Author: Moon Roses or Moony
Rating: R for language
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Feedback: Not necessary but greatly appreciated.
Recap: As the three of them walked through the gates at the ballpark she knew that Vince would forever more be a part of their lives. They'd make it through anything the world had to throw at them. They'd waited years for their chance, and now that it was here she wouldn't let anything come between them.
Chapter Fifty Four
The baseball game was exactly what the three of them had needed to relax and enjoy some quality time together. Her first thing should have been to tell Leon that she and Vince were now together, however she couldn't help but want uninterrupted happiness for a few hours. By the time she left the stadium with her son hugged tight to Vince's chest her resolve to deal with him next was slowly fading. So what if they had to hide it for a few more days? So what if he found out from someone else along the way? It wasn't her job anymore to keep him happy. But still she felt guilty when he should have been the first to know.
"V?" she asked, as she buckled Brer into his car seat.
"You're gonna have to tell him sooner or later. Might as well be sooner. I'll watch the little monster," he answered automatically, as she slid into the drivers seat.
Shorty smiled softly, unsurprised that he'd figured out exactly what was quieting the Dodger's win afterglow. "When are you going to stop reading my mind?"
"When you stop displaying it all over your face," Vince replied.
He turned in his seat and cupped her cheeks, turning her face towards him. His eyes shone from the glare of the setting sun and he held her gaze unblinkingly. It may not have been much but already her anxiety was receding back into her body. As much as she loved Vince, she couldn't live without Leon either. He'd been and would forever remain a hugely significant part of her life. Maybe deep down she still even loved him a bit. Could the love she felt for him ever really fade? She wasn't entirely sure. And perhaps the fear of it was what made telling him so difficult.
What if she fucked things up with Vince? What if he chose to leave her the way she'd chosen to leave him? For completely selfish reasons she wanted to know she could always rely on having Leon around. And she knew it wasn't right, she knew it was despicable, and yet, there it was. She wasn't in love with him, but she didn't want anyone else to love him either. Maybe her fear was irrational; maybe her fear was completely absurd. Whatever it was, Vince had already understood and accepted it.
"I know you still love him, babe. But I also know it's nothing like how you feel for me. And I'm never going to leave you. It's you and me, forever," he said, sitting back in his seat and smiling. Under his breath he added, "So you might as well get used to it now, this hairy face ain't going anywhere."
Shorty smiled despite the somber topic. She'd really killed the mood in the car but she'd need to know Vince wasn't going to leave her. Turning in her seat she smiled into the backseat, gazing at the one perfect, unflawed thing in her life. She'd survive a zombie apocalypse if it meant keeping her son alive, safe, and happy. And she'd do it without Vince if she absolutely had to.
"Babe?"
"Yeah?" she breathed, looking back at Vince.
"He's going to be fine."
"I hope you're right," she said, pulling out of the parking stall and heading back to her house to drop them off.
Before Vince took Brer into the house he leaned over the console and captured her lips, sending her heart into painful spasms. When he broke the kiss he grinned widely and tucked her under the chin, "You got this, Lil' Coyote."
"I know."
She watched the man of her dreams gently lift her son from the car seat and make his way into her house. The time had finally come for her to finish what she started when she'd told Leon they'd never be together again. She only hoped that he would accept that she and Vince were together, peacefully.
When she parked her car in along the street in front of his and Jesse's house she found only his car gleaming in the moonlight. Perhaps Jesse had already heard her good news and knew she'd have to explain herself to Leon. It was best done without prying ears and she was grateful he'd been considerate enough to clear out. She wasn't sure if she'd cry and she'd prefer to do it front of only one person.
Stepping from the car, she glanced at the Toretto's house down the street and saw it lit up. They had the perfect family; mother, father, and child. If things had been different she may never have given birth. It hurt even to consider life without Brer. Leon had given her the one thing no one else had. With that thought on her mind she climbed the stairs leading to the front door and knocked softly.
The porch light came on and she saw Leon's puzzled face through the door window. Shorty waved awkwardly, debating how to begin.
"Hey, girl. Is everything alright with Brer?" he asked, as he opened the door.
"Yeah. No, Brer is fine. I was just hoping to talk to you."
Leon cocked his head and searched her face. A shield seemed to descend over his eyes and she wished her face didn't reveal all her feelings. Although he could read her easily, it wasn't as accurate as Vince. However, he'd obviously seen something and as he withdrew into the house he appeared smaller. Physically he was the same, but his bold presence was somewhat dimmed. Instantly she felt the awkwardness of the situation in her throat. How do you tell someone you were once in love with that you were now in love with one of their best friends?
"What do you want to talk about then?" asked Leon, as he collapsed onto the leather couch.
Unsure where to begin, she slowly sat beside him, not touching, but close enough that she could reach for him if she needed too. She hoped she didn't have to force him to sit and listen, but she would because there wasn't a choice. "Brer loves you."
"I love him too."
A deep sigh spilled form her lips. All the things that needed to be said sprang to the forefront of her mind and ricocheted around her skull. It'd be so much easier for her if she could just spit it all out and not have to worry about his feelings. Unfortunately, as Vince had just told her, she did still love Leon, and his pain was her pain. "And I love you."
He slid toward her and grabbed her knee, "What's wrong?"
Clasping his hand, she took a deep breath, "I do love you. You know that right?" Shorty waited until he'd nodded then continued, "I used to think we were it. We were this couple that didn't fight, we just worked, we were in love. I never thought I'd ever love anyone else the way I loved you. And I know I won't. You gave me the best part of yourself, the most wonderful caring kid. I'll always be so grateful to you for him."
Pausing to collect her thoughts again, she saw in his eyes an understanding. Brer was the best part of herself, and it would always belong to him. Their child would tie them together for life and nothing would change that. "When I was in Mexico, I ached to be home. I wanted to be back with you, holding you, loving you. I missed you so much. But as much as I missed you, I missed Vince more," she whispered.
Leon closed his eyes against her words and squeezed her hand tightly. "He never left my thoughts, Le. He was always a part of me, even when we were together. He was mine from the moment I showed up at that race. I didn't know it then. I just thought, here's this guy who gets me. And then there was you, and you looked at me like I was a precious stone. You made me feel things I'd never felt before. I wouldn't trade our time together for anything. I'm glad it happened, it made me a better person."
"I'm glad it happened too," he whispered, his eyes far away in the past.
The time they'd spent together was wonderful. He'd taught her so much about herself, taught her what she truly wanted in a man, taught her to value love the way it needed to be valued. She wondered what specific memory he was looking back on, and decided it was probably better that she didn't know.
"But then there's always been Vince. Always beside me, always picking me up when I stumble. Always in the background loving me. And I always loved him in the background too. He sat by while we were together, waiting. He waited for me, Le. For me. And I never knew that entire time how he felt. I had no idea."
"I did," Leon admitted, his face grave. "And I knew you loved him too. I don't know how I dealt with it. How I stood by and watched you two fall so in love with each other. And I don't know how I didn't say anything to him. He was one of my best friends, and I had the girl he wanted. You were the love of my life, and I knew how you felt and still I wanted to keep you all to myself."
Shorty squeezed Leon's hand again before pulling his arm around his shoulder and curling into his side. They were silent for a time, each lost in their own thoughts. She questioned how she could have treated Leon so poorly. Leon, who'd always, treated her as a princess. "I love him, Leon. I want to be with him. And I want you to be okay with that."
He sighed deeply, pinching his eyes shut. She could see a vein running along his temple throbbing, "I am, I think. I mean, it hurts but I can't control you guys. I'll get over it."
With nothing left to say she hugged him close and stood up. She hoped he got over their past soon. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel more pain. He deserved to be happy, even though she wouldn't be the cause of it. "Look, I was thinking of having the family over for games night next Saturday. You're family. Barbeque at seven."
She left him sitting on the couch to contemplate everything she'd told him. There was nothing she could do to lessen the sting any but she was glad she'd finally got everything into the open. Not that she'd made amends for her actions but there wasn't much else she could do to fix the past. In fact, it was an unfixable situation. She could only do her best to prove how sorry she was. Time would tell if Leon could actually accept her and Vince together and whether the two men could return to the easygoing friendship they'd previously held.
Of course she hadn't told Hector or the rest of her team but she knew that somehow they'd probably figured it out a long time ago. Supposing they didn't though, she would have to break the news to them. And she worried that Hector would react in much the same way he did when she'd first told him about dating Leon. If he viewed Leon as bad, Vince would probably be beyond horrible. This time though, she wouldn't hide it. She knew what she wanted, and she wasn't ashamed or scared to admit it. Vince was the second most important man in her life now and unfortunately for her brother, that meant he didn't have a choice but to accept the situation.
Shutting the door quietly behind her she quickly made her way to her vehicle and pulled away from the curb. She doubted her entire team would be home but she made her way to the house anyways. As she expected, most of the cars usually parked outside were missing. However, Hector and Mia's cars were parked in the driveway. Unable to pass up the chance to speak to her brother while Mia was around to keep him calm, she parked behind their cars.
Hopefully her being a few years older would help to mellow him out. His reaction to Leon had been borderline insane. He'd definitely over reacted to that, and regardless of their ages, he was still going to baby her like he always had.
Shorty knocked before entering the house. Mia was just standing to answer the door but sat down against her brother again when she saw who their visitor was. Her eyes sparkled in the glare from the television screen and she was sure Mia and Letty had already spoken. "Hey girl," Mia said, standing again and heading towards the kitchen. "I made some guacamole, I'll just grab some for you guys."
Both she and Hector watched Mia's retreating back before either made a move. Once she'd fully disappeared from view, Hector patted the spot on the other side of him and she collapsed beside him. Pulling her legs up to her chin and wrapping her arms around them she gazed at her brother in silence. Some things never changed, but as she stared at him, she saw little physical changes she'd never taken the time to notice. His forehead crinkled a little more and his laugh lines stayed long after he'd stopped smiling. He seemed to issue an inner calm that neither had previously held before this entire fiasco.
"What's up?" he asked.
She shrugged nonchalantly though her insides were tumbling, "I just wanted to talk to you is all."
"What'd you do now?"
"Nothing," she snapped instantly, her old impatience surfacing. Hector raised an eyebrow at her abrasive response and waited silently. "Would I lie to you?" she asked, a small smile softening her features. "Don't answer that."
"Take your time Michael. I'm not going anywhere."
Hector turned back to the television but she could tell he was watching her through his peripherals. Why couldn't she just spit it out? Why was she always so desperate for his approval even though she pretended otherwise? "I'm in love with Vince."
His eyes widened a fraction before returning to normal before he turned back to face her. "You don't think I didn't know that?"
"Huh?"
"Of course you are."
Mia chose that exact moment to reappear with a large bag of lime flavored tortilla chips and a bowl full of fresh guacamole. She set it down and returned to the kitchen immediately, leaving Shorty feeling uncomfortably deserted. The feeling didn't last long as Mia reappeared carrying beers for each of them. She handed them out and settled back into her original spot, angling her body towards their conversation.
"Enjoying this aren't you?" Shorty asked her.
"More than you know," she smiled gently.
Her admission served to dispel the tension that had settled over the room and Shorty returned her attention to her brother. He didn't look any angrier than he had when she'd first told him about Leon. In her eyes, that had to be a good thing. Hector may have settled down in the last few years but she knew the older brother persona was just lurking beneath the calm exterior.
"Does he love you back?" he asked her seriously.
Before Shorty could answer Mia snorted loudly, adding an eye roll at the man she loved when he turned to look at her. "Have you met V? He's been in love with her since they met." Mia glanced at her and asked, "Is everyone in your family really this clueless?"
"Without a doubt."
"If he makes you happy, and he treats you and Brer the way you should be treated, then I'm glad you're with him."
"Excuse me?" Mia and Shorty asked at the same time.
Yes, things had changed exponentially for all of them but his immediate approval was beyond her comprehension. Invasion of the body snatchers was the only plausible explanation in her mind. Because Hector did not let his baby sister choose her men. Hector did not let his baby sister date "grease monkey's" that easily. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked him.
Hector smiled at her and leant forward to grab a chip and guacamole. He popped it in his mouth and leaned back against the couch. "You broke him," Shorty said, gazing wide eyed at Mia. "What the hell did you do?"
"I didn't break him."
"You did. You broke him. Look at him. He's not even putting up a fight. He's not yelling, he's not mad, there's not an ounce of angry spittle coating my face."
Shorty leaned as far away from her brother as she could. He looked fine, he had a healthy glow in his cheeks so he wasn't dying of some unpronounceable disease. He was honestly just happy that she was happy. It was unnerving. It was unsettling.
"I gotta go. This is way too twilight zone for me," Shorty said, placing her untouched beer on the table and all but sprinting out the door.
By the time she reached her own driveway she was sure she'd landed in some alternate universe. Was she really allowed to make her own decisions? Especially after the last five years? Leaving everyone without a word had been the worst decision she'd ever made and she was shocked Hector was will to act so blasé about her decision making skills. Vince was the one thing she thought would set him off.
But she'd take it. Without Hector breathing down her neck the transition into couple life with Vince would be all that much easier. Sure, there were plenty of people to tell still, including the rest of her team, but she was sure they'd take it well. If Hector accepted it they'd have no reason not too. If she was happy, they'd be happy. And that was all she could ask for.
A/N: Thanks to JerZeeSkyLine, , Alex-Diesel, Happy's Princess, Bindie, wrestlenascargirl, musicluver17, ILoveAnime89, and Nelle07 for the much appreciated reviews. Shout out's to Hushpuppy754, Kicki von Berger, Psycollation, RaidenTakashixx, The Ninja of the Mist, Twilight Warrior, Unsognatore, aschlos, girl,biarch, i,cutie,pie.i, malala103, paul's bella, and Nelle07, Ang3l3y3z, and Mid9ight0Wolf for the favorites and alerts. If I've forgotten anyone I apologize.
