#no i don't have a specific address for her but she has a Fun Neighbor

[unamused-boss]

California Dreaming pt2

disclaimer! Yo, so I moved recently. That is why I have been slow with somethings. So part 2 to California Dreaming. Hope you enjoy!

Billy Hargrove x reader

Summary: Max and Billy could only agree on one thing in common…. and that was you. You were their neighbor when the lived in California and Billy had the biggest crush on you. Plus it helped that you babysat, more like hangout with, Max. You were his California dream. Now all he can do I reminisce about you.

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Billy was spending his day ay 3:50 like he always has ever since coming to Indiana. Driving 70 on a 45, with Max in shot-gun waiting to get home. It has been over a month an Billy still can't stand being here. He hasn't even changed his license plate yet cause he can't swallow the idea of having an Indiana plate instead of California.

He misses it all. He already knows he can't get you off his mind. He still remembers every detail of the hand full of dates you guys went on. Billy had a code, a never the same girl twice code unless he's just looking for some fun. You were more than fun, you were everything to him. He can't just let you go so easily. He gave you the address of his new house in hopes of writing to you, but he's been to chicken shit to write anything. Not only is his hand writing not the best, he wouldn't know what to say to you. Max had written to you for a bit, but he doesn't keep up with what she does.

"Do you think about Y/N at all?" Max suddenly quipped. Breaking Billy from his thoughts, he glanced to Max for a minute.

"Why are you asking." He sighed. Trying to focus on the road instead of the conversation.

"I just think you're missing them a lot, I am." Max said, looking down to her lap. She's trying not to upset Billy but she just misses you to much not to. She told the party about you but that conversation didn't last long.

"Yeah." It was now Billy's turn to break Max from her thoughts. "I miss Y/N more than anything." Billy didn't look to Max when he said it. Continuing look forward toward the road in hopes of something new.

"What do you miss?" Max asked.

"What?" Billy is now confused.

"What do you miss about them?!" Max said a bit louder. "You and I both know we'd go back to see Y/N if we could." Max had a point. She knows Billy has been to the travel agency to get flights to California but he doesn't have enough money yet. The only reason she knows is because that's were Dustin's mom works. He told her he saw Billy come in asking about flights to California. Specifically Santa Monica, were your house is and where their old house is. Billy was stunned, actually he did not know what to say.

"I miss when Y/N and I would go to the mall together..." Max remembers the days you would take her to the mall. Billy would usually be busy with something. While Neil would drag her mom off somewhere. Max's mom never really kept her promises to Max. So you stepped in for her. Max remembers when you took her to buy her walkman and first cassette tape.

You and Max walked out of the store giggling. You had just bought Max her first cassette. Kate Bush. Max was eleven and you were sixteen. Having been babysitting Max since she moved next door and taking her to skate parks, you thought it was time to take her to the mall. You used the money you had saved for this exact moment. With a bag in each hand you turn to Max.

"So MadMax, What do you think?" You ask her, grinning down to her.

"This is the coolest!" Max exclaimed looking at the cassette in her hands. She thought you were the coolest person ever.

"How about we get something from the food court? Billy said he would come to get us in half an hour." You said. That's when Max stopped in her tracks.

A with a disgusted look on her face she says, "What, really Billy?! I don't see what you see in him?"

"What?" You responded, with a light shade of blush on your cheeks and ears.

"You are Best Friends with Billy, I don't get it." Max said rather aggressively, "Why be friends with him, he's a buttface!"

"How about you get the table and I explain when I get us some food." You said, handing the bags over to Max to get a burger at the mall Burger King... Once you got your two burgers and fries you sat with Max.

"So what's got you so bent out of shape with me and Billy?"

"He's just so mean! Like all the time and you are his only friend." Max said taking a bite into her burger.

"I'm not his only friend, his got a lot of friends I've seen them at school."

"You're the only friend he likes." Max knew about Billy's crush on you. With the many downs of having connected air vents, the one plus was that she could hear Billy confess his feelings to imaginary you at least once a week.

"Listen Max, I know you don't care but Billy has been through some nasty stuff before you came into his life." You said.

"Then why does he have to be mean to me about it then."

"He's just... complicated.... feelings are complicated. And those feelings have nothing to do with you." You somewhat explained.

"Then what is it?"

"I really shouldn't open this can of worms with you, but what the hell.." You sighed. "Billy- Billy lost his mom when he was a little younger than you." You saying that got Max's attention, she didn't know anything about Billy's mom. Other than Nail yelling about her some nights. "Billy is the sweetest guy I know, when I was getting picked on in elementary school Billy scared off my bullies." Max was looking to you with such intent. Her and Billy have never really bonded, they had their moments but those moments are barley talked about.

"And Just to tell you, Billy was a small kid till middle school." You laughed, Max did too. "But ever since he did that we have been best friends since... and I know if he did that for me, I can do it for him." Hearing this Max understood the relationship a bit more now. It wasn't some weird convince for both of you. You both helped each other in many ways. "Plus don't tell Billy but his ears turn red when he gets embarrassed." Now Max shouted with laughter at that.

"Really!" Max exclaimed.

"For real." You said matter a factly. Flipping your wrist over to see the time, your watch read 1:30. You start gathering your stuff, "Come on kid, Billy will be here any minute to pick us up." An with that the moment was over. Max was now back in the blue Camaro in Hawkins, not the Santa Monica mall.

"I miss hearing Y/N laugh." Billy said, somewhat quietly. It was out of character for him. Max's head snaps to him.

"Really?" Max said.

"Yes shit-bird." Billy stated. "I miss everything about them. Y/N was the only thing I had... now they're across the country."

"So you're sad?" Max questioned.

"For fuck sake Max, YES!" Now Max see's it. The sensitive Billy you had talked about. The one that took you to the eight grade formal the middle school had, he even took you to freshmen homecoming. Only saying it was as friends though Billy was to scared to actually ask you. Billy remembers the last date you guys went on before he moved. He took you out to a remote field, one with an ocean view. Like in movies. Billy dressed in his best pants in his opinion, the ones that make his ass look good. You looked breath taking, dress how you wanted. Billy always looked to you with stars in his eyes, cause you were his universe. You guys were sitting on the head of his Camaro taking in the night sky.

"Billy." You breathed out, "Will you miss me?"

Billy's head snapped to you. "What makes you think I won't?" It seemed like at out of pocket question. He will miss you more than anything in California.

"I know, stupid question..." You said. "It's just- It hit me that I won't see you Monday at school. I won't see you at lunch. I won't see you till, I don't know when I'll see you again." Tears were starting to well up in your eyes. They started spilling out down your cheeks. You couldn't stop. Billy brought his hand up to the apple of your cheek an stroked your tears away.

"I will miss you." Billy said to you, tilting your head up to meet his eyes. "The feelings I have for you will not go away, even in Indiana."

"You know you can date other girls right?" You laughed. "I don't want to hold you back from having fun." Tears were still streaming down your face. Billy looked to you with sad eyes. He doesn't want another girl, especially some cow in Indiana.

"I don't want to." Billy said. "I want you."

"I know Billy, I want you to but... I'll try to come see you." You suggested. "Maybe for spring break or over the summer."

"I don't want to wait."

"Neither do I, but... us moving forward from this will help." You said.

"You shitting me!" Billy exclaimed. "I want no one but you, Y/N. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I will do whatever it is you want or what I have to do to be happy with you. I will do anything for you." You don't think you've ever seen Billy more serious in his life. And that's after thinking he could do a handstand on a tower of kegs. You want to be selfish, keep him and Max with you. But the universe has other ideas.

"Let's go home Billy." You said softly. With that Billy Hargrove drove the speed limit to your home not his. Billy's house wasn't a home your house was more of a home for him ever since his mom left. He parked his car in your driveway, knowing your parents park in the garage. You both go to your room upstairs, take your shoes off, and climb into your bed holding each other for the night. It was a way of comfort you guys had in private. No one knew that Billy was a cuddler. You both stayed like that till you fell asleep. An when you woke up the next morning Billy was already up an at his house moving boxes into a moving truck to go to Indiana. You saw all the commotion from your bedroom window. You go downstairs as fast as you can, grabbing a jacket to go over your date outfit from last night. You run out your front door, bare foot in your front lawn. You just stare at what was going on in front of you. It seemed that the last of the boxes were being moved into the truck to be taken away. Max was making her way out the front door for the last time to see you. She drops her skateboard on the ground and starts running to you.

"Maxine!" Niel yells. Billy is just staring from his car since he was driving separate from the rest.

Max tackled you into a hug. If she squeezed any tighter you would pop like a bubble. "I'm going to miss you Y/N." There were tears coming down from her eyes an staining your jacket.

"I'll miss you to Max." You kiss the top of her head. Giving her one quick squeeze till...

"Maxine, let go. We got to get to Indiana!" Neil shouted from his car. Honking the horn. Max left you, grabbed her board to get into the car. He turned to Billy and handed him an envelope.

"This is the address of the house when you get to Indiana, idiot." Neil stated, "Hopefully you'll get lost..." He whispered that last part but Billy still heard it. The wheels of Niels car screeched out of the driveway into the road driving away. With Max looking out at the back at you going further away. You turn back to Billy as he wakes up to you.

"This is our new address 4510, Cherry Lane SW, Hawkins Indiana." He seemed less that enthused to tell you the information. And in it appears Billy already had it written down for you to take.

"You should write Max, she'll miss you." Billy suggested. You look up to him. Having said nothing yet. "You're kinda creeping me out with the no talking thing babe?" Babe... something Billy started calling you when you guys went on your first date last week. No he won't call you babe ever again. You look up to Billy.

"I love you Billy Hargrove." With that all the weight Billy had felt leave his body as he leaned into kiss your lips. They were soft as expected. The kiss felt electric. Everything was there all at once. Every moment. Heartbreak. Laugh. Cry. All of it was there, you and billy were in the center of it all. In your pocket of dream.

"I love you too, Y/N." Billy says once the kiss breaks. No words were said after that. Billy held you close one more time then walked to his car. Getting in the front drivers seat. Starting the engine. Then Driving away, like Max, watching you through the revue mirror. As you slowly walk back up to your house. The car came to a complete stop on Hawkins, Cherry Lane. Billy is now back in Hawkins without you. Max got out of the car, slamming the door shut to make her way up to the house. Billy thought he should do the same then, hopefully not be bothered by anyone else in the house.

"Billy!" Neil shouted. Billy froze, he really didn't want another "talking to" from his dad this week. He slowly turns to Neil.

"Sir?" Billy said with caution. Neil came up to him slapping a envelope into his hand then walking away.

"You got mail." Billy sped to his room to open the letter as fast as he could: when Billy opened the letter he was met with your pretty and neat hand writing. He smiled bigger than ever in the past month in a half. His eyes fell onto the first sentence. It read.

Hello Billy I still love you...

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@capitanostella

[gothcsz]

𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒆 / Chapter VIIII.

GIF CREDIT

PAIRING: Javier Peña x Original Female Character

SUMMARY: After months of dancing around their emotions, Javier and Paloma finally address the tension between them head-on.

WORD COUNT: ~9.2k

RATING: 18+ Mature topics such as sex, drugs, murder, the occult, religion, cannibalism and other triggering matters will be explored in this body of work. Minors DNI.

CHAPTER SPECIFIC TAGS: smuttt, bulge riding, dry humping, protected p in v sex, dirty talk, javi being an asshole, angst, crime talk (if it's not accurate don't @ me), descriptions of violence against women, vomit mention, slut shaming(?), detective!javi is very gorgeous ME, other things that I'm probably forgetting.

DISCLAIMER/WARNINGS: The Javier Peña referenced in this body of work is solely based off of the character that appears in Netflix’s Narcos and not the actual person. Very canon divergent and I will tweak things as I see fit to compliment the narrative of this story. While efforts have been made to be accurate in terms of canon timeline, a lot of details will be fictionalized, including the usage of the song(s) that Paloma will perform throughout the story.

A/N: we did it… we did it joe !! javi and OFC finally [REDACTED] !! thank u to everyone who has been keepin up w this foolery so far, it makes my lil heart happy to see engagement < 3 also wanna say that years of watching criminal minds is finally starting to pay off and i rly hope u guys are enjoying the crime aspect of the plot because i'm havin A LOT of fun writing and developing it !! shit is gonna get twisted and intricate so brace yourselves for where we're about to go !!! the smut in this chapter is heavily inspired by touch it by ariana grande so i def recommend giving that a listen bc i feel like it just fits their vibe so well (i may or may not have used some of the lyrics in the dialogue.. oop!) last thing sooo irrelevant but mayor abbott looks like jonathan bailey (bridgerton hive RISE!!) in my head so take that as u will xoxo always feel free to drop any type of feedback/support on this blog or ao3. i'd really appreciate it <3

♰  read on ao3. ♰

♰  playlist | pinterest | series masterlist ♰

As the sun casts its golden rays over the quiet outskirts of town, a grim discovery awaits the two men. The body of Jessica Valdez, the young girl reported missing from their neighboring town, lies lifeless in a shallow ditch. Javier stands beside Sheriff Leighton, their expressions grave as they survey the scene before them.

Reporters and curious onlookers have gathered, drawn by the spectacle of flashing lights and the somber atmosphere. A small group of people whisper amongst themselves, their hushed tones mingling with the distant sound of camera shutters clicking.

Romeo's authoritative presence looms beside him, a pillar of strength in the face of another tragedy. His eyes narrow as they push through the gathered crowd, commanding respect and order in the chaotic scene.

They duck beneath the yellow crime scene tape, ignoring the questions being hurled at them by the press.

“Are there any indications of a motive for this murder? “

“Is this connected to the similar incidents in the area recently?”

“Is there anything the public can do to assist with the investigation?”

Javier's stomach churns with sorrow as he takes in the sight. The body lies face down and sprawled in the dirt. He clenches his jaw, steeling himself against the wave of frustration threatening to overwhelm him.

Another failure on their behalf and all he can think about is the kiss shared between him and Paloma.

“ Talk to us, Cecelia. “

“ Well, at first glance: the body is still fairly warm so she was alive a few hours ago. It looks like she was held captive somewhere due to the bruising on her wrists and ankles. There are signs of malnourishment and she has smaller injuries scattered throughout her body. I won't know more details until I do the autopsy. “ The coroner answers before continuing, “ Her chest is completely slashed through, just like all the others. Still our guy. Or girl–– you never know nowadays. “

Javier's jaw flexes out of exasperation, mirroring the heavy sigh that escapes the sheriff's lips. The weight of this repeated revelation settles over them like a suffocating blanket, casting a shadow over their efforts to uncover the truth.

Despite their tireless pursuit of justice, they find themselves no closer to catching the culprit or unraveling the mystery shrouding these towns. It's fucking infuriating. 

Amidst the tangled threads of his personal life, Javier has momentarily lost sight of his purpose for being here. He has been too immersed in his own character transformation and entanglement with Paloma, overlooking the harrowing reality unfolding around him: innocent women continuing to fall victim to brutal, senseless violence.

The gravity of his oversight has a mixture of guilt and despair settling deep within his chest. 

Javier prides himself on his prowess, his ability to navigate the most intricate of cases and weather the toughest of storms. As a seasoned field agent with a string of accolades to his name (some undeserved, others very well deserved), he's faced down challenges that would make others quiver.

Yet here he stands, feeling utterly impotent in the face of this whodunit in the confines of a sleepy town.

It gnaws at him, this sense of inadequacy, like a persistent itch he can't scratch. It's a bitter pill to swallow, a humbling reminder of the unpredictable nature of crime and the limits of his own expertise.

He needs to be better.

“ What's interestin', though, is this, “ She stands, motioning for the two men to follow her and they share a look before wordlessly complying. Cecelia hands them both a pair of latex gloves, instructing them to put them on.

They make it a few feet away from Jessica's body and that's when Javi sees it.

“ Is that vomit? “

Cecelia nods, “ It is. I'm betting it's hers. The interestin' bit isn't that she vomited–– but the contents. Take a look. Tell me what you see. “

Javier is the first to kneel with Romeo looking over his shoulder. He eyes the evidence, pushing his aviators to the top of his head, making out the larger chunks in the grossly colored bile.

He can't discern what it is right away and Cecelia encourages him to use his hands, which has him looking at her ludicrously and muttering how gross this shit is in Spanish before doing as suggested.

Poking his latex clad fingers in the mess, Javi analyzes the contents and that's when he sees a symbol marked in ink on one of the scraps.

“ It's flesh. Human flesh. “

Shit . He sees it now, the mark is a tattoo and he quickly barks out an order to have one of the lingering deputies come take pictures of it.

“ Son of a bitch is feedin' people… people. Would explain Nina Thorton's missin' leg. What the fuck is goin' on here? “ The sheriff sounds defeated and Javier just remains silent as he mulls over all this new information that's been revealed.

Kidnapped, held hostage, fed human flesh, murdered, dumped.

All the other victims up until now have only been taken then killed. None of them held captive for long. Not all of them consuming flesh.

But then there's Nina and her postmortem severed leg.

Fuck, the answer is right there, interwoven in the intricacies and lack of details in the cases. 

No more fucking around, no more helping girls sneak back inside their homes, no more distractions. He has to focus on doing his job.

He will catch who did this, he will prove himself to be qualified to do what he was brought here to do.

Javier remains kneeled and deep in thought as Romeo and Cecelia continue on with their observations. He looks around to study their surroundings, wondering if there is anything else that is right in front of him that he cannot see.

“ Three outta five have been brunettes around the same age. I think that's something worth considering now, “ Javier breaks up the conversation betweens the sheriff and coroner, both of them turning to look at him as he stands from his kneeled position and begins to take off the gloves, “ Seems like they found their type. There's got to be a purpose for the consistent victimology. “

They've migrated over to Jessica's body now, both men doing last minute look overs before she is transported back to her hometown for her parents to identify and for Cecelia to preform the autopsy.

When a deputy comes over to take the last bits of photo evidence, he looks sickly but Javier ignores it. It's not until her body is turned upright, exposing her mauled chest, that has the younger officer hurling over and throwing up, some of it landing on Romeo.

“ God fuckin' damn it, Andrews, spew that shit elsewhere. Fuck, not only are you contaminatin' the crime scene but you got it all over my damn pants. “

The sheriff goes on a tangent, chewing the officer out and threatening to suspend him for two weeks with no pay. It's harsh, Javier will admit, but he doesn't say anything, remaining stoic with his arms crossed against his chest as he watches it unfold.

Eventually, every one trickles out. Even the nosey reporters and townies. Javier wants to stay, walk around the surrounding area to see if anything else was left behind. Maybe something was dropped or buried nearby, and while they had assured him that others have already done a thorough search–– he'd feel more comfortable if he did it himself.

“ Ya mind stoppin' by my place so I can change? Kid ruined these. “ Romeo's gruff voice has Javier losing his train of thought, too engrossed in looking out into the vast area of the woods around them as the sun slowly begins to set. 

Right, they arrived together, driving from the station in Javier's cruiser.

“ Sure. “ He replies plainly. His plans for the evening now include getting Romeo situated so that he can come back here and investigate all on his own. He might even drive to Fayette to retrieve the autopsy from Cecelia as soon as she completes it.

With the Leighton home being on the other side of town, this gives the two men time to talk the case over; going over all that they know and all that they've discovered. Romeo confides in Javier about feeling inadequate about the way he's doing his job and, in a turn of events, Javier does the same. In his own way.

The mutual understanding is a relief, though the guilt of his kiss with Paloma is palpable and it makes Javi feel like a fraud.

Across from him is a man who has extended nothing but kindness and trust, offering camaraderie and a sense of belonging. Yet, despite this, Javier found himself drawn to his daughter in a way that felt both exhilarating and forbidden.

It feels wrong, achingly so. A bitter realization that despite their mutual longing, their connection can never be fully realized. It's a harsh wake up call: if he truly wants to better himself, he must shed his bad habit of losing himself in women and distance himself from her.

What a discomforting prospect, the inevitable separation. But he knows it's the only way forward. He understands that in time, they will both resign themselves to the reality of their infatuation.

It's a familiar ache, this sense of inevitability that haunts his romantic endeavors like a relentless specter. Javier knows the drill all too well; it's not his first rodeo in navigating the treacherous terrain of severing emotional ties.

His love life feels like a series of missteps, a cursed labyrinth from which there's no escape. Despite the initial allure of each new romance, he's come to anticipate the eventual descent into disappointment. No matter how promising the beginning, the journey always seems to lead to the same desolate destination.

With him pushing them away. Or worse— hurting them beyond measure.

Fuck the idea of reinventing himself here. He can find peace and monotony anywhere else.

Javier will follow through with his responsibilities, and the second he's able to peel out of Seminary–– he will, leaving her behind as a bittersweet memory. A beautiful yet unattainable dream that he will carry with him for years to come.

As they pull in to the Leighton residence, he sees the woman that lives in his head perched up on the fence that surrounds the immediate area. Her baggy jeans are hanging low, exposing the sheer fabric of her underwear. She turns as she hears the sound of a car approaching, and her lips pull into a smile once she sees who it is.

Paloma fully expected to wake up the following day filled with regret and plagued by a hangover. The only thing she experienced was the latter, but it had quickly been nursed by a greasy breakfast and some yard work.

Javier had kissed her back, that was enough to feed into her delusions that he does want her. All inhibitions have been dropped, she's prepared to lay herself out for him–– to tell him that she's wanted him since the moment they met.

It might seem premature, an impulsive plunge into the uncertainty of his reaction to her feelings, but the tender memory of their shared kiss eclipses all rational thought. She finds herself irresistibly drawn to the possibility of something more, unable to resist the pull of her emotions.

His touch still lingers on her skin. His hands tracing the curves of her body with a hunger that left her breathless. She can still feel the way he had grabbed her ass then gripped onto her hips, pulling her closer to him.

But it was his mouth that left the strongest impression. His tongue had explored the depths of hers, tasting and teasing her with a ferocity that made her feel alive.

In that moment, she had felt desired, cherished, and wanted. It was a feeling that she hadn't realized she craved so badly until last night. She knew that she would never be able to forget that kiss and the way it had made her feel.

She's giddy, her excitement bubbling up like fizzy soda, reminiscent of the first time she ever kissed a boy. Except Javier isn't a boy–– he's a man. A man whose expertise and skill are a potent aphrodisiac, heightening her arousal to levels she never thought possible.

She's been hot for him all day, even touched herself to the memory of his soft lips, the tickle of his mustache, against hers then imagining them everywhere else. The mere thought of it is enough to send her heart racing, and she knows that nothing will satisfy her until she has him in her arms again.

Romeo gets out the car, muttering that he'd be right back and Javi opts to stay put. He does not want to speak to her, knowing that the second he gazes into those beautiful brown eyes–– he'd buckle. He needs to build animosity between them; it's the only way for them to definitively be able to separate from one another.

But she doesn't make it easy, of course. Because the second her father is inside, she's practically skipping over to the driver's side of the cruiser.

“ Hello officer. Here to bring me in for all those crimes I committed last night? “ She teases as she leans her forearms against the rolled down window, the cowgirl hat perched on her head complimenting her so well.

Javier swallows thickly, taking a lengthy drag of the familiar cigarette between his lips. He can't outright ignore her so he decides to be short instead.

“ M'not here for games, Paloma. “

She's taken aback by his tone, her smile faltering.

“ Well excuse me for tryin' to make conversation. Wasn't aware that you're in a mood today. “

There's a pause despite her attempt to add a teasing tone to her words to lighten him up. It falls flat.

“ I'm not looking to have a conversation. You can go. “

Her brows cinch together at his dismissal, this is not how she was expecting for this to go.

“ What's goin on'? Is this because we… because of the kiss last night? “ She lowers her voice towards the end, red blooming across her cheeks but she keeps her composure.

“ Jesus, “ Javier chuckles humorlessly, shaking his head. It sends a sharp pang through her heart. “ Why do you always think that's the fuckin' problem whenever I don't want to talk to you? For someone who claims to be a grown woman all the time, you sure as shit don't act like it. “

She stills, the buoyant confidence that had propelled her toward him evaporating in an instant, replaced by a wave of hurt at his unexpected chilliness. What has gotten into him?

“ Drop it and move on, Paloma. We just found Jessica Valdez's body dumped out in a ditch. S'not the time to be hung up on a damn kiss. “

The sound of the screen door shutting close breaks her away from him and the trance she'd seemingly gone into. Another victim, another tragedy to confront… and here she is acting like a smitten teenaged girl.

The urge to cower and crawl into herself, to surrender to the overwhelming embarrassment and sorrow, threatens to engulf her entirely. She remains silent, fighting back the surge of frustrated, angry tears as she pushes off the car and trudges wearily back toward the house.

Javier exhales heavily once she strides away without a word, feeling a weight settle on his shoulders. He had braced himself for a snide remark or some form of verbal retaliation, but her silent departure was far more impactful.

“ I'll be home late. Don't wait up. “ Her father murmurs as he passes her, planting a tender kiss atop her head. He lingers there for a moment but she doesn't question it, knowing it's because of what they found today and she doesn't even mind that he hasn't told her about it.

As he breaks away, she conjures up a semblance of a genuine smile, masking the turmoil within, and nods before he affectionately pinches her nose and continues on his way.

She doesn't look back, she doesn't cry or go inside–– instead she picks up her discarded gardening gloves and proceeds to channel her energy into the simple act of mowing the grass.

She finds herself alone at the open bar as the party continues in full swing. It's been days since Jessica's death, and the tense conversation she had with Javier still lingers in her mind.

“ Drop it and move on, Paloma. “

Unlike the last time they went without speaking, there is much more tension between them now. The worst part about it is having to act as if nothing is wrong in the presence of her father.

No daddy, everything's fine! It's not like I threw myself at your co-worker not once, but twice and both times he made me feel like a fucking idiot!

She lets out a disdainful sigh, her fingers curling around the glass containing her coveted cherry root beer since she's decided to part ways with alcohol and any other substance for the time being.

The two men are busy mingling with other guests and have been since the moment they arrived. Despite her efforts to divert her gaze elsewhere, her eyes keep involuntarily drifting towards Javier's broad figure.

The event had called for formal attire, so when he strode in wearing a meticulously tailored all-black suit, her breath caught in her throat. The sharp lines of his outfit, coupled with the crispness of his button-down and the matching tie, made her momentarily forget why she was so upset with him. He looked too damn handsome.

It's brutal how the things we desire most often seem to radiate the brightest when they're just out of reach.

Observing him mingle effortlessly with others is entertaining. Contrary to her expectations, he appears completely at ease in this bustling social setting, a far cry from the disdain he expressed for large gatherings that morning in his kitchen.

He's acting a lot more extroverted and… smile-y. It pisses her off as much as it melts her heart.

They make their way over to her and she makes a point to not even look in his direction. She's now caught between her father and Javier as they order another round of drinks. 

It really doesn't help that she's now standing shoulder to shoulder with him. The heady aroma of his cologne, laced with the familiar tang of cigarette smoke and the faint hint of whiskey, envelops her senses, making it impossible to outright ignore him.

Javier Peña is like a blazing beacon and she's the foolish moth drawn inexplicably closer to his flame. But she knows all too well the danger of getting too close, like a moth singed by the heat, the allure of his brightness can be killer.

Javier had assumed that with news of Jessica being found dead, their attendance to this party wouldn't be mandatory.

Well, he thought wrong. It is a cruel reminder of how life goes on, even when tragedy strikes.

Another dead girl, another over-the-top party.

Which is why he'll give it an hour–– tops–– to shake whoever's hand and meet whoever else, then he'd leave. It's a simple plan, the only thing making it difficult for him is his proximity to the woman he’s desperately trying to cut ties with.

She looks so beautiful tonight, donning a calf length simple black dress that hugs all her curves just right. 

“ There they are! My Law and Order! Y’all keepin’ the townsfolk in line? “ The boastful voice of Mayor Jonah Abbott draws near and Javier suppresses the urge to roll his eyes.

Foolish of him to think he wouldn’t have to interact with the titular birthday boy tonight.

He greets both men with a firm handshake, and when his attention turns to her; Javier has to drown the subtle spark of frustration with his drink at the way his eyes rake over her body.

“ And of course, Miss. Paloma. They say a smile is worth a thousand words, but yours? It's worth a million dreams. “ He brings her hand up to his lips to plant a kiss against her knuckles and all she does is offer him a polite smile. Here we go…

“ Mr. Abbott— “

“ Jonah, sweetheart. Been tellin’ you to call me that for years now. “

Her smile threatens to twitch out of annoyance, “ Jonah. Happy Birthday. Thank you for invitin' us to your home. “

“ Always a pleasure to have you 'round. I heard about your performance up in Dallas. Shame I missed it. Woulda loved to hear that beautiful voice of yours and seen you up on that stage. “

Javier can't help the subtle grunt he emits at the mayor's overt flirtation, causing for her to just briefly glance up at him with a bemused flash crossing her stare.

The familiarity of Jonah's behavior strikes a chord within him. Once upon a time, Javier was just like this–– an arrogant charmer with a penchant for flirting with anything in a skirt. Standing here amidst the other man's smooth talk, he sees through the facade with clarity born of experience.

It's a performance, an act to charm his way in between Paloma's legs, though Javi can clearly see that she's not falling for it. Does Romeo notice it too, he wonders? Or is he blinded by the mayor's charisma, unable to see that this man clearly wants to sleep with his daughter.

Then again, Javier's opinion on this is irrelevant and invalid since he too has been in the same predicament since meeting her. At least he didn't do it blatantly in front of the sheriff's face.

Or, in a turn of events, perhaps Romeo doesn't give a damn. Jonah Abbott presents himself as a viable candidate to be with his daughter; a young politician with deep pockets and a keen interest in her.

Javier can't shake off the mental picture of the man’s wedding ring adorning her finger, of her transforming into the perfect, submissive wife, tending to the household and filling this place with snot nosed kids. But such a scenario doesn't align with her fiery and headstrong nature. She's far too independent and spirited to succumb to the confines of domesticity, particularly for a man like Jonah.

Then again, why the fuck does he care?

“ Well as you know, I do two shows every weekend at The Whiskey Fox. Could always stop by and see me and the band. “

“ A busy man like myself always has a full schedule. Though I reckon I should make some time to be out in the community. Wouldn’t hurt to stop by for dinner and a show. “

He winks at her and of course he does it when her father turns to order himself another drink. Javier's jaw flinches.

“ Now Romeo, why have you been keepin' this badass motherfucker hidden from me? I knew we had someone new joinin' the force but I didn’t think it’d be the Javier Peña. A goddamn American hero— right here in Seminary, Texas! “

As Jonah begins his praises, pairing them with a harsh slap to his shoulder, Javier remains cool and calculating. He refuses to be swayed by empty compliments.

Meanwhile, she breathes a silent sigh of relief as the spotlight shifts away from her, and she finds it amusing at how everyone seems to talk about Javier.

A hero. A true patriot. Such a brave soul for fightin' the war on drugs on Uncle Sam's behalf.

If only they knew the truth––if they had even a glimpse of the darkness he's had to face, they wouldn't be so quick to idolize him.

The label of hero, bestowed upon him since the demise of Escobar, sits uneasily on his shoulders. The adulation feels like a burden he never asked for, a title he never wanted. It's a reminder of the complexities of his past, the mistakes he's made, and the ghosts that continue to haunt him. Javi despises the word, resenting the way it overshadows his true self and the countless sins he harbors in silence.

“ Gotta keep 'em humble. Keeps the head on straight. “ Romeo banters back, pulling one of those haughty, rich men laughs from the mayor. 

She cringes at the pretentiousness echoing in the air.

The men break out into small talk leaving her feeling awkward as she swirls the almost fully melted ice around the empty cup. It’s not until Jonah is getting ready to move on to a new set of guests that the attention is turned back to her.

“ And you, pretty girl, owe me a song. Specifically that one Linda Ronstadt song from the Fourth of July barbecue last year. Remember? S’only fair… consider it a birthday gift from you to me. “

Despite her inner discomfort, she maintains a face of cheerfulness, though her stomach sinks with apprehension at his request. Memories of the barbecue flood her mind, vivid recollections of his relentless pursuit despite her repeated, albeit polite, refusals.

The word 'no' is on the tip of her tongue, but knowing all too well the persistence he's exhibited before; she succumbs to the weight of the occasion—his birthday—and the anticipation in his eyes.

“ Blue Bayou, I remember. Does the band know it? “ She inquires, her gaze flickering towards the live band stationed near the open area of the dance floor where a throng of people sway to the music.

She’s secretly hoping that they don’t, but the song is very popular so her hope dwindles.

“ If they don't, they will. I'll introduce you when it's time. “

With a tight and forced smile gracing her lips, she simply replies, “ Okay, “ accompanied by a subtle nod. His wicked grin spreads larger, almost daring Javier to react by punching him square in the jaw.

Regardless of how he feels towards her and their situation, it irks him to no end how this man blatantly disregards her boundaries.

Her body language screams apprehension, evident to anyone observant enough. However, Mayor Abbott is too fixated on persuading her to comply with his wishes to take notice. It's apparent that he's not accustomed to hearing the word 'no'.

Javi just holds his tongue, an insult threatening to slip out, as he finishes his drink with a practiced air of nonchalance.

The mayor finally says his goodbyes before walking away and her shoulders drop instantly.

“ Guess I owe ya twenty bucks. “ Romeo mutters, digging into his suit pocket for his wallet. 

The laugh she gives, though slight, simultaneously soothes and torments his heart.

Damn it all— this is going to be torture but he must endure.

“ She bet that he was gonna pull somethin' like this before leavin' the house. I was dumb enough to think he wouldn’t. “ He explains to Javier as he slips his daughter the twenty dollar bill which she slyly stuffs under the fabric of her dress by her chest.

The action, seemingly simple, is so hot to him.

“ How many times do I have to say m'not a damn show pony that does tricks whenever it’s asked? He’s so lucky that I'm polite and that it’s his birthday— If not I woulda told him to shove it—- “ She doesn’t finish her sentence as they’re approached by a group of people that she doesn’t recognize nor care for.

She feels like an afterthought as they bombard the men with questions about the recent cases and other related topics, so she takes that as her cue to leave, ordering another mocktail before slipping away towards the dance floor.

She is fully prepared to turn her brain off to enjoy some semblance of normalcy before she's thrown back in to the confusing pit that is her current status with the former DEA agent.

Attempting to convince herself that she's enjoying the moment, she sways to the lively rhythm of the music, lost in her own solitary dance. A few partygoers approach her asking for a dance which she declines; peeved by all the unwanted attention she's getting.

This isn't even her party. She holds no merit here.

Javier only catches glimpses of her from his peripheral, engrossed in a conversation with a man who remembers him from his sheriff days in Laredo, before he left for Colombia. The discourse drones on, punctuated by forced laughter and idle pleasantries. Each word falls flat, devoid of substance, yet Javier remains steadfast. Anything to keep him and his mind away from her.

Suddenly, the screeching sound of microphone feedback reverberates off the opulent walls of the ballroom-style venue and she winces at noise.

“ Excuse me, sorry–– I'm not very good with these things. “ The man of the hour apologizes, his voice crackling through the speakers. She inwardly curses, anticipating what's to come next. Setting her now-empty glass down on one of the nearby tables, she smooths her hands along the velvety fabric of her dress, ironing out any wrinkles, and hastily fixes her hair as best as she can without a mirror.

With a deep breath, she pushes down her nerves, summoning a smile to face the adversity when he introduces her. She steps onto the stage, the room erupting into scattered applause as she approaches the microphone.

♫

Midway through the song, to her surprise, Jonah joins her on stage, transforming the solo performance into an unexpected duet. Despite her inner discomfort, Paloma maintains a composed expression and tries to conceal any hint of surprise in her body language as he draws nearer.

Her unease heightens when he pulls her close against him, the heat of his body against hers as they sway to the rhythm of the music during the instrumental interlude of the country song. She reluctantly complies, her compliance more a result of avoidance of potential consequences than genuine willingness to dance with him.

The sight of his possessive grip on her waist, pulling her into an unwelcome dance, ignites a surge of vexation within Javier. He feels the tension in his muscles coil tighter with each step they take, their bodies moving in sync to the rhythm of the music. It's unbearable to watch, the image of Paloma in Jonah's arms twisting like a knife in his gut.

Without a word, Javier makes his escape, his strides purposeful as he navigates through the crowded room. He mutters a vague excuse to Romeo, the urgency in his voice betraying his need to flee from the suffocating scene unfolding before him.

Finally stepping out into the cooler night air, Javier takes a deep breath to soothe his frazzled nerves. He makes his way towards a gazebo that's right by the large pond, putting as much distance as he can between himself and the party inside.

Leaning against the railing of the structure, he retrieves his trusty pack of cigarettes from his pocket, hands trembling slightly as he lights one. Each drag offers a fleeting moment of respite from the turmoil brewing inside him.

Inside, the song ends and she wastes no time in descending the stage, a sense of urgency propelling her movements. She refuses to linger, her mind consumed with the dread of another unwanted encounter with the mayor. Surveying the crowded room, she searches in vain for her father or Javier, but they're nowhere to be found amidst the sea of faces.

Determined to escape the party atmosphere, Paloma makes a beeline for the exit, craving the solace of the summer night air. Stepping out onto the porch, she inhales deeply, the breeze offering a welcome reprieve from the stifling heat of the event.

The night is alive with subtle sounds—toads croaking in the distance, the distant murmur of conversation—but it's the solitary figure in the distance that captures her attention. With a sense of inevitability, Paloma finds herself drawn towards the silhouette, her heels clicking softly against the pavement as she descends the steps leading to the gazebo.

When she approaches, Javier remains steadfast, his gaze fixed on the tranquil expanse of water before him. The rhythmic puff of his cigarette punctuates the silence, a tangible barrier between them. Despite the tension hanging in the air, Paloma presses forward, her resolve unyielding as she closes the distance between them.

“ We need to talk. “

He stands like a statue, the weight of her words are heavy, yet he remains resolute in his silence, hoping that she'll simply give up and leave him be. But Paloma is nothing if not persistent, her frustration bubbling over as she confronts him.

“ Fuck, Javier will you at least look at me?! Acknowledge that I'm standin' here tryin' to speak with you?! “ Her voice crackles with pent-up emotion, her southern accent deep as each word is laden with an intensity that he can't ignore.

Reluctantly, he turns his head slightly, his gaze skimming over her figure with resignation. It's a small concession, but it's enough to stoke the fire of her frustration to new heights.

“ I dunno why you've decided to be such a jerk to me all of the sudden, “ she continues, her tone laced with a raw edge of hurt and confusion. “ You're tellin' me that I'm bein' childish a-and that I need to move on from the kiss but we both know it's so much bigger than that. We've been dancin' around it since the moment we met and I'm tired of pretendin' like I don't want you. “

His eyes close briefly, a fleeting moment of vulnerability before he retreats behind his stoic facade once more. His fingers find their way to the bridge of his nose, pinching tightly as he struggles to find the right words to respond. But before he can form a coherent thought, she presses on, her voice trembling with the weight of her confession.

“ I told myself I wouldn't care if you didn't feel the same way, “ She admits, her voice growing softer now, tinged with a hint of desperation. “ But that was before I got to know you. Before you somehow wriggled your way into my heart and overtook my mind entirely. We became friends, and I-I didn't want to screw that up. But then we kissed, and in that moment, I knew you wanted me just as badly… “

She draws closer, her hand reaching out tentatively to rest on his shoulder, the touch sending a jolt of tension coursing through his body. It's a silent plea, a manifestation of her vulnerability, and it's all he can do to keep his composure still as her words wash over him like a tidal wave.

“ Every time I see you I don't want to behave, Javi. I'm tired of being patient, so let's pick up the pace and finally give in. “

He flicks his finished cigarette out into the water, the ember trailing like a shooting star before disappearing into the dark abyss below.

Slowly, he turns to face her fully, the summer air crackling with tension as he takes in her determined stance. His hand shoots out, grabbing hold of the wrist that had just been resting on him, his dark eyes boring into hers in an act of intimidation.

But Paloma doesn't back down, her gaze unwavering as she meets his stare head-on. Instead, she brings her free hand up to rest against his chest, the heat of her touch seeping through the fabric of his shirt as she steps closer, closing the gap between them until his dress shoes are toe-to-toe with her pointed heels.

He doesn't make an effort to step away or decline her advances, his resolve crumbling in the face of her determination. Her words have jumbled him up completely, the sudden revelation of her feelings catching him off guard and leaving him reeling. The direct mention of what they've been indulging in for the past few months digs into his achilles' heel—his tendency to fall in love in the damndest of times.

He stares down into her eyes, a storm of conflicting emotions raging wildly. The lust swirling in her gaze stirs something primal and raw within him. Any rational part of his brain seems to shut down in that moment, his thoughts consumed by the overwhelming desire to kiss her again, to lose himself in the exhilarating whirlwind of emotions that she evokes from him.

“ It's obviously insane, m'not a fucking idiot I understand the repercussions…. but we both know what we want, so why don't we…” She whispers, tilting her head up until their lips brush against one another.

“ Why don't we fall in love? “

It's not clear who makes the first move, but their lips are interlocked in a passionate kiss—a fierce collision of desire and pent-up longing that surpasses the one they had previously shared. Paloma's hand on his chest clenches the fabric of his shirt while Javier relinquishes his grip on her wrist, his own hands rising to cradle her jaw in his palms.

The taste of the lingering cigarette smoke mingles with the faint bitterness of alcohol on his breath, a heady combination that heightens her desire. She moans softly into his mouth, her tongue intertwining with his in a desperate attempt to savor every fleeting moment before it inevitably slips away.

Javier, consumed by the intoxicating sensation, slowly walks her back until her back is against the sturdy pillar of the gazebo, his movements now possessive and urgent. He deepens the kiss, molding his body against hers as if to merge their souls into one.

Her touch is addicting, a bittersweet symphony that resonates in the depths of his bones. Despite the warnings screaming in the recesses of his mind, urging him to stop and pull away, he finds himself unable to resist the magnetic pull she exerts over him.

Breaking the kiss, Javier's lips trail down the side of her mouth, blazing a trail of heated kisses along her jawline before descending to her neck. His teeth graze her delicate skin, resisting the urge to leave a trail of marks in their wake as his tongue traces a path along her neck and up to her earlobe, where he bites down gently.

“ Is this what you wanted, nena? For me to shower you in my fucking attention? “ He husks, his voice thick with desire and a hint of frustration. His words swim between them, a question laced with layers of longing and palpable need, as he continues to lavish attention upon her neck, each kiss and caress fueling the flames of their mutual desire.

Paloma just whines, arching herself into him as her thighs rub together to relieve the tension of arousal that is assaulting her core.

“ Yes, Javi, that's all I want. I want you to talk to me, to touch me, to make me feel good. “

Her hands are now against his broad shoulders, fingers curling into the fabric of his suit jacket as she feels the muscles beneath tense at her touch. A low, guttural groan escapes his lips in response to her words, a primal sound that sends shivers down her spine.

“ I can make you feel good, hermosa. Better than any fucking culero (asshole) in this town. “ He murmurs, his voice dripping with possessiveness. With deliberate intent, Javi begins to hike up her long dress, the fabric yielding easily to his touch until it's gathered at the top of her thighs, exposing her black, lacey panties. His hands roam lower, trailing a path of electricity along her skin until they find purchase behind her thighs, gripping the soft skin firmly as he effortlessly lifts her into his arms.

She wraps her legs around his waist, anchoring herself to him as he hoists her up against the solid pillar of the gazebo. She feels his hardness pressing up against her clothed cunt and it has a sharp pang of pleasure sprouting at her core, igniting a fierce heat to course through her entirely. His touch is electrifying, sending waves of ecstasy rippling through her body as she surrenders to the intrinsic urgency of their shared horniness.

The pure conviction in his tone only adds to the intensity of the moment. She wants nothing more than to be completely ruined by this man. She wants to be his, and his alone.

Javier grinds his hips up, the friction between them firing up every nerve ending. Her pussy throbs with need, aching for more of his touch. She can feel every inch of him pressing against her, his hard cock straining against his pants, begging to be released.

As their bodies move in perfect harmony, she wraps her fingers in his hair, tugging at it lightly. His lips move from her neck and crash against hers, a wild, passionate kiss that leaves them both panting for air. It grows more frenzied, their teeth clashing together in a desperate and selfish need for more. She moans into his mouth, the sound sending a jolt of electric arousal straight to his cock. He grinds harder against her, his hips moving in rhythm with hers.

She can feel her orgasm building, a fierce heat blossoming through her body. Her whimpers turn to animated moans as she writhes against him. The last time she dry humped someone to completion had been way back in high school and that had been an overall embarrassment so it's never something she revisited.

Not until now, with Javier who is making her feel like she's the only girl in the fucking world.

His fingers expertly trace the curve of her breast, teasing her hardened nipple through the fabric of her dress. She arches her back, pressing her chest into his hand, silently begging for more. He takes the hint, groping her and squeezing it gently, relishing in the way she shudders.

Her eyes close in ecstasy as he continues to stroke and knead her tit. His other hand trails along her inner thigh, inching closer and closer to the heat between her legs. When he finally reaches her core, she gasps, her body trembling with need. He doesn't touch her, instead he digs his fingers into the soft flesh of her thigh.

“ If this is what you wanted so fucking bad then go ahead and take it, needy girl. Go on, make yourself cum by grinding that wet pussy all over me. “

She mewls, throwing her head back as she feels her orgasm building. She's such a sight to bear witness to, how her swollen lips part and his name slips from her tongue like a hymn, making his cock twitch.

Her wetness seeps through her flimsy thong, leaving a damp spot on the fabric of his dress pants. He can feel it seeping through the material and it drives him mad. He needs to be inside her, to feel her walls fluttering around his cock as they finally give in to each other…

But first, he wants to watch her unravel just like this.

“ I'm close, Javi… “ His lips hungrily devour the tender flesh of her neck again, making her eyes roll back as their hips continue to move at a sensual pace. The metallic zipper of his pants brushes against her sensitive clit, sending shockwaves of pleasure coursing through her body. She can't help but cry out in sweet surrender, her voice louder than before.

His large hand clamps over her mouth, preventing her screams from echoing out.

“ Don't get us caught, chiquita. Wouldn't want your daddy comin' out here and findin' you like this–– all cockdrunk and begging to be fucked. “

His dirty and abrasive words are like fuel to the flames of her impending climax, sending her spiraling out of control. Her rhythm stutters, her body writhing uncontrollably as she bites down on the skin of his palm as the orgasm overtakes her entirely.

All that can be heard is their heavy, shared pants. His hand falls from her mouth as she falls limp in his arms, her body jolting every now and again with the aftershock of her intense orgasm. 

She peppers tender kisses along the bare expanse of his jaw, silently berating him for having his shirt buttoned up for once and the pesky tie restricting her from licking and biting against the tantalizing skin of his neck and collarbone.

“ Need… need to feel you, Javi, please. “ She whines against his ear, her hands trailing down from his broad shoulders, over his chest, then down to his belt buckle. She can still feel the swell of him pressed up against her sopping cunt and despite just coming hard; she's craving to feel all of him.

This is the pivotal moment where he knows he should exercise restraint, where the noble path of virtue beckons him to rise above the consuming tide of desire. To explain to her that they can and never will be anything but an unattainable fantasy.

But he doesn't, instead Javi lets her untuck his dress shirt from his pants and helps her with unbuckling his belt.

“ We shouldn't do this, Paloma… “ Is all he can say in an attempt to keep it from happening but she shushes him, her hand slipping beneath his boxers as she wraps her manicured fingers around his girth and begins to pump him slowly.

“ Mierda, “ He curses in Spanish, his forehead falling gently against hers as his eyes flutter close at the overwhelming feeling of her softer, smaller hand jerking him off. Her thumb glides over the tip, spreading his excessive precum over the length of his cock.

“ But we want to… oh you're so big Javi. Gonna be feelin' you for days… “ She sounds like something out of a wet dream and he simply can't hold back any longer.

He instructs her to grab his wallet from his suit pocket and to retrieve the condom he keeps in there, receiving a playful eye roll from her but she doesn't push her luck–– she needs him badly and she'd go absolutely feral if he decided to deny them both the pleasure of fucking.

His strong hold on her keeps them secure against the pillar, she rips the small package with her teeth then pushes his pants down enough to release his erection, rolling the latex on easily.

There's a moment where suspension hangs in the air, both of them staring into each other's lust blown eyes.

“ Don't think about it too much, please. Just fuck me. “

Her insistence is such a turn on, spurring him into reaching down to ball up the thin layer of her panties before he yanks them off, the sound of the fabric tearing apart causing her to gasp. Stuffing the ruined material into his back pocket, he readjusts so that the thick head of his cock presses up against her exposed and puffy folds.

“ Such an impatient little thing, hermosa. I shouldn't even give you what you want. Should just walk away and leave you here a desperate and wet mess. “

Gripping onto the base of his cock with his free hand, Javier nudges it between her slit and teases her, the head repeatedly brushing against the pearl of her clit.

Her breath hitches, rolling her hips to entice him into entering her, “ Please, Javi, I'll do whatever you want just plea–– oh f-fuck! “

He sinks into her pussy, leaning forward to bite down on her shoulder to keep his own sounds of pleasure at bay as he feels the way her fleshy walls contract around his cock, stretching her with how thick he is.

Her fingers return to intertwine themselves in his hair as he begins to set a delicious pace, fucking into her with a passion that's making her see stars. The feeling of his teeth digging into her skin is an added stimulant to the already immense pleasure.

“ Damn it you're so tight. Feel so good wrapped around my cock, pretty girl. You satisfied now that I'm giving you what you want, huh? “ He grunts out, nipping at her jawline as all she does is keen and moan, too overwhelmed with how good he's making her feel. “ Spoiled little thing, gonna fuck that right out of this tight little body. So you can learn, fuck, learn how not to be such a fucking pain in my ass. “

She's too wrapped up in the feeling of him brushing up against her cervix to fully process what he is saying against her skin. Their lips slant over each other as they kiss messily, the way he fucks her making her brain melt.

There's no thoughts up there, just the feeling of him as he continues to break her open with his delicious cock.

His hands fall down to her waist, holding on tightly as he goes from languid thrusts to a quicker, more brutal pace as they chase their orgasms.

She's glad that they're far away enough to where no one can interrupt this moment, though the idea of there being an onlooker does entice her more than she'd ever admit. 

Her legs tighten around his waist, the pointed heel of her shoes digging into his backside as she feels a knot forming at the pit of her stomach, indicating that she isn't far from coming undone.

“ C'mon nena, be a good girl and let go, “ His thumb finds itself being pressed against her soft lips and immediately she opens her mouth, licking around then sucking the digit and maintaining eye contact through it all. It has Javier grunting out a few explicits before letting his saliva coated thumb drop between them, rubbing tight circles against her clit.

This has her clenching around him and crying out, which causes a smirk to tug at his lips as he puts more pressure onto her clit. “ Tan bonita así, toda lista para mi. (So pretty like this, all ready for me) “

She tugs harshly at his hair at the sound of his Spanish, her arousal topples over and her second orgasm hits her like toppling bricks. She squeezes his cock tightly inside her, her legs an iron grip on his waist as she bites down harshly on her bottom lip, almost drawing blood, to keep her intense whimpers and moans from spilling out and drawing attention to them.

Satisfied that he's made her unravel on him, Javier fucks her through her orgasm relentlessly until he's spilling into the condom, burying his face in her neck, right where he can feel her pulse, and grazing the skin with his teeth. He wants to leave a mark, for her to walk around with evidence of him on her body but that'd be a wrong move atop of all the other wrong moves he's made tonight.

Paloma breathes heavily, mind hazy as she tries to recollect herself from the throes of passion bestowed upon her by Javier Peña. They stay there, embraced in one another before he pulls out of her with a grunt and she whines at the loss of him.

Her legs unwrap from his waist as he tentatively sets her down, discarding of the condom into the water as he tucks himself back into his pants and she pulls her dress down, not even bothered by the fact that he ripped her underwear right off of her.

“ That was a mistake. “

His statement cuts through the night air and she's already struggling to catch her footing on wobbly legs, the effect of being fucked hard and good.

“ Javi–– “

“ No, Paloma, I'm fucking serious. “ He asserts, his voice taking on a sharp edge, landing like a heavy blow on her already rattled nerves.

“ All that sentimental bullshit you were saying before… it means nothing to me. You're just a distraction–– a pretty face that's been keeping me from doing my damn job. Now, there's another life lost, and instead of finding answers, I'm too busy babysitting you. “

“ Don't you dare pin your incompetence on me, Javier, “ She shoots back, her tone tinged with anger and frustration, “ I've seen my father struggle with this bullshit for months now–– it has nothing to do with me and everything to do with you. S'not my fault you're not as clever as everyone thinks you are. All the praise you get for being such a fuckin' hero and yet… look at you. Unable to meet the expectations. “

She adjusts the thin straps of her dress back up her shoulder, wincing slightly as she brushes against the bite mark he accidentally left against her skin, knowing that she's going to feel that atop of the soreness between her legs after this.

She braces herself for the inevitable discomfort that will follow, both physically and emotionally.

Javier's jaw tightens, muscles rippling beneath his skin as he fights to maintain his composure. He knows better than to let her words get to him the way that they are.

This is exactly what they need, some intense fight to fully shatter the illusion of their involvement.

“ Look at you, Paloma, “ He sneers, his words dripping with contempt as he levels a scornful gaze at her. “ Throwing yourself at me every chance you get like a whore. I used to pay for shit like this, but you? Oh, I didn't spare a fucking dime. Giving it all up for free. “

Her jaw drops, a surge of anger and indignation flooding her senses as his words cut through her like a knife. She raises her hand instinctively, intent on delivering a stinging rebuke in the form of a slap across his jaw. But before she can make contact, his grip tightens around her wrist, arresting her movement with an iron grip.

“ Don't be stupid, querida, “ He mocks her, his voice laced with disdain as he delivers each word like a venomous dagger. “ Now that I fucked you one good time: Leave. Me. Alone. How 'bout you go back inside and fraternize with the mayor. I'm sure he's eager to give you all the male validation you're clearly chasing after. “ He tilts his head, glaring at her in contempt. “ Better yet, run off to your junkie, criminal boyfriend; won't be long before he knocks you up and you're stuck living in a run down trailer park in this shitty fucking town. “

Paloma's heart shatters at his callous words, tears welling up in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks unchecked. She gazes up at Javier, but the man before her is no longer the sweet, charming figure she thought she knew. His eyes, once warm and inviting, now glint with coldness and malice, rendering him unrecognizable to her.

“ Fuck you, “ She spits, wrenching her hand free from his grip with a mixture of anger and hurt flashing in her eyes. Despite the tears welling up, she summons every ounce of defiance to shoot him a disdainful glare. “ You're a piece of shit, Javier Peña. “

With those final words, ones he's heard a plethora of times before, she whirls around, her footsteps echoing loudly on the wooden stairs as she races to the nearest bathroom.

Ignoring the throbbing ache between her legs, a reminder of their recent intimacy, she finds solace in the confines of the lavish restroom, allowing herself to unleash the torrent of tears pent up inside. Feeling foolish and utterly used, she wonders how she could have ever fallen for a man like him.

Meanwhile, Javier is left grappling with the sight of her heartbreak now etched into his memory. Pushing aside his own conflicted emotions, he knows he can't afford to let their tangled affair distract him any longer.

This is what you both needed. He reminds himself, looking out into the water as the silver moonlight reflects off of the surface. Harsh, but she'll get over it.

With a resigned sigh, he retrieves another cigarette, the familiar ritual offering a fleeting sense of calm amidst the storm raging about.

[scarlet--wiccan]

Wanda, Maddie, Kwannon, teamup - thoughts?

I'm for it. I think Wanda and Maddie are more likely to link up, just based on the fact that they're both magic characters. Ordinarily I'd say Wanda's not likely to cross paths with Kanon, but she is in the new Uncanny Avengers, so maybe that'll change.

All three of these characters fall under the category of women who are largely defined by gendered trauma, and are often rendered monstrous because of it, in both the narrative and in the eyes of many readers.* All three of these characters have had storylines of redemption and liberation, and I think it's clear that modern writers are trying to reckon with the past mistreatment of female characters-- especially women of color.

Characters like Wanda, Madelyne, and Kanon are being afforded agency and opportunities for healing, and that's great, but I wish that there was a way for writers to actually name and interrogate their past mistreatment, not only in-universe, but also by writers and fans. It would require more spent spent not just addressing what happened to them, but how other people responded and how they were treated-- and I wonder if those conversations would be easier to write if you actually got some of those characters in a room together. Let them be allies to each other, and use their shared experiences to articulate those nuanced themes in organic dialogue.

I also think that part of giving these characters better treatment is allowing them to move on and do stuff that's not defined by their trauma. Just seeing these three together on a totally unrelated mission would be cool, too. Wanda's really fun when she's playing opposite super-serious types, and magic powers can be very useful when it comes infiltration or espionage, so I'd love to see her work with Kanon. Maddie's got her new Limbo Embassy in New York, so I think it'd be cool if she became a major player on the local magic scene-- sort of like a neighbor and colleague to Stephen at Sanctum, and Wanda at her Emporium.

*Kanon hasn't really been vilified, at least not in the long term, and I don't think she gets defined by a single, awful moment, the same way Wanda has HoM or Maddie has Inferno. Still, her experiences do line up with theirs-- she was groomed for a specific purpose since birth, she experienced the loss of a child, and she suffered many violations of her body and mind.

[shierak-inavva]

card signs

pairing: peter parker x f!reader

warnings: some swearing? can’t think of anything else here

summary: reader has a slow day to herself, and receives some strange information--but you can’t take things at face value, can you?

notes: okay this is...kinda long LMAO i got caught up in reader!POV this time, and we get some insight into reader’s personal life. it’s a big struggle for me not to go big on details oh my god, but i’m trying to keep descriptions a little more ambiguous so yall can imagine what you like u wu;; i also didn’t go SUPER in-depth with her readings, so take that as you will. the tea and coffee i talk about, though, are both blends i use personally ; w; this is part 3 of this little series, here’s part 1 & part 2 !

              --------------------------------------------------

Morning found snow trying very hard to flurry up on her fire escape, and [Y/N] burrowing into her blankets a little more before accepting wakefulness. Fuzzy black slippers that had seen better days shuffled across the old thrifted rugs on her hardwood floors, black hem of her robe sweeping along behind her as she headed for the kitchen. Today was a research day; which meant rather than her usual 6 AM wakeup time, she’d gotten an extra two hours of sleep and could take some time to herself for the day—and that meant her coffee routine, first and foremost.

On her way out of her room, however, something made her stop, glancing at one of her old shelving units. Her eyes found the deck of cards resting there, and she took a breath, considering. It had been…not quite a week, but something was telling her to draw, and so, yawning and ruffling her hair a little, she shuffled over to the shelves and breathed deep, shutting her eyes. Just an impromptu read. She’d been lax about daily reads for months now, but it couldn’t hurt, and she knew better than to ignore intuition. A brief shuffle of her deck, and she exhaled long and slow, slipping a card out and opening her eyes again. The Moon. [Y/N] blinked, looking at it. Upright, plain as day. Or, night, she guessed. But The Moon? Her brow knit slightly as she studied the card. The Moon wasn’t a bad thing, just…maybe this was about her hangups with her relationship? Maybe it was her thinking this was romantic, but that was one-sided? Was she afraid of that? Or…her eyes focused on the pale moon in the illustration of the card. Or was there something she wasn’t seeing, something deeper going on that she wasn’t aware of yet? She chewed at her lip a little and slipped the card back in the deck, digging through one of her cases for one of her bigger columns of quartz, settling it on top of the deck and murmuring a thank you as she glanced over a few of her little devotional setups, mind still on the moon. Maybe she’d meditate on this later. For now, she pocketed a piece of smoky quartz and slipped out of the room.

The apartment was chilly; she clicked the heater up just a little for the day and booted up her laptop on her kitchen island, bringing up some morning news—something she’d only recently taken to checking, but she saw a photo of Spider-Man on one of the first article preview slides and smiled, recalling why she’d started checking in the first place. The kitchen warmed up as she made her coffee in her old moka pot and warmed up a lemon poppyseed muffin from yesterday. Today she’d decided to go through some older books and stay in, though…her eyes wandered to her phone, and she wondered if she’d hear from Peter. They’d been on a few dates the past three weeks, mostly just impromptu coffee dates when they had time, he’d gotten her to try his favorite pizza joint and they’d gone to a greek place she hadn’t been to in years, but these past few days had been so busy she hadn’t been over to Queens at all, and now on her chill day she wondered if maybe she should text him to ask about his schedule. They weren’t…officially dating. At least, not…they hadn’t talked about it. She wondered if that was a normal thing. Did you discuss your dating status? She really liked Peter, really liked his goofy smiles and his honest eyes and the way he always seemed like he was trying so hard to do things right. She’d been trying to drop hints that she wanted an actual relationship, but…maybe she should just outright tell him? Her nose wrinkled a little as she set a coffee mug on the countertop. Maybe she was thinking too hard about this. Still… [Y/N] poured some of the fresh coffee into her cup, and glanced at her vintage spice rack, with its glass canisters and the little bronze lids with old labels on them. Her fingers hovered over the little bottle of juniper syrup or the almond powder or even the cloves she usually went for, and she glanced at the bottles of ground cinnamon and then cardamom—and for a moment she reached for the latter, but stopped, shaking her head a little and taking a breath before tugging the cinnamon off the rack. “Just a pinch,” she mumbled to herself, tapping a bit of the rich brown powder into her coffee. A little sprinkling of brown sugar, and she sighed to herself before quickly popping a single clove into the little cup and stirring clockwise. Nothing too much. Maybe Peter would call her. This wasn’t her forte—attracting love?? Her grandmother was probably cackling to herself seeing this. A little grudgingly, she settled onto one of her barstools in front of her laptop, and huffed, tasting the coffee. Of course it tasted good.

                --------------------------------------------------

Mid-morning was misting some of her plants, setting up her study space on the rug of her living area. Some tea to give her focus,  a few of her books from last week still out around her, and some of her research notebooks were still out and open to where she’d left off. Her studying playlist was going as she tugged one of her older books over to her on the rug, settling in with it. This wasn’t…exactly ‘traditional’ science, but why not try her options? More often than not the physical and metaphysical aligned, and she knew she’d seen some illustrations that might prove helpful or at least relevant in this when her grandmother had had it.

But, a few hours later, and she still hadn’t found anything she’d set out to. She’d exchanged a few texts with someone from her chem class, had sent an email to the lab in case they needed her on call later, and had taken a handful of notes on moon cycles and travel patterns, and was now on her back on her rug, contemplating going out on her own anyways. Peter was probably working. Or sleeping. He always seemed like he needed more rest; she’d introduced him to melatonin and lavender, but she had a sneaking suspicion he wasn’t really doing anything with that knowledge. [Y/N] got up, after a few minutes. He hadn’t called, she had a day to do whatever she wanted, and she was going to go out and get some of those empty tea sachets because she was going to make a tea blend for Peter. Who was possibly her boyfriend. Tea for her maybe not boyfriend. She gave herself a withering look in the bathroom mirror as she finished up her eyeliner, but then a somewhat alarming thought hit her: she’d never been this invested in a relationship with someone before. What if this was…was like actually something? Love at first sight was bullshit, wasn’t it, but it had been a few weeks now, and… She slammed her makeup cabinet shut a little harder than she’d intended to, and ducked out of the bathroom without looking at her reflection again.

               --------------------------------------------------

She hoofed it to the shops, in spite of the cold. The flurries from that morning hadn’t stuck around, but it was overcast and cold. [Y/N] knew plenty of people along the way, people who waved or nodded. She’d grown up here with her grandmother, most of these people had known her since she was a kid. Ms. B, with her dog—the third pekinese she’d owned to date—Mr. Petrovik, arguing with one of the mailmen but taking a moment to wave at her. She headed down Bleecker towards MacDougal and gave a little bow of her head to Mr. Wong, who was stepping out of the townhouse, and he waved back as he trotted down the stoop. “Too cold to walk today!” he admonished cheerfully, and she rubbed at her nose a little. “I don’t mind it.” On the sidewalk waiting for him was Dr. S, who looked a bit more gray in the temples than she remembered. “You’ll mind being sick later,” he quipped, but it was mostly amiable. [Y/N]’s lips curled up slightly as she passed them. “I’ll come stop by for a consultation if I catch a cold, then.” “Not that kind of doctor!” He called after her, and she just snickered to herself, continuing on. “Then I’ll just die, I guess!”

              --------------------------------------------------

Mama Paola’s shop was situated between a pizza parlor and a tea shop, and was welcomingly warm inside. [Y/N] shivered a little as the bell on the door jingled on her way in, and a moment later, Mama P’s big gray cat came prowling around the corner of shelves to see who’d entered. [Y/N] stepped over him and gave him a scritch when he hopped up onto the shelf next to her, meowing almost chastisingly for her not immediately greeting him. “I see you, Pepito,” she murmured, scanning for what she needed, and the cat followed along until Mama P herself came sweeping in from the back, all colorful patterns and the deep smell of orange and spice. “My love! Oh, I knew you would come to see me today, mia cara!”

Mama Paola got her settled with everything she’d come in for (plus some whole chamomile flowers, which she insisted upon for this, and some fresh lavender that she tucked into her bag because ‘it’s better, it’s what you need, you take it from me!’ and really there was no arguing with Mama P) but before she could leave, the older woman stopped her.
 “Let me look at you,” she said slowly, looking [Y/N]’s face over, taking her chin in her hand and tilting her head this way and that. “Mm, I thought so.” [Y/N] raised an eyebrow. “What?” Mama P smiled, her crow’s feet etching into her aged face deeper. “You like this boy very much, hm? You’re taking breaks from working!” [Y/N] went a little pink, chewing her lips, but Mama P nodded, satisfied, and let go of her chin to pat her cheek affectionately. “Good. You never came to me for a boy before—“ for a moment, the older woman studied her pensively, and then: “Let me read for you, hm?” And before she could say anything, she was at the counter and Mama P had her own old, worn tarot deck out, shuffled, and had [Y/N]’s hand on the stack. [Y/N] took a breath, focusing. She hadn’t had anyone read for her in months—let alone Mama P. There was some apprehension in her now, some amount of wondering ‘what if something’s wrong?’ Her mind flashed back to The Moon from that morning, and she tried to still her nerves. Mama P laid the cards into a formation to read, and slowly turned them over, one by one. “The Ace of Cups,” she smiled, nodding, “This new love is a good start for you.” Her lips twisted some when she turned the next card. “The Hanged Man. This boy of yours is self-sacrificing.” Her eyes went to the paper bag in [Y/N]’s grasp, “But I think you noticed that already.” The next card made her brow knit, and [Y/N]’s along with it. “VII of Swords.” [Y/N]’s breath caught as Mama Paola spoke, “Something is being hidden, but I sense there is a great difficulty with it. There is weight to this,” she met the younger woman’s eyes and tapped a magenta-nailed finger on the center of her forehead, “But be mindful that things are not always as they seem. Sometimes we do not hide things out of malice, but out of love.” [Y/N] swallowed hard, nodding, eyes following Mama P’s fingers as she turned another card. “The Magician. You, mia cara—take heart from this one. You know the Magician; you take what you can grasp and you use it to create what you desire. The Magician knows that through their own will, anything can be accomplished.” She nodded sagely, turning the next card. “The II of Pentacles. Both of you share this resilience. You will be able to adapt to changes together.” But the final card made [Y/N]’s throat constrict a little. “The Tower,” she breathed out, and Mama P nodded. “Something is coming. There will be great changes—“ she reached across the glass countertop and rested an old, tanned hand on one of [Y/N]’s. “Change is good, my love. You know the Arcana, they have taught you, too: beginnings can only come from endings. Sometimes, we must raze the land for the new flowers to grow.”

               --------------------------------------------------

[Y/N] was so distracted on her way home she nearly got clipped by a bike courier twice; dropped her bag once, and then dropped her keys outside of her apartment building, almost in the storm drain. She realized, once she’d gotten inside again and gotten her layers off that she’d also missed a call from Peter, and a text too.

peter📷 : Hey! Busy day today, wanna get a bite later?

It was enough to make her smile, finally, and she settled onto her old sofa to tap out a reply.

me: sounds perfect. you pick the place?

peter📷 : Okay, but you owe me, I picked last time too.

me: put it on my tab.

peter📷 : How about a burger place? There’s a diner near me that’s open late.

[Y/N] nodded to herself, thinking. He didn’t know where she lived just yet; she could just get a taxi if it got late enough. At some point she’d have him over, she just felt a little bad telling him she’d been coming over from Manhattan every time they met up. It was about a half hour over to the coffeeshop they liked, which wasn’t horrible at least.

me: as long as it’s hot and bad for you then i’m in

peter📷 : You can’t say it like that, now I feel like it’s a horrible idea

me: if a burger isn’t greasy enough to k ill you then what’s the point

peter📷 : Okay, our next dinner has to be something healthy.

They decided to meet at 8; which gave her an hour or two to prep, and she used it to mix up a tea blend and get it poured into the little tea bags she’d bought earlier. Lavender, chamomile, a little valerian, a little almond, and a tiny bit of lemon balm. Not a fix-all, but it might at least help him relax; she used this same blend to help herself fall asleep from time to time. The little personalized tea bags were tucked into a silk sachet, and then into her bag, and she was on her way to dinner.

              --------------------------------------------------

Taking the metro got her almost to where they’d planned to meet up. It was colder at night; she’d added another dark layer to her clothes and bundled up in one of her massive knit scarves, tucking it over her mouth and nose as she headed down the sidewalk. She had maybe three blocks to walk; which really wasn’t bad, all things considering, and she’d be maybe a little early, even. She could give Peter this tea, they’d get to talk—maybe she’d bring up their relationship, finally; but was that a good idea? She was second guessing things after today, but at the same time, she needed to be more confident in her own intuition… She rounded the corner up ahead, and narrowly missed being clocked by a brick.

[Y/N] stumbled back in shock, the huge concrete block swiping past her and then back again, dragged through the air on a thread. Now she heard the screaming, which…it occurred to her, standing there on the sidewalk, that she should have heard this around the corner, but now she was in the thick of what looked like…maybe a bank robbery? What was this building? The entire side of it had been blown out, and now there was some guy in a massive metal suit yelling things and swinging his arms around at— “Hey! You need to get out of here!” People were running, and Spider-Man, perched on top of the armored man like he was on a mechanical bull, was yelling at her to leave. Yeah that—that was probably a good idea; the metal-suit guy was stumbling around trying to get the superhero off of his armor, and in doing so was flailing and knocking into parked cars and lamp posts, and then into another building. This was a lot more destruction than she’d pictured for a fight with Spider-Man, but then, she’d never actually run into any of this anyways. Some part of her was fascinated by it, watching the masked hero zip around on his webbing and beat the metal suit around. [Y/N] hurried to duck behind a car, and fumbled for her camera, rushing to try and get a shot or two of this, digging in her bag to grab it out. The cops had showed up by now, sirens blaring, and Spider-Man was still at it with the armor guy, but then he webbed the suit’s helmet and one of the arms to one of the legs, and the suit started to stumble backwards—right into the car she was behind. Metal crunched, and she’d tried to turn and run, but when she thought she’d be crushed, she was in the air, watching the metal suit flail a little pitifully on top of what had been a red sedan, looking like a turtle on it’s back. “Whoa.” “Hey—you coulda got yourself flattened, you know!” And holy shit, Spider-Man was holding onto her, swinging them away. [Y/N] blinked in shock, staring at his masked face, the eyes of his suit almost unnervingly big. “Wow. I could have died,” she blurted out, looking back down—they were suspended off of a gargoyle on one of the buildings now, maybe four stories up. He was startlingly strong for someone who looked as lithe as he did in the suit. “Yeah, you could have—are you okay??” He sounded more concerned than she expected, but she was focused on her bag now, hands feeling around inside and trying not to jostle her savior. “I’m fine—shlt!” “That doesn’t sound fi—“ “—I dropped it! Listen, I dropped something important—can you take me back there??” “What??” “I don’t even know where we are right now—I’m supposed to be meeting my boyfriend, and I had something for him and I dropped it—please! I need to get back there!” There was a pause as Spider-Man looked at her, and she wished she had some idea what he was doing behind the mask—nobody mentioned how weird it was to be talking to someone whose face you couldn’t see at all—and then they were moving again, and she wasn’t entirely sure she liked this ‘swinging’ thing. “This guy must be pretty special—“ Spider-Man sounded…pleased? And then settled her on the balcony of a hotel on the corner of where the whole fight had taken place. “Just stay put, okay? What are you looking for?” “It’s a blue bag! It’s kind of small…” but he was gone, and she tugged her coat around herself, watching him swing down near the flattened car and the armor, where the cops were trying to extract the guy out of his suit. A shot of web, and he’d grabbed the little bag up and pulled it to himself, then swung back to her. “This it?” “Yes!” She took it and made sure the tea bags were still all right—thankfully nothing had spilled—and tucked it safely into her bag. “Thank you—sorry about that, I—“ “Listen, next time just…you see the bad guys, you run the other way, okay? I’m sure your boyfriend would tell you the same thing.” “Yeah, probably.” her boyfriend. Peter was that, though, right? Maybe she’d ask. Maybe she should ask. Spider-Man offered an arm again. “Where are you heading?”

              --------------------------------------------------

“Peter, it was the craziest thing—like how do people around here deal with that all the time?!” They were sitting in a booth, and she was telling him about nearly dying over two big plates of fries. “Does that happen all the time?! Did you see any of it??” he’d been a few minutes late meeting her, but then she’d been late too. He’d been glad to see her, and hadn’t stopped smiling all night, even when she’d told him she almost had some kind of mecha-suit-guy crush her like a bug. “No, I guess I just missed it…” he shrugged some, “I’m just glad you’re okay.” “I mean, me too—“ she brandished a fry at him, shaking her head incredulously, “Who was that guy anyways?! I mean where do these people come from??” “No idea. Same place as Spider-Man, I guess.” “God, I heard about the destruction that happened with like…what, Green Goblin? Doc Ock? That had to have been even worse than this….” “Yeah, it was,” Peter nodded some, looking down, “It was really bad. A lot of people got hurt.” “It’s a good thing we have Spider-Man, honestly.” There was a pause. “You think so?” “I mean he grabbed me out of there at the last possible second. That counts for something.” She sighed, shaking her head and eating a few of her fries. “Oh!” She dug around in her bag, and pulled the blue bag out, smiling. “It’s…I mean they only got a little banged up. But this is for you,” she offered it to Peter, and he took it, smiling broadly as he opened it to look. “Whaaat…you didn’t need to—what is it?” “It’s tea,” she explained, fingers fiddling with each other in her lap now, “It’s supposed to—it should help you sleep.” “You…really?” “Yeah, I…I use it sometimes, and I thought…” He was inspecting one of the little bags, and his eyes widened. “Did you make this??” “Yeah, I mean it might taste a little weirder than you’re used to…” “I bet it tastes amazing!” he shut the bag again and beamed at her, and [Y/N] felt her face heat up some. “I’ll use it when I get home!” “Well…tell me if you like it,” she gave him a lopsided smile back, and he just grinned.

              --------------------------------------------------

On the sidewalk later, she waited on a cab, and he waited with her. “So…” She took a little breath, looking at him after a moment. He smiled broadly. “So.” He went a little pink now, rubbed at his nose a little. “So it’s been…it’s been a few weeks, and I…maybe I’m reading into things, but, y’know…I thought, maybe…maybe you’d be my girl?” [Y/N] just stared at him for a moment, and his face went red. “Or maybe I was misreading—“ “—I’ve been hoping you’d—you’d say something for like…weeks now,” she mumbled sheepishly, face red now too. “God I really must be bad at flirting…” “No!” He hurriedly put a hand on her arm, like he thought she might leave, “No, you’re—you’re great at it!” They both stood there for a moment, other pedestrians passing them in the freezing night air, and finally, when she was starting to think she could just stare at those sweet blue eyes forever, Peter took a little step closer. “Can I kiss you?” [Y/N] gasped out a little laugh, smiling and nodding. “I’d--I’d be more than a little disappointed if you didn’t.” It was freezing; his lips were cold and so were hers, the wind was chapping their cheeks, it smelled like smoke and exhaust around them, but it was perfect. [Y/N] moved forward a little, feeling the warmth from Peter’s body seep through her layers, and she felt him smile against her mouth, and she smiled back. When they looked at each other again, she laughed, reaching up and swiping a little smear of black lipstick off of his mouth with her thumb, and he laughed back before taking her wrist, and kissing her again. The cab came too soon, when it did, and she watched him out the window as they drove off, waving back when he waved from the sidewalk.

              --------------------------------------------------

The next morning, there was a blip of an article as she skimmed the news pages, and a blurry photo of Spider-Man: ‘Howling webhead disturbs city! Spider vigilante heard whooping through the streets late last night! Could this be an arachnid war cry?!’

[croatian-nt]

Badelj podcast

For @lovren-la-vida-luka who wanted to see why everyone likes Badelj 

Host: *asks first question about the club and the second is immediately "how is Pjaca?"

Badelj: Pjaca is well. He is getting back into shape after that injury. I am sorry he isn't with the nt right now

Host: every kid that plays football dreams of playing in the nt. Tell me, at what point in your life did you realize "oh, I am someone who can play in Dinamo and in the nt" and was the support from people around you important in that?

Badelj: well, I don't think I ever thought that. Don't get me wrong-I didn't doubt myself. But when you watch TV and you see people playing for big clubs or for the nt...you don't know how that works. What's going on in their heads. I think people around me believed that I could do it more than i did, to be quite honest

Host: do know anyone who you expected to make a great career in football but didn't, for whatever reason?

Badelj: from my generation? I thought Tomecak would go out of the country and make a big career there. There was also Lovren. You see, the rest of us went step by step in our career but Loki skipped steps, climbing higher. I think he made international career first from all of us. But yes, I expected Tomecak to do so as well

Badelj: *explaining how while he was in Lokomotiva they were second in second league *

Badelj: I think the club that was first was called...Mladost Suhopolje? I think? Is that possible?

Domo: *yelling something from the background *

Host: Vida says that's not possible

Domo: it doesn't exist anymore!

Badelj: but it didn't exist. I am talking about something 12 years ago

Other host from the background: there was a club called Mladost from Suhopolje

Badelj: so I wasn't wrong

Saša(a doctor, second podcast guest): *quietly* damn

Badelj: you want me to be wrong don't you? You are just waiting for it

Sasa: maybe

Host: Could you name what other 4 players except for you transfered first from Dinamo to Lokomotva?

Badelj: Oh, I can, but you see, you are wrong, First transfer from Dinamo to Lokomotiva happened 4 years before ours, and it included 10 players. But, second transfer you think of was ours. *proceeds to number the other 4 guys*

Host: you came to Dinamo as a replacement for Luka Modric, but you played a bit with him before that, right?

Badelj: yes, in 2008, for about 5 months before he transferred

Host: could you have guessed back then that he would be such a well known player?

Badelj: I personally don't think you can tell those things. He always had that something. That quality, that kind of special talent you don't forget. But for a player to win all the awards that he did you need your cards to fit just right. And lots of media exposure. The fact that he won all that, that's incredible

Host: could you tell us some things you remember from your time in Dinamo?

Badelj: in Dinamo? Well the problem is that I remember everything from my time in Dinamo. But to sum it up, the first and the last game. The first, in which we played against Rijeka and I scored a goal. I'll never forget that. I remember thinking I was on top of the world back then. And the last, against Maribor, where in first half I gave autogol and the fans booed me as I exited the pitch, and second half, where I scored a winning goal for us. I think that last game sums up my time in Dinamo very well. Ups and downs

Host: okay, first card break. Please take your cards

Sasa: *reaches out and turns one card *

Badelj: you turned them! Why did you already turn them?

Sasa: I only turned one

Badelj: we are supposed to wait until he tells us to turn them and read

Sasa: well, I did have a habit of cheating on my exams

Badelj: Well, I for one am glad for cards break. I was starting to think my friend Vida will fall asleep

*Domo yelling something from the background *

Sasa: quiet. I don't want to choose hard questions

Host: okay, okay. Miki, read it for doctor

Badelj: oh I am reading it to him? *smiles * see? You fucked up

Badelj: extra time or penalties?

Sasa: *pause * penalities?

Badelj: in football, you know?

Sasa: of course I-

*everyone laughs, Vida's laugh is literally echoing *

Badelj: okay, okay. I am just saying, because questions are mean. It could have been a metaphor. So in football. Extra time or penalties

Sasa: penalties

Sasa: popcorn or chips?

Badelj: chip

Sasa: of course, that was easy. I would have answered the same

Badelj: I am sure you would. Besides, I saw the question beforehand when you turned it on the table

Sasa: okay, I definitely already know your answer to this but anyway-

Badelj: no, wait. Don't read the question, tell me what I'd answer and I'll guess what the question is

Sasa: Beer

Badelj: Wine or beer?

Sasa: ...yes

Badelj: I know your answer to this one too

Sasa: tell me the answer then, I'll guess the question

Badelj: cat

Sasa: cat or a dog?

Badelj: yes

Sasa: hmmm. A dog

Host: I think Milan won this round guys

Sasa: wait-

Domo: *laughs again *

Sasa: why did he win? When I am a dog?

Badelj: I didn't ask if you'd rather be a dog or a cat. I meant what would you rather have

Domo: *laughs harder *

Sasa: yes. A DOG

Badelj: oh. A dog? But if I ask what kind-

Sasa: a small one

Badelj: ah. So you want a cat. Next!

Badelj: prosciutto or kulen?

Sasa: joooj

Host: careful, careful what you say

Sasa: Vida is here but- prosciutto

Vida: Then I won't send anything to your house!

Badelj: at least you know who not to send it to. Send it to me

Sasa: except if it's from black pig

Vida: yeah, yeah, now. It's over now. No more deliveries to your address

Host: so, I want to hear a bit about towns you lived in. Firenze specifically, as one of centers of culture

Badelj: well it isn't only cultural but also gastronomic center and general hedonistic city and region. You can really enjoy yourself there. People are also interesting...I am afraid Domo is falling asleep

Host: I am sure he finds that interesting as well

Badelj: well, I don't know. I tried to get him to visit me while I was there but he never did. As a manager I failed

Host: speaking of travelling, Iva told me she almost didn't manage to contact you for WC in Brazil

Badelj: well that isn't my fault. Whenever she can locate me or not is her issue. I was...located. The fact is I was in an plane while we played our first game in Brazil. I am sorry Iva, I know this isn't a very good advertisement for you-seriously she is amazing and she usually plans everything ahead and I think without her at least one person would get lost on a airport before every game. But the fact is, that time I didn't play the first game because I was in an airplane

Host: so tell me, did you ever get an offer from Milan? And if you did how close you were to signing. And the most importantly if you have signed, would you have "Milan" or "Badelj" on your jersey?

Badelj: definitely Badelj

Host: is there more pressure to do an operation on a professional football player than let's say, your neighbor?

Sasa: of course. I mean, their whole career depends on that. If I operate my neighbor and it isn't as good as it can be he can just stop playing football in his free time. If I tell Badelj he can't play football anymore-

Badelj: don't drag me into this mess. I don't want to imagine that

Host: it seems only charmers come from Gajnice. I mean, football wise(charmer isn't exactly the right word but...I can't think of a better one to fit)

Badelj: yes. We bully the strong ones out of football. They can do athletics

Host: the most memorable part about you for me actually isn't your career, but the speech you held at your teammate, Astori's funeral. How did you manage to do that? To hold yourself together and make such a speech?

Badelj: well I. You have to understand, outside of Croatia, he was my best friend. We were captain and vice captain so it began as a duty to keep the team together at first. And during that time...when he died, there was lots of new, young player in Florentina and they looked up to us for guidence. So...so it made sense for me to hold that speech. One thing that made it easier that I had period of 3 days before the speech after he died. Three days of crying and suffering but at least you get some of that grief out. I wasn't empty of it when I held the speech but I wasn't overflowing either

Host: alright, next card break

Sasa: who has the best free kick?

Badelj: oh man, there are quite a few. Brozo, Orša and Bruno is good as well. If Srna was here I'd say him. Or if Raketa was here. Perisic is also good. He can shoot with both legs too. Not in the same time though

Badelj: who eats the most?

Sasa: well-

Badelj: and not on your table. Our table. But how would he know, he doesn't eat with us

Domo: why not from his table? It says who in the team as a whole!

Badelj: but that isn't fun! How about who in the history of the team?

Sasa: hmmmm. Let me think. Who would it-

*voices overlapping, Domo laughing *

Badelj: you are really mean. Really mean

Domo: I didn't say anything

Badelj: but you thought of it. Few times

Sasa: who takes the most to get ready? I even know that one

Badelj: Peri always comes in last. But I don't think he takes that long to get ready. But he does come in last

Badelj: best sense of humor?

Sasa: oh there are a lot of players with a good sense of humor. Hmm

Badelj: it doesn't have to be a player

Sasa: it doesn't?

Host: well it's more fun if it is, but it's okay if it isn't

Sasa: hm Someone off the camera: Miki!

Badelj: I am not funny. He likes to talk to me but I am not funny

Sasa: well you can be funny. Sometimes. But Vida I guess. He really cheered me up this morning

Badelj: what did he tell you?

Sasa: oh he was pestering me

Badelj: and you love when people pester you?

*everyone burst out laughing *

Sasa: no! That's not-it was just funny!

Host: so, there has been a question in our podcasts, who would you choose as a partner in Potjera and 90% of our guests said Miki Badelj. What kind of cheating did you use to get that kind of reputation?

Badelj: I have no idea. You'll have to ask them that

Host: if you weren't in football, what fields would you be interested in?

Badelj: I'd still be in sport. Even if I didn't end up as a football player I'd do something with sport. That always interested me, even as a subject itself

Host: would you be a sport doctor like Sasa?

Badelj: god no

Sasa: no huh?

Badelj: I really don't think I am the type for that

Sasa: favorite subject?

Badelj: Geography

Sasa: same! I guess we really are friends for a reason. Favorite movie?

Badelj: it was brave heart for a long while but not anymore-

Sasa: it was my favorite too!

Badelj: you know you don't have to answer this question right? I also liked Interstellar for awhile but I watched it too many times

Sasa: Interstellar is too long for me

Badelj: and Brave Heart wasn't??

Sasa: favorite female or male singer?(we have different words for each)

Badelj: female singer

*all laugh *

Badelj: Alright, alright. Nina Badric

Sasa: as a singer or...?

 Host: so tell me, who doesn't complain a lot about...well, everything?

Sasa: well, Luka, Vida, Miki...older players generally complain less than younger ones. *Looks up, sees Livi *And Livi of course! But none of goalies complain, really

Host: a lot of players from bronze generation became coaches. 14 of them, actually. If we say hypothetically 14 of silver generation will do the same, who do you think would become a coach? You can switch on saying names

Sasa: Miki

Badelj: hah. Sasa

Sasa: you can't choose me!

Badelj: fine, fine. Carli then. He already is but it still counts, right?

Sasa: I think Lovren would want to be a coach

Badelj: hmmmm *looking at Vida * would you want to be a coach? Vida!

Sasa: Luka would probably want to be one

Host: that's five

Badelj: hmmm. Piva

Host: okay, we won't go to 14 since it would probably be hard to get to that number. Next card break

Sasa: who would you choose as a co-driver in rallying?

Badelj: Vida. Yes, yes, Vida

Domo: you sure about that?

Badelj: it's because Vida has that sort of personality that in last seconds, when that kind of character is important, he makes a step forward. Because you can't stay in place. Either you make a step forward or a step back. And he'd take a step forward

Badelj: who would you choose to score a penalty if your life depended on him scoring?

Sasa: uff

Badelj: remember, your life depends on it!

Sasa: Kramaric

*uhhhing and ahhhing from the background *

Vida, barely audible: not bad

Sasa: as a partner for tennis?

Badelj: oh god. I have no idea how anyone plays

Sasa: *streching *

Badelj: is that you volonteering or...?

Sasa: no!

*Domo laughs *

Sasa: besides, you have to choose a player, not me

Badelj: hmmm. Brozo. He can run a lot. A lot more than me. *laughs * so it wouldn't be so bad

Badelj: to choose a movie for you?

Sasa: hmmm, not you, you'd choose something too serious. I'd choose Vida, he'd pick something funny

Domo: *says something

Sasa: you don't watch them either? Miki do you watch them?

Badelj: I do, but I wouldn't know what to recommend

Domo: Livi!

Sasa: Livi is young still. He didn't watch a lot of movies

Livi says something it sort of sounds like: Oh com'on!

Sasa: I don't know who I'd pick, really

Badelj: can he say I don't know?

Host: yeah, I guess so

 Sasa: but I said you first!

Badelj: no, you said I'd pick something too serious. You said Domo would pick something funny first

Domo: But I don't watch movies!

Sasa: fine, then Livi, if I must

Badelj: if I must do you hear that Livi? How do you feel about that?

Host: he looks truly honored

 Badelj: who would you choose to help you cheat on a test?

Sasa: you

Badelj: and I'd be already cheating by reading someone else'd answer so that's a good idea *laughs *

Sasa: who would you choose as a partner in a fight?

Badelj: Vida

Host: As a doctor would you explain to us how during WC in 2018 there wasn't a single game where one of the players couldn't play because of an injury? What is the secret?

Sasa: well, motivation mostly. Everyone wanted to play. Even if someone had some issue-and we had them, they would push through it and play anyway. I'll be honest. There were some players I thought wouldn't be able to get through the game but not only did they manage it but they manage to play until the end of the WC

Badelj: yeah, Šime

Sasa: yes, it was Šime. I didn't want to use the names but it was him. I didn't expect him to play after the game against Russia but he did and he played the England and the France one. I-I really don't know how to explain what he did

Host: so when we made pairs that will come to the studio I'll admit I was really looking forward to interviewing the two of you-

Badelj: now you are just talking shit. You say that to everyone

Sasa: Vida did he say the same thing to everyone?

Badelj: you should have written it on the cards "I looked forward to talking the two of you the most"

Host: -and you fulfilled my expectations despite the fact that Miki obviousy isn't funny-

Badelj: I am not! But I recommend bad, too serious movies. Serious and boring ones

Sasa: I only said serious ones!

Host, turning to the camera: Thank you for watching our newest podcast! Watch us tomorrow as well!