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To this day neither of them could remember exactly what had set Javier off that day. What Steve does remember was that he was minding his own business, making his way to the lounge for some coffee when he heard his partner angrily call out his name.
“Murphy!”
Steve barely had time to react when he felt a firm grip on his arm, whirling him around, then knocking the air out of him as his back slammed into the wall.
Steve felt some serious deja vu.
“What the hell was that all about?” Javier snapped, gripping a fistful of Steve’s shirt and shoving him back. Steve racked his mind to remember whatever the hell Javier was ranting on about, but it was hard to remember when he was looking down at his partner’s face. Javier was only a few inches shorter than him, but he still had to lean in just a little extra in order to get all up in Steve’s face. Steve could see him standing on the soles of his feet to be on level with him, raising himself on tip-toe.
As intimidated as he was by Javier’s anger, Steve couldn’t help but find it pretty damn adorable too.
“Wipe that smirk off your face, Murphy,” Javier grumbled. Steve cleared his throat, blinking as he tried to reset his facial expression.
“I’m not smirking,” he said with his best serious face, perhaps more serious than whenever he faced sicarios down in a raid. But goddamit, it was so hard not to smile at least a little when he was looking down at Javier’s face so close to his own. That way he could admire all of his partner’s features—warm soulful brown eyes that harbored a spark, the perfect arch of his brow, the strong angles in his jawline, the slight pout of his bottom lip.
A d o r a b l e.
Steve couldn’t help but lean down, to try and kis-
Javier suddenly let go of Steve’s shirt with a huff, turning on his heal and muttering about how dumb his partner could be. Steve watched him go, unable to hide the disappointment when Javier released his hold on him. He sighed and fixed his tie, smoothing out his clothes where Javier had ruffled them. His hand briefly landed just above his heart, feeling its hummingbird-like beating.
~
They hadn’t spoken all day. Steve had learned that sometimes it was best to leave Javier be whenever he was angry or disgruntled—the man needed his space in order to cool down, and Steve didn’t want to annoy him any further.
Javier had left for home earlier that day, and Steve waited a little while longer before heading back himself, but not before dropping by the local market to pick up a few special items first—the finest bottle of scotch he could find, a box of Javier’s favorite kinds of desserts, and a bouquet of orchids, lilies, and roses.
He balanced them all in his arms as he waited outside of Javier’s door. It wasn’t long before the door opened, revealing his partner’s surprised face.
“Oh, hey,” he blinked, “What’s all this about?”
“Well, let’s just say I haven’t been the best partner in the world lately, and that I wanna make up for it,” Steve smiled bashfully, holding out his peace offering. “Lo siento.”
Javier tentatively took the bouquet, delicately running a finger along the flowers’ petals. “Steve, you really shouldn’t have,” he said, pink tinting his cheeks.
“Still mad at me?”
“I’m trying to be, but you’re making it pretty damn hard,” a slow smile crept on Javier’s face. “Really, you shouldn’t have. I hadn’t been that great of a partner either, not after I pushed you into a wall like that…”
“Nah, I deserve it,” Steve shrugged. “I guess we’re even now. I already shoved you into a wall before, so it’s about time you got your payback.” A slow smirk crept up his face. “Besides...has anyone told you that you’re kinda’ cute when you shoved me into a wall?”
Javier’s blush intensified, causing Steve’s cuteness-metor to go skyrocketing. “You’ll let me kiss you this time, right?”
Javier rolled his eyes playfully before once again raising himself on tip-toe, pressing his lips against Steve’s in a sweet, gentle kiss.
Apology accepted.
