skeenyqueen

[reddeadbread]

Fortunate Ones

Javier x Reader

Part 3

Part 1  Part 2  

Summary/notes: Now in the heartlands, the camp celebrates and you convince Javier to be your partner in crime.

this while fic is fluff and maybe angst but never NSFW, another long chapter this time.

Word count: 1963

Moving off the mountain was a great relief for everyone but for you it mostly just filled you with uncertainty. You had been visibly anxious the entire journey down, fidgeting and lost in your thoughts when people spoke to you. Miss Grimshaw had all but given up on nagging you to work faster with how distant you were, even her incessant badgering couldn’t reach you. Hosea, being as good-natured as he was, had picked up on it quickly. He finally caught you alone when everyone had finished unpacking at a charming new campsite named horseshoe overlook, not that anyone had all that much to unpack. Whatever had happened to them at Blackwater seemed to be dire enough for them to flee without many of their belongings. It was a warm evening and it felt good to finally be able to sit outside without risking hypothermia.

“Are you alright miss?” he had kind eyes that matched his kind nature, he was a good man even if he was a huckster too, you knew well enough that it was possible to be both.

“I’m alright. Just…worried. I don’t know where I’ll go next.” You smiled weakly but it was clear you were still uneasy. There had been enough uncertainty for you already and you had finally found a place where you felt at home, you just weren’t sure how long you could push your luck.

Javier stood smoking nearby and his ears pricked when he heard your conversation, doing his best to be subtle in his eavesdropping. He wanted you to stay, of course, but he didn’t want to admit to listening in so he stayed silent. The others were sure to think it hilarious that he cared one way or the other if they picked up on it.

“you know you can stay here. They’re an odd bunch but they’re good people.” Hosea said this as if it was an obvious option. He wouldn’t force anything, he just tended to get a feeling for people, and he had a good feeling about you. You’d fit in here. Javier certainly agreed with that.

“Really?” you paused, you hadn’t planned to join a gang of outlaws but a lot of things had happened that you that you had never planned, meeting these people was the most fortunate thing in a series of unsavoury events so it made sense to stay. These people could become home for you. “I’d like that Mr. Matthews,” you smiled, a huge weight was lifted off your shoulders but now you were more determined than ever to prove yourself to be useful.

“Javier! What about a song?” Uncle called out from the fire, it made you notice that he was standing nearby, still under the guise of smoking although there was little to nothing left of his cigarette. He called back to Uncle, heading to pick up his guitar as if he hadn’t just been silently celebrating your decision to stay.

You had seen a guitar when unpacking the wagon but you didn’t know who it belonged to, Javier really only seemed to pleasantly surprise you every day you spoke to him and this was another nice surprise. “You play? I didn’t know,” you found a place alongside many of the others who were keen to hear. The fire was crackling away quietly, and you immediately stretched out your hands to feel it’s warmth.

“Of course he plays, come on Javier. We’re celebrating our new camp aint we?” Uncle was an obnoxiously loud man but you liked him all the same, he was never disagreeable from what you’d seen and although it may in part be because of the copious amounts of alcohol he consumed, he was a cheerful man even in the cold of the mountains. He also was kind enough to pick up on Javier’s liking of you and clumsily try to help him impress you, assuming he was being helpful when really, he was only embarrassing Javier with his flattery. Luckily for the old man, Javier only looked slightly impatient with him before he began to play softly.

Now, you were expecting some simple campfire songs, more loud than in tune and more to do with a group of slightly drunken people being given an excuse to be even louder than usual rather than evoking any emotion. This was not what you heard. When Javier began to sing your heart skipped a beat, that warm voice like honey was even more soothing when he sang. Every word was in Spanish and you didn’t even know what the song was about, but you didn’t need to. You were completely captivated by him. He finally got his wish in making you flustered when he made eye contact with you and you felt the fluttering of a thousand butterflies wings in your stomach as a blush rose to your cheeks. Silly, really but it seemed impossible not to react when he looked at you that way.

When the song finished you were in stunned silence for a moment, he played beautifully. “You could have told me you had musical talent you know, Javier.” You finally managed to speak, a little embarrassed by how utterly spellbound you had been. He had definitely been trying to show off a little even if he would deny it if anybody asked. Your cheeks were flushed but fortunately the fire light hid that at least to some degree.

“I know what song we need to hear next!” Karen blurted out drunkenly, bursting into song. Poor Karen, she drank far too much even on nights when you weren’t celebrating. At least the others began singing along with her so attention was drawn away from your nervous laughter and stammered words of praise.

Everyone was excitable this evening and that made camp complete chaos and it warmed your heart to see everyone so happy. Something you could especially enjoy was seeing Javier drinking along with the others. He was always so focused, sometimes even moody when he got too cold, and it was nice to see him loosen up.

When the night had drawn on and many had already collapsed on their bedrolls or wherever they’d been sat drinking, you sat beside him and he poured you a drink, spilling a little onto the table.

“ah, a gentleman.” You teased, taking the drink and downing it in one swift motion, the whiskey burnt your throat but the buzz it gave was pleasant enough to keep drinking.

“Of course Chiquita! I’m always a gentleman.” You liked him drunk already. He laughed and smiled a lot more and that was bound to bring you joy. Not everyone was so harmless after drinking so much and it was always nice to see someone who was this way rather than being an angry resentful mess. They say drunk words are sober thoughts after all so maybe this should show the measure of a man. He poured you another drink. “So, you’re staying with us?” his speech was just a little slurred and his accent thicker than usual, but you found that charming too.

You smiled, wondering if he’d even remember many details of this conversation. “What makes you think that? Were you eavesdropping or what?” you raised an eyebrow and he immediately realised he’d been found out.

“Eavesdropping? No, you have it all wrong Princesa.” He laughed it off surprisingly well, sinking another deep sip of his drink. He was such a good liar that if he hadn’t already outed himself you would have believed him.

“right right, A gentleman wouldn’t eavesdrop.” You secretly enjoyed these pet names he gave you but you weren’t so drunk or so foolish as to think it meant anything. You were new here, a little flirting was inevitable, especially when you teased him the way you did. You considered him a friend, perhaps a friend you had a little crush on but a friend nonetheless. “you’re happy I’m staying?” you were a little more serious when you asked him this.

“I’m happy you’re staying.” Javier wasn’t exactly known for being gentle but you saw a good heart in him and when he said this it was genuine. You teased him, yes, and sometimes he flirted with you but you were grateful to have a good man you could trust and he was glad to have someone already so kind to him. He wasn’t certain he was the man you seemed to think he was, but he wanted to look after you and now you were staying you were part of the family. No one could hurt you again.

“good. So you’ll let me help you. I’m not going to sit in camp sewing. I want to go out there.” Now was the perfect time to make him agree to such a thing. You couldn’t go alone just yet, you needed a little practice first and you didn’t know who else you could approach to be your partner in crime. He had been drinking quite a bit more than you and you were sure this could work in your favour.

Javier blinked at you, a little surprised that you would ask something like that, for a moment at least. “you know how to shoot Chiquita?” you had been tenacious even when cornered in a cabin deep in the mountains with nothing but a hunting knife. He shouldn’t be surprised that you wanted to be of more help than peeling vegetables and washing clothes.

“a little, I was alone before the O’Driscolls found me and I survived just fine. So? Come on Javier, you know I’m picking you because you’re my favourite.” Maybe the small amount of liquid courage you’d drank was helping too, making you able to disguise truths as just more playful banter.

“How can I say no? alright, alright, If Dutch says yes.” Of course he’d never do anything unless Dutch allowed it but you had been expecting that. “so, are you going to kiss me again to say thank you?” he was joking of course, although he had enjoyed the affection more than he’d like to admit, the whiskey was making that spill out into his flirtations.

You laughed at him “you ever going to let that go?” He’d made fun of you over this more than enough already, he took great joy in bringing it up with you. You could easily make fun of him for the way he’d smiled when you had kissed him but you decided not to, he could continue to believe you hadn’t noticed this slip in his usual strong and mysterious front, a gift from you to him. “anyway, what am I thanking you for? I’ll look after you out there, I promise.”

He laughed, leaning into you, close enough for you to smell the whiskey on him. Close enough to count every eyelash and examine every scar on his face. You had been close enough with him before now to know that he usually carried a scent of cologne and cigarettes, a scent which had become oddly comforting to you. His deep brown eyes gazed into you as your shared laughter petered off. For a moment he thought of kissing you but that would be unwise. Getting involved with people you’re stuck living with was always ill-advised, look at what happened to Abigail and John, always fighting. Even drunk he was sure that would be a poor choice and he liked you too much for that. “I’ve drunk enough for tonight. I’ll take you out tomorrow, Princesa.” He chuckled as he placed a hand at your cheek before standing to leave, the bottle with the remaining whiskey in it abandoned on the table. You waited until he was out of sight before you rested a hand where he had touched you, unashamedly beaming and shaking your head at your own foolishness.

[relighthatspark]

it’s not the end of the story... 

(the story - conan gray)