Cemetery, El Paso, Texas, Sunday Afternoon

[weldedtomyspine]

The Day of the Dead. Every year found Jaime ending his rounds in the same cemetery, at the same grave.

Nadia.

Just like every year, the first thing he did was look to see if anyone else had been by before to leave anything for her. And just like every year, there was nothing. So he knelt in front of the grave marker and lay the small bouquet of cempasúchitl against the granite.

He didn't say anything. Even years later he wasn't sure what to say. He just knelt in silence for a bit, remembering.

Comments

[heromaniac]

"She got to work with you. And she's always on your mind." Momoko leaned against him. "It's not a bad jealousy. But the kind where... well, she's a part of your life I can't get to. She knows a different you."

[weldedtomyspine]

"Hey," Jaime said, leaning back, "you're always on my mind."

[heromaniac]

"I'd better be," she teased lightly, then went back to watching the tombstone. "She's the last teammate you let yourself have. The last real one. You keep all the others distant. That's kind of a big thing for us."

[weldedtomyspine]

"I have the Titans."

Sort of.

Sometimes.

Which kind of proved her point.

[heromaniac]

"You act more like a consultant than a team member," she pointed out.

[weldedtomyspine]

"Well, they don't need me full time or anything..."

[heromaniac]

She could argue team dynamics with him again, but this wasn't the place so she just gave him a smile.

"But that's why I want to know her, why I'm jealous. Nadia was... is important enough that you closed that position." Momoko shrugged. "How can a girl compete with that?"

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime looked serious, thinking about that. "Is it a competition?" he asked softly.

[heromaniac]

"Hmm." She could tell he was thinking seriously about it; good. "I'm not jealous of her in the same way I would be if you started to pay attention to another girl. It's not romantic jealousy."

Momoko made up a small plate from the items in the picnic basket as she spoke. "Not anymore, at least. So in that way it's not a competition. But Nadia's death affected how you work. How you think about work. That's an area of your life that I want to share, too. But because of her death, you keep parts of that away from me."

She held out the plate to him. "So I guess it's not a competition, since she's won that from you. But I totally still want to win against her; I haven't given up."

[weldedtomyspine]

"I... kind of think I understand that?" Jaime mused, taking the plate absently, still a bit lost.

[heromaniac]

"She's the last person you asked to help you. I love you; how can I not wish that was me?" Momoko asked, reaching again into the basket to prepare her own plate.

[weldedtomyspine]

"I've asked for help lots of times!"

Just... not with dangerous stuff.

[heromaniac]

Momoko made a face at him. "You know what I mean."

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime nodded, shrugging a bit helplessly. "Yeah. I do."

[heromaniac]

"So. Jealous." Momoko shrugged and nibbled at a pan de muerto. "Why don't you talk about her?"

[weldedtomyspine]

"I don't really know what to say, I guess?" Jaime admitted after a moment. "I mean... we weren't friends, precisely. I liked her, but... we worked together, you know?"

[heromaniac]

"So you didn't know her from school, too?" Momoko asked. "Like Paco and Brenda?"

[weldedtomyspine]

"Right. She and Hector went to Paco and offered their help." He shook his head. "I wasn't sure it was a good idea, but it worked out pretty well, actually."

[heromaniac]

Huh? "Hector? Who's that?"

[weldedtomyspine]

"Nadia's brother," Jaime said, eyes going dark again.

[heromaniac]

"Her brother? Ah, will he be join--" Momoko caught Jaime's look and broke off. That was a little more than just his sad face. She reached over and set her hand on his leg.

[weldedtomyspine]

He didn't say anything. Just... sighed. And leaned lightly toward her.

[heromaniac]

Momoko leaned back, food forgotten as pieces were falling into place in her mind.

Unlike her, Jaime hadn't wanted to be a hero to anyone but his own family. He had no support from his community and while there were other heroes in his world, no one had trained him. And then his first team had been ripped to pieces on his own watch.

And yet here he was, still holding everything on his own shoulders and marching forward no matter who called.

It was a good thing Momoko already loved him or she'd fall for him all over again.

She might just do it anyways; he totally deserved it.

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime remained silent, staring at the grave, and... remembering.

[heromaniac]

She gave him a few moments, but not enough that he would get stuck blaming himself again. Hopefully.

"She must be very proud of you."