Chapter Text
The first time he saw her was on his third day at the academy. He was able to get along with most people easily, his outward friendly personality making everyone want to say hi to him. However, many of them clashed with him, and he chose to stay off to the side, observing people before he got to know them better.
Rosa had been sitting off to the side, glaring at anyone who tried to sit by her. Most people were scared away without a word, but Jake was curious. He approached her, and didn’t let her intimidating glare scare him away. Instead, he sat next to her, and began to introduce himself, not surprised when she didn't offer up anything except her last name.
Each day, he made a beeline straight to where she would be leaning against a wall, ignoring the hard look in her eyes. He never expected her to say anything, and though he usually rambled when he was nervous, he tried to play it cool.
They became allies, and partners after a few weeks. He was the only one she hadn’t managed to scare off yet, and though she didn’t offer up many words, when they had to partner up, he knew she would pick him.
For the first time since joining the academy, he didn’t feel alone.
They quickly fell into step with each other, sitting with each other at meals (Jake talking, Rosa acting like she wasn’t listening even though she was), or studying (Jake’s pencil anxiously tapping against the table and Rosa not looking up from her notes), or going out to a nearby bar when they had the time (sharing a bottle of vodka).
Despite the image of growing closer, Jake still didn’t know much about her. However, he knew it wasn’t anything against him, and let her share when she felt ready, and knew not to make jokes about it.
He helped her open up a little more, and she helped him learn to watch what he said. His brain sometimes moved too fast, and said things that were offensive. But with Rosa’s help, he was able to identify his mistakes, and owned up to them as soon as possible.
By the time they graduated, and were getting their assignments on where they’d be working as beat cops, he knew a total of three personal things about her.
One: No one made a better chocolate cake than she did.
Two: She had been an award winning gymnast.
Three: He was her best friend.
He also made some memories with her. Though they hadn’t all been happy, they had given him an insight into her life, and cemented their friendship. The most iconic one had been their 1,000 pushup pact, one that had stemmed from what they called the “Rope Climb Incident.” It had involved both of them, the timed rope climb test, two others in their class, a bucket of water, and a paper airplane. Whenever one of their friends or co-workers at the 99 asked, they kept their answers vague and mysterious. After all, they were the only two to know the whole story, and they liked it that way.
That was the only lasting memory that was of common knowledge to others. The rest of the detectives at the 99 knew about their 1,000 pushup deal, but everything else that cemented them in each other’s lives remained a secret.
Everyone assumed Rosa had always been good at eyeliner, noting how smooth the lines were when she came into work. However, when Jake had met her, she couldn’t do eyeliner to save her life.
Sure, she knew how to apply foundation, and mascara and whatever else she might have to if she went undercover. But eyeliner always baffled her.
Jake still wasn’t sure how it came up, probably due to the makeup that ended up in his stuff courtesy of Gina, but when he found out, he offered to teach her.
“Hey, Peralta. Why do you have eyeliner, mascara and lipstick in here?” Rosa held up the three objects from where she had been rummaging through one of Jake’s bags, looking for the flashlight Jake swore was in there.
“Huh? Oh, that,” Jake looked up from his desk. “Those look like Gina’s. She’s one of best friends. Her stuff always gets mixed up in mine.” He stood up, making his way over to her. “I found one of her sweatshirts in my drawer yesterday and I have no idea how it got there. Gina is always everywhere.”
Jake took the makeup from his friend, frowning as he looked at the makeup. “This is her favorite brand of eyeliner. She swears it could make anyone look like a badass.”
“Even you?” Rosa raised an eyebrow.
“Oh god, not you, too,” Jake groaned as he collapsed into his chair, hand resting limply off the armrest. “Gina used to practice her makeup on me when we were growing up. From her, I expect it. But from you?”
“I didn’t say I care about, or even like makeup. I just want to see how stupid you look with it on.”
“Whatever,” Jake groaned, knowing he couldn’t change Rosa’s mind.
Smirking, Rosa grabbed the makeup from his hand. She knew the eyeliner would be a mess, but she was looking forward to seeing it on him. “And don’t think you can go telling people about this,” she hissed in his ear, before making him close his eyes so she could put the eyeliner on. “Because if you do—”
“I know, I know,” Jake held up his hands in a placating measure. “I swear this will remain between us.” He wasn’t sure what led to Rosa wanting to put makeup on his face, and even though he was tired and wanted to sleep, he would let her. It was a chance to strengthen their friendship, and he took every opportunity he could get.
Five minutes later, he was staring at his face in the mirror. Rosa had done well with the mascara and lipstick, but— “The eyeliner could use some work.”
“If you’re such an expert, why don’t you try?” she retorted, arms crossed.
“Oh, I will,” Jake responded, grabbing the eyeliner from where she left it on his desk. He couldn’t resist a challenge, especially one he knew he would win. He had been friends with Gina Linetti for years. Of course he knew how to apply makeup.
They switched spots, and a minute later, Rosa was looking in the mirror at the perfectly applied eyeliner. “How—”
Grinning, Jake responded. “Being friends with Gina means you’re not only a test dummy, but you learn, too. Y’know, in case she doesn’t feel like doing her own makeup. Or nails.”
“You do nails, too?” Rosa looked like she wanted to laugh.
“Hey, I’m only telling you this because I’m trusting you not to tell anyone. I keep your secret, you keep mine. I mean, I don’t need people lining up for me to do their makeup. Though I could probably make good money out of that…” He cut himself off when he noticed the look on Rosa’s face. “Okay, so you’re bad at eyeliner, but you look badass in it. I can teach you if you want,” he wiggled his eyebrows.
She glared at him, but he could tell she was actually contemplating his offer. “Fine,” she relented. “But we never speak of this again.”
“Deal.”
One of the memories Jake held close was when Rosa’s abuela died. It had been three months after Rosa had transferred to the 99.
Her abuela had been one of the most important people to her, and after she died, Rosa spent the following eleven days in Jake’s apartment. She didn’t want to be around her family, where everyone would be mourning and asking each other if they were okay, reliving memories. She had tried, for an hour, but it had been too much.
Jake had met doña Claudia twice, the first time being the night they graduated the academy. As each other’s closest friends, their families (Rosa’s sisters, parents, and abuela, but only Jake’s mom) decided to get to know each other.
While their parents were talking, and Rosa’s sisters chased each other around the field, Jake and Rosa stood off to the side with doña Claudia. It was easy for Jake to see how much they cared about each other. Rosa seemed more relaxed, and allowed her abuela to hug her, smiling at her when she did.
Jake watched them for a minute, a smile on his face as doña Claudia (“Call me abuela”) complimented Rosa’s leather jacket she had changed into, and her eyeliner, this time, done by Rosa herself.
When abuela noticed Jake, she hugged him, and when she was sure Rosa wasn’t paying attention, whispered something to him. “Thank you for looking out for her.”
He became family to Rosa and her abuela that day.
It had been a regular old Wednesday, and Jake had been heating up a bowl of soup (he didn’t have much to eat in his apartment) when a loud knock on the door startled him.
There weren’t many people it could’ve been. He didn’t have many visitors, and if it had been Gina, she would’ve let herself in.
He made his way cautiously towards the door, looking out of the peephole. He frowned when he noticed Rosa, her face aimed away from the door. Her hands were stuffed in her pockets, and she seemed to be folding in on herself.
“Rosa?” he asked as he opened the door. “Do you… want to come in?”
She nodded, walking past him without a word.
Jake watched her cautiously as she sat down, staring at her shoes in silence for five minutes. Just as he was about to ask her why she was there, she spoke up.
“My abuela died.”
“Rosa,” he breathed out, wanting to comfort her, but not knowing if she would be okay with it. “When—”
“Earlier today.”
Jake watched how her fingers gripped the edge of the seat as she tried to keep her emotions in. However, he could tell by her grip that it wouldn’t last long.
Hesitantly, he sat down next to her, close enough that he could provide comfort if she needed it, but far enough that she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. He kept his foot pressed up against hers, trying not to tap his fingers like he did whenever he was anxious.
He watched her take in a few, deep, shaky breaths, before she surged towards him, letting him wrap his arms around her as a few tears spilled from her eyes. She didn’t cry, but her breaths were shaky and uneven.
Jake held her as he pressed his lips against her forehead as he whispered comforting words to her, knowing that in this moment, she wouldn’t glare or yell at him for being sappy. He ran his hand through her curls, gently loosening the few knots he came across.
They fell asleep there, and when Jake woke up, Rosa was handing him a mug of coffee. “Funeral is Saturday.”
Jake nodded, answering her unasked question. He knew he’d be going with her, supporting her.
Until the day of the funeral, they moved around his apartment in silence, save for the phone call Jake made to Captain McGintley, who let them have the rest of the week off. In this instance, Jake had never been more thankful to have a captain that let them do whatever they wanted.
The morning of the funeral, Jake wandered into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee, only to see Rosa already dressed sitting at the table, two mugs of coffee on the table.
She looked downcast, but her eyes were dry as she stared at her mug. They sat in silence until both mugs were empty, putting both in the sink to deal with later.
Rosa stepped outside the apartment as Jake grabbed his keys, locking his door behind him.
The silence followed them as they entered the car, and didn’t end until they entered the church and were greeted by Rosa’s parents, sad looks on their faces as they spotted their daughter and her friend.
Rosa was seated next to her mother, with Jake on her other side.
Jake kept his foot pressed against hers, knowing that though she needed comfort, she wouldn’t appreciate it while all her family was around. Rosa liked keeping her appearance up, even when grieving and surrounded by her family.
As family members told stories about Abuela Claudia, Rosa kept her eyes firmly fixed on the ground, alternating between not blinking, and blinking rapidly in order to keep her tears at bay. When it was her turn, she took a few shaky breaths before Jake gently encouraged her to go up.
It was a short speech, barely a minute long, but it was more than Jake expected. When she sat back down, she immediately pressed her foot against Jake’s, keeping it there until they were able to leave.
At the first opportunity, they ducked out.
Jake drove them to the nearest gym, where he let Rosa spar against him, not complaining when her resolve began to break and it got harder for her to pull her punches.
They got home late, stopping for food on the way back.
“Thank you,” Rosa voiced quietly before turning in for the night.
“Of course,” Jake smiled softly as he turned off the lights. “Good night, Rosa.”
He wouldn’t let her be alone that night, and she followed him back without complaint. However, by the time Jake woke up, she was gone. In her place was a fresh thermos of coffee he could bring with him to work, and a bottle of orange soda.
He smiled, glad to know that he could help her when she needed it most, even though they probably would never talk about it again.
And sure enough, all he got from her when he walked into the bullpen was a nod, and a grateful look.
It was more than enough.
He never knew much about her life, but he knew far more than the rest of the 99. He knew he was privileged to see past the many walls she put up.
She has quickly made an impression within the precinct, and among the other detectives and the few beat cops who were around when she arrived. When he made his way back to the bullpen, he was surprised to hear her call out his name.
Though not nearly as surprised as everyone else when he greeted her with a smile and a fist bump, and she almost smiled back at him.
Jake sighed as he pushed himself out of his chair. After making sure he knew what he was looking for, he headed for the evidence room.
“Peralta! Don’t forget we have a new detective joining us today. She’ll be here any minute.”
“Yeah, got it sarge! I’m just going to the evidence room,” Jake lazily waved his hand behind him at Terry as he walked away.
When he reached the room, Jake grabbed a box, and started to flip through it. He knew what he was looking for, so it shouldn’t have taken long, but he let his mind get distracted wondering who the new detective was. He wondered if he’d know her, if she were new to the job like him, or if she was just a transfer.
-/-
Rosa Diaz knew all eyes were on her as soon as she stepped into the bullpen of the 99. She knew she stood out: a young latina detectives in all black, motorcycle helmet tucked under her arm, with resting bitch face.
She simply nodded as the sergeant introduced the others to her, ignoring Detective Boyle’s admiring look. She was used to most men staring at her like that. Most of her class at the academy looked at her the same way on their first day, too. Until she proceeded to kick their butts on their first mile run.
She took her seat at her desk, noting that one desk remained empty. She almost grinned when she noticed how messy it was, eyeing the name on the side.
Det. Jake Peralta.
Knowing that he would be back soon, she turned towards her computer, wanting to catch him off guard when he returned.
A few minutes later, she looked up at the sound of a familiar voice, muttering to himself as he flipped through the file in his hand.
“Hey, Peralta,” she called out as she stood up, heading towards him. She smirked when he looked up, so startled to see her that he almost dropped the case file in his hands. Rosa watched him fumble for a second before he stuck the file under his arms, holding his right fist out to her, a huge smile on his face.
Rosa felt her new coworkers’ eyes on them, but nevertheless, she fist bumped her friend, letting the corner of her mouth pull up ever so slightly.
She knew that if she was anyone else, Jake would’ve hugged her. He was a physical person, but she wasn’t. However, he understood and respected that, more than most people she met in her life. The fist bump had been a compromise, and had quickly become a subtle way to show affection.
“Rosa! Why didn’t you tell me you were joining the 99?”
“Well,” she shrugged, turning back to her desk, knowing he would follow her. “I couldn’t resist seeing the stupid look on your face when you saw me.” She sat down, turning back to her computer, reaching to grab the case file that had been placed on her desk. Her very first as a detective. It was a simple B&E, but it signaled the start of something new.
“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” Jake smiled sincerely. “Maybe we’ll get to work some cases together. We’ve always been a good team.”
“Whatever you say, Peralta.”
“Shaw’s at nine?” he lowered his voice.
She didn’t look up, or say anything, but the three quick taps of her ring finger against the desk was answer enough.
They often met up at a nearby bar, Jake catching Rosa up on his life as they sipped on beer, or downed shots. It was a tradition that dated back to their days at the academy. It was a constant in their busy, unpredictable lives, first as trainees, then beat cops, and now, detectives. Though she would never admit it, Rosa looked forward to those days. It was nice to be with someone who understood she didn’t like sharing her personal life, and took it in stride, knowing it wasn’t personal. She let loose the most with him, could feel less angry at all the injustices in the world, and she knew that in a way, it was the same for him. His brain was almost always racing and too loud, but when they were together, he was able to push aside his racing thoughts and enjoy the moment.
Jake saluted her before returning to his desk where Charles was waiting, looking anxious.
“Jake!” he called out, as soon as his friend neared his desk. “How do you know her?” He risked a quick glance over at the latina, who was reading over her case.
“We were friends at the academy. We’ve kept in touch since we left.”
“Is she single?”
“C’mon. man.” Jake turned to look at his friend. “Don’t ask that. I don’t keep track of that sort of thing. It’s not my business. If you really want to know so badly, just ask her yourself. But don’t be surprised if she doesn’t tell you anything. She likes to keep her life a mystery.”
“Bu you know her, don’t you?”
“Yeah, but that’s different,” Jake tried to argue. “I mean, even I don’t know that much. She doesn’t let many people in. I mean, yeah, I’m grateful that I was lucky enough to be one of them. It still surprises me, but I’m glad to know her. She’s good people.”
Boyle nodded, contemplatively. “She a good detective?”
“One of the best.”
-/-
“I’m glad you came to the 99,” Jake sat down next to Rosa, placing a drink in front of her. She nodded once in thanks.
“Seems like an interesting place,” Rosa raised an eyebrow before sipping on her beer. “Want to give me the rundown? I’m sure you’ll do it anyway.”
“Uh, Hitchcock and Scully have been there forever. They don't really go out in the field that much. They do paperwork. They’re a pair, and they mostly snack and nap. Sarge is a good guy. I know he seems intimidating,” Jake recalled another man they once knew, back at the academy, who used his size to get whatever he wanted. He was intimidating. Rosa seemed to be thinking along the same lines. “But he’s cool. He has a soft spot for his family, comforts anyone if they need it, and he loves yogurt. The captain will let you get away with pretty much anything.” Jake smiled as he reminisced on the first annual Jimmy Jab games he had hosted three weeks ago. He would definitely need to get Rosa in on it. “Then Charles. He’s one of my best friends. He’s a huge foodie, and his recently ex-wife is insane. He means well, but sometimes words don’t come out of his mouth right.”
“Yeah, I got that,” Rosa snorted. Her first day at the precinct was memorable. “What about the secretary, or whatever her job is?”
“Ah, Gina,” Jake grinned widely. “I grew up with her. She’s the one whose makeup you found that one time, remember? I got her the job of civilian administrator a couple months ago. Don’t underestimate her. She’s often on her phone, or talking about her dance team. And maybe it seems like she barely does her job, or cares about it. But she’s smarter than she looks, and cares more than she lets people know. Trust me.”
Rosa nodded, recalling what he had already told her about Gina. When the latina met the other woman, she wasn’t sure what to think. But now, knowing that she was the Gina Linetti, Jake’s oldest friend, she decided she should give her a chance. She trusted Jake’s judgement when it came to which people to befriend. When she had first met him, she didn't think anything of him, especially not that down the road, they’d be friends, that he’d be the closest thing she had to a best friend. That they’d be at the same precinct, and that at some point, would be trusting their lives with each other. A few years ago, the thought would be unreal to her, but now, though she would never admit it, she was glad that Jake Peralta entered her life.
Waving down a bartender as she finished off her beer, she asked for a few shots. The bartender nodded, setting down four shot glasses in front of her. Rosa slid two of them over to Jake.
They stayed at Shaw’s for another two hours, mostly Jake filling Rosa in on what had been going on in his life, and the cases he’d be on. Occasionally, she would throw in a comment or two, mostly about her last couple weeks as a beat cop.
Both of them rose quickly through the ranks, getting detective faster than they thought they would, faster than most. Most made detective after three or four years. Jake made detective in slightly under two and Rosa in slightly over two, and though they were extremely proud, they knew there would be a lot of pressure on them. They knew that their superiors would have high expectations for them, and knew they would have to work harder than most. They were two of the younger detectives, and Rosa was latina, and Jake was Jewish, and though they wouldn’t utter the words to each other for over another five years, they were both bisexual.
When they split for the night, both tipsy, but coherent enough that they weren’t concerned, Rosa gave Jake one of her rare smiles, letting him give her a quick side hug. If anyone else saw the exchange, Rosa would blame it on the alcohol, even though she knew it wasn’t.
He grinned at her, one of the lopsided, full smiles that meant he was truly happy.
He had missed having her around, but now, with her at the same precinct, he was happy. Not only did he have Charles, and Gina, his oldest friend, with him where he worked, but Rosa, too.
They made good partners at the academy, and he knew it would be the same in the field.
After all, they didn’t have their 1,000 pushup deal for nothing. It had served them, and their friendship, well.
When the 99 was in danger of being shut down, Rosa was nervous. The precinct had become somewhat of a safe place to her. A place where people respected her, where it was her detective skills and brain that were important, not how she looked. If she wanted to be feared, she would be.
She always said she hated people, but the 99 was different. They were her family, the one she saw most days, that she kept up contact with, though only partly due to the fact that they were coworkers. After awhile, they began to grow on her.
At the start, she insisted that they call her Diaz. She wasn’t ready for friendship, and they respected it. Whenever someone knew joined the precinct (really only Amy, because everyone else had been at the 99 already), they knew to call her Detective Diaz. All except for Jake... he got to call her Rosa from the start. He had earned it over the past couple years.
Jake was one of the only people she was willing to call a friend.
She was okay to admit to him (and only him) that she was afraid to loose his friendship. She had gotten used to his presence in her life, even though when she had first met him, she was looking forward to graduating to get away from him.
She could hear the emotions in her voice, well aware if she had any less restraint that she likely would’ve cried in front of him. But she’s Rosa Diaz, a detective who’s tough as nails, and she holds it back as she listens to Jake, her friend, her best friend, tell her that not even getting sent to different precincts will stop their friendship.
It takes her slightly by surprise, because with Charles and Amy, he says he’s like a goldfish, and if he doesn’t see them every day, he’ll forget them.
But not her. (And not Gina, either, but that’s different because they grew up together and have three decades of history.)
There were things only Rosa could understand in Jake’s life.
When the juror’s voice echoed through the room, announcing “Guilty of all charges,” his first instinct was to reach out for her. His heart was calling out Amy Amy Amy, but his mind was stuck on Rosa. He knew she always seemed strong, but on the night before they graduated the academy, they were alone in her room, passing around a bottle of vodka, she admitted she used the walls she put up as self defense, that when she was younger and felt the stereotypes of being latina heavily in her hometown, she worried that one day, she’d be wrongly accused of something and punished.
And now it was happening.
Jake noticed the slight shift of her eyes to her hands that were resting in her lap, a few fingers twitching out of nervousness. He hesitantly slipped a hand over to hers, heart heavy when he felt her hand wrap around his, squeezing tightly.
It was the most affection she had given him since her abuela died. He squeezed her hand back quickly, before they were separated.
The night after they were released, Jake and Rosa met up at Shaw’s. She was already waiting for him, a bottle of vodka and two glasses on the table in front of her.
The first thirty minutes they sat in silence, watching the other patrons of the bar.
It was different. The way Rosa’s hand was permanently curled into a fist around her glass, and the way Jake flinched at loud shouts. Covertly, they scanned their surroundings, looking for the nearest exits and noting who could be trouble.
“Prison sucks,” Rosa broke the silence, her statement followed by her tipping her head back as she finished off what was in her glass. Those two words were all that were needed to convey the depth of what she had seen, and what he had been through.
Jake noticed how her gaze hardened slightly, and how her hand shook ever so slightly as she put the glass back on the table, so small that no one else would’ve noticed it. Knowing she wouldn’t accept an obvious comfort, he moved his foot closer to her, until the sides of their feet were pressed together, a small gesture to let her know he was there.
“It does,” he responded, fingers tightening around the glass. His fingers were nervously tapping to a random beat against the cool glass, and it was a testament to their experiences in prison that Rosa didn’t tell him to stop.
They didn’t talk anymore about the past eight weeks, content to sit in silence, knowing that they were free, that their chosen family fought for them.
They rarely talked about it, or brought it up to anyone. The rest of the precinct knew not to talk about it, knowing Rosa would glare at them more fiercely than before, and that Jake might have a flashback. They were reluctant, at first, but upon seeing how Rosa and Jake gravitated towards each other, even if it was barely noticeable, they knew they would be okay. They had each other.
Rosa was often closed off, and Jake liked to joke about his feelings instead of handling them, but the 99 knew not to underestimate their friendship. Amy knew the two had their own way of dealing with things, and she let it be, because she knew in this instance, she couldn’t help. She hadn’t spent eight weeks wrongly imprisoned.
So when Jake started getting more on edge, walking too quietly around their apartment, or waking up from nightmares, she knew he would disappear for a couple hours to meet Rosa. And because she knew she couldn’t help (she hated that she couldn’t), she never stopped him. They both needed it.
Because when the memories took hold and they needed an escape, they would find their way to one of the tables in the back of Shaw’s, and sit in silence together until the bottle of vodka was empty.
She was the first one he came out to, on a night reminiscent of their last night at the academy. Except this time, they were sitting crosslegged on his and Amy’s bed, while his fiancée was spending the night with Kylie, each of them with an almost empty beer bottle, and a vodka bottle ready to be opened.
It hadn’t been too long after she herself came out, and though Jake didn’t want to take away from her moment, he felt like he would burst if he didn’t say anything.
He had had a few restless nights when he tried to decide who he would tell first. There was Amy, the love of his life, his partner, one of his closest confidants. There was Charles, his biggest cheerleader and one of his best friends. There was Gina, his oldest friend, basically his sister, and the one person who had always been at his side.
But then Rosa’s face flashed across his mind’s eye, and he knew she’d be the first he opened up to. Because she understood, knew the fear of coming out, even when you knew the people you cared about (the 99) would be okay with it. There would always be that little voice of doubt.
Neither of them liked being vulnerable with their feelings and thoughts, and saying the words out loud was the epitome of vulnerability.
Rosa stared at him in silence, noting how he was nervously fidgeting with the string of his hoodie. Normally, she would call him out, but she knew that whatever he was trying to say was important to him. Instead, she opened the bottle of vodka, and proceeded to take a sip, before passing it to Jake.
“Thanks,” he mumbled, taking a sip in order to steel his nerves. “So you know how, like a week ago—” he paused, as if searching for words.
Rosa had a feeling she knew what was happening.
“When you… game night?” Jake was nervous, but he felt like he shouldn’t, because this was Rosa, one of his closest friends, someone he trusted, and who, in this instance, was just like him. However, he couldn’t shake his nerves, figuring it had to do with the fact that he would be saying the words out loud for the very first time.
She nodded.
“Uh, I’m… the same. I mean, we’re… I mean…”
She raised an eyebrow at him.
“Bi,” he blurted out. “I mean, I’m… bi. Like you.”
“Is this the first time you’re saying it?”
“Yeah,” Jake dropped his gaze to the bottle in his hands. “It’s just… seeing you come out and how the 99 handled it, and how great they are… I always pushed it to the side. I don’t know when I realized, but since I still liked girls, I ignored it. And then you… even though it was hard you came out, and I realized, that maybe I could, too. And I don’t want to steal your moment, but I needed to tell someone and you understand and—”
“Jake, breathe. I get it.” There was a beat of silence, before: “Thanks. Y’know. For trusting me with this. Telling me first.”
He looked up at her, a small smile on his face. “There’s no one else I’d rather tell first.”
“Sap,” she rolled her eyes, reaching for the bottle. “You want to watch Die Hard?”
“Always.”
Rosa Diaz had always been the badass latina who could easily outdo anyone else in the class. Jake knew it the moment he saw her. From the very start, she was one of the best.
And Jake saw her as what he should strive to be. He never wanted to be better, never thought anyone could. He saw her as the standard he should be able to reach. He never saw her as someone he had to be better than, not like most of the guys in their class who felt like if she was better than them, it would insult their masculinity.
No, Jake Peralta saw her as the best, and was honored to call her a friend, family.