𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 (javier peña) ✔️

chapter three: valentine's day

While the customer was looking around, Nova filled out a list next to the cash register and therefore didn't notice how the man came up to her and put a bouquet on the counter.

"Sorry sir, I'll be right there for you," she said politely.

"Thank you, Nova" the man then said. Nova furrowed her brows in confusion, she knew that voice - and he knew her name. When she looked up, she saw Javier standing in front of her.

"Oh, Hi Javier!" she said kindly, smiling at him.

"Hi Nova, nice to see you again"

"Likewise" she replied, still smiling.

But her smile quickly dropped when she saw he had put flowers on the counter. He buys flowers for someone in her shop? That's kinda rude.

"Do you need anything else?" she asked while pressing the buttons on the register.

"Um actually, I wanted to talk to you first" he then said.

"Okay? What's up?" she asked and then noticed how her mother looked at them curiously.

Before Javier could speak, Nova went first, "Let's talk outside, yeah?"

They left the shop and Nova closed the door behind her.

"How are you?" he asked, noticing that she looked quite exhausted. And Nova was quite uncomfortable with that. She stood in front of him in sweatpants and an oversized hoodie. Had no makeup and her hair was a disaster.

"I'm okay Javier, and you?"

"I'm fine. But I was wondering why you didn't text me today?"

She stared at him with wide eyes. On New Year's Eve she wasn't even sure if he was serious about the date on Valentine's Day.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I've been really busy lately. And I was so stressed with medical school. I'm sorry" she replied.

But that wasn't the whole truth. She had actually thought about texting him, but on the one hand she didn't know if he was serious at all, and on the other hand she didn't want to annoy him. Because for the last few weeks, she was a mess. Did nothing but cry and lie in bed. 

"Oh okay, so I guess you met someone?" he then asked, a bit disappointed.

"No, I didn't" she replied. "And you?" she added curiously.

Javier let out a small chuckle, "No, I told you I don't want to meet anyone else right now"

Nova nodded and looked down, "Well, uh, and the flowers?"

"They're for you"

"What?" Nova asked surprised, feeling herself blush, "You really don't need to get me flowers, Javier"

"But I want to, I mean, it's Valentine's Day"

"Oh, uh, thank you. But I can't accept them, I don't have a present for you" she replied, a bit embarrassed.

"Oh, don't worry, I don't need a present, I just want you to go out with me again today. You know, as a Holidate" he explained with a grin.

"I mean, I like spending time with you, but I really don't like Valentine's day, you know?"

"We can do whatever you want, Nova. I just don't wanna walk around town alone among all the couples" he told her with a smirk.

"Okay, well, to be honest, I'm a bit hungry. I was about to leave anyway, maybe we could get something to eat?" she suggested.

"Yes, sure. Where'd you wanna go?"

"Oh, ah, maybe only take away stuff? I wouldn't really like to sit down in a restaurant with these clothes" Nova explained.

And so they found themselves in a parking lot with two pizza boxes an hour later. Meanwhile it started to pour and Nova was glad that it was quite warm and cozy in his car.

"i think the top one is yours" she murmured as she opened the box. And when she saw the pizza she started to chuckle.

"What?" he asked confused. She picked up the box and showed him the heart-shaped pizza.

Javier let out a small chuckle, "Well, I didn't imagine spending Valentine's Day like this, but I like it"

"Yeah, me too. Thank you for the pizza" she replied with a smile.

After the two had eaten some of their pizza, Javier started talking again, "What have you been up to in the last six weeks?"

"Well, apart from work and med school, not much to be honest," she replied. She decided to skip the part about her ex-boyfriend.

"And you?" she asked back.

"Yeah, same. Work and spend a lot of time with my friends, you know, the ones from New Years Eve"

"Oh, yes. They were really nice. I liked talking to them"

"They asked about you. A lot"

"Really? Why?"

"I guess they also enjoyed spending time with you"

Nova felt herself blush again. Shit, why does this always happen?

She hadn't even gotten over the break up and cheating from her ex, so she doesn't want to be disappointed by anyone again. That's why she decided it would be only platonic and friendship-y between Javier and her. Even if it would be a weird friendship since they kinda have a big agegap.

"Hey Nova?" he asked and snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"I know it's a bit random, but you wanna go to the cinema?" he asked her and pointed to the big ad on the other side of the street. Apparently there's a cinema pretty close by.

She immediately nodded, "But not a romance movie please"

And so, they we're sitting in the cinema an hour later. Apparently not many people felt like watching a horror movie on Valentine's Day because they were alone in the hall.

But they didn't really focus on the movie much, they talked the whole time. Talking to Javier felt good, like he knew everything. And no matter what she said, he didn't judge her. She felt like she could tell him anything.

And so she was kinda disappointed when the movie was over, because she didn't want the 'date' to end.