#pobrecito :( the night was going so well and now he feels like throwing up | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

brandyllyn · 3 years

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War makes thieves, and peace hangs them (pt8)

Told from POV of Triple Frontier characters and while it’s an OFC she is never described. Her “name” is a radio handle.

Chapter 8: An answer to Santi’s question “Are we ever going to fuck like normal people?”

(Santiago Garcia x Reader)

Other chapters... My Masterlist

Word count: 2400. Read it on AO3.

Rating: NC-17 (Explicit) oral (f receiving). PiV sex. This is pretty fluffy y’all.

Santi is pleasantly surprised to wake up and find that Wildcat is still in his bed. They’d turned at some point, laying face to face now with one of her legs between his. It’s still night, not even a hint of sunrise which means he had at least an hour, if not more, before they needed to be moving for the day.

Dim light seeps in from the street outside, curling around the curtains to cast soft lights across her face. Falling across the curve of her cheek, the arch of her eyebrow, the plump bow of her lips. In this light, in this stillness, he finally has time to notice that she’s not, in fact, a knockout. Not that she’s not pretty - but if he had seen her face in a photo array he probably wouldn’t have looked twice.

No, her beauty came from how she carried herself. Her confidence. The sparkle in her eyes which are slowly blinking open and meeting his. And her smile, which she gifts him with as she takes a deep breath and lets it out in a long sigh.

"What time is it?"

"Too early to be thinking about the time," he tells her, soothing a hand across her hip. "Go back to sleep."

"I was trying to," she pouts and he has the urge to pull that luscious lip into his mouth, "but someone kept petting me and waking me up."

"Oh," he stills his hand, "sorry."

"Don’t be," she says, bringing her hand up to cup his jaw. He can hear the slide of his stubble across her skin. "Your lip is busted," she whispers, moving her hand to ghost a finger across it.

"Someone hit me," he replies and sees her smile. He turns to kiss her palm. "You gonna kiss it and make it better?"

She smiles and leans forward, just barely capturing his lower lip in a soft caress before moving away. "Anywhere else?"

"Well, you got my chin pretty good," he points out, tilting his head to show her.

"Oh, pobrecito," she murmurs and then he feels the soft touch of her lips there. "Where else?"

"If I said down lower would you believe me?" he asks hopefully.

The low, amused chuckle vibrates into his body and he dips his head to capture her laugh in his mouth, softly stroking his lips along hers before gently probing with his tongue. She parts for it, sliding her own tongue against him and pressing her lips back to his. He glides his hand up and down her back, grinning when he feels her shiver.

"Are you ticklish?"

"Don’t even think about it," she warns and he presses his mouth to hers again, this time firmer. Ignoring the sting of pain in his lip. She moans softly and shifts against his legs. Then lets out a distressed mewl when he rolls away from her to pick up his watch on the bedside table. He checks it and then drops it, rolling back and pulling her tighter to him.

"Well?" she asks. "How much time do we have?"

"It’s three-thirty," he tells her, nuzzling his nose into the curve of her jaw, "plenty of time for me to have my wicked way with you."

He can feel her nails on his back, slowly raking along his spine and he shudders. "Could we perhaps try something less wicked?"

Pulling back, he studies her face. "What do you mean?"

"I have enjoyed the hell out of what we’ve been doing Santi," she reassures him, "but it’s also three o’clock in the goddamn morning and I don’t think I’m up for any calisthenics."

He laughs, pressing his forehead to hers. "Oh thank God. Neither am I."

Her relieved breath ghosts over his cheek, her lips following it. "So maybe something a bit lazier?"

"As the lady wishes," he tells her then pulls the sheet up into the air, letting it flutter down around them as he leans over and covers her body with his. He kisses her then, softly. Letting his lips learn the shape of her, the soft sighs and moans as he runs his tongue along her lower lip. Her hands sink into his hair and he leans into it, loving the feel of her fingers tugging at the curls. He shifts slightly, using one elbow to prop himself up over her, freeing his other hand to slide up her stomach and cup her breast beneath the shirt.

He groans at the soft weight of her. How had he spent two nights with this woman and not managed to do this? Just touch her, stroke her body, listen to the little noises of pleasure she makes. She is a veritable symphony, each little sound curling inside him and making his heart beat faster. It’s the work of a moment to pull the shirt over her head, toss it across the room, and then he can see all that soft skin he had been touching. He trails his fingers across her, feels her tremble beneath his touch. He reluctantly moves from her mouth, pressing kisses down her neck, across her collarbone. Then down further until his lips meet the pebbled skin of her nipple and he gently pulls it into his mouth.

Oh, if he had thought she was symphony before now she’s added lyrics. He can hear his name in the jumble of words, at least one curse. He releases her nipple from his mouth, curls his tongue around it for a moment, and then gently blows across her. Her back arches off the bed and he grins, rubbing his lips to the soft underside of her breast.

"You’re so sensitive," he groans and he can feel her hands move from his hair, one cupping his neck and the other moving to curl around his upper arm. He pulls her nipple into his mouth again, gently setting his teeth against it and pinching her other nipple with his hand. Just to hear the noise she’ll make.

It can only be described as a scream. Sharp and high and ending in a strangled groan. He groans in return, tilting his head to look up at her, the arch of her neck. The way she is biting her lip. Her fingers dig into his skin and he shifts to lave attention on her other breast, stroking his free hand down her body to run along her thigh. Her legs part immediately and he chuckles, running the backs of his fingers up the inside.

"Oh kitten, you’re soaked for me," he growls, slipping his fingers along the soaked fabric of her panties.

He shifts his weight, slowly pulling the fabric down her legs, pressing kisses across her ribcage, down her stomach, before settling his shoulders between her thighs. A kiss on the soft skin right at the heart of her, then a soft lick.

"Santi," she moans and one of her hands slips into his hair, the other twisting in the bedsheets.

"I was right, you taste delicious," he murmurs into her before using his fingers to part her and pressing his open mouth to her soft wet center. He uses one arm to hold her down, throwing it over her thigh and then seeking out her hand and curling his fingers with hers. He wasn’t lying to her, she tasted amazing. His tongue curls into her, savoring it, his nose nudging against the bundle of nerves above her entrance.

She sounds like she’s been running a mile, her chest heaving and her breath coming in short pants. He shifts his mouth, moving upwards and thrusting two fingers inside of her while he presses his lips to her clit. She’s saying his name again, his name and the Lord’s in equal measure, and the sound of it makes his heart swell. He begins to tongue her, licking rhythmically against her clit and curling his fingers inside of her.

He can feel the muscles of her thigh bunching under his arm, her hand clenching his, the way she tugs on his hair. When her hips begin to lift he holds her down more firmly, pressing his fingers a little deeper.

"Santiago-" she gasps but whatever she was going to say is overridden by a loud cry.

He lifts his head, twisting his hand so he can rub his thumb across her. "Don’t you dare hold back," he warns, waiting until her eyes open and she meets his gaze. "I want to hear every bit of it." He waits for her nod, her lips parted in what looks like shock, and then he ducks his head back down and flicks her with his tongue.

She screams when she comes - long and loud. Even with her thighs pressed to his ears he can hear how loud it is. Her nails dig into his scalp and he groans but doesn’t let up, doesn’t stop the movement of his tongue and his fingers until he can hear her begging him, telling him she can’t take it. But her muscles are clenching around him and he doesn’t even pause before sending her over the edge again.

The sounds she makes this time sound more like sobs. Her hand pulling at his hair so sharply he has no choice but to move away or risk losing the hair altogether. She’s babbling, tugging at his shoulder and he moves upwards, pressing the heel of his hand hard against her clit before capturing her lips with his own.

"Santi, fuck me, please, Santi," her nails scratch his shoulders and he jerks away, searching with one hand for a condom. He has his underwear off and the condom on before she can regain coherent thought, sliding over her and guiding himself inside of her.

"Oh fuck kitten," he hangs his head, struggling to take in air, "fuck you feel good." He shifts slightly, pulling her legs up to wrap around his waist and he can feel himself settle fully inside of her, their hips pressed together. He doesn’t want to move. Doesn’t want to lose the heat of her, the tight squeeze of her against his cock.

Her fingers gently caress his face and he opens his eyes to look at her. She still looks lost, her eyes wide, pupils blown, lips parted. It takes the barest pressure of her fingertips for her to guide his mouth down to hers. To suck his tongue into her mouth and then she moans and her muscles clench around him and he sees stars.

His arms are under her back, his hands holding her shoulders. He knows he must be crushing her, that he should do something to relieve the full weight of his body pressing down on hers but she is making soft noises into his mouth and her hips are rolling up to his and all he can think of is fucking her until he can’t think about anything anymore.

So he does. Clutches her to him, buries his mouth against her neck, and rocking his cock inside of her until the world is nothing but pinpoints of sound and light.

"Are you…" he grunts out, unable to finish the sentence.

"This one is all yours baby," she whispers back and he groans, quickening the pace of his hips. She licks at the shell of his ear, whispering to him. His brain can’t process what she’s saying but it doesn’t matter because the urgent murmurs and the feel of her hot breath are enough to send his body rocketing into an orgasm that shakes the very foundation of his being.

He doesn’t stop. Even when the pleasure begins to recede and he slowly comes back into his body and he can feel that he’s still moving inside of her. Long slow strokes that she meets with lazy rolls of her hips. He pushes himself up, looking down at her with what must be a dazed expression but the smile she gives him is dazzling. He wants to taste it and there’s nothing stopping him from swooping down and doing so, pressing his lips to hers as his hips slowly stop.

He wants nothing more than to stay exactly where he is for the rest of the night, but circumstances force him from the bed and into the bathroom. When he comes back she is stretched out on her side, one arm curled under her head, watching for him. He grins, leaning against the wall, just enjoying looking at her.

"Come back to bed so I can do all of that to you," she says, beckoning him with her other hand.

He chuckles and shakes his head. "There’s no way, kitten. I don’t have another round in me."

She smiles and continues to hold out her hand. "Then come back here so I can touch you anyway. Just for me. No funny business, I promise."

He goes to her willingly, pressing a kiss to her as he feels her arms close around him, her hands stroking his back. He moans as her nails scratch against his skin and he can feel her smile against his lips.

"You are putty in my hands Pope," she whispers and he wants to say something snarky back but one of her hands is ruffling into the hair on the nape of his neck, the other scratching across his ass and frankly she can say whatever she wants to him as long she doesn’t stop.

He doesn’t realize he says it out loud until he hears her giggle. But she continues to lazily run her nails along him. His back. His scalp. His hips. His arms. Even his thigh which he helpfully hitches over her hip when she drifts that direction.

He couldn’t have said when he fell back to sleep. All that he knows is that he wakes up alone.

"Good night?" Will asks with a sour look when Santi sits down at breakfast the next morning.

Santi raises an eyebrow, pouring himself a cup of coffee then blowing across it. "It was fine."

Will rolls his eyes. "We share a wall jackass."

Santi freezes and then can’t help the grin that spreads across his face. "Oh? Did something wake you up?"

"The screaming? The thumping? Damn right something woke me up," Will grouses.

"What screaming?" Wildcat asks with a perky smile, dropping into a chair next to Will.

Santi winks at her, feeling his heart thud when she winks back. "Will was just reminding me that his room is next to mine."

"Oh?" She asks and then she freezes, eyes going wide, "Oh." Then she’s grinning too. "Did you tug one out listening to us? It’s okay if you did. I wouldn’t blame you."

Santi snorts coffee out of his nose.

Pt9

#Santiago Garcia x Reader #santiago garcia x ofc #writing #triple frontier

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gloriousstudentfury-love · 4 years

Text

No Mass ✰

y/n’s POV

"I'm going to the Alvarez's!" I yelled

"Did you eat breakfast?" Schneider asked

"Yes." I groaned, knocking my shoes on the ground as I was anxious to get over there

"Obviously, you didn't brush your hair." Schneider said, gently patting my head

"What? Yes, I did." I gasped, pushing down my hair

"My bad. I know you didn't take your medicine." He said, shaking the orange bottle he took out of his pocket

"Come on, I'm fine. I promise." I said

"Nope. Come here." He ordered, putting one in my hand

I glared at the little white pill in my hand, wanting to put it in the trash

"Promise me you'll take it." Schneider begged

"I promise." I sighed, walking out the apartment door

I shut the door and crushed the little pill with my foot. I used my heel to push the dust under the welcome mat. 3

__________

Once I got to the Alvarez apartment, I walked right in as if I lived there. I practically did.

"What's going on today Alvarez family?" I asked, shutting the door gently behind me

"We're just moving the Pope." Penelope said as if it was a normal thing

"Do I want to know? Actually, don't answer that. I don't." I said, sitting at the kitchen table next to Alex.

"Did you take your medicine?" Alex asked, raising his eyebrows in question

"Yes." I lied, patting his shoulder

I turned to find Lydia putting up a picture of the Pope on their counter. We laughed at her as she continued to dance her way to her room.

_________

Later, I was back at the Alvarez's house. Lydia invited me and Schneider over to eat dinner with them.

"You can probably dump that whole thing on there." Schneider said, referring to the food Lydia was passing out

"Next time." Lydia, lovingly, laughed

"Hi!" We all said, as the door slammed following Penelope's entrance into the apartment

"Welcome home, Lupita. We are almost done, but there is plenty left." Lydia said, pointing to the dinner on the table

"Aw. Dinner with my entire family... and the whitest people I know." Penelope said, gesturing to me and Schneider

"We're not that white." I said, unconvincingly

"Honey, you're as white as your converse..and those are really white." Penelope joked, making everyone laugh

"Yes, I invited them, again. They're orphans." Lydia said

"Do orphans always have rich dads who buy them buildings?" Alex asked

I tensed at the mention of a dad, but shook it off with a smile. I wasn't going to cause drama in a situation that didn't really involve me.

"Hey, I may have money in the bank and two living parents, and four living stepmothers...but there is a hole in here. We never had family meals. I ate alone in front of the TV. At least now, I have this one." Schneider argued, ruffling my hair

I instantly felt guilty about not taking my medicine. I knew he wanted what was best for me, but I just couldn't bring my self to do it.

"Ay, pobrecito Schneider." Lydia said

"Oh, don't get me wrong. It was a massive TV. Sometimes my nanny would join me, but only if I agreed to watch telenovelas." Schneider said

"Ooh, those are so over the top." Elena groaned

"Right? This one time, Rosa got jealous of the housekeeper cause she was makin a move on her man, so she threatened to throw live scorpions on her while she slept." Schneider said

"Sounds good. Which one was that?" Lydia asked

"Oh, no. Rosa was my nanny. Ex nanny. Now, stepmother. I'm so glad to be here." Schneider sighed, rubbing the table

"I'm just glad to be home with everyone." Penelope said, smiling at her family

As if on cue, Elena's goth friend walked out of the bathroom and sat in Penelope's chair.

"Who the hell are you?" Penelope asked

"This is Carmen, my best friend. I'm doing my history project with her." Elena said, introducing the stranger

"These all sound like things I should know. Hi, Carmen." Penelope smiled, introducing herself

"Hi." Carmen sighed, dramatically

"I'm Penelope. Kind of a big deal around here. So, uh, what's this history project you're working on? And then maybe later you can show me how you turn into a bat." Penelope asked, teasing Elena's friend

"Well, we just got done explaining the whole thing." Elena said

"Oh, come on, mija, I missed it." Penelope begged

"Oh, wait. Alex, y/n, tell Penelope that funny story that happened in chemistry class." Lydia laughed

"Again?" Alex asked

"Okay, I'll tell it. So, there is the floor and... slip. Oh, that Dylan." Lydia laughed as she barley got through any of the story

"Oh, That story never gets old." Schneider said, laughing at Lydia's incoherent story

"I've been working so much. I've been missing all the scoops plus Latina Twilight over here. Careful. There's a lot of garlic in that chicken." Penelope said, continuing to tease Carmen

"Your mom's kinda mean. I'm obsessed with her." Carmen, oddly, smiled

"Who would like a pastelito?" Lydia asked

We all eagerly took one, ignoring the pizzas Penelope had brought home

"Mm! You know what? How about we go on a hike this Saturday like we used to?" Penelope asked her kids

"Mom, Uh, Carmen and I need all Saturday for our history thing." Elena said

"Yeah, and Abuelita, y/n, and I have tickets to wrestling." Alex cheered

"I don't understand why you waste good money on that." Penelope sighed

"It's educational." I said, attempting to convince her

Penelope stared at me with a "we both know that's bullshit" look.

"Eh, I don't know." I shrugged

"Okay, Saturday's out. How about we go on a hike Sunday morning before it gets hot?" Penelope asked

"You seem to have forgot. Sunday morning is for church." Lydia said

"So, we skip church." Penelope suggested

"You seem to have forgot. We don't skip church." Lydia said, shaking her head at her only daughter

"Mami, it's okay if we miss it one time. It's not gonna kill us." Penelope insisted

"Oh, really? My great uncle Luisito skipped church, and on the same day, he was crushed by a runaway tractor." Lydia said

"Why don't you just go to church and then go hikin' after?" Schneider asked, solving their obvious problem

"We're Latinos, Church takes all day. By the time you're done with mass and you've said hello to fulano y fulana, it's five o'clock." Penelope said

"Oh, you exaggerate. 4:30." Lydia insisted

"I wanna see these guys this weekend. Come on. Cause I like them." Penelope said, pulling her kids close to her

"I have to put my foot down. Sundays we go to church, and then sometimes we go to Applebee's." Lydia said

"Well, I have a foot, too, and I'm gonna put my foot down and say this Sunday we're not going to church." Penelope argued

"Well, I am putting both of my feet down. We are going and that is the end of it. Ya!" Lydia said, shushing Penelope

"That's not your decision to make." Penelope said, beginning to get angry

"It's starting to feel kinda like home in here." Schneider smiled, making me shake my head

"I'm with Mom. We don't need to go to church. After all, Abuelita, you don't believe half that stuff." Elena said

"I believe everything." Lydia argued

"Really? When you take the communion you believe you're eating the actual blood and flesh of Jesus?" Elena asked

"Ay, no, it's a symbol. Don't be gross." Lydia said

"Okay. So, if you believe that then you're Protestant." Penelope said

"There is no need for name calling. All I know is that a good Catholic does not skip church. Right, papito?" Lydia asked, looking towards Alex for support

"I like church. I see my friends and I eat some donuts." Alex said

"Now, this one gets it. We're going." Lydia said, patting him on the back

"No, we are not! I work hard all week. When I get home, there's barely enough time to have a meal with the kids. Weekends are my only chance. So, this Sunday, no church. End of discussion." Penelope said

Lydia stood up and said something in Spanish, confusing me and Schneider.

"Ooh." Alex and Carmen said

"What? What'd she say?" Elena asked, who was also confused

"I am raising my voice, because I cannot believe we're having this discussion! I'm their mother! I don't need permission! I decide." Penelope fought

"And I am your mother, and I decide what you decide." Lydia said

"We are a family, damn it! Don't make me choose between you." Schneider said, "Okay, I'd choose Lydia because of her warm food and even warmer hugs. But I'd feel really bad about it."

"All right, everybody, go do your homework. Schneider, take y/n and go call one of your moms." Penelope said

"Fine. Guess we'll just eat this all alone in front of my massive TV." Schneider said, storming out

"Thought that was at his dad's house-" Penelope started

"He has one too!" I yelled as we stormed out 2

_________

The next morning, I was sitting on the couch before school when someone knocked on the apartment door. Schneider went to open it to reveal the whole Alvarez family.

"Hello, Schneider. Listen have you—" Penelope started

"Wow! I always forget how huge your apartment is." Alex said, barging into the apartment

I waved from the couch before going back to my TV show, trying to ignore the chaos around me.

"Nah, come on, it's not that big. But let's talk in the parlor." Schneider said

"Schneider, have you seen my mom?" Penelope asked

"Gosh, no." Him and I, suspiciously, said

"Then why do I smell fried plantains and Cuban coffee?" Elena asked, glancing around the apartment

"Fine! She spent the night. But I want you to know, nothing happened." He promised

"Ew." I said, shaking my head at the older man

"What were you thinking chasing that women away? She's funny, charming, and when she gets angry, she cleans." He said

"Where is she?" Penelope asked, ignoring most of what he said

"I don't know. After last nights ugliness, she spent the night and left without saying goodbye. So, she already knows the drill." He said, referring to the previous women that had been in the apartment

"Again, Gross." I groaned

Then, a girl walked out a Schneider's room wearing just a shirt. Alex stared at her, making me laugh at his immaturity.

"Unlike some people." He said, glaring at the girl

The girl walked into a different room, and everyone turned their attention back towards Schneider

"What was that? And why was she drinking my coffee?" Penelope asked

"Well, when my family oasis blew up last night, I had to seek solace in the arms of.. I don't know her name. Your mom called her the stick girl and made her eat plato de huevos." He said

"Did Abuelita forget to give her her pants, too?" Alex asked, making me laugh

__________

Later, Schneider and I were still at the Alvarez's because Lydia wasn't there when Alex and Elena got home from school.

Penelope walked in and we all greeted her with smiles and waves, still worried about Lydia.

"Welcome home, Lupita! We already started, but I insisted nobody say anything interesting till you got here." Schneider said

"Aw, that's so sweet." Penelope smiled, looking at all of us sitting at the dinner table

"It's been weird." Elena sighed

"Did you find Abuelita?" Alex asked, desperate to see his grandma again

"Yeah, she's with Jesus now." Penelope said2

"What?" We all screamed, thinking she meant Lydia had died

"No, no. Sorry. She's at church. Poor choice of words. Uh, whoa! What do we have here?" Penelope asked, looking at everything Schneider had set up

"Oh, Nothing special. Just some nutted quinoa, wilted broccoli with radish micro greens, and venison carpaccio on a bed of nettles. Grab a cedar plank and dig in." Schneider said

"Big change from Abuelita's cooking, huh? You like it?" Penelope asked all of us

"I can't wait to have eaten it." Elena said, as Schneider stared at her waiting for an answer

"I didn't think I would like nettles, and I was right." Alex said, setting down the fork he was using to eat

"Well, I'm competing with perfection here." Schneider sighed

"It's okay, Schneider. We all thank you for this very Caucasian meal. Good to see you again, Elena's best friend, Carmen, you beautiful weirdo." Penelope smiled

Carmen stared at her, uninterested in what Penelope was talking about.

"I'm sorry things got crazy the other night. That's- that's not us." Penelope insisted

"Seems like us." Alex disagreed

"We have all kinds of arguments in my family. I have two brothers. Ones a priest, ones a witch, so..." Carmen said, making us look at her oddly

"I'm really glad I'm getting to know you better, Carmen." Penelope

"Hello!" Lydia said, dramatically making her reappearance through the front door

"Oh, Thank God!" Schneider said, running ahead of everyone and hugging her

"I am so glad you're home. I was wilting under pressure to be you." He groaned

"Oh, hello, babies." Lydia said, hugging Elena and Alex, then me

"I'm sure you did fine. Who threw up in the table?" Lydia said, approaching the table and judging Schneider's cooking

"What were you doing all day?" I asked

"Oh, you know, saying my Rosary, praying for the departed souls...Asking forgiveness for your mother." Lydia said

"Why?" Elena asked

"Oh, She didn't tell you? She's no longer going to church. Ever." Lydia said

"We can do that?" Alex asked

"You can't. We will all go together. Us. Your mother will go hiking with Satan." Lydia sassed

"Yeah, and then we'll go to Applebee's. Cause Satan loves the Fiesta Lime Chicken!" Penelope sassed right back

"So, I guess you want to take my grandchildren to hell with you." Lydia asked, furthering the argument between her and Penelope

"I don't wanna go to hell." Alex cried, making me pat his shoulder

"There is no hell." Penelope said

"Don't worry, papito, there is." Lydia said, not making Alex feel any better

"Okay! You- you really wanna do this? All right, let's do this. I am not even sure I even believe in God, Okay?" Penelope said

"Hardcore." Carmen said, as the Alvarez's gasped

"Oye, you're so smart. If God doesn't exist, who made all of this?" Lydia asked, gesturing around the apartment

"Target." Penelope said2

"Okay, can we agree that if there is a God, it's gender neutral and not a He or she?" Elena asked

"No! God is a man. If he were a woman, there would be less problems. Pobrecito God. He tries so hard." Lydia said5

"Look, Mami, I get it. You like going to church. It's habit. You go out in lipstick, get dressed up, see your friends, gossip. It's your little social club, Mami, and that's fine." Penelope said

"It is more than that. I pray. I seek forgiveness." Lydia said

"And I am so glad that that gives you comfort. But that doesn't mean that God exists, okay? I'm sorry." Penelope said

"He kept you safe. Every day that you were gone, he kept you safe. My little girl says she wants to go in the Army, and then the army sends her to Afghanistan where she is getting shot at and I don't even know what else. Do you have you any idea... how much I worried? When you were deployed, I went to church everyday and I prayed that he would keep you safe. And he did. So don't you tell me about God. I know that God exists, and he is great." Lydia said, crying as she finished her story

"Mami, I'm sorry. I had no idea. You know, you went missing for one day and I was worried sick. I can't imagine what it must feel like to worry all those years." Penelope said

"All those years putting up with Birdie, with her terrible hairdos and her smelly breath." Lydia said

"Look. I still wear the cross you gave me." Penelope said, showing her the dainty cross necklace

"So you do believe!" Lydia exclaimed

"No, I don't wear it because it's a cross. I wear it because you gave it to me." Penelope said

"I don't understand the difference, so please just let me have this." Lydia said

They both sobbed and hugged each other, as everyone else looked on with a smile.

"So, are we going to church or not?" Elena asked

"Yes. Wait, no. Wait.. Sometimes, okay?" Penelope asked

"At least at Christmas and Easter. And one other time, so we are not those people." Lydia said

"And I'm not saying God doesn't exist. In fact, I check in with him constantly, you know, like, 'please God don't let Elena come home with a face tattoo.' And Mami, I am glad that you find comfort in church. I just find it in different places." Penelope said

"That's how I feel when I watch John Cena." Alex said, making everyone laugh

"Exactly, or Sonia Sotomayor... or Death. Everyone has something that inspires them." Penelope said

__________

The next morning, I was sat on the couch with Alex watching the News. All of a sudden, a story about a car swerving off a bridge, into a lake, came on.

I stopped focusing on what Alex was talking about and stayed glued to the TV. As the story went on it started getting harder to breath, and I was shaking, and my eyes were tearing up.

"y/n? y/n! What's wrong?" Alex asked, grabbing my hand when he heard my labored breaths

"I... can't... breath." I said, shaking my head and crying

"Mom!" Alex screamed, calling out for an adult to come help

"What?" She asked running in, quickly rushing to the couch

"Something's wrong with y/n." He said, tearing up as I continued to shake and attempt to catch my breath.

"I'll go get Schneider. Wait here." She said, running out the apartment door

Elena, Alex, and Lydia tried to get me to calm down, but I just couldn't.

"Where is she?" Schneider asked, running in with Penelope.

When he saw me on the couch, he sat down and placed his hands on my shoulders, forcing me to look at him.

"Okay, okay. Remember your breathing. Breath in, 1,2,3,4,5. Breath out, 6,7,8,9,10." He said

We did that couple times, and I calmed down to the point where I could at least talk.

"What happened, kid?" He asked, rubbing my back in comfort

"The news. And the story, the car, bridge, lake." I said, beginning to tear up again

"y/n. Why didn't you take your medicine?" Schneider asked, realizing what had happened

"I did." I lied

"No, it wouldn't have been this bad if you had." He insisted

"I can't, okay? Every time I take those pills, I feel numb. And as crazy as it sounds, I want to feel the pain. I need to realize that what happened to my parents is real, not some horrible nightmare that I can just forget. I need to remember, and I need to heal on my own. I know I'll never have a mom who cares for me, or siblings to comfort me, or a dad to hang out with. I miss that, but pretending it's not real is worse." I said crying

Everyone stared at me either with teary eyes or sympathy, making me want to sink into the couch.

"Hey, I may not be your mom or your dad, but I'll always be there for you. I didn't think I'd enjoy taking in someone else's child, but since you've been with me I couldn't imagine life without you. You're my family." Schneider said, hugging me, "You can't hide these kind of thing from me, though. You have to try and be honest about it."

"We'll always be here too. For anything." Alex said, coming in to wrap me in hug

The rest of the family joined in one big hug, making me realize that Schneider was right. I may have lost my biological family, but family isn't just about DNA. It's about surrounding yourself with the people who will love and care for you through everything, and that's what Schneider and the Alvarez's are to me.

_________

Alright, I hope this chapter provides an idea of what happened to her parents. Thank you guys for the reads!! And please, any feedback is welcomed.

#odaat #alex alvarez

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brownskinsugarplum76 · 5 years

Text

Eye of the Storm, Ch 4

I've had much of this written for a while, but I got caught up on whether I should write in a less important part. I decided against it. So, what we have is pseudo-smut (it'll make sense shortly) and more heartfelt road trip conversation and flirting. The real-life smut should go down with the next chapter! ❤️❤️❤️

To catch up, the Eye of the Storm master post is here.

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Robert lowered himself on top of Maggie and continued his gentle thrusting. They had shared a frenzied, steamy moment earlier, and now, with that out of the way, he was expressing his feelings with every cell of his body. He was as close to her as two people could possibly be. He littered her with kisses and the tickling sensation of his long curls in constant motion, and he lulled her on the slow road to oblivion with the heat of his body and his metronome-regular strokes. Maggie telegraphed how she cared for Robert in much the same way, grasping him and meeting his movements, wishing their coupling could last forever. He growled softly in her ear and--

“--Earth to Maggie! Where'd you run off to in your head, love?” Robert gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

She jolted out of the fantasy that had occupied her mind for the last few miles on the road.

“I, uh…”

“Were you thinking about bananas and lemons, and the squeezing of lemons? Mine, to be specific?” He smiled his most mischievous smile, knowing he was right.

“Yes, Robert. You caught me thinking about tonight. You could say I'm a little impatient to be alone with you.”

“Your smile is what tipped me off. I must've been doing an exceptionally bang-up job… Rest assured, I'll meet every last one of your expectations tonight.”

He nipped at her earlobe and traced small circles on her thigh for good measure. “Quite frankly, if I was 100 percent healed, I would have asked you to pull off the road for a proper reunion a while ago, but the yoga I'd have to bend into in your darling automobile on a bum ankle…”

“Well, excuse me for not having a limo for you, Your Highness.” She gave Robert's leg a playful shove while she kept her eyes on the road, but a tiny smile was visible on her face.

“You know, you can drive us around in my Land-Rover. She's not had much of a workout in quite some time. Benji's been using his Cadillac when we go out.”

“Sure, I can do that,” she said, nodding her head.

“And then you can get your fix of me anywhere. And I of you.” His smile warmed her heart and her core at the same time. Robert was the only man who could make her feel loving and lustful at the same time. And she would never get enough of it.

“So, what have you been doing with your time off of your feet? Writing new songs? Re-reading your Tolkien books? Practicing new sexy faces for your concerts?” Maggie quickly glanced at Robert before turning her eyes back to the road.

“A little bit of this, and a little bit of that, but not much of anything productive, I'm afraid.”

He turned to Maggie, studying her familiar profile and smiling. “Well, I did write some songs, of course. One can't help but be inspired when they're living in paradise, yeah? But scenery notwithstanding, many of the songs that you'll hear on the new album do have a bit of… Angst, shall we say.”

“Pobrecito… Poor, dear Robert,” she said, glancing at him briefly. “Did it help any to get your feelings out on paper? Out of your head?”

“It did at the time, but now I hope I didn't get too moody. The fans are expecting us to serve as their aphrodisiac, as it were, not make them weep into their bloody cans of Miller.”

“I noticed that you were silent when we drove past the billboard for the album earlier. Is that why? Pre-release jitters? I'm sure it will be fine. Everyone is hungry for some new music from you all.”

“That's what G keeps saying…”

“And you don't believe it? The band with unbelievable concert attendance numbers and mountains of records sold, all without really breaking a sweat?”

“I do believe it, but… Things are different… I'm different. I won't be wild, Black Country Robert, prancing about on the stage.”

Maggie turned down the music to focus on Robert.

“Don't get me wrong, I'm going to give ‘em everything I've got, same as always, but I don't seem to have a prance left in me right now. It's going to be baby steps as I continue to heal, you know? I'll dream up a different way wiggle my ass and look good. Bonzo's right, no one will ever take that away from me, at least.”

“I, for one, am counting on some ass shaking and strong singing,” Maggie said reassuringly. “I know you'll be back to your old self once you get in front of an audience.”

“But beyond how I feel physically, I think I'm losing my zeal for tour life,” he continued. “It's not enough to just be the happy, horny kid who sang every day and partied every night, you know? I'm excited, but I'm also restless. I need to know my future has something more than singing the same songs every night, even if we do throw something a little different in here and there.”

“What do you want to do instead?” Maggie asked.

“That I don't know, Mags… For a brief moment I considered a solo album, or just saying fuck it and becoming a teacher or something, but…”

He raked a hand through his hair. “Ahhhhh… Bugger that! Enough self-pity blathering and castles in the sand…” He gestured with his hand as though the movement could cast his mood away. “I'm sure you don't want to hear all of my ‘woe is me, poor little rock star’ bullshit. I haven't even asked you about your feelings. I'm sorry, love, you're the one leaping blindly into the abyss of touring a first album. What's on your mind?”

“I am beyond excited. Everything is moving so fast, everything I'd always hoped would happen. I feel really blessed. We all do.”

“It sounds like you're going to add a ‘but’?”

“But the waiting is hard! I wish we could start tomorrow and get that first concert out of the way. I want to know if they're going to love us or not.”

“How have the album sales been?”

“There has been some interest. San Diego especially. People who know us from the dive bars down there have continued to support us.”

“What about singles? Radio play?”

“We have one single, but it seems that no one knows what to do with it. Rock radio is skittish, I think because there's a woman fronting the band. It's either that or our Latin influences that make us “unique,” as everyone likes to phrase it. But we're not getting much Latin radio play, and we're too rock for black radio… It's like we don't have a natural home or built-in audience.”

“I think there's a place for you lot. Good music always finds a way, no matter how different it is.” Robert stroked her hair reassuringly.

“From your mouth to God's ears, Robert.”

“I think you're all amazing. Your brother, his rhythm! And he hits hard, almost as hard as Bonzo. You all play so tight. You make absolute bedlam in the audience. Trust me. I was there. If your record captured any of that, and I'm sure it did, you're good as gold.”

Maggie smiled at the memory of Robert coming to one of their concerts a few years ago. The spectacle of rock royalty in the audience--he insisted on watching from the front row--did die down quickly once the concert was underway. The crowd couldn't get enough of her band, and the noise before the encore was deafening. Robert was right, it was a night that made them all believe they were on the way.

“You'll have people across the country dancing in no time. And when you strut onstage in the outfits I have in mind, if you'll have them… There might be some news reports of this Prince of Peace getting into fights over the horny hordes of fans getting too close to his woman…”

Maggie didn't know whether to laugh or thank him, or pull over to show him a different form of gratitude. “I love this fantasy you're painting, Robert.” She also liked that he called her his woman.

“Mark my words, Mags, it will be a reality.”

Her smile was uncontrollable. “Now, back to you. You know what your problem is, Robert?”

“Tell me.”

“I think you'd believe that things will go fine if someone prettier than G was trying to cheer you up.”

He stared innocently at Maggie, and she caught his puppy dog gaze in her periphery. “You? What do you have in mind for a mopey bloke like me?”

“Everything you like, Robert. I have lots of ways to make you forget all your worries.” Maggie flashed a wicked smile at Robert before turning her attention back to the road.

“Don't tease me, woman…”

She smiled smugly as she kept driving.

Robert yawned and looked out the window. They were almost at Maggie's place with her brother. She was lost in thought again, with her musings ping-ponging from sex with Robert to his fragile mood, to her own anxieties. She asked herself whether her band should be practicing more, fretted about the order of their set list, wondered if anyone would show up when they weren't in San Diego.

Her fitful rumination was interrupted by Robert's soft snore. He had fallen asleep with his head leaning against the car window.

She glanced at him briefly and smiled at how comfortable he was with her. He felt safe enough to unpack his deepest struggles, and she was delighted that he felt that way.

She was also glad that their relationship was growing stronger. They were no longer in a new acquaintance phase, for which the most mundane conversation was volleyed back and forth to prevent awkward silences. Robert could share what was on his mind, or he could sit quietly while listening to the radio or looking out the window, while he found some reassuring way to touch her.

She thought of their ease with each other in the car as the equivalent of the couples on TV who would comfortably sit side by side in bed, one person reading a book, the other doing a crossword puzzle. It was the kind of relationship she wanted with Robert. She craved a partnership of two people who felt secure enough to be vulnerable with each other or tend to their private goals and interests as needed, without straying too far from each other. He seemed as willing to live that way as much as she was.

She smiled to herself. It was exactly what she needed while everything else in her life was so uncertain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of my stories are here, or search for the hashtag #brownskinsugarplumlibrary

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imaredshirt · 5 years

Text

Attack of the Space Slugs

They may be surrounded, but Coco's not about to let the Space Slugs steal her Papá away.

(In which a young Rivera stays up past her bedtime, and imaginations run wild.)

Written for the Coco Locos Fluff-Off contest.

This didn't end up being as fluffy as I'd hoped. Also I wrote it in a couple of hours, and it hasn't been edited at all, so I apologize for all of it.

Modern AU. Coco's about 7 here.

Prompt used was "You did what!?"

Héctor couldn’t sleep.

That nervous excitement he always experienced before leaving on trips was keeping him up. He could hardly stay still under the covers, but he tried so Imelda wouldn’t be bothered. All he wanted to do was get up and pace around, maybe take the guitar outside to play a bit, but he needed sleep. If he didn’t sleep tonight, he’d have to sleep on the ride to the city, and he did not look forward to trying to sleep in Ernesto’s ’07 sedan. The thing was louder than a dying tractor.

But that wasn’t all, he thought, turning in bed. There was more on his mind that kept him from sleeping.

Over an hour ago he and Imelda had tucked Coco into bed, and after accepting a kiss goodnight on her brow from Héctor, Coco had gripped his hand and said in a voice more serious than any child should ever know, “I will never forget you, Papá, no matter how long you’re gone. OK?”

He’d felt his heart drop through the floor at that.

He’d been gone on trips with Ernesto before, but the longest of those trips had lasted a week, and his daughter knew this upcoming trip was going to be much longer.

Héctor would be gone for 45 days. 45 days touring the country, side by side with Ernesto, singing for cheering crowds and judgmental producers and longtime Youtube fans. 45 days away from Santa Cecilia and his family. 45 days returning to cold hotel rooms and curling up alone in narrow beds to sleep while Ernesto snored away in an adjacent bed.

He’d promised Coco they would Skype every night before bed and almost every morning before she went off to school, and she had seemed excited at that. But Héctor couldn’t get over the fact that seeing his wife and child’s faces on the small screen of his phone or busted laptop was a far cry from being able to be near enough to hug.

It was going to be tough. They’d planned the trip for weeks, but it didn’t lessen the blow of being away for so long.

Héctor shut his eyes and tried to ignore the thoughts that had bugged him for days. But almost immediately he sat up, pushed the blanket off his legs, and switched on his bedside lamp.

The rest of the room was dark, but with the soft light he could see his suitcase and duffle bag sitting by the door. His guitar case was propped up by the dresser he shared with his wife.

If he couldn’t sleep, the least he could do was triple-check he’d packed everything.

Glancing at Imelda, who was laying on her side and facing away from him, Héctor began to carefully move off the bed. He and Imelda and begun the night hugging, whispering to each other of the plans for the next day, but some time during that sleepless hour, she had turned away from him.

When his foot touched the floor, Imelda shifted until she was facing him, seemingly as wide awake as he was.

“Still can’t sleep, Héctor?”

“You’ve been awake this whole time?” Héctor asked, incredulous as he sat back against the headboard instead of leaving the bed.

“Your thoughts are so loud, I can practically hear them,” Imelda said. She sat up next to him and sighed when he took her hand to trace each finger with a feather light touch. “You’re still thinking about Coco.”

“She sounded so sad, Imelda,” Héctor said without meeting her eyes.

“And you know why,” Imelda said. “You’re going to be gone for over a month. How do you expect her to react?”

He knew his trip was going to leave Coco sad until he returned, but what was he supposed to do? He and Imelda had shared this same conversation many times before. It always left him feeling guilty. He couldn’t cancel the trip, not now.

Grimacing, Héctor considered suggesting they watch Y Tu Mamá Tabien until they fell asleep—anything other than continue the conversation—but at that moment their door opened, and Coco marched through.

Héctor and Imelda both glanced over and stared. They were speechless.

Sometime during the night, their daughter had donned her pink winter coat, the boots with sunflowers that her tíos had bought for her birthday, Imelda’s severe looking sunglasses, and the violet helmet she used when she rode her bike with Héctor around their home. Her Princess Elena calculator was taped to the coat pocket.

For a moment all three of them stared silently at each other. Then Coco adjusted the sunglasses, strode forward, grabbed the corner of the quilt Imelda had folded at the foot of the bed, and began to gather it into her arms.

“Coco?” Imelda asked, frowning. “What’s wrong?”

“I need this,” Coco said with a grunt, and with a final tug, the whole quilt fell into her arms.

“Is it cold in your room?” Héctor asked.

“No,” Coco said. “I need to reinforce my Space Slug Resistant shelter!”

Héctor and Imelda glanced at each other, and Héctor knew Imelda had come to the same realization. Three nights ago, Oscar and Felipe had stayed with Coco while her parents left for a night out. When they returned, they found the three younger Riveras fast asleep in the living room under a meticulously built pillow fort, and the old 80s B movie “Captain Rodriguez and the Attack of the Space Slugs!!!” still playing on Felipe’s laptop.

But Coco had never mentioned anything about the movie until now.

“Do you need more pillows?” Héctor asked, as Coco resorted to rolling the quilt into a ball on the floor.

“No,” Coco said, lifting the quilt again. “This is good.”

With some effort, she hefted the quilt in one arm and taped the calculator on her jacket. It beeped.

She announced with authority as if speaking into a radio, “I have the material! Returning now!” She paused and saluted her parents. “The fleet thanks you for your contribution to the galactic war. Farewell and stay safe!”

With that she turned on her heel and, without another word, marched out the door.

There was a moment of silence as Héctor and Imelda stared at the empty doorway before Héctor hummed and grinned apologetically at Imelda.

“Well,” he said. “We can finish this conversation, or we can go see what that was all about.”

“And you’re going to choose the latter, aren’t you,” Imelda said in a flat voice.

“Ay, amor, you know me so well,” Héctor said, just before leaning over to kiss her cheek and then rolling out of bed.

Imelda watched him leave their room with an arched eyebrow, arms crossed, and Héctor swore he could feel her eyes burning holes into his shoulder blades just before he shut the door behind him.

Héctor had been gone for almost an hour when Imelda headed out to look for him. It shouldn't have taken that long to finish whatever game Coco was playing and send her back to bed.

Either the man had let himself be tricked into playing with her, or he was avoiding finishing the conversation that he had started.

Or both, probably.

As Imelda neared Coco’s bedroom, she heard her family’s laughter coming from behind the closed door, and huffed.

It was both. Definitely both.

“Look out, there’s a sand storm coming!” Said Coco’s voice, and Imelda put her ear to the door with a frown. “Whoosh whoosh! It’s here! Seal all the doors with every pillow you can find!”

“Right away, Captain Rivera!” Héctor said, and there was a shuffling sound, and Coco’s little voice saying, “The storm will take everything down if we don’t work fast Papá, and then we’ll have no shelter from them, and we’ll both die horrible deaths--”

“Ah, Coco--” Héctor said quickly, possibly coming to the same conclusion as Imelda--Coco’s make-believe game was becoming a little violent.

“One already bit you, Papá! It’s not long before the eggs crawl through your blood system and plant themselves in your brain!”

“O-kay,” Héctor said with some authority (if it wasn’t for the humor in his voice.) “Why don’t we play something else. What about unicorn wranglers or rainbow--”

“Unicorn wranglers? Pobrecito, they’re already clouding your mind,” Coco said solemnly, and Imelda found herself stifling a bemused chortle with her hand. “Don’t worry Papá, as long as the storm doesn’t damage our supply of anti-venom, you’ll be ok.”

“Well, that’s good,” Héctor said, and finally Imelda opened the door. It sounded like a good place to end their game.

When she stepped into the room, she paused and raised her eyebrows at the sight that greeted her. Coco’s favorite blanket had been stretched across wicker chairs and the corners of her dresser, the baby blue material pockmarked by little lilac stars and planets and decorated with strings of little lights. A fluffed pillow was leaning against what looked like a Coco sized entry way right in front of Imelda, with Coco’s Rey and Finn figurines standing on either side like guards. Coco and Héctor’s shadows were visible from within the fort, as if some source of light glowed softly in the center and casted their shadows against the blanket.

Imelda quietly shut the door behind her, then went to stand near the opening, arms crossed, as she listened to Coco make more “whoosh whoosh” sounds.

“The wind’s too strong, the storm is taking down the fort!” Coco screamed, and Héctor gasped. Discreetly, he gripped the bottom of the blanket and began to shake it, as if it really was billowing in some strong wind.

“Oh no!” Coco yelled. “The anti-venom! It’s gone! The wind took it!”

“Oh nooo! What do we do, Captain?” Héctor asked in one of the most dramatic voices Imelda had ever heard him use. “We won’t make it without the anti-venom! We’re doomed!”

Imelda watched his shadow throw an arm against his forehead in a display of ultimate despair.

“I won’t let you succumb to the venom, Papá!” Coco said. “We’ll make it through this. Remember, we’re Riveras! We’re tough!”

“You’re right mijita, but—oh no—” Héctor gasped. “Oh no--”

“What? What is it?” Coco asked in a near whisper.

“Mira--outside. There’s a shadow,” Héctor said. His shadow pointed right at Imelda and Imelda planted her fists on her hips, “Somebody’s here. We’re not alone!”

Coco gasped. Her shadow scrambled into Héctor’s lap. “We’re surrounded! Shhh, they can’t know we’re here!”

“It’s too late,” Imelda said in a booming voice to two surprised gasps. She squared her shoulders and held her hands up like claws, casting a monstrous shadow against the wall of lilac stars.

Her first instinct had been to end the game and send Coco to bed. It was late, there was school tomorrow, and Héctor wasn’t done packing for his trip. She was sure Héctor and Coco had expected her to do the same. But Héctor had already involved her in the imaginary adventure by pointing her out, and as strict as she knew she should be, she was not about to send her daughter to bed in tears.

Besides, this was going to be the last night they spent together as a family for many nights to come. She might as well join in on whatever fun there was to be had before it was all put to an end.

“You can’t escape me,” she growled and stomped forward. “Soy el cucuy, and I can sniff out little daughters who should be in bed and are not!”

“No, Mamá!” Coco said insistently, “We’re playing Space Slugs!”

Imelda paused and silently promised punishment upon her brothers and their awful 80s B movies. “Ah.”

“Yeah, Imelda, remember?” Héctor said. “Space Slugs.”

Imelda rolled her eyes. She could very clearly picture Héctor’s teasing expression, even if she couldn’t see it. “Pues, I am the Space Slug of Sleep, and I smell two humans who should be sleeping!”

After one giant step forward, she grabbed the ballerina print pillow covering the fort entrance and tossed it aside. Coco screamed and Héctor shrieked and Imelda ducked her head under the star strewn roof and roared.

Inside the fort, Héctor was seated on a purple pillow with the top of his mussed hair brushing the bed sheet stretched overhead. In his lap, Coco was still dressed in her strange outfit, and she pointed one gloved finger at Imelda and yelled, “We have a breach!”

“Que está despierto!” Imelda snarled, flexing her spread fingers like grasping claws, and suddenly Coco rolled out of her Papá’s lap and ran at Imelda with her hands in the air as if shielding Héctor from the intruder. Shrieking with laughter, she ran until Imelda scooped her up into her arms and cuddled her close.

“Caught you!” Imelda said, tickling Coco’s sides. “You should be asleep, chiquita!”

“Noo, nooo Mamá!” Coco giggled. She kicked her legs until Imelda, kneeling, finally set her down. Gasping around her giggling, Coco took hold of Imelda’s hand and pointed at her laughing father. “We can’t sleep! Papá’s been infected by Space Slugs!”

“Good,” Imelda growled. “He’s mine to control. He’ll wash dishes for one thousand years—”

“Noooo!” Coco and Héctor cried in unison.

“Sí!”

“But Mamá, you’re not a slug,” Coco said with a stomp of her foot. Imelda frowned at her sudden anger until Coco tugged her further into the fort, pulling her to sit cross legged next to Héctor. “You’re Doctor Imelda, and you have to help cure Papá, ok?”

“Oh?” Imelda asked. She raised an eyebrow at Héctor, who grinned at her and nudged her in the side with his elbow.

“Ándale, Imelda, have some fun.”

“It’s not fun,” Coco said gravely. “This is a dire situation, Papá. You won’t make it through the night if we can’t help you!”

Héctor and Imelda exchanged glances. Their daughter had apparently taken the old movie very seriously. Imelda would consider banning her brothers from watching those badly filmed movies ever again if she wasn’t sure they’d find a way around it.

“Of course,” Héctor said placatingly, “Lo siento, mijita.”

“We have to be serious,” Coco said, tapping the palm of her hand with each word. “Doctor Imelda, can you help him?”

“You just had to go and get yourself infected, didn’t you,” Imelda said to Héctor, who shrugged and gave her an apologetic smile with puppy dog eyes.

“I’m sorry, Doctor Imelda.”

Coco was watching them intently, all joy from the game apparently gone from her mind.

“Very well,” Imelda said, and Coco gave a relieved sigh. “I will help him. So how do we get the slugs out of his blood?”

“We lost all our anti-venom in the dust storm,” Coco said. She rubbed her chin and sighed. “We have one choice left. We must operate.” She gave Héctor a pitying look and patted his knee. “I’m sorry, Papá. But Doctor Imelda is the best in the whole entire universe. If anyone can save you, it’s her.”

“I believe it,” Héctor said, and winked at Imelda.

“We can’t leave those mean slug jerks in you any longer!” Coco said, and Imelda felt some relief that her brothers had at least showed Coco the PG-13 version of the movie to keep her from repeating curses from the original dialogue. “The longer they’re in you, the more bad ideas they give you!”

“Dios mio! I’ll do what I can, Captain. We don’t want bad ideas,” Imelda said, with Héctor nodding in agreement. In the movie, the “bad ideas” the slugs had planted in the lost space crew had been badly filmed hallucinations that led to ridiculous deaths.

“I’ll get you the specialized tools to cut his arm open and take the slugs and their eggs out,” Coco said. Héctor looked alarmed at the gory imagery. “Because if we don’t do it now, the slugs might make him go away forever!”

“I would never leave you forever,” Héctor said, looking softly at his daughter. He was gripping his hands together, suddenly uncomfortable with the make-believe dangers of the game, and Imelda watched silently as Coco stomped her foot and clenched her fists.

“They’re already making you leave with Tío Ernesto! Again! Who knows what they’ll do after that!” She shook her head and looked at Imelda. “He’s not in his right brain. He’s been wandering the Slug Desert for 100 years all by himself. He’s losing his mind. We have to help him.” She looked at Héctor and took a deep breath. “I’ll always remember you Papá, but I won’t let them take you forever.”

Héctor looked over Coco’s braided hair at Imelda, uncertain and lost. Imelda didn’t know what to say. Coco had never reacted this way to Héctor traveling. And she’d already told him there was nothing he could do to placate her unless he canceled the trip. What comfort could Imelda offer when their daughter was clearly more distraught than either of them had imagined?

“Coco,” Héctor said slowly, “I’m coming home, mija. I’m not--”

At that moment, Héctor’s phone began to ring from his pocket, and with a tsk he pulled it out to silence it--

--and Coco snatched it out of his hand.

Shuffling out of reach, Coco answered before either of her parents could stop her. “Captain Rivera speaking! This better be important!”

There a second of silence on the other end, then Ernesto’s voice said, “Captain Coco, I need to speak to your Papá.”

“He’s dying,” Coco said matter-of-factly.

“Qué molestia,” Ernesto said. “Can I speak to him before he does?”

“No! We’re going to operate!”

“Coco,” Héctor said, and tried to reach for the phone, but Coco grabbed a pillow up to fend him off.

“Well, when you’re done, tell him I’m a minute away,” Ernesto’s voice said. “We need to speak before--”

“OK, bye,” Coco said, and hung up before Ernesto could finish. She lowered the pillow and met Imelda’s eyes. “We need to operate. Now.”

“Mijita,” Imelda said. “Maybe we should talk.”

“No time! We need to get those slugs out!”

“Coco,” Héctor said again, and his next words were drowned out by the rumble of an angry engine roaring down the road outside.

Coco gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth. Her eyes were wide. She looked at her parents and said in a loud whisper, “It’s the Slug King.”

“No, mija, it’s Tío Ernesto,” Héctor said with a frown.

Imelda have him an irritated look. Just what did Ernesto need to say at one in the morning? And did his car really need to be so loud?

With a sigh, Héctor shrugged and began to crawl out of the fort. “I’ll be right back.”

“No, Papá!” Coco gasped. “We need to operate!”

“We’ll operate later,” Imelda said, picking Coco up to bring her close. “As soon as we can. Right now, Papá needs to tell the Slug King to go away.”

“I promise I’ll be back,” Héctor said. He saluted her and winked. “I promise, Captain.”

Pursing her lips, Coco have him a return salute, and Héctor ducked out of the fort without another word.

“Godspeed, Papá,” Coco said solemnly, and Imelda promised herself she’d have a very serious talk with her brothers about their awful movies before they even had a chance to leave their room the next morning.

The King Slug had her Papá. Coco just knew it.

He’d been gone too long. Coco didn’t know exactly how long, but it felt like a really long time, and Mamá already looked sleepy. She wasn’t even keeping up with Coco in sneaking through the front door to find Papá.

Still clad in her Captain outfit, Coco gestured sharply at Mamá to keep as silent as possible. Mamá nodded, holding her helmet (a large bucket Coco had dug out of her closet) steady over her braids, and followed Coco through the entryway.

Coco knew they were walking through their home. But in her imagination, they were also walking through the Slug Desert, where Papá had wandered all alone and got bitten by slugs. They had to be careful, or they’d get bitten too, and her whole family would wander apart from each other for a billion years.

Coco wouldn’t let that happen. No way. Not to her familia.

She could hear voices coming from the sitting room. Angry voices. She wondered if the King Slug was there. She’d heard it growling angrily outside their home before Papá had disappeared.

The sitting room was right around the corner. Flattening herself against the wall, and motioning for Mamá to do the same, Coco very carefully peeked around the edge.

“You did what?!”

“Héctor--”

“Without asking me first!”

“Listen to me--”

That was Papá and Tío Ernesto. Yelling at each other. It sounded like they had been arguing forever. Coco saw Papá walking back and forth and running a hand through his messy hair, and Tío Ernesto waving a hand at him as he talked. With a worried frown, Coco looked up at Mamá. She looked angry and confused, listening to the voices without looking around the corner.

“Two more months, and that’s all,” Tío Ernesto said, like he was trying to calm Papá down. “It won’t even feel that long--mira, we can visit as often as we want once we get paid--”

“I don’t want to just visit my family,” Papá said. “I shouldn’t have to visit them! Por Dios, Nesto, I can’t be away three months!”

Coco’s heart hurt. Away for three months? That was too long. Papá was going away for too long. Why would he do that?

Except, Coco knew why. She’d known from the very beginning.

The slugs were taking hold of Papá.

Narrowing her eyes, she looked around the corner again and saw something angry in Tío Ernesto’s glare.

It was the King Slug. And it had taken control of Tío Ernesto already.

Now it wanted Papá.

Coco took a deep breath. She was in her home, she knew that, but her imagination turned the comfortable place into the hot, dusty plains of the Slug Desert. The sun was beating down on her. Her Mamá was leaning back against a giant boulder, frowning at the red alien sky, her gloved hands clenched at her sides. Around the boulder, Papá was trapped in a gulley, his hair full of sand and dirt, his soldier’s gear torn and beaten, and in front of him his old friend looked at him with the King Slug’s glittering silver eyes.

“So they visit you!” Ernesto said. “Héctor, if we keep to this contract, we’ll make enough to fly them out every other weekend. Luxury hotels, expensive food, only the best. And we’ll have the same every day. We just need to--”

“Ernesto,” Papá said, sounding sad and angry at the same time. “I can’t. I can do the first month, but the next two? No.”

Tío Ernesto had a look in his eyes that Coco didn’t like. “I need your songs, Héctor. I need you there with me.” He paused and stepped closer to Papá, holding his hands out. “We’re this close. Only three months, and we’ll be famous. We’ll achieve our dreams, hermanito.”

Papá was quiet, looking at the ground, frowning. Coco pursed her lips. Papá couldn’t possibly be thinking of doing it! The King Slug couldn’t take him away like this!

With a smile, Tío Ernesto thumped a hand on Papá’s shoulder. “I bought our favorite tequila for the trip. A few shots and all our worries will be gone.”

Papá bit his lip. Coco’s heart fell.

She was going to lose him forever.

The King Slug was winning. The Bad Ideas were winning.

With a huff, Coco clenched her fist. No. No, she wouldn’t let it end like this. Maybe it was too late for Tío Ernesto. But it wasn’t for Papá. She was Captain Rivera, and like the captain from the movie, she was going to protect her crew!

She replayed the best scene in her mind. In the movie, the captain had taken her weapon from her belt. In Coco’s case, she removed one boot.

Ready.

The movie captain had pointed the weapon at the King Slug, yelling and running. But Coco just lifted her boot over her head and narrowed her eyes at Tío Ernesto’s forehead.

Aim.

And then, with tears in her eyes, the movie captain had fired lasers into the King Slug’s gaping maw.

Coco tightened her grip on the boot. She lifted it high over her head, and swung.

Fire.

The boot flew through the air. And like a missle, it hit it’s target dead center.

She’d heard Tío Ernesto curse before, but never like this. The word tore from his throat when the boot hit him between the eyes and his head knocked back. The boot fell, and he slapped a hand to his face, while Papá stared in shock.

Coco couldn’t hold herself back anymore. With a yell, she ran around the corner and leaped into Papá’s arms.

“You can’t go!” She sobbed. She didn’t know when she had started crying. “Don’t let the slugs take you! You can’t! You can’t!”

She was sobbing too hard to talk. Her throat hurt. She pressed her face into Papá’s shirt and held him so tight she thought she would break his neck. He was holding her tight, patting her back, but nothing would calm her down, not if he left.

There was silence. And then, Papá said, “You need to go home, Ernesto.”

Tío Ernesto said slowly, “And we’ll leave tomorrow?”

Papá’s hand soothed down Coco’s hair. “I don’t think so. Not now.”

Tío Ernesto sounded angry when he spoke, like the King Slug was talking through him, “You can’t be serious!”

“He is very serious,” Mamá’s voice said from nearby. “Making contracts without him, Ernesto, you--”

“We’ll talk tomorrow,” Papá said. “Por favor, Nesto.”

Tío Ernesto was quiet. He’d made Papá angry, and he was angry too, but Coco didn’t care. He wasn’t making Papá leave.

“Bueno.” Tío Ernesto sounded farther away. “I’ll call you. But this is a mistake, Héctor.”

“Maybe,” Papá said. Silence again, then footsteps, and the sound of the front door slamming shut.

“Coco,” Papá said, softly, and Coco sniffled. “Mija.”

“I don’t want to play Space Slugs anymore,” Coco said. She was tired. Her head hurt. She was also hungry. Crying too a lot of energy. “Can we watch a movie? Por favor?” Mamá and Papá looked at each other for a long time. Until Papá smiled and ruffled her hair. “Of course. What movie do you want to see?”

“Not from Tío Oscar or Tío Felipe’s old movies,” Mamá ordered, and Coco thought next time she should be captain.

“Ninja Turtles!” Coco said. “No! Zootopia! Wait--Princess and the Frog--”

“You have until I make popcorn to decide,” Mamá said, walking to the kitchen, and Coco went through her entire movie collection in her head, ignoring the roar of the King Slug outside as it moved farther and farther from their home.

They weren’t in the desert anymore. It wasn’t hot and dusty. They were in their home, and it was warm and cozy, and the pillow fort glowed softly around them.

The King Slug and Tío Ernesto’s Bad Ideas were far away.

Coco plucked the last of the popcorn from the bowl and tossed them into her mouth. On the laptop screen, Stitch was saving Lilo, and Coco sipped at her mug of warm atole.

On either side of her, Mamá and Papá slept peacefully, cushioned by Coco’s favorite pillows and blankets. Papá was snoring. Usually it made Coco giggle, but tonight she was just glad to hear it.

Papá wasn’t leaving. Not for a while, at least. The King Slug hadn’t won.

Captain Rivera had won.

Smirking, triumphant, Coco snuggled back against her orange pillow and set her mug down. She knew her parents wouldn’t send her to school tomorrow, since they had all gone to sleep so late, and she knew Papá wasn’t going away for three months.

It had been tough, but she had definitely won. She’d even done better than the movie captain! The movie captain had lost four of her crew. And Coco? She hadn’t lost anyone.

...except for Tío Ernesto.

Well. She tapped her chin. She’d have to save him some day, too. Get rid of the King Slug forever and free her Papá’s friend. Somehow. One day.

But sometimes you just had to be glad for the people you did save. And she was glad she’d saved Papá.

She was really sleepy. Pulling her blanket up to her chin, Coco shut her eyes and listened to the end of the movie playing.

She loved her Papá’s songs, but for once she was glad they weren’t singing Remember Me before Papá left on a trip.

Warm, with both her parents close, Captain Rivera fell asleep, listening to the snoring and the movie and knowing Mamá and Papá were safe at home.

(And one day, Tío Ernesto would be safe, too.)

#coco #héctor rivera #imelda rivera #look i wrote a thing

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classicallyelegant · 5 years

Text

Maxey is back for her next chapter....I truly hope someone out there is enjoying this story!

CREAMY SUGAR

I take Joe on the bus to the coffeehouse Russ used to work at. It’s not very far but a nicer atmosphere. We sit and I order pie with a juice. He only gets coffee.

“Now, we’re all alone so what can I tell you?” I ask him.

“You know, when I first thought about you, I had so many things to say and ask, but now that you’re here in front of me, I don’t know what to say. You’re not what I expected, Maxey.”

“I’m not? You’ve known Alejandro for so long, surely I couldn’t be that big of a surprise to you.”

“What I mean is you are his ideal. The long, dark hair, dark eyes, you’re a little beauty. That’s what Alex has always hoped for! I see why he fell the way he did.” I turn so red! I didn’t expect him to tell me something like that! I’m his ideal?! How did that happen? He smiles and puts his head down. “You’re so cute, I’ll bet even more so when you’re not pregnant. I don’t stand a chance with him!”

“I don’t see that at all. I heard him speak about you earlier. You meant an awful lot to him before you left. He is struggling with your absence for no explanation….least that’s how he sees it”

“He is?” he sounds hopeful from this. “I had to leave. I realized that I was hopelessly attracted to him but he never paid attention to me….not in that way anyway! He would flirt with girls but he never seemed very interested in any of them. I fought it as long as I could but no matter what I did to even hint at something maybe ….he never caught on. It was all a big joke to him!”

“But that’s why you came back and put it in no uncertain terms. You returned because you missed him. You wanted to set things straight with him. This time you made sure he saw you and he finally understood what you’ve been trying to say all along.”

“Well, I tried to. I didn’t really think I would find him again and I definitely didn’t expect everything to happen like that. I saw him and I wanted to….I don’t know…I was so happy to see him. He looked even handsomer than I remembered! He sounded like that same excited boy from years ago. I knew he would never let me be what I wanted but a part of me hoped for just one night! If I could only have one memory, I wanted it to be of him!” He looks off; sounding very excited himself until he comes to the close of his speech, then he looks me right in the eye with those last few words. I see it as he puts his head down! This guy is crazy about Alejandro! He’s not questioning whether or not he is, he’s not looking for something to validate this….he knows what he wants is to be around him!

“I must say, I envy Alejandro.” I tell him and touch his hand. He looks up as if to ask why. “You’re telling me that you’re willing to do just about anything because you do love him. It’s not just words for you though. You mean it with everything you have in you. I envy that and I wish he saw that about you.” He smiles and moves his hand to grasp mine.

“I’m envious of you! I saw how he looked at you! He told me he’s been in love with you, but you don’t see him that way. With that guy you had by you, well, I can see why Alex may be a close second at least.”

“Matt? He’s my best friend.” I try to laugh it off, but deep down….if you only knew, Joe!

“He called you Princess! He is much more than your friend! I saw it all over you two! You love each other on such a level, it’s a wonder more people don’t see it!” I just know my face is red!

“I….oh gosh….well, I have to say that Matt and I do have a connection between us. I do love him, but Matt has a boyfriend who adores him as well. As for Alejandro, I do enjoy his attention at times, but….I’m scared of him sometimes. I am older than him and I have my boyfriend, Rod. Alejandro tries to prove his point to me but it ends up scaring me more than anything else!”

He smirks. “His intensity! That’s one of the things I love about him! He sees what he wants and he doesn’t let anything hold him back. It can appear scary at times, but it’s also endearing because it shows how much he wants something.”

I laugh. “You see intensity…I just feel scared.”

“He would never hurt you! Alex is not built that way. He’s always been more concerned about the other than he is himself. Try not to worry. When he does that, it’s just so you see how much he means what he’s telling you.”

“OK, I’ll try to keep that in mind. I thought Katie would prove a great distraction for him but it doesn’t look that way now. He doesn’t seem nearly as interested in her as she does him.”

“Katie? That the girl chasing behind him yesterday?”

“Yeah, that was probably her.”

“Oh no, no no! He would never go for her! She’s so typical of the girls who used to chase him. He always shrugged them off!”

“Oh dear!” I giggle.

“We had a theater advisor who looked a lot like her and she took more than a motherly interest in Alex. She chased him relentlessly! He would hide by me if he saw her coming. He didn’t like her at all!”

“Oh no!”

“Yeah, it got so bad, Alex’ brother came in and told her a thing or two. He was scared if he told her anything, it could cost him his acting, so he just tried to avoid her. Antonio told her to leave him alone and she finally did, but she didn’t like it. I think she wanted him, but he wouldn’t have it. That’s what I mean! Girls would follow him, chase after him….he would maybe say a few words but if they pursued it, he clammed up. He came to me or Antonio to get them to leave him alone.”

“¡Pobrecito!”

“¿Se hablas Español?” His eyes brighten.

“Si, hablo un poquito. Es un parte de mi familia.” I smile.

He looks down, shaking his head again. “Just another reason Alex would be after you! In his perfect image, his girl would speak Spanish as well as English. I’ll never be anything more than a friend with you around, Maxey.”

“Awww, Joe! You shouldn’t be telling me things like this. You’re making me blush so much!”

“And you get cuter every time I do! If I can’t have Alex, I would gladly leave him to you. I always thought his dream girl was just that…a dream he created in his head….now here you are! He couldn’t have created a more perfect picture than the one I’m staring at right now.” He brings my hand against his cheek.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to flirt with me.”

“Would that be much of a stretch? I am in love with him, but I’m not blind or inhuman….a pretty girl is a pretty girl! I have never met a girl like you before.”

I’m brushing my hair back with my free hand. His smile, his eyes….why do I feel the butterflies here? “You do realize I am older than you!” I try to laugh but I feel a lump in my throat.

“What’s a few years when you feel a certain way about a certain someone?” He comes around the table to sit beside me instead of in front of me.

“What are you doing? I think you may be moving quite fast here!” I scoot to keep from being sat on.

“Just one lil….” He very gently kisses my cheek. A huge smile spreads on his face. “I knew you would be…sweet, soft, beautiful, intelligent, sassy, funny…..Alex just had to fall head over heels for you! He’s really found the girl of his dreams!”

I bring my head down. >sigh< “That’s just it…..I’m not some sort of perfect ideal…please don’t try to make me into one! I’m just a messy girl who is struggling to make ends meet. Joe, I like Alejandro, but I’m not in love with him. I keep telling him, I want to be his friend….nothing more! I just told you, I have a boyfriend, a wonderful man that I can’t imagine being without. I have my best friend and his boyfriend….both of which I adore! I just need a sense of peace in my life now. Can you understand what I mean?”

He looks disappointed but then I see another grin on his face. “Alex is really mine to pursue?”

“I think that would be up to him more than me but if you’re asking as to whether I would compete with you or be some sort of obstacle, then no…..I’m not your worry.”

“Oh Maxey!” He throws his arms around me and I can feel his smile. “Thank you! I am happy to hear that and yet, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like if I could have you….”

“Me? I’m not the object of your desire.”

“No, but I find you quite irresistible nonetheless.” The look on his face! Have I just done something I didn’t intend again?

“Please, Joe! Don’t lose focus on who you really want. He is who you came back for and who captured your heart years ago, right?”

“He is.” He releases his grip on me. “Still, I’ve been around girls my whole life and none of them have left me with such a feeling.”

“I promise you! There is absolutely nothing special about me. I want you to be happy and I think he could do that for you much more effectively than I ever could.”

“I don’t know about all of that but never say there is nothing special about you. That’s a blatant lie! There is something very unique about you. I can’t say I know what it is, but I see it there! I sense it!” He lets go of me and goes back to his original seat. That was so very close! I still feel his touch.

Our check comes and he insists on paying. I try but he won’t hear of it. If I had known he would do that, I wouldn’t have gotten what I did. We take the bus back and just casually chat until we’re back at the building. He tells me he is going home but for me to tell Alejandro he will see him later.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t seem to be much help to you, but I hope I was able to bring about some good.” I take his hand.

He smiles and squeezes my hand. “You did! You’ve given me several things to think about and….Alex is a lucky man he gets to be around you as often as he does.” I can only blush. Joe is a nice guy…maybe a bit pushy at times, but he seems to have a good heart. I have to find Matt now!

I make my way to his office, but I hear his voice in the booth. He’s working for now. Well, maybe Rod would be better anyway. I go to his booth but he is also busy. Darn! OK, Alejandro…..though he’s not who I would like to see first thing. I feel I really need to build up my nerve to face him. I find the booth but Derek has Dustin behind the mike. “Oh I’m sorry for interrupting, but is Alejandro around?”

“He stepped out but should be back soon. We have a scene for him to do. Say, uh Maxey, could you maybe give Dustin a bit of help?” Derek asks.

“I can do this. I’m trying to find the right mood.” Dustin speaks up. Derek looks at me shaking his head no.

“What is it you want me to do?”

“Well, he needs to be romantic in this scene and let’s just say it’s not going so well like this, so maybe you could help him get there? Please?”

“Ummm, I don’t know about that!”

“I suppose it couldn’t hurt, Maxey. I guess I do need the right motivation.”

“But what would I have to do?”

“Just sit in there with him and maybe read a few lines, so he responds better! That’s all!” Derek brings me into the booth. He pulls that stool in front of Dustin and hands me a script turned to a certain page. ”Just help him sound more emotional!”

Dustin smiles, so I guess I got roped into this now. I look at what we are to say and uh….oh boy! He tells me he loves me! Now, you’ve done it, Maxey!

“Action!” Derek tells us. Dustin begins and I’m reading along.

“Can’t you even say the words?” he starts.

“What do you want me to say?”

“I’m asking you to think about the possibility of us.”

“Us? You mean you and me as a couple?”

“Of course! It is possible, isn’t it?”

“Well, in a scientific sense, sure….”

“That’s not what I mean!”

“Then what are you driving at?”

“I MEAN I LOVE YOU! Is that so hard for you to figure out?!” We are both looking at each other when Alejandro busts in.

“Leave her alone!”

“Alejandro! It’s the show…they’re doing a scene.” Derek comes in behind him.

“A scene? You mean, you’re just acting?”

“Yes, Mr. Screaming Like a Banshee! It’s all a scripted scene,” Dustin stands to show the script in front of him.

Alejandro turns red. “I….I’m so sorry! I thought you were trying to tell her something. I just heard two voices then I recognized Maxey.” Dustin turns his head without another word. I stand up.

“Alejandro, I was looking for you.”

“Yeah, y’all better take a short break. Maxey, thanks for your help. I think we got most of that but the last few words. We can get that though.” Derek hugs me slightly then takes Dustin out with him, leaving me alone with Alejandro.

“I’m really sorry about that, Maxey. I thought Dustin was up to no good and I was trying to save you.”

“It’s OK. As long as he got his scene done, I’m not going to say much. I wanted to see you about Joe.”

“Uh oh….did Joe do something while I wasn’t around?”

I giggle. “Yes and No really, but the point I wanted to get at is that he is very much in love with you. He said that he tried for years to tell you but you always saw things as a joke.”

“He made everything sound like a complete joke. He would tell me things but I never took him seriously because he would usually laugh afterwards.”

“I see. Well, I suppose that’s for the two of you to hash out. He told me to tell you that he was going home but that he would see you later. I really need to go find Matt now.” I smile. “Derek said you have a scene coming up, so I hope all goes well.” I start to head out the door.

“Maxey, Princess, I’m….”

“Is something bothering you, Alejandro?”

“No, it’s not bothering me, I just….” He comes and wraps me in his arms. “Can I ask you something?”

“OK??”

“Do you ever think of me?”

I gently push off of him to see the question in his eyes. >gulp< “Of course, I kind of have to since you’re here.” I try to smile, but I’m sensing that he’s got a lot on his mind.

“Are your thoughts romantic at all?”

“That’s enough!” We both look to see Matt beside us. He puts his arm between us and around me. “Don’t question her like that.” He pulls me away. I can’t say anything; only hide my face. “C’mon, Princess, I need to talk to you.” He whispers and leads me away. We go down the hall before I can speak again.

“How did you know?”

“About what? Alejandro? I didn’t. I came to find you and Derek told me you had been there.”

“Perfect timing as always!” I hug him as close as I can. I’m so grateful he came when he did. “Thank you, Matt!” He smiles his warm smile….yeah I just melted into his arms!

“Princess, you know I’ll always do my best to help you!”

“Yes, but I don’t know that anyone is as capable as you!” He takes my hand and leads me back to his office. “I came looking for you when I returned but you were busy. I ended up in there because I had nowhere else to go.”

“You could have come in. I’m never so busy that I would send you away….you should know that.”

“No, I didn’t think it would be nice to just barge in on you like that. Rod was the same way. I know you two have work to do and many people depend on that, so I don’t want to get in your way.”

He closes the door but brings me closer. “You are not just people though.” His kiss! My prince has stolen my heart yet again! I hold him in place….I just can’t let him go.

“Thank goodness there is you in this world.” I whisper to him. He smiles and kisses me again.

“I was thinking the same about you.” He tells me. We hold each other a few minutes longer then both let go. “I had to, Princess. I hope you understand.”

“Yes, Matt.” I smile as I sit down in the chair in front of his desk. “I understand perfectly.”

“That was a leftover from this morning,” He laughs as he sits in front of me. “Now, did you find out anything from Joe?”

“I would say he is in love with Alejandro and has been for quite a while. He said he tried to tell him but Alejandro made out like it was a joke. Alejandro says Joe made things into a joke by laughing after he told him anything.”

“So, in other words, he wasn’t much help to you in finding a solution to this problem.”

“It’s like you said, they need to talk this out among themselves. All we can do right now is be there for them.”

“Maxey, where you’re concerned especially, I don’t like to sit back and see.”

“Matt, it could cause more damage than do any good if we try to mess with anything. I know you don’t like it, but dear, I don’t see any other way around this.” He crosses his arms and shakes his head. I stand up and wrap my arms around his shoulders. “You want them to both be happy, don’t you?”

“Yes, of course, but I feel like Alejandro is going to use you as a shield here and I don’t like it.”

“We will deal accordingly. I have you and Rod both here….I believe you two can handle whatever he may try.” He moves his head to smile at me and I feel his arms.

“Alright. We will deal, I suppose. He better be glad you are as forgiving as you are.” He kisses me once again.

I giggle. “He’s lucky to have someone as smart and giving as you in his corner.” Matt beams in my arms. How I adore this man!

#My Story

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