Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Javi had skipped town after everything, Kate following behind him. She had been the only one left in their small town in Oklahoma. She picks up the device and her thumbs hover over the keyboard for a while before she responds:

Yeah. You too?

She sets the phone down, thinking he wouldn't respond for a while. Javi had always been a notoriously bad texter. But only a minute later it vibrates with a new message.

Javi <3: For tonight. Meet me at The Shack in an hour?

The Shack was a local bar, only ten minutes from her house. Her heart hammers, why was he in town for only the night? And more importantly, why did he want to see her after months of not bothering to check on her? Her fingers hover over the 'send' button, the simple word typed up: 'busy.' She wanted to be angry, to resent him for not bothering to call, but her heart softens, and she deleted the message. Instead, she sends a thumbs up emoji and tosses her phone back on the couch. Despite her excitement, she couldn't shake the feeling that this was a bad idea.

As she walks into the tiny but crowded bar, she tries to spot Javi, but she can't find his curls draping over his shoulders, or pulled into a bun behind his head. She almost gives up until she hears his voice.

"I'm right here."

She turns, and, sure enough, sitting in a booth in the corner sits Javi.

He looks...different.

He'd chopped his curls into a short, neat cut, and he looked somehow heavier behind his usually playful eyes. Long gone was the boy she knew-the one who had an affinity for loud music and taking naps wherever there was flat ground. He had been replaced by someone that certainly looked like him, but didn't have that same spark.

"Hey."

He stands and gives her a small hug, his smile not exactly reaching his eyes. She returns the gesture, settling into the booth across from him as they fall into light conversation over drinks. They catch up after the past two months, all while avoiding the topic that lingers like heavy smoke between them. Her lungs burn just thinking about what Praveen would have said if he saw them now. She finally gathers the courage to broach a relatively sore subject:

"So, what brings you back into town?"

His eyes dart down to his lap, his shoulders slouching.

"Uh, it's my last night home for a while."

She nods, understanding the need to get out of here, the ghosts of their past certainly had begun to haunt.

"Where are you headed?"

"Uh, Iraq."

Her eyes widen as she almost chokes on her drink.

"Very funny, Javi."

"Not joking."

His serious expression shows he isn't. Her heart hammers, what had she missed in two months?

"Javi, what the hell are you doing in Iraq?"

"Don't really know, I just go where they tell me to. Not my job to argue with Uncle Sam."

Her eyes widen further. No way in hell would she ever have seen that coming.

"Y-You joined the military?"

He nods, throwing back the rest of his drink.

"Didn't chop off a head of perfectly good hair for the fun of it."

For a split second, she felt disheartened, everyone was leaving, moving on, while she was here, stuck in the same small town. After another drink, and another, they fall into easy conversation. And by the time she's three drinks deep, he almost feels like the Javi she remembered.

That night is the first night she lets Javi into her bed, only to wake up naked and alone.

But it wouldn't be the last.

-

The second time it happened, she didn't even blame him, it had been hard on both of them. Kate hadn't bothered to come back home, and she didn't blame her, because as she looks around at the framed pictures of her now-deceased friends, she thinks she might explode.

It's Christmas Eve, nearly two years later, and she's sitting on Jeb's mother's couch as the older woman dotes on she and Javi both. Her sweater itches around her collar, and she's sweating, but she figures it has little to do with the heat of the fireplace and more to do with the lingering awkward flames between she and the military-uniform clad man beside her. Her hands grasp a cup of eggnog, but even the rum in it could not soothe the ache burning in her chest.

Javi hadn't even bothered to contact her after their night together. In fact, he'd done more to ignore her completely. Her occasional texts had gone ignored, he had read her message on his birthday, but never acknowledged it, and she was sure he hadn't even read her concerned affections she'd sent on the anniversary of the accident. She'd been so worried about him, and he couldn't have cared less about her.

She puts on a good act, because Jeb's mom doesn't deserve her coldness. The woman was kind, and loved she and Javi as her own. Days like today were hard for all three of them, but the grief combined with the anger she feels at Javi, all she wants to do is run from the warm and inviting living room she's sitting in. After a few hours of talking and gift giving, she finally meets the cold winter air and feels so relieved that tears prick behind her eyes. She takes a deep breath as she clutches the boxed gift in her hand, wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeve. Javi stands only a few feet behind her, watching everything. His voice cuts the silence that had seemed so permanent between them:

"If you want to talk about it, I'm here."

She scoffs.

"Javier, you wouldn't answer me when I told you happy birthday, much less now."

His full name tumbling from her lips stings more than it should. He lets it sting, he deserves it, he'd been an asshole.

"You're right, I-I fucked up. I know. But you're standing in front of me, and you're hurting, and I'm the only one here that knows the way your chest hurts. Kate, she-she just pushes through and ignores it. You and me, we're not built like that."

She knows Javi is right, but she would never admit that, not to his face. Silence falls over them again before she finds the courage to turn around and look at him. He's less Javi and more Lieutenant Rivera these days, his eyes hardened and his tone gruff. She can hardly see the reminiscent parts of the boy she'd spent four springs in a van with. Grief and the regular hardship of life had made them different people, but she still loved him, despite it all.

"I've got to visit Addy's mom, and Praveen's parents after this. You comin'?"

Maybe she was angry with the way Javi had treated her, but her friends' parents were expecting them both, and he had been truthful-they were the only two who understood the specific pain of losing your three closest friends in death, and the other while she was still living. Her response comes out witty, almost like the girl she used to be.

"As long as you're driving."

That night, after they'd split a bottle of red in her living room, they fall back into their usual ritual when he came to town: her writhing in pleasure underneath him. The next day, Christmas morning, the only evidence that Javi had been there was his empty wine glass on her coffee table.

She swore to herself that it would never happen again. As she washed her delicate glasses in the sink, she repeats her vow. When she finishes, she dries her hands, grabs her phone and clicks on his contact. She can't find the heart to block him, just in case he really needs her, but she changes his name in the hopes she'll ignore his calls. 'Javi <3' no longer resided in her phone, only a contact titled 'No Caller ID.'

-

For the next year, she does what she always does: she wakes up early for coffee, gets ready for her job as a local middle school science teacher, teaches for eight hours, and comes home to an empty house. After everything that had happened in the past few years, she'd resigned herself to being entirely alone for the rest of her life. She hadn't heard from Kate in nearly a year, and she'd intentionally not wanted to hear from Javi ever again. He'd called from time to time, only ever in the very early morning hours of a Friday or Saturday morning. She already knew what he wanted, so she ignored them.

She was isolated and alone. The most 'chasing' she did was watching a group of rowdy, self-proclaimed 'Tornado Wranglers' on YouTube. They make her smile on bad days, doing things so absurd she'd never have thought up most of them. One particular night, she finds herself watching a stream of them chasing in a town only an hour or two from her hometown. On a whim, and maybe a little cloudy from her post-dinner wine, she shoots the account a message, wondering if they'd come speak to her sixth graders who were currently studying weather. She doesn't expect anything from it, it was a long shot, and it's likely no one would answer her. But the next morning, as she scrolls through notifications from the time she'd been asleep, a response sits staring back at her on the screen.

'We'd love to come speak to some junior Wranglers! Next Thursday at 10 AM sound good?'

Her eyes widen and she beams, feeling giddy for the first time in a very long time. That Thursday morning, in an act so unbelievably unlike her, she finds herself putting on her favorite teaching dress and maybe a little more effort into her hair. She feels ridiculous the entire time she drives to her job, but when she spots the familiar red truck in the parking lot, she feels like one of her students with a crush.

The second the group comes to her classroom, everything feels a little surreal. They're exactly as they come across on screen-except for the so-called leader. Tyler Owens, in all of his backwards-baseball-cap glory, is infinitely more handsome in person. Her schoolgirl blush only grows when he's charming and easy-going with her students' dozens of questions, relevant or not, and his witty humor. She feels her heart grow when he gives each of her students their own Wranglers shirts before he approaches her with one of her own, and, attached is a sticky note that she doesn't have a chance to read before he leaves. Once her students break for recess she peels it off the fabric and smiles widely as she reads the messy handwriting:

'We're in town chasing til Sunday. Wanted to invite you for a drink, on me. Saturday? Text me, or call me, and we'll make it a date. -Tyler'

His number sits under his name and she finds herself blushing again before pulling out her phone and adding his number into her contacts before typing out a message to him:

'I'm free anytime Saturday night, and there's a great bar called The Shack not far from my place. I'll meet you there?'

From that moment on, it was rare to see one without the other. Only three dates in, Tyler had already asked her to be his girlfriend, and she had accepted. Within the year, she was back to doing what she loved most-chasing storms and helping those in need with people who loved it as much as she did. After hours upon hours of late night crying sessions and tender affections, she explained her treacherous relationship with Javi, and bit by tiny bit, her heart was healed by the goofy and sensitive boy behind the cowboy hat. Falling in love with Tyler had been easy: he was funny, and smart, and kind, and, maybe most importantly, never made her feel like she was nothing more than an after-hours option.

Now, two years into their relationship, she sleeps next to him in her pale pink sheets, his warmth radiating onto her chilled skin in the coldness of the winter night. Tyler's calloused hands are gentle under her shirt, lightly caressing her sides. Both of them are nearly asleep, it's dark, and late, nearly three in the morning. Her eyes close against his chest, and she's almost asleep when her phone rings. She assumes it's Boone-he had a habit of showing up at her house at all hours of the morning. Tyler groans, his voice cutting through the darkness:

"Jesus, what does Boone want this time?"

She rolls her eyes at her melodramatic boyfriend, rolling over to grab her phone from the nightstand as her eyes adjust to the brightness of the screen. When she gets a glance at the name flashed across her device, she stills, simply staring down at it for a minute.

No Caller ID

Every memory of the Javi she once knew flickers in her mind-the boy she once knew, the person that he was no longer. The Javi she loved had died the same day her three closest friends had. She declines the call, letting it fade back to her lockscreen as she simply stares at the picture of her and Tyler she'd set as her wallpaper.

"Baby, what's the matter?"

Tyler's voice snaps her out of her haze. She shakes her head, simply tossing on her 'do not disturb' before rolling back into his hold.

"Who was it?"

She nuzzles into his neck, finding comfort in the arms of the man who loved her-unconditionally, always, not just when she was convenient. Tyler had never left her naked and alone, he was always there when she woke up.

"Nobody, spam, no caller ID."

It’s a typical day. You’ve spent your day off work doing laundry and catching up on some shows you needed to watch. It isn’t until there’s a knock on your door that your day turns anything but ordinary. You pull it open to reveal your best friend, scratch that, former best friend, Javi. He’s decked out in his military uniform, the bright smile on his face becoming a deep frown when he sees your unimpressed expression. You turn around and walk away, leaving the door open for Javi to come in, much to your disliking. But if you know Javi, he wouldn’t leave without saying something first. 

“I figured you’d be happier to see me,” Javi scratches the back of his neck as he follows you into your apartment.

“Happy to see you? Javi, you literally stopped talking to me and left for the military, of all things, without telling me,” you say, your voice rising in frustration.

“I know, and I’m sorry,” Javi says, stepping toward you, “I had to do what I thought was right at the time. Losing everyone was hard.”

“The right thing was to stay and figure things out,” you cross your arms, leaning against the island counter, “It’s what I did.”

“Figure things out? I don’t understand what you mean?” Javi says, taking a seat on one of the barstools.

You take a deep breath and figure, why not just tell him? You have nothing to lose anymore.

“I was in love with you, Javi. And then you left. I had to figure out life without you and all my now-dead friends. What else do you want me to say?”

Javi opens his mouth to say something but then changes his mind. A moment passes, and then he says, “I didn’t know.”

“I’m not sure how you didn’t. I would’ve followed you anywhere and done anything for you.”

Javi stands up from his seat and walks toward you, a gentle hand on your arm, “I would’ve done the same for you. I loved you, too, and I still do. That’s why I’m here. You’re the first person I wanted to see when I got home.”

Your face softens, “You don’t mean that.”

“I do. I mean it with everything in me,” Javi grabs you by the biceps, pulling you to face him, “I love you and always have.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” you ask softly, unable to look him in the eye.

“Why didn’t you?” Javi chuckles, trying to lighten the mood a little.

“I didn’t want to ruin our friendship, but it got ruined anyway, it seems.”

Javi sighs, “I’m sorry again. I didn’t know how to handle everything properly, and I should’ve talked to you about the whole situation before running off.”

“It’s okay,” you shrug, “You’re here now.”

“And I’m here to stay,” Javi promises, “If you’ll have me?”

“Of course, I’ll have you,” you say, placing your hands on Javi’s chest and finally looking him in the eyes.

He gazes into your eyes and leans in slowly to close the gap between the two of you. He slides a hand into your hair as the kiss deepens to press you closer to him. As the kiss becomes more passionate, Javi lifts you onto the counter and slots himself between your legs, not pulling away from your embrace once. His hands wander along your sides until they reach the hem of your shirt, where Javi tugs experimentally. You pull away from the heated makeout session to peel off your shirt and toss it somewhere on the kitchen floor. Javi takes a second to drink in your body for the first time. Even more so than usual, since you don’t wear bras at home. 

Javi helps you remove the outer part of his uniform, where a plain t-shirt is underneath it. He pulls it over his head and discards it and his uniform jacket where your top lays. His body is in great shape thanks to all the exercise and physical labor he had to do while in the military. You let your hands explore his muscles as you lean in for another heated kiss. Javi slowly leans you backward onto the counter surface before hovering over you.

“Do you want this like I do?” he asks.

“God,” you nod, “More than anything.”

“Glad to hear it,” Javi smirks before moving his hands to the waistband of your sweatpants, “Is this okay?”

“Yes,” you reassure Javi, “You can do what you want, I’ve waited long enough,” you joke.

Javi laughs and slides the pants down your legs and past your ankles. He climbs on top of you after removing the rest of his uniform, holding himself up with one arm as he uses his free hand to grasp at your breast, attacking your mouth with his tongue. Your body feels like it’s on fire from Javi’s touch. You’ve dreamt about this more than you’d care to admit. Javi rolls a nipple between his fingers, bringing you back to earth from your thoughts, a moan getting lost inside Javi’s mouth on yours. He moves his hand down your stomach until he reaches your clothed heat, moving aside the garment covering you and testing how wet you are.

“So wet just from kissing?” Javi teases.

“Shut up,” you roll your eyes, bringing your knee to his chest to bump it playfully.

Javi moves to your ear as he dips a finger inside you, whispering, “Make me.”

You grasp his curls harshly, bringing him back to kiss you. Javi can’t help but laugh through his nose as you explore his mouth with your tongue, shutting him up successfully. He curls his finger, beckoning it against your sweet spot. You pull away from Javi’s mouth to let out a moan, jerking your hips up. Javi quickly sits up and grips your hip, stilling you as he adds another finger. You allow your hands to massage your breasts as Javi fucks you with his fingers, even adding a third as his thumb swipes your clit.

“You’re so fucking wet,” Javi groans.

“You make me this way, Javi,” you gasp as his fingertips circle the spot inside you, “See what you do to me?”

Javi withdraws his digits from you, sucking your arousal off them before pulling and kicking his underwear off, “I’m sure you can see what you do to me, too,” he says, his length slapping his stomach.

“Oh, I’m definitely seeing,” you bite your lip, hoping he can fit.

“Condom?” Javi returns to his hovering position, running his hands along your body before slipping your underwear down your legs.

“Don’t worry about that,” you pull his face down to yours, “I’m on the pill.”

Without another word, Javi lines himself up with your slick entrance before slowly pushing in. You wrap your legs around his waist so he can fill you up more easily. Javi is very vocal about how tight you feel around him, his moans guttural as his pelvis hits yours. Your cheek is pressed to his as you both catch your breath momentarily before continuing.

“You feel so good,” Javi pants, pulling out slightly before slamming back in, “Too good. I’m gonna have to go slow, or I’ll lose it.”

You snort, “Has it really been that long for you, Javi?”

“Sex isn’t allowed in the military, you know,” Javi scoffs, “So, yes, it’s been a while.”

“I don’t have a problem with it or anything. I’m just fucking with you,” you reassure him.

Javi moves again, this time pulling all the way out and jerking his hips forward in a quick fashion, “Doesn’t mean I still can’t make you scream.”

And his movement does just that- makes you scream out. You grasp Javi’s upper arms as he gains a rhythm. Your fingernails dig into his flesh as he pounds into you, your moans growing louder. You don’t care about your neighbors at this point. Javi holds himself up, gaining leverage and a better angle. He pulls your legs onto his shoulders, his cock driving into you perfectly.

“Jesus, Javi,” you gasp, unable to hold onto anything other than the edges of the counter, “Just like that.”

Javi is now kneeling on the counter, your heels digging into his back as he folds you in half and grips your thighs hard enough to bruise. His thrusts become faster and harder as the two of you stare into each other’s eyes, panting and moaning. 

“So good,” Javi mutters, “So tight and wet for me.”

“Fuck,” you grip the counter harder at the filth coming from Javi.

Javi reaches between your bodies to rub your clit, making you clench around him even harder. Your throat is almost raw from your noises as you feel yourself getting close to your climax. Javi feels himself getting close, too, and doesn't let up on circling your bundle of nerves. 

“Javi,” you warn, and you don’t have to say anything else for him to understand.

He leans into you, your knees against your chest, as his tip brushes against your cervix at the new position, sending you into overdrive. Your cunt grips Javi harshly as you orgasm, chanting his name. Javi feels himself nearing his own orgasm, letting you ride out yours before allowing himself to cum. 

“Where do you want me to cum?” Javi asks.

“Inside,” you say, “Please.”

“Oh, I see. You’re a little cumslut, huh?” Javi teases, still rubbing your overstimulated clit softly as he tries to string another orgasm out of you.

“Yes,” you whine, but Javi pushes into you harder, stilling as you cum again, your cunt gripping him with vice and teetering him over the edge. 

Javi curses as he fills you up, relishing in your pulsing warmth before pulling out slowly. Your chest heaves as Javi finally lets you relax your legs. He searches for a cloth to clean you both up with.

“Totally not what I was expecting out of today,” you say jokingly, allowing Javi to clean you up gently.

“Me either,” he shrugs, “But it’s not a bad way to end the day, right?”

“Right,” you grunt as you sit up, your back a little sore from being pressed into the granite.

Javi helps you off the counter, and you immediately beeline to the bathroom, turning the shower on.

“Wanna join?” you call out to Javi, who is still in the kitchen.

“Duh,” he calls back, hurrying to the bathroom where you stand, testing the water temperature.

Javi grabs you and picks you up, causing you to shriek as you wrap your legs and arms around him. This definitely beats laundry any day.

- after the final customer left and the shop was closed up he immediately took you into the back and bent you over the counter

- “I thought they’d never leave.” He whispered into your ear as his hips started to grind against you, earning whines from you both

- Javi grabbed your hips and with one hand while pushing everything off the counter with his other

- he sits you up on the counter then starts to undress the both of you

- within seconds he’s using lotion from the sink to lube himself up before slamming balls deep inside you

- moans, screams, and other whorish noises echo off the walls as he starts moving inside you

- “I-I love you Y/N!~” Javi nearly sobbed out as you came around him after a few minutes, he wasn’t far behind

- his mind and all his composer went out the window when he looked down at your stomach and saw a bump from how deep he was inside you, listening to the overstimulated noises coming from your mouth made him cum on the spot

- he stuffed you full with a loud needy moan before looking up to see your face with flour and frosting on it from the counter

- he leaned towards you and licked the flour and frosting off your face before kissing you deeply, continuing to rock his hips slightly