Work was quiet, except for the break room. Javier sat with some co-workers, ones he could barely remember the names of as they sipped on their coffee. Javier sighed and slumped in his seat, "You ain't been with them ladies lately, huh, Peña?" One of them spoke, "Why does it matter?" Javier said harshly, the two men's eyebrows raised, "Calm down, Peña, we're just curious! You got your eye on someone?" The other one asked, a smirk sliding onto his face. "And if I did? What does it matter?" Javi grumbled, he did in fact, have his eye on someone, one he could never have. "You obviously do! We just want some drama, cmon Peña! Tell us!" The words made Javier roll his eyes, "I'd feel sorry for the woman! You're all fuck and no sympathy." The first man blurted out, freezing Javier onto his seat, eyes piercing the coffee table in-front of him. Why was he even taken aback? It was true, wasn't it? He wouldn't even last in a relationship, let alone have enough sympathy. Javier felt that churn in his stomach again, it wasn't some woman though, god no woman could ever make his guts bubble with bile like this. Only Steve, his stupidly angry partner. "Cat got your tongue? Peña, you're with those whores almost every day of the week! What'd you expect?"
Javier had enough of their words, even if they were right, it was clawing at him. "You guys can go fuck yourselves. Goddamn nosey bastards. Fuck you." He frowned pointing at them in annoyance before striding out the room. His eyes clung to a familiar face, a smile etched onto it as he spotted Javi, "Peña! C'mere!" His voice was the last straw, Javier's feet leading him out the building and into his car. He wasn't thinking straight, speeding off away from the building, tears swelled in his eyes as he continued down the road, letting them fall as he drove to his house.
The honk of a horn came quick as the vehicle swerved into the brick wall, Javi's breath caught, winded and coughing, he gasped for the air he couldn't take. Someone shouted for an ambulance was the last thing he heard that evening, the noise fading out as his vision fuzzed. Peña didn't fight it, it felt so much like what he wanted. He could feel himself being lifted out the car, laid on a bed and a door shut. No noise, just the plush bed warming up with his heat.
"What happened to him?" The man asked, "He swerved into a wall, sir." "You have to let me see him." He urged, "I'm afraid I can't, he's in surgery, Mr. Murphy." The nurse said calmly, Steve's heart stopped, "Surgery...? He's in surgery?" He choked out, "Yes, Mr. Murphy, the impact has caused his ribs some fixable injuries." She explained, Murphy nodded, turning around and sitting in the waiting room. He couldn't think straight, zoned out as he stared at the white floors, the Janitor's cleaning whatever blood had dripped onto the floor. Javier had crazed about twenty minutes ago, the hospital had called him when Javi wrote his number for the doctors. Steve's foot tapped nervously against the tile floor, the time passed on, he felt like he was there for days. His body growing tired as his eyelids hung low over his pupils, quickly sinking into sleep.
"Mr. Murphy, please wake up." The same nurse spoke, shaking the man who woke up in confusion, "The surgery is over." She told him, Steve's eyes lit up, "Can I go see him?" He asked in a rush. "I'm sorry, Mr. Murphy. One of his lungs was impaled by his ribs, he didn't arrive here fast enough. The surgery wasn't successful."
His throat closed up in a millisecond, he could barely breathe. "What..." a chill sending goosebumps through his body, "What do you mean it wasn't successful? He-" tears welled in his confused eyes, threatening to fall. "I'm sorry, sir, but there was nothing we could do."
"YOU COULD'VE GOT HIM HERE QUICKER!" Steve raised his voice, the water escaping his blue eyes. "HE'D BE ALIVE IF YOU GOT TO HIM QUICKER! WHY CANT YOU DO YOUR JOB?!" The blind rage filled his throat, "I'm sorry, sir. We did all we could-"
"All you could? Really?" He scoffed shaking his head with a tight frown, jaw clenched as he held his tears back.
"Would you like to say goodbye?" She asked, "Yes, please, ma'am." He sighed, the nurse nodded and walked down the hall, Steve following behind her until she stopped and opened the door, Steve's heart broke at the sight. The man laid, breathless, so peaceful. He looked so pretty, so calm. Steve couldn't hold back anymore, a shuddering breath coming out as tears fell, "I'll leave you alone for a moment." The nurse said, leaving and closing the door.
Steve took a daring step closer, afraid of what could happen. He pulled a chair over and sat beside the lifeless man, pulling his hand into Javi's, letting the two hands sit beneath his chin. "Javs..." his voice broke, he couldn't utter a word as more tears fell. "I-I'm sorry." He whispered, pressing a light kiss onto the back of Javier's hand before letting go to stand up. Murphy's hand met the skin of Peña's cheek, his thumb softly stroking the cold flesh. Leaning down to press his forehead against Javi's Steve sighed, his other hand holding Peña's other cheek, both men's eyes closed, one breathing, one unmoving.
Steve's lips softly connecting with Javi's before lifting up after a moment, the absence of a response tugging at his chest. His tears rolling onto Javier's some meeting the mattress beneath him, Steve sighed, giving one last peck to Peña's lips before standing up straight and leaving the room. Leaving that scene behind.
No one would know what he did in there. No one would question him on why he kissed Javier. No one could judge him. No one could say a thing about the kiss. The kiss only he gave.
The kiss that should've been returned.
