A/N: Sorry about the delay.
This time it isn't as crowded, the dance floor and resturant tables strangely unoccupied. The three of them have almost no trouble finding their seat this time. Oscar casts a glance behind him at Héctor as they walk to one of the tables. Héctor keeps his head down as they take their seats, fidgeting with his hands and moving a lot slower than Oscar and Felipe.
When they get settled, a silence hangs between them as Oscar tries to think of what to say. The music is blaring overhead, which makes the thought process harder.
Héctor looks toward the empty space with an unsure and lost in thought look in his eyes. He doesn't smile or make a move to get up.
Oscar stares at him. "You can go dance, you know," he says, taking in Héctor's stare and finally finding his words.
Héctor shakes his head. "Not right now."
"Are you sure?"
"Sí." Héctor doesn't look his way.
Oscar glances at Felipe, who shrugs as he starts to speak. "We can leave if you want," he says cautiously, a concerned expression on his face.
Héctor clasps his hands together and sighs. "No, this is fine. We can stay."
Even with the loud music, Oscar can hear the slight shaking in Héctor's voice, and he sees a tear slide down Héctor's cheek as he continues to stare blankly in the other direction.
Oscar looks at him carefully. "Really, Héctor. If you want to go..."
"No." Héctor's tone is clipped suddenly. "I'm fine. I'm just listening. I don't want to dance right now."
A new slow song comes on. Soft guitar music and a faint violin floats through the overhead speakers. The lights darken a little to set the mood. Oscar watches as people pair up and start heading toward the empty space.
Héctor lets out a light laugh. "Ernesto hated this song," he says. At last he turns to face Oscar and Felipe, and his eyes seem to sparkle with the memory. "When we were on our trip around Mexico, this song came on, and he yelled and flipped a table over. The people who ran the resturant made him leave."
"It makes him that upset?" Oscar asks.
Héctor nods. "I guess." He looks toward the dance floor for a brief moment. "Maybe seeing people dancing with their girlfriends made him upset. He never did find a permanent special someone."
Felipe laughs. "Well, Ernesto isn't here, so we won't have any problems this time."
The spark immidiately fades from Héctor's eyes as his smile disappears. "Right," he says, turning away.
Oscar shoots Felipe a warning look, punching him on the arm harder than intended. Felipe winces and rubs his arm as he widens his eyes.
Héctor turns back around and stares at them. "Gracias for taking me here," he tells them. Then he stares at the floor. "I'm sorry for acting so upset, but I couldn't help it. Ernesto may have done some terrible things, but he didn't deserve this."
Oscar reaches across the table to squeeze Héctor's hand. "But you're at least a little better now?"
"I think so." Héctor stares at him. "Do you miss Ernesto?" he asks.
Oscar stares at Felipe for a split second, and the two share an uncomfortable gaze.
"Not really," Felipe tells Héctor, giving him a sympathetic look.
Héctor narrows his eyes.
Oscar explains. "It's just that... well..." He trails off and then shrugs, giving a sigh. "We didn't know him like you did," he says. "You knew him better than anyone else in Santa Cecillia. You shared a close connection with him that no one else did."
"So you're glad he's gone?" Héctor asks, his eyes blazing.
Oscar holds up his hands defensively. "No! It's not that. It's just not as difficult to handle for us as it is for you."
Héctor looks between the two of them and shakes his head. "I guess you're right," he says after a while. "Ernesto was my Superhero, mi hermano, the best person ever, and to you two, he was just another person to joke about."
Oscar rolls his eyes. "We didn't joke about him that much."
Héctor nods and laughs. "Yes you did."
Ernesto's favorite song starts to play, and Héctor startles.
Oscar stares at him. "Are you okay?"
A wide grin spreads acroos Héctor's face, and he grabs both their hands. "Wanna dance?"
Oscar nods and stands up as Héctor starts to head over to a spot on the dance floor. The three of them dance to the song in their own quirky ways, and Oscar pauses evey now and then to watch Héctor for any sign of dreariness.
But there is no reoccurance of negativity, and Héctor seems way happier now. Oscar smiles at Héctor once the song is over, and he smiles back. When they leave, Felipe asks Héctor, "Did you have fun?"
The grin and sharp laugh Héctor gives in response says it all. "Gracias, you two," he says, wrapping one arm around each of them.
He laughs again. "I guess I can try to move on."
"That sounds good, Héctor," Oscar tells him as the walk.
The wide smile that he recieves in response fills him with his own sort of happiness.
