Pairing: Javier Escuella x Female Reader
Summary:
“I came to America because I killed a man in México. A powerful man. I knew if I stayed, everyone I love would die. I ran, not for my life, but for theirs."
**
In 1894, you are the wife of General Velasco, a powerful figure in the Mexican Army. One fateful night in Punta Orgullo, you cross paths with Javier Escuella.
Warnings: pre-video game, eventual smut, headcannon asf, more tags to come, romantic Javier idc, female reader
Punta Orgullo, Nuevo Paraíso, México 1894
El amor, como una rosa, tiene espinas.
That’s what you always said— love, like a rose, has thorns.
Until you met him. Javier. The name alone could make your head spin.
You met him under the stars, amidst the sound of joyous music. You had snuck off into the night, hoping to catch a glimpse of normalcy.
Far away from the agave fields and into the deep night, you found life. Your very own treasure awaited just down the hill from your home, at the heart of Punta Orgullo — a small pueblo by the name of Escalera.
You kept your head down and veiled by a long mantilla. The music filled the small plaza, and you marveled at the resilience of a community that could face so much hardship in the day, but still find moments of joy in the night.
With your back against a wall, you watched the people dance. That’s when he approached you.
His eyes were knowing. He wore a well-maintained baby blue charro suit with golden accents that reminded you of the clear sky on a sunny day. His hair, though mostly concealed by his matching sombrero, peeked through, framing his elegant features and neatly tied in a small ponytail.
"Excuse me," he said, a hand resting on his belt and the other holding a lit cigarette. He put it out with a flick, letting it fall to the ground before snuffing it out under his boot as he drew nearer. Removing his sombrero, he held it to his chest and gave a short bow as a sign of respect before continuing, "I noticed you from across the plaza. I haven’t seen you here before."
“Ah, yes.” You kept your head down, your mantilla shining brightly under the pale moonlight, “This is my first time in the plaza,” you admitted softly.
“Well,” He began, a gentle smile forming on his lips, “would you care for a dance?”
You looked at him with contemplation. The faint scars on his face told stories; a man with a history. His eyes held truth, but more importantly virtue. Would he be asking if he knew you were General Velasco’s wife? The trophy wife of a powerful man so disgustingly corrupt that the mere thought of it sent a stabbing pang through your stomach.
Noticing you were stuck in thought, Javier bent over, using his sombrero to pretend to sweep the sandy floor at your feet. A playful glint danced in his eyes as he then extended his hand in invitation, “One dance. Just one.”
You couldn’t hold back from smiling sincerely at his charming gesture. Unsure of what was to come, you took a leap of faith and accepted. With your hand placed delicately in his, he led you to the swirling crowd of dancing bodies at the center of the plaza.
As you danced slowly, he whispered sweet lyrics of the boleros into your ear. He held you close and tenderly. The two of you danced as if you had known each other forever. In his arms you felt alive.
When the night drew to a close, Javier, in his ever so gentlemanly fashion, insisted he walk you home. His persistence was admirable, but it was then, under the blanket of stars, that you confessed you didn’t reside at the lower levels of the small pueblo. Rather, you lived in the grand villa at the top of the hill, surrounded by other haciendas where only the grossly powerful and corrupt resided.
You feared he might feel betrayed, but he looked at you silently and thoughtfully before gently taking your hand and walking you home anyway. You told him everything about your arranged, loveless marriage. He told you about his mother, sister, and even about his life as a bounty hunter. Under the night sky your fingers remained interlocked as you snuck up the trail to your home.
He helped lift you atop the white stone wall that surrounded the villa. As you sat on the wall looking down at him, he removed his sombrero once more, this time taking out a singular red rose.
“This is for you.” He whispered, extending the rose up to you. You took it delicately, the rose was unarmed, as if he carefully snipped each thorn off one by one.
Just like his love for you from that point on, sin espinas.
You saw him twice a month after that. As ironic as it was, you’d pray just to find a chance to sneak off from your home and find him. You found solace in his presence.
It had been months since that fateful day, yet here you were, still in the confines of the villa.
In the courtyard you continued to tend to the plants, using the large clay pitcher to carefully water the greenery as you overheard your husband— General Alejandro Velasco’s — conversation. He was standing beside the large center courtyard fountain with whom you recognized to be Capitán González.
They ignored you, but you preferred it that way, it gave you the opportunity to listen in.
"Then find them, drag them out there and make them work. They don’t get to make demands." Velasco's voice was filled with fire. He had been growing more and more frustrated with the lack of complete obedience from the people of Punta Orgullo.
"They need to feel our presence. I want patrols doubled in the village. No one walks alone. Any whispers of revolt must be silenced immediately.” He demanded.
Your breathing hitched with his words, but you remained composed. As demands for fair wages and better treatment among the workers and general public intensified, military presence in all of Punta Orgullo had only grown heavier. As word of revolution began, Velasco’s iron fist seemed to grow heavier as he tried to ‘maintain order’ as he put it.
“I can have Cabo Diego and a few others find out who’s starting these whispers.” González replied dutifully.
“Yes. Find them.” Velasco approved, “It’ll be an example for the rest.”
González nodded firmly before turning to depart the gate of the villa and head out into Escalera.
Velasco turned to you, knowing you had been listening in, and cleared his throat to get your attention, “I know what you’re thinking.”
“What am I thinking?” You prompted casually not taking your eyes off the foliage before you.
He sighed heavily, the medals on his suit jingled lightly as he stepped closer, “Look, they’re going to get more aggressive. These are not people we can have conversations with. Rebellion is a disease. I have to put an end to it early.” He placed an arm on your shoulder, willing you to understand. You looked back at him with contempt before subtly shrugging off his touch.
“I’m going to tend to the horses,” was your terse reply before you turned and walked towards the main headquarters of your home. Velasco made no move to follow; this conversation had become all too familiar.
You changed your dress into one more suitable to blend in with the outside world and draped your long mantilla over your head before heading out towards the stables. As you arrived you scanned the area, ensuring no one would be the wiser as you took a detour towards pueblo.
Entering the lower levels of Escalera, you kept your gaze low, luckily the soldiers seemed preoccupied with other matters. Down the white, sandy road you could see two men being grabbed by soldiers and thrown onto the ground. They wore the garments of those who worked in the agave fields, but typically they would be working until the sunset.
Maneuvering expertly through the alleys, you made your way to the pulga.
The pulga was unique in that it was almost a sanctuary free from military surveillance. The gatherings in the plaza that were once joyous events free from soldiers, were rare now that the military had begun to focus on “maintaining order” as they called it. However, they never bothered to stop the pulga as it was the means for a lot of people to live.
The instant aroma of baked bread and leather goods hit you as you entered. Colorful textiles hung from the different vendor stalls. Bodies brushed past each other as people walked around the market with the intent to buy, sell, or trade. This afternoon the pulga seemed unusually crowded, as it was just buzzing with activity.
You heard his smoky laugh before you even saw him. It was a sound you’d come to recognize anywhere. With his back turned all you could see was his guitar strapped to his back and his sombrero hanging low on his head. He stood in front of Doña Lupe’s stall, where she sold handmade jewelry as well as any other miscellaneous items she could get her hands on.
You approached the stall, the older woman greeted you first. Doña Lupe was one of the few people that knew about the whole ‘married to the general’ situation, but Javier trusted her and that was enough for you to trust her too. She was a kind older woman; she couldn’t do much physical labor anymore, so the pulga was her means of getting by.
As Javier heard the woman’s sweet greeting towards you, he turned with a beaming smile, “Hey! You’re here.” He took your hand and pressed his lips gently to its top, kissing your skin dearly and making everything else in the world seem to fade away with his touch.
“I just saw you last week, didn’t think I’d see you again this soon,” His slanted smile reappeared as he returned his cigarette to hang from his lips, “Not that I’m complaining.” He added with a playful wink.
“I needed to get away.” You admitted. His smile faltered and his eyebrows filled with concern for half a second before Doña Lupe interrupted.
“Well, we are glad to have you,” She smiled, her eyes shifted towards Javier. “Javier was just getting something detailed.”
Javier cleared his throat, “Ah yes. Well, after pleading with the workers all morning, I had some free time.” Javier chuckled at your puzzled look as you wondered if that had anything to do with the amount of people at the pulga today.
“I finally convinced them. None of the jimadores are working until they get the fair wages they deserve.” He explained, you nodded in understanding, though a pang of worry stirred within you as you remembered the conversation you overheard this morning.
“I heard them today,” You began in a hushed tone, “Said they’re going to double the patrols… They want to find the people organizing the revolts and make an example of them.”
Doña Lupe gasped and quickly looked at Javier with concern. His eyebrows raised at your words, then he clicked his tongue with displeasure.
“We’ll all be okay.” He reassured the both of you. “Nothing to worry about. They already gathered some people who were still in their work clothes, if one of them talked we’d know by now.”
You nodded in understanding, hoping he was right. It was no secret that Javier was one of the people spearheading what Velasco would call rebellious acts and revolution-driven conversations. Many respected him for it, many expressed their gratitude for his courage, but you couldn’t help but worry for his safety.
“We should leave,” You suggested, “We can go by the river.”
His gaze met yours before happily agreeing, which you were grateful for as you didn’t want to stay here and wait for him to get caught. The two of you gave Doña Lupe an earnest goodbye before moving to the other stalls to buy bread, then heading North towards the river.
You had to move quickly and quietly to leave the pueblo. Javier took the lead, holding your hand and leading you down the labyrinth of white alleys to avoid patrolling soldiers.
“Aguas!” He whispered urgently, “Hold on.”
He halted, pressing against you firmly to have your back against a wall and both his hands braced on either side of you. You could feel the warmth of his body as he peered around the corner of the building cautiously.
“Is someone there?” You asked, your voice barely more than a whisper.
“No,” he replied with a playful grin, turning his attention back to you, “I just realized I hadn’t done this yet.”
He brought a hand down to gently cup your face. He leaned in, pressing his lips softly against yours. You melted into the kiss, having missed the sensation since the last time you saw him. You both stood there against the building, lips passionately connected. Your smile grew against his lips, wishing to cherish every moment with him. He let out a happy sigh as he pulled back, taking your hand to continue leaving the area.
The San Luis River was desolate and surprisingly calming. It was like a mirror of stillness, reminding you of all the times Javier and you sought moments of peace here. The gravel crunched beneath your feet as the two of you stepped closer, finding a spot to sit in the sun along the cool water.
You removed your mantilla, glad you didn’t need to hide now that you were away from the village. You sat shoulder to shoulder, your head rested against his shoulder as you stared out into the flowing river. Javier didn’t bother looking at the water as his eyes were solely focused on you.
“So,” He began, breaking the comfortable silence, “about earlier — you said you had to get away, what’d he do this time?” Javier asked, ripping a piece of bread to hand to you before popping a piece in his own mouth.
You took the bread from his hand, fiddling with it as your gaze averted to the gravel beside you, “It’s just what I told you before.”
He hummed and nodded in understanding, thinking quietly before continuing, “I’ll be fine.”
Your heart tensed with a wave of melancholy, his words sounding like he was trying to convince himself as much as he was trying to convince you.
Your sorrowful gaze met his, and he chuckled quietly, “Mi dama perfecta, mi diosa,” He murmured between the kisses he was planting around your cheek, “Preciosa, you have nothing to worry about.”
A warm smile crept across your face at his affectionate words. Despite your lingering doubts, you chose to let the matter rest. “I was thinking about you earlier,” you said softly, “about how we met.”
Javier began to laugh heartily, “Qué buena suerte that I changed to that suit last minute, no? I almost showed up in this.” He gestured to his very worn, black pants and brown blazer, making you laugh along with him.
“I always think of you,” He winked as he kissed the top of your hand once more, “Sueño de tu belleza.”
You smiled, leaning your head against his shoulder again before looking out into the water with a contented sigh. You felt true joy in these stolen moments with Javier. Away from the relentless demands and pressure from your daily life.
“To think, there’s a whole other country out there, just across that river.” Javier gestured his head to the land on the other side of the San Luis River. You could see the red rocks and cacti of New Austin shimmering on the horizon.
“We could go,” You muttered barely audibly. Part of you knew it would be impossible, but the other part of you wished it to be true. A sense of longing swelled in your heart. If only it were that easy to leave. Your stomach began to sink. His silence was deafening.
Javier shifted beside you and gulped lightly before letting out a short chuckle, “I– um… I have a lot of work to do here,” was all he could muster to say.
You glanced at him, and he to you. You caught each other’s gaze for only a split second before he turned back to the water, picking up a stone and chucking it into the river. But in that split second you saw the weight of duty in his eyes. You understood. He had a responsibility, he felt, to the people of Punta Orgullo. He had purpose and a place here, and most importantly he was a man of virtue. It was one of the things you appreciated most about him— his commitment to his community— but when you looked out into the horizon, you couldn’t help but feel a longing for a life with just the two of you.
You continued to sit beside each other in a comfortable silence, both seemingly thinking of what could be.
Javier shifted to bring his guitar in front of him before beginning to quietly strum. Your eyes were fixated on the glowing horizon. You wondered what life could be across that water as he hummed along to the boleros he played, muttering a few words here and there.
A few minutes passed and as the sun began to kiss the horizon you knew you should be heading home. Though Velasco was never one to question your whereabouts, considering he would often disappear into the guest chambers with strangers, you felt a nagging responsibility to be there for when he decided to eventually call it a night in your shared bed.
You walked back carefully together, keeping any conversations lighthearted as if to avoid the weight of the conversation from earlier. On the way back you both decided to stop by Javier’s shared home to drop off the extra bread you bought them from the market.
His home was rather humble; a small building made of white stone. Though it appeared only a quarter the size of the villa you called home, the inside radiated a warmth far surpassing anything your own home could offer.
As you stepped inside you were immediately greeted by the voices of his family members. His mother rose from her kneeling space in front of their altar to greet you warmly with a tight hug. She was a kind woman, Dolores. She spent most of her days in front of the altar, though you could never tell if she was praying for the present or for the past. You just know that every so often she’d mutter the name Emiliano, the name of Javier’s late father.
“You’re home,” she turned to Javier, giving a warm smile as he set his belongings near the door. “I was starting to think you’d gone off bounty hunting,” she joked, nodding toward you, clearly noting that he had chosen to spend the day with you.
Javier chuckled, greeting his mother with a kind hug before shaking his head, “Not today. I told you I had to speak with the jimadores this morning. I think the demands are going to work.” He finished with a hopeful tone.
His mother let out a stiff sigh, but Javier ignored her discontent, “Then I got distracted.” He smiled cheekily at you.
“Javier…” His mother replied, ignoring his cheeky comment, clearly concerned, “They beat multiple men today. You’re lucky no one was killed because of what you did.” You winced slightly at the words.
“Ya basta amá,” Javier replied, trying to deflect her concern.
“There were more soldiers walking around today than ever before.” She admitted, “I just don’t want things to get out of control.”
“They’re already out of control.” Javier replied tiredly, this conversation seemingly a common one between the pair.
You retreated into the kitchen, dropping off the bread at their table where his younger sister, Carmen, was seated.
“They came looking for him.” She stated nonchalantly, ripping off a piece of bread before popping it into her mouth, similar to the way Javier had done earlier.
You froze at her words, a cold shiver sneaking down your spine, “What?”
“One of the Cabos,” She explained, “Him and two soldiers knocked on our door looking for Javier. That’s why amá is mad. He’s lucky he wasn’t here.”
“Did they say what they wanted?” You asked, anxiety threading through your voice. Your mind had already begun to race with the unsettling possibilities: What if someone had spotted your excursion and informed Velasco? What if a worker had revealed that it was Javier who convinced them to halt work until fair wages were met? What would they do with him? Would they try him with treason?
“No,” Carmen shook her head, “They didn’t say.”
You nodded and turned on your heel back into the main room. Javier’s eyes darted towards you, knowingly. He had just been given the same news, albeit much harsher, from his mother.
Javier nervously ran a hand through his hair, “I think…” He hesitated, searching for the right words, “I think it’s nothing to worry about. It could be anything.”
Dolores gave a judgemental hum before retreating to the altar, murmuring a prayer.
You bit your lip nervously, “I think I should walk home. Alone.”
“No,” He shook his head immediately, “There’s more soldiers now.”
“I’ll be fine,” You reassured him. He gave in, knowing there was not much else he could do. He pulled you into a hug before planting a tender kiss against your forehead as he bid you goodbye.
Under the night’s shadow, you made your way sneakily through the rows of houses as you climbed up the hill, avoiding the staircases as they were more likely to be populated. You eventually lifted yourself over the white stone wall and into the villa with a small thump.
You dusted off your dress and took off your mantilla. To calm yourself you took deep breaths, making your way into the main headquarters. Nothing seemed particularly out of order. Matter of fact, everything seemed eerily normal. You grabbed a cup of water, trying to calm your nerves before heading into your shared room.
When you opened the door, you let out a sigh of relief seeing that Velasco hadn’t made his way there yet. You swiftly changed into your nightgown, readying for bed, hoping you could fall asleep before he arrived.
As fate would have it though, the door creaked open as you covered yourself with the blanket.
“Ah, here you are.” He announced as he entered, closing the door behind him. “I was looking for you earlier.”
You silently nodded, “We must’ve missed each other.” You lied easily, this wasn’t the first time you had to deceive him.
He entered the restroom to change into his night clothes and prepare for bed, still calling out to you. “Look, I know earlier you were… upset. I thought about it, talked it over with some of the other men and I think a conversation with the rebels might be beneficial.”
You were thankful he was in another room, as the look on your face was filled with confusion, this is not what you expected the conversation to be.
“Oh,” was all you could say, cautious of what he would say next.
“I had Cabo Diego find the men who are at the root of these discussions of revolt.” He continued, now re-entering the bedroom. You were holding yourself up with your arms to meet his gaze, hoping your eyes weren’t giving anything away.
“And I invited a few of them for dinner— well the ones I could find.” He shrugged, sliding himself into bed beside you. You shifted over, uncomfortable with his proximity, a feeling you had come to accept but could never fully reconcile with.
“There was one the men couldn’t find, but I will send him an invitation first thing in the morning. They must all be here for us to come to an agreement on where things are headed.” He explained matter-of-factly. Your stomach twisted, knowing exactly who they were looking for.
You nodded in understanding, slowly sliding your arms to lay yourself in bed properly, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
He looked at you puzzled, “Of course. I thought you of all people would prefer it this way.” He blew out the candles beside your bed, turning himself over to sleep, “Well, it’s settled now; they'll be here tomorrow.”
