Pairing: Javier Peña x F!Reader/OFC (no y/n, no physical description, established backstory, no clear age gap mentioned)

content/warnings: alcohol consumption, connotations of mild depression and loneliness, little tiny small bits of Steve/Javi (more of that content laterr) reunion! You know what they say, third times the charm ;)

A/N: Hiya to everyone! Especially to my girl stmpunklizzie. You are the light in my life and your reviews mean the world to me and more. Please don't stop at any cost. If you have any special requests drop them into my inbox ;) Without further ado- Enjoy :))

Chapter 6: The reunion (1996)

New York was everything Javier expected. Cussing, traffic and the smell of pee lining the footpaths. His recent move to the concrete jungle had him in a pensive mood, reflecting on his life like he had never before.

After having spent so long in Laredo, he had started to think that was where it would end for him. Then again, he had also thought that being part of the DEA was the last thing he was going to do.

After Cali, he had been given a sabbatical, some time off away from it all. At first, the monotonous ritual he had going of tending to the ranch alongside his dad worked. But soon Javier had found himself mulling over the last seven years. While fixing fences, oiling the patio and most of all in the creaky comfort of his bed and under his prussian blue covers. The ones he used to turn to when the thunder boomed too loud.

The sound of thunder had been traded for an endless loop of explosions and the pained wails of innocents being caught in crossfire. The violence and bloodshed he had witnessed often played across the walls of his old room, over the faded band posters and college banners until the early morning teased the shadows away.

After a month, he had handed in his resignation along with a large part of himself. Javier had given his blood, sweat, tears and more to that job. Dedicated his life to it from the very start. And as he left his letter and all the plans he had for his future on that desk, a sudden emptiness filled him. An intangible void, not even ranch work could fill. At least not for very long.

On the bright side, all that manual labour had got him thinking about pouring his energies into something more intellectually substantial. Taking up a course in criminal justice, broadening his horizons academically. Like some sort of silicon plaster that holds together a leaky fountain.

He had applied the following week and just like that the years had flown by and the silicon had proved successful. That was until the final leg of the program where the water seeped through the cracks of the rendering and into the foundation. Javier found that his nightcaps had become more frequent and it was now that he had felt more alone than ever

New York was something unexpected. It had called one afternoon while he was helping Chucho hammer in the new gate; offering him a job as an instructor for the DEA in their law enforcement division.

(I know and I'm well aware that the training headquarters for the DEA are in Quantico but for my sanity's sake and this fic, it shall be in New York. I just thought that this job is kinda perfect for him, with all the experience he has and the fact that a part of him is still not ready to move on completely from something that was such a large part of life for so long. Also I am taking the liberty as this IS fanfiction. OK, done with this rant. Criticism is welcome but I assure you, his job and reader's/OFC's job/careers play a miniscule role in this and don't really hold much significance.)

Now, here he was, sitting on a lumpy hotel bed, holding a bit of scraggly paper with yet another realtor's number scribbled on it. He took a small sip of his whiskey as he reached over grudgingly towards the phone, only for it to ring first.

Javier set his glass down on the bedside table and picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hello, am I speaking to a Javier Peña?" Javier heard some shuffling in the background.

"Yes," Javier stood up now. "This is he." He set his glass of spirit onto the table with a clack. The shuffling stopped.

"Javi! Hey man, It's Steve." The other end chirped and Javier nearly huffed out a laugh.

"Murphy, hey. Long time. How you doin'?" The corners of Javier's mouth twitched upwards. The image of the blonde flashed in his mind. No doubt in an unfashionable polo shirt and a pair of dusty khaki trousers.

"Can't complain." Steve drawled. " I heard you were in town and I figured I'd give you a ring." Steve's voice was cool and easy and his low southern drawl had Javier thinking back to Columbia and all the long conversations they had grown to have. It was actually more so than the last time the two had spoken; right before he shot off to Cali.

"It's actually Olivia's 7th birthday this weekend," Steve continued. "We were hoping you could drop by, maybe catch up?" Steve hummed and Javier's eyes found his feet.

A part of his chest lapsed inwards, relaxing. Of course, this would only be yet another temporary fix for the dark, empty hole that had consumed him, but a fix nonetheless.

"That sounds good, I'll be there." He said, bringing the phone to his shoulder blade and trapping it between his cheek.

"So she's 7 now huh?" Javier exhaled as a sudden realisation of just how long it had been settled into his bones.

"Beats me," Steve chuckled and the two men shared a moment of silence.

"Anyways, I'll send you my address and you can pop by anytime." Steve cleared his throat and his voice trailed off. Javier heard some sifting and shuffling, no doubt looking for a scrap of paper with his address on it. "Okayy" Steve sang, "you got a pen?"

Javier stood on the pavement in front of a nice-looking suburban house. It had the brown roof and the white walls and even a perfectly trimmed hedge running along the small front yard. He fished out the address from the back of his jeans and turned it the right side up, skimming over the name of the street and the house number.

"Thirty two…" He trailed off, looking towards the door. "Yep, thirty two it is." He exhaled.

Javier looked over to his car once more before sweeping up to the front porch. Even from there he could hear the excitable chatter; the kids squealing and mirthful laughter. He gripped the package in his hand tightly before pressing his index finger into the doorbell and stepping back a foot or two.

"Jav! You made it!." Steve swung the door open, and the two men embraced quickly, slapping each other on the back. Javier's face matched the grin spread out on the blonde's. "Come on in." Steve ushered and shut the door behind himself.

Javier looked around in a circle, his eyes making their way across the nicely carpeted floor to the large table in the centre stacked with food and a large birthday cake, towering over the plates. "Nice place."

All the chatter was now louder and Javier could see some of the children running around the backyard through the window ahead of him.

"We were lucky." Steve stepped beside him, hands on his hips. "Another couple of hours and we would've lost it to some hippies and their labrador." Javier smiled in response, suddenly becoming acutely aware of the gift in his hand.

"Oh this is for the kid." Javier held out the package. The purple wrapping paper rustling at the movement. "It's a sweater, I didn't know what to get." he shrugged and Steve patted it.

"Wrap it yourself?" Steve asked, walking over towards one of the side tables with the pile of presents, and placing it down with a plop. He looked back at Javi, knowing smirk on his face.

"Shut up." Javier grunted, pulling off his coolers and clipping them to the undone button of his teal linen shirt.

"Beer?" Steve sauntered over to the kitchen and Javier ducked in behind him, weaving through the guests. He leaned on the countertop next to the big bowl of cob dip and pigs in a blanket. Steve disappeared behind the door of the refrigerator for a second before popping back up with two bottles of the beverage, handing one to Javier along with a bottle opener.

The blonde leaned back against the opposite counter and raised the bottle to his lips.

"That her?" Javier used his bottle to point to the small picture stuck to the fridge with a small black magnet. Steve nodded, swallowing his sip.

"Jesus." Javier exhaled. "She's gotten big."

"Tell me about it." Steve chuckled affectionately. "That's the other one," Steve jerked his neck towards the picture beside Olivia's. "She's 3 now." Javier's eyes followed Steve's and landed on a picture of a small girl with blonde pigtails and a red knitted jumper; posing amidst the snowfall in what he recognised as the front yard he had just walked through.

"Steve!" A familiar voice called out and Javier straightened up as another blonde walked into the kitchen, a toddler fitted between her arms and hip. "Rosie dropped punch on herself. Could you-" She stopped short and turned to Javier. "Javier?" He smiled and shrugged.

"In the flesh." He planted a small kiss on Connie's cheek once she had passed over Rosie to Steve. "Good to see you Connie."

"You should come on outside." Connie said, pulling away from the short embrace. "Meet everyone, say hi to the kids." She turned to Steve and Rosie. "Well, kid."

Javier peeled himself off the counter and followed Connie through the dining room and out into the backyard. His coolers were back on the bridge of his nose and the drops of water on the side of his bottle slipped down over his thumb. He took another sip as Connie started introductions.

"I don't understand why you go through his pockets." You said, fiddling with the polka-dotted straw in your punch.

"You know what I found while he was busy shaving?" Your friend Marie ignored you and rambled on. You twiddled the end of the plastic in loopy circles.

"No, what?" You said, entertaining her. This had been one of many of her accounts regarding a certain 'Carl something'. You couldn't remember.

"They just bought a dining room table." She exhaled, emptying her tiny flask into her glass of punch.

"Marie, it's not even 6 o'clock yet." you shook your head.

"I mean his wife just went out and spent sixteen hundred dollars on a dining room table." She shook her head and screwed the top of the flask back on with gusto.

"Oh Marie," Your shoulders slumped, almost in a pitiful manner.

"The point is, he's never going to leave her." She took two large gulps, her index finger holding her straw aside.

"Okay, but you've known this for two years," You started, angling your body more towards her.

"You're right, you're right." She straightened up. "I know you're right."

"Marie," You said, facing her head on this time. "I think it's time you found someone single, there are plenty of single men out there." You sipped your punch as you spoke. "Y'know, the kind that aren't married." You took another sip. "The unmarried kind."

"Easy for you to say," She scoffed. "You got the last good one."

You waited a mere beat before inhaling and raising your eyebrows.

"Dustin and I broke up." You relaxed your brows and your fingers circled the rim of your glass.

"What?" Marie stopped halfway through a sip. "When?"

"Last monday." You said.

"You waited a week to tell me?" She set her cup down and narrowed her eyebrows.

"It's not a big deal." You shrugged. "We've been growing apart for quite a while now."

"But you guys were a couple." She pressed. "You had someone to go to places with. You had a date on national holidays."

You exhaled for the third time today and set your glass down beside Marie's.

"I said to myself, you deserve more than this and you're 30 years old-"

"And the clock is ticking." Marie cut in.

"No." You corrected her. "The clock doesn't really start to tick until you're 36." You picked up your drink and took a sip.

"God, you're in such great shape." Marie shook her head in awe. "Besides, I never liked the fellow." She wrinkled her nose.

"Well, I've had a few days to get used to it and I feel okay, Marie." You shrugged.

"Good." She nodded. "Then you're ready." She reached over to her purse laying on Connie's dresser and pulled out a small, faded, old box. With a metal clip sealing the lid shut.

"Really Marie." Your tone was sharp. You knew that box all too well.

"I've got the perfect guy." She ignored your judgement and pulled out a card from the tiny slits in the box, holding it between her index and middle fingers. "I don't happen to find him attractive but you just might." She smiled. "You don't have a problem with chins do you?"

"Marie." You said again, this time calmer. "I'm not ready yet."

"But you just said-" She started and you cut her off.

"I am." You assured her. "I'm just in my mourning period." Marie looked up at you from her seat. She had plopped down onto the dressing chair and was giving you a look, through her long lashes.

"Okay," You rolled your eyes in defeat. "Who is it?"

"Joe," She said, sitting up. "Joe Wallace."

"Marie, you fixed me up with him almost six years ago." You rested the small of your back against the dressing table, facing her with crossed arms. A loud screech of laughter sounded from downstairs.

"I'm sorry." Marie shrugged, placing the slip of paper back into its place. She fished out another one after a couple moments of rifling and lifted it up to you with an 'aha!' sound.

"Here we go." She said, reading out the name proudly. "Alex Anderson."

You shook your head at her in disbelief. "He's been married for over a year."

"Really?" Marie said, wide-eyed. "Married." She repeated, shaking her head and folded down the corner of the card. "Pity, pity, pity." You took another sip of your virgin punch. "Oh!" Marie exclaimed again. "Wait, wait, wait." She hushed you just as you were about to stop her.

"There is no point in me going out with someone I might really like if I met him at the right time, but right now has no chance of being anything to me but a transitional man." You huffed, walking away from the dresser.

"I'm sorry." She said, getting up and walking towards you. "I'm really sorry."

"It's okay, Marie." You sighed, taking her hand. "I just need some time."

"Okay, let's head on downstairs, see if Connie needs anything."

"After you." You said, hand outstretched towards the door.

"I almost forgot to mention, his American Express card was also in there." Marie said tip-toeing over the wrapping paper strewn over the wooden floor. You rolled your eyes and let out a sigh.

"Just how long does that man take to shave?" You chuckled.

"He spent a hundred and twenty dollars on a new nightgown." She strutted into the empty kitchen and stopped in front of a half eaten dish of some 'pigs in a blanket'.

"Not for himself I hope." You stood by the sink and yanked open the shiny white dishwasher. Marie rolled her eyes.

"I'm done with him, yknow?" She bit into one of the pigs. "Done."

"Good for you."

"Except," She started again, gazing out through the pass-through window into the now empty dining room. "I-" She trailed off.

"You what?" You egged, stacking the dirty plates into a neat pile.

"Some guy is staring at you from across the dining table." She continued chewing her snack, looking at you through the corner of her eye.

"What?" You asked, looking over at her.

"Look, but don't look." She raised her eyebrows. You followed her gaze and sure enough, she was right. There was Javier Peña, a tall pile of paper cups stacked up and slotted between his hands. Javier Peña of all the people in the world.

"I know him." You hissed and Marie slid off the counter and next to you.

"Really? Who is he?" She ducked down along with you, pretending to load the dishwasher.

"Steve's old partner-friend…guy." You shook your head, unable to boil down the man to something clear. Marie stood up once more and grabbed some more plates; more as an excuse to steal another glance.

"Jesus, he's cute." She breathed, handing you the plates. You stood up this time, swiping some stray forks off the counter. His eyes found the tablecloth at your prolonged look.

"I guess a little." You sat back down on your heels.

"You should get some of that." Marie pushed her shoulder into yours.

"You'd like him," You raised your eyebrows playfully. "He doesn't do relationships."

Marie pinched your arm and your mouth hung open dramatically. 'Ow' You mouthed, rubbing the spot.

"How do you know he doesn't?" Marie looked over at you. "Steve told you?"

"No, no." You let out a short laugh. "He did."

"What?" Her eyebrows knit together. "When?"

"Around four years ago." You estimated.

"So he might be dating now." She raised her eyebrows and you let out an incredulous laugh. "People can change." She pressed.

"No ma'am. Not that one." You shook your head. "Regardless of any of that, he's rather exasperating." You placed the last of the cutlery into their slots. Marie huffed and stood up, playing with a strand of her hair.

"Stop staring." You whacked her leg with the back of your hand.

"I'm not." She hissed back "uh oh."

"What?" You stood up beside her.

"He's coming to the kitchen." She smoothed out her skirt and fluffed up her hair.

"Doesn't matter, he never remembers me anyways."

You stopped in your tracks at the mention of your name.

"Connie's cousin right?" His voice was deep and smooth, the way it rolled into your ears making them perk up.

"Hi Javier." You half laughed. "You finally remembered." You pressed the handcloth onto the counter.

"I thought it was you." He said, flashing one of his dazzling smiles and Marie squeezed your hand in excited butterflies.

"Oh, this is Marie." You said quickly, turning to where Marie was standing. Was. She had now slunk towards the exit. "Was Marie." You exhaled with a small smile. Marie gave him a small wave and a flirty little wink before leaving you and Javier alone in the kitchen.

"How are you?" He set the cups down and crossed his arms.

"Fine." You nodded. "Fine."

"How's, uh, Dustin?" He rubbed his chin.

"Fine, I hear he's doing alright."

"You're not seeing each other anymore?" HIs eyebrows creased together.

"No," You shook your head. "We just broke up."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to-" He sucked in a breath.

"No, no." No waved him off, not wanting the worry that was setting into his brows to make things awkward. "I'm honestly fine." You smiled at him, reassuringly.

"So, what about you? Steve mentioned that you moved into the city." You leaned against the counter, noticing that his sense of style never really seemed to change too much. Jeans paired with a half-sleeve, teal button up and those yellow aviators clipped to the undone button of his shirt.

"Yeah, nearly a week ago." He said. "Got a job." The two of you nodded at the same beat.

"How do you like it?"

"Well, I just started, but it's been pretty great." He shrugged and you nodded again. "You live in New York?" He asked.

"Mhmm, yeah." The two of you shifted in silence for a minute before Javier spoke again.

"Listen, do you want to go grab a cup of coffee?"

"Oh?" You breathed, looking up at the clock in the kitchen.

"You don't need t-"

"No, no." You smiled. "Why not?"

"When we first started seeing each other it was great, yknow? We wanted the same things- Or more like didn't want the same things. We wanted to live together but not get married. Because everytime someone we knew got married, it ruined their relationship, their sex life et cetera et cetera. With the kids and the blah blah. And after a long time all those push factors turned into pulls. I would see my girlfriends with their husbands and their kids and think 'wow. I want that someday.' So I went back home one day and asked him. 'Dustin do you ever want to get married?' and he said he didn't, 'it just wasn't in the books' for him or something that he never saw himself doing that. I even suggested that we get a pet at least but-" You took a sip of your water then shrugged. "Anyways, we talked about it for a long time and I said 'this is what I want.' and he said 'well, I dont.' and I said 'well I guess it's over then.' and he left." You felt your eyes get glassy but deep down you knew it was right.

"And the thing is I feel really fine. I'm over him. I mean I really am over him. That was the most that he could give and everytime I think about it I'm more and more convinced that I did the right thing." You shook your head firmly. "I'm so sorry, I kinda just rambled on there didn't I?" You breathed.

"No no, don't apologise. For what it's worth, I think you made the right choice." He shrugged. "I wouldn't stay with a guy who didn't want a pet." Javier smirked softly and reached for his coffee.

"Right? Tell me about it." You shook your head enthusiastically.

"But boy you sound healthy." He chuckled.

"Yeah," You sighed. "But at least I got the apartment." You smirked proudly and leaned back into your seat.

"Oh, where are you staying by the way?" You sat up quickly and asked.

"Oh, nowhere yet." Javier sighed.

"What?"

"Yeah, I'm in a hotel till I find a reasonable place."

"Let me give you the number of the realtor that helped us find our place." You sipped your coffee. " Or you could do what my friend Alice did." You set your cup down and a small laugh escaped your lips.

"What?" Javier asked, sitting up in his seat.

"Get this. Alice would go to the obituary section and find out who died then go to their buildings and start scountin."

"She didn't." Javier smirked.

"She would tip the doorman of course, courtesy and all that." You let out another small giggle.

"That's that then. Tomorrow I'm hitting the obituary section." He said and you chuckled.

"God I could never." You said. "It took Dustin and I months before finding our, well, my place." Javier smiled knowingly and leaned back into the booth. "With how picky I am, I'm surprised we even found a place." Javier chuckled, his shoulders vibrating with the deep sound.

"Must be some apartment."

The sun was getting ready to set, leaving the sky blotched with an orange hue by the time Javier and you reached the park; walking side by side. "You know, the first time we met I really didn't like you that much." You laughed audibly when he turned to look at you, fake shock plastered across his features.

"No," He said, dragging out the vowel. "Well, I didn't like you."

"Yeah you did." You elbowed him in the side playfully. "Don't lie."

"So you're saying that I didn't like you because you didn't like me?"

"Yeah, I mean, you couldn't really like me." You shrugged. "That would just be embarrassing."

"Uh huh," He said, unconvinced. "Uh huh, sure."

"Well, okay then. Did you like me the second time we met?"

"Sorta you could say. Your quirky attitude grew on me." He shrugged. "You know, not as uptight. You're much softer now."

"I just hate that kind of remark." You shook your head smiling. "I don't know what it means because it sounds like a compliment but really is it an insult." Your hands found your hips and your lips contoured into a small pucker, pondering.

"Guess we'll never know." Javier teased and you rolled your eyes. "What about me then? Grew on you as well?"

"Well, I guess. I mean for starters you weren't as obnoxious as before, so stubborn- And oh, god." You laughed. "You didn't eye-fuck and flirt with every single girl that strutted passed that aisle- or maybe you just did it more discreetly."

Javier pressed his lips together into a smile and shrugged.

"But regardless of all that smugness, there was something different about you." You shrugged and looked up at him as your pace slowed a bit. He met your gaze and for a few fleeting moments the both of you were silent.

The two of you continued walking till you reached the lake and sat at one of the benches. Watching as the sky turned darker, losing track of the hours as you exchanged anecdotes; him about his time in Laredo and you about your friends and Connie and Steve- Dustin. And by the time you made it back to Javier's jeep, there were hardly any reminiscences of the sun left in the sky.

"Would you like to have dinner with me sometime?" He said, as he picked some leaves off of his windshield. He stopped and turned around to face you, hands deep in his jacket pockets.

"Are we becoming friends now?" you raised a single eyebrow, a hint of a smile on your face.

"Well," He nodded, "yeah." You looked up at him and he leaned against the front of his jeep.

"I thought men and women can't be friends." You teased and he laughed, the pleasant sound tickling your ears.

"You're still gonna hold me to that?" He asked.

"I mean-" You shrugged, raising your eyebrows playfully.

"Well, do you want to sleep with me?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"No," You breathed, the abrupt question making your lips part.

"Well neither do I. Hence, problem solved; we can be friends." He held his palms out in the most matter of fact way and cocked his neck forwards.

"Then I guess we can be friends." You said.

"You know you might be the first attractive woman I have not wanted to sleep with in my entire life." You looked up at him and rolled your eyes.

"That's wonderful, Javier." You reached into your purse and pulled out a page from your notepad. Javier smiled inwardly at the lists scribbled on the first couple of pages.

"Well, here you go." You slapped the small page into his hand. "My number. Give me a call sometime." He looked down at the numbers scribbled on the sheet and looked back up with a childish grin on his face.

He watched you wave at him through your windshield and drive away. He tucked the number deep into the pocket of his leather jacket and sighed blissfully. For the first time in a long time, Javier didn't feel so alone.

~0o0~

And scene! Walking after midnight by Patsy Cline plays as the camera slowly zooms away from Javi and his jeep. Hello everyone. College applications have me STRESSIN. Sorry about disappearing :( Hopefully this makes up for the time. Lots of fluff and cutesy stuff :)) Do enjoy and leave a note, comment and anything really :** Love, hugs and kisses

-itsjustsemantics