Hello all! This is my very first In The Heights Story! I've been a little to busy to write latley, so bear with me as a try to get into it again! This is a one shot. I'm not sure how wonderfully I've captured Benny and Nina in this story, I only know them from the music, and throughout the whole play Nina is super upset about the whole college thing, so it was a little harder to write her in a normal, happy place.
Constructive Criticism is always welcome!
I don't own In The Heights, by the way.
It wasn't that the copious amounts of food that he mother would concoct, which held a delicate balance between Puerto Rican and American style, wasn't missed by Nina. It was more that there were many sweet and delicious foods that California could offer her that New York City could not. She still missed her mothers cooking, the wide variety of take out Manhattan had to offer, and the giant turkey sandwiches she would order at Carnegie Deli when her father allowed her the opportunity of a trip into the city. But in California there was always an abundance of fresh breads, vegetables, and fruits at every grocery store and farmer's market.
Because of the many farmers markets that lined the small roads Nina would take to and from her classes and work, she had found a new favorite food.
Watermelon.
She had found a stand that ended the line of many others just outside the B.A.R.T. station; her first transport home from her Saturday morning job. She worked as a Saturday secretary at a law firm, which meant that she was left alone to sort papers and stock the store room in the law office; jobs too trivial for the regular secretary. The job was tedious and boring, but it paid well. She was also free to blast the music of her choice as she completed her tasks and to leave as soon as the work was done; being paid the same amount whether she was there five hours or one.
So every Saturday she would stop at the same stand press her ear onto the cool fruit, knocking her fist on several watermelons to find which one sounded the hollowest. The old woman who ran the stand spoke only a few words of English, knowing only how to say the names of the fruits, the cost, and thank you. Nina would spend several minutes speaking to her in her beautiful Spanish, and listen to tid-bits of the woman's life story. She painfully reminded Nina of Abuela Claudia, with her kind eyes and devoted smile.
Nina would then lug the watermelon all the way home, which included subway rides, walking, and bus rides. She would giggle as the people who passed by her shot her strange looks. The sight of a small girl carrying a large watermelon around bus depots and city streets was always going to look out of the ordinary. But the watermelons at the grocery store across the street were never quite as sweet, and Nina was unwilling to part with the women at the fruit stand anyway.
Once she returned home she would pull the largest butcher knife from her roommate's expensive knife set and pierce the hard outer shell of the watermelon. She would have to use her small muscles to carve the entire green covering away from the pink, sweet flesh of the fruit.
In a world where work, money, and school dominated a young girl's life, she had to make room for silly, simple pleasures.
One Saturday afternoon, when the previous week had left her sleep deprived due to tests and papers, and her Friday night was consumed by her waitress job, Nina laughed into her empty apartment as a though jumped into her head.
It was a ridiculous comparison, but much too funny for Nina not to allow herself to indulge in it.
Benny reminded her greatly of a watermelon.
She told him so later that night as they lay in bed together; their bare flesh sticking to one another in the first showings of May warmth.
His boisterous laugh filled her small bedroom and she finally had to lightly pound on his chest to get him to stop, embarrassed by her childish comment.
"Nina," Benny said, slightly out of breath, "where did that come from."
"Never mind it was stupid," she said dolefully, hiding her face in his chest.
"Oh, no, no, no," he said with a smile, flipping her over and attacking her collar bone with kisses. "You have to tell me what that means now."
With a gentle push from Nina, Benny let her free from his grasp. She sat up in bed, pulling the sheets around her torso and hugging her legs.
"Okay, well…" she said with a smile before she giggled into her knees. "No Benny, it really is stupid, I don't know what I was thinking."
"Nina, just tell me," he growled teasingly.
"Fine. I guess it could work with other things too, a truffle or…"
At her words Benny erupted into another fit of laughter.
"Benny!" Nina scolded.
"Aw, come on Nina, a truffle."
"Fine, I guess you'll never know what I meant," Nina sighed, getting ready to slide out of bed in mock anger.
"No," Benny said, grabbing her arm, "I'm listening. What does it mean?"
Nina sighed with a smile and brought her knees back up to her chest.
"It's just that, you have this hard outer shell. That part of you is co…confident," she said, stopping herself from using a less complimentary word, "and proud. Plus you're outgoing and energetic, and it's good, but that isn't all you are."
Benny's lips were curled into a little smile, and Nina rolled her eyes at him.
"Go on, go on…" Benny said.
"Well, you have this whole other part of you on the inside that you don't always let people see. You're incredibly sweet, and caring. Plus a little self conscious…"
"I'm not self conscious!" Benny defended.
Nina smiled down at him, "Vanessa told me how upset you were when I was in California and you were still in New York. How you would confide in Usnavi that you were afraid I would realize that I was too good for you and forget about you."
"Damn Usnavi, can't keep his mouth shut," Benny huffed.
Nina just smiled and continued. "My point is that I knew you for years before you let me see that softer side. I mean, I could always kind of sense there was something else, like when you would visit me at the dispatch on hot summer afternoons when we were kids and make me laugh. But it wasn't until last summer that you really showed me what a…"
"Classy, handsome, perfect…" Benny teased.
"…kind," Nina smiled, "person you are. Benny you were the one that assured me everything was going to be okay after I dropped out of school, you were the one who promised me I could do anything I wanted with my life. You've supported me every step of the way since then and I…"
"Nina…" Benny whispered.
"I love all of you Benny, I really do; that goofy, boastful guy just as much as that gentle insecure guy."
"Thank you," Benny breathed into her ear.
"For what?"
"For seeing past the crazy guy and letting me show you how… loving…I really can be, especially to you." Benny spoke softly, embarrassed somewhat by his own words.
Nina found his chin with her hand and brought his face level with hers.
"Para siempre" she said tenderly, before matching his lips with hers.
I went for the MAJOR cheesiness at the end there, lol. I was just having a little bit of fun.