Work Text:
The camp was amid another party. Drinks were a free for all, Dutch’s phonograph was playing at its loudest and everyone was in high spirits. You were sat at the table with a bottle in your hand. You sipped at it absently as you watched Dutch and Molly and Arthur and Mary-Beth dancing together to the music. Your smile at them started to fade away as distracting thoughts became the centre of your attention. It was nice to see them dancing. God knows the gang could do with a moment of joy and peace. But you found yourself discontented. Love and affection ran rampant in the gang. From brotherly love to romantic entanglements. Yet you found yourself starved of it. Hungry for something you had no means to buy. Sure, you could go into any saloon and find yourself some warmth for the night but that wasn’t what you needed.
As though your mind had been read, a hand appeared before your eyes.
“Hey, we can do that too, y’know?” Javier’s lips pulled into a mischievous smirk.
You quickly took his hand with a small laugh and he pulled you closer to him. After raising your hands together and setting his hand on your waist, yours on his shoulder, he began to dance. But it was not the same slow, romantic motion that the others were doing. Instead, he danced about with wild, exaggerated movements, practically bouncing around and leading you along with him.
In no time at all, you were stumbling about laughing. You could hardly keep up with him in your laughter. Slowly he began to join in, unable to hold back his humour. The others raised their brows and shook their heads at your silliness.
You hadn’t laughed like that in weeks. Soon you pulled on him to stop, desperate for breath.
“Oh, Javier..!” you breathed, wiping a tear from your eye.
“I just wanted to see you laugh.” he smiled, glad he succeeded.
Without thinking about it, you leaned in and kissed him. It surprised him for little more than a second before he was kissing back with fervour. His hand slid around your back, pulling you closer to him as your hand moved to cup his cheek.
“About damn time.” grunted Arthur smugly.
You pulled away from this kiss to shoot him a smirk.
“Oh, shut up you!” you chided.
Javier laughed and pulled you back to his attention. But this time, he danced properly.