”
So you did. All the while watching him take his sweet time watching you as he pulled down his own underwear and pulled a condom on, pumping himself a couple of times before finally settling closer to you.
“I want to watch you cum again.” And so he did.
Filling you with his dick, inch by inch, he felt you stretch around him, swearing as you took him in. And then he took his time with you. Reveling in every needy buck of your hips, chasing his dick before he couldn’t hold back anymore. He needed you just as much as you were begging for him.
Moaning his name over and over as your orgasm hit you, Javi watched as you came over his dick, him finishing not long after you did.
Sweaty and covered in sex, Javi pushed the fallen hair from your face and kissed your lips after the silence had settled away from heavy breathing and racing hearts. “We should get cleaned up.”
Pulling his cock from inside of you, he disposed of the condom before walking towards the shower and turning it on. And over the next forty minutes, Javi’s hands were all over your naked body before his fingers tugged at your hair as the tiles of the floor made indents in your knees. By the time you’d both finished, gotten washed and finally dressed, Javi was changing the sheets as you placed the ones from the night before inside his washer.
For the rest of the day, Javi rarely left your side.
Going back out to the markets with your mom, his hands were constantly finding ways to touch you. His hand pinching onto the skirt of your summer dress, his fingers grazing against your hip and lower back as he changed from standing on one side of you to the other. Holding your hand around you, his arm across your shoulders, his lips in your hair, on the shell of your ear as he talked to you. And when you’d stopped inside a cafe, he sat next to you, his arm across the back of your chair which practically was sitting in between his legs as his body was constantly turned towards you.
And when you’d both finally gotten home, your mom saying she was going for a nap, the moment Javi’s door shut, the bags were dropped and your back was against the wall of his hallway, his lips on yours. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day.”
“So have I.”
Then a question fell from your lips. “How are we going to keep this up? At work, I mean.”
“They already think we’re married.” He kissed your neck.
“I’m being serious, Javi.”
“So am I.”
“Javi, Messina already warned us what would happen if she ever caught us. And that was before we were even…” A couple? Fucking? Dating? Married?
Javi smiled. “So we keep it a secret.”
“Says the guy who can’t keep his hands off me for more than two seconds. You’ll never be able to keep it a secret.”
“Says the woman whose been eye-fucking me all day. Are you sure you can keep a secret?”
“I can keep a secret.” Then Javi noticed your coy smile. “In fact, I’ve been keeping one all day.”
Taking his hand in yours, you pressed his hand to the dip of your hips. He couldn’t feel anything but fabric. Then it hit him. With his chest flaring and his dick hardening, he stepped closer towards you.
“Mrs Peña…have you been naked under that dress all day?”
You bit your lip. “Why don’t you find out for yourself?”
His eyes flicking to the hem of your dress, he looked back up at you before slowly dragging the fabric of its skirt up and bunching it in his hand until he could slip his hand under it. And when he was met with bare skin, he swore.
“Fuck.”
“I’ve been hoping you’d fuck me all day,” you admitted. “I wanted to be ready.”
“Since you walked out of that fucking bedroom in this dress…I’ve wanted to fuck you in it.”
Pulling him closer to you, your voice turned into a low whisper. “Then you better get on with it, Agent Peña. Before I do it myself.”
He didn’t have to be told twice. Capturing your lips on his, his finger coaxed at your pussy, already feeling your wetness build for him. As his fingers began to curl inside of you, you let out a moan before your fingers deftly unbuckled his belt and jeans. Javi let out a small whimper as your fingers stroked down his cock, wiping the pre-cum away with your thumb before finally pumping him a few times.
“Take it easy, baby. Otherwise I’m not gonna- fuck.”
With one hand, Javi picked you up where you stood, his fingers digging into your ass before he guided his tip in. Letting out a moan by his ear, you told him to start moving.
“Fill me up, baby.”
And he did.
Fucking you against the wall in his hallway, Javi pulled the top of your summer dress down and began leaving his mark across your collarbone and down the bow of your breast, all the while his cock pumped in and out of you before filling you up with him cum.
“That’s it baby,” Javi told you as you screamed his name as you rode his dick. Then he watched you come. He’d never get sick of that sight. It seemed to get hotter each time. You begging him for more, your moans, his name falling from your lips as he makes you unravel completely.
But he wasn’t done with you yet. Pulling out from you, he moved you both down the hallway and towards the sofa where he made you come again before moving into the kitchen where he finally fucked you senseless on the kitchen counter.
Both of you wished it could have continued like that forever, but sadly after your shower, both you and Javi were interrupted by the jingle of keys in the door as your mom let herself in before you and Javi could continue your heavy make-out session on the sofa.
But that was something you both had to get used to.
Interruptions.
From people banging on the copier room door thinking it was jammed, to people walking back into the office after their lunch breaks. But despite the ever growing need to constantly be touching him, or him touching you, you’d both found subtler ways to show how much you not only wanted each other, but also needed each other.
From the smaller touches when he always found an excuse to stand beside you, to the ever longing looks you both gave to each other as the other one walked away from the desks. There were crappy cups of coffee always being poured, lunches being made and shared, blankets being used to cover up the one that fell asleep first, the knowing looks when a case load became too much, the soft moments spent after a long day of work just laying together on the sofa watching crappy TV and falling asleep, dancing to slower records on down-days, quick kisses goodbye during lunch or during a stakeout for cases, jealous and warning glares being given to those who tried to flirt with the other, and finally slow Sunday mornings that were spent inside the apartment, neither of you leaving unless for a dire emergency.
And somewhere between all of that, you and Javi had taken a flight to your home where your family and his watched as you both swore actual wedding vows to each other; your wedding party not realising it was the first time for both of you.
Maybe it had taken a while for you both to come together, and maybe it wasn’t the most conventional of get-togethers. But it was yours and Javi’s story. One that, the more you thought about it, started off with those softer moments. One that always had, and always would, contain those smaller touches and simple gestures.
