Fixing things - Willie Guttierez x you
Willie is on my top 3 favorite Joaquin's characters and so underrrated! so I wanted to post a little something, he's so broody and needing to be loved (Lots in commong with Commodus don't you think?)
TheĀ knockĀ came atĀ 2:13 AM.Ā Three sharp, deliberateĀ knocks. NothingĀ friendly, someone who did not hesitate.Ā The kind of knock that told you to answer or else.Ā You could have gotten scared, called theĀ copsĀ but you knew who was at your door. There could only be one man...Ā
Willie Guttirez stood there with blood dried at his temple, a bruise swelling just under his cheekbone, and his shirt damp at the collar. Not from rainĀ but from fighting,Ā perhaps runningĀ away too.Ā
HeĀ didnātĀ say a word,Ā didnātĀ smile either. He simply wanted to come in.Ā
You stared at him. āAre you hurt?āĀ you asked, detailing him. He wore an expensive suit, crumpled, with some specks of blood on it, ruined.Ā Ā
He tilted his head,Ā hisĀ eyes finally meeting yours. āGot a smoke?āĀ he asked, ignoring your question,Ā perhaps pretendingĀ to be fine.Ā Ā
YouĀ could have closed the door, you could haveĀ toldĀ himĀ youĀ werenātĀ hisĀ pit stop,Ā hisĀ clean place to landĀ whenĀ thingsĀ gotĀ messy. ButĀ youĀ didnātĀ because you cared enough to want to shelterĀ him;Ā even if it put you in trouble.Ā YouĀ steppedĀ back and letĀ himĀ in.Ā
He brushed past you,Ā putting his jacketĀ on a chair, as if he wanted his intrusion to be as ordered as possible, not bring chaos in your life.Ā You could smellĀ somethingĀ like metal and engine grease and sweat. Like heĀ hadnātĀ stoppedĀ working and running since dusk.Ā HeĀ went toĀ sit on the edge of your couch, not wanting to dirty it,Ā perhaps readyĀ to bolt if something badĀ happened.Ā
āYouĀ scared?āĀ heĀ asked,Ā lightingĀ the cigaretteĀ youĀ handedĀ him.Ā
āShould I be?ā you asked back,Ā sittingĀ in front in front ofĀ him.Ā
Willie grinned without humor. āDependsĀ what you know.āĀ YouĀ watchedĀ himĀ takeĀ a long drag,Ā headĀ tippedĀ back,Ā throatĀ working.Ā HisĀ fingersĀ wereĀ nickedĀ andĀ bruised, oneĀ knuckleĀ swollen. ButĀ heĀ heldĀ the cigaretteĀ gently,Ā his hand slightly trembling.Ā
āYouĀ alwaysĀ show up likeĀ this?āĀ youĀ asked. āAllā¦Ā busted.āĀ
HeĀ exhaledĀ slowlyĀ āOnlyĀ whenĀ thingsĀ goĀ sideways.āĀ
āWhatĀ happenedĀ tonight?āĀ youĀ pushed,Ā tiredĀ of being kept into ignorance.Ā
WillieĀ didnātĀ answer.Ā HisĀ kneeĀ bouncedĀ once, andĀ hisĀ eyesĀ flickedĀ towardĀ theĀ darkĀ window. āDoesnātĀ matter.āĀ
āYouāre bleeding, Willie.āĀ youĀ reachedĀ out,Ā takingĀ holdĀ ofĀ hisĀ hand. It must have beenĀ soĀ heavyĀ forĀ himĀ toĀ keepĀ allĀ thoseĀ secrets; toĀ beĀ aloneĀ inĀ it.Ā
HeĀ laughedĀ bitterly,Ā justĀ once. āItāsĀ not mine.āĀ
YouĀ swallowedĀ down,Ā retreatingĀ yourĀ hand. Something inĀ yourĀ chestĀ turnedĀ cold...toĀ thinkĀ WillieĀ wasĀ able to putĀ himselfĀ soĀ low.Ā
ItāsĀ notĀ whatĀ youĀ think.āĀ heĀ added,Ā sensingĀ yourĀ discomfort.Ā A flicker of fear passed through his eyes. He was afraidĀ that you,Ā his only safe placeĀ would push him away.Ā
āIsnāt it?āĀ you retorted, hearing police sirens outside.Ā Perhaps theyĀ were looking for him. Luckily, your ties with him hadĀ remainedĀ hidden, even from your own parents.Ā
He looked at you then,Ā tiredĀ andĀ vulnerableĀ āIĀ didnātĀ come here to scare you. Just needed somewhere thatĀ donātĀ reek of cheap whiskey andĀ failure.āĀ
You hesitated, thenĀ came toĀ sit beside him. āYou always land here when that happens.āĀ
āYeah...āĀ he said after a beat. āYeah, I do.āĀ HeĀ tookĀ anotherĀ dragĀ before looking down at his bloodiedĀ handsĀ .Ā āIĀ seeĀ guysĀ living normal...clockingĀ in, picking up dryĀ cleaning,Ā goingĀ home toĀ wivesĀ thatĀ askĀ howĀ theirĀ dayĀ went. And IĀ think...Ā thatĀ couldāveĀ been me.Ā I shouldāve.Ā InsteadĀ I ended up in a bloody pit that keeps gettingĀ worse and worse. And when the end of it will come,Ā IāllĀ be the one paying for it...because I got too greedy.āĀ
HisĀ voiceĀ wasĀ differentĀ now, quieter. LikeĀ heādĀ crackedĀ andĀ onlyĀ justĀ noticed.Ā āIĀ gotĀ lostĀ somewhere.āĀ heĀ said. āSomewhereĀ betweenĀ theĀ yards,Ā theĀ lies,Ā politicsĀ and theĀ fists. And IĀ donātĀ know how toĀ come back.āĀ
YouĀ turnedĀ yourĀ head,Ā meetingĀ hisĀ eyes. āThenĀ donātĀ go backĀ there.āĀ
He scoffed, but itĀ wasnātĀ sharp.Ā āItāsĀ not that easy. Here I am valued for my work. Out thereĀ IāllĀ just be the Puerto Rican worth nothing but poor jobs.Ā CauseĀ thatāsĀ what immigrantsĀ have toĀ accept.Ā IĀ donātĀ gotĀ the blueprint for something else.āĀ
You reached for his hand, just a brush of your fingers. But he latched on like it grounded him.Ā āIĀ ainātĀ good atĀ this.āĀ heĀ saidĀ sofly, the muscles of his jaw working.Ā
YouĀ squeezedĀ hisĀ hand,Ā firm. āThenĀ stayĀ here. Just forĀ tonight.āĀ
HeĀ didnātĀ answer. JustĀ leanedĀ intoĀ yourĀ shoulder,Ā headĀ bowed,Ā breathĀ warmĀ againstĀ yourĀ shirt. And for the first timeĀ sinceĀ youādĀ knownĀ him, WillieĀ didnātĀ tryĀ toĀ beĀ tough.Ā HeĀ justĀ stayedĀ quiet,Ā andĀ heĀ remainedĀ byĀ yourĀ side.Ā
*TheĀ morningĀ after*Ā
SunlightĀ spilledĀ acrossĀ theĀ floor.Ā YourĀ apartmentĀ smelledĀ faintlyĀ of cigarettes and cold coffee. TheĀ windowĀ wasĀ crackedĀ open,Ā lettingĀ in theĀ lazyĀ hum of the cityĀ startingĀ to wakeĀ up;Ā trucks in the distance, a dogĀ barking,Ā someoneĀ cursingĀ intoĀ a phone. LifeĀ goingĀ onĀ asĀ usual.Ā
And Willie was asleep on your couch.Ā One armĀ drapedĀ acrossĀ hisĀ eyes. TheĀ otherĀ hangingĀ limplyĀ off theĀ sideĀ likeĀ heādĀ fallenĀ thereĀ insteadĀ of laid down.Ā HisĀ bootsĀ wereĀ stillĀ on.Ā His jacketĀ balledĀ upĀ underĀ hisĀ head. ThatĀ bruiseĀ onĀ hisĀ cheekĀ hadĀ darkenedĀ overnight,Ā nowĀ a blooming violetĀ againstĀ theĀ morningĀ light.Ā
YouĀ stoodĀ in theĀ kitchenĀ withĀ aĀ chippedĀ mug of coffee andĀ justĀ watchedĀ him.Ā HeĀ lookedĀ youngerĀ whenĀ heĀ slept, more peaceful. Like the hardĀ edgesĀ thatĀ heldĀ himĀ togetherĀ hadĀ loosened,Ā softenedĀ in theĀ stillness.Ā HisĀ mouthĀ wasĀ slightlyĀ open,Ā breathĀ slow.Ā ChestĀ risingĀ andĀ fallingĀ beneathĀ theĀ sameĀ wrinkledĀ shirtĀ fromĀ last night.Ā
YouĀ didnātĀ wakeĀ him;Ā wanting to protect that peace a little longer.Ā ButĀ afterĀ a few minutes,Ā heĀ stirred.Ā HeĀ blinkedĀ blearilyĀ atĀ theĀ ceiling, andĀ groanedĀ likeĀ theĀ weightĀ of theĀ worldĀ hadĀ justĀ rememberedĀ whereĀ itĀ leftĀ him.Ā
āShit.ā he muttered, dragging a hand down his face. āWhat time is it?āĀ he asked to himself, blinking as heĀ tried toĀ lookĀ at his watch.Ā
āLittle after nine.āĀ you answered before him.Ā He was almost startled by your presence. He sat up, shoulders stiff, wincing as he moved. Then, he looked around as if recollecting the events of last night.Ā ThenĀ hisĀ eyesĀ landedĀ onĀ you, hisĀ expressionĀ unreadable.Ā
āYouĀ gotĀ anyĀ aspirin?āĀ heĀ asked.Ā
YouĀ raisedĀ yourĀ mug. āYouĀ gotĀ anyĀ manners?āĀ you grinned, reaching in the drawer for aspirin.Ā Ā
ThatĀ earnedĀ theĀ smallestĀ smile.Ā HeĀ scratchedĀ atĀ hisĀ jaw,Ā stillĀ groggy. āIĀ didnātĀ meanĀ toĀ fallĀ asleep.Ā And...goodĀ morning.āĀ
āI know.Ā And...goodĀ morningĀ Willie.āĀ You set the coffee down andĀ handedĀ himĀ twoĀ aspirinĀ and a glass of water. HeĀ tookĀ themĀ withoutĀ aĀ word,Ā thenĀ heldĀ the glass for a second likeĀ heĀ didnātĀ knowĀ whatĀ to doĀ next.Ā
āIĀ donātĀ usuallyĀ doĀ this.āĀ heĀ commented,Ā thoughful.Ā
YouĀ archedĀ aĀ brow. āBleedĀ all overĀ someoneāsĀ couchĀ at 2 AM?āĀ
HisĀ lipsĀ twitched. āNo. Wake upĀ somewhereĀ safe.Ā With warm coffee and...aspirin.āĀ he scoffed bitterly. Something so simple, yet heĀ wasnātĀ used to it.Ā
YouĀ went to sitĀ beside him. The couch creaked under the shared weight.Ā HeĀ turnedĀ hisĀ headĀ to look atĀ you.Ā āIĀ meantĀ whatĀ IĀ saidĀ lastĀ night.āĀ heĀ murmured.Ā āIĀ donātĀ gotĀ theĀ blueprintĀ forĀ thisĀ kindĀ of life. IĀ donātĀ know howĀ toĀ beĀ worthĀ it...how toĀ not to fuckĀ itĀ up.āĀ
YouĀ noddedĀ inĀ understandingĀ .Ā āThenĀ startĀ small.āĀ HeĀ tiltedĀ hisĀ head, curious.Ā āStartĀ withĀ coffee.āĀ youĀ said. āNoĀ schemes, no trafficking.Ā Just⦠coffeeĀ on a normalĀ sunnyĀ morning.āĀ
WillieĀ staredĀ atĀ youĀ a moment longer.Ā ThenĀ leanedĀ forward,Ā elbowsĀ onĀ hisĀ knees, and let out a longĀ breathĀ thatĀ soundedĀ likeĀ itĀ hadĀ beenĀ heldĀ in forĀ years.Ā Silence filled theĀ appartment, itĀ wasnātĀ uncomfortable.Ā OnlyĀ theĀ soundĀ of the cityĀ outsideĀ and the drops of coffee drippingĀ intoĀ the carafe.Ā
WillieāsĀ thumbĀ wasĀ rubbingĀ slowĀ circlesĀ on the glass inĀ hisĀ hands. YouĀ watchedĀ himĀ fromĀ theĀ kitchenĀ counter,Ā havineĀ gone to refill your mug,Ā sippingĀ yourĀ second cup,Ā pretendingĀ not to notice theĀ wayĀ hisĀ gazeĀ driftedĀ nowĀ andĀ thenĀ overĀ yourĀ shelves, theĀ crackedĀ baseboard, theĀ bustedĀ cabinetĀ hingeĀ thatĀ hadĀ beenĀ brokenĀ sinceĀ lastĀ winter.Ā
āYourĀ drawerĀ sticks.āĀ heĀ saidĀ suddenly.Ā
YouĀ blinked. āWhat?āĀ
WillieĀ noddedĀ towardĀ theĀ kitchen. āThat oneĀ nextĀ to theĀ stove. TopĀ drawer.Ā CatchesĀ at theĀ side.āĀ
āYeah...ā you agreed, wondering where he was going with that observationĀ āItāsĀ been likeĀ thatĀ forĀ months.āĀ
HeĀ stood.Ā StretchedĀ withĀ aĀ wince,Ā thenĀ crossedĀ the room barefoot.Ā He openedĀ theĀ drawer, pulledĀ itĀ outĀ halfwayĀ and studiedĀ it.Ā
āIĀ gotĀ aĀ screwdriverĀ inĀ myĀ car.āĀ
YouĀ leanedĀ againstĀ theĀ counter. āDo IĀ evenĀ wantĀ to knowĀ whyĀ youĀ keepĀ toolsĀ inĀ yourĀ car?āĀ
He shotĀ youĀ aĀ smirkĀ overĀ hisĀ shoulder. āLetāsĀ justĀ sayĀ IĀ donātĀ alwaysĀ use āemĀ for cabinets.āĀ
Still, he disappeared out the door.Ā He came back five minutes later with a small, beat-up toolkit and that same hungry kind of focus in his eyesĀ but now it was aimed at something small, daily.Ā HeĀ leanedĀ fowardsĀ andĀ workedĀ in silence. YouĀ watchedĀ fromĀ theĀ counter,Ā sittingĀ onĀ yourĀ stool,Ā chinĀ restingĀ onĀ yourĀ hand. HeĀ wasĀ fast, confidentĀ inĀ hisĀ workĀ likeĀ heādĀ doneĀ thisĀ aĀ hundredĀ timesĀ before.Ā
āYou doĀ thisĀ aĀ lot?āĀ youĀ finishedĀ asking,Ā truly impressed.Ā
HeĀ didnātĀ look up, keeping on fixing your drawer. āUsed to. Before I started following the wrong people.āĀ TheĀ screwdriverĀ clickedĀ once,Ā twice.Ā āFiguredĀ IādĀ beĀ someĀ kindĀ ofĀ handyman...OwnĀ a shop,Ā nothingĀ big. Justā¦ā HeĀ trailedĀ off,Ā thenĀ shrugged. āDidnātĀ happen.āĀ
YouĀ wereĀ quiet a moment.Ā āYouĀ couldĀ stillĀ doĀ that.āĀ you suggested.Ā
WillieĀ paused.Ā ThenĀ heĀ testedĀ theĀ drawer.Ā It was smooth, no catch.Ā ItĀ slidĀ in and out likeĀ itĀ wasĀ brand new.Ā HeĀ smiled, satisfied as he wipedĀ hisĀ hands onĀ hisĀ jeans. āGuess I can fix aĀ thingĀ orĀ two.āĀ
YouĀ smiled. āYouĀ wantĀ aĀ medalĀ MrĀ Guttierez?āĀ you teased him.Ā
HeĀ grinned. āNah.Ā AĀ bagelĀ willĀ do.āĀ
YouĀ tossedĀ himĀ oneĀ fromĀ theĀ counter. HeĀ caughtĀ itĀ and came to sit at your counter, with such hunger that it felt likeĀ a bagelĀ the best reward he could receive.Ā A normalĀ lifeĀ wasĀ perhaps possibleĀ after allĀ and you know Willie could have the ambition to succeed at it.Ā As long asĀ someone believed in him.Ā
I hope you enjoyed reading this! don't hesitate to say it if you would like to read more fics about Willie, I got a few drafts laying around ^^
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