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

[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."

[weldedtomyspine]

"What you say, and what I've heard Karla say don't exactly match up," Jaime pointed out, almost amused by the situation.

[heromaniac]

Momoko sighed fondly. "Do you really think Karla's going to tell you she likes you even a little bit? But if she didn't, she wouldn't have anything to do with you, even to kick or yell at you. You should see her at Court sometime; then you'll really be able to see what she's like when she thinks a person is not worth sharing air with."

"Even if you don't think you deserve it, there are a lot of people who think a very lot of you."

[weldedtomyspine]

This time Jaime's snort was more amused and teasing than anything else. "Which says something worrying about their judgment, now doesn't it?"

[heromaniac]

...

...

"Well, you do think and do some totally dumb things sometimes."

[weldedtomyspine]

"Guess that's my point?" Jaime shrugged, not entirely sure.

[heromaniac]

"And my point is that you're totally worth being proud of even though you do make dumb decisions sometimes. Think how awesome you must for that?" Momoko kissed his silly head. "I bet if you listen close, you can hear her agreeing with me?"

[weldedtomyspine]

"Well, at the very least, I know better than to argue with you about it." Any more. For today.

[heromaniac]

"You're learning a little, at least," she chuckled, leaning against him. "Maybe this you is better; I wouldn't win against you at all if you ever figure out how awesome you are."

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime quirked an eyebrow ever so slightly. "Win against me in what?"

[heromaniac]

"Anything. Everything." Momoko nudged him lightly. "You don't notice how hard I have to fight to resist you? And that's just me. I feel sorry for people who don't have an immunity."

[weldedtomyspine]

"Resist me?" Now Jaime's eyebrows were seriously raised. He wasn't... quite sure what she meant. Mostly because the only thing that came to mind seemed a bit unlikely.