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]

"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."

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime blinked, jerked out of his reverie. "Nadia?"

[heromaniac]

"Of course," Momoko squeezed his leg, smiling. "Though probably everyone else here is, too. I bet Nadia's told them all about you."

[weldedtomyspine]

"I hope she had good things to say," Jaime said quietly.

[heromaniac]

"How could she not?" Momoko eyerolled. "She met you didn't she?"

[weldedtomyspine]

"So has Karla," Jaime shot back. And Karla kicked him in the shins. All the time!

[heromaniac]

Momoko squeezed him again, but whether in apology for Karla or for the giggling Momoko was doing... well.

"You broke Dinah's heart and then mine. And then thought everyone should agree with you about it. You should have heard some of the things Karla wanted to do to you."

[weldedtomyspine]

"So people can meet me and disagree with pretty much everything I do," Jaime pointed out. He wasn't sure he had a real point about Nadia, or anything else, really, but it was part of why he worried.

[heromaniac]

Momoko leaned in and bonked his head with hers. "And still think you're a good guy. If they didn't, people wouldn't get so upset with you when you do stuff that's dumb."