The One
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Pairings - Jake Peralta x reader
Requested - Yes - @darkquackson - Can u do #333 with Jake Peralta? They’ve always been something but he missed his chance and y/n gets a boyfriend. And after a while Y/N gets in a fight with said boyfriend or cheated on and seeks Jakes help late at night. Thank you and I love your writing style.
Prompts - 333 - “I want you to fight for me! That’s all I ever wanted!”
Jake Peralta taglist - @imjustassaneasyou,
Notes - Reuploaded because tumblr hate me
If you were to ask anybody who knew you or Jake they would have all told you the same thing; you were head over heels in love, you and Jake were the one for each other. People were more surprised to find out you weren’t dating after taking one look at the two of you and coming to the conclusion that you had to be together, friends couldn’t possibly look at each other like that.
When people asked you what the deal was between you and Jake, you just smiled. It wasn’t a happy smile but rather a smile that showed how much you wanted things to change, a smile that said I fell for my best friend hard and there’s nothing that can be done. You gave them a smile and you told them he was your friend, he was your best friend, and that was the end of it.
There had always been something between you and Jake, something that always hinted towards feelings for each other, something that gave you a spark of hope that things could change but they never did.
Things never changed.
You and Jake had hit it off pretty much straight away when you’d first met, your first day on the job Jake came up to you with a to-go cup and a bright smile on his face. He stayed with you all day, helping you navigate everything. From then on you two had become such close friends, it was a friendship that everyone should have at least once, the type of friendship were you knew what the other was thinking, what they were going to do, it was the type of friendship were you could show up at each other’s door after a bad case and not have to say anything.
It was the type of friendship that made you realise you were falling in love.
You went on for months pretending that nothing had changed. Except now you couldn’t help but look at things from a new perspective, when Jake hugged you close for longer than what was considered socially acceptable, when Jake showed up at your door with a bag filled with your favourite take out, could these things just be friendly gestures or was there a chance Jake liked you too?
-
“I call Y/N!” Was the first thing you heard as the elevator doors opened into the precinct. You walked towards Holt’s office, leaning against the door frame but staying silent.
“You can’t just call Y/N.” Amy said as she rolled her eyes at Jake who was grinning up at her.
“Ha! I just did.” Jake shot back.
“Sir, Jake always picks Y/N.” Terry said looking towards Holt who tried to look bored of the group in front of him but looking closely you could see he was amused by the conversation topic.
“Perhaps we should just let Y/N pick who her partner is.” Holt said as he gestured to you. You smiled as you watched Jake’s head shoot around as he smiled brightly at you.
You looked at Jake and hated that the first thought in your head was could he like me. Rosa had told you the way you and Jake looked at each other wasn’t how friends should look at each other but you’d always brushed her off. Since realising your feelings for the detective you could help but question if she was right.
“Y/N!” Jake greeted, “You’ll be my partner won’t you?” The over exaggerated puppy dog eyes made your heart simultaneously ache and swell at the same time. You wished this was just some school girl crush that you could shake off but it wasn’t, it was real and you ached with how much you wanted this.
“Hmm,” You pondered, watching as Jake jutted his bottom lip out some more, “I suppose somebody has to be and I can put up with you better than most people can.” You joked, smiling as he laughed and made his way over to you, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you close.
“That’s my girl.” And oh, how you wished you were.
-
You frowned as you heard a knock on your door. It had been a long day at work, the case you’d spent weeks on had gotten nowhere and was now considered a cold case - telling the victim’s family had gone as well as expected. Now all you wanted to do was hide away from everything and everyone.
With a groan you got out of bed and headed to the front door.
“Hi.” Jake smiled sadly at you. Despite everything that had happened that day, you couldn’t help the small smile that spread across your face.
“What are you doing here?” You asked, opening the door wider.
“Thought you could use some company.” He told you and before you knew it you were being wrapped up tightly in Jake’s arms.
You couldn’t help but grip him just as tightly, cursing yourself as you did so. Being in Jake’s arms, wrapped tightly up in them like he could protect you from the world, made you feel safe. It was the safest you had felt in a long time and when he pulled away you immediately missed the warmth and comfort.
“Can I do anything?” He asked but you just shook your head, not trusting yourself to speak. “I can go, I just wanted to make sure you were ok.”
“No, no,” You rushed out before you could stop yourself, “stay, please.” You pleaded, stepping aside so he could come in. The two of you headed to your bedroom, this wasn’t the first time one of you had shown up at the other’s house after midnight and it wasn’t the first time you’d shared a bed.
It was, however, the first time since you discovered your feelings for the man and this time instead of keeping some space between the two of you, Jake wrapped you up in his arms again.
You couldn’t help but melt into him and you pleaded with anyone who would listen for Jake to just make a move, give you a hint…anything.
-
“Come on, man, Y/N’s not gonna wait around forever.” Terry said one night as he, Charles and Jake were sat in the bar. The two men had been on Jake’s back for months now trying to get him to ask you out.
“Trust me, I want to but it’s not like that. She doesn’t feel that way about me.” Jake replied, a small frown on his face. He hated when the guys brought you up because it always reminded him that he couldn’t have you, no matter how much he wanted you, you were always just going to see him as a friend. He wasn’t going to ruin that friendship by telling you how he felt.
“She likes you, Jake!” Charles insisted but Jake just shook his head. He couldn’t have this conversation again, so without a word he left the bar ignoring the calls of his friends.
It hurt, only being able to have you as a friend. To hold you after a bad day but know there was nothing more than platonic feelings there, to not go home together after work and cook together, working like you were made for each other. Just being your friend was the worst but the thought of losing that friendship and you turning him down was too much for Jake so instead he smiled and continued to just be friends.
-
It had been months since you first realised you liked Jake and in that time you had given him so many chances to confess, for him to pull you into a kiss and say he felt the same way but that day never came.
Eventually you decided that you just had to give up because sooner or later this was going to destroy your friendship with Jake and that would break your heart.
“I have a date.” You told Rosa and Amy when the others left the break room. They immediately started talking and questioning you about it, both drawing the same incorrect conclusion.
“With Jake?” They asked together, Amy grinning at you whilst Rosa smirked. Both girls had been persistent that you and Jake were going to have a big romantic moment where you confessed your feelings and fell magically into your happily ever after.
“Finally, I always told you he was the one for you.” Amy continued as her smile grew. Any conversation where Jake came up, Amy had always insisted that Jake was ‘the one’.
Oh, how you wished he was.
Unfortunately this was life and people rarely got what they wanted.
“No.” You said, watching as their expressions changed immediately.
“What do you mean ‘no’?” Rosa asked, narrowing her eyes.
“I mean no. I told you Jake doesn’t like me the way I like him and I have to do something before this crush ruins our friendship. Trust me, if he liked me he would’ve done something a long time ago.” You said honestly. Jake was the type of person who went for what he wanted.
“Y/N…” Amy began but you shook your head, quickly cutting her off.
“No Amy, he had his chance and nothing happened. I can’t just sit around alone just because he doesn’t like me.” You said and with that you left the room and entered Holt’s office ready for your meeting.
-
In the two months you’d been dating Liam you had noticed that you had barely seen Jake. When he found out you had started dating Liam he smiled, it was a painfully obvious fake smile, and told you he was happy for you before disappearing for the rest of the day.
In those two months you’d only seen Jake for work purposes though he wasn’t partnered up with you anymore. If the group went to the bar and you tagged along Jake would make up some excuse so that he didn’t have to go, so eventually you just stopped going all together.
It hurt more than you wanted to admit that Jake hadn’t fought for you, there was a small part of you that hoped by dating somebody Jake would admit he liked you but instead of that happening he just avoided you and your friendship.
That’s not to say Liam wasn’t good, he was, but with him you just felt…fine but with Jake you felt safe, loved, cared for, you felt fireworks just from your fingers brushing and you felt fearless as you worked together.
As you were feeling this way, it shouldn’t have surprised you when the fight happened.
-
“I tried to ignore it, you know, pretend that my girlfriend wasn’t into some other guy but come on!” Liam yelled. The conversation that started the argument wasn’t great, you accidentally brought up Jake’s name when talking about work causing the man to explode.
“There is nothing between me and Jake!” You told him honestly, causing him to laugh bitterly.
“Oh please, don’t act like there is nothing happening there! Everyone can see it all over your face.” Liam continued to yell, continued to tell you how you and Jake were probably sneaking around behind his back, calling you every name under the sun.
Finally, after what felt like hours of having abuse shouted at you, you left, ignoring the words of disgust he shouted at your retreating figure.
It was late at night and Liam had picked you up so you had no way to get home and no money to call a cab. You sighed as you scrolled through your contacts and tried calling Terry but there was no answer. You knew Rosa and Amy were on a stakeout so they couldn’t help and Charles was busier than ever with his kid.
So, that just left Jake.
With a sigh you sat down on the sidewalk. Would Jake even answer the phone? Despite everything that had happened between the two of you, you genuinely believed he’d pick up if you called but there was a small part of you that still hesitated before shaking your head and pressing the call button.
You listen to the ringing for a long time, almost ready to give up before you heard Jake’s groggy voice through the phone.
“Y/N?” He asked, clearly just having woken up.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” You said quietly into the phone.
“It’s fine,” he assured, “is everything ok?” Those were the words that sent you over the edge and you barely managed to suppress a sob as tears fell down your cheeks.
“Um, yeah, no, I just, I-” Jake frowned as he heard another sob.
“Hey, hey, hey, it’s ok. Just relax, Y/N/N, that’s it. What happened?” He asked after you’d calmed down a bit.
“Me and Liam we, um, got into a fight and he said some things,” Here you stopped to take a shaky breath, “I left.”
“I’m sorry Y/N/N.” He said, more sorry that you were so upset rather than you having broken up with the other man.
“This is your fault you know?” You laughed sadly into the phone, your emotions were all over the place right now and you knew you’d regret saying this tomorrow but you had too. “God, everyone always said we’d be perfect for each other, we were meant to be and you always laughed it off. I wanted you so damn badly Jake, you didn’t even fight for me. Even if you didn’t like me like that, you just let our friendship end. I wanted you to fight for me! That’s all I ever wanted!” You cried and Jake sat in bed with his mouth open as he registered your words.
The silence continued and you were about to hang up the phone when Jake replied.
“You like me?” He asked, stunned.
“You must have known.” Was your weak reply. Now it was out there, you finally admitting this secret, you felt light, you felt relieved. Even if Jake laughed at you, at least you’d said it.
“I would have fought so hard for you, Y/N/N, I, god, I like you so much. Every day I fall for you more and more, all I want, all I ever wanted from the day we met was you. You’re the one I want to dance around the kitchen with, you’re the one I want to take out, you’re the one who I want to lay on the couch with and talk about everything and nothing. It was always you, Y/N, and when you got with him, god, I knew then and there my chance was gone, I knew I’d blown it.” Jake admitted, surprised that he didn’t feel too nervous, he felt great, he felt confident. Even if too much time had passed at least he had said his piece.
“Jake?” You asked.
“Yeah Y/N/N?” Jake replied hesitantly.
“We’re both idiots.” Jake couldn’t help but laugh into the phone causing you to laugh too, the two of you were grinning like idiots.
“Where are you?” Jake asked and after he found out you weren’t too far away from him he offered to pick you up. With a shy smile you thanked him and hung up.
-
Soon enough you and Jake were sitting in his apartment.
“Listen, I know I’ve been a real jerk these last few months but seeing you with him…” Jake trailed off, turning away from you before continuing. “I’m really sorry. It wasn’t fair for me to take my feelings out on you, especially when I didn’t tell you how I felt.”
“I owe you an apology too-” You began but he quickly cut you off.
“No, you don’t. All you did was move on because I was too scared to say something.” Jake told you and whilst it was true you did feel guilty because this was a two way street and you could have told him how you felt.
“I was scared too.” You finally admitted after a few moments of silence causing Jake to smile shyly at you. With only a small amount of hesitation Jake reached over and brushed a strand of hair behind your ear, causing you to smile and melt into the touch.
“No more being scared, yeah?” Jake whispered as he leaned closer.
“Sounds good.” You replied just as quietly and with that Jake softly connected your lips together. His hand moves from your cheek to cup the nape of your neck as you kiss him back. The kiss itself is gentle but it was like every cheesy cliche ever, you felt fireworks as he kissed you, your skin tingled pleasantly as you felt his fingers lightly grazing your skin.
Maybe Amy was right, you thought as Jake pulled away and rested his forehead against you, smiling softly at you, maybe Jake the one.
