Javier Escuella X Female Reader
Summary: You joined the Van der Linde gang a short while ago and you instantly caught Javier's attention, not that you knew it. You were good with horses so that's the job you took up in the camp, caring for the horses. You were always better with them than people.
Word Count: 1000
You had loved horses since you were a child, you had grown up on a ranch so you grew up around them. You had always worked with horses and then you joined the Van der Linde gang, where you continued to care for horses, you didn't mind at all.
Javier had noticed you as soon as you joined the gang, you were an attractive young woman and he was glad to have you join the gang. As you began to get familiar with the gang members, Javier thought that you would come out of your shell a little more but you were quiet. You didn't speak much but when you did you were always kind and polite. You tended to spend more time with the horses than the people.
Still, you continued to interest Javier. He would watch you caring for the horses with a small smile on his face, you just seemed so kind and gentle. He also noticed that you would spend a little more time with his horse than anyone else's, he didn't know why but it made him smile anyway.
You smiled as you brushed Boaz's mane, chuckling a little when the horse nudged your other hand with his nose. You always paid extra attention to Javier's horse, for two reasons. The first reason was that Boaz was a well behaved horse and the second reason was because you may or may not have a small crush on Javier.
You felt a little foolish for your crush since you had only had a handful of conversations with Javier and they were only ever about his horse, conversations never got personally between you. Maybe a polite 'how was your day' but that was all.
Javier smiled as he stood from his seat, straightening his shirt before walking over to you. You were fussing over his horse, feeding him and brushing his mane, a soft smile on your face.
"I hope he's treating you well" Javier spoke, trying not to laugh when you jumped and turned to face him. Obviously you hadn't expected anyone to be behind you.
"Of course, Mr Escuella. Boaz is a good horse" you smiled politely, adverting your gaze from him as you placed the brush down.
"That he is and he obviously likes you, sometimes I think that he likes you more than me...and please, call me Javier" he smiled warmly, finding the light blush on your cheeks and the way that you avoiding his gaze kind of cute.
"I'm sure that's not true, Javier...but you can't blame him for becoming fond of somebody who feeds and grooms him" you shook your head, finding the confidence to look up and meet the man's gaze.
"I wanted to thank you for taking such good care of Boaz" Javier told you, patting the horse affectionately before dropping his hand back down to his side.
"There really isn't any need to thank me, I care for all the horses...it's kinda my job" you reminded him with a small shrug.
"I'm sure that the horses make very good company but maybe you could join us people sometime" Javier suggested, the small smile falling from your face. Was he making fun of you?
"Oh...I-uh..." you stumbled over your words, quickly just giving up and hanging your head. You have never been too good with people, you've always been quiet and shy, it's why you've always preferred working with animals.
"I don't want to offend you. It's just that you don't talk much" he told you as he reached his hand out to brush your hair out of your face. He knew by your reaction that he had said something that had upset you, which he truly hadn't intended to do.
"Yeah...I've been told that before..." you nodded, still looking down at the ground.
"Why is that?" Javier asked as he stepped closer, hooking his index finger under your chin to lift your head up so that you were looking at him.
"I'm not good with people. I've always been shy so people usually just ignored me, now I just keep my mouth shut and my head down" you told him, your voice quiet. He was using his charms against you and you hated that you weren't immune to it.
"How could anyone ignore you?" he asked with a small smirk. Was...was he flirting with you?
"Javier...I've been running with the gang for a couple of months now and this is the first time you've spoken to me as a person instead of the woman who cares for your horse. I'm easy to ignore" you told him with a sigh, gently pushing his hand away and turning back to the horses.
"You think I've been ignoring you? I noticed you the moment that you arrived in the camp, I've never ignored you. Whenever I've spoken to you, you have seemed uninterested in any sort of conversation" Javier told you, catching your wrist gently in his hand and he turned you back round to face him. He cursed himself for upsetting you but he wasn't going to let you believe that he saw you as invisible. He had been watching you ever since he met you, even if that does sound creepy. He liked you.
"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to accuse you of anything..." you sighed, dropping your gaze once again.
"Don't apologise, I had just been a little worried that you didn't like me" he chuckled as he lifted your chin again, cupping your jaw in one hand.
"Don't like you? No, not at all. I, uh...it's definitely not that" you shook your head, eyes widening a little.
"Well, good" Javier smiled, running his fingers through your hair. Oh, you were falling for this man. "So, since you like me...how about you come into town with me and get a drink?" he asked, his hand dropping back to his side.
"...re-really? Me?" you asked before you could really think about what you were saying. You were just a little shocked that Javier was interested in you.
"I'm not talking to anyone else, of course you. So, what do you say, hermosa?" Javier asked, chuckling a little before just smiling at you.
"I'd like that" you nodded, a blush forming on your cheeks. Javier smiled, charismatic and charming as usual, before helping you up onto Boaz, mounting the horse afterwards.
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