Joe Velasco x reader
warnings: language, really that's it for this chapter which is wild for this story. just some plot incoming for ya
Yup!! That's right! We are BACK! TBH I can't guarantee when these updates will continue to come out, or the pace they will but definitely faster than they have been LOL. cause I do really enjoy having a multi chapter fic to work on and honestly i've missed the dynamic with this group!
Thanks for reading! Thanks for sticking around! More to come!
Joe’s hand slipped into yours as the elevator doors slid open, squeezing gently and you glanced over towards him, finding a slightly nervous smile on his face.
“What?” You asked with a small laugh.
“Feels weird.” He mumbled, running his free hand over his face and you rolled your eyes.
“Pretty boy, your dick has been inside me. You don’t need to feel weird about holding my hand.”
He shook his head with a huff of a laugh, “I meant the whole lying thing. I don’t like it.”
“Blame Grace.” You replied with a shrug and he let out a breath.
He wasn’t sure he would ever be able to understand the way you were so casual with everything. You rarely expressed stress or anxiety, even with the job. You were the calming one, the one who almost always had a smile on her face yet didn’t have to be the center of attention. He was realizing that was one of the many reasons he was so drawn to you in the first place. You never once made him feel nervous, you never judged him, you simply held his hand and guided him through whatever struggle it was he was dealing with.
Even if that struggle was knocking on the door of his best friend’s apartment.
You nudged him with your shoulder, “my hands are full.”
“Shit, sorry.” He raised a fist and rapped it against the wood.
“Chill.” You squeezed his hand, leaning in to prop your chin on his shoulder, “we’re madly in love, remember?”
Joe looked down at you, catching the over dramatic way you were batting your eye lashes and laughed, a true, relaxed laugh. He forgot about where he was and ducked down to kiss you, your plan working perfectly as the door swung open just in time to catch said kiss.
“You made it!” Grace greeted and when you pulled your gaze to hers you caught the look in her eyes. She was practically vibrating, far more nervous than Joe was.
“You kidding?” You exclaimed, your voice raising to be heard through the apartment as you pulled yourself away from Velasco, “as soon as Joe told me it was an immediate yes! I’ve been dying to have some other couple friends.”
“Really?” Grace replied as Kat appeared at her side, kissing her cheek as she pinched at her elbow.
“Told you.” She shot the two of you a smile.
“It’s so great to finally meet you.” You extended a hand after elbowing Joe in the ribs and he came back to life.
“Yeah.” He shot them a signature grin, “heard so much about you.”
Kat nudged Grace’s shoulder, “are you gonna invite them in, or?”
“Shit, yeah.” She laughed, stepping back from the entry way.
“Jeeze Muncy,” you hip checked her, “ask my guy to play chef and this is the hospitality we get?” You shot her a wink as you moved passed the couple, placing a bag down on their kitchen breakfast bar. “I’ve got a bottle of red, a few Millers and some seltzers, help yourselves.”
“Thank you.” Kat gave the two of you a welcoming smile, “I told Grace we should be providing drinks, but she said you two had it all covered.”
“We woulda’ hosted,” Joe started as he unpacked the second bag full of dinner ingredients, “but our place is still a mess of boxes. This one,” he gestured toward you, “can’t decide which side of the closet she wants.”
Well aware of Grace’s eyes flitting between the two of you, you eyed him for a moment, not daring to give anything away. Considering the scene in the hall, you were starting to think this might not have been Joe’s game, turned out all you needed to do was shout ‘action’ and he was ready for it.
You looked toward the two girls with a shrug, “one side has more shelving, can’t decide if I want to hang all my pants or fold ‘em, struggles, right?”
They both laughed, Grace eagerly reaching into the refreshments bag to find a beer to hide behind. Kat pulled down a few wine glasses as she spoke.
“I didn’t realize you two had moved in already, that’s a big step.”
“Yeah.” You nodded, slipping into your role as you leant against the counter, sneaking a seltzer from the bag before giving Joe an adoring look, “just kinda felt right.”
“When you know, you know.” He smiled back at you.
“And with the New York housing market, why bother waiting?” You laughed, raising your can to cheers’ the others, “to new friends and new beginnings.”
Kat clinked her glass to you, “to finding love in this mess of a world.”
“Amen.”
“I’ll drink to that.”
*
Joe busied himself in the kitchen as the girls dragged you into the living room and he had never been more thankful that it was basically all one open space. A row of cupboards above the breakfast bar the only thing separating the rooms. He hadn’t thought about it, but the two of you hadn’t really discussed any details when it came to your ‘relationship’ and you’d need to stay on the same page throughout the night to keep the sham going.
He threw a pot of rice on the stove before turning back to the counter facing the three of you, helping himself to Grace’s knife collection to start dicing up a shallot. He liked cooking, maybe more than he would admit. When he started out he certainly hadn’t been very good at it, but he’d needed to learn. It was a task for him to focus on, especially in those early days, between making sure he was following the recipe correctly to having something to do with his hands. It relaxed him, calmed his mind on days when he needed it the most. If you’d asked anyone else in his profession they might think he was crazy, why, after working a daunting and incredibly long day, would you want another task to do? But it helped him forget, helped him process, on UC cases it helped remind him who he was.
Tonight, it was something to focus on instead of staring at you while you laid out stories and laughed along with the other two girls. There was a sparkle in your eye, glittering in the light from the patio styled fairy bulbs that adorned Grace’s living room, and he especially loved the way your smile was actually reaching your eyes tonight. Not in the mischievous way you’d grin at him or Terry, or the more professional smile you used at work. But one that made that little half dimple on your left cheek pop, the one that stayed on your cheeks after a bright laugh.
“Fuck.” He muttered to himself, dragging his eyes away from the living room as he gave his head a shake.
Chopped shallot moved to the side, he turned his back to the view, digging through Grace’s cupboards until he found the bowls and pulled one down. It didn’t take him long to chop up the herbs and garlic, mixing them together with the oil and spices. Glancing back up, he found your back to him, shoulder to shoulder with Kat as the two of you watched something on her phone.
“Baby,” he called out, half surprised at just how fast you turned, “come taste this for me?”
You nodded, placing your drink down on the coffee table before crossing the room to him, not holding back on the personal space, your hip bumping his at the counter. The corner of his lips curved up right as he glanced to the other two out of the corner of his eye and you had to hold back a grin. He dipped a spoon into the sauce, cupping his free hand underneath it as he held it up to your lips, waiting as you tasted it.
“Thoughts?”
“Mmm.” You licked a drop of it off your lips, “delicious. Could use a kick?”
“That’s what I was thinking,” he looked back towards the living room, “Kat, you okay with spice?”
“Bring it.” She laughed, “dunno about this one though.”
“Hey!” Grace frowned, pulling a laugh from the rest of you.
“Oh she can handle a few red pepper flakes.” You scoffed, your arm winding around Joe’s back as you leant in to press a kiss to his cheek, “tastes great baby.” Your hand squeezed at his side before you slipped out of the kitchen and back to the girls on the couch. And the entire time you were more than aware of his eyes on your ass. And the pink tinge on his cheeks.
“God you guys are cute.” Kat murmured as you picked up your drink, “I didn’t realize you’d been together this long.”
“I mean, we kept it a secret for as long as we could. Didn’t exactly want to go blabbing around the office the first time we kissed or anything. But this one,” you nudged Grace with your elbow, “like a dog with a bone. Knew something was going on.”
“Benson’s okay with it?”
“I’m honestly not sure she knows.” You laughed.
“Sometimes I think she doesn’t want to know.” Grace commented.
“Less is more when it comes to her and our personal lives.” You agreed, “but at this point basically the whole squad knows. If we haven’t told them, they’ve figured it out. I mean, you can only disappear from the bar together so many times before a team of detectives puts two and two together.”
Kat laughed, “I’d sure hope so!”
“But it’s nice.” You turned to glance at the kitchen, your chin propped up in your palm, “it’s been a while since I’ve really had someone in my corner, and Jose…” you trailed off, watching him laser focused on mincing more garlic, totally unaware of the dreamy smile on your cheeks, “no one has your back like he does. I know I’m safe, in every matter of the word.”
“That’s sweet.” Kat said.
It was Grace that yanked you off whatever road your mind was about to go down, “so who said I love you, first?”
You whipped your head around and for the briefest second you saw the flash of fear in her eyes. She wasn’t supposed to be the one leaning into this play, but then again, games were her thing.
“I did, obviously.” You laughed, taking a sip of your drink, “we both know Velasco’s not a man of many words.” You glanced over your shoulder, “but he definitely showed it first, ya know?”
“Wish I could say I do,” Kat teased, nudging Grace’s side, “but this one can’t keep her mouth shut.”
“Oh, c’mon!” She gaped, earning louder laughs from the two of you.
“What about you guys?” You focused your attention on them, eager to pay Grace back, “thoughts on moving in anytime soon?”
Grace nearly toppled her beer over, managing to save herself right as Kat looked at her with a warm smile.
“I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t crossed my mind.” Kat shrugged, her cheeks flushing slightly as she looked at her girlfriend.
“Really?” Grace’s eyes widened ever so slightly and you almost felt bad for poking the bear.
“Yeah.” Kat nudged her with her shoulder, “considering our jobs, it’s nice to have someone to come home to, and to be in said place with all of your things instead of having to always be carrying two bags.”
“You know if you just dealt with a car instead of taking the subway everywhere that wouldn’t be a hassle.” Grace replied and you had to stifle a laugh at just how clueless she could be.
Joe’s voice rang through the room before anyone could delve down that road any further, “ready when you are!”
Grace leaped up from the couch, darting towards the kitchen to help dish up dinner, set the table, refill drinks or literally anything she could be doing to distract herself.
Dinner was fine. It was more than fine. It was delicious. Entertaining. Educational. Everything that a group of budding friends needed and wanted while getting to know each other and learning more about their couple friends. Grace and Kat told stories about their first couple of dates, how they’d worked things out with their crazy schedules and different units. Grace had more than enough wild anecdotes about her brother, Kat talked about her boxing training and her love for UC work, both things that brought Joe out of his shell, having more than a few things to say on both matters.
And the entire time everything felt so right. So natural. Like out of the 8.5 million in the city, only the four of you mattered. Joe’s free hand rested on your leg when he wasn’t busy enunciating with it, yours coming to squeeze his bicep, lingering just a fraction too long when complimenting him. He wiped a drop of sauce from your lower lip before you could catch it, you ran your fingers through his hair, pushing it off his face and twirling that one strand you liked to leave practically framing his face. He stole a moment to kiss your cheek, to lift your hand from his lap and brush his lips over the back of it. Sometimes to make a point during conversation, others just out of the blue.
After dinner, Kat dragged you out to the balcony, fairy lights wound around the metal to illuminate the mini garden and plant collection she’d started at Grace’s place. Little things to keep alive, the satisfaction of growing your own herbs, both things that you knew Grace was likely struggling with.
Inside, Grace was (reluctantly) helping Jose with the dishes, scraping plates into the garbage and feeding them into the sudsy sink for him to wash. Then swapping sides to grab a dish towel to dry everything off before putting it away, the downside to the minimal counter space in her apartment.
“Like to think that went pretty well.” Joe murmured after a quiet couple of minutes, risking a glance out the sliding glass doors.
“Yeah.” Grace seemed almost surprised, “like… really well. Didn’t realize Parker was so good with people.”
Joe laughed, “I think that’s a pre-requisite of the job.” He nudged her shoulder, “makes me wonder how you landed the gig.”
“Hey!” She swatted him with the towel, scowling at him. “I guess I just didn’t think her and Kat would get along this much.”
“She’s a good person.” He glanced back towards you, “they both are.” He handed her a washed bowl, “Kat really loves you.”
Grace let out a soft sigh, looking out to the balcony, “I know. I really love her too.”
“Good. I’m happy for you.”
“Yeah?” She raised a brow, “what about you two? That was disgustingly sweet. I’m pretty sure I gagged like fifty times and it definitely wasn’t the food.”
He flicked a handful of soapy water at her, “you literally asked for this.”
“I know!” She shrieked, attempting to dodge the spray, catching what she could with the towel, “I’m only wondering if it’s as fake as you’ve told me. You two put on a fucking convincing act.”
“You do remember I had a super long stint in UC, right?” He raised a brow.
Before she could answer, you and Kat were back in the apartment and making quick time to the kitchen where you latched around his back, pressing a kiss to the side of his neck.
“Baby, we need to get one of those little herb gardens! She’s got basil, tarragon, chives, it’s so cool.”
He turned in your arms, smiling down at you, “oh yeah?”
“It doesn’t even have to be outside, we could put it on that little table by the kitchen window. C’mon” You squeezed at his sides, “you’d love cooking with real, fresh herbs!”
He ducked down just enough to leave a kiss on the tip of your nose, then leaning down further to press one to your lips.
“Yeah? Why don’t we go to the store tomorrow, see what we can find.”
Smiling, you turned back around, your attention returned to Kat as you chattered on something about herbs and plants that Joe couldn’t even pretend to focus on.
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