Copper Heart (Coco Cruz x OC Fanfic)

Chapter 7

Taza exhaled the smoke from his mouth, watching it swirl away from him in tendrils. He was sat on Pea's porch, watching as she hung the succulents up he had given her for her birthday last year. "'Bout time you did something with those. Thought they were going to die in that damn garage of yours." Pea rolled her eyes at him. "They weren't going to die," she pointed out. "I watered them when they needed it!" Taza chuckled roughly, pushing the butt of his cigarette into the little ceramic ash tray before standing and stretching, making his way over to where Pea was struggling to put one of the hangers up. He leant over her, taking it easily from her grasp and putting it where she wanted. "Thank you," she mumbled. "So," Taza cleared his throat. "How are you and Coco going?" Pea froze, her eyes wide at the question. "What do you mean?" she questioned, trying to keep as calm as possible so she wouldn't give anything away.

"You kids make me laugh," he grunted. "Tip toeing around each other like you don't want to get into each other's pants." Pea turned around wide eyed, throwing the rag in her hands at him. "Tio! Oh my god don't say that!" It was Taza's turn to be shocked. Pea looked away when she realised what she had said. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "Just came out." He shook his head, pulling her in to press a kiss to the top of her head. "It's fine. You just haven't called me that for years." Pea nodded lightly before she wrapped her arms around Taza's middle. Pulling away, she reached up and smoothed a hand over the top of his hair. "Don't you go crying on me now old man," she laughed. He smirked, before pulling her into a headlock, tight enough so she couldn't escape but not so tight it hurt her. "Oh yeah, you think an old man can do this? Huh?"

She shrieked and laughed as she tried to get out of his grasp. He eventually let up but not before he knew he had seriously mussed up her hair. She let out a huff, trying to straighten herself out as Taza moved back to the chair he was sitting in. "If it's me you're worried about," he started, straightening his kutte as he sat. "You don't have to be. I like Coco. Probably the only one out of that rowdy bunch that I don't mind you being with. Well except for EZ. But he might be a bit too straight and narrow for you." Pea groaned, shoving her burning face into her hands. "God can we not talk about this please. It's bad enough I have Angel on my case about it all the time I don't need it from you either!" Taza chuckled, his voice slightly masking the sounds of a motorbike coming up the drive, just as the sky started to turn it warm shade of orange, indicating it was nearly evening. "Well speak of the devil and he shall appear," he grinned. "What Angel?" Pea questioned, her voice dying in her throat as she watched Coco dismount his bike. "Don't. Say. A word," Pea warned, pointing a finger at Taza.

Pea now stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking at Coco silently, who in turn was watching Taza ride away. Turning back, his heart skipped a little when he realised that Pea had been watching him. She looked away quickly. "You can come inside if you want," cringing a little bit at the innuendo that had made its way into her brain. Turning on her heel, she stopped on the second step when Coco spoke to her. "You seem real close with Taza." She turned back and nodded. "Uh yeah, I am," she replied. His eyes slightly scrunched close for a second before he spoke again. "That's all you're gonna give me? Yeah?" Pea blinked slowly, trying to work out if this was really happening or if she was stuck in some strange fever dream. "Excuse me?" she snorted. He scoffed at her. "Nope, not a fever dream," she thought. "Deeeffffinately real life."

He took a step closer to her, grimacing when she instinctively took a step back. "All you give is these stupid one-word answers," he groused. Pea shook her head. "I'm sorry I didn't realise I owed you anything," her heart rate quickened, a new sense of courage and adrenaline washing over her. "You hardly know me Coco!" "What the hell do you think I'm tryna do here querida? That's what I'm trying to do but you won't let me in." "I don't see why you should be upset, you're the one who treated me like shit for no reason and have only just gotten the balls to actually talk to me! So, forgive me if I seem confused as to why you want to suddenly swap stories about childhood traumas with me." Coco's face softened at that. Pea knew it was probably a low blow, but it's what she felt in the heat of the moment. And she wasn't wrong. Other than Angel's constant pestering about the situation, Coco hadn't given Pea much of an indication that this was more than just a job for him. That he was only there and making small talk because he had to. And now he was trying to dig deeper – as if he actually cared for her. To say she was confused was an understatement.

When Coco didn't react Pea gulped, shaking her head and moving inside. She was irate. She was confused. She was feeling an array of emotions at once. She hadn't felt this way in years. And it almost felt... nice? To actually be another emotion other than passive and to feel awake after so many years of feeling exhausted. Deciding to take the bull by the horns she walked out of the living room towards the front door, intent on giving Coco another piece of her mind when she was met by him already coming through the door, pausing when he saw her. "I want to try to explain," he murmured, gauging her reaction. When she crossed her arms and quirked an eyebrow he sighed, speaking again. "I want to get to know you. Like really know you. And I- I mean I told you I ain't good with this shit, but I mean I'm trying." When Pea didn't budge, he ran a hand over his face, sighing. "When we first met, I acted the way I did cause I thought you seemed like you got shit going on with other members or something like that and you know, I'm not exactly the number one bachelor in Santo Padre so I thought it was best to push you away before you realised the kind of person I was but..." He took a step towards her, waiting for her to move back but when she didn't, he felt bolder, taking another step, close enough to her now he could touch her if he wanted to. And oh man did he want to.

"Then Angel started talking to me," Pea's face started to heat up again at the realisation of his words. "And he told me how you asked about me. And I though fuck, maybe I do got a chance with this girl." His voice grew softer with every step he took towards her. He now stood in front of her, close enough to smell the peach and honey scent of what he assumed was her shampoo or body wash. Pea was starting to feel a little lightheaded as her heart sped up at the realisation of how close Coco was to her. She could feel the warmth radiating off his skin. "I got to know more about you mama," he whispered, his hand coming up to gently push a strand of hair behind her ear. "I gotta know more about this beautiful woman who drives me crazy and keeps me up at night." Pea's breath left her in deep pants, as she took in his words. This is not how she expected this conversation to go but she didn't want it to end. Suddenly she felt Coco lightly grasp her chin, pulling her face up so she was looking him in the eyes, feeling as if she could almost drown in their darkness and desire. He pulled her closer, his hand now resting as light as a feather on her waist. "Can I kiss you querida?" he asked. Pea could only nod, feeling as though her body slowly dissolves into his as she leans into him. The kiss is soft at first, her plush lips meeting his slightly wind burnt ones as Coco grasped her face gently, her gentle sigh egging him on further. Before long the urgency increased, the kiss becoming harsher as the heat rose to both of their skin. Coco pulled away regretfully, chuckling a little as Pea whined. "I just- I don't think we should- not tonight querida," he panted, placing his forehead on hers. She nodded, licking her now seemingly dried lips as she huffed out a laugh. "I'm not exactly a virgin Coco." He laughed, taking her hand and pulling her outside to sit with him. "Oh, now you wanna share all your little secrets?!"