Warnings: rpf, language, gun mention, food mention, smut, fingering, choking, unprotected p in v, handjob, let me know if I missed anything[if this is not your cup of tea just scroll past]
A/N:It’s been 4 months, I apologize for the time it took for me to be able to get my head back where I needed for this series. To everyone who has stuck by me, thank you, I hope this chapter gives you all I left you hanging with and more xo
Thank you to @danniburgh we talked about this forever ago and it helped me get through this and @purplepascal042 thank you for looking over this for me
——-
You wake up to the sun shining in your face, a weak groan escaping your lips, eyelids too heavy to open. Your body felt sore in a way you hadn’t felt in so long and it made you want to curse the sun for intruding on your sleep. The grogginess in your brain is begging you for more sleep, wondering if you had forgotten to shut your curtains properly. You never let this much light come through. God why is it so bright in here.
You open your eyes, trying to focus on the room around you, something felt off, the golden light flooding in too bright. It made your eyes hurt and you tried to turn away from it. An arm around your waist prevents you from moving and you freeze for a moment, before your half asleep brain reminds you of where you were. You relax into Pedro’s grip, blinking a few times, vision still sleep blurred, trying to become more alert, a soft yawn escaping your lips. You try turning your head away from the light pouring in through his thin curtains as your eyes adjust to the lighting.
AN | Was this inevitable? Probably. Am I sorry? Nope. Enjoy this foray into Dieter-land. More to come? Maybe. Dieter isn’t an actor in this bad boy, only a very eclectic artist!
Summary | In which you’ve been best friends with eccentric artist Dieter Bravo for years and years. In which you’ve been in love with your best friend for years and years. All it took was one little comment for the truth to come out - but it might have ruined everything.
Pairing | Dieter Bravo x Fem!Reader
Warnings | Language, Sex [discussed/done although nothing explicit], Bi!Dieter and Bi!Reader, 18+ solamente
You almost choked on the sip of coffee you’d just taken as you read through the comments on some random influencer’s Instagram post. People just continued to be the worst; you knew that comments more often than not were a cesspool, but you still found yourself drawn to them. Tossing your phone back onto the table you were currently occupying in the small café, you caught Dieter’s eye and groaned dramatically.
“Alright, bonita?” he twiddled the stylus between his fingers as he paused from the sketch he was working on, “please don’t choke and die in the middle of a café. Not cute and you need to find a more dramatic way to die, especially so young.”
“You’re the worst,” you couldn’t help but laugh as you turned back to your laptop, going through too many work emails. He blew you a kiss before winking and turning back to his own work. The two of you worked in silence for some time, only the noise from the other patrons reaching your ears.
“You know what the worst thing about being bi is?” you sighed after some time, still annoyed by what you’d read, coffee halfway to your mouth before you shook your head, “well, not about being bi. About people and their perceptions.”
“They think we’re confused?”
“If I dated you, or any man, they’d just say I was straight, same as if you dated a woman,” you huffed, “but if I date a woman, I’m lesbian and just didn’t want to fully come out, if you date a man you’ve been secretly gay this whole time. People are just so…narrow-minded. I’m not confused, you’re not confused, what’s wrong with just liking people?”
“Don’t let the fuckers get to you,” Dieter shrugged nonchalantly, “w-wait - if you dated me? So you’re saying there’s a chance?”
You almost snorted into your coffee before looking across the table at the time. He looked up from his pad, eyebrows raised so high they disappeared into his mop of curls. You’d often wondered how soft they were, how your fingers would feel running through them, how it would - stop. Rolling your eyes, you quickly flipped him off, “not a chance, baby. Not a fuckin’ chance.”
“You’re telling me you haven’t thought about having sex with me even once?”
“I didn’t say that,” you turned your attention back to the work you were doing on your laptop, “don’t put words in my mouth.”
“So you have thought about it?”
“Yes,” you did your best to keep your face as neutral as possible, wanting to get a rise out of him, “I’ve touched myself to you many times. Wishing it was you touching me instead.”
“You have not.”
“I have,” you really had.
“So if I asked you to have sex with me right now you’d say no?”
“Yup,” you popped the p and glanced up to find him watching you incredulously, “again, there’s a difference between me wishing it was you and not my hand and it actually being you. I’m not having sex with you, Dee.”
“But-”
“We’re best friends,” you sighed lightly as he made a small noise of annoyance, “I want to always be your best friend. I don’t want us to have sex and ruin our relationship. If we had sex there would be feelings involved and I can’t risk that with you. I don’t think I could live with a broken heart because of you.”
“You’re just assuming that things would go wrong,” was that a note of…hurtin this voice? You swallowed thickly before shifting your gaze from his, “why…you really think I’d hurt you?”
“I don’t inherently assume you’re going to hurt me,” you promised, “you never have. You’ve always been there for me. You know you’re the most important person to me. But I can’t risk losing you.”
“Then give me a chance.”
“I…no, Dee,” you closed your laptop before stuffing into your bag, “I should get going…I’ll see you tomorrow night, okay?”
“Sure,” his voice was flat as you flitted by him. He expected that you’d kiss his cheek or top of his head as was your custom, but this time you just walked by. He tried to ignore the pang that settled in his heart at the obvious distance you suddenly felt the need to create. He should have just kept his damn mouth shut but no…he just had to go and mess it up, “fuck.”
── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──
It turns out you did not see him the next night, making up a lame excuse about having to work late that evening. While your work at the museum did occasionally offer up odd hours, perks of being a curator, he knew you were lying. It had hurt your heart too, lying to the best friend you’d ever had, but you just needed some space from him to think. Maybe then you’d be able to get your mind straightened out.
One canceled movie night had led to several missed brunches and lunches and everything in between. It hurt every time just as much as the first. You knew he knew you were lying. He’d texted you countless times asking what was wrong, what he did wrong, how he could fix everything. He just wanted his best friend back. So did you.
You really did love him. You really did want him, but you didn’t want to just be another fuck for him or end up as friends with benefits or start a relationship with him and then have everything ruined. Where you really willing to give up over fifteen years of friendship for sex? No.
He’d remain your best friend and you’d find another way to satisfy your other needs. Which is precisely how you’d found yourself at a bar that was too loud and too crowded and totally not what you wanted to be doing on a Friday night. You should have been at home with him in your pajamas, eating pizza, drinking cheap wine, and watching shitty movies.
But your date was nice; he’d checked off all the boxes. Handsome, smart, decently funny…but also completely not what you wanted. You wanted the zany craziness of your best friend.
“Fuck,” you groaned quietly at yourself before downing the rest of your drink. Your date had gone to the bathroom so you had a moment to breathe by yourself. The peace, however, did not last long because before you knew it, you felt someone behind you, an arm wrapping around your waist, “what the-”
“Hola bonita,” oh no. There was no way he had managed to find you here. He rested his head on your shoulder before pressing a kiss to the side of your head, “I see while you’re busy ignoring me you’ve got plenty of time to come here.”
“I haven’t been…” he smelled so good and you couldn’t help but lean into his touch. You were going to blame that on the alcohol, “avoiding you.”
“Of course,” he whispered in your ear, “I’ve only known you for how long? You don’t think I know every time you lie to me?”
“Dee-”
“I’m not going to push you,” he promised and by gods were you tempted to turn your head and kiss him, “if you don’t even want to be friends anymore, that’s on you. It’s all up to you, bonita. But I’ll leave you so you can get back to your little date. He’s cute, maybe a little too preppy, but he’s got looks. I hope you think of me when you’re with him. I could be a better boyfriend than him.”
“Dee-” but just before you turned around, he was off of you and disappearing back into the thick throng of the crowd. A small sound of frustration escaped your lips as you motioned for the bartender to bring you another drink. Part of you was furious with him for pulling this little stunt and part of you couldn’t blame him. You were after all the reason for the shift in your relationship with him. You were the one that had told him you’d fantasized about having sex with him, not the other way around. Now you were left to wonder how long he’d felt the same. How long had your best friend thought about you as more than a friend? If it was anywhere near as long as you had, then it had been years. Fools, silly, dumb fools.
“Everything alright?” Ethan - wait was his name Ethan? Aaron? James? No - it was definitely Julián. Either way, he’d made his way back to you and hopped back into the stool next to you, his leg brushing against yours. He was handsome - and now that you really studied him, you could see why you thought so. A mop of dark curls and warm brown eyes with a golden complexion and a strong jaw. Not completely unlike - fuck. You quickly thought back to the previous men you’d dated and yeah…there was a startling trend when you realized they all bore some resemblance to your best friend, “you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Yeah, it’s all…everything’s fine,” you lied, taking the drink that had just been placed in front of you and downing it all in one go. Julián said nothing but chucked slightly before finishing his own drink. It wasn’t that…there was nothing wrong with him. He was nice, kind, and charming but he wasn’t him. He wasn’t your eccentric, wild artist best friend that often made you wonder if he’d huffed too much paint. You leaned in and let your lips brush against his ear, “do you want to get out of here?”
He turned to you with wide eyes as a flush worked its way into his cheeks. He hadn’t been expecting your question considering your ambivalence towards him, “yes.”
── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──
He went through the motions of sex methodically; there’d been a lot of making out beforehand, he’d fingered you and then ate you like it was his job and hadn’t expected you to go down on him. You’d let him do the work, finding your heart wasn’t in it but you needed something - anything - to keep your mind occupied. Despite reassuring him you were on the pill and clean he opted to use a condom just to be extra careful (what a rarity but appreciated nonetheless), and opted for missionary. You weren’t able to look him in the eyes as he fucked you, pretending it was all too much and squeezed your eyes shut.
He was determined to make sure you came again, focused on your pleasure as much as his, but when you finally felt yourself reaching a second high, it all went downhill.
“Fuck yes, Dee, right there,” the words were out of your mouth before you even realized what had happened. Julián stilled, buried inside of you, as both realized what had happened. He let out a huff of bitter laughter before pulling out of you and rolling to the side, “Julián, I-I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened-”
“I think I should go,” he was already up, disposing of the used condom before grabbing his clothes and hastily pulling them on.
“Julián-”
“I think you need to figure out your own feelings before we see each other again,” he sighed as you hung your head, pulling the sheet around your frame, “look, I really like you. You’re great, but I’m not going to be a replacement for whoever Dee is.”
“You’re not a replacement…”
“You don’t have to lie to me or yourself,” he was already headed out of your bedroom, “like I said, figure it out and if you still want to give this a try, call me. Chao cariño.”
“Julián,” but he was already gone and you were frustrated in every sense of the word, “fuck. Fuck.”
── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ──
Dieter almost jumped when he heard the loud, rapid knocking on his door. He’d been in the middle of working his way through another bag of kit-kats (hey, they were minis, don’t judge) and watching a random show on Netflix when he was startled out of his thoughts. He glanced down at his phone and realized it was much later than he had thought. Who could be at his door at this time of night?
He stood up, grumbling at the cracking of his stiff joints before walking to the door, not even bothering to check who it was.
“Dee,” you were standing there, in your pajamas, soaking wet from the sudden downpour. His expression went through a mixture of emotions as he stood there, silently watching you, “do you love me?”
“I…what?” he was so stunned by your question, “of course I do. You’re my best friend.”
“No - I…are you in love with me?” you were still trying to catch your breath from having practically run to his apartment from your own, not trusting yourself enough to drive. Your heart was pounding in your chest from both the run and your nerves, so loud that you were sure he could hear it, “please, I have to know.”
Dieter paused for a moment, staring down at his croc covered feet - despite how hard you tried to get him to ditch them he never did - and let out a long, heavy breath. His silence had you worried; what if you’d read this all wrong and he just loved you as a friend that he wanted to have sex with. He wet his plush lips before letting himself meet your eyes, “yes.”
“Yeah?” you were ready to burst into tears as he just nodded in stunned silence.
“Yeah.”
“Me too,” there it was - out and in the open finally after all these years, “I’m in love with you too.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” he pulled you inside, into the warmth and comfort of the home you knew as well as yours. He allowed himself a small, tentative smile before brushing some of the wet hair out of your face, “mi bonita.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Why would I ever think someone like you would love me?” he asked softly as you just laughed, “I’m a weird, immature, odd artist. And you’re…”
“Shut up,” you laughed, gently swatting his chest, “you’re the perfect compliment to me. We’re good apart but together we’re…even better. I’ll curate all your art as long as you want, I don’t care that you’re weird or odd or that you still wear those dumb crocs and those baggy t-shirts that you should have gotten rid of years ago and sometimes you forget to shower for too long when you’re working on a new piece and that your diet is that of a frat boy’s, and that sometimes you mess up ‘your’ and ‘you’re’…. I just…I want you. I’ve always wanted you. But please…promise me one thing.”
“Anything.”
“Don’t break my heart,” you whispered, a few tears running down your cheeks from the sheer emotion of it all. Dieter reached up and gently wiped them away before resting his hand on your face, “please don’t ever break it. I don’t think I could bear life without you, you big, dumb, gentle fool.”
“I won’t,” he promised, “never.”
“Okay,” you felt like a huge weight had been lifted off your shoulders now that it was all off your chest. All these words, all these feelings that had been pent up for so long were finally out there. It was like you could fully breathe again, “I promise too.”
“W-what about that guy you were with earlier?”
“Julián,” you couldn’t help but laugh, “yeah, things ended pretty quickly when we were having sex and I called him by your name. It’s you, it’s always been you.”
“Aye, bonita,” he laughed but stepped closer so there was almost no space in between your bodies, “you’re soaking wet. Let’s get you into some clean, dry clothes.”
“Okay,” you nodded, butterflies swarming throughout your belly, “I…”
“I’m going to kiss you now,” he gave that smile that you loved so much; the one that made his eyes crinkle and that single dimple appear, “if you want.”
“Please,” you whispered and he wasted not even a moment of time before he crashed his lips onto yours. You’d kissed him before, of course those were platonic kisses, left on a cheek or forehead, or hair. His lips had always been elusive and you’d found yourself wondering what he tasted like more than you cared to admit. He tasted of sweet chocolate from those silly KitKats he loved and kissed you with a hunger that was a delicious mix of needy desire and tender softness.
He didn’t let you go, didn’t pull back until you were both breathing dizzily out of breath and beaming at each other like fools. You took his face in your hands, gently stroking his cheek and admiring the silly patchy stubble of facial hair that you adored so much. He couldn’t help himself but steal a few more quick kisses.
“Ask me what you asked that afternoon,” you whispered against his lips, feeling as the corners of his mouth twitched up in a smile.
“What afternoon-”
“That afternoon.”
“Oh.Oh,” his cheeks flushed and he made a small sound that was nothing short of exuberance, “do you want to have sex with me?”
“Yes,” you grinned, and both of you quickly dissolved into a fit of giggles. His hands found purchase on your waist as he pulled as close to him as possible, “I really want to have sex with you.”
“Finally,” he sounded triumphant as you both laughed, “I’ve…been thinking about this for a long time.”
“Me too,” you whispered, “now get me out of these wet clothes and into bed. We have a lot of time to make up for.”
Your marriage to him had been impulsive, you were well aware of that. You would have been the first person, besides him, to admit that. But that didn’t mean you regretted a moment of it. Your time with him had been fun, wild, and he made you feel like no one else ever had before. You’d been deeply, madly, crazily in love with him and you still harbored a lot of love for him now. He’d given you so much, including the single best thing in your life - Diego. The son you shared with him and you both loved more than anything else in the world. If he was anything, he was an amazing father and while the two of you were no longer together, you wouldn’t have picked anyone else to have a child with.
But just because you were divorced didn’t mean those old feelings were all gone…
In the beginning
“We should really stop meeting like this,” you rolled your eyes at Javier, watching as he locked the storeroom’s door behind him. He leaned against the door, arms crossed over his broad chest as before you gave in and flitted over to him, “mi chiquita bonita.”
“If you want to stop meeting like this, why don’t you come over later?” his hands had found your waist as you leaned in, brushing your nose against his, “because we’re not having sex in here again. You almost knocked over half the cabinets last time, cielito.”
“Come on,” he kissed you before you could argue, the taste of the sweet pastry he’d had in place of a proper lunch clinging to his lips. He easily swallowed your moan as you tried not to give into him and let him have the upper hand, “we’ll be quick, baby. I can take my time with you later…”
“Javier,”yeah. You were ready to give in already. He had an effortless effect over you. You could feel him smirking against your lips and when you pulled back, there was nothing but mischief in those big, brown eyes, “fine, pendejo. But be quick and quiet.”
“I don’t think it’s going to take much to make you cum,” he’d already started kissing along your jaw as you just sighed. He deftly unbuttoned your trousers and was pulling them down along with the lace panties you’d worn. A small gasp escaped your lips as he dragged a thick finger through your folds, “so wet already. All for me?”
“You’re the worst,” there was a huge smile on your face as kissed him, “but I love you.”
“Te amo,” he whispered, “now let me make you cum.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
“I have a crazy idea,” Javi walked back into your bedroom, clad in only his boxers as he brought water and some pastries for the two of you. He always denied that he had a sweet tooth, but this was a prime example. Maybe it didn’t help that you kept his favorite sweets on hand, but it was just a little something you liked to do for him.
“Oh?” you asked as he laid back down next to you, taking a moment to press a kiss to your forehead, “pray tell, mi cielito.”
“Let’s get married.”
“I…what?” The laughter you burst into caught you so off guard that you choked on your own saliva and ended up wheezing through your tears. Javier just shoved his mouth full of the sweet dessert as he pouted at you, clearly not on board with your amusement. Once you calmed down, you realized that he…he might have been making a serious comment, “qué pasa, Javi? En serio?”
“I’m glad to see you take me seriously,” he huffed, a light flush of color creeping into his cheeks.
“Javier,” you grabbed the plate and set it on the nightstand before shifting so you were sitting in his lap. You put your hand on his face, gently stroking his cheek, “what are you talking about? Are you being completely serious?”
“Yes,” the corners of his mouth twitched up into a small smile as he relaxed, “I am.”
“I never thought…you said you didn’t want marriage, you wouldn’t ever want it,” you raised an eyebrow at him before he leaned in and gently kissed you. It was so soft and tender compared to the sex you’d had just shortly before, “what’s gotten into you?”
“I’ve never had you before,” he whispered so softly, almost to the point where you weren’t sure it was meant for you to hear, “I guess I just needed you to change my mind.”
“Oh Javier,” you took his face delicately in your hands, studying him intently, “I love you, silly man. But I don’t want to hear you ask me that unless you mean it and fully intend on committing to it.”
“Well then,” he smiled gently, that ridiculously adorable crinkly-eyed, dimple displaying smile that managed to sweep you off your feet, “will you marry me?”
“Yes,” he leaned in and kissed you, his lips lingering against yours, “I’ll marry you, Javier. Nothing would make me happier.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───v
“Oh fuck,” you held the small plastic stick in front of you, angling it in different ways to see if maybe you were reading it incorrectly. Maybe it was a trick of the light? Maybe this one was wrong.
Huffing lightly, you grabbed the other test out of the box and sat down the toilet, thankful you’d consumed plenty of water so you didn’t have to wait to have to go again. You quickly finished and set it on the counter, stepping out of the bathroom to pace around the apartment nervously. Javier was still at work and you’d left early when you weren’t feeling well. Little did you know that it all suddenly made sense - maybe. Hopefully not, you sighed.
Once the short wait was finally up, you jammed it back into the bathroom, and picked up the test. Not to your surprise at all, this one came back as positive just like the first.
“Oh no,” suddenly a million thoughts were racing through your mind as you tried to make sense of it all. Pregnant. You were pregnant. While you were surprised, shocked, and worried, a part of you was…excited. The idea that you and Javier were going to have a child was amazing.
But then you remembered your situation. Colombia in the middle of a drug war with your husband working for the DEA. While you worked at the embassy, your job was much more clerical and you were safe compared to him but it still wasn’t ideal. Had it been any other time and place, this would have been the most wonderful moment of your life. Instead, a pit of worry settled into your stomach. What were you going to even do?
By the time Javier made it home, it was late and he’d expected you to be fast asleep. He found you sitting on the floor next to the fridge with tears running down your face. He quickly came over and got down on the floor next to you, looking you over to make sure everything was okay, “Javi.”
“What’s wrong, baby?” his eyes were wide with concern as he wiped some of your tears away, “what happened? Are you okay?”
“I’m pregnant,” you blurted it out without any hesitation, more tears running down your cheeks, “I’m sorry, so sorry.”
“Whatever are you sorry for?” you weren’t sure what his reaction was going to be, but calmness was not what you had been expecting, “first of all, it takes two to do this. You don’t have anything to apologize for.”
“I’m scared,” you admitted, letting him pull you into lap, “but I’m happy too. I know we hadn’t planned on this, at least not for a long time, but I’m so happy.”
“Want to know what’s even crazier?” he joked as you looked at him, all nervous smiles and doe eyes, “I think this might be one of the happiest moments of my life.”
“Do you want this too?” you whispered as he nodded excitedly before kissing you, not caring in the slightest about the salty taste, “oh, Javi. We’re having a baby. A whole, real human being.”
“You’re amazing,” he nudged his nose against yours, “I know you’re scared and fuck. Me too, baby. The idea of having to deal with countless sicarios scares me less than the thought of having a baby. But, I’m so happy. And there’s no one else I’d want to do this with. We’ll figure it out, I promise. We’ll make it work and give this baby nothing but the best.”
“Okay,” you nodded before wrapping your arms around him and burrowing your face into his chest, “I love you, Javi.”
“I love you more, cariño.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
“I’m going to miss you so much,” Javier’s grip on you was like a vice as you hugged him tightly, “you’re going to be okay, baby.”
“I’m going to miss you more,” you pouted before pulling away from him. He brushed a few stray locks of hair out of your face before gently touching your barely there bump, “I want to stay. Please let me stay here with you.”
“It’s not safe,” he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to control the stinging behind his eyes, “I don’t want anything to happen or even leave a fraction of a chance that you could get hurt. You’ll be safe and taken care of with Pops. He’s already got my old room all ready for you, and I’m sure he’s got the embarrassing childhood photos on display. Believe it or not, I wasn’t always this handsome.”
“Shut up,” you laughed through your tears, “I’m sure you’ve been a heartbreaker since childhood, Javier. I can’t wait to get there but I wish you were coming with me. So much is going to happen in the next couple of months and I don’t want you to miss it.”
“I wish I was coming too,” he promised. The idea that he was going to miss out on the majority of your pregnancy was heartbreaking, but he would rather have you someone safe where you’d be with family than be selfish and keep you with him, “I’ll be back for the birth. I swear it. Until then, you’ll just have to keep me updated, send lots of pictures and I’ll call you as often as I can. We’ll be okay.”
“I will,” here you were crying again, wishing he would change his mind and come with you or keep you there. But you knew that going back to the States was the best thing for your family right now, “you better be back, pendejo. I’m not pushing out your baby without you in the room.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” the last call for boarding for your flight was announced over the speakers as your heart clenched, “you better get going.”
“Javi-”
“I know,” his voice cracked slightly, “call me when you get home. I love you, okay?”
“I love you more,” you grabbed your carry on before he kissed you one last time, “come home soon, Javi.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Javier’s blood was pounding in his ears as he ran into the hospital, quickly finding the signs for the labor and delivery ward. He’d just come from the airport; an early arrival of the baby and a delayed flight had caused him to almost lose it. He’d promised you that he would be there for the birth and he was going to stick to that promise.
“Sir! You can’t run in the hospital,” a nurse called after him as he ran in the direction of the room Chucho had told him you were in.
“My wife’s having our first child!” he shouted in response, dodging an incoming gurney, “I can’t miss it!”
By the time he made it to your room, he’d been able to hear the pain you were in from down the hall. He popped in and looked around, getting chided for just bursting in. He quickly explained who he was in and before he knew it, a surgical gown and hair net were shoved into his hands.
“Javi?” your voice sounded so small as you looked around for him. As soon as you spotted him, tears ran down your cheeks, “you made it.”
“I promised I’d be here,” he grinned as he came and leaned down to kiss you, “this baby didn’t make it easy.”
“Just like you,” you laughed before squeezing your eyes shut as another contraction came, “making life that much harder. But I still love you. But this hurts so bad.”
“I love you more,” he whispered, “you’re so strong, baby. You’re almost there and we almost have our baby. Just a little bit more. Look how much you’ve already accomplished.”
“I’m glad you’re here,” you took the hand he held out for you, “and I’m excited to meet our baby. But you’re never touching me again after this.”
“Whatever you want, cariño,” he promised, “whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.”
“Okay,” you whimpered as another wave of pain overwhelmed you and the doctor told you it was time to start pushing, “okay.”
A few hours later, you were exhausted and experiencing a million different emotions all at once. Giving birth was officially the hardest thing you had ever done - but it was all worth it as soon as you saw Javier holding your newborn son, all swaddled up in a pretty pastel blanket that one of the tías had made. You weren’t sure which one of you was more emotional.
“He’s perfect,” Javi whispered as he sat down next to you, carefully holding the baby so he wouldn’t wake him up, “I can’t believe we made him.”
“Making him was the fun part,” you managed to joke in between yawns, “now the hardest part starts. We’re parents, Javi. That’s our son.”
“I love you,” he whispered softly, “thank you for…everything.”
“Nothing to thank me for. Those are half your genes,” you grinned, “did you pick a name yet?”
“Diego,” he gently touched his son’s chubby little cheek, “what about you?”
“Francisco,” you gave him a sleepy smile, “Diego Francisco. It’s perfect.”
“It is,” he agreed, swallowing the lump that had welled up in his throat, “just like him. Just rest, baby. You’ve done so much.”
“Okay,” your eyes were already fluttering shut, “just for a little bit. If he cries, just wake me up.”
“Of course,” he leaned over and pressed a kiss to the crown of your head. You were out like a light within seconds. He was amazed by everything that had happened today; it had been a wild ride from start to finish. His entire life changed in a matter of a few short hours, “te amo, mi sol.”
That morning he had still been in Colombia, frantically trying to catch a flight back to Texas at the drop of a hat. Your son had decided to make an early appearance, coming a few weeks earlier than either of you had planned. But he was going to make it; a delayed flight wasn’t going to stop him. And now, here he was, holding his newborn son, a life that the two of you had created. In such a short period he had become a father and you a mother.
“The world can be such a cruel, horrible place mijito,” he whispered softly, “but I’ll do everything to make sure you never have to experience even a bit of that. I’ll always keep you and your mamá safe. I’ll always love you.”
The baby made a few small sounds, but didn’t wake up as Javier held him against his chest. Maybe this was all terrifying and scary, but at the same time, this was the best day of his life.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
“Are you serious?” between your emotions, the crying baby, and Javier’s nonchalant attitude, you were ready to completely lose it. Little did you know he was trying to keep it together just as much as you. The idea of being away from you was enough to break his whole heart, “you’re going to leave just like that?”
“Baby,” Javier sighed as he wiped a hand over his tired face, “we always knew I was going to have to go back. I won’t be gone for long, I promise.”
“You have no way of knowing that,” you frowned deeply, trying to keep it together as you picked Diego out of his crib, “we both know that. It could be weeks, months, years, Javier. Are you really going to walk out on your son like that? I don’t give a shit about what you do to me, Javier, I’m too run down and tired. But Diego’s just a baby.”
“You think I just want to leave!?” he hadn’t meant to shout; but he was just so angry. Not at you, not at your son, but at the fact that he had to leave and he knew he didn’t really have an option, “I’m going to end this all and then come back home. And don’t even bother to suggest that the two of you come with me. Over my dead body. You’re staying here where you’re safe.”
“You can’t walk away,” you were crying now as the baby quieted down, “please don’t leave, Javi. I can’t do this alone. I-I’m scared. What if something happens to you? I can’t bear the thought that something could happen.”
“You don’t have to worry about me,” his shoulders slumped as he came over and wrapped an arm around you. He was crying now too, “I’ll be home soon, I promise. But you’ll be much better off here, and Pop will help you with whatever you need.”
“I know, but it’s not the same,” you whispered softly, “Javier. Promise me that you’ll be safe and come back home to us soon.”
“I swear it,” he whispered, “nothing could keep me from the two of you.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
“I want a divorce,” as the words crashed around him, he felt his knees go weak. He quickly grabbed onto the counter to keep himself from collapsing on the floor. Those were words he’d never expected to hear. Never. The silence on the line was tangible; he could hear your stuttered breathing on the other end of the line, “Javi? Did you hear me?”
“Why?”
“Why?” you repeated, your voice cracking and choked up with sobs, “are you seriously asking me that? Because you’re not here! You said you’d be back soon and it’s been a year. I’ve seen you twice in that time. It’s not fair to me, or Diego…or you. Who knows when you’re going to be back for good?”
“I promise it’ll be soon,” he was sure his heart was going to stop, “please don’t do this. I’ll do whatever it takes. I love you.”
“I know,” you sniffled before exhaling slowly. This was harder than you had ever anticipated. That was probably because you were still as madly in love with him now as you were back then, “that’s what makes this even harder. I know you love me, and I know you love our son. But I can’t do this anymore. I can’t put all of our lives on hold while you’re gone for who knows how long. What you’re doing is dangerous and I worry about you every day, Javi. I don’t want our son to grow up without you. Even if you hate me for this, please come home soon for him.”
“I will,” his throat felt like it was constricting as he tried to process your words. All he knew was that this was the last thing he ever wanted, “for both of you. Please just be a little more patient…please.”
“Javier,” both of you were crying now. You hated yourself for doing this but you weren’t sure what else to do. You’d tried calling, writing, and asking for him to come for at least a visit or offered to go to him. But every time he would tell you to keep holding on just a little bit longer. You just couldn’t do it anymore, “I know what you’re doing is important. I understand that, but this is hard for me too. I went through almost my entire pregnancy without you here, you were here for a month after he was born, and ever since then it’s been two visits. Maybe I’m the worst person in the world, but I just…I can’t do this.”
“Baby…”
“I know, Javier,” you whispered softly, “I love you. I do, and I always will. But I don’t think this is going to work for us. But I want you to know that I will never, ever keep your son from you. He will always know how much you love him, and when you finally come back home, we’ll figure out the co-parenting thing.”
“I’m sorry,” he closed his eyes, wishing that this would all turn out to be some horrible nightmare, “I love you.”
“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” you sighed, “in an ideal world things would be so different. But this isn’t an ideal world, is it? You will always have my love, cielito. Will you promise me one thing?”
“Anything.”
“Take care of yourself. Stay safe and come home for Diego soon, okay?”
“I’ll be home as soon as I can,” he let out a shaky breath, “I promise.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
“Hey,” you grinned when he picked up your call, “sorry for calling so late, but I’ve got good news!”
“And just what would this good news happen to be?” you could practically hear the smile on his face.
“I - we - sold the house today,” you grinned, “one less thing we have to worry about. Everything Is in escrow right now, but I’ll make sure the broker puts half of the profits into both of our accounts. Let me know if that doesn’t work for whatever reason, but yeah…this is good.”
“Keep it,” he insisted as you groaned at him, “keep the money. Really, you deserve it and I know you’ll make good use of it for Diego. I want to make sure the two of you are taken care of.”
“Javier,” you huffed lightly, “it’s a decent chunk of money and I don’t feel right taking it all. I’ve got more than enough with work and then my half. What about when you move back? That’s a good chunk for retirement, you can build the house you want…”
“I should know better than to argue with you, shouldn’t I?” he teased as you grinned victoriously.
“You should absolutely know that by now,” you insisted, “you should have known that well before we got married…anyways, I’ll let you go, I’m sure you’re busy. Take care and be safe, cielito. Diego and I both want you to come home soon and in one piece.”
“Oh? The baby told you that?” he chuckled warmly as you told to shut up.
“He’s not a baby baby anymore! He’s two and yes, he told me he misses his daddy and he will kick your ass if you don’t come home to see him soon,” you grinned, “straight from his mouth!”
“Aye, cállate,” a wash of longing came over him as he realized just how much he missed his son, and you, “talk to you soon, cariño.”
“Bye Javi,” you paused for a moment, listening to the sound of his soft breathing before hanging up. You sighed lightly as you leaned against the kitchen counter, looking around your new apartment. It was nice, small but still ample space for you and Diego. It wasn’t home yet, no that was still the house that you and Javi had just sold in the wake of your divorce. But one day it would be, you’d move on just like everything else did.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
“Are you ready to see your papá, mi amor?” you were running around and finishing packing an overnight bag for him to take to Javier’s house. It would have to do for now until Javier was more settled in and was able to put a room together for him at his new house.
“Yes,” he grinned excitedly as he handed you one of his favorite toys to add to the bag, “I get to see daddy all the time now!”
“It’s very exciting,” you agreed before sitting down at the edge of his small bed, pulling him onto your lap, “your papá loves you very much. But you have to remember he’s still settling back into normal life.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means…he’s been working really hard for a long time chasing bad guys and trying to make the world a better place. It’s a big change from doing that for years and then coming home to family and having a safe, quiet job. Some days might be harder and he might be a little different. But just remember, it doesn’t have a thing to do with you - you are the most important thing in the world to him,” how were you supposed to explain just exactly what he spent so long doing to a five year old? You figured this very simplified version would suffice for now; you’d tell him the rest when he was mucholder.
“Oh,” he nodded deeply in what you assumed was semi-understanding, “do you think he’d like a stuffed animal? He can have my giraffe! Or maybe the elephant?”
“I think he’d love the elephant,” you cuddled him tightly before kissing the top of his head, “you’re a good boy, Diego. We’re so lucky you picked us to be your parents.”
“Does that mean we can stop and get candy when we go?” he slid off your lap before making sure to grab the plushie, handing it to you to pack away in his bag.
“You’ll have to ask your papá,” you grinned, knowing Javi would never let you hear the end of it, “alright, kiddo, vamos.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
By the time you’d arrived at Javier’s house, a short drive across town, Diego was already half asleep, and you decided to take pity on him and carry him in. You gently knocked on the door, listening for Javier’s familiar gate as you hummed quietly to your son. It wasn’t long before he opened the door, a huge smile on his face at the sight of the two of you.
“Hi cielito,” you whispered, “the kid’s mostly asleep, which means he’ll be up in about an hour or so ready for dinner and whatever shenanigans the two of you get up to. Can you be a love and grab his bag from the car and I’ll get him inside?”
“Of course,” he gave your arm a gentle squeeze as he brushed past you. His familiar smell, something you’d always liked, overwhelmed you for a moment as you stepped inside and walked into the living room to put on the couch. He made a small sound but didn’t wake up as you gently touched his cheek, “got everything.”
“Thanks,” you smiled at him, causing his heart to skip for a moment, “he put a little surprise in there for you. I’m sure he’ll be excited to give it to you later.”
“I can’t believe we’re finally at this point,” he sighed as he shook his head, almost not believing his own fortune, “I can’t believe I can finally be a real dad and see my kid on a regular basis.”
“You’ve always been a real dad,” you promised softly, “he knows that too. I’ve always explained to him that you work hard and if you could have been with him every day you would have. Now you can have that. We’re almost like a normal family now.”
“Besides the fact that we’re divorced you mean,” he kept his tone pointedly neutral as you shrugged lightly, “thank you for bringing him over.”
“As if that was ever a question,” you laughed lightly, “I think there’s enough stuff in his bag for now until you can get everything else settled and get all the stuff for him to have here. If you need anything, just let me know. I’m just…a short drive away.”
“Great, yeah, that’s…great,” he walked you to the door and you lingered for a moment, part of you wishing you didn’t have to walk out and leave, “I’ll see you soon then. We’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Perfect,” you offered him a small smile before leaning over and pressing a kiss to his cheek, “welcome home, Javier. I’m so happy you’re finally here…you’re safe and sound.”
“Thanks, cariño,” he opened the door for you, half tempted to ask you to stay. But what reason would he even offer? I just want you to stay? Stay and don’t ever leave? He was sure neither of those would exactly go over well with you, “I’m glad to be home too. For good this time.”
“I’m counting on it, Peña,” you turned back to wave at him before getting into your car, “I’m not raising the monster alone!”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
In the Now
“Do you want to dance?” you turned to your date with curious eyes as you finished the rest of your drink. His hand was on your knee and he gave it a gentle squeeze as a shiver of excitement ran through your entire body, “or should we get another round of drinks first? I can’t say I’m exactly the best dancer but maybe with some liquid courage…”
“Yes and yes,” you agreed, leaning in so your faces were only a few inches apart, “I don’t want to brag but I’m a pretty good dancer. Perks of living in Colombia for a few years!”
“I guess you’ll have to take the lead then, querida,” you nodded before giving his hand a gentle squeeze, “I’ll get us another round and then we’ll dance.”
“Perfect,” he leaned in and kissed your cheek before making his way over to the bar. You watched him go, a wistful little sigh escaping your lips as his retreating back. He was handsome; tall, dark haired with friendly eyes and a clean-shaven face that gave him an almost boyish appearance.
You’d been set up with him through a mutual friend and you’d like him instantly. He was easy to get along with and you had enjoyed the time you’d spent with him. Julián was definitely someone you could have seen yourself with in the future, and will you really enjoyed seeing but there was just something that didn’t quite sit right within yourself. It wasn’t even him…it was definitely you.
“Penny for your thoughts?” he’d returned while you were lost in your thoughts. You took the drink he placed in front of you and took a long drink. He was amused, raising an eyebrow in question as you couldn’t help but giggle.
“Nothing at all,” you promised, trying to keep all of the deep, internal thoughts to the very back of your head, “come on, Julián. Hurry up so we can dance!”
Dancing with him was easy; the two of you flowed well with one another and it was easy to forget all the doubts and worries you had for a little while. What you hadn’t realized was that Javier had decided to go to the same spot for a drink after a long week. Diego was spending some time with Chucho and he figured it was better to go out for a bit rather than just sit around at home. But then he spotted you and it felt like he had made the entirely wrong decision.
His heart constricted at the sight of you, laughing and having fun, with a man that wasn’t him. A sense of jealousy ran through him when he realized that he had no right to be jealous. You were his ex-wife after all. But that didn’t help how he felt, how it made his blood boil with annoyance, and his heart yearn for your touch. But he couldn’t blame you; he’d been gone, in and out basically, for several years. It would have been selfish of him to just expect you to wait around for him when you still had so much life to live.
That didn’t mean it made him love any less than he did in the beginning.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"Do you still love mamá?” His son’s question caught him off guard as he took him out of his car seat to drop him back off at your apartment. He set him down on the sidewalk before kneeling down so he was at eye level with him.
“Of course I do,” he insisted, ruffling his dark curls, “she’s very important to me. Just like you, mijo.”
“I know that,” he rolled his eyes dramatically. Where did this kid get all the sass from? Definitely his father, you had always insisted with a laugh. Diego reminded him so much of you in little ways, just as he reminded you of Javier, “but are you inlove with her?”
“I…why do you ask?” Javier’s heart suddenly felt like it was pounding in his chest. Why was his five-year-old son suddenly interrogating him?
“She’s still in love with you, daddy,” he insisted as Javier tried to keep a neutral expression on his face.
“Did she tell you that?”
“No,” he shook his head as Javier raised an eyebrow at him, “I can just tell. She was going out with Julián but she broke up with him. I heard her on the phone…she said she wasn’t in love with him and didn’t want to lead him on.”
"And just how do you know that means she’s in love with me? She’s still my best friend, Diego. She gave me the most important thing in my life - you. And we both love you.”
“I know, daddy,” he put his little hand on Javier’s shoulder and attempted to give him a serious look, “I’m telling you - she broke up with Julián because she’s still in love with you. If she wasn’t she’d still be with him because she liked him a lot and said he was funny and handsome and nice.”
“Aye, mijito,” he couldn’t help but laugh at the serious look on the young boy’s face. He scooped him up in his arms before heading into the apartment building, “you’re a good boy. You don’t have anything to worry about, even if we don’t live together or we date other people in the future, it doesn’t mean we’ll love you or each other less. You’ll always have your mamá and me in your life.”
Diego made a small sound but otherwise remained quiet as Javier brought him up to your apartment. He knocked the door and it was only a few moments before you opened it, a big smile on your face.
“My boys,” you grinned as Javier set Diego down, the young boy immediately moving to hug you. You leaned and pressed a kiss to the top of his dark curls, “hi baby! Were you good for daddy this weekend?”
“Yeah,” he nodded as you looked to Javier for confirmation. He playfully rolled his eyes before nodding as well.
“Good boy,” you stroked his cheek, “there’s some fresh baked cookies in the kitchen. You can go and have one, okay? Only one!”
“Bye daddy! See you soon,” and with a hug to his father’s legs, he ran into the kitchen as you both laughed.
“Did you two have fun?” you leaned against the doorframe, tempted to invite him in but not wanting to make things weird or awkward. How would you have asked anyway? Stay for dinner because I want my little family to be complete. Don’t ever leave me. Stay. Instead you pushed all your feelings to the side, “I know he’s been having some trouble sleeping lately so I hope it wasn’t too bad.”
“No,” he promised softly, “he did good. We had lots of fun - went to the zoo so he could see his favorite lemur, this kid is obsessed I swear. We made pizza for dinner and went real crazy on Saturday and stayed up late to watch a movie. He was out like a light in less than thirty minutes. Right on top of me - I didn’t have the heart to move him so I just let him sleep until he had to go to the bathroom.”
“Sounds like fun,” you grinned, “maybe we’ll have to have a family pizza night soon? I-if that sounds okay to you, that is. I don’t just want to assume you want to spend time with me.”
“I think that sounds perfect,” he promised softly before ever so gently reaching over to push a lock of hair out of your face, “I love spending time with him and you.”
"Javi…”
"Hmm?” he was so close; close to where you could smell his delicious cologne and feel his body heat. Your mind went haywire as you tried to figure out what to say. What to say without fucking anything up that is.
“It’s…ugh. Nothing,” you lied as you shook your head, “have a good night. I’ll have Diego call you tomorrow, okay?”
“Of course,” he smiled lightly, almost as if he was expecting you to say what was really on your mind, “good night cariño.”
“Good night, Javi.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
“Mamá?”
“Yes, my love?”
“Are you still in love with daddy?” The question caught you so off guard you almost choked on the bite of cereal you’d just shoved into your mouth, “‘cause he’s still in love with you.”
“Diego,” you laughed affectionately at him as he looked at you with wide eyes, “I still love your dad, but I’m not in love with him. That’s why we’re not married anymore.”
“So? You can still be in love and not married,” this kid was almost too smart for his own good. He really did manage to get the best of both Javier and yourself, “but you broke up with Julián, I heard you tell him. And daddy only went only like three dates with that lady before he told her he wasn’t interested. It’s because you’re both still in love with each other.”
“Too smart for your own, Diego Francisco Peña,” you reached over and touched his cheek gently, “but that means nothing. I’ll always love him, I promise you that. How does that sound?”
“Lame,” he huffed before sliding off his chair, “abuelo was right, you both are fools.”
“He…he said that?”
“Duh,” he insisted as he went to grab his backpack for school, “he said you both still love each other but won’t say anything else 'cause you both are too stubborn and think being apart is the right thing to do.”
“Well,” you couldn’t lie, your curiosity was piqued. You wondered if he had this same conversation with Javier, “the Peña men are both too smart and stubborn and I see you are no exception. But, mi amor, don’t think too much into this and get your hopes up, okay? Come on, let’s get you to school.”
“Fine,” he reached for his lunch box on the counter, “I wish we could all live together so I could be with both of you all the time.”
You froze when you processed what he had said. You didn’t want him to have yearn and wish for that; you wanted to give it to him. But at this point, you weren’t sure if there was any more possibility of making that happen.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
“Chucho,” you were immediately enveloped in a hug as soon as the door was opened, causing you to make a small sound of surprise, “thank you so much for taking Diego today. He’s really excited to go to the movies.”
“I love every moment with my grandson,” he turned to give him a hug, “besides this is perfect movie-watching weather.”
“Can we go get snacks first, abuelo?”
“Of course,” he promised, “we’ll sneak all the good stuff in under our jackets! Let’s get going so we’re not late.”
“Yay!”
“I’ll see you both later tonight,” you pulled up the hood on Diego’s rain jacket but not before kissing the top of his head, “have fun and be good. Both of you!”
“They’re going to get into trouble. I don’t know which one is worse,” Javier’s voice pulled you out of your thoughts as he appeared in the door. You laughed before giving him a quick hug, “hi cariño.”
“Mi cielito,” you pressed a kiss to his cheek before awkwardly standing there for a few moments, “good to see you.”
“It’s only been like…two days,” he snorted in amusement before putting an arm around you and pulling you inside, “come on. Let’s have some coffee.”
“Sounds perfect,” you agreed excitedly, “and just so you know, I always like seeing you, Javier. Even if it’s just been two days.”
“Aye, cállate,” he laughed lightly, “but me too.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
You almost hated how easy it was to spend time with Javier. Sometimes you wished you would have disliked him; it would have made pushing down your feelings easier. But then again, you wouldn’t want that for your son; the fact that got along so well definitely was better for him. You couldn’t imagine him having parents that despised each other.
“Hey,” Javier waved his hand in front of your face as you blinked a few times. You hadn’t realized you were that zoned out, “everything alright?”
“Of course,” you swallowed thickly. You glanced at your watch before realizing that over an hour had passed in easy, comfortable conversation, “I…I should get going.”
“Y-yeah…if you’re sure,” he seemed crestfallen by your sudden need to leave as you practically jumped off the couch and headed towards the door, “I guess I’ll see you when I drop Diego off tonight.”
“You don’t have to,” you stammered as he followed closely behind you, “you can just keep him tonight. It’ll be late when they get back and after dinner and all that. Yeah…so. I’ll talk to you later. Tell him I love him, okay? Chucho too.”
“What’s going on?” Of course he wasn’t going to let it go. He could read you without even a bit of effort. He could immediately sense that something had shifted and he had to know what it was. He had to know if…if you felt the same, “you know you can tell me anything.”
You paused for a moment, standing on the porch as you worried your bottom lip. Javier closed the door behind him so the two of you were facing each other with only mere inches between your bodies.
You couldn’t lie to him - or yourself - anymore. He had to know the truth, and if nothing else, it would at least be off your chest.
“Javi,” the sound of his name from your lips still sounded as sweet now as it always it had, making his heart practically constrict in his chest, “I - fuck…I’m still in love with you. I never stopped. I thought…I thought splitting up was better but I was wrong. God, you still frustrate me so much like you always did, you still make me so happy, you…I’m so in love with you. And I think I always will be.”
He was stunned into silence as he stood there, his chest rising and falling heavily, dark eyes twinkling with curiosity. When he didn’t say anything, your heart broke. A sense of regret settled into your bones as you realized you might have just made the biggest mistake of your life. Taking a step back, you cleared your throat before getting ready to run to your car and leave.
“I…I’m sorry,” you stammered nervously, “I shouldn’t have said anything. I just…I had to tell you.”
You almost ran off the porch and back towards your car, wishing the rain would just dissolve right into the ground.
“Wait!” he had to shout over the sound of the downpour but he caught up easily, his fingers wrapping around your wrist, “did you mean it?”
His touch felt electric, raising gooseflesh in its wake as you turned back to face him. A million emotions were written on his face as his heart hammered nervously in his chest. It was so loud within himself that he was surprised you couldn’t hear.
“Yes,” you were already soaked to the bone as face warmth flushed your face, “every word of it.”
“Can I kiss you?”
“What?” Surely the rain must have been playing with your ears. He laughed - that brilliant, warm laugh that made his eyes crinkle in the corners and that singular dimple appear. That in itself was one of the first things you had fallen in love with, “Javi?”
“Can I kiss you?!” there was a smile on his face which led you to thinking that maybe you hadn’t heard him incorrectly after all.
“Why!?”
“Porque te amo,” he was shouting above the rain, which seemed to have decided to come down tenfold, “because I’m in love with you!”
“Really?” where those tears mixed in with the rain that was running down your face?
“Yes,” he was closer now, to where he no longer had to yell, “I always have been. Always will be.”
This time you took the initiative of kissing him, gently taking his face in your hands before you crashed your lips onto his. Your heart was practically bursting with joy as he wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you closer and deepening the kiss. He’d been wanting this for so long; it felt like he could breathe again, like everything was as right as the rain. He could feel you smiling against his lips and he wondered just long how your heart ached for him in return.
“I should have done that a long time ago,” he whispered against your lips when you finally pulled away to catch your breath, “I should have come home a long time ago and we shouldn’t have-”
“It’s okay, Javier,” you promised softly, “what matters is that we’re here now.”
“Mamá! Daddy!” Neither of you had heard the sound of Chucho and Diego returning, but you had just enough time to see the small blur run across the yard before he almost knocked you both over.
“Diego, slow down! You’re going to get all wet,” Javier quickly pulled him into his arms, doing his best to shield him from the rain even though it was pointless by now.
“I don’t care,” he grinned, displaying his gap-toothed little smile. He had that same little dimple that his father did, “I told you! You’re both still in love with each other!”
“I guess you were right all along mijito,” you brushed some of his wet curls off his face, “we love you too.”
“I know!” he insisted, “now can you stop kissing and come inside? Abuelo said we can have hot chocolate! Can you…will you both come?”
“Yes,” Javier promised him, “we’re both right here and that’s how it’s going to always be.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Resolution
“Hey honey,” Javier’s arms wrapped around your waist as he stood behind you while you finished the dishes. You immediately stopped what you were doing, grabbing the clean dish towel to dry your hands before leaning back into him. He pushed your hair to the side, exposing your neck and some of your shoulder before pressing his lips over the delicate skin, “I think the dishes can wait.”
“I don’t think you’ve left me much of a choice,” you sighed softly as you turned your head to kiss him properly. When you couldn’t wait anymore, you turned around so you were facing him, taking his face in your hands and pulling him back against your lips. He kissed you back just as enthusiastically, deepening the kiss as his hands found purchase on your waist, “do you think we have enough time for a quickie before-”
“Mamá!” Before you could even get the sentence out, Diego came into the kitchen, face covered in dirt from playing outside. Javier pulled back from you before letting out an almost inaudible sigh, “can I go over to Max’s house for dinner? He said they’re getting pizza for dinner!”
“Did Max ask his mom?” you raised an eyebrow as he nodded eagerly. You exchanged a look with Javier who just shrugged in response. You liked the neighbors, you liked that Diego had a yard again and friends in the neighborhood you’d moved into. Plus, you wagered to yourself, if he was gone for a few hours that gave you some alone with Javier, “alright mister. You can go over for dinner, but tell his mom and dad thank you. Then you invite them over for dinner this weekend, si?”
“Yay!” he cheered before giving you a quick hug.
“Go clean up first,” Javier insisted, “don’t want them thinking we’re uncivilized and raising a renegade.”
“Okay,” he huffed, already halfway out of the kitchen, “you can go back to kissing. Max says that’s what parents do when they love each other. And sometimes they can get a baby from it.”
“Diego,” your face flushed with warmth as you looked at Javier nervously. He was nothing short of amused, “don’t go around saying anything like that.”
“Why?” he pouted, his expression reminding you so much of Javier, “Max is getting a brother now. That sounds cool! I want a brother too.”
“Go clean up mijo,” Javier insisted as he tried to keep himself from dissolving into laughter, “let me know when you’re ready and I’ll walk you over.”
He ran to his bathroom without another word as you waved your hands in exasperation. Javier kissed your forehead as you groaned, “you’re having the talk with him when he’s older. I guess at least he doesn’t know what sex is yet.”
“But we do-”
“Javier!”
“Come on cariño,” he teased as he nudged your hip with his, “he wants a brother. Can’t disappoint him, can we?”
“Javier,” your eyes widened in surprise as you looked at with curious eyes, “I…umm…do you want another kid?”
“I’m not opposed to the idea,” he grinned as your heart swelled with excitement. He was a wonderful father after all, “but it’s up to you. I like the one we’ve got regardless of what happens.”
“You gonna marry me first?”
“I’ve already married you,” he reminded you, “you’re the one that divorced me.”
“Biggest mistake of my life,” you wrapped your arms around his neck, “will you marry me again?”
“I suppose so,” he made an amused sound, “I guess the rings would be better put to use if we wore them instead of keeping them in a box.”
“You…kept them? I thought you were going to sell them?”
“Didn’t feel right,” he put his hand to your face before gently stroking your cheek, “so I kept them. Maybe it’s a good thing I did.”
“Sap,” you kissed his palm, “I love you.”
“I love you more,” he promised, “what do you say? Do you want to get married again?”
“Yes,” you beamed at him, “yes, I want to be your wife again. But forever this time.”
“Forever sounds good, mi sol.”
“Daddy! I’m ready,” interrupted once again, you patted his chest before gently pushing him away, “bye mamá!”
“Bye baby, be good,” you waggled a finger at him before whispering in Javier’s ear, “hurry back, cielito. Then we kiss some more and maybe we’ll get a baby from it.”
“You’re going to be the death of me,” he almost groaned before stealing a kiss, “I’ll be right back.”
You watched as they left, Diego eagerly taking his father’s hand before pulling him towards the door. You’d turned back to quickly finish the dishes when you heard him ask, “are you really going to marry mamá again?”
“Yes,” was Javier’s soft response, “I’d marry her again and again and again.”
Maybe your first marriage to him had been impulsive and wild. But it had gotten you the two best things in your life; your son and your husband.
This time around you were going to make it count. This time was forever.
The doorbell rang at the most inopportune moment. It was a late Thursday afternoon and you were home with your small gaggle of children. Dinner was cooking on the stove and you were trying to keep everyone sound and happy. It wasn’t always an easy feat with four children aged eight and under and two dogs that liked to stay in the thick of it.
“Coming!” you shouted towards the door as you glanced at your brood. Lucia was coloring at the dining room table, happily humming to herself while Diego attempted to play hide and go seek with Santi, leaving Thea to toddle around in search of something to get into, “Lucia, mija, can you please keep an eye on your brothers for a moment and make sure they don’t hurt themselves?”
“Okay mamá,” she threw down her crayon and slid off her chair, laughing as she ran after the boys, calling for them to wait for her.
“And you little miss,” you scooped Thea up in your arms and settled her on your hip as she hugged onto you tightly, a little smile on her face, “are coming with me so you stay out of the trouble. The youngest and yet the biggest trouble maker!”
You pressed a kiss to the top of her mop of dark curls as she laughed and you made your way towards the door. You opened it just as the bell was rung again, finding a young woman standing there. You didn’t recognize her but you could immediately see that she was beautiful. Dark haired and statuesque with plush lips and big doe eyes, all dressed and done up. In your current state you were sure she put you to shame.
“Hello,” you said as you wondered who this could possibly be, “how can I help you?
“Is this the Peña residence?” even her voice was pretty, which really didn’t seem fair.
“Yes,” you nodded curiously, “how can I help you?”
“Oh,” she offered you a little smile that caused an unpleasant shiver run up your spine, “you must be Mrs. Peña.”
“I…am,” should you have admitted this? You weren’t even sure what was going on anymore, “what did you need?”
“Is Javier here?” Now you were worried…how did this pretty young woman know your husband? How did she know where he lived?
“No,” you replied, “h-he’s not here.”
“Do you know when he’ll be back?”
“I don’t,” you lied, getting seriously worried about who this stranger was, “did you need something from him? I can…take a message for him?”
“Oh no,” she giggled, a grating sound that got on your last nerve. She made it a point to put her hand on her stomach and rubbed her belly. Your eyes naturally flicked down and your heart almost stopped when you noticed the slight swell, “I’m sure I’ll see him soon. Thanks for your help, Mrs. Peña.”
“I…what…”
“Your daughter is beautiful,” she said just before turning around, and bouncing down the porch stairs, “she looks just like him.”
You watched her bound away, practically skipping as she made her way back to her car. You held Thea tighter in your arms, your heart practically slamming against your ribcage as you watched her until she was gone. You slowly closed the door and made sure it was locked before walking back into the kitchen.
Your three other children seemed unphased as they continued playing without a care in the world. You set Thea down and nudged her in the direction of her siblings while you turned back to the stove. Your mind was reeling with trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.
A sense of dread set in as the little worry that had been sparked at the back of your mind started to creep forward. No…no. There was no way. Javier would…never. The knowledge that your husband was devoted to you didn’t lessen that deep rooted fear that had sprung up.
And this had to be the day he was working late. Of course it was. But now…you couldn’t help but wonder if he really was working.
“Stop,” you hissed at yourself, trying to control your racing thoughts, “he’s at work. He’ll be home this evening. He would never…he wouldn’t.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
You stiffened when you heard the front door finally open. You were sitting at the dining room table, waiting for him after you’d put all four kids to bed. You listened to him kick off his shoes and drop his bag by the front door as he routinely did when he came home. He slowly made his way over to you, a happy but tired little smile on his face. But as soon as he saw your face, he knew something was very wrong.
“Did you cheat on me, Javier?” was the first thing out of your mouth, despite your initial intentions. You put down the napkin you had been playing with and looked up at him, trying to swallow down the lump that had welled up in your throat, “did you?”
Javier’s mouth dropped open as he looked at you in confusion, brows knitting together. He ran a hand through his hair in exasperation; he was tired, exhausted, and just wanted a shower and to get into bed with you. But he couldn’t find the words to even reply to your question.
"Well?” you asked softly as he leaned against the chair and let out a long sigh, “why aren’t you saying anything?”
“I don’t even know how to respond to that question,” he sighed heavily. This had come up so out of the blue and he had no clue why, “why are you asking me this? That’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever asked.”
“Why aren’t you saying no?”
“I - what the fuck kind of question even is that!?” he hadn’t meant to snap at you. The shocked look on your face was enough to cause instant regret to well up as he sighed, “baby-”
“A girl came by today,” you wiped your eyes with the sleeve of your sweater, willing yourself not to break down and cry, “she was so young and so pretty. She was looking for you. Asking where you were and when you’d be back. She knew who I was - she saw our daughter and said she looked like you. She…she was pregnant, Javier.”
“What!?”
“Who is she?” you were crying now and he ached to reach over and touch you but he was afraid that would only make things worse, “why was she looking for you? Tell me. Tell me.”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” he insisted, a look of genuine confusion crossing his features, “I…I don’t know what’s going on.”
“We have four children, Javier,” you whispered, “four children I carried and gave you - us. We have two dogs. We have a house. We have careers. We have good friends and family. Was that not enough for you? Am I not enough for you? I don't…know what to think right now.”
“Dulzura-”
“How would you feel, Javier, if the roles were reversed? If a random man came to the house looking for me? Asking where I was or when I’d be back? Commenting about how our son or daughter looks like me?”
“I’d k-”
“Yeah,” you didn’t even give him a chance to finish, “so imagine how it feels for me. And the fact that you’re not denying makes it so much worse.”
“I’m not denying because I don’t even know what’s going on! I have no clue what happened. I would never do that to you.”
“I want to believe you,” your voice was almost a whimper as you stood up and started to breeze past him, “but I’m so…I don’t even know right now. I’m going to bed…you can stay on the couch tonight. Or I can if you want the bed.”
“I…” he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply, “I’ll take the couch.”
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
By the time Javier woke up the following morning, he felt as exhausted as the night before. He’d tossed and turned all night, worry and confusion nagging at him. The look on your face had broken his heart.
He looked at his watch and groaned loudly; he was late. The house was silent and as he poked around he realized you had already left for work and towed all the kids with you. You hadn’t woken him up. You’d never done that before.
“Fuck me,” he slammed his fist on the dresser as he tried to calm his racing mind. He let out a long, shaky breath, running a hand over his tired face, “fuck!”
He had no idea what he would do if you truly believed he had cheated on you. He loved you more than anything; he practically worshiped the ground you walked on and yet… The pain and hurt you had in your eyes had made him want to fall to his knees and beg you for forgiveness.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Javier had felt like he was in a daze as he went about his day, attempting to act as though everything was normal. You hadn’t called like you normally did when you got a break from teaching; he’d looked at his phone what felt like every five seconds as he willed it to ring. But it never did. What would happen when he got home that night? What would you say to him? Do to him?
Javier was interrupted by a soft knock on his office door. He could have pretended he wasn’t there, but he almost welcomed the distraction at this point. After he called whoever was at the door in, it creaked open slowly before she walked in. Her walk was silent and she swayed her hips more than necessary as she sauntered over to his desk. Once she was in the light and he could get a proper look at her; his breath caught in his throat and he felt rage begin to boil in his blood.
It was her. That damned kid from one of his classes from last semester. He should have known. He should have Chelsea Peltz be capable of doing something like this.
“Hello Javi,” she had a smile like a Cheshire cat as she slipped into the chair opposite his. Javier’s eyes instinctively flicked to her stomach where he could see the small swell of a baby bump.
“It’s Professor Peña to you,” he insisted shortly as she laughed lightly, “what are you doing here? What have you done?”
“Your wife is very pretty,” she grinned as leaned back in her seat, “but she seems a little young for you-”
“Don’t you dare talk about her,” in another life he would have let his anger win over immediately. But not now; now he was able to control himself, despite how he practically shook with anger, “how dare you go to my home and ask for me. What the fuck were you thinking?”
“Your home is beautiful too,” she sighed wistfully, “I bet all of your kids are super cute like your little daughter.”
She snatched one of the picture frames off his desk and flipped it around to study it. It just so happened to be a picture of you, Lucia, Diego, Santi, and Thea all snuggled into your bed, watching a movie together. He’d captured the snap when none of you had been paying any attention to him; it had easily become one of his favorites.
The young girl trailed her fingers over it before he ripped it back out of her hands, “I was right. Beautiful children. You must really love her if you got her pregnant that many times. I bet you’re really good in-”
“Why?” he sounded somewhere between angry and desperate, “why did you do this? She thinks I cheated on her - she thinks I got you pregnant. I…how could you do this?”
“I really didn’t even have to do anything,” she shrugged playfully as if this was all some sort of joke, “I didn’t say I was there because I wanted you or that you knocked me up. I just asked where you were, I don’t think it’s that weird…”
“You knew exactly what you were doing,” his chest rose and fell rapidly as he reminded him to keep calm, “why?”
“I was so nice to you last semester,” she pouted as she leaned towards him, “all I wanted was some alone time with you. Everyone knows you’re the hot professor. But you kept turning me down even when I was so nice. And then you failed me. I told you I would do anything to get my grade up. I would have sucked your cock, let you fuck me. Aren’t I pretty, Javi? You like them younger, right?”
“You failed the class because you didn’t turn in any assignments and flunked the midterm and final. I didn’t do that - you did. Your grade reflected that-”
“I just wanted you,” she hissed through gritted teeth, “and if I can’t have you and then no one will. I wonder what the school will say when I tell them you forced yourself on me - when you got me pregnant? Your career will be ruined. I wonder what your pretty little wife will do. Will she really stay with you through anything? Or will she take your kids away from you and leave you forever?”
“You know that none of that happened,” he was seething at this point, “I never touched you, I never did anything.”
“That might be true,” she admitted, “but who is going to believe you? Are they really going to believe a grown man with a bad reputation that he thinks is behind him or an innocent young student? Tell me - who will they side with?”
“What do you want from me?”
“I already told you,” she leaned closer to him, “you.”
“Never,” he spat at her, seeing nothing but red, “never. You know what - you can walk out of this room and tell them whatever the fuck you want. I would rather lose my job and any future job than see you ever again. Maybe my wife won’t believe me, maybe she’ll hate me forever, but I’d rather have that than see your face ever again.”
“Really.”
“Now get the fuck out of here before I decide to make good on that bad reputation,” he was glowering in front of her as he hauled her out of the chair, his hand wrapping around her bicep as he dragged her towards the door, “you need to get help because you’ve got some issues. Do what you want, but don’t let me see you again. Don’t ever go near my wife or my family again. If you do, there will be problems. Clear?”
She swallowed thickly, unsure of what to do. She was in deep but the rage that she saw in his eyes was enough to scare her to the bone. Instead of saying anything else, she turned on her heel and stormed out of his office, slamming the door shut so harshly that several photos and prints fell off the wall.
Javier inhaled deeply, his whole body shaking as he sat on the edge of the desk. He felt tears pricking at the back of his eyes, as he picked up the photo of you and his babies. What would he do if you didn’t believe him? He didn’t know if he would ever survive without you. You were his world, his everything. He wiped away the tears that had rolled down his cheeks; the last time his heart had been this broken was after Santi and Thea were born and you were dealing with postpartum depression.
Another knock came at his door and he jumped off his desk and set the photo down as he tried to recover his appearance. After a few moments of hesitation the door opened and there you were. His heart dropped into his stomach and he awaited your anger. Instead, you looked at him with glossy eyes and tear stained cheeks, slowly walking over to him, “Javi.”
“Baby, I-”
“I heard,” you sniffled as you practically ran to him and through your arms around him in a tight embrace, wishing you never had to let him go, “I heard it all.”
He hugged you back, closing his eyes and burying his face into your neck, “I’m so sorry…for everything.”
“I’m sorry, Javi,” you pulled back and cradled his face in your hands, before kissing him softly, “I should never have…given into any thoughts about what she’d said or did. I never should have doubted you. I know you’d never…cheat on me.”
“I would rather be dead and buried rather than ever even entertain that notion,” he huffed lightly, trying to keep it together and not break down completely, “I would never. You are…everything. You always have been and always will be.”
“I know,” this time it was your turn to wipe away his tears, just like he had done for you so many times in the past, “you’re my everything too. But…what are we going to do about…her?”
“You are not going to do anything,” he promised, “you don’t have to deal with any of this, whatever the fall out might be. But I don’t think she’ll actually do anything…she’s cunning but she’s not smart. And it would be really easy to prove that the baby isn’t mine. It’s okay, we’ll be okay.”
“Okay…okay,” you agreed as he kissed you slowly, attempting to pour every last bit of love he had into you, “I love you.”
“I love you,” he whispered into your ear, “baby, I love you so much.”
“Come home with me,” you insisted as he just nodded in agreement, “let’s get away from all of this. I don’t want to think about it anymore. I just…I’m so sorry. Will you ever forgive me?”
“There’s nothing to forgive,” he promised as he took your hand and put it to his lips, kissing your knuckles, “I can’t even imagine what I would have thought if the situation was reversed. I’m not a good man and I’m afraid that I would have-”
“You are,” you reassured him, “you are a good man, Javier. What was in the past is not who you are. Is it bad that…I’m the one that wants to go after her and…I don’t even know. But I do know that if anyone tried to do anything to you or the kids, they would-”
Javier didn’t even give you a chance to finish before he captured your lips again, kissing you with a hungry, needy urge that you gave right back.
“Come on,” you whispered against his lips, “let’s go home, mi amor.”
“Dulzura,” he nuzzled his nose against yours, “mi sol, mi vida. I love you.”
Warnings:Adult… shenanigans (nothing too crazy, but ya know), Ezra deserves his own warning tbh that man is too fine, I wrote this in less than an hour so it’s probably terrible, uh…. I think that’s it, but if there are any that I missed, please inbox me to let me know and I will add them in
Word Count: 959
Summary!:You’ve had an awful day but also a great boyfriend.
Special Note: This is dedicated to @kayleezra my wife and fellow Ezra stan for no reason at all :)
******
The door of your apartment slams, harder than you intended it to, and you turn to face it, resting your forehead against the wood and closing your eyes. A sharp exhale escapes your lips and you sigh.
“Worst. Day. Ever.” You turn again, leaning against it, your eyes scanning for the only person you’ve wanted to see all day. You take a moment and listen as you hear the shower. Your feet move towards the sound of the faucet squeaking as it shuts off.
I WANT TO CRY!!!! I say your notif all day and thought “I can’t wait to get home and read it” ESPECIALLY because it was one of those days where you wake up exhausted and everything seems to take SO MUCH EFFOR
BUT to then see the lil dedication? MY HEART I CANT
It’s absolutely perfect and beautiful and AHHHDKDNSONAANDKW thank you thank you thank you I freaking love you @writer-darling
Warnings:Adult… shenanigans (nothing too crazy, but ya know), Ezra deserves his own warning tbh that man is too fine, I wrote this in less than an hour so it’s probably terrible, uh…. I think that’s it, but if there are any that I missed, please inbox me to let me know and I will add them in
Word Count: 959
Summary!:You’ve had an awful day but also a great boyfriend.
Special Note: This is dedicated to @kayleezra my wife and fellow Ezra stan for no reason at all :)
******
The door of your apartment slams, harder than you intended it to, and you turn to face it, resting your forehead against the wood and closing your eyes. A sharp exhale escapes your lips and you sigh.
“Worst. Day. Ever.” You turn again, leaning against it, your eyes scanning for the only person you’ve wanted to see all day. You take a moment and listen as you hear the shower. Your feet move towards the sound of the faucet squeaking as it shuts off.
NO ACTUAL WARNINGS OR TAGS OR ANY OF THAT CUZ IT’S ALL A SURPRISE.
My warning: Yeah, they have sex Kaylee’s warning: “But there’s also beautiful writing!”
Special Note: Huge thank you to @kayleezra for being such a wonderful beta!
******
The university library on the Ephrate is your favorite place on this entire planet. Here, surrounded by the smell of old books and dust, you’ve found your home. You also managed to find your love, the soul you knew was the mirror of yours: Ezra. He was your definition of perfection. Intellectual, poetic, and a heart of pure gold. But he was also a rogue bastard, a silver-tongued devil who could charm the pants off of anyone. He could have anyone he wanted, you truly believed that. And yet, he assured you that his heart beat only for you, a sentiment you returned fully. He cherished you, cared for you like you had never imagined you deserved and you thanked Kevva herself every day for letting you two cross paths.
Jesus I’m a hot mess right now and it’s entirely your fault.
This was a work of art (and not just because it’s Ezra, and sorta a sex pollen fic ) honestly you blow me away with your talent with every story you write…..I can’t
“You wanna know what’s gotten into me? You wanna know the only thing I need at this moment, sweetheart… the only thing that will truly help me?” He asks, and it should be a cardinal sin how enticing his voice is. It’s an unholy siren, drowning every bit of your common sense in a sea of unbridled desire. You nod, and can feel his smile as he chuckles a little, the rumble of it making you overly sensitive as his torso leans onto yours.
Rating:Explicit (18+ ONLY, minors this is not the fic for you)
Warnings: unprotected sex (this is fictional wrap it up irl), cum eating, Mando’s manspread is its own warning tbh, attempted assault (grabbing your arm until Mando intervenes), f! masturbation until interrupted how dare, the helmet doesn’t come off until it does, cursing, I think that’s it but as always let me know.
Summary: You realize Mando has a feature in his helmet that lets him see how hot you are at a really inconvenient time. That’s it. That’s the plot.
A/N: Some of you may recognize this as a sneak peek I posted months ago and never posted. So yes, it’s finally here.
Rating:Explicit (18+ ONLY, minors this is not the fic for you)
Warnings: unprotected sex (this is fictional wrap it up irl), cum eating, Mando’s manspread is its own warning tbh, attempted assault (grabbing your arm until Mando intervenes), f! masturbation until interrupted how dare, the helmet doesn’t come off until it does, cursing, I think that’s it but as always let me know.
Summary: You realize Mando has a feature in his helmet that lets him see how hot you are at a really inconvenient time. That’s it. That’s the plot.
A/N: Some of you may recognize this as a sneak peek I posted months ago and never posted. So yes, it’s finally here.
He is something else I love him so much. They are good together and this warms my heart and it’s so cute! I would like to see some more of this universe. Her meeting Marisol? her meeting the boys? her totally destroying his ex because Mari starts calling you mama too? Frankie being possessive bastard and giving you little bites and hickeys to all your colleagues know how he loves his girl. I’m too in love and too invested in this story I’m sorry it’s just so perfectly written ♥️
Pairing: Frankie Morales x f!plus sized reader
Word Count: 1400+
Rating:Mature - 18+ ONLY!
Warnings:Just like ao3, “creator chooses not to use warnings.” If you click Keep Reading, that means you agree that you’re the age to handle mature themes. Also by clicking Keep Reading, you understand warnings may not be complete in order to avoid spoilers for the story.
Notes:This is a continuation of How I See You. I was going to write all of the ones you asked for BUT since this, you’ve asked me to turn it into a series so I think I’ll address it there!
**If you want to be added to the taglist, join here or let me know!
Frankie and you have been together for about 6 months now. Everything has been great - he treats you like you’re a damn khaleesi, always telling you how beautiful you are, he is the nicest guy to not just you but your friends and family too, your conversations always interesting, and not to mention the sex is just insanely hot. The man is talented, that’s for damn sure.
But with everything so perfect, why are you so nervous?
He is something else I love him so much. They are good together and this warms my heart and it’s so cute! I would like to see some more of this universe. Her meeting Marisol? her meeting the boys? her totally destroying his ex because Mari starts calling you mama too? Frankie being possessive bastard and giving you little bites and hickeys to all your colleagues know how he loves his girl. I’m too in love and too invested in this story I’m sorry it’s just so perfectly written ♥️
Pairing: Frankie Morales x f!plus sized reader
Word Count: 1400+
Rating:Mature - 18+ ONLY!
Warnings:Just like ao3, “creator chooses not to use warnings.” If you click Keep Reading, that means you agree that you’re the age to handle mature themes. Also by clicking Keep Reading, you understand warnings may not be complete in order to avoid spoilers for the story.
Notes:This is a continuation of How I See You. I was going to write all of the ones you asked for BUT since this, you’ve asked me to turn it into a series so I think I’ll address it there!
**If you want to be added to the taglist, join here or let me know!
Frankie and you have been together for about 6 months now. Everything has been great - he treats you like you’re a damn khaleesi, always telling you how beautiful you are, he is the nicest guy to not just you but your friends and family too, your conversations always interesting, and not to mention the sex is just insanely hot. The man is talented, that’s for damn sure.
But with everything so perfect, why are you so nervous?
He is something else I love him so much. They are good together and this warms my heart and it’s so cute! I would like to see some more of this universe. Her meeting Marisol? her meeting the boys? her totally destroying his ex because Mari starts calling you mama too? Frankie being possessive bastard and giving you little bites and hickeys to all your colleagues know how he loves his girl. I’m too in love and too invested in this story I’m sorry it’s just so perfectly written ♥️
Pairing: Frankie Morales x f!plus sized reader
Word Count: 1400+
Rating:Mature - 18+ ONLY!
Warnings:Just like ao3, “creator chooses not to use warnings.” If you click Keep Reading, that means you agree that you’re the age to handle mature themes. Also by clicking Keep Reading, you understand warnings may not be complete in order to avoid spoilers for the story.
Notes:This is a continuation of How I See You. I was going to write all of the ones you asked for BUT since this, you’ve asked me to turn it into a series so I think I’ll address it there!
**If you want to be added to the taglist, join here or let me know!
Frankie and you have been together for about 6 months now. Everything has been great - he treats you like you’re a damn khaleesi, always telling you how beautiful you are, he is the nicest guy to not just you but your friends and family too, your conversations always interesting, and not to mention the sex is just insanely hot. The man is talented, that’s for damn sure.
But with everything so perfect, why are you so nervous?
He is something else I love him so much. They are good together and this warms my heart and it’s so cute! I would like to see some more of this universe. Her meeting Marisol? her meeting the boys? her totally destroying his ex because Mari starts calling you mama too? Frankie being possessive bastard and giving you little bites and hickeys to all your colleagues know how he loves his girl. I’m too in love and too invested in this story I’m sorry it’s just so perfectly written ♥️
Pairing: Frankie Morales x f!plus sized reader
Word Count: 1400+
Rating:Mature - 18+ ONLY!
Warnings:Just like ao3, “creator chooses not to use warnings.” If you click Keep Reading, that means you agree that you’re the age to handle mature themes. Also by clicking Keep Reading, you understand warnings may not be complete in order to avoid spoilers for the story.
Notes:This is a continuation of How I See You. I was going to write all of the ones you asked for BUT since this, you’ve asked me to turn it into a series so I think I’ll address it there!
**If you want to be added to the taglist, join here or let me know!
Frankie and you have been together for about 6 months now. Everything has been great - he treats you like you’re a damn khaleesi, always telling you how beautiful you are, he is the nicest guy to not just you but your friends and family too, your conversations always interesting, and not to mention the sex is just insanely hot. The man is talented, that’s for damn sure.
But with everything so perfect, why are you so nervous?
He is something else I love him so much. They are good together and this warms my heart and it’s so cute! I would like to see some more of this universe. Her meeting Marisol? her meeting the boys? her totally destroying his ex because Mari starts calling you mama too? Frankie being possessive bastard and giving you little bites and hickeys to all your colleagues know how he loves his girl. I’m too in love and too invested in this story I’m sorry it’s just so perfectly written ♥️
Pairing: Frankie Morales x f!plus sized reader
Word Count: 1400+
Rating:Mature - 18+ ONLY!
Warnings:Just like ao3, “creator chooses not to use warnings.” If you click Keep Reading, that means you agree that you’re the age to handle mature themes. Also by clicking Keep Reading, you understand warnings may not be complete in order to avoid spoilers for the story.
Notes:This is a continuation of How I See You. I was going to write all of the ones you asked for BUT since this, you’ve asked me to turn it into a series so I think I’ll address it there!
**If you want to be added to the taglist, join here or let me know!
Frankie and you have been together for about 6 months now. Everything has been great - he treats you like you’re a damn khaleesi, always telling you how beautiful you are, he is the nicest guy to not just you but your friends and family too, your conversations always interesting, and not to mention the sex is just insanely hot. The man is talented, that’s for damn sure.
But with everything so perfect, why are you so nervous?
He is something else I love him so much. They are good together and this warms my heart and it’s so cute! I would like to see some more of this universe. Her meeting Marisol? her meeting the boys? her totally destroying his ex because Mari starts calling you mama too? Frankie being possessive bastard and giving you little bites and hickeys to all your colleagues know how he loves his girl. I’m too in love and too invested in this story I’m sorry it’s just so perfectly written ♥️
Pairing: Frankie Morales x f!plus sized reader
Word Count: 1400+
Rating:Mature - 18+ ONLY!
Warnings:Just like ao3, “creator chooses not to use warnings.” If you click Keep Reading, that means you agree that you’re the age to handle mature themes. Also by clicking Keep Reading, you understand warnings may not be complete in order to avoid spoilers for the story.
Notes:This is a continuation of How I See You. I was going to write all of the ones you asked for BUT since this, you’ve asked me to turn it into a series so I think I’ll address it there!
**If you want to be added to the taglist, join here or let me know!
Frankie and you have been together for about 6 months now. Everything has been great - he treats you like you’re a damn khaleesi, always telling you how beautiful you are, he is the nicest guy to not just you but your friends and family too, your conversations always interesting, and not to mention the sex is just insanely hot. The man is talented, that’s for damn sure.
But with everything so perfect, why are you so nervous?
Run Through the Jungle - a Naked & Afraid/Triple Frontier AU
Pairing: Frankie Morales x Fem!Reader
*reader is vegetarian and ethnicity/weight inclusive. people of all sizes have competed on this show (and completed it)
Fic Summary: Benny Miller convinces his bestie Frankie to compete on the Naked and Afraid survival show. He has no idea what he’s walking into when he’s paired with you
*Naked and Afraid is a reality survival show on Discovery Channel where two contestants, a man and a woman (trans & non-binary inclusive) are paired with no food, clothes, or water in a hostile environment with only 1 survival item each. Contestants can tap out at any time but must make it to 21 days to win
Warnings:large age gap (legal), size kink, discussions of killing, processing, and eating animals, cussing, PiV, oral (f & m), dirty talk, masturbation (m), face fucking, somnophilia, enemies to lovers, Pride and Prejudice vibes, ANGST, Frankie being a misogynistic DICK for a little bit
A/N:Someone needs to fucking stop me because my brain is ignoring SO MANY WIPS RIGHT NOW! HELP! This unasked for one shot was bred out of a binge watch weekend of this show, mentioning it in passing to @musings-of-a-rose, who then had the audacity to ask me, “what if Frankie were on that show?” and this is what happened. This is an AU. Triple Frontier hasn’t happened yet or won’t, I haven’t decided. Frankie doesn’t have kids yet. I hope you enjoy it, I’m really in love with this story.
Run Through the Jungle - a Naked & Afraid/Triple Frontier AU
Pairing: Frankie Morales x Fem!Reader
*reader is vegetarian and ethnicity/weight inclusive. people of all sizes have competed on this show (and completed it)
Fic Summary: Benny Miller convinces his bestie Frankie to compete on the Naked and Afraid survival show. He has no idea what he’s walking into when he’s paired with you
*Naked and Afraid is a reality survival show on Discovery Channel where two contestants, a man and a woman (trans & non-binary inclusive) are paired with no food, clothes, or water in a hostile environment with only 1 survival item each. Contestants can tap out at any time but must make it to 21 days to win
Warnings:large age gap (legal), size kink, discussions of killing, processing, and eating animals, cussing, PiV, oral (f & m), dirty talk, masturbation (m), face fucking, somnophilia, enemies to lovers, Pride and Prejudice vibes, ANGST, Frankie being a misogynistic DICK for a little bit
A/N:Someone needs to fucking stop me because my brain is ignoring SO MANY WIPS RIGHT NOW! HELP! This unasked for one shot was bred out of a binge watch weekend of this show, mentioning it in passing to @musings-of-a-rose, who then had the audacity to ask me, “what if Frankie were on that show?” and this is what happened. This is an AU. Triple Frontier hasn’t happened yet or won’t, I haven’t decided. Frankie doesn’t have kids yet. I hope you enjoy it, I’m really in love with this story.
Summary: You’re enjoying life as the live-in nanny for Din, the Sheriff of Everton. Things are wonderful, his son is adorable, and your feelings for him are hidden away entirely. But when someone from your past shows up to wreak havoc on your life again, something happens between you and Din, something you never thought possible.
Pairing: Sherrif!Din Djarin x Reader
Words: 1329
Warnings: domestic fluff, anxiety
Part 18 of my I Promise Series (thank you to @deangirl93 for beta reading the series!)
Song: Once Upon a Dream by Evynne and Peter Hollens (the song plays a somewhat important role in this chapter! I highly recommend listening.)
Din couldn’t get home soon enough. You had realized this only halfway through his shift, when Angela had stopped by to drop off another envelope. This one was smaller, but she had commented about how she’d have to talk to the mail carrier about the mess up. You simply told her you’d take care of it, before shutting the door and locking it.
You set the thin letter, addressed to you still, in the kitchen junk drawer, out of sight for the moment at least.
You had barely shut the drawer when your phone vibrated, and you opened it to see a message from Din. ‘Another envelope for you?’
You typed out a quick response back. ‘It’s in the junk drawer. I didn’t open it.’
You bit your lip as you saw the familiar bubbles pop up, meaning he was typing. Part of you was worried he wanted you to do something else with it, and you were fine with whatever he had in mind. You just hated the fact that it had come at all, existed in the house.
‘I’ll take care of it when I get home.’
You were grateful beyond measure that he was taking care of all of this, helping you stay sane, stay safe. You had been scared for so long of Jesse, of everything he did and could do. Din being in your life, taking the steps he was, was helping you.
It made you love him even more, but part of you wondered if he truly felt the same, or just liked protecting you.
Shaking the thought from your head, you responded, ‘Okay. Stay safe.’
You held up the flashcard, sitting across from Grogu in his room. Toys were scattered everywhere, Grogu playing with his favorite ball as you went through the cards.
“Bee,” you repeated, holding the B card towards the boy.
He glanced up at you and waved at the little animal on the card, making you laugh softly. “Are you saying hi to the bee?” you asked.
His grin grew, making your heart swell. God, you loved this boy so much. The idea of leaving him at all just hurt, and-
The sound of the front door unlocking made you freeze, until you heard Din’s familiar voice call out, “I’m home!”
“Dada!” Grogu cried, immediately crying to get to his feet.
You let out a sigh of relief, picking the boy up and standing. Din was in the doorway before you could leave the room, a soft smile on his face. “There you two are,” he muttered.
Grogu reached for him eagerly, practically falling out of your arms. You laughed and let Din take him, Grogu immediately patting his face and babbling away. “Oh is that so?” Din replied to his son.
You smiled softly, wrapping your arms around yourself at the sight of them. You truly loved how much Din adored his son; he had books upon books, got anything Grogu could possibly need, listened to anything the doctor told him. He was a great Dad, and just the sight of them together, father and son, made you wish Grogu was your son, that Din was your husband.
Din’s eyes slid to you, and you shook yourself out of your thoughts. “How’d the day go?” he asked, moving towards you.
“Smooth, fun,” you replied, leaning into him immediately, his arm sliding around your waist. You knew you didn’t need to mention the letter still in the drawer, he probably remembered. And you didn’t want to focus on it more than needed.
He hummed in response. “Good.”
“How about…” You reached over and took Grogu, meeting Din’s gaze. “You change and freshen up, I’ll warm up dinner.”
He nodded, his eyes running over your face. “Alright.”
Giving him a soft smile, you padded down the hall. “How about chicken nuggets tonight, buddy?”
Grogu squealed, making you giggle softly, despite the fact you could feel Din’s eyes on you until you turned into the kitchen.
Dinner was easy, quiet. Grogu behaved, to your surprise, and Din insisted he would clean up while you played with the little one to help him settle down.
You did so, wondering if Din was going to look at the envelope while you were with Grogu. A tiny part of you wanted to know what was inside, what Jesse had sent you, but you knew that finding out, even knowing a little, would ruin your anxiety, your peace here.
Din would take care of it, and he would make sure that you wouldn’t see.
Grogu slowly settled down, but wasn’t cooperating as you saw him fighting sleep. His adorable frog pajamas were on already, but as you rocked him he kept his eyes opened, trained on your face. Music was playing, a mix you had made that seemed to work, most of the time. Tonight it was not though, at least not so far.
Deciding to throw caution to the wind, you softly sang under your breath as a new and familiar song started.
I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream I know you, that gleam in your eyes is so familiar, a gleam
Swaying with the song, you continued your hushed singing, feeling Grogu growing heavier in your arms.
And I know it’s true that visions are seldom what they seem But if I know you, I know what you’ll do
You smiled softly as you watched his eyelids flutter closed then back open, staring up at you, as if he was intent to listen to you sing.
You’ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream
You kissed his forehead softly, humming with the soft notes of the singer, Grogu’s eyes finally closing fully.
Hearing the floor creak, you glanced behind you to see Din leaning against the doorway, his eyes trained on you, a sparkle in them as a male voice sang through the speakers.
I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream
Blushing at the intensity of his gaze, you looked away, moving to the crib. You sang the next line with the woman. as you gently laid Grogu down, praying he’d stay asleep.
I know you, that gleam in your eyes is so familiar, a gleam
The male voice picked up then, as you heard soft footsteps move towards you.
And I know it’s true that visions are seldom what they seem
You stopped singing, taking a slow breath as Din’s arms wrapped around your waist. You tangled your hands in his, relaxing slowly as you felt his chin on your shoulder. The song continued, though not your focus any longer as the male and female sang together.
But if I know you, I know what you’ll do You’ll love me at once The way you did once upon a dream Love me at once The way you did once upon a dream
Seeing Grogu lay sleeping soundly, and stay sleeping, you and Din padded out of the room, shutting the door quietly.
His eyes trained on you then as you faced him, one of his arms still wrapped around you. “Now…you want to tell me what’s been going through that mind of yours tonight, honey?”
Biting your lip, you looked down. You had been worried he would see that, that you were far from your normal headspace. “I…”
One of his hands cupped your cheek gently, raising your gaze until it met his again. His gorgeous brown eyes were shining with worry and softness, the combination making tears well in your eyes. “Sweet girl, it’s okay to not be okay. Especially with…all of this.”
You closed your eyes at his words, your shoulders shaking as the sobs finally overtook you, the tears you hadn’t realized you’d been holding in all day finally releasing.
His arms wrapped around you easily, tugging you into his chest. “It’s okay, I’m right here,” he muttered into your hair. “It’s okay, Y/N.”
Summary: You’re enjoying life as the live-in nanny for Din, the Sheriff of Everton. Things are wonderful, his son is adorable, and your feelings for him are hidden away entirely. But when someone from your past shows up to wreak havoc on your life again, something happens between you and Din, something you never thought possible.
Pairing: Sherrif!Din Djarin x Reader
Words: 1244
Warnings: comfort, fluff, Dad!Din fluff (yes that’s a warning), needy!Grogu (also a valid warning), growing anxiety
Part 17 of my I Promise Series (thank you to @deangirl93 for beta reading the series!)
You slowly blinked awake, your eyes first noticing the fading darkness of the room. A moment of confusion fell over you, because your clock wasn’t staring back at you, it was Din’s.
Oh god, it was Din’s. You remembered the night before suddenly, the memories flooding back all at once. He had taken you to his room, held you as you fell asleep, kissing your hair.
Sitting up slowly, you rubbed your eyes and looked around. It was early, if the clock was correct on the nightstand, and looked as if the sun was just starting to rise. Din never usually got up this early, so where was he? The bed was still warm beside you, his bed as you reminded yourself (trying not to blush at that fact), but the man himself was gone.
A soft whine from down the hall caught your attention then, the sound telling you Grogu had woken up. That’s where Din went then.
Sliding out from the blankets easily, you padded down the hall towards the little boy’s room, pausing in the doorway at the sight before you.
The windows were blocked off due to the curtains, but the night light shining on the wall was enough to see what was happening. Grogu was whining softly and squirming in Din’s arms, the man rocking him gently and humming under his breath.
Grogu was calming as best as he could, content in his father’s arms but clearly wanting something else. Din looked at peace holding his son, only slightly upset that the boy was awake; then again, Din had always accepted every aspect of being a father, loved anything to do with his little boy.
The sight made your heart ache, as you remembered the words you and Din had exchanged hours ago, how you both wanted a life together with Grogu, here. Was the sight you were watching now the future in store for you? Was this really so close, just out of reach?
That thought only made you want it more.
You snapped out of your thoughts as Din turned, pausing as he saw you. “You’re supposed to be asleep,” he stated softly. He was still swaying slightly, but Grogu followed his father’s gaze almost immediately.
The little boy whined again, reaching a hand out to you. God, it melted you whenever Grogu wanted you specifically, needed you. The boy really had you wrapped around his fingers.
Stepping into the room, you moved towards the pair. Grogu wrapped his hand around a few of your fingers, the whining ceasing almost immediately.
“You were gone,” you muttered back to Din, your gaze focusing on the boy in his arms.
Grogu cooed softly, as if having both of you there was the only thing that could settle him down. It reminded you of when Din had danced with you, when he had kissed you.
“I was hoping you’d stay asleep,” Din replied, shifting Grogu to one arm. You blushed as the other wrapped around you, pulling you closer without crushing the baby. He leaned down and kissed your temple, making your eyes flutter closed at the contact.
Leaning into his shoulder, you relaxed further, eyes locked on Grogu as he tried to not fall back asleep. “…maybe I just can’t without you,” you whispered, part of you hoping he hadn’t heard you.
This was Din though, so of course he had.
“Well…maybe you won’t have to anymore.”
Your gaze shot up to his face, heart skipping a beat as you saw him looking down at you. You could feel your cheeks heat up and you broke eye contact, looking back down at Grogu.
Din chuckled at your movement, saying softly, “Let me put him back down and we can get some more sleep.”
You nodded and stepped back, biting your lip to stop yourself from saying everything you were thinking; how good of a father Din was, how much you adored him with Grogu, how deeply in love you were with the man.
You watched Din slowly lay Grogu down, freezing as the baby shifted slightly, which made your lip turn into a small smile. As the little boy settled and kept sleeping, Din moved towards you, the intensity of his gaze making your heart skip a beat.
He reached you quickly, wrapping an arm around your waist as the other hand raised to your jaw. Your breath froze as his thumb pulled your bottom lip out from your teeth, then stayed where it was.
“Do that and I’ll have problems not kissing you, sweet girl.”
“Maybe I’ll have to keep doing it then,” you whispered.
You barely heard him groan before he leaned down, gently pressing his lips to yours. You sighed at the contact, arms wrapping around his neck as you kissed him back.
The kiss was shorter than you would have liked, but you were partly grateful; if it had gotten any deeper or continued too long you’d want anything but sleep.
Without a word, he wrapped an arm around you and tugged you back to his room. You both nestled back under the covers, Din pulling you back into his arms the second he was able to.
God, you loved this man. You just worried if you’d ever be able to tell him or not.
You bounced Grogu in your lap, watching Din tie his boots on. “So if Angela delivers anything?”
“I set it aside and don’t open it,” you repeated.
“And if anyone else delivers a package?”
“The same.”
“And if someone you don’t know is at the door?”
“Call you.” You met his eyes as he looked at you. “We’ll be okay, I promise. Besides, you’re close.”
He sighed, glancing between you and Grogu. “I know.”
Giving him a soft smile, you replied, “Then there’s nothing to worry about. We have the cameras, I have your number, I know the path out the back. If anything happens, we’ll be okay and you’ll be the first to know.”
He nodded slowly, standing from the chair. Grogu looked up from the toy in his hands immediately, reaching out for his father.
Chuckling, Din kneeled down and kissed Grogu’s head. “Be good for her, okay?”
Grogu babbled in return, Din smiling before meeting your eyes. “…I’ll be home before you know it.”
You blushed softly, nodding. “I know. Be safe.”
“Always, sweetheart.”
You tilted your head enough to press a soft kiss to his cheek.
Din’s smile grew at the movement, a small smirk growing on his lips. “I think you missed.”
Smirking back, you shook your head. “Nope. You can collect that when you get home.”
His eyes narrowed playfully as he hummed. “…deal.”
You giggled as he stood up, moving towards the door, calling out another goodbye. You picked up Grogu’s hand and waved back, Din’s grin growing before he stepped out of the house.
The little boy looked up at you as the door shut, making you raise your eyebrows. “What?” you asked him.
Part of your mind wasn’t wrapping around the fact that this was real, the domestic bliss, the kisses being exchanged, the teasing, any of it. It felt like a dream, as if you’d wake up to none of it being real.
But you knew it wasn’t, because you had woken up nestled in Din’s arms only an hour ago, feeling safer than you had in years.
The only question now was….how long would you be this happy?
Summary: You’re enjoying life as the live-in nanny for Din, the Sheriff of Everton. Things are wonderful, his son is adorable, and your feelings for him are hidden away entirely. But when someone from your past shows up to wreak havoc on your life again, something happens between you and Din, something you never thought possible.
Pairing: Sherrif!Din Djarin x Reader
Words:1245
Warnings: Din’s POV (includes she/her pronouns and use of Y/N), nightmares, not sleeping, talk of violence, brief descriptions of physical abuse, comfort
Part 16 of my I Promise Series (thank you to @deangirl93 for beta reading the series!)
Y/N stared at his hand on her for a moment before whispering, “Every time I close my eyes, I see him…”
Din froze at her words, realizing that she was talking about Jesse. He wanted to hear everything she had to say, but part of him was worried that he wasn’t prepared enough for what Y/N was about to tell him.
Summary: You’re enjoying life as the live-in nanny for Din, the Sheriff of Everton. Things are wonderful, his son is adorable, and your feelings for him are hidden away entirely. But when someone from your past shows up to wreak havoc on your life again, something happens between you and Din, something you never thought possible.
Pairing: Sherrif!Din Djarin x Reader
Words:1245
Warnings: Din’s POV (includes she/her pronouns and use of Y/N), nightmares, not sleeping, talk of violence, brief descriptions of physical abuse, comfort
Part 16 of my I Promise Series (thank you to @deangirl93 for beta reading the series!)
Y/N stared at his hand on her for a moment before whispering, “Every time I close my eyes, I see him…”
Din froze at her words, realizing that she was talking about Jesse. He wanted to hear everything she had to say, but part of him was worried that he wasn’t prepared enough for what Y/N was about to tell him.
“I see when he’d scream at me, face so red with anger, when he’d be towering above me, kicking me until I’d sob, when he’d pull my hair so hard I’d bleed.” She blinked away the tears he could see forming in her eyes, Din’s heart breaking even further. “I can feel the pain, his hands on me, all of it. I can hear his voice, echoing through my brain…”
Din could feel his heart shatter at her words, the images she was painting. Jesse had really hurt her, so much, and she deserved nothing close to any of that. Part of him wanted to walk out the door and hunt him down now, but the crying woman in front of him needed Din’s attention first. The woman Din loved needed him more.
“Oh sweet girl,” he muttered, letting his free hand rub her arm gently. It was taking all of his self-control not to move around the table and pull her into him, wrap his arms around her.
Y/N shook her head, closing her eyes. “I just want to forget him, move on already. I want to live my life, sleep without fearing he’s watching, Din, I-”
He hadn’t even registered that he was moving around the table, but he was the second her voice broke. Din had thought she wasn’t okay hours ago, and she clearly still wasn’t. She looked more broken and hurt than even when he had ushered her to bed, as if all of what Jesse was doing was getting to her, as if the pieces were breaking more than before. And it only hurt Din more, because he wanted to see her smile, hear her laugh, not see her cry.
Din let his arms wrap around her as he kneeled by her chair, pulling her into his chest. She fell into him easily, her shoulders dropping ever so slightly as her arms wrapped around him as well. He could feel tears drip onto his shirt, which only broke his heart further.
“I’m so sorry he’s doing this,” he muttered into her hair, letting his nose bury into the strands and breathe in her scent. “You deserve so much, Y/N, so much more than this.”
And that was the truth, he knew she deserved more than everything Jesse was doing to her. Din would do anything to make her smile, make her happy, because he loved her. He knew he did.
After a moment of silence, Y/N whispered, “I just want this. I-I just want you, and Grogu, and a life together…”
Din froze, his mind repeating the words she had just said. Y/N wanted him, wanted a life here. Did she-did she feel the same way?
“I…” He needed to respond, so he told her the truth. “I want that too.”
Y/N pulled away enough to look up and meet his eyes. “Din, I-” Her eyes ran over her face, and Din wondered if she wanted to say something, tell him something else.
Shaking her head she buried her face in his chest again. He could feel her take a shaky breath in, and Din let his head rest atop her own. He wasn’t going to push her to say anything, do anything right now. He was content just holding her.
Plus, he had a feeling she had wanted to say the exact three words on the tip of his own tongue.
Letting his hand slowly rub her back, he was relieved to slowly feel her relax further. She needed sleep, and part of him knew she wasn’t going to be able to, at least not easily.
An idea slid into his mind then, making him pause for a brief moment. Y/N was relaxing in his arms…would she sleep if he was holding her as well?
There was only one way to find out.
“Come on, let’s get some rest,” he murmured. Partially letting go of her, he kept an arm wrapped around her waist to steer her out of the kitchen and down the hall.
Din could feel Y/N stiffen against him, and he knew she thought he was encouraging her to sleep in her own bed, alone. “I-”
He looked down and met her eyes. “Trust me…please.”
Her eyes ran over his face slowly, and she bit her lip before nodding. Part of him wanted to lean down and press his lips against hers at the sight, but he knew this wasn’t the place or time. Maybe later.
Instead, he leaned down and kissed the top of her head, nudging her further down the hall. Moving to his room, he opened the door and ushered her inside, not surprised that she was stiff and slightly confused.
Stepping past Y/N, he moved to his bed and slid in, looking up at her. She was frozen in the middle of the room, her eyes locked on him. Part of him noted that she was kind of adorable when she was nervous.
Patting the empty space of the bed he murmured, “Cm’here.”
He watched as she padded towards him, laying down on the mattress, but clearly nervous, as she was still stiff as a board.
Wanting her to relax and get the chance to actually sleep, he pulled the blankets over them both before opening his arms. “Sweetheart….come here.”
Y/N took a slow breath before sliding closer, Din’s arms wrapping around her once she was close enough. He settled into the bed as she slowly relaxed in his arms. He could feel the tension that had lingered even in the kitchen start to fade from her now, her face buried in the crook of his neck.
“Sleep, honey. I’m not going anywhere,” he stated softly.
At his words, Y/N let out a breath, and he could tell sleep was starting to come. She probably needed it, badly.
“Thank you,” she whispered into his skin.
He smiled softly, kissing her temple. “Anything for you Y/N.”
Only moments later, her breathing deepened and the tension fell from her shoulders. To his surprise, her hands gripped his shirt tightly, as if even subconsciously she was afraid he would leave.
Little did she know, he wouldn’t leave her, even if he had a say. Laying here, with the woman he loved in his arms, was something Din had never thought he’d get, let alone something he deserved. But here she was, asleep in his arms, of all people.
Even before all of this happened, Y/N felt like an angel. She was great with Grogu, considerate of Din and his work, and fell into their lives like a missing puzzle piece. Especially at first, it had felt like she was a dream, only for Din to wake up and go into the kitchen to see her cooking away, smiling at him.
She didn’t know it, but she had his heart from the second week of being here. Din loved her, and even now, as sleep started to envelop him as well, no place other than holding her felt right.
Summary: You’re enjoying life as the live-in nanny for Din, the Sheriff of Everton. Things are wonderful, his son is adorable, and your feelings for him are hidden away entirely. But when someone from your past shows up to wreak havoc on your life again, something happens between you and Din, something you never thought possible.
Pairing: Sherrif!Din Djarin x Reader
Words: 1691
Warnings: nightmares, not sleeping, talk of violence, brief descriptions of physical abuse, comfort
Part 15 of my I Promise Series (thank you to @deangirl93 for beta reading the series!)
You had thought the nightmares wouldn’t get worse. You had hoped, maybe wished was a better word.
Din made you feel safe, happy, and Grogu helped distract you. But that was during the day. Once night fell, the three of you went to sleep and you felt anything but safe, happy, or distracted.
You didn’t know if it made them worse, but all the nightmares were memories, all times you had lived through and wanted to forget. Hell, you thought you had forgotten them already. Apparently, you were wrong.
Din had ushered you to your room to sleep around 10, saying that sleep would help your stress, anxiety. You had wanted him to be right, had prayed that it would help and erase all the bad the night had brought.
He had been wrong, of course. The universe had other plans. Even closing your eyes brought back flashes of Jesse, terrors you had tried to block away.
So you stayed up, sitting on your bed in the dark. You listened to Din move around the house, probably taking care of the pictures and such. It felt strange but even his footsteps were calming. They were even, sure, the same every day, no matter the time or reason.
But once the light in the hall turned off, and his steps stopped creaking through the floor, you were left alone with your own mind.
What if you had just done better? What if you had helped Jesse, rather than run away? What if you would be on the run from him for the rest of your life? What if-
Shaking your head and looking at the time, the clock stared back. 1:19 am. Damn.
Deciding that anything was better than just sitting here, you slipped out of bed and padded down the hall as quietly as possible. Tea sounded good, if the kitchen was empty at least.
Letting the light of the moon guide you down the hall, you paused on the divider between wood and tile, looking over the empty kitchen. Din had clearly taken care of the pictures, and you couldn’t bring yourself to wonder what had happened with them. All that mattered was the fact that they were gone.
Flicking on the light above the stove, you started the kettle and prepared a mug of peppermint tea. A part of your mind whispered that it wouldn’t help, but you shoved the voice away, willing to try anything.
You stopped the kettle before it started to scream, letting the water settle as you poured it into your mug. Stirring in your sweetener, you sat at the table, hands wrapped around the warm ceramic as you stared at the wall. It was too hot to drink, but the warmth felt nice. Had you been this cold all along, or was the fear just settling into its new home?
You froze as the creak of the wooden floor sounded from down the hall, and you weren’t sure if your heart was pumping so fast you couldn’t tell, or if it had stopped altogether.
Your eyes snapped up to see Din moving into view, his pajamas on, sleep clearly in his eyes as he looked at you. He raised his eyebrows at the sight of you at the table, and you broke eye contact immediately, looking down at your mug.
“I’m so sorry, I thought you were asleep,” you muttered.
Hearing his padded feet over the tile (it felt weird to hear him move without shoes on), you bit your lip. Was he going to be angry, upset, worried? Why was this making you so nervous?
Your eyes flickered up as the familiar sound of his chair scraped across the floor, watching him sit across from you. “You don’t need to apologize,” he responded, his voice rough from sleep, deeper than normal.
“But-”
His hand covered one of your own, squeezing it gently. “Y/N.” His deep chocolate eyes stared into yours, making your heart skip a beat, practically putting it back into its normal rhythm. “It’s okay.”
“…okay.”
You two fell into a soft silence for a moment, his thumb tracing circles on the back of your hand. Your eyes slowly trailed to his hand, watching it move against your skin. Was it a bad sign that him touching you was the first time in hours you felt calm, truly calm? Was it a sign that you were growing dependent, that this would go bad just like it had with Jesse? Maybe, maybe not, but you prayed it wasn’t.
“What’s going through that pretty head of yours?” he muttered, snapping you out of your thoughts.
You blushed and shook your head. “I-it’s nothing.”
“I bet it’s not nothing.”
You blushed, remembering the last time he had said something similar. God, Din had you acting like a teenage girl again, how was he doing it?
“Really, it’s…a lot,” you told him, glancing up at his face.
“Well you can either tell me what you’re thinking, or why you’re awake at 2 am,” he replied, his gaze steady but soft.
Sighing, you knew he wouldn’t leave the table or let you leave until you told him. Din was stubborn, and usually got his way.
Looking back at his hand, which was still gently caressing yours, you whispered, “Every time I close my eyes, I see him…”
Din’s thumb froze, but you pushed on, trying to ignore the growing tears in your eyes.
“I see when he’d scream at me, face so red with anger, when he’d be towering above me, kicking me until I’d sob, when he’d pull my hair so hard I’d bleed.” You blinked away the tears, or tried to. “I can feel the pain, his hands on me, all of it. I can hear his voice, echoing through my brain…”
“Oh sweet girl,” Din muttered, his other hand trailing up your arm.
You shook your head, clenching your eyes shut. “I just want to forget him, move on already. I want to live my life, sleep without fearing he’s watching, Din, I-”
You hadn’t even heard him move, but registered his arms wrapping around you, pulling you into his chest. You felt the tension slowly fade from your shoulders, and you slowly wrapped your arms around him, letting your breathing slow as the tears fell into his shirt.
“I’m so sorry he’s doing this,” he muttered; you could feel his nose buried in your hair. “You deserve so much, Y/N, so much more than this.”
You weren’t sure how to respond to his words as you slowly calmed, the scent of Din surrounding you entirely. He really felt that way? Thought you deserved more? Were you just…assuming wrong of him? What if Din really did care, really did want to keep you safe?
“I just want this,” you whispered. “I-I just want you, and Grogu, and a life together…”
His breath hitched at your words, and you felt like you could feel his heart beating through his chest, ringing in your ears. “I…I want that too.”
You pulled away enough to meet his eyes, searching them for a moment. “Din, I-” You froze, the three words spinning through your brain freezing entirely as you tried to speak. Was it too soon, too much? What if he didn’t want to say them back? What if he wasn’t at the same level yet? What if-
Clenching your eyes shut again, you buried your face in his chest, taking a shaky breath. His head gently rested against your own after a moment, one of his hands rubbing up and down your back, as if he sensed what you had wanted to say.
Did he?
“Come on, let’s get some rest,” he murmured. He let you go just barely, keeping an arm around your waist to steer you down the hall.
The idea of sleeping at all made you stiffen, trying to backtrack. Din wasn’t having it, tugging you along like you were nothing, weighed nothing. “I-”
He paused, meeting your gaze again. “Trust me…please.”
Your heart twisted at the please, and you bit your lip, nodding slowly. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of your head before continuing to lead the way down the hall.
To your surprise, he stopped at his door, swinging it open further. With a gentle yet firm hand on your lower back, he nudged you inside.
Your heart felt like it was going to rip through your chest as you stepped into his room, your nerves tripling if that was possible. But you stayed quiet, trusting him entirely. Din had a plan, he always did, and you had to trust him.
He moved past you towards the large king-sized bed, the covers messed slightly, as he had been asleep before you woke him. Sliding onto the mattress, he smiled up at you, patting the spot next to him. “Cm’here.”
You slowly moved closer towards him, laying down on the bed with such stiff movements you swore you were making him even more uncomfortable.
To your surprise, he didn’t seem uncomfortable in the slightest. He tugged the blankets up before lying down fully himself, holding one of his arms out. “Sweetheart….come here.”
The deepness of his voice made your stomach twist, but you slid closer to him, letting him pull you against his chest, his arms wrapped around you again. Closing your eyes, you let yourself breathe him in, feeling more surrounded by him than ever before.
You could, ever so slightly, feel the tension slip away from you. His hands rubbed your back slowly, tightening as you buried your face in the crook of his neck.
“Sleep, honey. I’m not going anywhere.”
Was that what this feeling was? This peace swallowing you whole? It had felt like months since proper sleep had crept into your body, but maybe Din had been the missing piece all along.
That was a thought for tomorrow, though.
“Thank you,” you whispered into his skin.
Feeling his soft lips press to your temple, you barely heard him reply as the darkness started to envelop you. “Anything for you, Y/N.”
Summary: You’re enjoying life as the live-in nanny for Din, the Sheriff of Everton. Things are wonderful, his son is adorable, and your feelings for him are hidden away entirely. But when someone from your past shows up to wreak havoc on your life again, something happens between you and Din, something you never thought possible.
Pairing: Sherrif!Din Djarin x Reader
Words:1016
Warnings: Din’s POV (entire part is) anxiety, worry, fluff, comfort
Part 14 of my I Promise Series (thank you to @deangirl93 for beta reading the series!)
Din’s eyes ran over her face as his thumb stroked her cheek. Y/N looks pale, shaken, and more terrified than even before. It twisted his heart to see her like this. He wanted her smile, her laugh, the pure joy she radiated. Well, usually radiated. Ever since this fucker Jesse had shown up Y/N hadn’t been as happy, her smiles less than normal, her energy low. And Din hated Jesse even more for that; Y/N deserved the fucking world, everything good that life or the Universe could possibly give her, and this ex of her’s just wasn’t letting go, wasn’t letting her get that.
Today was clearly a sign of that as well. Jesse had been smart, realized his other package hadn’t gotten to her, so had found a way around the system Din had made. Going to the neighbor, it was smart and Din hated it.
Now he just had to see what had shaken her up so much. She had mentioned pictures, which did not bode well.
“Will you be alright if I go take a look?” he muttered, trying to keep his voice soft, as not to scare her.
Y/N bit her lip and slowly opened her eyes, meeting his gaze. Even with tears growing in them, sadness and fear shining through, Din couldn’t help but pause at how beautiful she was. Her eyes sparkled like jewels, and Din knew no jewel would ever reach the level of her eyes, ever.
Focusing on the issue at hand, he realized she was still silent, staring at him as if something had come to her mind.
“Y/N?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowing. Silence, from what he knew about her, was not a good sign. She seemed like the kind of person to get lost in her own thoughts, fall down a rabbit hole of anxiety and stress. He would do anything to make sure that didn’t happen, but only if she let him. Din didn’t want to overstep boundaries or lines.
Hell, they hadn’t set any boundaries ever since the first kiss. No lines had been drawn, how was Din supposed to know if anything he was doing was too much? All he could do was hope.
Her gaze broke from his face and focused on her own hands, clasped together in her lap. “Yeah, I’ll…I’ll be okay,” she muttered, nodding slowly.
Part of Din didn’t believe that for even a second, but he didn’t want to push her. If he knew anything from his time on the force and as Sheriff, it was that pushing scared people never went well. Din didn’t want to know what would happen if he pushed Y/N, he didn’t want to hurt her more.
He stroked her cheek again gently before letting his hand drop, standing and moving towards the kitchen. He had seen papers or pictures of some sort scattered around and on the table earlier but hadn’t gotten a good look at them, his focus had been on Y/N.
Now, as he stepped onto the tile floor, his eyes scanning over the pictures she had clearly dropped, the anger within him started to boil.
The pictures were all of different moments, clearly having been taken over weeks, if not longer. Din could see a picture of himself with Y/N and Grogu at the park, which had been over two weeks ago. Another one of her and the baby playing in the backyard, Din didn’t know when it was from though, they played outside often. Din’s gut twisted as he spied one of her changing in her own room, her completely bare back facing the window and clearly Jesse. Another one of the photos was from the Anniversary Festival when Din, Y/N, and Grogu had eaten lunch together, all smiling and laughing.
The picture that made him freeze entirely though, was on the table, practically screaming at Din to notice. It was taken through the kitchen window, curtains open, the camera clearly focusing on Din and Y/N kissing, embracing, focusing on only each other.
That had only been last night, less than 24 hours ago.
He was going to kill this Jesse now, one way or another.
Din was ripped from his own thoughts by the scratching of curtains closing coming from the living room. He darted through the small hall immediately, pausing in the archway to the living room to see Y/N standing in front of the now covered windows, her arms wrapped around herself tightly. Even from here he could see the grip she had on her own shirt, her knuckles practically white.
“Honey?” he called out, hoping a softer tone in combination with the nickname wouldn’t scare her.
Y/N spun around quickly, meeting his gaze. She looked frozen for a moment, almost as if she was trying to gather her thoughts, pretend she was okay. Did she not know how easily he read her? How much he watched her, learned how she acted?
Because Din could see, clear as day, that she was the opposite of alright.
“…yeah?” she whispered back.
God, she was not okay.
Letting the anger fade from his focus, Din moved towards her, letting himself focus and shift to protecting her, taking care of her. He pulled Y/N into him easily, his arms surrounding her as he felt her hands let go of her shirt to grip his own.
She was on the verge of shaking, he could feel it through her whole body. And if that fact alone didn’t make him hate everything that happened more, the act of her holding onto him as if he was her lifeline did.
Y/N didn’t deserve this at all. And Din was going to make sure it stopped.
Letting his eyes flutter closed, he kissed the top of her head, silently making a promise to himself and to her: this would all stop, in this town, with Din. Jesse was not going to haunt Y/N anymore, Din was going to make sure of that one way or another.
Summary: You’re enjoying life as the live-in nanny for Din, the Sheriff of Everton. Things are wonderful, his son is adorable, and your feelings for him are hidden away entirely. But when someone from your past shows up to wreak havoc on your life again, something happens between you and Din, something you never thought possible.
Pairing: Sherrif!Din Djarin x Reader
Words:1148
Warnings:stalking, angst, anxiety, worry, pictures taken without consent/knowledge, comfort
Part 13 of my I Promise Series (thank you to @deangirl93 for beta reading the series!)
Dropping the photos, you took a step back as they spread across the table of their own accord, immediately seeing pictures of you and Grogu playing in the backyard last week, you changing clothes in your room, you and Din with Grogu at the fair.
Oh god.
Feeling your hands start to shake, your phone rang on the table, making you jump at the suddenness. Seeing Din’s name staring up at you, you grabbed the phone and turned towards the living room, answering the call.
“Honey? Y/N?!” His voice was lined with anxiety and worry, you recognized it with ease.
“I-I’m here,” you replied, clenching your eyes shut. But all that you could see, burned into your mind, was Jesse’s handwriting.
“Did you-”
“I opened it,” you sobbed, trying not to let the tears already growing fall. “I’m so sorry, I-I shouldn’t have, it-”
“It’s alright, sweet girl, it’s okay,” he soothed. You could hear something slam shut through the line, wondering if he was slamming the car door again. “You couldn’t know, neither did I.”
“I-God Din,” you whispered, letting yourself fall onto the couch. “It was pictures, it’s all just-”
“Don’t think about that now, alright?” he interrupted, clearly trying to distract you. “I’m almost there, I’ll handle it all, okay?”
“…okay.”
“That’s my girl. Now, I’m getting through the light now, alright?”
You could feel relief flood your system at his words, knowing which light he meant. “O-Okay.”
“I’ll be there soon, then I’ll take care of this, I promise.”
You bit your lip at his words, unable to speak as one thought flooded your mind: what if he couldn’t keep this promise?
“Y/N?”
“I-I’m here,” you stated, taking a deep breath.
“I’m just around the corner, honey,” Din replied.
“H-have I told you that I like your nicknames?” you asked, clenching your eyes shut, trying to focus on him, on the kisses and smiles you two had exchanged this morning and last night. “For-for me, I mean.”
He chuckled, but it wasn’t as light as it normally was. “I hoped you had.”
“Well I do, I r-really do,” you muttered, trying to take deep breaths. “A-and kissing you is just-”
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” he muttered, his voice softer than just a moment ago. “Deep breaths, focus on my voice. I’ll be there soon, and-”
“I know you will, I know.” God, why was your voice shaking so much? Why did Jesse have to fucking do this? Why couldn’t he just leave you the fuck alone?!
“See, you know and I know, and it’ll all be fine soon.”
“H-how close are you?”
“I’m pulling up right now, sweet girl.”
You stood as you heard his patrol car screech into the driveway, darting to the front door to unlock it. You ended the call and dropped your phone on the floor, not caring about it in the slightest as you stepped into the doorway, eyes locked on Din as he darted over the lawn right to you.
Without a word, his arms were around you and he was pulling you into him, kissing the top of your head. “See? Right here.”
You gripped his shirt and nodded, burying your face in his chest.
You didn’t say a word but he could obviously feel you shaking since he squeezed your waist and kissed the top of your head. “It’s okay, honey, you’re safe. I promise.”
You nodded slowly, taking a deep breath and letting the smell of Din surround you. He smelled like leather and pine, fresh and musky at the same time. It was something you didn’t know you had loved until him, and a scent combination that made your mind instantly think of him. It calmed you down, made you feel safe.
Thank god for that.
“C’mon, let’s get inside,” he muttered into your hair, gently pulling you into the house.
You let him, slowly pulling away enough to move and see. You were grateful as he didn’t move his arms from around you, leading you towards the living room instead.
Gently ushering you to the couch, he kneeled in front of you, reminding you of the night this had all started, or gotten real at least.
You shook those thoughts away, focusing on the burning intensity and worry in Din’s eyes. “Grogu-”
“Is asleep,” you stated. “Curtains closed, music on. He’s…he’s okay.”
Din let out a soft breath of relief, raising a hand to cup your cheek. You leaned into his touch instantly, letting your eyes flutter closed. His hands were rough, you knew from the repeated action with his weapons and guns, but you didn’t mind. It felt like him, felt real. That was what you cared about, that it was Din, fully him in every way.
His thumb slowly stroked your cheek, both of you staying silent for a moment.
Eventually his voice, rough and soft, rang out to you. “Will you be alright if I go take a look?”
Biting your lip, you opened your eyes again, meeting his gaze. The fear of him seeing those pictures, seeing how vulnerable Jesse was making you, suddenly gripped you. What if Din thought less of you, started to hate you as this went on? What if Jesse was just ruining another good thing in your life?
“Y/N?” Din’s brow furrowed at your silence, clearly seeing the panic and fear growing in you. God he probably thought you were weak, only a burden.
Letting your gaze fall to your lap, your hands clenched tightly together, you nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’ll….I’ll be okay.”
Din paused but stroked your cheek one last time before you saw him stand, his boots padding across the wooden floor. You could hear him enter the kitchen and stop, wondering what he was thinking, how little he probably thought of you, how he probably wanted you gone to protect Grogu.
Trying to take a deep breath, your gaze slid to the window of the living room, curtains open wide for you to see the street. Instantly, your stomach twisted, knowing at least some of the pictures spread across the kitchen had been taken through the front windows.
Before you could process it, you were up and across the room, twisting your hands into the curtains and tugging them shut. You stepped back immediately, letting your arms wrap around yourself.
“Honey?”
You spun around to face Din, who was standing in the archway to the living room, an even more worried furrow on his brow.
“…yeah?” you breathed.
His shoulders dropped slightly, before he moved towards you, slowly wrapping his arms around you again. You let yourself fall into him, letting go of your own shirt to grip his. No words were exchanged as he held you, and you let yourself fall into the hope, the wish, that Din wouldn’t push you away because of all of this.
Summary: You’re enjoying life as the live-in nanny for Din, the Sheriff of Everton. Things are wonderful, his son is adorable, and your feelings for him are hidden away entirely. But when someone from your past shows up to wreak havoc on your life again, something happens between you and Din, something you never thought possible.
Pairing: Sherrif!Din Djarin x Reader
Words:1349
Warnings: domestic fluff, pet names, stalking, anxiety
Part 12 of my I Promise Series (thank you to @deangirl93 for beta reading the series!)
You hadn’t even seen Din yet this morning, focusing more on Grogu and how hungry he was. But still, your mind kept going back to the night before, to kissing Din.
You felt like you were on cloud nine, that was the only way you could describe it.
Setting the bowl of applesauce in front of the little boy, he paid no attention to it, focusing on getting down the eggs you had given him a second earlier. You should have placed the fruit first, but oh well, he’d eat it eventually.
Shaking your head, you turned towards the stove, waiting for your own breakfast to finish. Hearing a door shut down the hall, your smile grew even more, knowing the footsteps were you heard could only be Din’s.
He hummed as he entered the kitchen, and you turned to see him kiss his son’s head, the boy only giggling in response. “What smells so good?” Din asked, his eyes moving to you then.
“Breakfast,” you replied, feeling your heart skip a beat as he moved towards you. “Do you have time to eat before leaving?”
“I always have time for you,” he muttered, a hand resting on your waist as he got closer.
You hummed softly, part of you still unable to believe that last night had happened, that you two had kissed, and more than once. He hadn’t been able to stop kissing you until he remembered he had to work, and you two went to bed in your separate rooms. But god, if those kisses weren’t seared into your brain, you could have sworn they were fake.
Clearly, by how close he was pulling towards him, it was not fake. At all.
Din leaned down and brushed his lips against yours, only deepening it as you let one of your hands rest against his neck, pulling him in closer. He groaned softly and kissed you back, ending the kiss as Grogu squealed.
You tried to control your breathing, looking at the boy as he clapped, his hands now covered in applesauce, as if he didn’t care that you two had been kissing. You supposed he didn’t, he probably didn’t notice anything was different.
But God, it was.
Din chuckled and grabbed a napkin, moving to the highchair. “You just love making messes, huh,” he muttered, wiping the boy’s hands.
You smiled softly at the sight of them, your heart warming even more as one thought entered your head: they were your boys.
Finishing the eggs for yourself and Din, you served them up, taking your normal spot across from Din. He reached out and grabbed your hand, kissing the back of it gently. “Thank you, honey.”
“Of course, handsome,” you muttered back.
His smile grew at the nickname, and he squeezed your hand before letting go so you could eat. “Got any plans for the day?”
“I was thinking we’d play in the yard a bit,” you responded, glancing at Grogu, who was staring at his bowl as if it would float away any second. Laughing softly, you picked up the spoon and fed him a small bit of it, the boy giggling and eating away happily. You glanced at Din, whose smile was as large, if not larger, than the night before, watching you and Grogu.
“That sounds perfect,” he stated. “Tire the kiddo out a bit.”
“Hopefully a fair amount,” you laughed. It seemed like every day Grogu had more energy, and while it was fun and exciting to see him growing and so energized, it was exhausting some days.
“Well I should be back around dinner,” he responded, glancing at you. “Figure it’s a good day, we could do burgers?”
“That sounds great,” you agreed.
Part of you whispered internally how silly it all felt, being a family like this. It whispered that this would all fall apart, go wrong.
You just shook that thought away, focusing on the smile curving Din’s lips, a smile you hadn’t seen before on him. God, you loved the man so much, and you wanted it to stay just like this.
It wasn’t until 11 when you got out to the backyard, letting Grogu play with the toys you had picked out, both of you enjoying time in the sun (despite him hating putting sunscreen on). It was fun, relaxing, and you couldn’t help but smile when you got a message from Din that simply said, ‘Looks like you two are having a blast.’
You had almost forgotten about the cameras, but realized he probably got notifications of movement at all, so he had been alerted when you two had stepped out back. You waved at the camera, wondering if he was watching you two, and curious as to why it felt protective and not creepy.
Jesse had installed cameras once, and you had only felt on edge. With Din, though? Now? The cameras felt safe, a precaution. It was something you’d have to think about.
After playtime, you and the little guy had lunch, before Grogu promptly fell asleep for his mid-day nap. It felt weird, and almost too quiet with him down today, but you weren’t focusing on that.
You hung the towel back up, having finished the dishes, when you heard a knock on the door. Furrowing your eyebrows you wondered who it could be. Glancing at your phone first, you didn’t see anything from Din, so took that as a good sign that it was a neighbor or friend.
Approaching the front door, you smiled in relief at the sight of Angela, your next-door neighbor. She was sweet, older, and reminded you of your aunt and grandmother.
“Angela, what can I do for you?” you greeted, swinging the door open.
“Well I got something of yours it looks like,” she said, smiling and holding out a thicker envelope. “Not a big deal, I just wanted to bring it over before I forgot, dear.”
You took it slowly, confused. The mailman for this part of town, Randy, had never messed up your mail before, so why would he today?
“Thank you, I appreciate it,” you responded, faking a smile for her.
“Oh it’s no problem,” the old woman responded, waving you off as she moved away from the front door. “You have a good day, Y/N!”
“You too,” you called, shutting the door as she walked down the sidewalk.
Glancing down at the envelope you saw your name scrawled on the front, the correct address, but no return address.
Trusting the twisting of your gut, you locked the front door and pulled out your phone. you paused, seeing a message from Din again. ‘What did Angela want?’
You set the envelope on the table slowly, responding to him and explaining what had happened.
You stared at your phone for a minute, waiting for him to respond. If he said not to open it, you wouldn’t, you remembered what he had said a few days ago about the package. Did that mean this one was safe? Or had it been a slip-up?
Your stomach only twisted more as no reply came. A small peek wouldn’t hurt, to see if it was dangerous or not. Could be nothing.
Seeing how he hadn’t replied and it had been a fair bit of time, you decided to look inside, see what it was. You could stop at any point, you knew that, you could.
Taking a deep breath, you slowly opened the envelope, pausing as you saw multiple photos inside. Feeling your heart start to race, you gripped them and slowly pulled them out, freezing entirely as you saw the top photo.
It was of you and Din kissing the night before, with red writing underneath it: You are MINE.
Dropping the photos, you took a step back as they spread across the table of their own accord, immediately seeing pictures of you and Grogu playing in the backyard last week, you changing clothes in your room, you and Din with Grogu at the fair.
