Romancing the Pain - Part 5
Title: Romancing the Pain
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Pepa/Silvia
Summary: Post episode 104 as well as my last fic, Come Back to Me. It’s basically its sequel; the events that occur after Silvia was released from the hospital.
A/N: Ok I think this is going to be the last update til Monday because my internet has RIP'd at home. And it's really a filler kinda chapter so I hope y'all won't be too disappointed. Again cuz my net's down, I'll reply to your comments as soon as I can but apologies in advanced if the replies come a little late. Anyway, hope you enjoy it.
ROMANCING THE PAIN - Part 5
Breakfast was proving to be a somber affair. Neither woman ate much, simply picking on their food. Don Lorenzo sat between the two, a literal referee; the ever present scowl on his face deepening with each passing minute. He glanced down at his own plate, the unfinished bacon, eggs and tomatoes staring back up at him enticingly.
The silence was terrible. It caused the commissioner’s ears to ring with piercing annoyance. However, the way Pepa and Silvia avoided looking at each other was even worse. Don Lorenzo had finally reached the end of his limit. He slammed a fist down onto the table surface, scaring the living daylights out of both his daughters.’
“ENOUGH!” the older man roared. He ignored the curious and disapproving glances from the café’s patrons and waved a dismissing hand at Leo, who had tentatively begun to shuffle towards them, a look of concern creasing the corners of her eyes.
“Enough,” Don Lorenzo repeated quietly when Pepa and Silvia turned to look at him, apprehension in Pepa’s eyes and impassivity in Silvia’s. He gestured at their breakfast. “If you two don’t start clearing every scrap of food of your plates I’m going to force feed you.” He punctuated his threat by bringing his fork down to savagely pierce a piece of bacon and shoving it into his mouth, chewing angrily. “Eat!”
Pepa caught Silvia’s eye, arching an eyebrow in her wife’s direction, a flicker of a smile tugging at the corner of her lip. It didn’t last long as Silvia glanced away, looking back down at her pancakes with nausea and disdain. Pepa sighed in defeat and dropped her gaze down to her plate as well, eyeing her omelet with dread. After a heavy day (and night) of drinking, the thought of putting food in her stomach did not sit well with the taller woman. Nevertheless, Don Lorenzo never made threats he couldn’t keep so Pepa picked up her fork and cut a tiny corner off the omelet, pushing it tentatively into her mouth.
Don Lorenzo nodded his approval. He pushed a glass of juice in Pepa’s direction. “And drink this. You need to replenish your liquids.” And with that, he returned to his bacon, eggs and tomatoes with the intent to polish them off with relish.
**********
“I’m going to run some errands,” Silvia spoke up softly. She pushed her chair back with the intention of getting up when her father placed a gentle but firm hand onto her arm. She turned an inquisitive look to the older man. “Que?”
Don Lorenzo shook his head. “I can always tell when you’re lying, hija. But I know you don’t have any errands to run.” He shushed her forthcoming protest with a stern glance. “Don’t even bother to say anything. Sara is coming over in five minutes to take you somewhere.”
A tiny ember of annoyance ignited and burned in Silvia’s otherwise aloof eyes. She pursed her lips. “I don’t need to be babysat, papa. I am capable of taking care of myself.”
Don Lorenzo scoffed. “Yes, because sitting and wallowing in your grief and hiding from the world in a cemetery is a very mature approach of taking care of yourself.” He held up an authoritative hand against another attempted retort from his daughter. “I’m not going to argue with you, Silvia. You are going with Sara and that’s final. Now sit down.” He waited until his youngest returned to her seat grudgingly, her expression stony.
Then he turned to his daughter in law who was surveying the scene quietly, not wanting to interfere but also alarmed at what her little field trip of the day would be. Don Lorenzo bestowed a gentle smile at Pepa. “Hija, you and I are going to the beach. I remember you used to love going to the beach when you were smaller, no?”
Pepa blushed slightly and fidgeted in her chair, still somewhat unaccustomed to being dotted on and treated like a daughter. By Don Lorenzo of all people. She nodded, knowing that she didn’t have a choice in the matter but was surprised and secretly thrilled that the older man remembered this simple little detail.
Sara, who had come bouncing over to the table, interrupted the trio. She stopped by Don Lorenzo and stooped down to press an affectionate kiss to his cheek. “Hola, abuelo.” She smiled as Don Lorenzo reached up to pat her cheek lovingly before turning her attention to the two seated women. She bent down by Silvia, tucked a lock of red hair behind her aunt’s ear and brushed her lips over Silvia’s temple. “Tita.”
Silvia conjured up a forced smile. “Hola, sobrina.” Silvia watched as Sara moved around the table, greeting Pepa in the same manner. She watched as Pepa pulled their niece into a hug and wondered why the scene didn’t warm her soul. She gritted her teeth. It was going to be a long day.
Don Lorenzo clapped his hands, signaling the girls’ attention. He stood up. “Vale. Sara you take Silvia to wherever you’re taking her.” He received a nod of confirmation from his granddaughter and turned to Pepa. “C’mon, Pepa.”
Pepa pushed back her chair, wincing as the legs of the chair scraped against the floor, sending niggling traces of pain to run through her alcohol abused head. She walked over to her wife and stood before Silvia hesitantly, unsure of how to say goodbye. It hurt her that they had both been reduced to this.
Silvia felt Pepa’s hesitation and it was causing cracks in her unemotional façade. She quickly rebuilt her defensive wall by leaning up and pecking Pepa lightly on the jaw. A whisper of a kiss. Then, just as quickly, she moved hurriedly out of the taller woman’s presence and over to her niece who observed her two aunts with brows furrowed.
Silvia tugged at Sara’s arm. “Aren’t you suppose to be taking me somewhere?” she inquired rather forcefully. “Let’s go!”
Sara turned apologetic eyes onto Pepa, who in return blew Sara a kiss, her eyes awash with despondency. The taller woman watched her niece and her wife depart out of the café before turning to Don Lorenzo and following him upon his impatient hand gesture to do so. Unknowingly to Pepa, she was echoing her wife’s sentiments: it was going to be a long day.