#Mario Martinez x reader

[pinksturniolo]

Play Date - A Matt Sturniolo One Shot

Matt Sturniolo x Fem Reader

You call me on the telephone, you sound so far away

You tell me to come over, there’s some games you want to play

I’m walking to your house, nobody’s home

Just me and you and you and me alone…

Summary: The one in which Matt has been helping you babysit your 5 year old brother for the past couple years. Everyone in Somerville, MA knew him as the sweetest and caring guy, always helping someone when they needed it. However, you and him never got along, always disagreeing on most things. You and him had nothing in common. Well… maybe one thing.

Content Warnings: smut, angst, small age gap, fingering, oral receiving/giving, degradation, raw penetration, sneaking around, matt being a tough guy.

Based on this song: (pls listen it's so good and the lyrics are what inspired this one shot)

a/n: i'm sorry if the age gap makes anyone uncomfortable, everything depicted in this story is purely consensual <3

Winter 2024

You watched as Matt helped untie your little brother’s shoes and unzip his jacket, the two of them coming back in from playing outside. You had stayed inside on the couch, keeping warm while you worked on your English essay, watching them from the living room window. A storm hit soon after New Year’s leaving Boston in a blanket of fresh white snow.

He sets his shoes and jacket down, leading him to the kitchen to make him a cup of juice. Your brother adored Matt, there was no denying he was a great babysitter. A couple years ago, your mom started working out of town every other weekend, leaving you home alone to take care of your brother since your dad left when you were a little girl. 

Your mom had always been a strict parent, so naturally she didn’t trust you to be by yourself the whole weekend given the fact you were only 16 at the time. So, she asked one of her friend’s sons to help, who happened to be Matt Sturniolo.

Matt was trusted by mostly everyone, and your mom had known his mom since high school, so she had no problem with him being at your house. You, however, were extremely against this idea. You and Matt had never gotten along no matter how much you tried. You had known him since elementary school and from the moment you met, he always had an attitude towards you for some reason. Being that you were so stubborn, you didn’t back down from his sourness, and challenged him every chance you got.

He was a couple years ahead of you in school and always brought up the fact that because he was older, that somehow made him better than you. You refused to acknowledge that, butting heads with him constantly. It didn’t help that some of your friends were his friends and each time you guys were around each other, it was a constant competition. Who was better at bowling, who got first place in Mario Kart, who had the best golf swing. It annoyed your friends to no end.

When you were a sophomore, Matt would come over the weekends your mom worked out of town. He stayed during the majority of the day, taking care of your little brother. This also gave you the freedom to attend many of the extracurricular activities you were involved in. You took pride in being the top of your class and captain of the dance team. Matt endlessly teased you about it, calling you a “try hard” and “nerd”.

The time you did spend at home when Matt was there, you tried to avoid arguing with him around your brother. The three of you often went to the park, or got ice cream, never running out of ways to entertain him. The more time you had spent around Matt, it was hard not to develop a little crush. You would never admit it, but you admired the sweet side of him. He was good at taking care of your brother.

And he subtly started to flirt with you, teasing you over silly things, and checking you out when you weren’t looking. There was no doubt he found you attractive. But you frustrated him to no end, given the fact that you were so stubborn and weren’t afraid to voice your opinion when you disagreed with him on something. Matt liked to be in control, but you did as well. Still, he admired how hard working you were and your sensitive nature.

It didn’t take long before raging teenage hormones created sexual tension between you two. The summer before your junior year, stolen glances and accidental touches fueled the fire that had been growing over the years. One night when you were both alone, watching a movie after your brother had fallen asleep, Matt finally made a move on you. He would usually leave at nighttime, going back home to sleep so he could come back the next day and help you. But he decided to stay and finish the movie with you.

It had been a particularly good Saturday, and you had looked especially pretty that day. He couldn’t stop staring at you and when you asked him what he was looking at, he pressed his lips to yours, igniting a flame in you that you just couldn’t put out.

From that night on, you two snuck around every chance you got, whenever your brother wasn’t around or asleep, almost every weekend up until Matt graduated.

Making out on the couch until his hands found his way into your shorts and under your shirt, eliciting sweet moans from you while he thrust his fingers deep inside you. Pushing him up against the wall in the hallway as you got on your knees and took him into your mouth, his hands tangled in your hair, pulling and grunting until he came down your throat. A couple times, he even spent the night in your bed, using his mouth, hands and cock to make you cum over and over, in every different position.

As much as you both enjoyed the pleasure and excitement, there still was no denying the fact that you two despised each other. Maybe that hate was what fueled the passion between you two in the bedroom, but outside of that, you both never ceased the petty arguing. No matter the deep feelings you had for each other buried inside, it would never go past the sexual relationship you guys had built. Simple as that.

Once Matt graduated and started working in the adult world, he still took the time to keep his baby-sitting duties which you were grateful for, because at this point, you had started throwing yourself more into your schoolwork. You were applying for all the universities you could and taking extra shifts at Star Market you were working at part time. And then it came time for you to graduate, and you went off to college that fall, a few hours from Somerville. You had lost contact with Matt, neither of you taking the time or effort to reach out to each other.

✿

Now it was early January, and you were on winter break. You had come back home to visit and spent some time with your mom before she left on her work trip. Matt came over to help with your brother of course and this was the first time you had seen him since you graduated high school almost a year ago. He was now 20 years old, had let his beard grow out a little, and gotten several tattoos on his left arm.

Was it possible for him to get even more attractive than he already was back then? But you promised yourself you wouldn’t give into your past desires. You had too much to focus on and even though you were on break, you had an important English essay to finish. Besides, Matt had the worst attitude ever as soon as he saw you, making it easier for you to avoid him.

He was currently burning a hole into you with his pointed looks, glaring at you from across the room as your brother sat next to him, playing with his action figures.

You looked up at him from your computer, returning his dirty look. “Can I help you with something, Matthew?” You asked, knowing he hated it whenever you used his full name.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on break? Don’t you do anything for fun?” He said, referring to the fact that you had been typing away on your computer for the last hour.

You rolled your eyes, focusing your attention back on the computer. “Aren’t you supposed to mind your own business?” You responded.

He scoffed, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t really care what you do. I’m just tired of listening to your incessant typing.” He said with annoyance.

You ignored him, continuing to work on your essay while he continued to stare at you. You tried to focus but his piercing gaze distracted you. He sighed loudly and finally you slammed your computer shut, anger bubbling inside you.

“Fine. It’s not like I can focus with you acting like that anyway.” You snap, standing up to walk to the kitchen and get a glass of water.

To your annoyance, he follows you, leaning against the counter as you fill the glass and take a few sips. “Did you miss me, angel?” He says and you almost choke on the water, laughing as you set the glass down. “Don’t be ridiculous.” You reply, turning to face him. His eyes travel up and down your body, no shame in the way he checks you out.

“You still look hot. Brings back memories of when I had you all to myself-“He starts, a mischievous grin appearing on his face. You interrupt him though, grabbing his jaw a little roughly, smushing his lip together to prevent him from continuing whatever dirty thoughts he was going to say.

“Let’s get one thing clear, Matt. I came home to spend time with my brother, not to be bothered by you. Whatever you think we had in the past, you can forget about it. That will never be happening again.” You say sternly and let go of his face. He rubs his jaw and a dark look forms in his eyes as he leans down to whisper in your ear. “If you ever fucking grab me like that again, I’ll make sure you remember who’s really in control here. Don’t make me mad, Y/N.”

He then stalks off to the living room, leaving you there in shock, chills running through your body, a slight throb starting to ache in your core from just his words alone. Fuck. This was going to be harder than you thought.

After Matt left that night, you couldn’t help but let his words replay, memories from when he used to have his way with you cycling through your head. You just couldn’t deny your attraction to him no matter how much he infuriated you. You felt yourself growing wetter by the second as you thought about his voice, his large hands, what it would feel like to have his face between your legs again, his beard scratching against the inside of your thighs. Your fingers slipped inside your underwear, feeling the slickness there, circling your clit as you moaned out his name.

You couldn’t take it anymore. You grabbed your phone, calling Matt. He picked up on the first ring as if he somehow knew you needed him. “Hello?” He answered, his deep voice rumbling through the other end. “Matt…” You breathed out. “I need you.”

His cock immediately hardened at hearing your needy voice, knowing you well enough to know exactly how you needed him. “Be there in 5.” He replied, hanging up the phone and grabbing his jacket. Luckily, your house was 2 blocks from his and he walked in the cold, heart racing as he reached your bedroom window, lightly tapping.

You let him in, your mouths instantly connecting, tongues tangling and teeth clashing. You kissed each other hungrily, wasting no time removing your clothes and his as you laid on your bed. He put his hands all over your body, kissing every inch he could as you whimpered his name. “Please Matt, I can’t wait any longer.” You said, the need to feel him inside you overwhelming.

He hummed in fake empathy, pulling you roughly by your hips, wrapping your legs around his lower back and lining his cock up with your entrance. “Listen to how pathetic you sound. So needy for my cock already, angel?” He said, slicking it up and down slowly through your wetness, teasing you.

“Yes, please, please…” You responded, not bothering to fight his dominance. You were too turned on to care. He smirked at this, giving in and pushing himself inside you, no resistance from how wet you were. “Fuuuckk…” He groaned, head falling down, arms resting on either side of your head as he thrust into you at a good pace, uttering filthy words in your ear. “You feel so fucking good. Better than I remember baby.”

You moan loudly as he picks up his pace, his hips slamming into you over and over, your tits bouncing in his face as he leans down to suck on them and squeeze them in his hands. “Don’t stop Matt.” You breathe out, and he has no intentions of doing so, eager to get you to your climax. “I’m gonna cum soon.” You say and he looks up at you, shaking his head. “Not until I say so.” He warns, coming back up from your chest and wrapping a strong hand around your throat, squeezing slightly.

He grinds against you for a few minutes before you can barely take it, ready to beg him for what you need. “Pleaseee Matt. It feels so good.” You cry, making him almost bust inside of you.

He starts rubbing fast circles on your clit, pounding into you at a relentless pace. You bite your lip to keep from screaming, your eyes rolled into the back of your head in a state of bliss. “You gonna be a good girl and cum on my cock?” He asks, his other hand gripping your thigh, leaving bruises.

“Yes! Oh my god, yes.” You yell. “Go ahead baby, cum for me.” He says, granting you the permission to release your juices all over him and he moans loudly feeling you clench around him. He’s not finished with you yet though as he pulls out of you and suddenly flips you around before you have time to catch your breath.

He pulls your hips up, so your ass is in the air and spreads your legs with his knee, putting his hands on your lower back. “I’m not done yet, angel.” He says pushing himself into you again. You cry out from how sensitive you are, burying your face in your pillow. “Fuck, Matt.” You whimper and he thrusts into you at a fast pace again, the sounds of skin clapping together and wet sounds filling the room.

You feel pleasure building in you again and Matt takes a fistful of your hair, pulling it, making you moan with pleasure. You feel tears form in your eyes, another orgasm approaching from the way Matt is pounding into you, hitting your g spot repeatedly. “Matt...” You whimper, unable to say much else from overstimulation. “You can take it, baby. Ahhh, You’re such a good girl- fuck. I know you can cum for me again.” He says in between shaky breaths, feeling himself get close as well.

You cum again, crying out his name, your head slumping into your pillow as he lets go of your hair, squeezing your ass harshly as his hips stutter and he releases into you. You feel his warm load paint your walls and then he finally pulls out, both of you out of breath and he collapses down next to you.

“You okay?” He asks, a hand coming up to brush your hair from your face, seeing how fucked out you are. “More than.” You reply, with a small smile on your lips. He smiles back and wraps an arm around you as you lay on his chest, both of you quickly drifting to sleep.

✿

The next morning when you wake, Matt is gone. You feel a slight emptiness in your chest but ignore it as you get up and get ready for the day. The weekend is over, and your mom will be home soon. You have lots of plans for the upcoming week and don’t have time to think about all the feelings he has seemed to stir up from the past.

However, you get a call from her shortly, guilt in her voice when she tells you about an unexpected extension in her work trip came up and she’ll have to stay another week. You’re disappointed but you understand it’s important to her and now that you’re an adult, she’s okay with you staying home with your brother alone.

So, it’s a surprise to you when Matt shows up a couple days later, not even bothering to knock on the front door as he saunters in. You and your brother were sat on the couch, watching TV after lunch. “What’s up.” He says nonchalantly, sitting next to you. Your brother immediately jumps up in excitement, going over to him. “Matty!!” He says, a cute smile on his face. “Hey, buddy.” He says back, ruffling a hand playfully through his hair.

You ignore how insanely cute the interaction is, scoffing in annoyance. “Have you ever heard of knocking?” You say in aggravation, Matt losing the smile as he looks at you. “You should probably lock that door more often. It’s not safe. Which is why I came over to make sure things are good over here. I overheard my mom talking to your mom about how she’s still stuck in Aspen on her work trip.” He responds. You simply roll your eyes and sigh, not bothering to argue with him.

“Whatever. Come on, baby. It’s time for your nap.” You tell your brother, and he gives Matt a hug before you take him to his room, reading him his favorite book as he falls to sleep.

You close his door with a soft click, walking over to the kitchen table so you can sit and work on your essay some more. Matt’s already there, reading what you’ve typed on the screen.

“Excuse me! What are you doing.” You scold, ripping the computer out of his hands.

He laughs, leaning back in his chair next to you. “Not too bad, Y/N. I knew you were a nerd, but I didn’t know you were that smart.” He teases.

“You’re insufferable.” You reply, ignoring him as you continue typing.

“Hmm, I beg to differ. That’s not what you were saying when I had your legs shaking-“ Before he can finish, you pinch his thigh through his jeans, making him yelp.

“Don’t be a jerk, Matty. We both know that night was a mistake.” You say, and he furrows his brows in pain, his eyes closing and breathes through his nose.

Then he grabs your hand from his thigh, placing it back on your leg and rests his arm on the back of your chair while he leans in closer to you.

“What did I tell you before, hm? Do you need to me to put you in your place again?” He says, the blazing look in his eyes making you squirm in your seat.

You look back to your computer, attempting to focus as he traces circles on your bare thigh with his fingers. “Matt. Stop.” You say, trying to sound stern despite the butterflies that form in your stomach.

“Why?” He replies, moving his hand farther up your skirt.

You grit your teeth, swallowing hard. “Because… I’m trying to study.” You say weakly now. Why the fuck couldn’t you control yourself around him?

“You sure about that?” He whispers now, voice filled with desire. His hand is completely disappeared underneath your skirt now, his fingertips soft as he presses them to your clit, a wet spot forming in your panties.

You sigh in desperation, Matt satisfied with the fact that he has you wrapped around his finger.

His lips ghost across your neck and he places a soft kiss beneath your ear, making you moan aloud.

“Just say the words and I’m yours, angel…” He rasps, his dick throbbing in his pants.

You suddenly snap out of it, pushing his hand away and abruptly stand up from your chair. He was not going to continue to just have his way with you.  “If you’re not going to allow me to study in peace, then you can leave.” You say harshly, leaving the kitchen.

You storm down the hallway to your room, Matt following closely behind. “Stop following me!” You whisper yell, trying to be quiet as your brother is asleep in his room. You reach your door, attempting to slam it in his face when he puts his arm out, stopping the door before you can. He has an annoying smirk on his face when you turn to glare at him. “What’s got your panties in a twist?” He says, making you roll your eyes.

“You’re a disgusting pervert.” You sneer at him, referring to moments earlier when had a hand up your skirt.

“Don’t act like you don’t like it.” He responded, the smug smirk on his face growing wider. “Don’t act like that’s the first time I’ve touched you… Like I didn’t just have you begging me to let you cum the other night.” He added, leaning closer to you, a dangerous look in his eyes.

You scoffed, pushing him away from you by his chest. “I don’t recall anything like that ever happening.” You say with disgust in your voice. You both knew you were lying, of course. But you had done your best to try and forget your momentary weakness that night.

“Why don’t I jog your memory then?” He speaks lowly, moving closer again, forcing you to walk backwards further into your room, closing the door behind him and locking it. Your heart races and thighs clench together, that stupid smirk still on his face as he wraps one hand around your throat, the other harshly gripping your waist and smashes his lips to yours.

You melt into his kiss, his grip on your throat making your pussy throb. “Stop being such a brat.” He says, backing you up against the wall of your bedroom. He removes his hand from your throat and trails it down to the hem of your shirt pulling it off you and then ripping your skirt down your legs once again leaving you in just your bra and panties. “But I love the reaction it gets out of you.” You say breathlessly, knowing he was only going to punish you the more you talked.

He attacks your neck with wet kisses, sucking and biting all the sweet spots he knew you loved, lustful moans leaving your mouth. He suddenly drops to his knees, ripping your favorite lace thong off you.

“Matt!” You speak. “What the hell?” You were definitely making him buy you a brand-new pair later.

“Shut up.” He simply replies taking one leg and wrapping it around his shoulder, burying his face in your cunt. “Oh fuck.” You groan, tossing your head back against the wall as pushes his tongue inside you. His hands keep a firm grip on your waist as he continues to fuck you with his warm, strong tongue, only pulling out to kiss and suck on your clit, driving you to the edge.

It doesn’t take long for you to cum, the sight of Matt willingly on his knees for you, his blue eyes staring up at you.

Once you finish, Matt stands up, ready to throw you on the bed and continue to have his way with you but you decide it’s time for you to take some control.

You push him onto the bed before he can say anything, and climb on as well, the look on his face priceless.

“Take off your jeans and your shirt. Now.” You demand, sitting on your knees in front of him, while he leans back against your pillows. He does so without any protest surprisingly, and once he’s left in just his boxers, you lean down, your ass arched in the air, and pull them off. His dick springs out, slapping his stomach and you grab it, taking him into your mouth. He groans loudly, putting a hand in your hair but you push it away, removing your mouth from him with a pop. “No touching.” You say, looking up at him seriously.

He smirks at you, raising both his hands in the air. “Yes mam.”

Satisfied with this, you lower your head down again, fitting as much of him in your mouth as you can, jerking the rest, and bobbing your head. The sounds he makes get you even wetter, and you moan around him, letting him brush the back of your throat. “Fuck, baby, you’re doing so good.” He coos, gripping your sheets as you prohibited him from touching you.

He slowly bucks up into your mouth as you take him deeper and deeper into your throat, one of your hands now resting on his thigh and the other grabbing his balls. You know he won’t last long like this and before you can make him cum, he grabs your shoulders, pulling you up to sit on him.

“Come here, angel. I want you to ride me.” He says and you straddle him, sinking down on his cock. You both moan out at the feeling, and you start to bounce on it, putting your hands in his hair and tugging.

He guides your hips, helping you ride him, the air in the room now hot and thick.

“Look at you, so fucking needy. You just can’t get enough, can you baby?” he says, groaning as he watches himself slip in and out of you.

The feeling of him deep in your guts has you back in your submissive state, just nodding at his words, moaning his name. “Yes Matt.”

“Mm, shit, you look so beautiful, dumb for my cock like this.” He continues, knowing exactly what to say to bring you to that edge again. His fingertips dig into your hips, the pain mixing with the pleasure.

You lean your head against his shoulder, starting to get tired but still chasing that high.

You puff hot breaths against his neck, lazily leaving sloppy kisses.

“Want Daddy to help you, honey? Want me to make you cum on my dick again?” He rasps and all you can manage is a whine and nod against him. “Please.”

That’s all he needs to hear before he starts bucking his hips up, slapping against you roughly and you scream out, the grip in his hair becoming tighter. He’s so deep inside you at this angle, the pressure is almost overwhelming, and you can do nothing but take it, whimpering his name over and over again.

You reach your orgasm, cumming all over him and he finishes soon after you, biting into your shoulder as he does. He holds you for a little, both of you catching your breath, before you climb off of him.

You lay next to him while he rubs a hand up and down your legs, tracing small circles on your hip.

“You know, if this is how the rest of the week goes while you’re here, I won’t complain.” You joke and this makes him laugh, pulling you closer to him.

“Don’t worry angel… I’ll help you finish that essay too.” He says, pressing a kiss to your forehead before you both fall asleep.

[necromanxx]

about me!

so, i would say im new to tumblr but im not new to tumblr itself, im more new to posting and actually making my self known to the community and i might as well introduce myself!

as you know my name is xylo, and my pronouns are they/them/she/her, im autistic, have adhd, anxiety, and depression.

i basically post stuff abt my ocs, characters from things i like and etc.

im goth and i guess im well oriented in games and i would love to play with yall!

im going to name intrests, what i write/post, basic abt me stuff now.

fav colors: red, black, purple.

fav flowers: red spider lily, wisteria.

fav school subject: english

intrests!:

games: resident evil, minecraft, mario kart, smash bros, pokemon legends: arceus, animal crossing new horizons, roblox, project sekai, outlast franchise, puppet combo games, stray, kny hinokami chronicles, dead by daylight, luigis mansion 3, bayonetta, overwatch 2, splatoon 3, cuphead, bendy and the ink machine.

animations:

attack on titan, kimetsu no yoiba (demon slayer), komi cant communicate, pokemon sun and moon, arcane (somewhat), etc

bands/artists:

ghost the band, slipknot, Korn, gulu gulu, Deftones, rob zombie, system of a down, gorillaz, DADAROMA, mitski, melanie martinez, (G)I-DLE (kinda)

what i write:

hcs basically, i can do fics tho.

yes:

comfort, nsfw (MAYBE), fluff, angst.

NO:

pregnant reader or anything like that.

non-con, incest, teacher x student, anything abuse, toxic relationship between reader and character, fetishization of children, trans umbrella, plus sized people, pregnant people, pedofelia, and anything disgusting.

bye bye!

[marwritesgood]

Unplanned | M. Martinez

Pairing: Mario x Diaz!Reader

Timeframe: Season 2

Summary: Y/n and Mario must tell their families about her pregnancy.

masterlist

PART ONE

A/N: This was so much fun to write (also INCREDIBLY sad for me, but that’s moreso bc I’m a very emotional person lmao).

This is a long overdue second part to Planned. 

I initially intended to write this and then write Rewrite as a part 3, but I ultimately decided to make Rewrite a stand-alone because of how much detail I wanted to put into it. 

Think of this, then, as a prelude of sorts :)

My hands shook as I entered the door to my boyfriend’s dorm. Mario was expecting me over to have dinner and watch a movie with him while his roommate was out of town. I would have arrived sooner if it had not been for the notification I got alerting me that I had not had my period in over two months.

“Mario,” I said worriedly the minute I entered his room, slamming the door shut behind me. He was approaching me for our usual kiss ‘hello’ but stopped in his tracks when he realised how panicked I was. “I’m late.”

“What are you talking about?”

I gulped. Mario was a smart guy, even if his brain had the tendency to lag for a minutes. It only took him a few seconds to realise what I was referring to, and what it could mean for us.

“Oh.”

“Yeah,” I sighed.

It had not yet began to settle in me until that moment. All I remembered was reading my notification and practically sprinting to Mario’s dorm. He must have noticed my anxiety grow, because he quickly wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

“Hey,” Mario whispered as he rubbed my back soothingly. He then pulled away and placed his hands on the side of my face. I could tell he was scared. Terrified even. Yet, he was trying so hard to be brace for the both of us. “We’ll- We’ll go to Walgreens, get some tests and... and we’ll figure it out from there.”

His words helped keep me from spiralling. There would be plenty of time for that later. About 8 whole months, to be precise. For now, we needed to be sure, and Mario was right. We needed to make the trip to Walgreens first, before we could do any of the freaking out I had already made a head-start on.

“Ok,” I replied, nodding as placed my hands over my eyes momentarily. Mario reached for his wallet and then for my hand, squeezing it gently. “Yeah, let’s go.”

I tried to keep my head clear while he and I sped to the nearest Walgreens to our campus. Test first, panic later, I told myself. However, the closer we got to Walgreens the more I became conscious of just how hard my heart was pounding against my chest. 

Was that a sign of pregnancy?

Mario would catch me beginning to spiral and do his best to calm me down. He squeezed my hand as we dodged pedestrians and oncoming vehicles. He kissed my temple softly as we waited in line. Even when we got home, he pulled me into his embrace briefly before I went into the girls’ bathroom and took the tests. 

Once I was done doing my part for the four different tests we ended up buying, Mario and I sat on the floor of his dorm room and waited for the timer on his phone to sound. He had ordered Chinese takeout for the both of us, but by the time we got back it was already cold, which made no difference.

We were far too antsy to hold anything down.

“Hey,” Mario whispered. My head was rested on his shoulder and our hands were intertwined on my lap. “No matter what happens... I’m with you all the way.”

I let out a weak chuckle and turned my head to kiss the fabric over his shoulder lightly. I knew where Mario’s loyalty laid. I always knew. However, him reaffirming it still gave me some ounce of peace in the whirlwind of panic I was in. That both of us were in.

He reached for phone to check how much time we had left. 

“Two more minutes,” he said. It felt like we had been sitting there in anticipation for a lifetime. I could not tell if I wanted time to move slower or faster. All I knew was that I was not yet ready to make any decisions.

If it were negative, Mario and I would be relieved, I knew that much. Maybe we would laugh about it in a couple months. Maybe we would be extra cautious. Maybe we would even go on to tell our friends about it by the time we were graduated and working in fancy white collar jobs.

If it were negative, we could stay in college.

As guilty as I felt doing it, I squeezed my eyes shut and hoped for just one line. Just one line on all four tests. Even when the sound of the timer rang and filled the previously dauntingly silent room, I continued to hope.

“You check two and I’ll check the other two?”

Mario nodded before reaching for two of the tests, just as I grabbed the other two. I inhaled sharply as I glanced between the two in my hand. I wanted to believe there was just the one prominent line, but I could not deny the faint second one. Not even if I wanted to.

Looking up, Mario and I glanced at the tests we held. I sighed, seeing no point in holding my breath anymore. There were eight lines altogether. Mario squeezed my hand once more, and I wished it brought me comfort.

But it didn’t.

***

The week after we found out, Mario and I packed our things and headed back to Freeridge before the New Year. On the car ride, we did nothing but talk. He practised telling the news to his parents, and I practised telling it to Oscar. 

It was all we could do. 

By the time we reached our neighbourhood, it was dusk. The streetlights were on and people seemed to be gathering at their respective households for when midnight eventually struck.

“Pregnant?!”

After Mario broke the news to his parents mere minutes after we made our surprise entrance, Geny pulled us into the kitchen. This time, I was the one who reached for Mario’s hand and squeezed it gently. His mother was the one person he was most scared to tell, with my brother coming in at a close second.

“Have you two thought about what you’re gonna do?” Geny was technically whispering, but it was just as piercing as when she yelled. I hated the thought of her being mad at us, so I could hardly imagine how Mario was feeling. Much to my surprise, when I looked over at him, he was holding it together.

“We’ve been saving,” he explained calmly. He and I had been putting aside as much money as we could so we could find accomodation together for the following school year. It seemed my birth control and his split condom had other plans for that money. “And I’m gonna look for a job, and Y/n will too after the baby comes.”

Geny huffed. I took it she was somewhat relieved that we were taking my pregnancy seriously. She glanced between the two of us and sighed.

“I am not happy about this,” she began. “In fact, I’m very disappointed... In both of you.”

My breath hitched. It was painful to know her disappointment extended to me as well, especially considering she was the only mother figure I had in my life. Yet, beneath that pain was a small joy. If she was disappointed in me, it meant she had high expectations for me to begin with.

Even with everything that was happening, that meant a lot to me. From the way she looked at me as she spoke, I knew it carried much weight for her too.

“But I’m glad you have a plan,” Geny continued. I glanced up at Mario and smiled when I noticed how quickly his shoulders relaxed. “... And I’m glad you came home.”

Mario kissed his mother’s cheek swiftly before leaving the kitchen. In hindsight, we should have known Geny would come around, but our nerves had us questioning everything on the car ride home. Just as I turned to follow Mario, Geny reached for my and kept me from leaving.

“Mija,” she said softly, prompting me to turn around. It was a relief to her call me that. Part of me feared she would not be so kind to me after finding out I was the reason her son had to leave college.

Geny met my eyes with concern. There was a strange softness to her demeanour now that it was just the two of us. 

“Have you told your brother yet?”

I shook my head. My stomach dropped at the realisation that the hard part was not yet over. Maybe it was for Mario, whose mother meant the world to him. But for me, the girl who had no parents or grandparents present in her life, the har part was yet to come.

“I’m telling him after dinner.”

Geny nodded, before pursing her lips. For a moment, she was stared blankly as she thought. 

“If anything happens...” Before she could specify, Geny quickly stopped herself. Instead, she gripped my hands tightly and looked me in the eye with sincerity. “This is your home too.”

If it were not for the wild animals doing jumping jacks in the pit of my stomach, I would have been greatly comforted by Geny’s promise of a place to stay. However, the prospect of needing to crash there brought me great terror. 

In the midst of all my spiralling, I never once considered the possibility that Oscar would throw me out of our home. When we gathered around the dining table and ate, all I could do was count down the minutes before I would have to face my fate.

After dinner, Mario and I walked with Cesar to my house. My little brother must have known I was a nervous wreck, because he tried to keep my mind occupied by catching me up on what he and his friends had gotten up to over the fall. 

However, by the time we reached our doorstep, Cesar was silent. When Oscar opened the door and let us in, my little brother bolted towards his bedroom and locked his door. Mario and I sat with Oscar at the kitchen table. 

“Why are you back so early?” 

He greeted us somewhat gleefully when he opened the door, but it must have dawned on him that we were back for a reason, because his expression returned to its natural state: half-stoic and half-brooding.

“We- uhm,” I coughed nervously as I shuffle in my seat. I looked over to Mario for moral support, but he looked petrified as he watched my brother chop the vegetable he was using for tamales. “We needed to tell you something... To tell everyone something.”

Oscar did not acknowledge my words. Instead, he just continued chopping. I knew it was him waiting to hear the new fully before deciding how he would react. I always felt nervous when he did that, but it did not come close to how anxious I felt that day.

“I’m pregnant.”

Finally, Oscar put his knife down and stared blankly at the vegetables on his chopping board. I waited for him to say something, but when he remained silent I opted to continue explaining mine and Mario’s situation.

“We found out last week,” I continued. “That’s why we’re back.”

As scared as I was, I inched forward and leaned over the table, trying to get a closer look at Oscar. He was not the most talkative person, but I had never witnessed him be so quiet, especially to me, of all people.

“Say something,” I whispered. 

I desperately needed him to lecture me, because I knew after the lecture he would do everything he could to support me. Even if he knew nothing about pregnancy or about babies. He would be there for me, because even though we grew up with no parents, we always had each other. 

“Mano,” I called out, hoping it would provoke a reaction. “... please.” 

Slowly, Oscar looked up and met my gaze with a steely glare. He inhaled sharply, flaring his nostrils as he did so. I instinctively moved back.

“This is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.”

His voice was not loud. He was not shouting. And yet, I had to keep myself from flinching, because his tone was so cold.

“I wouldn’t say that,” I said uneasily, trying to muster a smile despite how tense the room was. Poor Mario did not dare move a muscle. “Remember the time I left my sunglasses on the barbecue?”

“You think you’re funny?”

“I think I’m trying to ease the tension,” I corrected. 

Perhaps it was a miscalculation on my part. Perhaps a pregnancy announcement was not the appropriate moment for an anecdote, but it was a knee-jerk reaction. I just could not understand.

“Why are you being like this?”

“How’d you think I was gonna be, Y/n?” Now he was beginning to shout. “You’re barely nineteen! You realise that’s the same age mom was when she had me.”

“Woah,” I flinched. 

I thought we had moved past bringing up our parents in the heat of our arguments. I thought we decided they inflicted enough trauma on the two of us and Cesar. I thought we agreed that we did not need to inflict any more onto each other.

“You’ve ruined your life,” Oscar spat, expressing absolutely no remorse for comparing me to our mother. My gaze was beginning to turn into a glare. “You realise that?”

I quickly glanced at Mario and he appeared just as startled as I felt. Though it was a well-known fact that Oscar was an intimidating person, when it came to me that was hardly the case. It seemed he was choosing this moment to prove us both wrong.

Disgruntled, Oscar rose from his seat and turned to head towards the sink. Just as he did, he quickly turned back to face me. I braced myself for his next words. How else was he gonna be cruel and completely humiliate me in my own home and in front of my boyfriend?

“And after everything,” he hissed. “After everything I’ve done for you... to make sure you didn’t end up the same way...”

I scoffed before he could finish his sentence, knowing exactly where he was going with it. I could recount every lecture he gave me about not ending up like our parents. About trying to be better. 

The irony in him lecturing me about following in our mother’s footsteps when he was being so masterfully cruel to me in a way that brought me back to the few times our dad made an appearance.

“Fuck you,” I shouted at him as I stood from my chair. “I didn’t realise we were keeping track of the things we’ve done for each other.”

“Don’t turn this around on me,” Oscar snarled. Of course, he could never do any wrong. Not in his eyes. “You’re the one who fucked up. And now I gotta clean your mess just like I always have to.”

He turned and headed towards the kitchen, which only infuriated me more. He had grown too accustomed to having his way. To being surrounded by people who worshipped the ground he walked on. I furrowed my brows in frustration as I watched him continue on with making his food, like we were suddenly don with our conversation just because he wanted it to be so. 

How could he say that to me? After everything? I could not let him have the last word. Just as I went to follow him, Mario’s hand quickly gripped mine. 

“Y/n-”

I shook my hand free and approached my big brother, much to Mario’s dismay. I knew he was trying to defuse the situation, but it was not the simple. It was clear this was not about us anymore. It was between me and my brother.

“No... You don’t get to talk to me like this, Oscar,” I barked as I walked up to him. He was going to regret ever teaching me to fight back. “You don’t have a monopoly over making sacrifices or cleaning messes.”

Had he forgotten all the times I covered him? Lying to the cops when they questioned me about what he was up to.  Lying to Child Protective Services about his whereabouts so they would not put Cesar in the system. Singlehandedly keeping the fort down when he was locked up.

Never once did I hold it against him, or try to make him feel guilty for putting me in a difficult position time and time again.

When Oscar turned to face me, I sighed defeatedly. As horrible as he was being, I could not keep arguing with him. Not when I already had so much to deal with. 

“I know I messed up,” I admitted. “... and I’m not asking you to be happy about all this. I’m asking you to just support me... Just be my big brother.”

He had a tendency to forget that. He spent so many years fulfilling fatherly responsibilities for Cesar, sometimes he would forget I was not a little kid. That I did not need him to be anything more than what he was for me. My brother.

“From where I stand,” Oscar sneered. “I don’t have a sister anymore.”

My face fell, as did my stomach. I knew he would be mad. I knew he might even say some things that he would later regret and apologise for, but there was no way I could have prepared myself for that. And there was no coming back from it either.

He took a step closer to me and it took everything in me not to cower and move back. I refused to give him that satisfaction. He puffed his chest and glared at me like I was some dude him and his gang mates were trying to intimidate. 

“Take your shit and don’t ever come back here again.”

My eyes watered immediately, but thankfully he turn his back on me and headed for his room. With blurred vision, I trailed after him. I wanted to say something to him. I wanted to scold him for treating me like this when I always had his back when things went south for him.

When we were halfway down the hallway, all I could think about was how small he made me feel. How much joy he seemed to take in making me feel ashamed for something I never asked to happen. How he treated his stupid homies with twice the respect and twice the dignity than he did me.

“Y’know it’s too bad I’m not a Santo,” I shouted at him, hoping he would stop and face me, but he just kept walking. “Maybe then you’d have my back.”

I was so sure that would get a reaction out of him, but I should have known he had too much pride for that. He slammed his door right in my face and left me with nothing left to do but scream at him from where I stood. 

Eventually Mario came and comforted me before helping me gather the rest of my belongings from my bedroom. Eventually Cesar came out to help take my things to Mario’s. But, even when I walked out the door for the last time and headed down the street, I hoped Oscar would come out and say something.

He never did.

***

When April eventually rolled by, I gave up hoping that Oscar would come around. Lugging around a tiny human everywhere I went helped me take my mind off it at times, but as my baby grew so did my worries. I quickly found myself haunted, everywhere I was, by the way Oscar compared me to our mom.

Even as I washed the dirty dishes, one of the few chores Geny and abuelita allowed me to do, I could not keep my worries at bay. It did not help that everyone was out of the house leaving me and my thoughts.

Thankfully, by the time I got to cleaning the dirty plates, the front door burst open and in came Mario bearing food from his job at Dwayne’s barbecue joint.

“Hey, baby,” he called out as he approached the table to put the food down.

“Hey,” I said mindlessly as I turned face him. Just as I did so the wet plate in my hand fell and shattered when it hit the ground, prompting Mario to race to the kitchen.

“Woah, be careful.”

Mario immediately searched for the broom, while I did my best to not cry. As much as I blamed it on the pregnancy hormones, I knew it was not fair to attribute all my emotional outbursts to the fact that I was growing life inside me. A lot of it had to do with my fight with Oscar and my own fears, but it was just easier for me to avoid talking about it.

“Oh my god,” I cried, clasping my hand over my mouth as I wept. The poor plate did not even see it coming. That was upsetting to me on its own, but I knew there was so much more to it than that. Mario did too.

“Baby, it’s ok,” he assured as he swiftly swept and disposed the shards of broken ceramic. “This plate was from Costco. I’m pretty sure my mom has more just like it stored in the garage somewhere.”

Perhaps that alleviated my grief over the broken plate, but it did not exactly fix my relationship with my brother nor did it calm my anxieties about motherhood.

“Y/n? Baby, what’s wrong?”

“... I don’t know,” I whispered, frustrated by it all.

Before I knew it, Mario planted himself on the kitchen floor and leaned his back against the white refrigerator. Smiling, he patted the empty spot beside him.

“Sit with me.”

“I’m not gonna be able to get up again,” I reminded him, as I gestured towards my protruding abdomen. I struggled just getting up from the living room couch. 

“I’ll help you up,” Mario insisted. “Just sit with me for bit.”

I sighed before kneeling down so I could sit beside him. 

“Is this about Oscar?”

“Yeah,” I answered sheepishly. We only talked about what had happened a couple times, and each time I refused to let on how much it was affecting me. Truthfully, it was because if I admitted to that I would eventually have to admit to everything else that was weighing on me. “Him and... everything else.”

I turned to Mario and he did not say anything. Instead he placed his hand over mine and stayed quiet so I could talk. I smiled gratefully, before inhaling sharply. I knew he liked how emotional I was as a pregnant woman but I, for one, hated how suffocated I was by all of feelings that bombarded me constantly.

“This isn’t the life I wanted,” I huffed, tilting my head back so I could stare at the ceiling. It was easier than looking Mario in the eye. I was never good as this. Not like he was. “I always hoped by the time we had kids we’d be able to give them what we never got…”

Yet, there I was, sentencing my kid to the same life I had on the same streets that swallowed up so many of the people in my life. 

“Now I just feel like my mom.”

Young and stupid. Diving headfirst into motherhood when I was nowhere near ready for the responsibility that came with it. Maybe I would end up just like her too. Maybe my baby would grow to resent me just as I did her.

“Baby don’t say that,” Mario spoke. I sniffled as I wiped my eyes. I was not expecting him to get it. How could he?

“We just worked so hard to get out,” I whimpered, thinking back to all the work Mario and I put into school and into our college applications. “And I promised Cesar I would come back and get him out too… but now we’re back with nothing to show for it.”

“I know,” Mario whispered defeatedly.

Everyone in Freeridge had such high hopes for the two of us when we left for college. Everyone was expecting us to make it and to come back and share our joy and our wealth with the people who raised us. Mario and I had every intention of doing that, yet there we were.

“You know the hardest part wasn’t even coming back and telling everyone,” I said honestly. “... It was the look on Oscar’s face when he said he didn’t have a sister anymore.”

Mario could not say anything. Instead he just held my hand and sat in silence with me for a bit. Fortunately, that was all I wanted him to do.

***

Near the end of the month, Ruby had the bright idea of hosting a baby shower. He initially envisioned a huge party with all of Mario’s distant relatives, but after a bit of bribery and begging he eventually agreed to keep it small.

“Ok,” Ruby began as he wheeled in a huge chalkboard he apparently ‘borrowed’ from their high school. “Now we’re each gonna nominate a name for the baby.”

“Oh and just a disclaimer,” Mario said before his little brother could continue. “Y/n and I reserve the right not to choose any of the names you give us.”

While we were mostly confident the kids would come up with decent ideas for  names, we felt it necessary to cover our bases. From what Jamal told me during our many conversations while he waited for Ruby, they got up to a lot over the past year.

“So why are we doing this?” Jasmine asked.

“Because, we’ve been struggling to come up with names for a while,” I answered. “So take this seriously, guys, okay?”

“I’ll go first,” Ruby announced as he reached for the chalk. He pulled out a foot stool and stood on it so he write his name ideas at the top of the board. “If it’s a girl, Marisol. If it’s a boy, Ruby junior.”

I took one look at Mario and bursted out laughing. I knew Ruby was completely serious, as so did Mario, which made it all the more amusing. Before Monse could rise from her seat and announce her name ideas next, there was a loud know at the door.

“I’ll get it.”

Usually I would not have volunteered to answer the door, but it was still daylight and we were expecting abuelita to arrive at any minute with some extra food. However, when I opened the door and realised who it was, I quickly regretted my decision.

“Can we talk?”

Oscar glanced inside before speaking. His tone was quiet, almost sheepish, and I knew then that he was here to make amends. However, that did not mean I could not give him a hard time.

“I thought I wasn’t your sister anymore,” I sneered.

His expression grew even more pained.

“Please?”

I had no idea that word was even in his vocabulary. As hurt and annoyed as I was, I knew I was grateful he was here and that we were speaking to each other the for the first time in months. Closing the door behind me, I waddled towards the seats on the porch and Oscar sat beside me.

“I’m sorry,” he said not a second after he sat himself down. That was yet another phrase I never knew he had the capacity to say. “I shouldn’t have said what I said.”

“Yeah. You shouldn’t have.”

I studied his expression closely. It was nice he was apologising, but that did not exactly explain why he acted to cruelly towards me. I wanted that just as much as I wanted the apology.

“When you told me, I just,” Oscar paused for a minute and thought. After a moments deliberation, he continued on. “I never expected this to happen to you.”

“Neither did I,” I shrugged.

I understood his sentiment, I did. No one expects the girl with the full-ride scholarship and the pressure of overcoming generational poverty to get knocked up. However, if I was able to wrap my head around it enough to get on board while carrying the damn baby, Oscar could have at least accepted it without calling me a failure. 

“I’m just used to you being the one keeping things together,” he added defeatedly.

“That doesn’t make what you did ok,” I argued.

“... I know,” he said bashfully.

“Oscar, look, Mario… he has his mom, his dad and abuelita. But for me, I just have you. You’re all I’ve got. I need to know I can count on you.”

My brother nodded. I could tell it pained him when I phrased the situation like that. It hurt to know that Mario had three people in his corner, yet I had no one. 

“You know, before I was ever Santo. Before I was ever anything... I was your big brother,” Oscar explained, a small smile peeking through as he spoke. “That’s how it will always be.” 

I smiled as I thought about how inseparable we were growing up. Before we had to take on the responsibility of looking after Cesar. Before it hit us that we were practically on our own. Before we had to grow up too quickly. Before all of that, we were just two siblings strolling along the streets of our block like it was our empire.

We found ourselves staring out onto those very streets again from where we sat. Maybe it would not be such a bad place for my kid. 

“I love you, mana,” Oscar said, his eyes still glued to the road in front of us.

“I love you too,” I replied.

Just as I spoke, a mother and her daughter drove by in a battered station wagon, and it sent me back to the worst corners of my childhood memories. Of my mom driving me around in her station wagon and me trying to savour the feeling of her presence before she upped and left again.

”... What if I’m just like them?” I asked quietly.

“You won’t be,” Oscar answered, not a beat after I finished speaking.

“How can you be so sure?”

“You won’t be.”

It should have been enough. It should have been enough to convince me. However, even after we got up and returned to the baby shower, I could not shake the feeling that it was my destiny. That, no matter what I did, I would end up becoming some abominable mix of parents and raise hurt and traumatised kids just as mine did.

I placed my hand on my belly and breathed deeply. In just a matter of months, my fate would unfold. All I could do was hope my baby would make it.

“How are the baby names coming along?” I asked cheerfully, forcing a smile as I glanced at the chalkboard that was now halfway filled with baby names.

“Cesar’s up now,” Mario explained to me as he got out of his seat so I could sit down. I thanked him quietly as I took lowered myself onto his chair and he stood behind me with his hands hovering lazily over my shoulders.

“Ok, if it’s a girl, Elena,” Cesar said as he wrote his idea on the board. “And if it’s a boy... Manuel.”

I grinned. I could not place my finger on it, but something about that name felt right. Call it intuition or instinct. Either way, it was definitely far more appealing than Ruby junior.

“Manuel?” I repeated, before looking up at Mario who matched my expression. It seemed we had at least one name banked. “I really like that one.”

Mario leaned forward and kissed my temple softly. As the baby shower continued, I found myself finally able to cast my worries aside if at least for the time being. I was convinced there would be plenty of time for that later. 

NEXT PART

[merakiaes]

Worse Ways To Die - Oscar “Spooky” Diaz

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Pairing: Oscar “Spooky” Diaz x reader

Requested: By @mrs-spookyd1az​

Prompts: None. 

Warnings/notes: Possessive, cranky Oscar! Not proofread so I apologize in advance for any possible mistakes. Please let me know what you think, I hope that you like it xx

Wordcount: 3724

Summary: Ruby and Jamal can’t keep their eyes off of you at the pool and Oscar has too much fun with it. However, he doesn’t find it as funny when strangers look at you. 

The time Oscar had both dreaded and hoped for his entire life had come; his dad had been released from prison and come back home.

Cesar was, of course, over the moon to finally get to know his dad, but Oscar, being the one who had been first-hand abandoned to raise his younger brother, was furious and hurt. And you… Living with the Diaz brothers permanently, you didn’t really know how to feel.

The atmosphere in the house wasn’t at all what you were used to. It wasn’t playful and loving anymore. It was tense and hostile, and most of all confusing.

In an attempt to cut down the negative feelings you tried your best to be civil with Ray no matter how angry you were about how bad he had hurt Oscar, but still tried to keep him out of the loop as much as you possibly could in order to make things comfortable for your boyfriend.

He had only been home for a few days, and he and Oscar had already had more fights than you could count on two hands.

You tried your best to help resolve things and find a middle ground for them when they just refused to co-operate, but at the end of the day, no matter if you were the long-term girlfriend of Oscar, it wasn’t any of your business so you didn’t pretend like it was by getting yourself mixed up into their conflicts.

The only thing you could do was be there for him, open your arms to him when he needed you and listen to his rants and make sure he knew that his feelings were justified and validated.

He had been a lot less openly loving toward you since Ray’s return, but you knew it was only because he was still trying to figure out what to feel, and you knew it wasn’t because of you. He was tense and irritated against pretty much anyone these days, and you were the only thing keeping him from blowing up.

He wasn’t just angry that he had waltzed back into their lives as if nothing had ever happened, however. More than anything, he was jealous of the way Cesar looked at him, like he was some kind of hero, despite the fact that it was he who had given up in his dreams to raise him.

You really felt his pain when you had to watch him watch them interact. More than anything, you wanted to sit Cesar down and tell him all of the things Oscar had ever done for him and compare them to all of the things Ray hadn’t, but you knew you couldn’t do that.

He needed to figure it out on his own, even if the only way to do so meant he would get his heart crushed like Oscar had all those years ago. It wouldn’t be pretty, but it would be necessary.

Today was one of the few days Cesar wasn’t attached at the hip with his dad.

You and Oscar had been sitting around in the kitchen when Cesar had emerged from his bedroom dressed in a tank and short, with a towel slung over his shoulder, telling you he was heading for the pool.

And in a last-moment decision and desperate attempt to connect with his mano again – although he would never admit it - Oscar had decided that you would go with him. And it was a good idea, as it would mean Oscar could relax some.

So, now here you were, getting out of the car that you had just parked outside the pool.

Cesar was the first one to get out, barely even sparing you a glance before heading off, going ahead to meet up with his friends inside.

While he hurried away, you and Oscar took your time, hands intertwined and swinging slowly between your bodies as you walked toward the entrance at a slow pace, your things packed into a bag that was slung across Oscar’s shoulder.

To avoid having to change inside the locker rooms, you were already dressed in your bikini, having thrown on a simple tank top and a pair on top for the car ride.

Oscar was already dressed too, in his black swimming trunks, a pair of flipflops and a blank t-shirt, so the only thing inside the bag hanging from his shoulder were two towels, your book and sunscreen. You didn’t really need much more for a day at the pool.

A minute later, you were walking through the people inside, heading straight for the spot where Cesar and the others had set up camp.

Jamal and Ruby were sitting in sunchairs, seemingly handing out sandwiches in exchange for money. Jasmine was sitting in the sun and Monse was doing the same, although lying down on a towel, and Cesar was sitting beside her, now only dressed in his shorts.

Cesar wasted no time in raising a hand in a wave, smiling at you as you approached even though you had seen him only two minutes ago. His wave alerted the others of your presence, their eyes averting to you.

“Sup, fools.” Oscar was the first to talk, dropping the bag down on the ground a meter away from them, claiming the spot as yours and barely sparing them a glance as he opened the bag and grabbed the towels, starting to put them down on the ground for you.

While he busied himself with that, you took the time to greet them more properly, smiling at them and raising your hand in a wave. “Hey, guys.”

Jasmine and Monse greeted you from their spots and Cesar smiled, while Jamal and Ruby stared at you with looks that you could only describe as the ones the guys in high school used to give you when they overestimated their game when trying to get in your pants.

It was much cuter when it was Jamal and Ruby, though. They were younger than you and it wasn’t a secret that they both harbored some kind of horny teenage crush on you, something Oscar wasn’t all too fond of.

But you found it adorable, and amusing more than anything.

Jamal puckered his lips out slightly, without a doubt in an attempt to make himself more attractive, while Ruby gave you a confident head-nod, a lazy smirk playing on his lips. “Sup, mamita.” The overly cocky boy greeted you, and you couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in surprise.

You knew he had the hots for you but that wasn’t at all what you had expected. Still, an amused expression fell upon both yours and Cesar’s faces as you exchanged a glance.

But Oscar didn’t find it half as amusing, looking up from the bag and raising a challenging eyebrow, dropping the bag again and standing back up to his full height. “You trying to move in on my girl, pequeño?”

Ruby and Jamal widen their eyes, share a glance before looking back to your boyfriend and shaking their heads violently.

“No, no, I wouldn’t even think about hitting on your girl, Osca- Mr. Spooky, sir. She’s yours.” Ruby quickly defended himself, and Jamal rapidly nodded his head.

“He would never!” He agreed.

Oscar gave them an amused smirk, nodding his head. “That’s right. She’s mine, and if I see you little putas checking her out-“

“We would never!” Jamal repeated, a feign shocked look on his face and their eyes as big as saucers at this point.

“No!” Ruby joined in. “We don’t even find her attractive!”

Jamal’s head whipped around to his best friend and his hand flew out to slap him on his shoulder as a disapproving sound left his lips.

Oscar’s eyebrows shot up, eyes narrowing into slits and his feet taking him a step closer to the two boys. “Are you calling mi reina ugly?”

Jamal let out a sound resembling a whine, pushing himself back into his chair while Ruby was left to fend for himself. “No!” He quickly denied. “She’s really hot! I mean beautiful, I mean, she’s not our type.” He cleared his throat toward the end, trying to play it cool.

“She’s everyone’s type.” A feign offended look overcame Oscar’s face again, causing the panic to return to Ruby and Jamal’s in an instant.

“I-“

You couldn’t deny the exchange was funny as hell to witness, your boyfriend’s teasing making it hard for you to keep your laughter in. But you managed to hold it back in the end and hit him in the back of his head at the sight of the genuinely terrified looks on their faces, swallowing your laughter.

“Oscar, stop messing with them.” You scolded in a lighthearted manner and he turned to you, giving you a smirk while the two boys were still looking about ready to piss themselves.

They didn’t relax until Oscar turned his back on them, turning his attention elsewhere. 

He grabbed the end of his tank top and pulled it over his head without another word, sitting down on one of the towels, the one closest to the boys.

You followed his example and sat down, still dressed in your clothes, and grabbed the sunscreen from the bag, popping the lid open and nudging your boyfriend’s arm.

“Turn around.” You instructed, causing him to turn his head to look at you.

He spotted the pink bottle in your hand and instantly shook his head, turning his head back forward stubbornly. “No. You’re not putting that shit on me.” He refused. “It smells like flowers.”

Rolling your eyes, you ignored him, pouring some into your palm and rubbing your hands together. “You know you burn easily.” You argued. “Stop being a perra and turn around, or I’m leaving.”

Glancing at you, he scoffed, but didn’t protest any further, turning his back to you. “Puta.” He swore.

In return, you slapped your sunscreen-covered hands onto his back, smirking when he flinched from the cold. “Pendejo.”

“Pineapple.” Came the voice of Jamal from beside Oscar and the two of you, along with everyone else, turned to look at him with raised eyebrows, causing him to look around at you, confused. “What? I thought we were naming things starting with P.”

“Idiot.” Cesar laughed and you just shook your head, starting to rub the sunscreen into the skin of Oscar’s back, shoulders and arms.

He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but despite the fact that the lotion smelled like an old lady, he enjoyed the feeling of your hands kneading his tense muscles. His eyes closed and his forehead leaned on his arms that were in turn resting on top of his knees.

Once your hands were close to dry and every inch of his upper body had been covered, you pressed a kiss to his neck and turned to his younger brother who was sitting a small distance away with a smile.

“Do you want me to do your back, too?” You asked, the motherly instinct coming automatically at this point. You had, after all, helped care for him ever since you met Oscar.

Cesar smiled and nodded his head. “Sure.” He said and stood up, walking over to where you were sitting.

You scooted back to make room for him in front of you on your towel and smirked at Oscar, who was already looking at you, when his little brother sat down with no protest.

You raised an eyebrow. “You see that?” You asked, squirting some more sunscreen into your palm and repeating the procedure. “Your brother doesn’t complain like a little bitch.”

Oscar shook his head in annoyance, standing back up. “Whatever. I’m hitting the pool. You coming?” He looked down at you, and you shook your head with a smile, not taking his attitude to heart.

“I’ll be there in a bit.” You promised, finishing putting the sunscreen on Cesar and putting the bottle back down into the bag. “I want to lay in the sun for a bit first.”

He nodded his head, leaning down to give you a quick peck to the lips before walking away. 

Cesar stood up too, going back to his spot beside Monse, and you took that as the perfect time to undress, standing up and beginning to unbutton your shorts.

Beside you, Ruby’s hand immediately flew down to his crotch where he adjusted his shorts, his eyes flickering between you and the pool repeatedly. “Oh no, it’s happening.”

Jamal, also trying his hardest to avert his gaze hit his friend upside the head. “Control yourself, be strong!”

But he was fucked too when he glanced back to you only to see you pulling your tank top over your head, your stomach toned as you stretched your arms up, the real goods being revealed. 

“Oh no.” He whimpered, and Jasmine glared at them from her spot.

“You guys, don’t be disrespectful.” She scolded them in a hushed voiced, keeping it low as to not draw your attention where you were now busying yourself with smearing sunscreen over your chest.

The two boys didn’t even seem to hear her, their mouths falling agape and their eyes widening at the sight. 

Cesar watched the scene unfold from his spot, shaking his head with amusement, knowing that his brother would quite literally kill them if he came back right then.

So he took matters into his own hands, deciding to protect his eventually-to-be sister-in-law from the prying eyes of his friends by throwing one of his flipflops at them, causing them to look at him just as you turned your attention back to them.

“Who wants to do my back?” You questioned with a bright smile, holding the bottle up for all to see and being completely oblivious to what had just been happening.

Jamal and Ruby were up on their feet in no time, their hands stretching into the air. “Me!” They spoke simultaneously, causing you to raise an eyebrow.

“I’ll do it.” Cesar stood up before they could say anything else, walking over to where you were standing and shoving his friends back into their seats as he passed them.

You thanked him when he took the bottle from you, pulling your hair over your shoulder and holding your arms over your breasts to keep your top in place as Cesar undid the knot at your back and wasted no time in starting to put on the sunscreen.

He was pretty much the only one who could touch you without Oscar throwing a fit, he knew, so even though they would be mad at him for a week for robbing them of the opportunity to touch you, he had just done them a huge favor.

Lifesaving, really. 

Once he finished doing your back, he tied your top back up and you adjusted the front before turning to smile at him. “Gracias.” You thanked him, kissing his cheek, and he nodded with a smile of his own.

He only got the time to make his way back to his original spot before you were approached by some other guy, the stranger waltzing up to you with pure confidence in his step.

Kind as you were, you smiled at him, thinking he was just going to pass by, but instead, he stopped right in front of you, causing you to raise an eyebrow.

“Yes?”

The guy raised a hand to scratch his neck, looking at you from through his sunglasses. “I’m sorry if this is extremely forward but I saw you from across the pool and just thought you were so beautiful, I couldn’t stay away. Would it be possible to get your number?”

He flashed a near-flawless smile, but of course, it wasn’t Oscar’s. Now, his smile could make you weak at the knees.

You offered him a sad smile back. “No, I’m sorry. I have a boyfriend.” You answered. “But I’m flattered.”

Letting people down was always hard for you. Not because you were interested or felt bad for them, but because you hated being put in awkward positions. Luckily, this guy didn’t seem to be a creep, but rather a decent human being, which always made things easier.

His face fell. “Oh, damn.” He swore, letting his hand drop from his neck. “Where is he now then? Your boyfriend, I mean.”

“He’s… around.” You told him, not even sure yourself. The place was crowded on this hot day and he could have been anywhere. “And he’s really protective so you should go before he comes back.” You added, knowing that Oscar would make a bigger deal out of it than needed if he came back and found you talking to some other guy.

And just your luck, he chose just this time to return, his form appearing behind the guy and heading straight for you, a glare already resting on his face and his fists clenched at his sides, showing you that he had already caught sight of you.

“Yeah, actually you should go right now.” Jamal agreed with a nervous laugh, looking behind him.

As everyone else’s eyes also found Oscar’s quickly approaching form, the guy you still hadn’t learned the name of turned around too, eyes growing wide with anxiety as he caught sight of the tall and muscular cholo coming straight for him.

“Who’s this?” Oscar wasted no time in getting up in his face as he reached you. “Who are you? Were you talking to my girl? Because we’re gonna have a problem if you were, blanco.”

You hurried to step in between them, the guy taking a step back out of fear. “He was just leaving.” You told him, holding him in place.

The guy nodded his head, agreeing with you and taking another step back. “Yeah, man. I’m sorry.” He turned to you then, offering you a quick nervous smile. “It was nice to meet you.”

Returning his smile, you nodded, fastening your grip on Oscar’s arms as he jerked forward slightly. “It was nice to meet you, too. Bye.”

And with that, he turned around and walked away. 

Oscar’s eyes followed his form all the way until he was out of his line of sight, and once he was gone, he tore himself out of your grip, his body dripping with water.

“Nice to meet you, huh?” He questioned with a glare. “You interested in other guys now?”

You only rolled your eyes, far too used to his jealous behavior. And it was even more understandable now with the anger he was building up with his dad being back. “Calm down. I’m not worried about you having side chicks so you shouldn’t either.”

“Bitch, the only side chicks I’ll ever have is your other personalities.” He fired back.

“Funny.” You glared, not batting an eye at the insult. “Calm down before you do something you regret.”

He glared back, taking a step closer to you and taking you into his arms. “I think I might need some motivation not to kill anyone.” He said, nuzzling his face into your neck.

The glare on your face instantly fell and a chuckle left your lips at the feeling of his beard tickling your skin. “I can’t fuck you if you’re in prison, papi.” You answered, hands coming up to hold on to his upper arms while his roamed your waist, the two of you not caring in the slightest that you were in public.

Ruby and Jamal watched from behind you, now munching on a sandwich each in a desperate attempt to keep their cool, eyes wide as your words reached their ears.

“God, that’s hot.”

Oscar’s face instantly whipped up from your neck, eyes landing on Ruby at the sound of his voice, the two boys jumping in their seats and letting out sounds of surprise.

But you were right behind him, raising one of your hands to grab a hold of his chin and turning his head to look at you with a glare. “What’d I tell you, huh? Leave them alone.” You instructed, feeling his body tense against yours.

You leaned in and pecked his lips chastely, moving your hands to his where they were resting on the small of your back and prying them away, taking them in yours.

“Let’s go for a swim.” You said, and he said nothing, simply letting you drag him away from the younglings.

As you walked away, his hand found its way down to your ass, squeezing the flesh while glaring at Jamal and Ruby over his shoulder.

The two of them watched with wide eyes, unable to tear their eyes away from his no matter how scared they were, and their eyes only widened further when Oscar raised his other hand to his eyes and used his pointer and middle finger to do an ‘I see you’-gesture at them.

Noticing what he was doing, you slapped his chest and forced him to turn back forward, and only then did Ruby and Jamal let out the breaths they had no idea they had been holding until then, the sight causing Cesar to break out into laughter.

They turned to him, both of them sporting a furious glare each. “How can you be laughing right now?!” Ruby exclaimed, eyes struck with fear. “He’s going to kill us!”

Cesar only nodded as his laughter died down to an easy chuckle, his eyebrows raising in agreement. “If you keep looking at (Y/N) like she’s a piece of meat then yeah, probably. And it won’t be painless.”

“Oh, man.” Jamal cried, forcing the entirety of the rest of his sandwich into his mouth, causing the rest of his words to come out muffled. “I’m too young to die.”

For the first time that entire time, Monse, who had been sunbathing peacefully on her towel alongside Jasmine, sat up and removed her sunglasses, looking at them.

“Well, there’s a simple solution.” She deadpanned, holding herself up on her elbows.

Jamal and Ruby turned to her with a mixture of doubt and desperation in their eyes, asking. “What?”

She simply shrugged her shoulders, giving them a sarcastic and annoyed smile. “Just don’t look.” She answered, and with that, put her sunglasses on again and laid back down, leaving the boys to look at Cesar, who simply gave them a shrug and grin in agreement.

They knew it was the only solution, but for two horny teenage boys, keeping their eyes to themselves was easier said than done, and at second thought, maybe it wouldn’t be the worst way to die.

[youare-mysonshine]

miss independent || oscar diaz

(gif is not mine. credit to owner💗)

Summary: Oscar has feelings for the reader meanwhile the reader has feelings for Mario. Oscar is struggling to accept that.

Requested: yes!

Pairing: Oscar Diaz x reader, Mario Martinez x reader

Warnings: a bit of angst, cursing as per usual.

Word Count: 2.3k

A/N: to whoever requested this, I hope this is what you wanted. I decided to use Mario because I just felt like he fit perfectly. Obviously this takes place during season 2 and amber isn’t a thing lmao I wrote this way before season 3 came out and I kinda just left it because I got stuck, but I’m back and I figured I’d finish it. It’s not the best but ENJOY! I’m open to doing a second part, I have been doing Oscar dirty and I am sorry lmao

__________

When Y/N and Mario had ended their relationship, there was absolutely no bad blood between them - they had been together for most of high school. They were each other’s first loves. They went through a great deal together. They essentially grew together. They had been together way too long to end on bad terms.

No, the reason that they had ended was because Mario had gone away to college and Y/N had stayed in Freeridge, having decided to take a break from school for about a year or so. It hadn’t been an easy decision, but they both ultimately agreed that they should break up - prior to him leaving for college, they had agreed that long distance would be just fine, that they’d be able to do it, but once he was gone, it was an entirely different story. They barely talked, Mario was busy with meeting knew people, going out with his new friends and focusing on school. It was something Y/N didn’t blame him for, she knew what the deal was when he went away, but still, life was getting in the way and neither of them wanted to make the other feel like they weren’t important.

Their break up had been hard but amicable. And it certainly wasn’t something that someone could just get over in a short amount of time. Neither of them knew if they’d get back together again, but the feelings were still there. Y/N was sure that they’d always be there. A connection with someone like that, it didn’t just go away. It’d stay with you, forever.

It had been a few weeks after their break up that Y/N had gone out to the liquor a few blocks away from her house to buy some snacks - call it comfort food - when a green car had slowed down across the street from her to match her pace. Inside the car, which was blasting music so loud she could almost feel the bass of it reverberate against the sidewalk, were about 4 guys. Prophets, she quickly realized, judging by amount of green they wore.

“Damn ma, what you doin’ out here alone? You lookin’ fine as fuck. Let me get that ass.” Was among one of the many things thrown her way. Being a young woman, it hadn’t been the first time that she had been cat called and it likely wouldn’t be the last, but that fact never stopped it from being creepy and making her uncomfortable, especially when it was coming from the Prophets, one of Freeridge’s known gangs. Especially given that they had been following her in their car, going as fast she was going to keep up with her.

Y/N had sped up her walking but that did nothing because they sped up too, still yelling things at her through the window. Her heart had begun racing and she could feel the cold sweat on her forehead - were they gonna follow her home? The young woman had contemplated just booking it and hoping that they’d lose interest and leave when she heard the rumble of another engine, this time heading in her direction. Up ahead she could see a familiar cherry red impala. She knew who it belonged too. Almost everybody knew who it belonged too.

Oscar had sped up just slightly when he had seen the green car, coming to a stop when he was beside Y/N, effectively blocking her from the view of the Prophet’s. Suddenly, she had gotten just that much more freaked out because she knew, everybody knew, of the tension between the two gangs, the Santos and the Prophets. She didn’t want to find herself in the middle of a shootout when all she had just wanted to do was go home and eat her damn fucking chips.

“The fuck you doin’ on this block? This is Santos territory. You punk asses know you shouldn’t be here.” She had heard Oscar say. “Get the fuck outta here. Now.” He left no room for discussion. That deathly calm, but frightening stare wasn’t something she wanted to be on the receiving end of. Across the street, she could see the Prophets in the car debating his words, contemplating on listening to the Santo and leaving or starting some shit. In the end, they decided on heeding his words and they drove off, not before throwing some comments his way, and her way.

“We’ll be seeing you, Spooky.” “Watch your back.” “We’ll be seeing you too, ma.” None of it phased Oscar, who watched as they disappeared through the side mirror of his car. Suddenly, his dark eyes were on her and she left out a tiny breath she wasn’t aware she had been holding.

“You good?” He asked, nodding his head at her. The y/h/c haired female gave a small nod, clutching at the plastic bag in her hand.

“Uh, yeah. Thanks for that. I didn’t think they were gonna leave me alone.” She admitted, sending a small smile his way. His dark eyes analyzed her for a second, and she began to grow hot under his gaze, feeling the heat creep up her neck, to her cheeks, all the way to the very tops of her ears.

“You’re Mario’s girlfriend, right?” And that sent a painful little jab to her heart, the remembrance that she and Mario were no longer a couple. Clearing her throat, Y/N shook her head.

“Uh, no. No, we broke up after he left for college. Long distance just wasn’t our thing.” She revealed. Oscar gave a slow nod at her words, letting out a little ‘hm’. She had figured the conversation was over at that point so she was about to turn away and carry on her journey home when his deep voice spoke up once more.

“You want a ride?”

Now, Y/N had been familiar with Oscar because of Mario, but they had never actually had a full blown conversation like the one they were just having. They had never been alone together, they had never spent copious amounts of time together. Oscar had gone to prison for a considerable amount of time as well. So, the fact that he had offered to give her a ride was a bit surprising to her, and she had almost declined his offer when the words of that one Prophet replayed in her mind.

“We’ll be seeing you too, ma.”

Were they lurking around a corner somewhere, waiting until she walked away from Oscar? Waiting to follow her again? Now, maybe she was being entirely paranoid but she certainly did not want to take that risk. So, giving Oscar a nod, she walked a few steps forward, pulled open the door and climbed into the passenger seat of his precious car.

That had been the start of an unlikely and very surprising friendship between Y/N and Oscar Diaz.

After that fateful day where he saved her from being harassed by Prophets, they had started hanging out more, they had become quite close. She’d spend more time at his house than her own. They’d drink cheap beer and smoke blunts and just talk about anything and everything. Dumb shit, funny shit, little shit. It was a friendship that Y/N had really grown to cherish. Hell, Oscar had even let her drive his car, and that wasn’t something he let anybody do, not even his brother.

(“You better not fucking crash my car, pendeja.” “Shut the fuck up, I’m not gonna crash shit. Relax, vato.”)

But somewhere along the line, it had changed for Oscar. Having a girl as a friend was something that he was never really used to - he hadn’t anticipated on an actual full blown friendship to form between him and Y/N but he couldn’t say that he regretted it. Y/N looked at him and saw something more than just a cholo, more than just a guy with two strikes working against him. He really did start to care about her, and he looked forward to the days where she’d go over to his house and they’d just hang out. Or the days where they’d get into his car, drive down to the beach and watch the sunset.

He had found himself wanting more than just a friendship - it was her smile, the way her smile seemed to light up the entire room. It was her eyes, the way they’d twinkle and shine so bright they could rival the stars. It was her nose, the way she’d crinkle it up every time she’d take a drink from some beer, which he’d always tease her about because she could never seem to get used to the bitter taste.

But the only issue was that she still had feelings for her ex. Oscar knew this, it wasn’t exactly as if it was a secret - Y/N openly talked about Mario with Oscar, she’d tell him how she missed him, how she often thought about them and their relationship. It was a tough pill to swallow, and it was why he had almost reconsidered inviting Mario to the Santos party, but nah, he wasn’t like that. He could be fucked up if he wanted, but Mario had always been good to him, he respected him too much to start acting like a dick.

———

Music played from the speakers that stood beside the DJ booth. People were dancing, drinking, smoking - it was a good time, everyone was having fun.

Everyone but Oscar that is.

His eyes kept drifting over toward Y/N and Mario as they sat on that worn, nasty old couch in their own little world, deep in conversation. He took notice of the way her eyes were shining bright, of that smile that never left her face. Or Mario’s face.

Y/N had arrived shortly after Mario and Ruby had and when she had caught sight of Mario, it was like she was that nervous girl going on her first date with him again. She thought that overtime her feelings for him would fade, that distance would make her move on. But it didn’t. And seeing Mario again.. she remembered just how much she truly loved him.

So, she and Mario had stuck by each other’s side throughout the entire party, talking, catching up, reminiscing about old times.

“So, you and Oscar? How’d that happen?” Mario asked her. He had been a little surprised when he found out that his ex-girlfriend had struck up a friendship with the gang leader. She had told him herself when they started talking again, and Ruby had told him that they had spent an awful amount of time together.

Y/N’s smile softened and she turned to glance over at Oscar who was having a conversation. But it was like he felt her eyes on him because he turned and looked over at her. Their eyes met and she sent him that sweet smile that had him falling for her all over again. Then she turned back to Mario.

“It was after you left, actually. I went to the store and some Prophets rolled up on me,” Mario looked concerned, his brows furrowing. “But, Oscar was riding by in his car, he saw and he helped me out. He gave me a ride home and after that, we just started seeing each other more. Hanging out. He’s cool, I like him.” She said, that smile never leaving her face.

“So, there’s nothing more going on between you two?”

“What? No! He’s my best friend!” Y/N said. “Honestly.. I.. I haven’t been with anyone since we broke up.” She admitted. “I miss you. It’s hard being without you. Oscar made it easier, but.. I still miss you. I’m glad you’re here, Mario.” She said. Her ex-boyfriend gave her a smile, that smile that had her weak in the knees.

“I missed you too, Y/N.”

Oscar knew he was probably being a cock blocker but he didn’t care. He walked over and you noticed him immediately, sending a smile his way. “Why you guys hidin’ over here? It’s a party. Little Ruby is making more friends than you two.” He nodded over to the young Martinez who was indeed having the time of his life. It was the happiest that Mario had seen his brother in a while and he was glad.

“We were just talking. Catching up. She told me how you helped her after some Prophets rolled up on her. Thank you for that.” Mario said as the two stood up off the couch. Oscar shrugged his shoulders as he looked down at the female, his eyes sparkling as he looked at her.

“It was nothing. I’d do anything for her. She knows that.”

“I do know that. And you know that I’d do anything for you too. You’re my best friend and I love you.” She said to Oscar and his heart actually sank down into his stomach.

Best friend.

That’s all he was to her. Her best friend and nothing more. She was his best friend but he wanted it to be more. But standing with her and Mario, seeing the way the two looked at each other.. he knew nothing more would ever come from it.

But at the same time… having Y/N in his life as his friend was better than not having her in his life at all. If she was with Mario, then all he could do was support her and be there for her because all he really wanted was for her to be happy. If it was Mario that made her happy then so be it. Mario was a good dude so he didn’t have to worry about him hurting her.

He had her in his life one way or another and he was just thankful for that.

[sincerelyasomebody]

Past Meet Present || Mario Martinez

(GIF Credit: @merakiaes)

A/N: This hasn't been proofread. It was written in a rush. Don't hesitate to correct me on the Spanish translations. 

Pairing(s): Mario x Reader ▪︎ Angelica x Mario (past relationship) ▪︎ Martinez Family x Reader (platonic relationship) 

Summary: Ex girlfriend meeting the new girlfriend.

Warnings: children having no filter, fluff, language, slight angst; physical altercation, Tik Tok dances,

Word Count: 1564

- ♤ - ♡ - ◇ - ♧ -

Bonding with her boyfriend's little sister was beginning to take a toll on (Y/N)'s body. Luisa, a sassy energetic seven year old, had suggested teaching her Tik Tok dances for the Saturday afternoon. And who was she to refuse such a request. She thought after the second dance, the little girl would go and play soccer with her twin Luis in the backyard. But she refused to go until (Y/N) knew every dance she knew. The young woman had a newfound respect for the people who came up with Tik Tok dances and those who mimicked them.

Benee's Glitter paused mid-chorus, Luisa looked in her direction, "are you giving up?" 

"No, just n–need to take five." 

"If you take five, then you're a loser."

(Y/N)'s eyebrows furrowed, standing to her full height. "How would taking a break make me a loser?" 

She flicked her ponytail, "it just does." 

Not willing to argue with a child's logic, (Y/N) gulped some water down and tossed the bottle to the side. Gesturing to the young girl to change the music for the next dance. Savage Love by Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo played through the portable speaker, (Y/N) focused on following the movements of the seven year old girl in front of her. She couldn't help but smile as she was shown what to do with her hands. That part was easy, it was moving her hips that (Y/N) seemed to struggle with. 

"You gotta move your hips. (Y/N), h-i-p-s. Hips. Abuelita knows the dance and she's an old lady." Luisa shook her head, threw her hands in the air and called out, "abuelita! (Y/N) needs help. Show her how you move with your old lady hips!"

And with that the rambunctious child ran back inside the house, in the direction of where she thought her grandmother would be. (Y/N) heard a familiar laugh pop up beside her, followed by arms wrapping around her waist. With her head turned slightly, she was met with a kiss to her cheek. 

"Don't worry, bebe." Mario squeezed her hips and swayed, "I know you can move your hips." 

She laughed, "is that so?" 

"Yeah, but as a precaution let me help." 

With one hand on hers and the other on her hips, he began the famous dance. (Y/N) let him move her hands and then sway with her hips. When it got to the part of both her hands in the air, she made sure to put a little pressure in her sway. With a groan in her ear, she broke free from his grip.

She turned around and tapped his cheek, "thanks for the help, but now I've gotta –" 

"Nope, you're staying right here." Mario switched off the portable speaker, wrapped his arms around her body, lifted her up and carried her back onto the porch. He sat down and pulled her close to his chest. (Y/N) laughed, while adjusting herself so her legs hung over the armrest and her head was in the crook of his neck. She breathed in his scent and played with the collar of his shirt. 

(Y/N) had been set up on a blind date by her college roommate Carly. After getting dolled up and entering the restaurant she was told to go too, the twenty minute mark rolled around and her date was a no show. Embarrassed at being stood up, she left the establishment and was almost run over by a guy on an electric scooter. Mario had been the one driving it and immediately stopped to check to see if she was okay and to apologise. The pair went to a diner and exchanged numbers by the end of the night. (Y/N) had expected their budding relationship to be platonic, until he admitted his feelings during one of their hangout sessions. After a moment of shock, she revealed that he wasn't alone and she had feelings for him.

They've been an official couple since. 

However, this was the first time (Y/N) had visited where Mario had grown up and met his family. They had met briefly through facetime whenever she happened to be present while Mario was on a call. Meeting them in person was different. She got along with Ruben, Abuelita and the twins. It was Ruby and his mother Geny who were still weary of her. (Y/N) put it down to Mario's almost being a father fiasco. 

Yeah, he told her all about it. 

"Mario, I didn't know you were back." 

Sitting up, she looked straight ahead and found somebody on the opposite side of the fence. From the pictures Mario had shown her back in his dorm, it was Angelica. The girl he experienced many firsts with and most notably his first love. Mario had told (Y/N) all about him being friends with his ex girlfriend. She wasn't intimidated by her in the slightest. But that didn't mean she was going to be all buddy-buddy with her. She'd keep it cordial. 

"Oh, hey." Mario shifted slightly, (Y/N) hopped off his lap. He stood up and walked over to her. When he noticed (Y/N) hadn't walked beside him, he held out his hand behind him, smiling when she accepted and wrapped an arm around her waist when she was close enough, "this is my girlfriend (Y/N). Bebe this is Angelica." 

(Y/N) smiled and held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you, I've heard quite a bit about you." 

Angelica ignored her and continued looking at Mario, "So… how's your sophomore year in college been?" 

"Wow… okay, just ignore me then." (Y/N) muttered under her breath and retracted her hand, "bitch." 

This time Angelica acknowledged her. 

"What did you call me?" 

Not being one to back down easily, she replied, "a bitch." With her quick reflex, she grabbed onto the hand that was going to slap her, "gotta be quicker than that sweetie." 

Angelica pulled her hand back and glared, before focusing back on Mario. "¿Puedes controlarla?" 

"She doesn't need to be." Mario replied coolly. "She's her own person." 

(Y/N) scoffed, "of course I'm my own person." But, then looked in between the two, "wait, did she say something about me?" Looking back at Angelica, "care to elaborate?" 

"Why don't you go inside, (Y/N)." She pointed behind them, "Mario and I have a few things to discuss." 

Before (Y/N) could respond, her boyfriend beat her to it. 

"What do we have to discuss, Angelica?" Mario questioned. "No tenemos nada de que hablar." 

"I'd rather not discuss our personal business when someone else is present." 

"Our personal business? Our personal business ended the day I went back to college. We don't have anything –" 

She cut him off, "we have a history, Mario."

"That's all it is, history." He replied, "this is (Y/N) (L/N), my girlfriend. My present and potential future, Angelica. Yeah, we have history and I'll always be thankful for what we had… but, that's it. We can go back to being friends –" 

"What if I don't want that? What if I want to be more than that? What if I want to go back to us being together?" 

He shrugged his shoulders, "we can't." His eyes found (Y/N)'s and a smile graced his face, "I've got something good and I'm not gonna mess it up." He looked back at her, "one day you'll meet someone like I have too." 

(Y/N) pressed a loving kiss to his cheek. He responded by pressing one to her forehead. She let out a squeal as his fingers squeezed her hips. He laughed when she slapped his chest. 

Angelica watched their exchange with a mixture of hurt, sadness and anger bubbling up inside of her. She used to be in (Y/N)'s position and was looking forward to reclaiming the title of being Mario's girlfriend when he came back… only to be told by one of her girls that he was seen around town with a girl. She refused to believe that Mario had moved on, but the evidence was right in front of her. The difference between the last time she had seen him and right now was she no longer had a hold over him.

She couldn't do anything other than walk away. Rekindling her romance with Mario Martinez wasn't an option anymore. Like he said, they were history. 

The pair noticed her disappearance when they headed back inside to grab something to eat. (Y/N) felt a little bad for Angelica, but hoped she'd move on. Because she wasn't gonna play nice if Miss Ex decided to come around and get her boyfriend's attention. And if Mario allowed that to happen, she'd beat both of their asses. 

"Everything okay, mi amor?" 

She smiled and cupped his chin. "Angelica may have been your first love, but I intend on being your last," pecking his lips, she giggled, "until I pop out one of your big headed babies." 

"No babies!"

With an eye roll from her boyfriend and a headshake he yelled back, "It was a joke, ma." Before he turned back to (Y/N), "or it wasn't 'cause I'm in the mood to practice if –"

"MARIO!" 

"Another joke, ma."

- ♤ - ♡ - ◇ - ♧ -

Spanish Translation(s): 

Bebe - baby

¿Puedes controlarla? - can you control her?

No tenemos nada de que hablar - we have nothing talk to about 

Mi amor - my love

[oscars-wifeyyy]

Hi could you write something for Spooky with #2 and 17 from your prompt list please? ❤️

2. “You’re the only one that matters to me”

17. “You don’t even see me…”

I got you, honeyyyy

You were at a Santos party with Ruby and Mario because they had invited you so you thought why not, but the only thing is that you had a huge crush on Spooky. The three of you were relaxing on the couch that was in the backyard when Spooky had walked up to the three of you.

“How is the party?” Spooky asked, holding up four shots.

You grabbed two and handed one to Ruby, standing up to cheers with your best friend and crush, “arriba,” you held up the shot, “abajo,” put the shot down, “aldentro,” after you clinked the shot glasses, you threw the shot back into your mouth.

Ruby was staring at the drinks and the food table. You knew that he liked to fix everything like parties and have it grand so you left the boys to talk and sat next to Ruby.

You motioned towards the table, “go fix it. I know you want to,”

Ruby gave you a small, but real, smile and stood up to fix it. You smiled at the glimpse of the old Ruby, turning to see Mario with Angelica and Oscar with a bunch of hynas around him. Sure, you were hurt, but you knew you couldn’t be mad since you guys aren’t together. It suddenly sucked to be sober so you walked up to the table and grabbed the bottle of tequila from Ruby’s hand.

“lo siento, Ruby, but I need this,” you sadly smiled at the younger boy.

“I don’t know why you like Spooky when you can have any man in this party,” Ruby shrugged.

“I have no idea either,” you chuckled, “but I’m gonna let go and go flirt with some guys. Have fun party-planning, Ruby,”

You walked away and saw a guy eyeing you up so you thought why not. A quick drink of liquid courage had you walk up to the guy and strike up conversation. Unaware of the watchful eyes of the one you really want, you find yourself being pulled towards the house. Since you were in an intoxicated state, you let it happen until Spooky came out of nowhere, pushing the guy away from you.

“Aye, cabron. Get out before I make you,” Spooky glared at the man.

“Whatchu mean, Spooky? I’m just trying to have fun with this hyna,” the guy winked at you.

“Nah, fool. Now get out before I make you,” Oscar’s voice dropped into a deadly one.

“Alright, chill!” the man said and ran out.

Oscar spun around and grabbed your hand and pulled you into the house and into his room. He pushed you in, slamming the door.

“The fuck was that?!” Spooky pointed to the backyard.

“That was me having fun! Why do you even care?” you yelled, still intoxicated, “go back to your hoes and leave me the fuck alone,”

“Nah, mamita,” Oscar glared with a hint of amusement in his eyes, “you’re the only one that matters to me,”

“Don’t. Play. With. Me,” you seethed, unshed tears in your eyes, “please do not play with me,”

“(Y/N), I’m being serious,” Oscar glared at you.

“Stop! Stop lying!” you shouted, “you don’t even see me...”

Oscar stopped, “don’t see you? Oh, I don’t see you? So I don’t see that you helped Ruby out there? I don’t see you doing your best? Don’t you ever say that I don’t see you because I do. I like you, mamita,”

“W-what are you talking about? What do you mean you like me?” you stuttered.

Oscar walked closer to you, putting you against the wall with one of his hands against the wall to trap you in and the other on your waist, “I mean I like you and want you to be mine. Be mi reina,”

You laughed, “of course,”

The two of you smiled at each other and closed the distance between your lips, moving in sync to the beat of your own rhythm. It was the start of something real.

[biisexualemma]

updated! 🤍

on my block masterlist

requests are currently closed

oscar diaz

scared

i’m yours

nervous

drunk

since we were kids

i hate boys

anger / pt.2

fat

hurt

bet on me / pt.2

soft

better off

revenge

family first

good enough

different

pretend / pt.2 / pt.3

kissing other people

sister

crazy

always you

girls

slipping

boys ain't shit

cesar diaz

second best

[wintersoldierslover]

my fic recs masterlist

---

Bucky Barnes:

all bucky barnes

headcanon  -  blurb  -  one-shot  -  series - two-parter

40s  -  The Winter Soldier  -  Avenger  -  TFATWS

dbf!bucky  -  brother’s bff  -  bff’s brother

neighbour  -  housewife reader

lumberjack  -  firefighter  -  bodyguard

priest bucky  -  college

football player  -  hockey player  -  boxer

professor  -  teacher  -  librarian/bookshop

coffee shop  -  soulmate  -  royal

other AUs  -  taboo

moodboard  -  deactivated:(

---

Stranger Things characters:

all eddie munson  -  all steve harrington

eddie and steve (x reader)

billy hargrove  -  jason carver  -  mike wheeler

dmitri enzo antonov  -  jim hopper

robin buckley  -  nancy wheeler

---

Outer Banks Characters:

all Rafe Cameron

all JJ Maybank

Rafe Cameron and JJ Maybank (x reader)

Pope Heyward  -  Topper Thorton

John B.  -  Sarah Cameron

Kiara Carrera

---

Marvel characters:

Wanda Maximoff  -  Kate Bishop

Natasha Romanoff  -  Yelena Belova

Peter Parker  -  Pietro Maximoff

Steve Rogers  -  Stephen Strange

Frank Castle  -  Matt Murdock 

Moon knight  -  Steven Grant

Joaqín Torres - Clint Barton

Loki Laufeyson  -  Druig

Eddie Brock  -  Miles Morales

Miguel O’hara  -  Hobie Brown

---

Harry Potter characters:

Sirius Black  -  Remus Lupin 

James Potter  -  Poly!Marauders

Lily potter  -  Cedric Diggory

George Weasley  -  Fred Weasley

Severus Snape  -  Tom Riddle

Draco Malfoy

---

Avatar (James Cameron) charachters:

neteyam  -  aonung  -  lo’ak

rotxo  -  kiri  -  spider

jake sully  -  neytiri  -  tsu’tey

tonowari  -  ronal  -  colonel quaritch

---

Top Gun chracters:

Fanboy  -  Hangman  -  Rooster  -  Bob

Iceman

---

Wednesday characters:

Xavier Thorpe  -  Ajax Petropolus

Wednesday Addams  -  Divina

---

Bridgerton characters:

Anthony Bridgerton  -  Benedict Bridgerton

Colin Bridgerton

---

Criminal Minds characters:

Spencer Reid  -  Aaron Hotchner

Derek Morgan

---

The Last of Us characters:

Joel Miller  -  Ellie Williams

Abby Anderson

---

The Devil All The Time characters:

Tommy Matson  -  Lee Bodecker

---

Uncharted characters:

Nate Drake  -  Sam Drake

---

Euphoria characters:

Elliot (Euphoria)  -  Fezco

---

On My Block characters:

Mario Martinez  -  Oscar Diaz

---

Modern Family characters:

Luke Dunphy  -  Alex Dunphy

---

Ted Lasso:

Roy Kent  -  Jamie Tartt

---

NHL players:

Matthew Ktachuk  -  Trevor Zegras

Nolan Patrick  -  Tyler Seguin

---

Actors:

Sebastian Stan  -  Joseph Quinn

Jamie Campbell Bower  -  Danny Ramirez

Drew Starkey  -  Rudy Pankow

Ben Hardy  -  Bella Ramsey

Jenna Ortega

---

Miscellaneous characters:

Eli ‘Hawk’ Moskowitz  -  Marcus Baker

Rodrick Heffley  -  Hunter Sylvester

Lloyd Hansen  -  Ari Levinson

Nick Fowler  -  Tangerine

Rhett Abbott  -  Hayden ‘Harvard Hottie’

Colin (Not Okay)  -  Min Ho (Xo, Kitty)

Ash (No Exit)  -  James Maguire (Derry Girls)

Jake Peralta  -  Nick Miller  -  Brian O’conner

Anakin Skywalker  -  Bruno Madrigal

Tadashi Hamada  -  Kakashi Hatake

---

Miscellaneous real people:

Billie Eilish  -  AEW Hook

---

*Updated whenever there’s a new character <3

[siouxxiie]

𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

☆ hello there! my name is polish-anon and im another beginner writer here ^^ I use She/Her/They/Them pronouns, i am a asexual biromantic person. Also I am a Aquarius! This is my main blog where i write stuff and reblog stuff. I’m also making a matchup account too :D

☆ i make x reader, drabbles, headcannons, fanfics and more!

☆ i really love watching and reading anything like manga, shows, and more!! (feel free to ask)

☆ i listen to a lot of genre’s which you’ll find out down below, but im a lover of many vocaloid songs (that’s why im in love with kikuos songs)

☆ i have a lot of fictional crushes and kinnies which will also be down below so i have a lot of comfort characters/crushes but here are some and with the rest of what i like:

☆ Favorite Shows: jane the virgin, degrassi, paswg, end of the f*cking world, big mouth, insatiable, invader zim, south park

☆Favorite Movies: Perks of being a wallflower, s3x drive, super bad, juno, scott pilgrim, basically every michael sera movie

☆Favorite Animes: hxh, death note, love chinibyo, demon slayer, akudama drive, umaru chan, TBHK, neon genesis evangelion

☆Favorite Games: Smash bros, siege, dbd, minecraft, roblox, sally face, mario kart, undertale, honkai impact 3rd, cookie run, pokémon go, five nights at freddys, sims, genshin impact

☆Favorite Music: Eyedress, slipknot, puzzle, marina, mars argo, loona, kikuo, pinkpantherss, bo en mcr, cigarettes after s3x, mitski, tyler the creator, tv girl, paramore, melanie martinez, lana del ray, clairo, steve lacy, rebzyyx

☆Favorite Characters: Chiaki Nanami, l lawiet, rei ayanami, mikan tsumugi, arataki itto, tweek tweek, asuka langley soryu, makoto naegi, princess carolyn, shinji ikari, stan marsh, judah (bojack), mcchicken

[jayankles]

So this blog has basically become a multifandom blog. Just because I could be bothered to post on my other one. Whoop whoop. Anywho...

I will make an official post maybe if I get round to it, because I'm on my phone right now when I should be sleeping... right...

If there are characters you like but are not on the list just shoot me an ask i ve probably just forgotten them.

I will be opening requests for the following people;

All x fem!reader or ofc

Supernatural; Dean/Jensen, Sam/Jared, Jack/Alex, Gadreel, Donna, Ruby 2.0/Gen, Anael/Danneel

Open to Poly/Ships: with jenneel, jarevieve, jenevieve, genneel, winchester bros no wincest, j2

Marvel: Ben Barnes/Billy Russo, Frank Castle, Matt Murdock, T'Challa, Sam Wilson, thor odinson/Chris Hemsworth, MJ, peter Parker/Tom Holland, scott lang, Steve rogers/Chris Evans, bucky Barnes/Sebastian, Claire temple, misty Knight, luke cage, Carol danvers, brunnhilde, wanda maximoff, pietro maximoff

Dc: kara danvers, mick Rory, Ray palmer, Barry Allen, Adrian chase/josh segarra, charlie(amara)

Ouat: killian jones, jefferson, Regina, David, Robin Hood, Prince Eric

Wwe: finn balor, seth rollins, drew mcintyre,

Lucifer/tom Ellis, mazikeen,

on my block - Oscar Diaz open to Mario and Ruby Martinez

B99 - rosa Diaz, jake peralta

H50 - steve mcgarrett, Danny Williams

Thomas magnum

Jim halpert

Massimo Torricelli

Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin

I am pretty sure I'm forgetting some amazing characters but there are enough to hold you over

[ao3feed-mythology]

All Together™

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2YSndqV

by mellloyelllo

die

Words: 10, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Orange is the New Black, Steven Universe (Cartoon), A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV), Shark Tale (2004), Sharknado (Movies), Jaws (Movies), XXXTentacion (Musician) RPF, OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes, Undertale (Video Game), Deltarune (Video Game), Roblox (Video Game), Family Guy (Cartoon), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types, The Cleveland Show, Garfield - All Media Types, Voltron: Legendary Defender, Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC Universe Online, Victorious (TV), iCarly, Minecraft (Video Game), But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), Russian Doll (TV 2019), My Singing Monsters, Revolver - The Beatles, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Hetalia: Axis Powers, Fairy Tail, SpongeBob SquarePants (Cartoon), M&M's Commercials, Homestuck, Super Mario & Related Fandoms, Donkey Kong (Video Games), Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964), Santa Clarita Diet (TV), Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, 私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い! | Watamote - No Matter How I Look At It It's You Guys' Fault I'm Unpopular!, Free!, American Horror Story, Ирония судьбы | The Irony of Fate (Movies), John Wick (Movies), Fortnite (Video Game), Overwatch (Video Game), Salad Fingers, Wonder Woman (2017), अलीबाबा और चलीस चोर | Alibaba Aur 40 Chor | Adventures of Ali-Baba and the Forty Thieves (1979), Alice In Wonderland - Lewis Carroll, Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis, Political RPF - US 21st c., Maroon 5, Twenty One Pilots, Romeo And Juliet - Shakespeare, Everyman HYBRID, Everybody Else (Band), Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng, Arctic Monkeys, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, Game of Thrones (TV), Teen Titans - All Media Types, Teen Titans Go!, Regular Show, Clarence (Cartoon), Flaming Carrot Comics, Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain | Amélie (2001), Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë, Jane the Virgin (TV), H2O: Just Add Water, Shrek (Movies), Fish Hooks (TV), Shark Tank (TV 2009), Of Mice & Men (Band), Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck, Slamacow Minecraft Animations (Web Series), The Stanley Parable, Hitler: The Rise of Evil (TV 2003), Fran Bow (Video Game), Hamilton - Miranda, Johnny Test (Cartoon), A Separate Peace - John Knowles, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Office (US), Five Nights at Freddy's, Phineas and Ferb, Moshi Monsters (Video Game), Neopets, K-pop, Poptropica (Video Game), Baby-Sitters Little Sister - Ann M. Martin, Super Planet Dolan (Web Series), Slazo, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV), We Bare Bears (TV), Adventure Time, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Mighty Magiswords (Cartoon), Hey Arnold!, Rugrats & All Grown Up! (Cartoons), CatDog (Cartoon), Harvey Beaks (Cartoon), Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunter X Hunter, Camp Camp (Web Series), Fairly OddParents, Camila Cabello (Musician), Anne with an E (TV), G.I. Joe - All Media Types, 5 Seconds of Summer (Band), Eminem (Musician), Club Penguin, Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types, LOVECRAFT H. P. - Works, Captain America (Movies), American Dad!, Country Music RPF, Tiger Cruise (2004), Karate Kid (Movies), Lilo & Stitch (2002), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Price of Freedom - A. C. Crispin, The Princess and the Frog (2009), The Aristocats (1970), The Muppet Show, The Muppets - All Media Types, Sesame Street (TV), Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series - Jeff Kinney, Dork Diaries Series - Rachel Renee Russell, Looney Tunes | Merrie Melodies, Apple "Get a Mac" Commercials, McDonalds "NHL Mini-Sticks" Commercials, Talking Tom and Friends (Cartoon), Nintendogs, Melanie Martinez (Musician), Little Witch Academia, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia, Cowboy Bebop (Anime), Gravity Falls, Halloween Movies - All Media Types, The Nun (2018), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), How to Get Away with Murder, School of Rock (2003), The Cheetah Girls (Movies), Good Luck Charlie, Ant-Man (Movies), A.N.T. Farm, Codename: Kids Next Door, Powerpuff Girls, Mr. Pickles (Cartoon), Peanuts, Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Fallout (Video Games), Weather Girl (2009), Heathers (1988), Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe, Burger King "The Burger King" Commercials, My Babysitter's A Vampire, The Amazing World of Gumball, The Amazing Spider-Man (Movies - Webb), Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends, Minions (2015), Despicable Me (Movies), Because of Winn-Dixie - All Media Types, South Park, Sanjay and Craig (Cartoon), Breadwinners (Cartoon), Robot and Monster, Fanboy & Chum Chum (Cartoon), Monsters vs Aliens (2009), Original Work, Mary Poppins - P. L. Travers, Godspell - Schwartz, Het Achterhuis | The Diary of Anne Frank - Anne Frank, Ed Edd n Eddy, Eddsworld - All Media Types, Ed Sheeran (Musician), Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Furry (Fandom), Lego Ninjago, The LEGO Movie (2014), Lego - All Media Types, My Life as a Teenage Robot, Danny Phantom, True Jackson: VP, Pinky and the Brain, Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Multi-Fandom, Dance Moms RPF, Life Is Strange (Video Game), Mother 1 | EarthBound Zero | EarthBound Beginnings, Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu | EarthBound, Mother 3, Portal (Video Game), Portal 2: The (Unauthorized) Musical - geekenders, Ariana Grande (Musician), Justin Bieber (Musician), Bebe Rexha (Musician), Taylor Swift (Musician), ジョジョの奇妙な冒険 | JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken | JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Liv and Maddie, Crash Bandicoot (Video Games), Shake It Up! (US TV), G-Force: Guardians of Space, G-Force (2009), Ancient History RPF, Ancient Egyptian Religion, Little House on the Prairie (TV), The Prince of Egypt (1998), Mulan (1998), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain, Number the Stars - Lois Lowry, The Giver Series - Lois Lowry, Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes, SuperLuv - Shane Dawson (Song), Kirby - All Media Types, Chick-fil-A "Eat Mor Chikin" Commercials, Cow and Chicken (TV), Block B, Beauty and the Beast - All Media Types, Groundhog Day (1993), Christian Bible, Islamic Lore, Jewish Scripture & Legend, The Epic of Gilgamesh, תורה | Torah, Hindu Religions & Lore, Orphan Black (TV), Black Panther (2018), Mad Men, Goosebumps - All Media Types, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Pretty Little Liars, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018), Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Yu-Gi-Oh the Abridged Series, Scooby Doo - All Media Types, Les Schtroumpfs | The Smurfs, Pillsbury Company "Pillsbury Doughboy" Commercials, Nickelback (Band), Rocko's Modern Life, All That (TV 1994), The Color Purple - Alice Walker

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, Other

Characters: Oscar (Shark Tale), Brook Soso, Alex Vause, Piper Chapman, Megan Bloomfield, Graham Eaton, Lenny the Chocolate Moose, George Milton, Lennie Small, Nicky Nichols, Lorna Morello, Lemony Snicket, Alexandrite (Steven Universe), Dominga "Daddy" Duarte, Artesian McCullough, Rose Quartz (Steven Universe), Blue Diamond (Steven Universe), Blue Diamond's Pearl (Steven Universe), Yellow Diamond (Steven Universe), Yellow Diamond's Pearl (Steven Universe), Yellow Zircon (Steven Universe), Jade West, Joel Luschek, Noelle Holiday, Slim (Of Mice and Men), Slime (Minecraft), Creeper (Minecraft), Enderman (Minecraft), Sans (Undertale), Papyrus (Undertale), Violet Baudelaire, Klaus Baudelaire, Sunny Baudelaire, Count Olaf (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Janae Watson, Sister Jane Ingalls, Sophia Burset, Baz (Sharknado), Robin Hood (Once Upon a Time), Starfire, Cyborg (Character), The Beast (Over the Garden Wall), Stanley (Disney: Beauty and the Beast), John Bennett (Orange is the New Black), John Doe (Roblox), John Wick, Ruby (Steven Universe), Jane Doe, Justin Hammer, Carrie "Big Boo" Black, Peridot (Steven Universe), The Narrator (The Stanley Parable), Shrek (Shrek), Annoying Dog (Undertale), Ben Shapiro, Desert Glass (Steven Universe), GLaDOS, Winnie (Free!), Bird That Carries You Over A Disproportionately Small Gap, Watanabe You, Franny Morello, Thanos (Marvel), Spider (Minecraft), May Parker (Spider-Man), Courage (Courage the Cowardly Dog), Peter Parker, Lois Griffin, Michael Scott, Freddy Fazbear, Nevel Papperman

Relationships: Piper Chapman/Alex Vause, Nicky Nichols/Alex Vause, Parker (Leverage)/Alex Vause, Megan Bloomfield/Graham Eaton, Barry Benson/Oscar (Shark Tale), Pearl/Rose Quartz (Steven Universe), Lapis Lazuli/Peridot (Steven Universe), Amethyst (Steven Universe)/Sans (Undertale), Sans (Undertale) & Peridot (Steven Universe), Olivia Caliban/Jacquelyn Scieszka, Blue Diamond/Greg Universe, Sans (Undertale)/Shrek (Shrek), Papyrus (Undertale) & Sonic the Hedgehog, Noelle Holiday/Susie (Deltarune), George Milton & Lennie Small, Artesian McCullough/Maritza Ramos, Alex Vause/Reader, W. D. Gaster/Sans/Reader, Ned (Pushing Daisies)/Harry Potter, Amethyst (Steven Universe)/Harry Potter, Sans (Undertale)/Reader, Garnet/Jasper (Steven Universe), Alice (Alice in Wonderland)/Christopher Robin (Winnie-the-Pooh), Frank Castle/John Wick, Joel Luschek/Nicky Nichols, Alexandrite/Malachite (Steven Universe), Freddie Benson/Carly Shay, Star Butterfly & Steven Universe, Count Olaf/Esmé Squalor, Galina "Red" Reznikov/Gloria Mendoza, Enid (OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes)/Pearl (Steven Universe), Enid/Red Action (OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes), Carol Denning/Reader, Sans/Sans (Undertale), Chara/Frisk (Undertale), Tony Stark/Thanos, Peter Griffin/Johnny Test, Courage/Katz, Jane Eyre/Edward Rochester, Blue Diamond (Steven Universe)/Eugene Krabs, Gene Forrester/Phineas "Finny", Creeper (Minecraft)/Sans (Undertale), Creeper/Steve (Minecraft), Creeper (Minecraft)/Reader, Gene/Jailbreak/Hi-5 (The Emoji Movie), Jailbreak/Smiler, Lord Boxman/Eugene "Gar" Garcia, George Washington/Martha Washington, Alexander Hamilton/Sonic the Hedgehog, Jim Halpert/Michael Scott, Eievui | Eevee/Pikachu, Kasumi | Misty/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Satoshi | Ash Ketchum/Serena, Chica (Five Nights at Freddy's)/Harry Potter, Bonnie/Foxy (Five Nights at Freddy's), Freddy Fazbear/Reader, Freddie Benson/Nevel Papperman, Gibby Gibson/Nevel Papperman, Lorna Morello/Nicky Nichols, Lorna Morello/Vince Muccio, Liane Cartman/Quahog Residents (Family Guy), Lois Griffin/Glenn Quagmire, Glenn Quagmire/Joe Swanson, Benny (In the Heights)/Alexander Hamilton

Additional Tags: Futanari, Mouth Sewn Shut, Everyone Is Gay, Kissing, Necrophilia, Murder, BDSM, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Must Read, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn, Discussion of Abortion, Abortion, Glasses, Alternate Universe, Crossover, Fuckin' Fluffy Mondays, Everybody Dies, Holocaust, I did this instead of studying for my finals, harambe trump, Cereal, Vore, Cock & Ball Torture, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Furry, Irony, Epic, Bromance, Blue Eyes, Green Eyes, Brownies, Mind Control, Dogs

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2YSndqV

[madmen-ao3feed]

All Together™

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2YSndqV

by mellloyelllo

die

Words: 10, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Orange is the New Black, Steven Universe (Cartoon), A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events (TV), Shark Tale (2004), Sharknado (Movies), Jaws (Movies), XXXTentacion (Musician) RPF, OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes, Undertale (Video Game), Deltarune (Video Game), Roblox (Video Game), Family Guy (Cartoon), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types, The Cleveland Show, Garfield - All Media Types, Voltron: Legendary Defender, Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC Universe Online, Victorious (TV), iCarly, Minecraft (Video Game), But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), Russian Doll (TV 2019), My Singing Monsters, Revolver - The Beatles, Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Hetalia: Axis Powers, Fairy Tail, SpongeBob SquarePants (Cartoon), M&M's Commercials, Homestuck, Super Mario & Related Fandoms, Donkey Kong (Video Games), Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964), Santa Clarita Diet (TV), Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, 私がモテないのはどう考えてもお前らが悪い! | Watamote - No Matter How I Look At It It's You Guys' Fault I'm Unpopular!, Free!, American Horror Story, Ирония судьбы | The Irony of Fate (Movies), John Wick (Movies), Fortnite (Video Game), Overwatch (Video Game), Salad Fingers, Wonder Woman (2017), अलीबाबा और चलीस चोर | Alibaba Aur 40 Chor | Adventures of Ali-Baba and the Forty Thieves (1979), Alice In Wonderland - Lewis Carroll, Chronicles of Narnia - C. 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Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, Other

Characters: Oscar (Shark Tale), Brook Soso, Alex Vause, Piper Chapman, Megan Bloomfield, Graham Eaton, Lenny the Chocolate Moose, George Milton, Lennie Small, Nicky Nichols, Lorna Morello, Lemony Snicket, Alexandrite (Steven Universe), Dominga "Daddy" Duarte, Artesian McCullough, Rose Quartz (Steven Universe), Blue Diamond (Steven Universe), Blue Diamond's Pearl (Steven Universe), Yellow Diamond (Steven Universe), Yellow Diamond's Pearl (Steven Universe), Yellow Zircon (Steven Universe), Jade West, Joel Luschek, Noelle Holiday, Slim (Of Mice and Men), Slime (Minecraft), Creeper (Minecraft), Enderman (Minecraft), Sans (Undertale), Papyrus (Undertale), Violet Baudelaire, Klaus Baudelaire, Sunny Baudelaire, Count Olaf (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Janae Watson, Sister Jane Ingalls, Sophia Burset, Baz (Sharknado), Robin Hood (Once Upon a Time), Starfire, Cyborg (Character), The Beast (Over the Garden Wall), Stanley (Disney: Beauty and the Beast), John Bennett (Orange is the New Black), John Doe (Roblox), John Wick, Ruby (Steven Universe), Jane Doe, Justin Hammer, Carrie "Big Boo" Black, Peridot (Steven Universe), The Narrator (The Stanley Parable), Shrek (Shrek), Annoying Dog (Undertale), Ben Shapiro, Desert Glass (Steven Universe), GLaDOS, Winnie (Free!), Bird That Carries You Over A Disproportionately Small Gap, Watanabe You, Franny Morello, Thanos (Marvel), Spider (Minecraft), May Parker (Spider-Man), Courage (Courage the Cowardly Dog), Peter Parker, Lois Griffin, Michael Scott, Freddy Fazbear, Nevel Papperman

Relationships: Piper Chapman/Alex Vause, Nicky Nichols/Alex Vause, Parker (Leverage)/Alex Vause, Megan Bloomfield/Graham Eaton, Barry Benson/Oscar (Shark Tale), Pearl/Rose Quartz (Steven Universe), Lapis Lazuli/Peridot (Steven Universe), Amethyst (Steven Universe)/Sans (Undertale), Sans (Undertale) & Peridot (Steven Universe), Olivia Caliban/Jacquelyn Scieszka, Blue Diamond/Greg Universe, Sans (Undertale)/Shrek (Shrek), Papyrus (Undertale) & Sonic the Hedgehog, Noelle Holiday/Susie (Deltarune), George Milton & Lennie Small, Artesian McCullough/Maritza Ramos, Alex Vause/Reader, W. D. Gaster/Sans/Reader, Ned (Pushing Daisies)/Harry Potter, Amethyst (Steven Universe)/Harry Potter, Sans (Undertale)/Reader, Garnet/Jasper (Steven Universe), Alice (Alice in Wonderland)/Christopher Robin (Winnie-the-Pooh), Frank Castle/John Wick, Joel Luschek/Nicky Nichols, Alexandrite/Malachite (Steven Universe), Freddie Benson/Carly Shay, Star Butterfly & Steven Universe, Count Olaf/Esmé Squalor, Galina "Red" Reznikov/Gloria Mendoza, Enid (OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes)/Pearl (Steven Universe), Enid/Red Action (OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes), Carol Denning/Reader, Sans/Sans (Undertale), Chara/Frisk (Undertale), Tony Stark/Thanos, Peter Griffin/Johnny Test, Courage/Katz, Jane Eyre/Edward Rochester, Blue Diamond (Steven Universe)/Eugene Krabs, Gene Forrester/Phineas "Finny", Creeper (Minecraft)/Sans (Undertale), Creeper/Steve (Minecraft), Creeper (Minecraft)/Reader, Gene/Jailbreak/Hi-5 (The Emoji Movie), Jailbreak/Smiler, Lord Boxman/Eugene "Gar" Garcia, George Washington/Martha Washington, Alexander Hamilton/Sonic the Hedgehog, Jim Halpert/Michael Scott, Eievui | Eevee/Pikachu, Kasumi | Misty/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Satoshi | Ash Ketchum/Serena, Chica (Five Nights at Freddy's)/Harry Potter, Bonnie/Foxy (Five Nights at Freddy's), Freddy Fazbear/Reader, Freddie Benson/Nevel Papperman, Gibby Gibson/Nevel Papperman, Lorna Morello/Nicky Nichols, Lorna Morello/Vince Muccio, Liane Cartman/Quahog Residents (Family Guy), Lois Griffin/Glenn Quagmire, Glenn Quagmire/Joe Swanson, Benny (In the Heights)/Alexander Hamilton

Additional Tags: Futanari, Mouth Sewn Shut, Everyone Is Gay, Kissing, Necrophilia, Murder, BDSM, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Must Read, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn, Discussion of Abortion, Abortion, Glasses, Alternate Universe, Crossover, Fuckin' Fluffy Mondays, Everybody Dies, Holocaust, I did this instead of studying for my finals, harambe trump, Cereal, Vore, Cock & Ball Torture, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Furry, Irony, Epic, Bromance, Blue Eyes, Green Eyes, Brownies, Mind Control, Dogs

read it on the AO3 at http://bit.ly/2YSndqV

[marwritesgood]

The 1 | M. Martinez

Pairing: Mario x Turner!Reader

Timeframe: Season 1 - 2

Summary: [Based on The 1 - Taylor Swift] If only she had gone to college with Mario, or if only he stayed in Freeridge with her. Maybe then, they wouldn't have broken up. Maybe then, he would not be at his parent's doorstep with his pregnant girlfriend.

masterlist

A/N: this is a part of my folklore/evermore-inspired fic collection

It was sunny in Freeridge. Y/n approached the booth Mario sat at and placed two glasses of house lemonade on the table. She had been working at her dad's barbecue restaurant for so long, navigating the place felt like second-nature to her. Mario loved to just sit and watch his girlfriend

"Thank you baby," Mario sang, looking up with a grin knowing Y/n could not resist the urge to kiss him quickly before proceeding. After a swift peck and even swifter 'you're welcome, baby', she sat opposite him and pulled glass close to her chest.

Out of habit, Y/n began stirring the ice in glass with the straw it came with. Mario took a sip of his drink but could not ignore his girlfriend's behaviour. He reached for her free hand and smiled when she gazed up from her glass and met his eyes.

"What'd you wanna tell me?"

All week Y/n had been acting strange. If Mario had not been so preoccupied with his college applications, he likely would have confronted her about it sooner. However, eventually Y/n asked him to meet her at the barbecue joint and he knew she would fess up soon enough.

"My dad wants me to work here full-time," Y/n announced, a wide smile slowly appearing on her face as she spoke. "I'd be taking on a more managerial role and eventually work my way up to being his business partner."

She sat frozen for a moment while she surveyed Mario's reaction. He was the first person she was telling the news to and she was counting on him to be excited with her.

Mario shook his head in amazement and chuckled beneath his breath as he reached out for both of Y/n's hands. He knew that this was something she'd been hoping for for a long time.

"That's so good, baby," Mario exclaimed, intertwining his fingers with hers. He could not help the way his heart swelled when smile grew as she let out a sigh of relief. "I... I'm so excited for you."

He meant every word. She knew it. Yet, for some reason, something was not sitting right with Y/n. Whether it was his delayed reaction or the way he, too, was acting strange for the past week, she just could not place her finger on it.

"I love you," she murmured blissfully as she rubbed her thumb against the back of his right hand. Y/n was a blubbering mess the first she said those three words, but since then they came with such ease. Such confidence.

"I love you," he replied, lifting her hand and pressing them softly against his lips. When Mario met his girlfriend's gaze, his heart began to race, but not for the usual reason. She could tell something was up.

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

Her tone was comforting and far from accusatory. Y/n trusted Mario completely. Whatever he was hiding, she was confident he had his reasons for keeping it from her. Reasons Y/n would respect if it did was not so obviously bothering him.

"I applied to U-Cal," he admitted, purposely averting his eyes. Y/n's brows rose in surprise. In all their conversations about college and life after high school graduation, he never mentioned applying. She held her breath in anticipation of what he was going to say next. "I got in."

Y/n exhaled as her mouth fell open. She struggled to fully process it, but she could not keep herself from smiling.

"Mario, that's amazing!" Y/n gripped his hand tighter, prompting him to finally look back at her. When she looked into his eyes, she took a minute just to bask it in. Her boyfriend, the college attendee. There were very few people she could think of who deserved the opportunity more. "I'm so proud of you, baby."

Those words were enough to make Mario giddy, but coming from Y/n made it all the more meaningful. All the hours they spent studying together and all the times she helped him cram for the SATs and all the assignments that came before and after. It was all amounting to something for him.

"How're you feeling?" Y/n asked, trying to maintain her smile despite how riddled she was with worry. In one revelation, there was suddenly a limit placed on the amount of time they had together before he would inevitably leave for college. "Do... Do you know when you have to go?"

"Less than two months."

"Wow," Y/n stated blankly. She should have expected it, but hearing aloud just how little time they had left was jarring. Mario was too overjoyed to notice the way Y/n's bottom lip trembled ever so slightly.

All he could think about was college.

"I know, I'm so excited!" Mario cheered. "They sent a brochure and it's so cool all the clubs and events they have."

As her boyfriend named off a handful of the clubs he was interested in learning more about, Y/n nodded along despite being unable to completely focus. Less than two months. They had less than two months to spend together, and he seemed elated by the thought it flying past.

"I just can't believe it," Mario sighed. Y/n blinked and channelled her attention back to him. Normally when Mario was happy, it rubbed off significantly onto Y/n. However, this time was different. He was happy because he was going away. How could she not take it personally? "I can't believe I get to finally leave the house, the block and..."

"And me?"

The words parted from her lips before she knew what she was speaking, but even so, Y/n did not regret it. How could she regret her feelings? How could she ignore how insignificant Mario was making her feel?

"Y/n," he whispered, his brows crinkling together when he realised how teary-eyed his girlfriend was. Mario struggled to understand where she would get such a crazy thought from. "C'mon, baby, you know that's not true."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Y/n questioned immediately. "The deadlines for applications closed months ago. You've kept this from me for months."

"That's..." Mario wanted to say it was not true, but it was. He never meant to keep his application a secret, he just never expected anything to amount from it. Did she truly believe he kept her in the dark maliciously? "That's not fair."

Perhaps it was, Y/n thought. Perhaps deep down she knew he never had any intention of hurting her, but it did not change the outcome. Silence filled the, thankfully empty, restaurant for only a moment. In that moment, Y/n was confronted by a terrifyingly burning question.

"What's gonna happen to us?" She spoke in a quiet voice. One riddled with insecurity and an overwhelming fear of what his answer would be. In an even quieter voice, she added, "What's gonna happen to me?"

"Why are you doing this?"

Mario was not expecting her to react this way. The Y/n he knew and loved was always so supportive. Always so optimistic. Always so confident that things would work out for the best and they would come out stronger because of it.

However his question only infuriated Y/n more. This was different from her wanting to pick up more hours at the restaurant or him getting cut from the football team.

"I don't know you just sound like you have this whole plan to leave everything here behind," Y/n began frustratedly. "I just wanna know if I'm included in that."

"Oh my god, how can you think that?"

Mario was dumbfounded. Whenever he spoke of moving on to bigger and better things, it always with the assumption that Y/n would be right there with him. It was always so clear to him that she was the one for him, he believed it went without saying.

"Well, how could you make this huge decision without giving me so much as a heads up?"

Mario knew there was not much he could say to defend himself on that front, so he found himself rambling off until his words eventually formed a coherent response.

"You know, I just... I just thought you would be happy for me."

"I am happy for you," Y/n defended. How could he even question that? "I... I just feel blindsided."

She was always upfront about her plans for after graduation, which was a topic they discussed frequently, so it was not like he did not have an opportunity to let her know sooner. Anytime she mentioned the option of applying for colleges, Mario was quick to dismiss it.

Y/n questioned whether it was intentional, but it was not the case. Mario did not expect to get accepted, so keeping his application a secret was done so to avoid disappointment. If he had known the outcome, Y/n would have been the first to know.

"But you know I've wanted out! I've told you that so many times," Mario reasoned. "I've always felt suffocated here and- and trapped like I'm just constantly being held back and-"

He lost track of where he was going with his response. In all honestly, Mario did not hear half of what he had said. He was just so desperate to make things right again. To have her fingers intertwined with his once more. It was not until Y/n spoke that he realised his words and their insinuations.

"...You think I'm holding you back?"

His stomach immediately sank. Y/n's voice was so shaky and quiet it sounded almost unfamiliar at first. Nothing like the confident voice Mario could listen to for days on end. This one was painful to hear, even more-so when he saw tears that began to stream down her cheeks.

If Mario's words were incoherent beforehand, they were straight foreign by that point. He was, somehow, even more desperate to fix things between them, but it was far more difficult thanks to the hole he dug for himself. Mario reached out for her hands, but she shuffled out of the booth before he could obtain a grasp.

"Y/n-" He called out, but to no avail. She stood up and was headed for the kitchen. "Baby, that's not-"

"-No, stop," Y/n interrupted bitterly. He'd said more than enough and while she was not the one going to college, she was most certainly smart enough to take a hint. "Just finish your lemonade and leave and just-"

All of the anger and frustration flooded her senses and clouded her judgement. Y/n inhaled sharply as she though of what to say next. Mario was startled when she looked him in the eye, but it was ultimately her final words that left a lasting impression on him.

"Just don't ever fucking come back."

There was not enough time for Mario to process her words and chase after her. By the time she locked herself in the storage room, he was already a tearful mess trying to figure out whether she meant for him to never come back to the barbecue to joint or never come back to Freeridge.

Or, even worse, to never come back to her.

***

Y/n never spoke to Mario again. Never saw him one last time before he left. She never even replied to one of his millions of texts and voicemails. If he truly believed she was holding him back, she was gonna do him a favour and let him go.

In the months after their falling out, Y/n invested all her energy into her job. If there was something wrong with the stocktake, Y/n raced to fix it. If there was an opportunity to learn more about running a restaurant or flipping a patty, Y/n was the first in line to take it up. If there was a grease trap waiting to be cleaned, Y/n already delegated the task to her little brother.

"- And I have Jamal covering for Paula while she's at the orthodontist," Y/n explained, tracing next week's roster with her pen. Dwayne smirked, impressed by how well his daughter was doing in her new role as assistant manager.

"How'd you get Jamal to agree?"

Upon her promotion, Y/n's most prominent struggle was getting her brother to respect her authority. Jamal used to treasure the way he and Y/n were equals in the restaurant kitchen, because she had some degree of authority over him in every other aspect of life. However, much to his dismay, Y/n was not above adopting her tactics as an older sister to ensuring her subordinates stayed in line.

"I have my ways."

"She threatened me!" Jamal called out from the kitchen, having overheard Y/n's and Dwayne's conversation. She swore that boy had selective super-hearing.

"With love," Y/n added, even though her dad knew his kids too well to buy it.

Dwayne chuckled as he took the roster off Y/n. She grabbed the timesheet from behind the counter and clocked her and Jamal out for the day before grabbing her bag and keys from the nearby booth.

"How was the convention in Berkeley, by the way?" Dwayne asked.

Y/n had recently come back from a convention about burgers; one she managed to get free admission into thanks to a friend of a friend. The convention itself was nothing spectacular, but all Y/n could think about on the bus ride home was how Mario was among the many students she saw at the U-Cal campus.

All she could think about was how different things would be if she had known he was applying there. Maybe she would have applied too. Maybe they would be meeting in between classes on one of the picnic tables outside the building.

"Good," Y/n replied shortly. Her dad did not need to know the doubts that filled her mind on the bus trip home to Freeridge. It was not like it would make a difference anyways, and she couldn't say she was unhappy with how her life after graduation was turning out. "I'll tell you all about when Jamal and I get back."

Y/n adjusted her bag strap and furrowed her brows when she turned to face the empty kitchen. Jamal had more than enough time to get the potato salad from the freezer room so they could go to the Martinez's for New Years Eve dinner, but she could not see him anywhere.

"Jamal, c'mon!"

"Calm down, I'm right here." Y/n turned around and jumped when she realised her little brother had been standing behind her for a hot minute with the bowl of potato salad gripped in his arms.

"We'll see you later, dad," she said as they headed out of the barbecue place for the night, her arm placed loosely over Jamal's shoulders.

Despite her falling out with Mario, Y/n maintained a good relationship with his family over the course of the latter half of the year. It was easy to do considering how close she was to them when she and Mario were dating and the fact that Jamal and Ruby were constantly getting themselves into trouble and Y/n was their go-to person for help out of it.

When she and Jamal arrived at the house, Geny greeted her with a hug before abuelita quickly whisked her towards the kitchen. Y/n helped set the table as the others moved the furniture around per Geny's instructions.

"Who's that?" Ruby asked aloud when he heard a car pull up into the driveway. The only person they were expecting was Monse who was heading over on foot. Geny seemed just as confused as her son.

As if on cue, the door bursted open just as Y/n finished setting the plates. In came an eerily enthusiastic Mario with a blue cap placed backwards on his freshly cut head of hair. The blue cap Y/n got him last spring, she might add.

It was clear there was no way out for her now that she was there and he was too. There was always the option of excusing herself and letting Mario know how affected she still was by their breakup, but Y/n's pride refused to let her do so.

He greeted his younger siblings, his grandmother and his parents first. They questioned him about the reason for his early return, but he held off on giving them a proper answer. There was someone he wanted to talk to first.

"Hey," Mario spoke awkwardly as he gently tapped Y/n's shoulder. She held her breath and turned to face him, smiling nervously as she met his gaze. Both were riddled with mixed emotions. They were both so anxious to speak yet somehow so happy to see each other after months of separation.

"Hi," Y/n huffed, placing the last bowl of food down on the table.

"Um how- how've you been?" Mario asked. Neither one of them were active on social media, so he always wondered how she was doing. Every time she came to mind, which happened very frequently, all he could do was hope she was happy and well.

"Been doing good," Y/n replied. If you focused solely on her role at the restaurant, her answer rang true. However, if you accounted for all the breakdowns and sleepless nights she endured in between? Not so much, but Mario did not need to know. "You?"

Y/n noticed the way his expression turned sour at her question. She had very little time to contemplate why before Monse eventually came bursting in with a chirpy 'happy new year!' followed by a bombshell.

"Did y'all know there's a pregnant white girl on your porch?"

Mario could not bear to look at his parents, so he found himself looking at her, which was somehow worse. Y/n stared blankly at Monse for a moment as she wrapped her head around the news. When she finally did, she turned to Mario and the tension between them grew exponentially.

Eventually he turned to his parents to explain himself, but it was difficult leaving Y/n to deal with the news. He had hoped to be able to tell her himself in private, but he was never the best at knowing the right opportunity to speak.

While Mario and Geny spoke to the pregnant white girl, whose name Y/n learned was Amber, she and the others took their seat at the dining table.

"Are you ok, Y/n?" Jasmine asked, shifting her chair closer to her.

"I don't know," Y/n sighed truthfully. She always hoped the next time she'd see Mario they'd patch things up. She never could have anticipated he'd be showing up with a baby on the way.

Once Mario, Geny and Amber finished talking, they came back inside and approached the table. Y/n and Jasmine were in the middle of a heated conversation about the new lip gloss she was using when Mario, out of habit, took his usual seat next to Y/n.

"Ahem."

Jasmine went silent and glared across Y/n's shoulder to Amber who stood expectedly. Y/n turned around and was startled to realise how close Amber was standing to where she sat, not to mention how big her belly was. Mario must not have wasted any time in moving on from her.

"Hey... girl," Amber began. Y/n had never felt so uncomfortable. "Would it be ok if I sat there? Wanna be next to Mario is all."

"Her name is Y/n," Jasmine stated pointedly before Y/n could even reply. She was never the kind to wait for a signal before jumping to someone's defence. "And she was sitting there first."

There was already so much tension in the room, Y/n did not want to add to the fire. Not to mention when she glanced at Mario his expression was riddled with so much nervousness and so many silent apologies, Y/n could not bring herself to make things harder for him.

"It's ok, I'll go," she said as she got up from her chair.

"Thanks sis," Amber chirped as she gleefully sat down.

Immediately, Y/n cringed and Mario buried his face in his hands, not able to look her in the eye as she left their end of the table. She had to physically bite her tongue just to keep herself from saying something that a court of law would most definitely use against her.

Y/n made her way to the available seat between Geny and Jamal and was, at the very least, grateful it was away from Mario and Amber.

Everyone sat in silence as Amber finished her 'Super Big Gulp' with seemingly no clue that so many eyes were staring at her. Just as she finished slurping the last of her drink, she looked up and smiled nervously, finally putting her cup down so dinner could commence.

"I am so sorry about your recent loss, my heart goes out to all of you," Amber began, extending her arm out and gesturing to the rest of us. Y/n held her breath, hoping for Amber's sake that she was not about to say something stupid. "And as a beneficiary of white privilege-"

Y/n huffed, squeezing her eyes shut.

"These kinds of tragedies are, like, foreign to me," Amber continued. Y/n could see Geny gritting her teeth in the corner of her eye. "So on behalf of my people. I am sorry for keeping your people down."

Jamal looked up at his big sister to see if she, too, caught on to the way Amber was glancing between the two of them and Monse when she finished her sentence. From the way Y/n hands were clenched, it was alarmingly clear that she did.

"By the way this all looks so good, mama," Amber said to Geny, who rose to say something in retaliation before her husband quickly placed a bread roll in her mouth to keep her from doing so.

***

Jamal never gave her a detailed explanation. All he said was that Y/n owed him one after he covered Paula's shift and that abuelita needed help sewing a dress because her hands were apparently 'cursed'.

Y/n had been seated at abuelita's sewing machine for a few minutes when she felt her gaze from the opposite side of the able where she sat. They had been working for around an hour, and abuelita was conscious of how quiet her pseudo-granddaughter was being.

"You've been gone for a while," she stated.

It unlike her. Y/n was always stopping by the house. Whether it was to drop off Ruby after she had to pick him and Jamal up from the cemetery at three in the morning. Or to drop off some extra groceries to make up for all the food Jamal and his friends went through during their countless meetings at the house.

When Y/n turned to face her, abuelita simply looked back at the fabric in her fingers, as though her eyes never left the stitch she was working on.

"I think you know why," Y/n replied.

A week had passed since Mario and Amber made their arrival, and after the New Years Eve dinner, Y/n could not bring herself to face them again. What was she supposed to do? There was no Youtube tutorial on how to cope with life when your first love makes a comeback with his pregnant girlfriend.

“How are you feeing?"

"I told you, abuelita. I'm fine," Y/n said softly.

Every time she greeted the Martinez matriarch, without fail, she always asked her how she was. That day was no different, and it had been about an hour since Y/n gave her usual response.

"That's not what I meant."

Y/n froze, instantly regretting all the times she previously confided in abuelita. That woman had sixth sense for what the kids in her life were up to, and now Y/n realised she was included too. Abuelita took her glasses off and looked at Y/n. Although she struggled to come up with an answer, the pace of her breath and the way she shifted uncomfortably in her seat was enough for the matriarch to know.

She still cared for him.

Abuelita thought of giving her advice. Of giving her comfort. She imagined it was an incredibly difficult position to be in. Prior to their breakup, everyone was expecting Mario and Y/n to make it.

Before Mario came back, abuelita held onto the hope that they still would. That they would reconcile and make it work. That they would learn from their past argument and become a stronger couple because of it. Y/n held onto the same hope.

However, holding onto that hope appeared pointless now. Mario was the kind of person to do everything in power to ensure his kid grew up in a two-parent household. And Y/n was not the kind of person to get in the way of that. Abuelita knew it true and well.

Yet, even so, she could not help but reach out for Y/n's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze and frowned apologetically. Pobrecita, she thought to herself. Young heartache was a piercing and gruesome pain.

"Abuelita, I bought the white thread you asked for."

Mario had just arrived home from a trip to the store when he turned and realised Y/n was there. They had not spoken since the New Years Eve dinner, so he was grateful Amber was treating Ruby to lunch. Perhaps then he could get a minute alone with Y/n.

"Ah thank you Mario," abuelita said as she took the thread from Mario's hand. She glanced between him and Y/n, contemplating whether she would leave or stay. Much to Y/n's dismay, abuelita decided to go, leaving her and Mario with nothing but thick tension.

Y/n quietly prayed that Mario would leave as well, but when he did nothing but stand silent, she cough aloud and headed to the kitchen, hoping he would not follow her. She seemed to have no luck.

“Can we talk?” Mario said quietly, gently grasping Y/n's arm. Her breath hitched at the feeling of his hand and, against her better judgement, she stopped in her tracks.

When she mustered enough courage to look him in the eye, they exchanged a look that only the poets would be able to describe. Suffice to say, it was clear they were both conflicted by the situation they were in and the feelings that never left even after their fight at the barbecue joint.

“I think we both know that’s not a good idea,” Y/n sighed.

“Please,” he begged, his voice beginning to waver at the thought of letting her go again when there was so much left to be said.

She was still as she tried to calculate whether or not sticking around would be abandoning her principles. Mario was a soon-to-be father. He was not hers to have intimate conversations with. Not anymore.

“I'm so sorry," Mario whispered.

She did not think he noticed the way she clenched her jaw every time Amber called him 'baby' or how her hands shook when she had to set an extra plate down for her. But he did, and he had been filled with guilt ever since.

“You don’t have to apologise,” Y/n said.

“Y/n-"

“No really, Mario,” she assured. Perhaps she was kidding herself trying to respond rationally to a situation that had her reeling, but it felt just as ridiculous trying to punish him for a crime that simply did not occur. “We broke up and you… moved on and now you’re having a baby. You did nothing wrong.”

It should have brought him great comfort to hear her say that. After all, it was the very thing he tried to convince himself of after his one-night stand with Amber, after finding out she was pregnant and every moment since. But it did not.

“Then why doesn't it feel right?”

Y/n was quiet. How was she supposed to respond to that? Mario shook his head. He hated how he felt, but he had little control over the matter. Moreover, talking his feeling out with Y/n was his go-to medicine for conflicted feelings. It came natural to him.

"We were really something, don't you think so?"

She did not dare answer, even though she was dying to say yes.

“I know I’m responsible for what's happened and I don’t… I’m not trying to dismiss that, but I just,” Mario paused and thought. “Ever since Amber told me she was pregnant… Even before then. Ever since we broke up, really, I just keep thinking to myself...”

Y/n inhaled sharply and braced herself. She knew where he was going. She would be lying if she said her thoughts did not take her down a similar route.

“If one thing had been different-”

“Don’t," Y/n interrupted, her voice growing quiet. She shook her head. He was the one who moved on. He did not also get to be the one haunted by regret and what-ifs. “Don’t do this to me, Mario.”

He pursed his lips and nodded sheepishly. Perhaps it was unfair of him to ask her if she thought about how things would be if they hadn't broken up. If he had just told her about the damn application sooner. If he had not

Y/n could have sworn he was turning to leave, but just when his feet shifted, he turned back. There was one other question he had. One that had been eating away at him for over two weeks.

“Were you in Berkeley last month?” He huffed. Y/n's eyes immediately widened, and he took it as a sign of confusion. "I don't know, I... I passed a bus stop there and I thought it might've been you."

Since seeing her, Mario questioned if it was a sign. Was it meant to be Y/n all along? He was already feeling conflicted by his situation, but seeing the familiar girl at the bus stop sent him spiralling down an endless path of loaded questions that had no clear answer.

There was no way, Y/n tried to convince herself. He could have easily been referring to a different bus stop to the one she sat at while waiting for hers after the burger convention. And even if he was not, what good would it do if he knew it was her?

“No.”

His heart sank. He was not sure what he would have done if she said yes. Maybe he would have believed it was a sign. Maybe he would have held hope. However, now that her answer was no, he had no choice but to let those possibilities go and, with them, her.

Y/n glanced at the clock and cursed herself for sticking around. She was due back at the restaurant in five minutes and Amber was likely to be back in around the same time. She had to cut the conversation off before either of them said something they could not take back.

“Mario.”

“Don't,” he whispered pleadingly. He may have been away from Freeridge for 5 months, but no amount of time could rid him of the ability to know her tones of voice. And this one was telling him goodbye. “Please don’t say my name like that.”

Like it was the last time. Like she was gonna miss saying it.

Y/n had to turn away for a moment. She could not look at him when he was like that. When he was begging her not to say goodbye to him and to their long history together in Freeridge. Not when she was trying so hard to go.

"Look, maybe if things happened differently, things between us would be different," she reasoned, hoping it was enough of an answer to the question he never got to ask. "But this is how it's turned out. I think we should both accept that and… and move on."

It would have been nice to grow old with her high school sweetheart. It would have been sweet for it to have been Mario. For their epic love story to live to see another era. But it was painfully clear that fate had other plans.

“Yeah,” he sighed after a long moment of deliberation. He was not fully convinced. Perhaps he never would be. But there was nothing else either of them could do. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

Y/n sniffled and wiped her damp cheeks before reach for his shoulder. She contemplated kissing his cheek, for old time's sake, but decided against it. It would only do more harm than good.

It was a bitter sense of familiarity for Mario; watching Y/n leave and being left with nothing but all the words he wished he had said.

She had looked at him sorrowfully. Her lips parted for a moment, as if she was about to say something, but instead she just walked away. Y/n had said many things to Mario during their time together in Freeridge. Many awful jokes, many corny pick-up lines and many many words.

But, so long as she had a say, goodbye would not be one.

***

A full month had passed and Y/n was doing surprisingly well with keeping her distance. She and Mario managed to avoid each other thanks to her keeping her distance from his home and him eating at any and every other establishment in Freeridge.

She was sitting in the storeroom on step-box, scrolling through Ruby's instagram page in search for intel on how Mario was doing, when Jamal bursted in.

"Y/n, table four," he muttered, placing the tray of food he held in his older sister's hands. She furrowed her brows in annoyance, but not after quickly putting her phone away before Jamal caught on to what she was doing.

"I'm on my break," Y/n scowled, handing the platter back.

"Customer specifically requested you," Jamal retorted, shoving the platter back to Y/n whose frustration grew tenfold.

"Customer can bite me," she said through gritted teeth.

"Customer has annoyingly refused my service three times now, so I'm leaving his food here."

Jamal placed the platter on a nearby empty shelf before walking away to avoid his sister's wrath. She grumbled as she went to serve the platter and vowed to get back at him someway somehow after.

It did not take long for Y/n to realise why the customer was so adamant on her service. She could recognise that blue cap anywhere. Y/n hesitantly placed the platter down in front of Mario, but not without glancing back to Jamal and narrowing her eyes.

"Um- Are... Are you free to talk?" Mario asked sheepishly.

Y/n was still looking at Jamal and was puzzled by the way he looked at Mario. There was definitely something he knew that she did not. Given the fact that he was at Amber's baby shower, Y/n presumed it had something to do with that.

She was far more curious than she was nervous. After all, she had spent the first five minutes of her break cyber-stalking her ex-boyfriend's little brother. Y/n huffed and reluctantly sat opposite to Mario.

"Everything alright?" She would not have asked has she not noticed how puffy his eyes were. Mario was an emotional man, she knew that better than most people, but he never cried without some reasoning.

"Amber gave birth yesterday," Mario began. Y/n nodded slowly. She would have jumped to the conclusion that his tears were from the joy of entering fatherhood, but judging from his expression, she knew that was not it. "... It wasn't mine."

“Oh, Mario." Y/n's heart sank. Casting aside their history, she knew becoming a father was a big deal to Mario, because family was a big deal to him. She could not imagine how gut-wrenching it must have been to have that taken away from him after months of getting his head around it. "I'm so sorry... Are you ok?"

"I am," he answered sincerely. After spending the rest of the night eating cake with his family and laughing about what had happened, he got through one way or another. "Obviously, I wasn't at first, but it's ok... I guess she just wasn't the one."

"Well, if it's any consolation, I think you may have dodged a bullet."

Mario chuckled. His parents and friends had been telling him that the night before but hearing it from Y/n hit different, and it was nice to have a light-hearted conversation with her. He missed them so damn much.

Once his and her laughter faded, Mario got up the courage to ask her the one question he thought about since seeing an old photo of the two of them after two days in Berkeley.

"Did you ever think about me? Or about us?" He cleared his throat before continuing. "Y'know after the last time we were here?"

She was dying to tell him about it all. About all the nights she spent recalling their conversation at the very booth they were sitting in. About all the ways she overanalysed their last exchange before he left for college.

However, now it was different. Now, they had time. Perhaps she would tell him over dinner at his place after she clocked out for the day. In any case, she could settle for the short answer now and bore him with the finer details later.

"...Yeah," she answered. It felt freeing be able to talk to him without worrying about everything else that was happening. To just tell him how she truly felt. "I thought a lot about how I shouldn't have left."

"I should have told you about U-Cal."

Y/n smiled, grateful to hear him say that. If he had said it five months sooner maybe they would have saved each other a bit of heartache. Nonetheless, he said it and she was thankful.

"I'm guessing you'll be on the next bus back to Berkeley?"

She was sad to think about it. They were finally somewhat reconciling, but it would only be a matter of time before he was to leave again.

"Actually, I've decided to sit this semester out," he answered, his smile growing when he noticed the way Y/n immediately perked up. "There's some things I wanna sort out here before I go back."

"Oh yeah?" She asked teasingly, doing a terrible job at stifling her smirk. "Like what?"

"My mom wants me to repaint the deck."

Mario grinned, prompting Y/n to scoff offendedly. He laughed as he rose from his seat and slid next to her, reaching for her hands with ease like they were home for his.

"I'm kidding! C'mon, you know it's you," he chuckled. From the way she smiled proudly at him, it was clear she did know. Even so, it did not stop him from inching closer to her and meeting her gaze. "It's always been you."

It was all he could think about on his way to the barbecue joint. Even as he was brushing his teeth in the morning thinking about what he was gonna say when he finally saw her again.

"I didn't mean what I said when we were here before," he whispered, regret still weighing heavy on his chest.

"I know," Y/n murmured, intertwining her fingers with his.

She came to that realisation a long time ago. She cursed herself for thinking that Mario would intentionally hurt her. The same Mario who carried her books to class and fell asleep in the parking lot waiting for Y/n to finish her shift so he could drive her home.

"I think I just... felt scared, I guess?" Y/n looked up at Mario and he raised his brows in confusion. "You always talked about wanting to get out and it just felt like it'd only be a matter of time before getting out meant leaving me too."

"When I used to think of where I wanted to be in the future," Mario began, wrapping one arm around Y/n and his other rested on the table, intertwined with her hands. "Sometimes I saw myself as a successful entrepreneur. Sometimes I'm in the NFL. Sometimes I'm a trophy husband. And sometimes I'm in a fancy office job, living in Brentwood with my seven kids. "

Y/n bursted out laughing. She had heard the NFL dream and the trophy husband dream, but the office job with seven kids was new. However, she was quite fond of that one and of the idea that he'd be only a few neighbourhoods away.

"But, no matter what," Mario added. "I was always with you."

Y/n untangled her fingers and placed them against the side of his face, pulling him closer until their lips were connected. She could feel him grinning, and it only added to her joy.

Maybe they would get to grow old in a townhouse in Brentwood, or a flat on the very block they fell in love in. Maybe he really was the one.

Y/n moved away for a moment and smirked at the way Mario immediately began to pout.

"We're not having seven kids," she stated.

"Of course that's the part you take away from what I said."

Mario missed her so damn much. He did not waste another second and quickly pulled her close again. Her giggles were muffled by his lips on hers. Eventually her break would be over, or Dwayne would get back, or Jamal would become fed up with having to watch his sister suck faces with his best friend's brother. But for now, they were gonna make up for lost time.

"When we finish kissing," Y/n muttered after pulling away momentarily. "I'm gonna need you to explain how you fell for the walking micro-aggression that is Amber."

"Guess I'm just gonna to have kiss you forever then."

[merakiaes]

Familia - Oscar “Spooky” Diaz

Pairing: Oscar “Spooky” Diaz x reader

Requested: Yes. 

Prompts: None. 

Warnings/notes: Warning for slight OOC-Spooky and a change of the series’ original plot and storyline. There’s soe Spanish in here so you might have to look some phrases and words up. This took me nearly four days to complete so please leave a comment and let me know what you think. This is definitely too long to be proofread so I apologize in advance for any possible mistakes. I hope you like it xx

Wordcount: 30,766 (Yup, you read that right)

Summary: You and Oscar have been together since you were seventeen, with a four-year-old daughter and another child on the way. When Ray returns after being absent from his sons’ lives for twelve entire years, tension is awakened between everyone and you’re determined not to let your family fall apart. 

Quick, Spanish words blended together with the bubbling sounds of the coffee maker on this early morning in the Diaz residence, filling the otherwise silent air.

You could make out the faint sound of the clock on the kitchen wall and through the open window right where you were standing, you could hear the early birds chirping and the leaves of the trees rustling with a light breeze.

The smell of coffee was invading your senses and the fresh air coming in through the window pulled at your hair where you stood by the sink, washing the plate Oscar had eaten his breakfast from only minutes before, but the warmth from the sunrays hitting your face and bare arms made up for the chilly morning breeze.

The man in question was sitting at the kitchen table with his phone pressed to his ear, speaking to Sad Eyes and waiting for the coffee you had promised to bring him when he had to answer the call.

He had, of course, protested, saying that you shouldn’t be doing as much work around the house as you did when you were heavily pregnant, but when hearing what his second in command had to say he had sat down pretty quickly.

The sound of his voice and the feeling of genuine peace this morning was enough to make you smile as you cut off the water and gave the plate a good shake before grabbing a towel and drying it off.

Once the surface was squeaky clean, or well, as clean as it could be with the deep, grey fork scratches from the frequent use, you put it back into its cabinet and brought down Oscar’s black coffee mug.

The bubbling of the coffee maker had quietened down by now, indicating that the coffee was done and ready to be consumed, and you wasted no time in filling the cup up to near the brim, only saving a little bit of space.

The cup was now releasing a cloud of steam that went all the way up to your face, causing your skin to grow damp.

But you paid it no mind, simply walking over to the refrigerator where you brought the open carton of milk out, briefly putting the mug down on the counter in order to be able to open it and pour some in.

Once you were done, you put the milk back into the fridge and grabbed the mug again, not letting your eyes leave it even once as you carefully waddled over to the table where Oscar was sitting, not wanting to spill the coffee on the floor.

You might have filled it a little too generously and it wasn’t the easiest of tasks so balance it when you could barely balance yourself on your feet with the weight of your round belly, but you managed, reaching Oscar within the next few seconds.

He looked up at you the second he saw you approaching. Once you reached him, the hand that wasn’t holding the phone reached out for your belly, pressing against it protectively before taking the steaming hot cup of coffee from your hand.

You smiled softly, wiping your hands on the front of your jeans to rid them of the little coffee you had spilled while waddling over from the kitchen.

“You heard anything from Cesar yet?” You asked, keeping your voice down to not disturb his call.

You watched as he took a gulp of the coffee before shaking his head, mouthing ‘no’ as he listened to Sad Eyes speak on the other side of the line, all while holding eye-contact with you.

When you had gone to wake Cesar up, you had found his bed empty like you had so many other mornings before. Him sneaking out when you were sleeping to go sneak into Monse’s house wasn’t a rare occurrence.

Still, especially now when you were pretty much constantly controlled by your hormones, the motherly worry came naturally whenever he wasn’t safe at your side. But you were sure he was fine. If he wasn’t, Oscar would have known. He could always sense when his mano was in danger.

Dropping the subject, guessing he would show up before going to school, you wordlessly leaned down to kiss Oscar’s cheek before leaving him to his call and coffee again, instead heading towards your shared bedroom.

Reaching the door, you grabbed the handle and carefully pushed it open, peeking your head inside.

The room was dark, the blinds still down, but just enough light managed to escape in through the cracks of said blinds to allow you to see your daughter where she laid in yours and Oscar’s bed.

She was laying facing the door, her long, black locks spread out in a mess over the white pillow, her chest rising and falling with soft snores leaving her nose and her thumb sucked into her mouth.

The sight of her never failed to make your heart skip a beat in your chest, just when it did when you saw Oscar. Neither of you had lived very happy lives but she was the greatest gift God ever could have given you.

You had met Oscar when you were both no older than seventeen, and Cesar ten. You had both been in a really bad place, with Oscar struggling to carry an entire gang on his back while simultaneously having to raise his brother and with you jumping between your friends in a desperate attempt to flee the system you had been forced into at an early age.

To a start, your relationship had only been about a warm body to hold when things got too heavy and you couldn’t go through it alone.

Oscar wasn’t too fond of feelings and lovey-dovey shit and always had to show himself as hard and emotionally unavailable, and you… well, you just didn’t trust very easily.

But when you started staying over after your nightly fun and he saw you with Cesar in the mornings, he couldn’t help but fall head over heels in love with you, and when he started inviting you over for activities that didn’t include rolling around in the sheets, your feelings started developing for him too.

You never officially moved in with them, but you never really left either. You started making sure that three meals a day was on the table for them and started taking initiative to walk Cesar to and home from school when Oscar got caught up with disobeying the law.

A year later, you were playing house and happy family pretty much on a routine with little to no effort at all, everything coming naturally.

The Santos accepted you into the family, Cesar looked up to you like you were his mother despite the fact that you were only seven years older and Oscar was already planning on spending the rest of his life with you.

On your eighteenth birthday, he gifted you a promise ring and kept an identical one for himself. He wasn’t one to get all cute and mushy and this time was no different, but you knew it was a big step for him to take so the way he handled it didn’t really matter.  

It had been one of the best days of your life. Not only were you now claimed by Spooky, but you were also free from the system and free to be your own individual, and on the same night you found out that you were pregnant and expecting your first child together.

But of course with your luck, the happiness was short-lived.

The next night, Oscar was arrested and sentenced to four years in prison, leaving you and Cesar alone. Of course, you still had the Santos to provide for you. Oscar being gone didn’t change the fact that you were a part of the family.

But you didn’t like having them around the house when Oscar wasn’t there so the only one you really hung out with was Sad Eyes, who came by a few times a week to check up on you and leave you a roll of cash for rent, food and other necessities.

How exactly they got the money you didn’t know, neither Oscar nor Sad Eyes liking to involve you into the gang-business, but you didn’t ask questions.

You went to visit Oscar in prison every Tuesday, Sad Eyes and Mario taking turns driving you while Cesar stayed at the Martinez residence until you got home when he was still too young to be left home alone.

Cesar never went to visit him in person, though. Oscar didn’t want him to have to see him stuck behind that thick glass in that awful jumpsuit, so he only ever talked to him over the phone once or twice a week.

During your pregnancy, Mario was there for you every day and you managed to become really good friends which you knew Oscar was forever grateful for.

There weren’t many people the infamous Spooky respected and trusted, but Mario was one of them and he was happy that you were able to hang around someone on the right side of the law.

After first hearing about your blooming friendship when Mario had driven you to visitation day the first time, Oscar more or less forced the slightly younger guy to go with you to all of your ultrasounds from then on, wanting him to witness everything that he was missing so that he could re-tell it to him during visitation.

Mario was too scared to turn him down so he made sure he was free to accompany you to all of your check-ups and by the time you were approaching the end of your pregnancy, you had lost count of the amount of time Mario had been mistaken for the dad.

Much to his horror, he had been forced to be present at the time of birth, as well. Geny Martinez was there too at your request and she was able to keep her calm, having gone through the procedure of childbirth before, but the seventeen-year-old Mario had never been as terrified as he was then.

Still, he forced himself to sit through it in order to be able to tell Oscar about it at the next visitation, during which you brought him pictures of your baby girl and decided on a name.

It took a while to get on the same page, but after a good half hour of bickering back and forth, you finally managed to decide on the name Lucía with a helpful input from Mario who had been sitting by and listening to your fighting in silence up until then.

You had been planning to talk to Oscar about making Mario Lucía’s godfather after that, something you hadn’t told Mario yet.

But before you could even mention it, Oscar, much to yours and Mario’s surprise, was the one to bring the topic up, telling him it was only right after how much he had been there for his baby mama when he couldn’t.

And of course, Mario gladly accepted, basically jumping with happiness when you left that afternoon.

Him and his family continued to be there for you now that you didn’t only have Cesar to care for, but a newborn baby, as well.

It was all overwhelming to you, all of the sudden having so many people jumping at the chance to help you when you had grown up all on your own.

You continued to visit Oscar on your own, bringing him new pictures and stories every time, but you never brought Lucía to see him.

You wanted him to meet his daughter and you knew that he wanted nothing more in the entire world than to do so, but he didn’t want her first memory of him to be of him in prison, much like he hadn’t wanted Cesar to see him like that.

So you had no other choice but to respect his wishes, instead showing your daughter pictures of her father every day as she grew bigger, to put a face to the man she would be calling daddy when he got out.

And his sign-out day was soon upon you, four entire years later. Both you and Oscar were twenty-two at the time, Cesar fifteen and Lucía had just turned three.

Four entire years he had gone without touching you or seeing his mano face to face, but that was nothing in comparison to the three years he had been forced to endure knowing he had a daughter waiting for him on the outside, a daughter he had never gotten to meet.

He didn’t show it, but he was so nervous that he almost threw up on the spot when he came out of the building inside which he had been locked up for the past four years, to see you standing in front of his red Impala with Lucía balanced on your hip.

She had smiled upon seeing his familiar face, recognizing it from the pictures you had shown her every day, and stretched her arms out for him with a gleeful laugh.

That was the first time since meeting him that you had seen him cry, tears welling up in his eyes as he took his daughter into his arms, felt her skin against his for the first time ever.

You had stayed there, in the middle of the parking lot, for a good ten minutes. He had been holding her so carefully, not moving an inch, almost as if he was scared that he would break her if he did.

Once he finally broke free from his trance and managed to relax, he had taken you to the beach where you spent your first ever hour together, eating ice cream and watching the waves.

It had been perfect, but also very comical.

Oscar obviously knew how to be a father. He had raised his brother on his own throughout his entire teenage years, and all he really had to do was the exact opposite of what his dad had.

But he had absolutely no idea how to handle a baby, so to say it had been hilarious to see him chasing after Lucía as she, in turn, chased after a couple of seagulls, was the biggest understatement of the century.

He had been so careful with her, so wary and pretty much walking around on eggshells the entire time you spent together. And when she fell and started crying, he was at an absolute loss of what to do.

But then he picked her up, held her against his chest, and she stopped crying immediately, nuzzling her face into his neck and wrapping her short arms around him, and he was absolutely gone in the sudden burst of love he felt.

Ever since then, he barely left her alone, and you knew it was only going to get worse as she grew older. You didn’t even want to think about how protective he would get when she started getting interested in boys.

You loved her to bits but Oscar… the love he held for her was on an entirely different level. He would throw himself into the line of fire to take a bullet for you, but for her, for her he would burn down entire cities if he had to.

He was in love with you and had been since the moment you first met, but it was in her that he had found his true happiness and that, in turn, only made you even more happy.

The sound of a car door slamming shut somewhere out on the street suddenly cut through the air and you jumped in fright, a hand automatically flying to clutch your chest in an attempt to calm your racing heart.

You had gotten so lost in your train of thought that you had no idea how long you had been standing there for.

You shook yourself back to reality and sent a final glance to your sleeping daughter before you carefully closed the door again, allowing her to sleep in. You left a small crack open in the door so that you would be able to hear her if she woke up and cried for you, and headed back into the living room area of the house.

Oscar was still sitting where you left him, his back turned to you where he sat at the table.

His eyes met yours as you re-entered the room and he started saying goodbye to Sad Eyes on the phone, only a second later removing the phone from his ear to end the call on the screen.

As he did so, you approached him from behind, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and leaning your head down to press a kiss to the side of his neck, breathing in the intoxicating smell of his skin and kneading his shoulders with your hands gently.

“Everything okay?” You questioned and he hummed, raising the now almost empty cup of coffee to his lips to take a gulp while putting his phone down on the table.

Just then, the front door slammed open, causing both of you to jump with surprise and look over to where Cesar had now barged into the house, his eyes wide with worry.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Cesar yelled out, head looking around in search for his brother for a second before finding you at the table, then walking up to you while pointing his thumb behind him. “There’s a dude posted up outside!”

You tensed at the sound of his words, your hand instantly going to your belly, and Oscar wasted no time in standing up from his seat.

“Baby?” You questioned, and he turned to you, pressed a chaste kiss to your forehead, hand on top of your own where it rested on your stomach.

“Wait inside, mamas.” He instructed before turning around and grabbing his gun from on top of the cupboard standing in the corner and marching outside, cocking the gun as he walked through the doorway and out into the sunshine.

You exchanged a look with Cesar and as usual, before you could even think to stop him, he did the exact opposite of what he was told and rushed after his brother.

“Get back inside!” You could hear Oscar yell at him almost immediately and he did as told, backing into the doorway again and looking back at you.

Curiosity got the best of you when you still hadn’t heard any threats or gunshots from outside and you waddled up to your future brother-in-law, holding on to his arm while you attempted to peek outside.

His hand came up to grab yours and together, you slowly moved a few steps further out on the porch.

Your eyes instantly found Oscar where he was standing on the lawn, body tensed up. And then your eyes flickered over to where he was looking, finding a man standing around on the other side of the street by a tree.

He was wearing a white tank top and blue jeans with a belt, had black, slicked-back hair, a big tattoo running across his chest with a few smaller ones on his arms. He was smoking a cigarette, leaning against the tree as him and Oscar stared each other down, and he had a bag waiting at the ground beside him.

It didn’t take longer than a few seconds for you to connect the dots and recognize the man from Oscar’s stories, figuring his identity out almost immediately.

But Cesar was clueless, taking another step forward and losing his grip on you in the process, looking between his brother and the stranger with confused, brown eyes.

“Oscar?” He called out, taking another step closer to him. “Who is that?”

The man’s eyes moved from Oscar to Cesar as he made himself known, and even though you couldn’t see Oscar’s face right then, you knew him good enough to know that he was glaring.

“Our father.” He answered without missing a beat, confirming your suspicions.

Cesar froze in his spot, his eyes turning slightly wider, while Oscar turned his head to the side and tucked the gun into the hem of his shorts, turning around to come back inside.

He shoved past Cesar who was still standing rooted to his spot, and you reached your hand out to grab his arm once he reached you in the doorway.

“Baby.” You mumbled, pulling him to you, and he made no move to stop you, his hand simply coming to rest on your belly and his forehead pressing against yours as you backed into the house together.

“I thought I told you to stay inside.” He muttered, annoyed, but his touch was as soft as ever, not threatening in the slightest.

“I know, I’m sorry…” You apologized quietly, looking up at him hesitantly. “Should I put on some more coffee?”

His soft eyes turned stern. “No. He’s not staying.” He told you surely, shutting the subject down.

You nodded silently and sat down with him in the sofa, Cesar coming in and sitting down beside you with his father in tow a few seconds later.

While you and Oscar sat close to each other in the furthest corner of the couch, his arm wrapped around your shoulders, Cesar sat at the opposite corner, his elbows leaning on his thighs and his legs manspreading just like his older brother’s were beside you.

Ray’s eyes instantly found you where you were sitting, flickering between Oscar’s face to yours, and along to Oscar’s hand that was still resting protectively on your belly, thumb absentmindedly rubbing soothing circles through the fabric of your shirt and sporting a thick, golden wedding band identical to the one on your ring finger.

A look of shock momentarily crossed over his face, but he quickly covered it up, dropping his bag to the floor and starting to look around, now smoking a fresh cigarette by the looks of it.

The air remained thick with silence for a good minute and you almost felt like you were about to suffocate from the tension.

Oscar was tense beside you, his leg bouncing up and down in an attempt to keep himself calm and so far, he was doing an alright job.

You had expected him to react a lot harsher when the time came that his dad would be returning home and you were proud of him for being able to stay calm, even if you knew he was only doing it for you and Lucía and not for himself.

But then Ray walked over to the kitchen table and tapped the excess ashes of his cigarette into the mug that Oscar had been drinking coffee from only a few minutes ago, and he instantly reacted beside you.

“Can you not smoke in the house?” He spat out at his father, his face pulled into a murderous glare. “It’s not good for the baby.”

“Oscar.” You spoke before you could stop yourself, your face turning to meet his glare with a pointed look. He only stared at you for a second, before turning back to his dad, his glare now even fiercer.

You turned to look at the older man too, forcing yourself to smile. “It’s fine.” You told him and he nodded at you, but Oscar was quick again.

“It’s not fine.” He snapped, and you closed your eyes, breathing out deeply through your nose.

It wasn’t that you were angry with Oscar for being rude. He had every right to be and quite frankly, you hadn’t even expected him to let his father into the house.

But still, you always got anxious when he was in a bad mood, no matter what the cause behind it was, and the stress wasn’t good for the baby so you had to do everything in your power to stay calm, the tension making you so uncomfortable you would have rather melted through the floor than stay there right now.

Luckily, however, Ray stayed polite even with his son’s anger directed toward him and nodded his head, looking directly at you as he put the cigarette out in an ashtray standing on the table. “Sorry.”

You forced another smile through the tension and nodded, silently telling him thank you.

“So when did you get out?” Cesar finally joined the conversation after having sat quiet up until then, obviously nervous judging by the way he was twisting his hands around.

“Yesterday.”

Ray looked around some more as he answered, and Cesar smiled. “How was the trip down?” He asked, but Ray barely even spared him a glance.

“Long.”

The tone in his voice was bored and for a moment, you were overwhelmed by the urge to slap him upside the head and tell him to sound more interested. But of course you didn’t, keeping quiet as you watched him walk around the room.

“Looks the same, even smells the same.” He muttered but stopped himself as he came over a photograph on the wall. It was of you, Oscar, Cesar and Lucía on his first morning home from prison.

You looked like absolute crap, just having woken up at the time, but Oscar had insisted that you hang it up and who were you to say no?

Ray hummed at the sight of the picture, his fingers touching the frame lightly. “Almost the same, at least.” He said, before turning around.

You glanced at Oscar as Ray walked over to where you were sitting, finding his face pulled into an expression of pure and utter hatred as he watched his dad sink down on the stool across from you.  

The feeling of unease only intensified inside of you now that the only thing between him and Oscar was a coffee table, feeling hopeless that you couldn’t do anything to ease the tension, and Cesar was feeling equally as awkward about the entire situation.

Ray looked at his youngest son, raising his head in a questioning manner. “You in school?” He asked, and Cesar opened his lips to reply.

Before he got the chance to get as much as a sound out, however, Oscar beat him to it. “Of course he is.”

Their father’s eyes flickered over to him and he nodded. “How about you?” He asked, Spanish accent thick. “Going to college?”

His question drew a scoff from Oscar’s lips. “Seriously?” He questioned.

You could feel him getting angrier for every second passing and out of pure instinct, grabbed a hold of the hand he had resting on your belly, a move that didn’t go unnoticed by Ray.

The man in question quickly looked away from your now intertwined fingers and back to his oldest son, changing the subject. “You’re about to be a father.” He pointed out, and the words instantly caused your lips to tug up into a smile.

“I am a father.” He corrected his own dad, the hidden pride in his voice causing a flurry of butterflies to go through your stomach.

If Ray hadn’t been shocked enough to see you pregnant when he first entered, he was almost at loss for words now. “You have another one?” He asked and Oscar answered without missing a beat.

“Lucía. She’s four.” The corner of his lip twitched upward for the shortest second, but he quickly realized his mistake and hardened his face again as the next question was delivered.

“How long have you been together?” Ray asked.  

“Almost seven.” Oscar answered flatly, again without missing a beat.

The silence was really deafening, thick to the point where it was almost painful to be there. More than anything you would have rather just slipped away and gone back to bed where Lucía was still sleeping.

But you didn’t want to be rude and you knew that Oscar preferred to have you by his side when things were uncomfortable for him, so you stayed, no matter how much you didn’t want to.

“It- It’s nice to see you.” Cesar spoke then, breaking the silence again. You smiled at him, adoring him for how he was obviously trying to ease the tension, but Ray only nodded, not answering and not looking away from Oscar, which caused your smile to fall slightly.

Cesar didn’t give up, trying again. “Do you have any plans?”

This time, Ray turned his head to look at him, shaking his head. “No. Just wanted to see you guys before heading up to Bakersfield. Got a job lined up.” He informed him, and before he got the chance to answer, Oscar took the wheel again.

“Cesar, you need to get to school.” He spoke sternly, his eyes not leaving Ray, who had now looked back to him again.  

Cesar threw his arms out in exasperation, looking to his older brother and looking ready to protest, but one stern look was more than enough to make him rethink that decision.

Instead, he sighed, turning to look at his dad again. “I’ll see you later.” He said, voice discouraged as he grabbed his bag from the floor beside him and begrudgingly standing up.

You watched as he headed for the door, reaching out to grab the handle, but before he opened the door he stopped himself and turned back around.

“Hey, do you maybe, uh, I don’t know, wanna hang? After school?” He asked unsurely and Ray tore his eyes away from Oscar’s for a moment to look up at him.

“Sure.” He answered.

Cesar’s discouraged attitude was exchanged by a happy one almost instantly and he nodded. “Cool.” He said and without another word to any of you, opened the door and left.

“So where are you staying?” Oscar asked the second his mano was out the door, causing Ray to turn back to him.

“Here.” He answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and you automatically braced yourself, thinking that Oscar was going to object.

But instead, he only sniffed, pulling a hand over his mouth and chin and standing up, clearing his throat and walking out the front door, leaving you alone with his dad.

You knew he didn’t really want you, Lucía and his unborn baby around his dad, but you knew that he also knew that you would have to talk to him sooner or later, which you guessed was why he hadn’t forced you to come outside with him.

You hadn’t expected Ray to actually speak to you so when he did, you were surprised.

“He really hates me, huh?” He asked, looking down at his hands where he was fiddling with his fingers.

“No.” The word slipped out before you could help yourself, causing him to look up at you. “He loves you. A bit too much, if you ask me.”

You hadn’t meant for the words to come out as harsh as they did, but in retrospect, he deserved nothing better, something he seemed to know.

“I deserve that.” He agreed with your thoughts, giving you a somber look.

“You do. He’s really hurt and has every right to be. But you know…” You trailed off, swallowing and shrugging your shoulders gently. “It’s not too late. If you stay, he might forgive you someday in the future. It’s going to take a long time and you’ll really have to work for it, but I wouldn’t rule it out.”

He listened to you intently. You could really see how concentrated he was on your words and you appreciated the fact that he was actually partaking in the conversation you were having.

He nodded his head slowly, spacing out for a moment, but then pulled himself back to reality and waved a hand at your stomach.

“How far along are you?” He asked, and automatically, your face instantly lit up in a wide smile.

“I’m due in a month.”

His lips stretched into a smile of his own, although much smaller. “Congrats.” He congratulated and you nodded in thanks as he kept talking. “What about the other one? Lucy? Where is she?”

“Lucía.” You corrected, motioning with a hand down the hall. “She’s still asleep so you’ll meet her later.”

A hesitant expression crossed over his face. “You think Oscar would be okay with that?”

You understood his worries because you knew for a fact that Oscar wouldn’t be happy about it, but you still offered him a comforting smile. “If you’re staying here, I don’t really think he’s got much of a choice. She’s curious so she wouldn’t stay away from you even if we told her to.”

He hummed, nodding his head toward you again, this time looking at the ring at your finger. “You married?”

Without even noticing it, you began twisting the golden ring around your finger. “No. Not yet.” You replied. “We’ve been engaged for five years but it’s not the right time for a wedding, you know, with the Santos and everything going on. But I hope, someday.”

“But the timing was right for a kid?” He asked and his face pulled into one of regret almost instantly. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”

But you took no offense to it, simply shaking your head. “It wasn’t planned and we would have rather waited until we had a more secure life going, but…” You paused, smiling gently as you remember how happy Oscar had gotten when you gave him the news. “When I got pregnant there wasn’t much else to do but go through with it because getting an abortion wasn’t an option for neither of us.”

“Do you know what gender it is?” Ray motioned for your stomach once more and again, you shook your head.

“No, Oscar wants it to be a surprise.” You told him.

He nodded, eyes flickering between your stomach and your face. “What are you hoping for?”

You snorted, rubbing your hands over your stomach gently. “I would like a boy for a change but Oscar is hoping for another girl.” You told him, rolling your eyes. “He thinks the risk of him fucking them up, the risk of them walking in his footsteps down the wrong road, is smaller if they’re girls.”

A part of you thought the logic behind his reasoning was nothing but ridiculous, but another part understood the pressure of giving them a better life than he was given.

“I didn’t have a good dad and I ended up the way I did because of him.” Ray told you then. “I never thought I’d be a good dad and I wasn’t, and it’s because of that Oscar ended up the way he did. But it’s not too late for him, to turn things around.”

He was unsure of himself as he spoke and the closer you looked at him, the easier it became to identify the shame behind his eyes. You knew he didn’t deserve your sympathy, but you couldn’t help it.

You tried your hardest to push the feeling of secondhand sorrow to the back of your head, almost feeling like you were betraying Oscar just by feeling it.

“I know.” You agreed with a small smile and he nodded.

“Do you think he knows?”

“He does.” You confirmed, shrugging your shoulders with a sad smile. “He just has to deal with it in his own time.”

Ray hummed, averting his eyes from you and looking around the room. “He’s lucky to have you to guide him. You seem to love him and Cesar a lot.”

“I do. More than anything.” You said and he turned back to look at you with an awkward glance.

“That’s good.” He said. “They both need someone like you in their lives, to keep them away from the bad stuff.”

“Well, Oscar was already mixed up with it when I met him but I’m doing my best to prevent him from getting stuck in it too deep. And as for Cesar, you’d catch me dead before I let him get caught up in any of it.”

You thought back to when Cuchillos had wanted Cesar jumped out of the Santos when he had failed his task to kill Latrell.

Because of a lot of yelling from your side, Oscar had agreed not to push him away, but you weren’t sure he would have done the same if you hadn’t been there.

Either way, going against Cuchillos put a lot of heat on all of you, especially Oscar. They were forced to make up their debt by setting the Prophets up with the money the Santos had robbed from a bank the week before and get them all arrested.

So that was one gang gone from the streets, and it had been pretty quiet since, but now you heard rumors about the kids from 19th Street going around to all of the business on their block, threatening people into paying them rent, which was a new problem in itself.

But you were sure Oscar had it under control. They may have been violent, but they were just kids, most of them no older than fifteen.

If there was anything you had learned from analyzing the other kids in the system while you had still been there, it was that the cause of anger most of the times found its source in them wanting one thing and one thing only; security, which could be used to bargain with them.

It would have been harder if they had been older. Then, they most likely wouldn’t have been after anything in particular, just power, like the Prophets had been.

Getting them off the streets had cleared Oscar and Cesar’s debt with Cuchillos but she was still hanging on his ass, more than she had been before. She was doubting the extents he would go to in order to make sure she was happy, a problem she hadn’t been having before he met you and had a child.

It was constantly unsafe for you and Lucía to go outside and if Oscar got to choose, you wouldn’t have been going outside at all. But you refused to be caged inside like some animal and he knew that both Lucía and you needed the fresh air and human interaction, so he had no other choice but to allow it.

He felt a bit safer with the Santos keeping a watchful eye over you whenever you went anywhere.

You had all heard rumors about the previous generation of Santos turning their back on one of their own some years ago but luckily, this generation of Santos were more loyal to each other than to Cuchillos.

They loved you like you were family and would do anything to keep you safe.

“He’s a good kid. Cesar.” Ray nodded his head, pulling you out of your thoughts and back to the conversation you had almost forgetting you were still in the middle of.

You nodded your head, returning your gaze to him. “He is.” You confirmed. “He’s got a lot of potential. Both of them do, even if Oscar thinks his is long gone.”

His lips twitched every so lightly at your words, his heart unbeknownst to you swelling with pride. But before either of you could say anything else, the sound of a light cry broke through the air.

Both yours and Ray’s heads instantly turned toward the hallway leading to yours and Oscar’s bedroom, and you wasted no time in moving to stand up at the sound of your daughter’s intensifying cries.

She could get extremely confused and disoriented when she woke up alone so you wanted to get to her as quickly as you possibly could.

But getting out of the low couch was easier said than done when you were heavily pregnant. Luckily, twelve years in prison didn’t seem to have stolen all of Ray’s manners, the older man wasting no time in wordlessly standing up and offering you his hands.

You took them gratefully, thanking him softly under your breath and allowing him to pull you to your feet.

“I’ll be right back.” You told him, offering him a last smile before waddling past him and in the direction of your bedroom.

You held on to the wall for support as you walked, reaching your destination in no time despite the slow pace you were forced to walk at. Pushing the door open, Lucía’s cries instantly quietened down as she found your form in the doorway.

She was still lying in the exact same position that you had left her in; turned towards the door with her thumb in her mouth, only now her eyes were wide open and glassy, staring back at you.

“Good morning, baby.” You greeted her as you walked inside, and she wasted no time in shuffling up in the bed.

You walked past her and directly to the windows, pulling the blinds up to let the sunshine into the dark room. Turning back around, you found her shielding her eyes with her arms, sitting on the edge of the low bed, if that’s even what you could call it.

It was just a thick mattress on the floor, without an actual bedframe. Oscar had taken the frame down and gotten rid of it the second he got home from prison, claiming it was too dangerous for Lucía to be sleeping that high up without any kind of fence at the sides.

You didn’t enjoy sleeping so far down to the floor, especially not now when you were pregnant and could barely stand up by yourself, but you hadn’t stopped him, allowing him to be a father for the first time in three years.

Lucía let out a small whimper, rubbing her eyes and getting off the bed, walking over to you. She held her arms out, her blue comfort blanket hanging from one of her hands, and you gave her a sad look.

“You know mommy can’t carry you, baby.” You told her, putting a hand on top of her head. “My stomach is in the way.”

You pulled a hand through her messy, black curls, breathing out in relief when she simply sniffed and lowered her arms again rather than throwing a fit.

It would seem you had caught her on a good day, much to your luck as you knew her meeting with Ray would have been chaotic to say the least if she would have been in a bad mood.

Taking her hand, you wordlessly led her out of the room, taking it slow so that her short legs could keep up with you. When you walked back into the living room, Ray was still standing in the middle of the room, now facing you and appearing to have been waiting for your return.

Once he caught sight of Lucía, a flurry of emotions instantly flickered through his eyes and face, but the second she caught sight of him, she stopped right in her step, cowering behind your leg.

Still holding her hand, you were forced to stop with her, and you looked down at her. “You want to say hello?” You questioned, watching as she shook her head and hid even further behind your legs.

But Ray didn’t seem to take it personally, staying in his spot to not frighten her and smiling softly to himself.

“Shy.” He pointed out, and as that word would be the last one you would use to describe your daughter, you laughed.

“She won’t be when she wakes up properly so I’d brace myself already if I were you.” You warned him, looking down as Lucía stepped out from behind your legs, tugging at your hand and cautious eyes never leaving Ray’s form.

Despite your back and every muscle in your body screaming at you not to, you bent down and picked her up, grateful that she wasn’t very heavy. Once she was secured on your hip, she wrapped her arms around your neck and carefully dared to peak through her curls at Ray, who was now walking closer.

“Es bella.” He complimented his granddaughter, smiling as he pointed a finger at his eyes. “Has Oscar’s eyes. And his curls, too.”

“Yeah, she does.” You chuckled, looking at her. “She didn’t get much from me.”

Ray watched you as you brought a hand up to her face and pulled a curl away from her face, the strand of hair wet with the tears still fresh on her cheeks.

“Is he a good dad?” He asked, causing you to look up at him as he shrugged. “Better than me, I mean.”

“The best. He would do anything for her.” You smiled. “She loves him to pieces, almost never leaves him alone.”

Lucía sucked on her thumb, looking up at you with big eyes. “Quiero a papa.” She mumbled out, her light voice muffled.

At her words, you raised an eyebrow at Ray, who was now smiling in amusement. “You see?” You questioned, before turning your attention back to her. “Let’s go tell daddy you’re awake, yeah?”

She buried her face in the crook of your shoulder in agreement and you turned your attention back to Ray. After him asking you to use the shower and you pointing him in the right direction of the towel cabinet, you bid him goodbye for now and headed outside with Lucía still in your arms.

You spotted Oscar at the driveway immediately, his body bent down and head hidden beneath the hood of his car, hands working away on something inside.

A smile grazed your lips at the sweet sight of his tan arms under the sunlight and Lucía looked up the second the familiar sound of a wrench being twisted reached her ears.

“Papá!” She squealed out, instantly drawing the attention of Oscar. His lips turned up and he dropped the wrench, wiping his hands off on a red rag before kneeling down and opening his arms.

Lucía immediately started twisting her body in your arms, wanting to be put down, and you gladly granted her wish and put her down on her feet, having to stop on the porch for a moment to stretch your aching back.

While you did so, you watched with a smile as Lucía ran into Oscar’s arms, who in turn wasted no time in picking her up against his chest. “¿Dormiste bien?” He asked her, and you waddled your way down the steps of the porch to approach them.

Lucía nodded to answer his question, not very talkative when she had just woken up, and Oscar brought his hand up to the back of her head, pressing a kiss to her forehead and mumbling fondly against her skin. “Mi princesita.”

His eyes drifted over to you when he saw you approaching then, your hand covering your face from the bright sun.

“Did you talk to him?” He nodded at you, wasting no time in cutting to the chase.

You hummed in response, standing up on your tippy-toes in order to press a kiss to his cheek. “Yeah.” You answered honestly, feeling his eyes on the side of your face as you switched your attention to Lucía where she was resting her head against Oscar’s shoulder.

“What did he say?” Oscar asked, and you answered simply.

“Stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?” He questioned again and this time you turned to look at him.

“Just stuff.” You smiled, bringing your hand up to his cheek. “Don’t worry about it.” You pulled him down to be able to press your lips to his in a sweet kiss, but the second you pulled apart again, he went right back to interrogating you.

“Did Luci talk to him?” He asked, his face now turned into a glare.

You shook your head, dropping your hand from his face with a sigh when you realized you wouldn’t be able to cure his foul mood right then, not that you blamed him for being angry in the first place. “No. She’s still drowsy from waking up so she was a bit shy. She didn’t cry though so that’s a good sign.”

He hummed, turning his attention to Lucía. When he looked at her, she brought her head up from his chest and stared right back, her nose scrunching up when he brought his hand up to her face to move a strand of hair that had stuck to her cheek, just like you had done minutes before.

After making sure her face was free from hair, he turned back to you, looking you up and down and nodding his head slightly when he reached your feet. “Your shoelace is up.”

You looked down at his words, finding that the shoelace of your left Nike shoe was, in fact, undone. But before you could even think about trying to tie it yourself, not that you would have been able to,  he had put Lucía down on her feet and gone down on one knee, lifting your foot up to his thigh.  

“I got it.” He told you simply, tying your laces up in no time. When he dropped your foot back down and stood up, an uncomfortable pain suddenly went through your stomach, forcing a gasp out of your lips.

Oscar was alerted immediately, watching as your hands automatically went to your stomach. “What’s wrong?” He asked, his entire attitude turning serious and his hands coming to rest on top of yours,

“Nothing.” You quickly answered, smiling as you got used to the uncomfortable feeling. “He’s just kicking. Here, give me your hand.”

Without waiting for a reply, you moved your hands from underneath his and grabbed his wrist, moving it to the place where your baby was kicking the hardest.

“She’s kicking.” He corrected you with a small glare while you moved his hand around, causing you to roll your eyes and drop his wrist.

“You always have to ruin the moment, don’t you?”

“No, espera.” He said as you began moving away from his touch, moving right after you in order to keep his hands on your stomach.

You smirked at him, shaking your head. “Too late now, papi. She stopped kicking.” You turned to Lucía, holding your hand out. “Come on, mija. Let’s go.”

Oscar watched as she took your outstretched hand and stood at your side, narrowing his eyes slightly. “Where are you going?” He questioned, and even though there would never be a day when you weren’t thankful for his protection, you rolled your eyes at the defensive tone in his voice.

“We’re taking a walk to the store.” You told him. “The fridge is nearly empty and we need to stock up on food now that we’ve got another mouth to feed.”

“He can pay for his own damn food.” Oscar quickly spat, eyes turning hard. “You’re not his sirvienta.”

“Oscar.” You warned with a glare of your own. “Don’t lose your temper in front of her.” You instinctively pushed your daughter further behind your leg to shield her from Oscar’s murderous face.

He turned his head to the side the second your words reached his ears, taking a deep breath through his nose and calming himself down before turning back around. His face was still cold and guarded, but not nearly as furious as it had been a few seconds ago.

“Be careful.” He ordered you softly, one of his hands finding its way to the top of Lucía’s head while the other rested on your belly. He leaned his head down and pressed a kiss to your forehead. “I love you, amores míos.”

“We love you, too.” You smiled, squeezing his hand with yours.

He pulled away from you after another two quick kisses and turned to Lucía, raising a playful eyebrow at her. “Sé bueno para tu madre, ¿de acuerdo?” He held his pinky finger out and she hooked her much smaller one with his, taking her thumb out of her mouth.

“Prometo.” She answered with a toothy grin.

“Good girl.” He ruffled her hair, chuckling in amusement as her face pulled into a glare, her small hands trying to swat his hand away.

Turning back to you, he gave you a chaste kiss to the lips. “I’ll see you soon.” He said, giving your stomach one last caress before turning back to the car, allowing you and Lucía to walk away and head for the store.

Being pregnant was always one huge dilemma. Your ankles were constantly swollen and your back felt like it was about to snap in two pretty much all of the time. But in order for your ankles not to get even more swollen and for your back not to get even more stiff, you had to walk around pretty much all day, which was never free of pain.

Luckily, you lived pretty close to the store you usually shopped at and the store in question was still on Santos territory which you knew was the only reason that Oscar let you and Lucía walk there alone.

His boys all lived spread out through the same neighborhood as you did and when they weren’t out patrolling or participating in illegal activities, they were always sitting out on their lawns or porches, watching over the street and by doing so, also watching over you.

The walk that would have taken no longer than five minutes for anyone else took about fifteen for you.

Not only could you not walk very quickly with the extra weight you were carrying around and with Lucía’s short legs, but now that she had fully woken up, her usual overly social personality had come back to the surface, pretty much forcing her to stop and greet every neighbor who happened to be outside. And let’s not even talk about the many times she spotted an animal.

It was safe to say that it took a while for you to reach your destination and you were sure that if Oscar hadn’t known how his daughter functioned when she was out in the world, he would have come after you, worried out of his mind, a long time ago.

But he was very well aware of how she functioned. After all, he had gotten used to it before she was even born, her absentmindedness and tendency to get easily distracted being pretty much the only thing she had inherited from you.

Everything else about her; her looks, her temper, the energy that never seemed to run out and her charm, came from him. It was truly like looking at a mini Spooky.

Nearly an entire hour had passed before you were turning back onto your street, Lucía’s hand clasped in yours and your other hand holding two plastic bags full of groceries.

Rather than her thumb being in her mouth, she was now happily sucking away on a blue lollipop, her mouth sticky with a mixture of the sugary goodness and ketchup from the hot dog you had bought her for a late breakfast on your way home.

You had tried to wipe it away but she had pretty much refused to let you touch her, too eager to chase after a squirrel, so you let it go, deciding you would just give her a shower when returning home instead.

It was an as good time as ever as she was still dressed in yesterday’s clothes, having fallen asleep in them the night before and both you and Oscar having been too tired to even notice it.

While eating her lollipop, Lucía was looking around the street with a wide smile on her face, waving to every person she laid eyes on, while you were keeping your gaze forward.

You could see Oscar still working on the car in the driveway of your house in the distance, but now Ray was standing beside him, motioning to the car while Oscar kept his focus on the engine.

As you got closer, you could hear Ray laughing as he said something.

You could make out the exact words but whatever he said made Oscar snap because the next thing you knew, he slammed the hood shut and got up in Ray’s face, who was now looking down into the ground.

When seeing the all but peaceful behavior, you pulled at the back of Lucía´s shirt gently, urging her to stop.

“Hold on, baby. Let’s wait this out, yeah?” You smiled down at her, and although she hadn’t noticed her dad and Ray fighting yet and had no idea what you were talking about, she happily nodded and sat down on the sidewalk, patting the asphalt beside her in a way that made your heart melt in your chest.

She was so used to you having to take small breaks every so often by now that she never even questioned it anymore.

You couldn’t deny it felt nice for your feet to sit down for a moment, but your heart was still heavy in your chest as you listened to the conversation taking place in the distance while Lucía cluelessly played with your bracelets beside you, caught up in her own world.

“Let’s get something straight. You can come back here and pretend to be a father. But I know what’s up.” You listened intently as Oscar spoke to his dad, watching out of the corner of your eye as he raised a hand to motion to the house. “Cesar. He’s been through a lot of shit lately. So I’ll let him live under this delusion. For now. And let’s not even talk about my girls. If it were up to me you wouldn’t even be allowed to be in the same room as them, but (Y/N) wants to give you a chance because you’re their Abuelo, so you better not fuck this up.”

Oscar glared at Ray and took a step back, wiping his hands on the red rag as he walked around the car toward the fence.

“Does Cesar hate me?”

Oscar stopped at the sound of his dad’s question, looking back at him and scoffing. “He’s never even talked about you.” He answered with pure hatred, before turning back around and disappearing behind the red fence to the backyard.

Only then did you and Lucía stand up and keep walking, not wanting her to witness any conflict. Ray turned around at the sound of your footsteps, his eyes catching sight of you, and when his gaze flickered down to Lucía by your side, he hurried to drop the cigarette he was smoking and waved the smoke away with his hands.

No matter how bad he had treated Oscar and Cesar in the past, you could admit that it was decent of him to care for Oscar’s wishes about not smoking around her and actually seem to care about her wellbeing.

He started walking toward you to meet you halfway and wasted no time in reaching for the bags of groceries in your hand. ”Let me help you.”

“Thank you.” You thanked him, using your now free hand to support your belly as you walked up in front of the house.

Once entering, Lucía ran past the two of you toward the kitchen island where she climbed up on the barstool she had claimed as her own a long time ago, watching you as you followed.

Ray put the bag down on the island in front of her and her eyes were instantly on him.

“What’s your name?” Her small voice came before either of you could even think about saying anything else, followed by the sound of the hard lollipop hitting against her teeth.

A shocked expression took over Ray’s face for a moment, not having expected her to talk to him so soon. But you had warned him.

“Ray.” He answered after taking a moment to collect himself, watching the small girl with a fond expression.

Lucía stared right back at him with curious eyes, squinting them and tilting her head to the side slightly, just like Oscar would do.

You put a hand on top of her head as you passed her, smiling. “Él es tu Abuelo.” You told her and she instantly held her pinky out.

“Mucho gusto.”

Ray raised his eyebrows, glancing at you as if asking you what to do. You held up your own pinky behind her at that, silently showing him to hook his with hers, and he did just that, turning his attention back to her.

“Nice to meet you, too.” He said politely, watching as she then turned her attention to a magazine that was laying on the countertop. In turn, he moved his attention to you, pointing out. “You’re teaching her Spanish.”

You nodded, beginning to busy yourself with unpacking one of the bags. “Yeah. Or, well, Oscar is.” You chuckled. “Almost seven years together and I still don’t know much. I can understand it, though.”

“Better than nothing.” Ray praised you awkwardly and moved to unpack the second bag, to which you offered him a grateful smile.

“Do you like ice cream?” Lucía then spoke again, causing you both to turn back to her while continuing to unload the groceries onto the counter.

“I love ice cream.” Ray answered, causing her to smile.

“Me too.” She said happily, her body moving where she sat as she kicked her legs under the counter.

Ray nodded while you went around his back to start putting things into the fridge. “What’s your favourite flavor?” He asked, passing you objects over his shoulder in a fluid pace without breaking eye-contact with the smaller girl.

Her smile widened at the question and she took the lollipop out of her mouth in order to flash him a charming grin. “Chocolate chip cookie!” She exclaimed proudly and as you rounded Ray to keep taking things out of the bag, you noticed his eyebrows shooting up.

“Mine too.” He admitted and Lucía gasped.

“Twins!”

You bit the inside of your cheek to keep yourself from laughing out loud. Her bubbly personality in comparison to his pretty much opposite one was so comical to you for some reason. But Ray didn’t hold it in, chuckling at her as he continued to help you with the groceries.

Before any of you could spark up another conversation, the sound of the front door opening reached your ears. Expecting to see Oscar, you were surprised to instead see the younger Diaz brother walking inside, bag slung over his shoulder.

Your eyes instantly shot up, but he only greeted you with a smile, grinning even wider when his eyes caught sight of Ray standing beside you.

“What are you doing home already?” You wasted no time in asking, crunching the now empty bag together into a ball with your hands.

Cesar dropped his bag on the counter once he reached you and leaned in to kiss your cheek like he always did when greeting you.

“Our teacher got sick last minute and they couldn’t find a sub.” He informed you and you hummed, watching as he turned to Lucía.

“Hug, tío.” She held her arms out and he bent down to give her a hug without protest, attacking her cheek with kisses.

She giggled, holding on to him tighter, and you instantly moved in to pull them apart when seeing her lollipop dangerously close to his hair. “Watch your uncle’s hair, Lucía.” You told her as you carefully moved her hand away.

Cesar pulled a hand over the back of his head to check for any stickiness as he stood back up to his full height but didn’t seem very bothered as he locked his pinky with hers, grinning widely at her before turning to Ray.

He suddenly turned shy, shifting on his feet. “Are you free right now? I was thinking we could go over to Dwayne’s Joint and grab some lunch. My friend’s dad is the owner and I work there sometimes so I eat for free. The food there is amazing.”

Ray glanced at you, almost as if to ask permission, and when you gave him an encouraging nod and smile, he turned to his youngest and smiled awkwardly. “Sure, I could eat.” He agreed and Cesar instantly lit up.

“Great. Let’s go.”

“Have fun.” You told them as Ray began rounding you.

Cesar reached over and gave you a quick side-hug, followed by an even quicker kiss to the cheek, obviously excited beyond words to finally get to spend some time with his dad. “I’ll be home to help with dinner later.” He promised.

You only smiled, accepting the brief affection with a smile on your face. “Don’t worry about it, it’s still early. You’ve got time.”

The teenage boy flashed you a final grin, showing off his pearly whites, before the two of them bid you and Lucía goodbye and left, leaving you and your daughter alone.

Looking to her, you noticed she had now finished the lollipop, the stick laying on the magazine beside her, and that she was now looking up at you with big, questioning eyes.

“Can I go draw?” She asked, and you smiled, nodding.

“Of course.” You replied, picking the lollipop stick up from the magazine and heading over to the trash bin. You could hear her getting down from the chair behind you and you turned around, pointing a finger at her. “But go wash your mouth first.”

She only looked at you, giggling before running away. You stood still, listening intently until you heard the tap turn on in the bathroom, only then moving again.

“You best friends with my dad now?”

You jumped at the sound of the sudden voice speaking up from behind you, one hand going for your heart and the other going directly to your stomach. Turning around, you found Oscar now leaning against the edge of the kitchen island. You hadn’t even heard him come inside.

“Shit, Oscar.” You swore, leaning back against the sink as you attempted to calm your beating heart, glaring at him. “You know you can’t scare me like that.”

He nodded slowly, uncrossing his arms from over his chest and pushing himself off the island, approaching you. “Sorry.” He apologized lowly, placing a hand on your stomach. “¿Estás bien?”

You released a breath through your nose, looking up at him. “Yeah, but you near gave me a heart attack.” You told him, eyes pointed. “You know the doctor said scaring me isn’t good for the baby.”

Taking you into his arms, he nuzzled his face into your neck, pressing his lips against the skin in the crook where your neck met your shoulders. “I didn’t mean to.” He mumbled, voice coming out muffled as he placed another kiss on the spot.

“I know you didn’t.” You hummed, wrapping your arms around his neck and dragging your fingers over the back of his head. “It’s fine.”

He pressed a third kiss to your skin before bringing his head back up, looking at you with absolutely no emotion on his face. “I don’t want you being around him. I don’t want Lucía around him.” He stated flatly, and you knew exactly who he was talking about.

“He’s her grandfather.” You defended, your voice becoming hushed so that she wouldn’t hear you talking and a glare settling over your face.

He met your glare with one of his own. “I don’t want her to get attached.” He did nothing to hide the loathing behind his words, but despite being angry he kept rubbing soothing circles on your waist and stomach.

“You’re not the only one who gets to make decisions regarding our daughter. I’m her parent, too.” You pointed out. “I’m not his biggest fan either and you know it, but I’m not going to alienate her from him like he’s got the plague. We’re all going to be living under the same room and for her sake we have to make the best of the situation.”

Oscar’s eyes closed with annoyance and he breathed out harshly through his nose, his hands stilling their previous movements at your sides. He leaned his forehead against yours and pressed a long, hard kiss to your lips, before turning around without another word and heading for the bathroom.

He clearly didn’t agree with anything you had just said but he still knew your relationship was more important than being petty and never left you on a bad note, which was one of the many, many reasons that you loved him as much as you did.

You were left alone in the kitchen when he disappeared, but not even a minute later you could hear his voice yell out through the entire house.

“SHIT!”

Your pregnancy hormones had completely control over your body and worry instantly filled your body, causing you to imagine the worst and forcing your feet to carry you across the room toward the bathroom as quickly as they could.

“What’s wrong? What happened?” You yelled out as you waddled through the hallway, appearing in the bathroom doorway only a few seconds later.

You instantly allowed yourself to let go of the breath you hadn’t known that you were holding when seeing that Oscar wasn’t hurt, laughter quickly bubbling up in your throat and escaping your lips in soft chuckles.

Oscar turned to look at you with a glare. “You think this shit is funny?” He asked, hurrying to turn off the tap that was running on full capacity.

Bringing a hand to your mouth in a failed attempt to hide your laughter, you shook your head, taking in the way his feet were now soaked in the water that had collected on the floor.

In the sink laid a white towel, having prevented the water from going down the drain and given the water no other choice but to spill over the edges.  

You struggled to hold back the snickers at the sight of him walking around in the water, his socks hanging off at his toes with the added weight.

With the laughter still caught in your throat, you turned your head out to the hallway, yelling out. “Lucía! What have we told you about leaving the towel in the sink?”

“And turning off the fucking tap!” Oscar joined in, his voice shaking the walls.

You stepped over the threshold and walked into the bathroom, happy you weren’t wearing socks and slapped his chest while giving him a pointed glare. “Don’t curse at her.” You scolded, and he simply met your glare with one of his own as Lucía’s voice came from down the hall.

“Sorry!”

The sound of her voice instantly made Oscar’s glare fall, but he still pulled an annoyed and tired hand over his face, reaching out to grab a dry towel from a shelf.

“I’ll help you.” You wasted no time in trying to round him to get to the shelf, but he caught you by your upper arms, stopping you and letting out a sigh.

“No, I got it.” He insisted. “It’s not even noon and you’ve already moved around more than you did all day yesterday. You shouldn’t put too much pressure on yourself, mami.”

He was in a bad mood and had every right to considering the circumstances. Not only had his dad just returned, pretending as if he hadn’t been gone for twelve entire years but now he had to clean up after his irresponsible daughter, too.

You raised your hand to his face, pressing it against the line of his jaw and turning his head toward yours. Without saying anything, you pressed your lips to his, feeling him let out another breath through his nose, his body slowly but surely relaxing under your touch.

Breaking apart, you kept your hand on his cheek, searching his eyes.  

“I love you.” You told him sincerely, watching as his eyes closed and feeling his hands come to rest on your waist, the situation at hand and the mess around you momentarily forgotten as you held each other.

“I love you too, mamas.” He replied, leaning down to steal another kiss before pulling apart with a sigh, looking around at the mess he would be left with.

You caressed the corner of his lip as he looked around, bringing your other hand up to touch the cross hanging around his neck. “Can you give Lucía a bath once you’re done?” You asked and he nodded.

“Yeah.” He turned to look at you again. “Did she eat?”

You hummed in response to his question, confirming it. “She ate a hot dog on the way home from the store, hence the need for a shower.” You chuckled, looking around. “I doubt she actually got any of the ketchup off her face. Mostly looks like she made a mess in here.”

“A mess?” He raised an unimpressed eyebrow, letting go of your waist and taking a step back, the water splashing around his feet. “We have an indoor pool.”

“Yeaaah…” You drawled, laughter once again bubbling up in your throat. Your eyes flickered to the floor for a second before going back up to meet Oscar’s, your hand laying a light slap to his cheek. “Have fun cleaning this up, baby.”

You leaned in and placed a last kiss to his lips before turning around and heading back out toward the doorway, making sure to wipe your feet off on the threshold sill before stepping over it into the dry hallway.

“Puta…” You could hear Oscar muttering under his breath as you walked away and you grinned, yelling back over your shoulder.

“I heard that!”

“Good.” His voice came again, this time a lot closer to you, and before you had time to register what was happening, a sharp slap was delivered to your ass.

You squealed, almost jumping out of your own skin in surprise. “Oscar!” You scolded him, turning around to see him standing in the doorway with the towel twisted in his hand. How he had gotten there so fast without you hearing him stepping over the water you didn’t know, but you couldn’t keep the smile off your face.

He leaned his head out into the hallway and stole another kiss, giving you a smug smirk. “Go lay down, mami. I’ll deal with this shit.” He told you before closing himself into the bathroom, and you didn’t have to be told twice.

You shook your head, chuckling to yourself and rubbing your stinging butt while waddling back into the living room and heading directly for the couch.

Laying down, you let out a breath of relief as your back was stretched out and the pain slowly but surely started disappearing.

You grabbed a pillow and placed it over your face to block out the sunlight for the sake of your growing headache and just laid there, listening to your surroundings.

Outside the window right above you, you could hear doors of houses and cars opening and slamming shut. You could hear voices of kids yelling somewhere down the street and the wind that had been blowing through the window earlier that morning was still going strong judging by the sound of ruffling leaves.

A few minutes later of just lying there in silence, you could hear Oscar walking out of the bathroom and into Lucía’s room, talking to her in Spanish.

Another minute or two later, the sound of the bath filling and the bathroom door closing cut through the otherwise silent house and with a sigh, you decided that you were done resting.

No matter how nice it felt in your back to lay down, you hated doing nothing and didn’t want to waste any more time just lying around when there were plenty of things to be done around the house that you knew no one else would deal with.

So you stood up and wordlessly started moving around again, going around the house on a hunt for dirty dishes and bringing them with you to the kitchen where you dumped them in the sink for later.

You then began picking clothes and garbage off the floor, throwing the clothes in a hamper and the trash in a bag.

Going through the hallway with the hamper in one hand and the trash bag in the other, you checked through every room and cleaned up where it was needed.

Cesar’s room was the one at the end of the hallway and you braced yourself, also knowing that it was always the messiest.

You weren’t one to complain about what state in which he left his room; he had his space and you had yours, and as long as the door remained closed to that you didn’t have to look at his mess, you didn’t care.

But on the rare occasion, like now, where you had nothing better to do, you would head in and clean it as well as you possibly could without violating his privacy and going through his private things.

You had learned the hard way that he got extremely defensive about his things and his privacy so after that first time, you hadn’t made the mistake of snooping again, even though it had been by accident that you had found an open condom wrapper on his desk.

That was the first and only time he had ever yelled at you, something Oscar had given him shit for later, but you didn’t really take offense to it; you were only glad that you hadn’t found the condom.

While picking up dirty clothes and candy wrappers from Cesar’s floor, putting them in their respective bags, you looked around, taking in your surroundings.

The walls that had been white up until a few months ago were now spray-painted in blue and pink graffiti and on the wall right next to the doorway, a pinboard hung, holding drawings and a few pictures of Cesar with you, Oscar, Lucía and his friends, the one of him with Lucía being one of your favourite pictures.

Cesar’s arms were wrapped around her from behind, both of them smiling so widely it almost made your cheeks hurt by looking at. Lucía was holding an ice cream cone, her entire face covered in the treat, and she was wearing a yellow hat that had slid down over her eyes, hiding them from the camera.

You had taken it on one of the many days you had spent with them on the beach. It would have been perfect if Oscar had been there, but he had still been locked up at the time.

You smiled as you thought back to that day, remembering their laughter and how they had chased each other at the seashore, Lucía having been absolutely ecstatic when feeling the water at her feet.

With one last look at the photograph, you evened it out so that it wasn’t crooked before continuing to clean up on the floor.

Once all of the trash was in the bag and all of the dirty clothes were in the hamper, you folded the clothes you knew were clean and put them into his drawer, then moving on to make his bed and tidy his desk up a bit.

The carpet needed to be vacuumed and the surfaces in his room were in a pretty desperate need of a dusting and scrub, but you decided to put a pin in it, knowing it wouldn’t be very long until he got back home and probably wouldn’t want you in his room when he did.

Closing the door behind you when you left, you headed for the closed bathroom door and put the  trash bag on the floor to be able to open the door, still holding on to the now full hamper at your side.

As the door slid open, you were immediately graced by the sight of Oscar’s naked back where he was crouched down by the side of the bathtub, his arms holding his body upright on the edge.

The tiles on the floor were now dry and the washing machine was spinning like crazy, Oscar appearing to have started a load with the towels he had used to clean up Lucía’s mess, which instantly made a smile rise to your lips.

You approached him from the back, Lucía becoming visible over his shoulder as you got closer. She was playing with a blue rubber duck, making quacking noises and repeatedly moving the duck toward Oscar in an attempt to make him join in on the quacking.

He obviously didn’t and it was appearing to make her grow agitated, her quacking becoming more aggressive by every second passing.

You chuckled to yourself and decided to have some fun as Oscar had yet to notice your presence, the sound of your entrance being swallowed by the loud noise coming from the shaking washing machine.

You closed in on him sneakily, putting the hamper down to the side before slowly leaning down to his head.

You stayed there for a moment, just looking from over his shoulder as he rippled his hand through the water to create waves for Lucía’s duck, before blowing on his ear and whispering a quiet; “Quack.”

“Mierda!” He jumped to his feet instantly and you had to hurry to back away in order to not be smacked right across the face, laughter instantly spilling out from your lips.

Lucía, now having spotted you, wasted no time in joining in on the laughter even though she most likely didn’t even know what was so funny, while Oscar glared at you.

“¿Qué te pasa?” He asked, furious. “I could have hit you.” He motioned for your stomach, but you only laughed, not being able to take the situation seriously.

“For someone who’s been on the run from the law for most of his life, you’re not very attentive.” You pointed out and he pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath before taking one step forward and tugging you by your arm into his chest.

You rested your head on his chest, wrapping your arms around his torso. Above you, his eyes spotted the hamper filled to the top with dirty laundry.

At the sight of it, he moved his head away from on top of yours and raised an eyebrow at you. “I thought I told you to rest.” He said and you sheepishly smiled. “You never listen, do you?”

“Mommy never listens.” Lucía joined in from the bathtub, causing the two of you to turn around and look at her.

Oscar threw his head back as he laughed while you only narrowed your eyes at your daughter. “Are you ganging up on me now?” You questioned, and in response, she narrowed her eyes to imitate you, only causing Oscar to grow even smugger.

He reached his hand out toward her, pinky out, and Lucía moved to the edge of the tub, hooking her pinky with his.

You tutted at the sight playfully. “Like father, like daughter.” You teased, and walked back out of the bathroom, leaving them alone to their quality bath time again.

You grabbed the bag with trash from the floor outside and closed the door to the bathroom, heading over to the kitchen where you dumped the bag of trash in the bin before moving on to clean off the coffee table and make up the sofa with pillows and blankets for Ray to sleep with.

Just as you got done, Lucía and Oscar emerged from the bathroom, a cloud of steam flowing out behind them after the shower Oscar appeared to have taken by the look of his fresh clothes.

He was now wearing a black and grey checkered plaid and a pair of grey sweats that weren’t soaked in water at the ends and Lucía was dressed in her Winnie The Pooh bathrobe, the hood with ears on top pulled over her wet curls.

She wasted no time in getting up on a chair at the kitchen table, short legs starting to kick as soon as she had sat down.

While she got situated over there, Oscar walked over to the fridge by the couch where he kept the alcohol, bending down and opening the door. Before he got the chance to grab what he came for, however, Lucía called out from her spot.

“Bring me my crayons.”

It wasn’t particularly directed at him, but Oscar still closed the fridge again and stood back up to his full height, not saying a word as he left to her room to bid to her command.

While he did so, you grabbed the bottle-opener from the kitchen island and waddled over to the fridge, grabbing a cold bottle of Corona just as Oscar returned with Lucía’s crayons and coloring books.

When hearing him return, she stood up on her chair and Oscar put the things down in front of her before taking her in his arms and sitting down on the chair with her in his lap.

She wasted no time in digging into her crayons and you walked over to them, opening the bottle of beer on the way there.

At the sound of the cap releasing from the throat of the bottle, Oscar looked up, and reached out and grabbed it from your hands the second you got close enough, raising it to his lips and taking a sip immediately.

Once he brought it back down from his lips, you bent down and wrapped your arms around his shoulders from behind, pressing your lips to the tattoo on his neck.

“Gracias.” He thanked you for the beer, turning his head to the side to capture your lips with his in a kiss.

You weren’t sure when the time went from noon to afternoon, but soon enough, the sun was setting outside and Ray and Cesar were walking through the front door, talking loudly and laughing between themselves.

Oscar was still sitting with Lucía at the table, sipping on his beer slowly and watching over her as she colored in her books.

You had started on the cooking only a few minutes ago, standing over by the kitchen island chopping onions for the guacamole you were making, and you could almost feel the entire atmosphere turning hostile when ray stepped in through the door, Oscar’s anger radiating off of him and reaching you all the way where you stood in the kitchen.

But he ignored him, keeping his eyes on Lucía’s drawing and taking a large gulp of his beer while Cesar walked over to them and pinched Lucía’s cheek, causing her to let out a gleeful laugh.

The sound brought a smile to everyone’s lips, even Oscar’s, who raised his head to greet his brother with a fist-bump.

Cesar then walked right past you where you stood and headed for his room, while Ray cautiously sat down across from Oscar and Lucía at the table.  

“Pink, please.” Lucía spoke without looking up from her drawing, and Oscar did what he had been doing for the past hour and a half and handed her the crayon of her wishes, taking another gulp of his beer and completely ignoring Ray’s gaze.

She dragged the pink crayon over her drawing a few times before holding it up. “Blue, please.” She repeated herself, this time asking for another color, and Oscar wordlessly took the pink crayon and exchanged it for a blue, watching as she colored away in her book.  

You tried to give father and son some privacy by busying yourself with chopping the onions, but since you were so close to them, you couldn’t miss the way Ray was desperately trying to search out his oldest son’s eye, and failing miserably.

“You’re good with her.” He finally spoke up, nodding his head and motioning with his hand carefully.

“Mm.” Oscar’s eyes didn’t leave the drawing, his lips pulled into a tight line as he simply hummed in response.

“Are you hoping for the baby to be a boy or a girl?” Ray tried again, and you watched out of the corner of your eye as Oscar brought the bottle of beer to his lips and down the rest of its content before slamming it down on the table, raising his hand at you over his shoulder, almost as if he knew that you were watching them.

“Girl.” He answered while you wiped your hands on the kitchen towel and rounded the kitchen island, heading for the fridge where you grabbed two beers this time.

You brought them over to the table they were sitting at and grabbed the opener where you had left it when bringing Oscar his first bottle, opening the two bottles and taking the sharp caps into your hand so that Lucía wouldn’t get to them.

“Why not a boy?” Ray questioned, glancing up at you briefly as you handed him one of the beers, nodding his head. “Thank you.”

You offered him a gentle smile before turning to Oscar, taking the empty bottle from beside him and handing him the new one.

He didn’t look up at you, but when you put a hand on his shoulder in passing, he put his hand on top of yours, squeezing it in thanks before you walked back to the kitchen.

Ray knew the answer to his question, of course, already having gotten it from you earlier that day. He just wanted to hear what he would answer himself, but he should have expected Oscar not to be willing to give much away.

“Less problems.” He answered flatly and this time, Ray didn’t question him any further, only nodding and leaning back in his seat, joining him in drinking while watching Lucía draw.

The house turned silent again, but Cesar chose the right time to come back right then, returning with a plastic bag in his hand.

You hadn’t seen it when he had first arrived, so you guessed he had carried it in his bag that he had now left in his room.

He held the bag up with a smile on his face, looking around at all of you. “We went by the store and got some ice cream on the way home.” He told you, and Lucía instantly perked up, turning in Oscar’s lap to look at Cesar.

Oscar turned too, narrowing his eyes. “Where’d you get money from?” He asked, and Cesar only shrugged.

“Dad paid.” He replied simply, walking over to the freezer where he brought the tub of ice cream out of the bag and put it inside.

You watched from your spot as Ray smiled at Lucía. “Chocolate chip cookie.” He told her, and she instantly squealed in excitement, turning to Oscar.

‘’Chocolate chip cookie!” She repeated happily, and he hummed.

“I heard.”

You glared at him from where you stood on the other side of the room and almost as if feeling your glare burning into the side of his head, he turned to glare right back at you.

You gave him a pointed look, silently scolding him for not being excited for your daughter’s sake, and when he turned his head back around, bringing his beer up to his lips again, you looked at Lucía who had now gone back to drawing.

“What do we say, Lucí?” You asked, and she looked up from her drawing to beam at Ray.

“Gracias!” She exclaimed, and Ray smiled, although it didn’t go unnoticed by you the way his eyes kept flickering to Oscar’s, his smile faltering ever so lightly when they did.

The subject was dropped after that. Oscar didn’t say another word but Lucía was as happy as ever that her Abuelo brought ice cream home for her.

While the two oldest Diaz men watched her draw, Cesar joined you in the kitchen, finally greeting you after having passed by you earlier.

He murmured a quick ‘hey’, leaning down to kiss your cheek in greeting before standing beside you, watching you chop the last of the onion.

“Did you clean my room?” He asked and you glanced at him with a soft smile, nodding your head.

“Yeah.” You answered, turning your attention back to the sharp knife in your hand. “But I didn’t snoop, I promise.”

He chuckled beside you. “It’s alright. Thank you.” He let out a breath and you glanced at him again to see his smile widening, his hands now moving to roll up his sleeves. “Can I help?”

You smiled, nodding your head. “Sure. You can start dicing the tomatoes. I’m just finishing up with the onions so I’m going to start on the avocados.”

He nodded his head and wasted no time in reaching for another knife, starting on the tomatoes beside you while you, as you had told him you would, put the onions in a bowl and started on the avocados.

You chatted between yourselves and after a few minutes, Ray joined you in the kitchen with a sullen look on his face, probably having come to terms with the fact that he wasn’t welcome where he had just come from.

An hour later, you were all sitting around the table, the coloring books and crayons now put aside and the table full of food.

The only sound that could be heard was silverware scraping over the plates and the occasional silly remark from Lucía about the food. The tension hanging in the air was so thick it could have been cut with a butter knife and made it near impossible for you to enjoy your dinner no matter how good the food was.

Oscar was the tensest out of all of you, not having looked up from his plate since you served it to him.

You were holding his hand under the table, rubbing your thumb soothingly over his knuckles that seemed to be constantly bruised, doing your best to at least take some of his anger away.

But it wasn’t doing much and Cesar seemed to have noticed as well, the two of you exchanging an uncomfortable glance before he plastered on a smile and finally broke the awkward silence.

“So… dad got a job at Dwayne’s Joint today.”

“Really? That’s great news!” You hurried to join in on Cesar’s brave attempt, maybe being a little too quick judging by the way Oscar’s head whipped up to glare at you.

He slammed his fist into the table angrily, turning to glare at his younger brother. “You got him a job?” He spat, the hurt and betrayal evident in his voice as he shook his head. “Big mistake.”

Ray cleared his throat from where he sat, putting his fork down and resting his clutched hands on the table.

“You’ve got a good thing going here, Oscar. You’ve got a kind mujer and a good kid, and another on the way.” He spoke, and you smiled. “I’m not here to mess that up for you. I’m done stirring shit up in your life. I’ll move out as soon as I have enough money, I just need some more time.”

“Pendejada.” Oscar quickly swore, turning his glare to his dad. “Do you really think you’re fooling me? You’re not planning to stay. You never do. You’re gonna leave and you’re gonna crush Cesar and Lucía just like you crushed me.”

Your heart broke at his words and the feeling of his hand getting clammy in yours, and you hurt even more when seeing the tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

He stood up from his chair, pulling his hand out of yours in the process and you attempted to reach for it again. “Oscar-“

“Cállate!” He yelled, whipping around to glare at you. The unexpected volume of his voice caused you all to jump and Lucía instantly started crying out of the scare.

Oscar’s face fell the second her cries reached his ears, guilt visibly filling his body. But you just glared, stood up from your seat and picked her up, holding the back of her head as she buried her face into your neck, carrying her out of the kitchen without another word.

You could feel Oscar’s presence not far behind you and you knew he was following you. Once you reached your bedroom door, you opened it up and put Lucía down on her feet, giving her a light push toward the bed.

“Go lay down, baby.” You told her. “Mommy will be right back.” She did as told, climbing up on the mattress, and you backed back out, closing the door and turning around only to become face to face with Oscar.  

His face was regretful to a start, but it turned hard when he saw your glare.

“What the hell is your problem?” You whisper-yelled, not wanting Lucía nor Cesar to hear you fight. “You never raise your voice around her!”

“You don’t get it.” He tried, speaking through gritted teeth and pulling a frustrated hand over his face in an attempt to not lose his cool again.

You only glared back, crossing your arms over your chest. “It doesn’t matter whether or not I get it.” You spat back, shaking your head.

“If you want to be angry when you’re by yourself, that’s fine, but we made an agreement when you came home that the anger stays outside the house. Your pent up anger isn’t just affecting you right now. It's affecting us. Me. Our children." You put a hand on your belly, giving him a pointed glare. “It needs to go. The anger needs to go.”

“Do you think it’s that easy?” He fired back, glowering down at you. “You think I should forgive him, is that it? You stand here defending him but you don’t know him. Not like I do. Not even close.”

“I’m saying you deserve it.” You whisper-yelled, uncrossing your arms and prodding a finger into his chest harshly.

You glared at him, letting your and drop back to your side and took a deep breath to calm yourself before continuing.

“You’re right.” You agreed, voice now quieter and your head shaking. “I don’t know him. I don’t even know whether or not he’s sorry for his actions, for leaving you behind like you were nothing to him. But either way you need to let that shit go. Not for him, not because he might apologize or acknowledge the pain he’s caused you but for you. Holding onto anger will only hurt you, make you do things you regret. Don’t make the same mistake he did, don’t hold on to the hurt, don’t go down that same road. You’ll end up right in his shoes in a few years if you do.”

A dark look crossed over his face, unlike anything you had ever seen before. Suddenly, you were backed into the wall behind you, his chest pressing against yours and his hand coming up to press against the wall beside your head as he glared, only millimeters away from your face. “Are you saying that I would leave my kids?”

You swallowed, your heart beating violently behind your chest at the new kind of proximity. Had you been in any other situation, you would have without a doubt gotten aroused by this side of him, but sadly, that was not the case.

“Of course I’m not.” You whispered, pressing the back of your head against the wall behind you, carefully reaching out and taking ahold of his other hand as a frown spread across your face. “I’m saying that if you don’t let that shit go, you’ll continue to be driven by hatred and anger and even if that won’t actively make you a bad father, it will come in the way of you being the best version of yourself, the version I know that you can be if only you let yourself.”

He listened to you intently, his eyes shutting tightly with anger and his nostrils flaring with anger.

But you continued, bringing his hand and placing it atop your belly, pressing your forehead against his. "I know you don’t want him around but if he wants to be there for them, I’m not going to rob them of that."

His head shook against yours and his hand balled into a fist at the side of your head. "He’s just gonna leave them like he left us. Like he left me."

"If so, we’ll take that if the time comes.” You continued trying to reason with him softly, but that had not been the right thing to say.

His eyes opened and in one hasty movement, he had removed his hand from your stomach and pushed himself away from you. "When that time comes, I’m not having that conversation with them. You are." He spat and you followed his example and pushed yourself away from the wall.

“Yeah. I’ll accept that.” You glared, swallowing. “But right now he’s making Lucía and Cesar happy and that’s all I care about.”

“What about my happiness, huh?” He questioned. “Doesn’t that mean shit to you anymore?”

“You’re not unhappy because he’s here.” You stated. “You’re unhappy because you’re holding on to the anger. You owe it to yourself and your family to let it go and move on. Not to him. You and us.”

“It’s not that simple.” He shook his head and you frowned.

“I know it’s not but it all begins and ends in your mind. What you give power to, has power over you. If you allow it.” You paused, looking around the hallway and letting out a deep breath. “I know you’re hurt but-“

“You don’t know anything about hurt!” He whisper-yelled at you, whipping around to face you again after having turned around.

Your heart fell in your chest and your jaw tensed as you met his eyes through the darkness. “Are you forgetting that I was left behind, too?” You whispered and only watched as he shook his head and turned away from you again.

“It’s not the same thing.”

This brought a surge of anger through your body, an anger you hadn’t felt in a very long time.

“No.” You scoffed. “Living your entire life in the middle of the system, being thrown between foster-people, all of whom were either toxic or abusive except one who died, like a fucking ragdoll with no human rights, is so much better.”

Your mind wandered back to Stanley who had taken you in when you were fifteen.

His wife had just passed away and as they had been living with infertility their entire lives, he didn’t have anyone left to keep him company. So in honor of his late wife’s memory, he decided to make one final difference in life and help a child in need.

Just like the system was portrayed in the movie ‘Instant Family’, no one ever wanted to adopt a teenager if it weren’t for the checks they got in the process, so you weren’t expecting anything. But much to yours and the social workers’ surprise, he took a liking to you.

Unfortunately, he passed on only six months later and as you were still a minor, you went right back into the system.

When you were seventeen you finally had enough of being mentally and physically abused by your foster parents all so that they would be able to get money from the state and left the center you were placed at.

You kept moving between your friends, living in their basements and attics one week at a time for almost six months until you met Oscar and slowly but surely started staying with him and Cesar.

You shook yourself free from the painful memories, forcing yourself to return to reality and noticing your eyes were now stinging with tears. But you weren’t discouraged, determined to let him hear what you had to say.

“I’ve been alone all my life. No family. Ever.” You sniffled, still glaring at him through your progressively blurring vision. “You’ve at least had Cesar and the Santos, somewhere to belong, which is more than I can say about myself. I’ve had no one but myself to count on and I finally have a family that loves me. I’m not going to lose that all because you can’t let go of the past. I hate him for leaving you, for hurting you, but he’s here now and there’s nothing neither of us can do about it but make the best of the situation for Cesar and Lucía’s sake.”

Hie eyes were burning holes into the floor and his body was tense and halfway twisted away from you, but you could still see from the side of his face that his gaze was concentrated.

No words left his mouth once you finished your little rant and for a moment, you thought that maybe you had managed to get your point across and gotten through to him, but then he wordlessly turned his back to you and began walking in the other direction.

Your heart instantly dropped in your chest and you called out for him. “Where are you going?”

“Out.” He answered coldly, not turning around and not stopping.

You rushed after him as fast as your feet could carry you and grabbed the back of his shirt, tugging him to a stop. “No, not like this, you’re not.” You protested. “We don’t leave each other upset. You know that.”

He reached around to his back and grabbed your hand, softly but firmly pulling it away from his shirt and turning around to look down at you. The glare that had previously been etched onto his face was gone now, but for some reason you found this new, emotionless expression worse.

“You’re standing here, defending him and taking his side over mine.” He spoke calmly, shaking his head. “I don’t have to stand here and listen to this shit. I’m not going to.”

“It’s not like that and you know it.” You tried sadly, attempting to intertwine your fingers with his with the hand that was still holding on to your wrist.

But he twisted his hand out of the way. “Lo que. I’m out.” He told you, dropping your wrist and turning back around. “Don’t wait up.”

He began walking away again and this time, you didn’t follow. “If you leave, you’re not sleeping here tonight.” You spoke after him, raising your voice slightly.

But he didn’t react, or at least he didn’t show it if he did. He just kept walking away from you, heading past the kitchen and straight for the front door, disappearing from your line of sight when he stepped outside.

The sound of the front door slamming shut behind him reached your ears a second later and caused you to flinch where you stood. The house was suddenly eerily quiet, the only sound being heard being the soft sobs coming from your bedroom.

Ray and Cesar were still sitting at the kitchen table and now that you had stepped out of the hallway to your room, you were on full display for them. But you didn’t say anything to them despite feeling their awkward but worried gazes at you.

Instead, you wordlessly turned around and headed back to your bedroom while sniffling against the back of your hand.

The second you were locked inside your bedroom, the tears started falling, and when seeing you cry, Lucía only cried harder.

You didn’t waste another second before heading over to the bed and getting in next to her, taking her in your lap as much as you could with your belly coming in the way. You stroked her hair, getting lost in thought.

You hated being as empathic as you were. In any other situation, you saw the personality trait as a blessing, but now… now it felt more like a curse.

Your heart bled for Oscar. You had experienced his hurt first-hand when your parents left you when you were little, along with every time the relatively nice foster parents had decided you weren’t the child they wanted and returned you to the foster care center.

You wanted to hate Ray for what he had done, for the hurt he had caused the man you loved, but no matter how much you tried, you just couldn’t, because you could see it so clearly in his face that he was trying to be better.

You sympathized with him, despite the fact that he was supposed to be- no, despite the fact that he was the bad guy in this scenario, and you hated it.

You hated that you couldn’t just snap your fingers and make it all alright, make everyone happy. Ray had only been back for a day and the hopelessness was already so overwhelming you could barely bear it.

Oscar drove to the beach that night. He sat there thinking about everything for hours, even when the final warmth had left the air and the harsh evening air started pulling at his clothes.

He had started off by thinking about his dad, about everything that had happened when he was young, but as soon as his anger melted off, Ray’s face was replaced by yours, and suddenly you were the only thing he could think about.

Not that it was a rare occurrence. Even though you had been together for so long, it happened far more often than he would like to admit.

You had always been there taking care of him and his mano in the midst of the gang wars, never losing your positivity despite the hardships you had endured throughout your life, and that’s what made him fall for you.

You were always smiling, always telling and showing people you believed in them, that their hopes and dreams were valid and reachable.

And there was your unwavering loyalty. He thought back to when you had only known each other for a year, how he had expected you to run the other way with your unborn baby when he got locked up. But you stayed, no matter how hard shit got for you on the outside.

You were twenty-three now and no matter how hard things got, you still stuck to his side through thick and thin, through things that would have had any other person fleeing for their lives a long time ago.

You had done nothing but stay positive about the little that you had through the sorrow of what could have been, and he knew he owed it to you now to do the same. Only, of course, he realized this far too late, like he always did.

By the time you heard the front door open and slam shut again, the clock on your bedside table were showing 2:42am and Lucía was sound asleep with her head in your lap.

You were stroking her long, black locks as you had for the past five hours; a trait she inherited from Oscar along with pretty much everything else.

She hadn’t gotten much from you, in truth, but you didn’t mind it. After all, Oscar was the love of your life, despite all the shit you had been through together.

Your cheeks were stiff and itchy with dried tears and you watched the clock turn from 2:42 to 2:43 just as the first knock was delivered to your bedroom door, followed by three more.

You heard a thud, most likely from his forehead hitting the door, and then came his voice, muffled through the thick piece of wood.

“Mi amor. Lo siento. Open the door, por favor.”

You carefully put Lucía’s head down on the pillow, grabbing more pillows and stuffing them under the mattress to stop her from falling down and tucked her in with a blanket before shuffling over to the door.

You twisted the lock and opened it, instantly coming face to face with a regretful Oscar. He tried to look inside and move past you, but you shoved him back, quietly closing the door behind you.

“She’s sleeping.” You whispered tiredly, your voice groggy.

“Tengo que verla.” He pleaded, but you shook your head, crossing your arms over your chest in an attempt to bring some warmth to your body to make up for the lack of body heat you had previously been receiving from your daughter.

“No, it took a long time to get her to fall asleep.” You protested again. “You’re not waking her up.”

You turned your gaze to the ground, leaning your back against the door and shivering slightly. You were tired, still shaken up and not really sure how to handle the situation seeing as you had never fought like this before.

Oscar, being able to read you like an open book, sensed your unsureness immediately and also took note of the fact that you were cold, carefully reaching his hands out to your upper arms.

Slowly, he pulled you toward him, testing the waters, and when he knew you wouldn’t blow up on him, he pulled you into his chest, wrapping his arms around you

Your eyes instantly fell shut at the feeling, a shock of warmth going through your body and your senses being invaded with his perfume and the smell of fresh air still lingering on his clothes.

“I shouldn’t have lost my temper around her.” He mumbled, leaning his chin on the top of your head.

You hummed tiredly, wrapping your arms around his torso and taking a step closer to him. “That’s right, you shouldn’t. But you can apologize to her in the morning. Not to me.” You replied, pressing your cheek into his chest. “I’m sorry if I made it seem like I was picking his side over yours. That’s not what I was trying to do at all, I just-“

“I know, mami. You were right.” He interrupted, moving his arms from around you to take your face in his hand, bringing his face down to yours. “I’m gonna try better. I want you, Lucía and Cesar to be able to live good, without all this negative energy and shit.”

You could sense that he still didn’t fully agree with you despite claiming that you had been right, but he said nothing more about it, changing the subject and asking; “Can I sleep with you? He’s got the couch, which you already know since you made it up for him.”

A sigh of annoyance left your nose at his moody remark, but you nodded, grabbing his hands. “Come on.”

You opened the door to your bedroom again and led him inside. His eyes instantly found Lucía’s form where she was snoring lightly in the bed, her face illuminated by the bright red light cast from the alarm clock beside the bed.

His eyes didn’t leave her once while he got out of his clothes and into bed and you followed his lead, getting in on the other side of your daughter. No more words were shared between you as you got comfortable, your hands just reaching over Lucía to intertwine, sleep coming quickly for both of you.

The next morning, you were all gathered in the kitchen slash living room, all of you getting ready for your respective days.

The atmosphere was still very much tense but after Oscar’s promise to you the night before, it was a lot less hostile.

After making sure Lucía had breakfast, you had left her with Oscar and Ray to go wake up Cesar and then you had left to go get dressed in proper clothing, not wanting to waltz around in Oscar’s oversized shirt all day.

You were just now returning to the kitchen, finding a very tired Cesar sitting beside Lucía with a sandwich and a glass of orange juice on the table in front of him, slowly eating his breakfast while looking through an old Garfield comic with his niece.

On the other side of the table, Oscar was watching them silently while drinking coffee from his usual black coffee mug and Ray was minding his own business over by the couch, getting ready for his first day at work.

As you rounded the corner and entered their field of view, Oscar’s face instantly pulled into a smirk. You stopped beside him and his hand found its way to your ass in no time, pinching it cheekily.

“You’re looking fine today, mami.” He said, smirking.

You raised an eyebrow at him, unimpressed. “Really? Because I feel like a whale on the verge of bursting.” You replied crankily, only causing him to laugh and pull you down onto his lap.

“No, stop, Oscar. I’m heavy.” You protested, immediately trying to stand up again and free him from your weight.

But his arms were wrapped securely around you, his hands already having found their way to your stomach where they were now rubbing soft circles over your shirt, his lips making contact with your arm from behind you. “No estás pesada para mi.”

“You look beautiful, (Y/N).” Cesar joined in, agreeing with his brother, and Lucía wasn’t far behind, speaking out through a mouthful of cereal.

“Yeah, mamá.”

You chuckled lightly, your face pulling into a wide smile at their words in combination with the feeling of Oscar continuously pressing kisses against your arm while rubbing your stomach.

“Thank you, my babies.” You replied, leaning out of Oscar’s grasp for the briefest of second to press a kiss each to their cheeks.

In response, their grins only widened, both of their mouths full of food and looking nearly identical with the way their eyes squinted when they smiled.

But Oscar wasn’t as impressed as you returned to his arms. “You giving out kisses to my mano but none for me? You’re gonna make me jealous.” He tutted behind you and you rolled your eyes.

Turning around, you were met with his smirk, the smug bastard you oh so loved already having been expecting you to turn around. Without saying another word, you brought your hands up to cradle his face and brought your lips down to his, his hands still rubbing your stomach affectionately.

Cesar and Lucía made mocking sounds of disgust from their spots, fooling around with each other and causing you both to chuckle against each other’s lips, but you kept kissing, only breaking apart when Ray cleared his throat from the sofa.

Your faces came apart and you turned to look at him, finding him now standing awkwardly by the front door dressed in a black t-shirt with ‘Dwayne’s Joint BBQ’ printed across the chest.

“I’m off to Dwayne’s. I’ll see you all later.” He spoke lowly and your eyes furrowed together.

“No breakfast?” You asked, and he looked at you, but before he could answer for himself, Oscar’s voice spoke up from behind you.

“He doesn’t like eating in the morning.”

Both you and Ray turned to look at him, but he avoided your eyes, his face now free of emotion again as he picked his coffee cup back up and wordlessly took a sip.

You smiled fondly at him, placing your hand on top of the one that was still resting on your stomach, before turning back forward to see Cesar standing up.

“I’ll walk with you!” He exclaimed excitedly while shoving the rest of the sandwich into his mouth, reaching out for his school bag on the chair next to his and without as much as a goodbye, he had walked out the door behind Ray, leaving the three of you alone.

“Alrighty, then.” You drawled, the last minute having gone by so quickly, and turned back to Oscar. “Any plans for today, baby?”

With Ray gone, the tension from his body melted right off.

He put the coffee mug back down on the table and wrapped his arms around you again. “Nah. Thought I’d just spend the day with my two favourite girls. Go for a drive, maybe take a walk on the beach.”

You hummed, leaning back into his chest while holding on to his hand on your belly. “That sounds nice.” You smiled, turning your attention to your daughter and stretching your foot out under the table, nudging one of her legs. “Do you want to go to the beach?”

Lucía nodded, but made no move to look up from her comic, simply shoving more cereal into her mouth and starting to kick her legs more violently underneath the table judging by the way said table was shaking.

You raised your eyebrows at her, turning back to Oscar to see him watching her with an identical expression before turning to meet your eyes.

“She gets that from you.”

“Yeah, yeah.” You rolled your eyes, a small smile playing at your lips. “Well, if we’re going outside you’re going to have to help me get my shoes on because I’m too fat to reach my feet.”

He chuckled but didn’t protest, urging you to stand up. You did as told and took his seat when he left to retrieve your shoes from over by the front door. Wordlessly, he helped you get them onto your feet and tied the laces into flawless knots before taking your hands in his.

“Come on, fatass.” He teased.

You raised an eyebrow, allowing him to pull you up. “Who you calling a fatass, fatass?”

“You called yourself a fatass a second ago, dumbass.” He fired back and to this, you raised your other eyebrow, as well.

“Oh, I’m a dumbass, too, now?”

He just smirked at you, pulling you into his chest in an embrace and bending down to kiss you as his hand pinched your butt.

“Dumbass is a bad word.” Lucía spoke up from the table and you laughed, cutting the kiss short, turning to look at her while nodding your head.

“You’re right, it is. Bad daddy.”

“Bad daddy.” She agreed, glaring at Oscar who playfully raised his eyebrows in return.

Lucía, now having finished her breakfast and apparently having had enough of Garfield for this morning, went and changed out of her pajamas into some regular clothes, and then the three of you locked up the house and headed out in the Impala.

You left the streets of Freeridge and drove around Los Angeles for a good hour before you headed back and found yourselves at the beach, and once there, you spent a good two hours thanks to Lucía refusing to leave.

You bought a bag of bread at the store before going there so that she could throw it to the seagulls, and once the annoying, screeching birds made an appearance, it was near impossible to get her back into the car.

But you managed in the end, even though she cried pretty much the entire ride home.

Once you were back home, you took her to bed for a much-needed nap while Oscar went out again to deal with some business, Sad Eyes having been waiting in front of the house when you got back.

When you had finally managed to get her to sleep, you had moved to get out of the bed and go tend to the chores that needed doing, but just as you were about to stand up, Oscar had come back in and laid down with you.

You lost track of how long you just laid there. You didn’t speak a word to each other, just drifting in and out of sleep while waiting for Lucía to wake up again.

His arms were wrapped around you from behind, instinctively moving around on your stomach and squeezing gently in hope to feel a kick.

When the times came where there actually was a kick, he always had his hands in the wrong place, which in turn forced you to constantly move them around with your own.

Lucía woke up some time later, but by then, you had both managed to fall asleep, and she had not-so-graciously woken you up by hitting you both in the head with a book that she wanted you to read for her.

Oscar had accepted the task. He wasn’t doing much reading, just flipping through the book and looking at the pictures, but she wasn’t complaining.

“Can we eat the ice cream Abuelo bought for me yesterday?” She spoke up then after a long while of silence and your eyes instantly switched to Oscar, awaiting his reaction, but he barely even reacted at all.

“Yeah.” He only replied calmly without looking away from the book, flipping the page.

While she reached out and touched the butterfly now presented before her, touching the purple glitter, he looked at her from the side. “I’m sorry I got angry and yelled last night, princesita. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She didn’t answer, just keeping her eyes on the butterfly and wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her cheek to his in a way that made her entire face scrunch up at the force.

He pressed a kiss to her temple, flipping the page again.

A few minutes later, you found yourself sitting around the table in the kitchen, each with a bowl of ice cream in front of you and conversing easily while you ate.

The front door opened then and all of your heads turned to see Cesar jogging inside with his school bag slung over his shoulder.

“Have a good day at school?” You asked with a smile, and he smiled back, nodding.

“Yeah, thanks.” He hurried out, rushing over to you and hastily kissing yours and Lucía’s cheeks, bumping his fist against Oscar’s in a quick greeting.

“You want some ice cream, mano?” Oscar asked before putting another spoonful of the ice cream into his mouth, giving his brother an amused smirk.

Cesar only shook his head, going over to the kitchen island where he dropped his bag at Lucía’s barstool. “No, I’m meeting up with dad at Dwayne’s. He gets off work in five minutes.” He answered quickly and barely even spared you another glance as he headed for the front door.

But he stopped himself suddenly and turned back around, and you raised an eyebrow at him as he jogged over to where you sat and took your spoon from your hand, scooping some of your ice cream into his mouth and giving you a goofy grin.

“Thanks, bye.” He gave your spoon back to you and rushed back for the door, this time not turning around.

You chuckled at his antics, going back to your ice cream, but beside you, Oscar had now put his spoon down and pushed his bowl away from him on the table.

Lucía noticed this in an instant and immediately claimed his bowl, pulling it over to her. You watched as she began eating from both of the bowl, all while Oscar stared into the table, obviously disappointed that Cesar hadn’t joined you.

You slowly reached your hand out over the table to take his in yours, giving it a comforting squeeze. He squeezed it back, pulling a hand over his face, before standing up and leaving the table to go outside for a smoke.

The fact that Cesar was suddenly looking up to his dad more than he hurt him, that much was clear in your eyes no matter how much he would try to hide it.

But he still didn’t want to hover and be an ass by forcing him to spend time with him, which was why come Saturday morning, you saw the perfect opportunity for them to spend some good old brotherly time together and pushed them to take it.

Oscar was, like every other morning, sitting at table in the kitchen slash living room. Seeing as it was Saturday, you had slept in today, the clock showing eleven by the time you had finished eating breakfast.

Ray had left for work when you had still been asleep and Cesar and Lucía were still sleeping, for the time being giving you the rest of the house to yourselves for the first time since he had returned.

You were on day six of him staying with you now and during that time, you had learned the hard way that he wasn’t the most organized or clean person, leaving clothes and food out all over the house.

The living room was smelling like a literal garbage dump, a mess of suspicious food occupying the coffee table over by the sofa.

You had attempted to clean said mess the second you had woken up, but Oscar hadn’t let you, saying that you weren’t his maid and that he could clean his mess up himself, so you tried your very best to ignore the awful smell while you had your breakfast.

Thankfully, it wasn’t a very big struggle once you got your mind on other things. It would have been worse, for sure, if you would have been at the beginning of your pregnancy. Had that been the case, you wouldn’t have been able to hold your food down.

Once you heard the bubbling of the coffee machine slow down in the kitchen, you stood up from your seat at the table and walked over. On your way, you cranked open the kitchen window, hoping that a bit of fresh air would help with the smell.

You then brought Oscar’s usual black coffee cup down from its cupboard and filled it up with coffee, leaving a little bit of space for the milk that you poured in when you passed the refrigerator, and then waddled back over to him where he was boredly flicking through Lucía’s Garfield comic.

“Here you go, papi.” You said as you reached him, putting down the coffee cup in front of him, careful not to spill any on the magazine because if you did, you knew hell would be unleased when its owner woke up.

Oscar looked up at you, closing the comic and pushing it to the side and pulling you into his lap by your arms. “Gracias, mamas.” He thanked you, raising his head in an indication for you to come closer.

And you did just that, leaning your head down to press a kiss to his lips. You smiled against his lips and he hummed, his hands contently rubbing along the sides of your thighs.

You didn’t get a lot of moments with just Oscar anymore so you took your sweet time with each other, slowly moving your lips together in synchronization.

Whenever you had some free time on your hands, he always had some illegal shit to take care of. When he had some time to spare, you always had some errands to run and when you both, against all odds, had some free time, Lucía was always there with you.

It was risky getting frisky in the open, you knew, as anyone could’ve walked right in on it, but in that moment you didn’t care.

Your hands slowly moved over his arms, shoulders and neck, coming up to grab his face to pull his face even closer to yours, and his hands moved to your butt, turning you more against him in his lap.

It wasn’t the most gracious embrace with your giant stomach coming in the middle, but it was comfortable anyhow, his touches sending small holts of electricity through your body

“Good morn-“ Cesar stopped himself in the doorway as he entered the living room just then.

You broke apart from the kiss, both out of breath, and looked over at him just in time to see his entire face scrunch up in disgust. But not because of what he had just walked in on. No, that he was used to, more so than he would like to admit.

Instead, he started sniffing the air, looking around and not even blinking an eye to the intimate moment he had just caught you in.

“Agh, dude. What is that smell?” He asked and Oscar wasted no time in pointing to the coffee table.

“Chicken.” He spoke out in an annoyed voice, shaking his head and getting defensive at the look his mano was suddenly giving him. “Don’t look at me.”

Cesar glared back at him. “Look, he’s been gone 12 years. I just want a chance to get to know him.” He said.

Oscar nodded, one of his hands leaving your butt to pick up his coffee mug. “Then you can clean up after him. I’ve got bigger things to worry about. Block’s been quiet.” He said, bringing the mug to his lips and taking a big gulp.

Cesar stared at him and it was only then you noticed the towel hanging from his hand, the realization that he was wearing swimming trunks hitting you shortly after.

He then went to move past you where you sat and Oscar put down the mug and stood up on his feet in no time, still holding on to your waist as you stood up with him and reaching his other hand out to catch Cesar’s shoulder.

“Hey, where you going?”

Cesar gave him an obvious look. “Duh. The pool. It’s open.” He answered rudely and Oscar raised his eyebrows at him.

“Not before you clean up that nasty ass chicken.”

“The chicken can wait a few more hours.” You heard yourself speak before you had even gotten the time to process the thought in your head, but when they turned to look at you, there was no going back, their looks urging to you to continue. “You’re taking Lucía and going with your mano to the pool.”

“Mamas-“

“No.” You interrupted Oscar, pushing at his chest. “Go wake her up and I’ll pack you a bag. Cesar can clean up when he comes home.”

You smiled at him and out of the corner of your eye, you could see Cesar’s face lighting up into a smile to his brother, too.

Said brother glared down at you and you could practically hear his thoughts; you were being too easy on Cesar.

But he didn’t say anything, only turning on his heel and heading to your bedroom to bid to your command.

Meanwhile, you packed his and Lucía’s swimming suits into a bag along with two towels and her Winnie The Pooh bathrobe, a bottle of sunscreen, some water and sandwiches for lunch and of course, the worn-out Garfield comic that she always had to “read” when she ate.

After a good five minutes of convincing Oscar that you would be alright on your own for a few hours, they left for the pool and the second they were out of the house, you laid down in your bed and fell asleep again.

By the time you woke up again the alarm clock by your side was showing 3:27pm, meaning you had been asleep for a good three and a half hours.

You had totally intended to let Cesar clean up the mess left behind by his dad by himself to a start, but after doing two loads of laundry and vacuuming and dusting his room like you had put a pin in a few days ago, you were left restless and bored while awaiting someone’s return and company.

So you brought out a plastic bag and began cleaning off the trash on the coffee table, having to scrub it down with gloves in order to get the juices of the old, rotten chicken out of the wood.

And of course, Oscar had chosen that time out of all the times to return home.

Lucía had run straight past you into her room, her hair still wet and her body dressed in her swimsuit and bathrobe.

While she disappeared down the hallway to your room, Cesar and Oscar stopped in the doorway of the front door at the sight of you scrubbing away at the table, meeting your eyes with different expressions on their faces.

Cesar’s was a mixture of gratefulness that you had relieved him of his work, and nervousness as he knew what was about to come.

Not wanting to be around when shit went down, he slipped off to his room after kissing you hello, leaving you alone with Oscar who was glaring coldly at you for doing the exact thing he had told you not to do.

But he hadn’t said a word, simply taking the trash bag standing by your side and taking it with him outside.

Dinner was tenser than usual that afternoon and when you had shut yourself into your room to put Lucía to sleep later that night, you listened as Oscar yelled his father out in Spanish, pointing out that you were heavily pregnant and still did more around the house than he did.

You couldn’t hear any of Ray’s replies as he was clearly talking with a normal indoors voice, Oscar being the only one yelling, but come next morning when you were cleaning away after Cesar’s breakfast, Ray got out of the sofa and told you to sit down and let him do it.

Surprised, you did as told, the two of you conversing while he cleaned and even fixed you breakfast.

He was obviously trying his hardest to earn his stay, he just hadn’t gotten the routine in yet. You knew Oscar was having a harder time accepting his presence, but you were grateful that he was even trying.

Oscar came out from shower a few minutes later to find his dad feeding Lucía yogurt, the two of them chatting away about Garfield while you sat eating the toast he had fixed you up before she had joined you at the table.

He obviously approved of the change in his dad’s behavior because he served himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table rather than leaving the room, but he still didn’t say anything.

For the next two weeks, they barely spoke a word to each other. Ray tried to spark up conversations every day to a start but he stopped when he realized he wasn’t making any progress, respecting Oscar’s unspoken wish to be left alone.

Whenever Ray would volunteer to look after Lucía, Oscar would just stare at him with distaste as you agreed, while you, for one, were just happy to see her having so much fun.

He was great with her, taking her out for ice cream, bringing her back small toys when he came home from work and spoiling her rotten to the extent he could with his small income.

On the afternoons Oscar were out handing gang-related things, Ray started walking with you and getting her from daycare so that you didn’t have to walk by yourself, which in turn resulted in Oscar making sure he was free around that time every day to minimize the time you and Lucía spent with him.

He did everything in his power to keep you away from him without actually speaking his concerns out loud, not wanting a repeat of the first night. But whatever he did, everyone but him just seemed to grow closer to Ray and it made him furious.

He was now on his third week staying with you, it was a Friday afternoon and you were just coming back from having picked Lucía up from daycare.

Oscar was walking behind you with her sleeping form held tightly against his chest, his arms wrapped around her back and her head resting on his shoulder, her thumb sucked into her mouth and her comfort blanket hanging from her hand.

You were walking ahead and stepped through the front door first, holding it open for him so that he could walk inside without bumping Lucía into the doorway.

While he disappeared straight down the hallway to put Lucía to bed, you spotted Cesar lying back-down on the couch, his face illuminated by the bright light streaming from his phone that was held over his face.

He barely even noticed your presence, concentrated on whatever it was he was doing on his phone and you raised an eyebrow at this, shrugging your jacket off and dumping it on the chair across from the couch.

Before you could say anything to him, though, Oscar walked back into the living room. “Where’s dad?” He wasted no time asking and only then did Cesar look away from his phone, surprised to see two pairs of eyes at him.

He shrugged his shoulders at the question. “I thought he went with (Y/N) to pick up Lucí.”

“No, I did.” Oscar answered immediately, narrowing his eyes slightly and taking a step forward.

Cesar gave him a look. “Yeah, I can see that.” He shrugged again, turning back to his phone, not seeming very bothered. “He’s probably still at work.”

Oscar snorted. “He got off at four. It’s almost seven.”

As the brothers kept bickering back and forth about Ray’s whereabouts, a bad feeling settled in the pit of your stomach and before you could even register that your body was moving, your feet carried you over to the kitchen island where your wallet was laying on full display.

With a shaky hand, you opened it, and instantly got your suspicions confirmed.

“Shit.” You swore quietly under your breath, hanging your head down.

But no matter how lowly you had spoken, Oscar had heard you and walked over to you, asking. “What?”

You looked at him, guilt and pity building up in your chest. Could he really have been right about Ray all this time? Had you been naïve and misinterpreted his affection for Cesar and Lucía?

“My bus card isn’t in my wallet.” You answered finally, keeping your voice down so that Cesar wouldn’t hear you and get any ideas.

A glare instantly settled over his face, and he didn’t bother keeping his voice down as he shook his head. “What did I tell you? Huh?” He questioned, and Cesar, sensing the atmosphere taking a turn for the worse, walked over.

“What’s going on?” He looked between you with a questioning glance and Oscar let out a humorless laugh.

“You gonna tell him?” He asked and you closed your eyes, pinching the bridge of your nose and breathing out before looking back at Cesar.

“My bus card isn’t in my wallet and it was when we left an hour ago.”

Cesar’s face turned cold almost immediately, his eyes hardening as he understood what you were insinuating. “No.” He shook his head, taking a step back and clenching his fists at his sides. “No. He wouldn’t just leave. Not without saying goodbye.”

“Yeah, he would.” Oscar let out a scoff, followed closely by a dry laugh.

You sent him a glare at his insensitivity, but before you got the time to tell him off about it, Cesar whipped around to look at him and prodded a sharp finger into his chest

“Of course he would, with the way you’ve been treating him!” The youngest Diaz brother exclaimed angrily, tears already building up in his eyes as the panic settled in him. “I just got him back and now you’ve pushed him away, why do you always ruin everything good in my life?!”

Oscar looked at his brother with hard eyes and stood quietly, just taking on his rage, but the way his Adam’s apple bobbled in his throat indicated that he wasn’t feeling as unbothered about the situation as he put on.

Just the thought of how broken he would be if Ray actually left again caused your heart to tug in your chest, even more so when you realized you would be the one left behind to pick up the pieces not only from Oscar’s broken heart but Cesar’s too.

“Cesar, calm down.” You tried reasoning with him, putting a calming hand on his shoulder. “We don’t know what’s going on yet. We can’t just rush to conclusions, maybe he just-“

“There is no maybe!” Oscar exclaimed, turning to look at you and in turn causing you to look back to him. “He left, like I told you he would. This shit’s on you.”

“Don’t blame her.” Cesar instantly jumped to your defense, getting up in his brother’s face. “This is your fault. Not hers. She’s done nothing but try to make him feel welcome.”

They glared at each other, both clenching their fists at their sides and not moving a single muscle. You were left not knowing what to do, your heart beating violently in your ribcage, your pulse deafening in your ears.

But then the front door opened, and all of you turned your heads to the source of the disruption, holding your breaths as you watched Ray walk inside with several paper bags balanced in his arms.

He hadn’t noticed you yet, busying himself with kicking a pair of shoes out of the doorway in order to be able to get in without dropping the bags.

After stepping inside, he turned around and closed the door behind him softly, and then he turned around to face you, stopping in his tracks once he caught sight of you.

His eyes turned unsure as he became aware of the tense atmosphere and the threatening stance both of his sons were standing in.

He looked at them for a moment, silently wondering what was going on, and then turned his gaze to you.

When your eyes met his, you felt more relieved than you had ever done in your life before. Not just for Cesar’s sake, but also for Oscar’s, because no matter how much he would have tried to deny it, you knew that it would have absolutely broken him if he left again.

He had been forced to grow up early in life when having the responsibility of raising his brother on his own thrown on him, but inside of him there was still a small part of the little boy he had been back then and that small part craved his father’s attention and presence.

He tried so hard not to show it, to not show himself weak by covering his true feelings up with the hate and spite he had taught himself to feel for his dad, but deep down, he still loved him. You knew it, he knew it and you were pretty sure Ray knew it too, and that it was therefore that he always kept trying to talk to him.

“Everything okay here?” Ray was the one to finally break the silence and at the sound of his voice, both brothers seemed to relax, their shoulders slumping and their glares faltering.

While Oscar looked at him with a foreign expression, unreadable even for you, Cesar looked at him with pure relief.

Ray noticed this, giving his youngest a worries look when he caught sight of the tears built up in his eyes.  “You alright, mijo?”

Cesar offered him a watery smile before turning back to glare at Oscar. “I told you he wouldn’t leave.” He spat out shortly, not saying another word to any of you before walking off, the sound of his bedroom door slamming shut reaching your ears a few seconds later.

The three of you were left in silence again and Ray awkwardly looked between the two of you. He carefully balanced the bags with one of his arms, slowly reaching his other hand into his back pocket do grab something.

Once he got a hold of whatever object it was, he held it out for you and you realized quickly that it was your bus card.

"The fridge was empty so I borrowed your bus card to go to the store.” He informed you. “Wanted to save you the trouble of going on your own. I hope that's alright."

A smile pulled at your lips as you took the card back from him. "Of course. Thank you." You thanked him, but Oscar wasn’t as impressed.

His face pulled into a nasty glare, eyes narrowed to the point where they were just lines of eyelashes.

“Did you take her credit card too?” He attacked, his entire stance rigid.

He wouldn’t admit it but you could read him like an open book, see that he had gotten scared and was now trying to cover up the vulnerability with anger; the only way he knew how.

Ray turned to look at him with an offended look crossing over his features. “I know I’m not the best person but-“

“You’re not.” Oscar quickly interrupted. “You’re as bad as they come.”

Ray nodded, not even bothering to deny his son’s accusations because he knew it was true. “But I would never steal from family.” He finished the sentence he had been trying to get out before being interrupted.

Without waiting for another reply from Oscar, probably knowing that he was just going to keep fighting, he turned to you, now with a smile on his lips. “I got you something.”

Your eyes instantly flickered to Oscar who was now narrowing his eyes in suspicion, but while he kept glaring, you only perked up with curiosity, following Ray as he walked over to the kitchen island to put the bags down, watching as he began rummaging through one of them.

“It’s in here somewhere…” He mumbled to himself while unpacking the bag in order to get a better view of what was inside, and no longer than a few seconds later, you watched as he pulled out a small, white baby bodysuit.

He smiled as he unfolded the tiny piece of clothing and turned it around, and your eyes widened at the sight of the words printed across the front in shimmery, golden letters.

‘Mommy and Daddy’s Little Saint’.

The smile on Ray’s face was genuinely excited as he proudly presented his find. “For the baby. You know, Saint as in Santo.” He explained. “It’s white so it works for both a girl and a boy.”

Tears welled up in your eyes as you took it from him, feeling the soft fabric under your touch and tracing your fingers over the letters.

Before you could stop yourself, you had wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him as close as your stomach would allow.

His hands unsurely found their way to your back, patting you lightly.

“Thank you.” You mumbled into his shoulder, completely oblivious to the look Oscar was giving you.

Ray patted your hair and hugged you back, frowning slightly as he didn’t know why you were getting so emotional. “No problem, mija.” He answered, and that’s when the hormones got the best of you and everything just came crashing down.

You tore yourself out of his embrace and put the bodysuit down on the barstool by the kitchen island before wordlessly hurrying down the hallway, closing yourself into the bathroom.

You liked to convince yourself that you weren’t affected by your parents, or lack thereof, and you usually weren’t, but when you were pregnant you leaned pretty quickly that it was a subject to stay away from.

Just the mere thought of them could make everything, all the pain you had been forced to withstand through your life, come flooding back in one moment, and despite his past record of walking out on his family, Ray still had a natural fatherly feel to him.

When you hugged him and heard him use the nickname that so many parents used to show affection for their kids, something you had never gotten to experience before, all of it just got too overwhelming for you.

Ray was rooted to his spot, looking at you with shock written all over his face. He turned to Oscar, who was still watching him with squinted eyes, although now a lot less hostile.

“Did I do something wrong?” He asked, and Oscar just sniffed, walking over to him.

“No. She gets like that.” He said, picking the bodysuit up from the barstool when he got close enough to reach it, taking a look at it for himself and turning his lips down in a ‘not bad’-expression. “This is nice. She appreciates it.”

He ripped the tag off the hem and began folding it, ignoring the way Ray’s gaze was burning into the side of his face.

“And you?” Ray asked, and Oscar nodded, avoiding his gaze.

“Yeah.” He answered simply before walking over to the side of the front door where your hospital bag stood at the ready, picking it up and packing down the bodysuit.  

Ray watched him from where he stood, not really sure what to say. “Do you need to go check on her?” He asked finally after a few seconds of silence, and once again, Oscar barely spared him as much as a glance.

“No. She wants to be alone when she gets like that. Hormones and shit. She’ll be back soon.” He replied, putting the bag back down and heading for the fridge by the couch.

Ray nodded, his eyes following Oscar as he moved around. He watched as he brought a beer out from the fridge and walked over to the table with it in hand, and as he sat down and grabbed the bottle-opener, snapping the metal lid off and wasting no time in bringing the bottle to his lips, taking a large gulp.

Oscar let out an annoyed sigh, feeling the stare burning into the side of his face.

“What?” He asked without looking up from the table, and Ray’s face changed to one of confusion.

“What?” He asked back, and finally, Oscar looked up to meet his gaze.

“You’re looking at me like you got something to say so speak.”

Ray gave him a hesitant look. “I’ve been here three weeks and I haven’t heard anything about her parents. Got me wondering, is all.” He spoke slowly.

Oscar nodded, looking at him for a few more seconds before turning his attention back to the table, lifting the bottle of beer to his lips for another sip. “She has no parents.” He replied. “Cesar, Lucía and I are all she’s got.”

“Where are they?”

“Left her with her babysitter when she was five to go get dinner, never came back. She grew up in the system.”

“You sure nothing happened to them?” Ray questioned, his voice still careful, almost as if one wrong word would make Oscar blow up. And in truth, it probably would.

“No.” He took another gulp of his beer. “They left a note.”

Ray’s face fell, his hands gripping at the edge of the kitchen island behind him. “That’s rough.”

“Mhm.” Oscar hummed, moving a small piece of cereal around on the table in front of him, left behind from Cesar and Lucía’s breakfast earlier that morning.  

“For what it’s worth-“

Oscar’s head instantly whipped up, a hard glare crossing his features. “Whatever it is, it’s not worth shit.” He spat, causing Ray to flinch back slightly.

But no matter how discouraged he got, he continued. “I’m sorry I never called or wrote. If I could take it back and do it differently, I would.”

“But you can’t.” Oscar glared and Ray shook his head.

“No, I cant.” He agreed. “I already told Cesar this the other day but if I got the chance to choose my kids, I would choose the two of you every time. You’ve had it rough, been down the same path I’ve been stuck on all my life. But I’m proud of you, mijo. Of what you’ve got going on here. I know you don’t want me around but I’m not here to stir shit up for you. I’m here to make things right.”

Oscar looked up at his dad while he spoke, listening to him intently and not interrupting him once. The glare on his face was gone when he finished. However, the hard look in his eyes remained in his eyes as he answered.

“You can’t. It’s too late for that.”

But Ray only started back. “That doesn’t mean I should stop trying.”

Oscar nodded in response, the two of them holding their eye-contact as a comfortable silence fell over them. Half a minute later, Oscar finally broke the stare, turning his gaze to the side as he took another swig of his beer before putting it down on the table.

He stood up and headed over to the fridge again, wordlessly bringing out another bottle and heading back to the table where he snapped the cap off.

Grabbing his beer, he walked over to Ray where he was standing by the kitchen island and shoved the untouched beer into his chest, pushing past him and walking around the counter.

Ray took it and turned around, meeting Oscar’s eyes over the counter as he motioned for the bags that were still just standing around. “Make yourself useful.” He ordered, and without waiting for a response, he began unpacking the bags, Ray following his example after taking a sip of his beer.

Half an hour later, your hormones had calmed down, allowing you to stop crying about the bodysuit and exit the bathroom again after freshening yourself up by splashing some cold water into your face.

You slowly and quietly walked down the hallway, slowing down slightly as you reached the corner at the sound of Ray and Oscar’s voices.

“Do it like this instead.” You heard Ray instruct, and Oscar’s annoyed reply came only a second later.

“I know how to cut a jalapeño, anciano.”

“You’re getting the seeds everywhere. They’re supposed to stay on the core.”

“You do it if you’re so much better.”

You slowly rounded the corner, careful not to make a sound.

Your eyes found the two of them in the kitchen immediately, standing side by side. The kitchen lamp was shining down on them and on the stove, something was frying in a pan.

Oscar stood taller than his dad by at least five inches, yet he somehow still looked smaller beside him. Maybe it was the momentarily vulnerable look that crossed over his face when his dad reached out and  took the knife from his hand that caused the illusion.

“You cut the tip of first and then stand it up, hold the stem and cut down from the bottom. And then you can dice the slices.” Ray calmly showed him how he was supposed to cut it and even though Oscar’s eyes remained guarded, he watched. “No seeds, no mess. You try it.”

Oscar muttered some Spanish curse word under his breath, but still snatched the knife back from his dad’s hand and did as he had just been shown.

You took that as your cue to make yourself known, waddling into the kitchen with one hand on your stomach and the other at the small of your back for support.

Their head rose in sync when hearing you approaching, their hands stopping what they were doing. Oscar greeted you with a kiss and Ray greeted you with a smile, neither of them bringing up the way you had just ran off earlier of which you were grateful.

You took a seat on the barstool and only a minute later, a now calm Cesar appeared from his room and joined you in watching his dad and mano cook dinner together.

Things were still not all okay, far from it, but even a blind person could have seen that you were making huge progress, and in that moment, it was enough for everyone to be civil with each other, which was more than could be said about the past three weeks.

After dinner, Cesar had gone over to Monse’s house and you and Oscar moved into your bedroom where Lucía was still sleeping soundly in the bed while ray went to sleep in the couch.

You moved around the room, getting ready for bed quietly to not wake her up. While you were changing into your nightshirt over by the closed window, Oscar was sitting at the side of the bed, pulling his white tank top over his head.

Once you were properly dressed for bed, you wordlessly climbed onto the mattress, wrapping your arms around Oscar’s shoulder from behind and pressing a kiss to his bare shoulder.

He turned his head to look at you, but before he could say or do anything, his phone lit up on the nightside table, starting to vibrate as a call came through.

You released his shoulders and sat back, watching as he took the phone and stood up, answering the call.

“Sí?” He spoke into the phone. You could hear someone talking on the other side of the call, but you couldn’t identify the voice or the words spoken.

Oscar whipped around to face you then, causing you to jump. “When?” He asked the person, and you watched with growing worry as a dark look crossed over features and he pulled a hand over his face. “Yeah, I’ll take care of it. I’ll call you back. Cuídate.”

He hung up and quickly started pulling on his clothes again, causing you to rush out of the bed. “Who was it?” You asked, your heart beating rapidly in your chest.

“Mario.” He replied without looking at you, pulling his tank top over his head and going over to the drawer in the corner of the room, where you knew he kept his gun.

“Since when does Mario call you?” You asked, eyebrows furrowing together and arms crossing over your chest.

He unlocked the top drawer of the dresser and wasted no time in bringing the gun out. “Since Cesar, his brother and their friends got caught up with Cuchillos.”

“What?!” You exclaimed before you could stop yourself, and the two of you instantly turned around to look at Lucía who was now stirring in her sleep. But luckily, she didn’t wake up.

You turned back to Oscar, finding him already looking at you. “Her men kidnapped them a few weeks ago and offered them the Rollerworld money back if they finished a job for her. It’s taking them to long, she’s getting impatient. She broke into Monse’s house yesterday and Ruby’s house just now, threatened their families.”

“What? Kidnapped? Why the fuck am I only just hearing about this now?” You asked, eyes widening. “Is that why Cesar was in such a hurry to get to Monse’s? What kind of job could Cuchillos possibly want a group of teenagers for?”

Oscar looked away from you, loading the clip into the gun. “Tracking down Lil’ Ricky.”

“What?” You whisper-yelled, not really sure what you were supposed to think anymore. “Isn’t he dead?”

Oscar glanced at you. “No.”

Your eyebrows creased together. “How do you know?”

“Because I helped them dig up his grave.” He replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world to do. But it wasn’t.

Your eyebrows shot up in disbelief, barely believing what you were hearing. “You did what now?”

Your head was spinning. You didn’t know what the hell was going on at this point, you were being given far too much information at once and you weren’t able to process it.

You had known about the Rollerworld money, of course, as they had been used in the whole plot to buy Cesar’s freedom back and get the Prophets off the streets, but the rest of it… it was all new to you, this being the first time you were hearing about it.

You’d had absolutely no idea that Cuchillos had roped in the kids, and it got you wondering how long it had gone on behind your back.

“I have to go take care of this.” Oscar turned to you then, tucking the gun into the waistband of his pants and pulling his tank top over it.

Your teeth started chewing at the inside of your cheek automatically, the worry only intensifying by every second passing. “What are you going to do?”

He took a step closer to you, grabbing your face in his hands. “Don’t worry your pretty head about it, mamas. I’ll be fine.” He promised.

You stared up at him, placing your hands on top of his. “Please tell me you’re not going after Cuchillos.” You pleaded, and the look on his face revealed that it was exactly what he was going to do.

In that moment, it really hit you how much information Oscar must have kept from you throughout your relationship and it didn’t sit well with you at all.

Not because he hadn’t told you, but because he could have been in life-threatening situations more times than you could count, and you wouldn’t even have known about it.

As if being able to read your thoughts, Oscar leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to your lips, pulling away and moving one of his hands to stroke your belly. “I’ll be fine.” He promised again. “I’ll be here when you wake up and we’ll start fresh. Prometo.”

With that, he lowered his hand to hook his pinky with yours, and as he left, you took his word for it. But when you woke up the next morning, you were alone.

Or well, not entirely alone; Lucía was still there, of course. But Oscar wasn’t. He never got home like he told you he would and you were worried sick.

But despite the sickening worry you pushed through and went on with your day as you usually would with a lot of help from Ray, who had called in sick to work when you had told him about Oscar’s approximate whereabouts.

He didn’t want to leave you home alone with your due date being so close, and you were thankful to have him there because in all your worried-sick glory, you could barely bring yourself to take care of Lucía, constantly spacing out.

You had called Cesar to ask if he had heard from his mano but he hadn’t. He told you that him, Ruby, Monse and Jamal had locked themselves inside in the Martinez house, the four of them wanting to be together until they knew where they were at with Cuchillos.

You called Mario too, since he had been the one to call Oscar to tell him about Cuchillos threatening their family, but he hadn’t heard back from Oscar either, and the man in question, of course, wasn’t picking up his phone.

You had never been as worried as you were now, and things didn’t get easier for you when Lucía kept asking you about her dad’s whereabouts, a question to which you couldn’t give an answer.

But you were lucky to have Ray there to help you out. He had tended to all the chores around the house throughout the day, all while taking care of his granddaughter and making sure you were okay.

He and Lucía had even cooked dinner together, a process during which she had cracked an egg over his head, something you knew Oscar would have found absolutely hilarious.

After dinner, Lucía went to bed on her own accord, exhausted after a long day of excessive playing with her Abuelo, leaving you and Ray to clean up in the kitchen.

No words were exchanged between the two of you as you worked together with the dishes. Ray washed them under the tap, scrubbing them free of food, and then passed them on to you for you to dry and put them back in their cabinet.

Suddenly, you felt a sharp jab of pain go through your lower abdomen, and after that, everything happened so quickly.

The glass that you were currently drying slipped out of your grasp as you reached out to grab on to the counter for support out of instinct, the glass shattering around your feet as it hit the floor.

Ray’s head whipped around in your direction and he wasted no time in dropping the plate he was currently washing, turning off the tap in one swift movement before rushing over to you.

“Watch your feet.” He instructed you worriedly, stepping over the big shards of glass to help you back away to a clean part of the floor. Once he was sure that you were safe, he let go of your arms. “I’ll go get the broom.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned around, stepped back over the glass and disappeared down the hallway, leaving you to support yourself by the kitchen island as another sharp jab of pain spread through your stomach.

This time, the pain was much more intense, causing you to rush your hand to your belly, and before you knew it, a warm feeling spread through your lower parts, wetness soaking the leggings you were wearing.

“No, no, no, no, no, not now. Please, not now.” Your eyes widened, panic settling in your chest as the pain hit you again. “Ray!” You yelled out, holding on to the counter with all your might as the pain got worse.

He came running in no time, meeting your eyes with a worried glance.

“Call Oscar again.” You instructed him at once, trying your hardest to focus your breathing.

“What’s wrong?” He asked as he approached you, but as his eyes flickered from your face, scrunched up in pain, to the floor where you were now standing in a puddle of fluids, he got his answer.

“Shit.” He cursed, walking over the glass without a single care in the world and rushing over to your side. “Okay, let’s sit you down, mija.”

With the new-found support, you were able to waddle over to the kitchen table where he helped you sit down on a chair, all while calling Oscar on his phone.

“He’s still not answering.” He stated the obvious and you squeezed your eyes shut, the pain becoming more intense and your heart picking up in speed.

“Take my phone, my code is Oscar’s birthday.” You told him, holding on to the backrest of the chair next to yours and motioning with your other arm to the coffee table where you had left your phone.

He wasted no time, rushing over and grabbing your phone as you opened your eyes again, and in that moment you just wished Oscar could have been there to see his father type in the digits of his birthday without as much as a doubt in his mind.  

“Text Geny, tell her the baby’s coming. Then call 911.”

He didn’t protest even once, following your instructions while silently wondering how you could be so calm in such a stressful situation.

Not more than four minutes later, Geny and Cesar burst through the front door, right before the ambulance got there.

Geny went to look after Lucía and Cesar ran up to your side immediately while Ray kept trying to reach Oscar both through texts and calls, but to no avail.

The oldest Diaz was panicking, not at all sure what he was supposed to do, but Cesar was calm, giving you encouraging words and helping you control your breathing as you were helped into the ambulance.

This was, after all, not the first time he had supported you through this process.

While Geny stayed behind to look after Lucía, Cesar and Ray rode with you in the ambulance. Ray rode in the front with the driver while Cesar stayed in the back with you, holding your hand through the entire ride.

When you reached the hospital and you were pushed inside in a wheelchair, he still didn’t let go of your hand. Or maybe you were the one who wasn’t letting go, but either way, he didn’t complain once.

You were wheeled into an empty room and transferred onto a bed where two nurses helped you out of your clothes while Cesar and Ray waited outside.

Once you had received your epidural and were properly dressed and situated, with your legs in the holsters and holding a mask of laughing gas to your face, Cesar and Ray came inside and joined your side again.

They sat down in a chair each at either side of you, Cesar holding your free hand while Ray held on to the bag you had packed months earlier in preparation for this day.

The doctor stood by, scribbling down notes on a pad while awaiting you to be dilated enough to begin. He looked up at Ray over his glasses.

“What’s your relation to the patient, sir?” He asked him, his pen stilling on the notepad briefly.  

“They’re my brother- and father-in-law.” You replied through controlled breaths before they got the chance to say anything, squeezing your eyes shut and clutching down on Cesar’s hand as another contraction hit you.

“And the father?” He asked, taking notes.

This time, Ray spoke up. “I’ve been trying to get to him but he’s not picking up.”

You let out a dry laugh through the pain, pushing your head back into the pillow and removing the mask from your face to breathe some fresh air.

“Of course he chose this day out of all the days to get caught up with some bullshit.” You panted out, letting out a sound of pain and tensing your entire body as another, much bigger contraction went through your body.

Beside you, Cesar cursed under his breath from having his hand basically crushed, while the doctor put the notepad away and moved down to your legs, checking under the cover the nurses had put over your legs and humming.  

“We’ll have to start without him.” He looked up at you, pulling a chair toward him and sitting down, pulling on a fresh pair of gloves. “Do you want them to stay with you?”

You nodded furiously, putting the mask back over your face. “Yes.”

Cesar and Ray remained silent at your sides as the delivery was started. Cesar kept holding on to your hand and throughout the process, a nurse handed Ray a wet, cold rag to dab your sweaty forehead with.

The pain was excruciating but even though it had been four entire years since you gave birth to Lucía, the feeling was familiar, allowing you to handle it a lot better than you had back then in combination with the gas.

This time, the thing hindering you from being completely calm was the fact that Oscar couldn’t be reached and that you had no idea where he was, if he was okay, or if he was even alive.

For all you knew, he could be dead in a ditch somewhere and the mere thought of it brought tears to your eyes.

The doctor and nurse kept encouraging you, thinking that you were just crying from the pain, but Ray saw your sorrows for what they were, reaching out and holding your hand in his tightly once you abandoned the mask.

“He’ll be alright, mija.” He promised you, and you nodded your head while squeezing both his and Cesar’s hands as you gave another push.

And then, almost as if someone had heard your silent prayers for Oscar’s safe return, a nurse rushed inside, stopping in the doorway.

“A man just arrived, claiming he’s the father. He’s hurt, looking like he’s been beaten pretty bad, and acting aggressively so we need someone to come and identify him before we let him in.” She spoke in one breath, and Cesar was on his feet immediately, sending you a comforting smile.

“I’ll go.” He said, and the nurse nodded, leading him away.

But you had barely even registered her words, too caught up in your own head, giving all of the little concentration you had left after the drugs to the pushing.

It wasn’t until Oscar appeared in the doorway that you truly allowed yourself to relax, letting out a cry of relief.

“Oscar.” You cried, and he was at your side in no time, taking the seat Cesar had previously been occupying while the boy in question stayed in the doorway.

“I’m here, mi amor.” He told you, and you looked at him, letting out another cry when you caught sight of his bruised and bloody face. “You’re doing great, mami. Keep going.” He told you, gripping your hand with both of his.

As he kept giving you encouraging words, kissing your knuckles, Ray stood up and sneaked out of the room with Cesar, leaving the two of you alone.

The delivery lasted for another fifteen minutes, and then with one last push, a new cry broke through the air as your body fell limp on the bed.

Oscar left your side to cut the umbilical cord of your newborn baby, being the first one to hold it in his arms once the nurse had wrapped it in a blanket.

He looked down at the new life with a smile on his face, slowly walking over to your side again, sitting down and turning the bundle so that you got a clear view.

“It’s a girl.” He told you smugly, smirking at you, and you groaned playfully.

“Damn it.” You cursed, your head hitting the pillow behind you again, but you smiled and Oscar chuckled, leaning forward to press a kiss to your damp forehead.

With the help of one of his hands, you were able to scoot up into a sitting position on the bed, looking down at your newborn daughter’s pruny face from your seat.

When Lucía was born, she had been screaming the second she came out and not gone quiet for hours, but this baby was quiet, only whining slightly as she moved around in Oscar’s arms.

You smiled at the sight, silently holding your shaking arms out. You didn’t need to say anything, Oscar carefully handing the bundle over to you, and you instantly sniffled when you felt her in your arms, a fresh set of tears starting to prick your eyes.

He sat beside you, leaning his elbows on his knees and looking at you with a concentrated expression.

You were suddenly pulled back to reality, your eyes flickering away from your daughter’s perfect face and over to Oscar, your heart falling in your chest as you got your first proper look of his face.

Both of his eyes were purple and slightly swollen, small cuts littering his face and an even bigger cut on his neck. Worry filled your body as you noticed his drooping eyes and took note of the fact that the cut on his neck was still producing fresh blood.

“Oscar...” You whispered and his eyes instantly moved from the baby to you.

Before you got the chance to say anything else, however, there was a knock at the door.

Both of you turned your attention to the source of the sound, finding Ray standing there with the hospital bag slung over his shoulder, alongside the nurse who had come in and alerted you of Oscar’s arrival earlier.

“Sir, you’re bleeding.” She stated the obvious, taking the words right out of your mouth. “If you come with me, we’ll get you cleaned up.”

A glare instantly settled over his face, but when you reached your hand out to touch his hand, it melted right off. He turned to look at you and you nodded in encouragement. “We’ll be fine.”

Ray left the nurse’s side, walking into the room and coming over to Oscar, reaching out and squeezing his shoulder. “I’ll stay and look over them.” He promised.

Oscar sighed, turned back to you and gave you and the baby a kiss each, before silently walking after the nurse out of the room, leaving Ray to take his seat.

He dropped the bag next to the bed and sank into the chair. He looked at you questionably and before he could say anything, you smiled, answering. “It’s a girl.”

He smiled back lightly, peeking over the bundle of blankets.

“Do you want to hold her?” You asked, and he looked at you with a doubtful expression. But then he nodded, and carefully reached out to take her from your arms and into his own.

He looked down at her carefully, bouncing her in his arms lightly and pulling the blanket from out of her face, touching her nose.

When feeling his touch, she reached a small hand out and wrapped her even smaller fingers around one of his, causing him to smile up at you. “She likes me.”

You chuckled and nodded, leaning back on the bed in exhaustion. “Yeah.” You agreed, feeling your heart tug in your chest when he looked back at her and sniffled, bringing an arm up to wipe his eyes.

Oscar reappeared in the doorway then, the cut on his neck now covered by a thick bandage and the smaller ones on his face clean from dried blood.

Ray threw a look over his shoulder when hearing his approaching footsteps, turning back to you and carefully handing the baby back before standing up, meeting Oscar in the middle of the room.

Oscar threw a quick look at you, making sure you were both okay, and when getting a smile of confirmation, he turned back to his dad while you turned your attention to the baby, giving them as much privacy as you could considering the fact that you were still stuck in the same room.

“I’m glad you’re okay.” Ray was the one to break the silence between them. Oscar only nodded his head once, which urged Ray to continue. “I, uh… I found an apartment.”

Oscar scoffed, a glare crossing over his features. “You’re leaving again?”

“You’re leaving?” Came Cesar’s voice, now standing in the doorway with a small, white plastic bag clutched in his hand. His face was sad, eyes wide.

“No.” Ray looked over to him and quickly protested, shaking his head, and both Oscar and Cesar visibly relaxed. He turned back to Oscar. “It’s just down the street from you. Figured you won’t want me on the couch now that you’ve got a baby to take care of.”

He paused, eyes flickering down slightly, but then he made his move and put a hand on his shoulder, giving it a good squeeze. “You did good, mijo. I’m proud of you.”

Oscar’s face scrunched up with emotion, his eyes growing glassy, and before any of you could register it, they had wrapped their arms around each other in a tight embrace, Ray’s hands clapping his back in a fatherly manner while Oscar buried his face in his neck.

While they shared their moment, Cesar silently walked around them with a smile permanently splayed across his face, approaching you while raising the bag.

“I, uh, I wanted to bring you flowers but you know, the hospital cafeteria didn’t have much to offer so I bought candy bars instead.” He said nervously and your entire face lit up.

“You know I’d take chocolate over flowers any day.” You chuckled in relief at the thought of getting something to eat after the physically and mentally draining day, putting on a playful smirk and nodding to the baby. “I’ll trade you.”

Cesar’s nervous smile pulled into a much brighter one and he hurriedly took a seat at the edge of the bed, dumping the bag beside you and holding his arms out.

Handing him the baby, he looked down at her and then up at you again. “Do you have a name?” He asked and you parted your lips.

“Ariel.” Oscar spoke before you could answer, causing you to turn and glare at him as he joined your side again, Ray heading over for the chair at Cesar’s side.

“I thought we agreed on Isabel?” You asked, raising an eyebrow, and he gave you one of those annoyingly handsome smirks.

“No, you agreed. I didn’t.” He protested and you rolled your eyes.

“You could always mix them.” Cesar offered a solution, shrugging his shoulders while slowly rocking the sleeping baby in his arms.

You instantly shook your head, scrunching your nose up in disgust. “No, thank you.” You declined, begrudgingly. “I’d rather settle with Ariel.”

You sighed, laying back down and Oscar took your hand with a small chuckle. Five minutes later, Geny turned up with Lucía and her entire family, and not long after that, Monse and Jamal turned up with their parents, too.

That’s what you loved about the people in Freeridge. They knew when to give people space but they also knew exactly when you were supposed to be together.

You were like one giant family. It wasn’t perfect; rather, on the contrary, it was broken and pretty fucked up, but it was yours, and that was more than enough.

[youare-mysonshine]

sprung on a thug || oscar diaz

(gif is not mine. credit to owner💗)

Summary: Reader rekindles her relationship with Mario but things aren’t as they used to be.

Requested: No.

Pairing: Oscar Diaz x reader, Mario Martinez x reader

Warnings: cussing as per usual

Word Count: 2.8k

A/N: part two of miss independent. I decided to stop being a dick and give Oscar some luv lmao there might some mistakes, just go about your business and ignore lmao

part 1

———

Ever since Mario had come back from college, the two of you had been spending more time together. It was like he never even left. You’d talk and text and see each other practically everyday. You were either at his house or he was at yours.

It was a few weeks later that he asked you to be his girlfriend again and you of course, said yes and you couldn’t have been happier. That was what you had hoped for since the moment that you two broke up.

Given that you had begun spending more and more time with Mario, you had stopped spending as much time with Oscar and he hated it. It wasn’t as if you completely ghosted him because that would’ve been a fucked up thing to do and you’d never do him like that. But each and every time that you came around, you were with Mario.

You’d be wrapped up in his arms, or you’d be holding his hand, or you’d be kissing him. And Oscar wanted that to be him. Wanted to be the one you were kissing. He knew he was beginning to take it out on those around him - he had never been particularly at dealing with his emotions and he always let his anger get the better of him. Anger was what he knew best.

That, and being petty. Which he was definitely being.

Whenever he knew that you and Mario were together, he interrupt - he’d call you or text you. The little back handed comments. Whenever you were hanging out in person, his touches would linger - he’d rest his hand on your lower back and let it linger. Or just recently when you were hanging out at his house with some of his friends (Mario had been busy). You were looking at the tattoo on his forearm, tracing it with your fingers, and then he just let his hand rest your thigh. Occasionally his fingers would squeeze it and it’d sent little butterflies. Or he’d hug you and he’d let it linger, caressing your arms or your back.

Everything that you had once considered normal and completely platonic had changed.

Oscar was doing it because he was jealous and petty without really knowing the effect that it was having on you. It had started to make you feel things - things you knew you shouldn’t have felt because you were with Mario but you couldn’t help it. And even though you tried to make it seem like your relationship was perfect - it wasn’t.

When you and Mario had gotten back together, yeah, things were amazing - great - at first. But as time went on, the two of you realized that it wasn’t the same. You two weren’t the same anymore. The both of you had changed drastically since your split, since he went off to college. The relationship just wasn’t the same and the both of you knew it but it was like you still tried clinging to it because it was special, special to the both you. The both of you knew that if you split up again then it would be for good this time around and it was something you both didn’t really know how to face. You both loved each other but the relationship wasn’t the same anymore.

Oscar, however, had started ignoring you. Being petty had gotten him nowhere, being around you only made him more upset, only made him realize that you were completely unattainable. You were happy with Mario and who was he to come between that. He cared about you - hell, he loved you. And because he loved, he was wiling to let you go to be with who you loved. Oscar just knew that he couldn’t continue seeing you or taking to you as much as he did because then he’d never get over you. Even though he didn’t want to, he knew he had too. He was miserable.

You were just as miserable as Oscar. You had texted him, called him and he’d take a few hours to respond or he wouldn’t at all. It felt like you were losing your best friend and it sucked. It sucked so bad. You hated it.

Mario had noticed your saddened demeanor. The way you’d look at your phone every time it’d ring or vibrate, almost as if you were expecting it to be Oscar. He’d see the way your face would fall when you realized it wasn’t him. Or how if you drove by his house, you’d jus stare out the window. Mario knew. He wasn’t dumb.

And he knew that he had to let you go. He had to let you go for good this time because neither of you were as happy as you used to be.

----------

“Hey.” Mario greeted you as he opened the front door of his house. You smiled up at your boyfriend and leaned up on your tip toes to press a kiss to his lips - but even that felt different. It didn’t give you butterflies like it used to.

“Hey. Where’s everyone?” You asked. You followed behind the eldest Martinez sibling, sitting beside him on the couch when he plopped down. You grabbed one of the pillows and set it down on your lap, setting your purse down beside you.

“They went to go eat at that new restaurant that just opened up.” You just nodded your head and then things went silent. It was quiet for about a minute or two because neither of you knew what to say. You both knew what was coming but you just didn’t know how to come about the subject.

“We should probably talk, huh?” Mario broke the silence first. You glance over at him and gave him a weak little smile, nodding your head.

“Yeah.”

“Look, when I came back, I was excited to see you again. When we started talking again, it was.. amazing. I really did miss you so much. When we first got back together, it was great. It was like nothing had changed between us but.. being together again, spending so much time together again.. it made me realize that shit has changed between us.” Mario said. “I love you, Y/N. And I’ll always love you. You were and are my first love. That’s never gonna change. We had some good years together but.. I guess we outgrew the relationship.” He said. You sighed, tears coming to your eyes.

“Yeah. We did. I really was happy when we got back together but.. I don’t know.. it just didn’t feel right anymore. It didn’t feel the same. I love you. I always will. It’s like you said, you’ll always be my first love but.. I don’t know.. I just don’t feel like I used to.” You wiped away a tear that had fallen down your cheek. You weren’t necessarily crying because you were hurt, but more so because you were finally closing that last chapter of your life. You were saying goodbye to Mario for good, saying goodbye to all those memories you had shared.

“Besides.. I think somewhere along the way I kind of realized that you like, maybe even love, someone else.”

“What?”

“Y/N, come on. Oscar? I’ve seen how close you two have gotten. I see how happy you get whenever you see him, whenever you hang out with him. He’s my friend and all but don’t think I haven’t noticed how he looked like he wanted to beat my ass whenever he saw us together.” Mario laughed softly and you did too. “And you’ve been miserable these past couple of days because he hasn’t been talking to you. You like him. And he likes you.” Mario reached over and took your hand in his own. He brought it up to his lips and gave the back of it a sweet kiss. “I’m not gonna stop you from being with who you really want to be with. I just want you to be happy and I know that isn’t with me. I’m always gonna love you. And you’re always gonna be my best friend. Nothing’s gonna change that.”

You reached over and pulled Mario into a tight hug, holding him so close to you. You closed your eyes and just enjoyed the embrace for a few seconds. “I love you. You’re my best friend. Forever.” You said to him, voice soft and quiet.

“I know. Now go and see Oscar. I’m tired of him glaring at me every time he sees me.”

—————

After your heart to heart with Mario at his house, you left and headed to Oscar’s house with determination in each and every one of your steps.

As opposed to your first time breaking up, you weren’t devastated. Because he was right - you did like someone else. In the time that you had spent with Oscar, you had gotten feelings for him. You weren’t about to spend another second without him knowing. If there was one thing that you had learned about what happened with Ruby and Olivia, it was that life was too short, too precious, to waste a single second.

You reached the familiar house in no time, what with your absolute speed walking. No one was on the front lawn, but that cherry red impala was sitting in the driveway so you knew that Oscar was home. You walked up the front steps and then brought your hand up to the door, knocking on it a few times.

Your heart had begun racing rapidly in your chest, your hands began to grow clammy; the doubt had begun setting in. What if Mario had totally read the situation wrong? What if you had? What if Oscar didn’t like you and was just angry that you weren’t spending enough time together, because after all, you were best friends. What if you made a big fool of yourself? Maybe it wasn’t too late to turn back.. the door opened.

Oscar stood on the other side looking.. well, shit; he looked good. He wore a flannel with the first few buttons left open so you could see his chest, the chain he always wore resting nicely against his skin. He wore black khaki shorts, and some converse. He always looked good.

“Hey.” You said when you finally managed to find your voice. It seemed he even looked a little surprised to see you because he just nodded at you. “Um.. can I come in? I want to talk to you.”

Oscar stepped to the side and held the door open a little wider to allow you inside his house. You had been in his house plenty of times but this time was different - this time you were absolutely shitting your pants because you could potentially ruin your relationship with him. And that wasn’t something you were prepared to deal with.

“Wassup?” He asked as he took a seat on the couch. You however, stayed standing. You paced back and forth for a few seconds, not saying anything, and Oscar began to grow a bit concerned. “You good, Y/N?”

“Me and Mario broke up.” You blurted. He looked a bit surprised but he sat up straighter, his hard eyes turning kinder, gentler, as he looked at you.

“Shit. You okay, mamas?” Mamas. God, you had missed hearing him call you that. You nodded your head.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m good. We both agreed that it was for the best.” You began. “We were both so excited to see each other again and jump back into what we had before that we didn’t stop and take in the fact that both of us had changed. Our relationship just wasn’t the same as it was before. Neither of us were really happy anymore. We just.. outgrew the relationship.” You said. “And.. it also made me realize that I don’t have feelings for Mario anymore. I’ll always love him but.. I have feelings for someone else.”

Oscar was interested now. And annoyed. So, you came to tell him that you broke up with Mario and that you had feelings for another dude? He barely was able to handle seeing you with Mario, and that was his good friend. How the hell was he supposed to handle seeing you with someone else? Some stranger he didn’t know?

“You know, you’re my best friend. When we first started hanging out, you made the pain go away. I wasn’t as sad about Mario anymore. I never had that. I mean, yeah, me and Mario were close before we started dating but.. it’s different with you. I don’t know when or where my feelings for you changed but they did.”

Oscar sat there completely stunned, his eyes shining with realization. Was he the one that you..?

“I think I kind of forced myself to stay with Mario because I thought that there was absolutely no way that you’d feel the same for me. I thought that you’d want someone like the cholas that hang around the Santos. I think I was a bit in denial too. But.. when you started getting more touchy with me and when you started to ignore me, my calls and my text messages, that’s when I knew. That’s when I knew that I had feelings for you. I don’t want to be with Mario anymore. I want to be with you. I’m happy with you. You make me laugh, and smile and I just love being around you. And if you don’t feel the same way, I underst-“

Oscar effectively cut you off when he stood up from his seated position on the couch, cupped your cheeks in his large hands and smashed his lips against yours. For a few seconds you were surprised, caught of guard, but when you gathered your wits about you, you kissed back. Your arms wrapped around his neck and you pulled him even closer to you, deepening the kiss.

This kiss - it was different from any kiss you’d ever had with anyone, including Mario. This kiss had taken your breath, given you life, and caused an eruption of fireworks and butterflies all at the same time. It was dizzying. It was magical. It was everything. It was perfect.

The two of you pulled away when you desperately needed some air, your foreheads resting against each other, both of you breathless. Oscar’s hands rested on your cheeks, his thumbs caressing your soft skin that had grown slightly hot during your heated kiss. Your first kiss. With Oscar.

Oscar finally opened his eyes and looked into your own with this softness that was reserved only for you, this softness that had your heart doing backflips. “You wanna know why I ghosted you? Why I was so mad? Because I wanted to be Mario. I wanted to be the one to hold you, to kiss you, to call you mine. I was jealous, bebe. All this time, I’ve felt something for you but I never said shit because you were hung up on Mario. You looked happy with him and I didn’t want to ruin that. I just wanted you in my life. But shit, it was hard. That’s why I started ignoring you. I didn’t want to. Believe me, I didn’t want to. Pero lo tenia que hacer.”

“So, what does this mean?”

“It means that I want you to be my girlfriend. Mía.. All mine.” He said, leaning in to press another soft kiss against your lips. You smiled against them, your hold on him never wavering. You felt this new sense of happiness taking over you. Peace. Contentment. Whatever. You just felt good. You felt like you found your person. Every time you looked at Oscar, or when his lips were on yours.. you felt that.

“Okay. I’ll be your girlfriend, if you’ll be my boyfriend. All mine.” Oscar smiled. That smile that made his squint, that smile that showed off those deep dimples on his cheeks. His eyes had this certain sparkle in them and you never wanted to see that fade away. Never.

“You got a deal, bebecita. People are gonna start calling you Lady Spooky.” He said, his hands leaving your face to rest on your hips. You laughed out, looking at him with your eyebrows raised.

“Lady Spooky? I mean shit, alright. But I still get to drive your car, though. What’s yours is mine.”

“Nah, not after that shit you pulled.”

“Oscar, I just went a little over the curb, I didn’t crash into another car!”

Oscar slid his hands down to your ass where he squeeze, causing you to gasp in surprise, but that gasp soon turned into a giggle as he hoisted you up, wrapping your legs around his waist. “You’re gonna have to convince me real good to let you drive my car again, mamas.”

“I think I could do that.”