𝓞𝓱, 𝓫𝓸𝔂(Joaquin x Black reader)

Chapter five: Have we all grown up?

*This is a continuation of the previous chapter but I'm going to skip a couple of events so if the timing seems off a bit I'm sorry*

You fan the dust away from your face to see  Maria's name carved into the sand with Manolo standing next to it. You whistled impressed with the guitarista's bull-taming skills, you look towards Maria to see her laughing lightly with a small blush on her tan cheeks. You raise your eyes to see Joaquin staring at you, seeming to be in some sort of daze. He seems to snap out of his daze when you raise an eyebrow with an even bigger smirk, he notices and blushes a little bit when you throw a wink his way. Satisfied with his reaction you smile in victory and turn your eyes back towards the ring at the same time as an embarrassed Joaquin.

Not noticing Maria wearing a small smile after watching the cute interaction. You look just in time to see Manolo grab a sword from his father and point it towards the wild bull, he seems to be hesitating when looking at the blade before he slams the sword into the ground.

 "Killing the bull is wrong!" Manolo yells at the crowd. The people in the crowd gasp and his father shakes his head at the accusation. Manolo dodges the charging bull to let it hit headfirst into the fence surrounding the arena.

You and Maria leap out of your seats, both of you smiling and clapping at Manolo's act. But the citizens of San Angel didn't agree, as they started booing and throwing objects and or trash at him in distaste.

"Bravo/Amazing!" You and Maria yell over the negative comments said by the disagreeing crowd. You are pulled away by your father  as you're being pulled away you hear Manolo yell,

"We don't have to kill bull!"

You hear Maria muttering a small, "oh, no. Manolo."  When you get home you notice that Maria is missing her fan, you tell Maria that you're going to head back to the arena to get her fan she seems that she's about to say something before nodding and walking with your father and company.

On the way to the arena you hear a small oink, you smile and wave to Chuy who is at Maria's room window, and continue on your way. Once you reach the booth you were sitting in you see your sister's fan, you are about to grab it when you hear singing and the strumming of a guitar. You look into the arena to see Manolo singing before he pauses as he looks at the rose in between his strings before he strums and sings louder than before. Singing his emotions out apparently, your heart slightly ached for the younger man. You hear footsteps behind you, you turn around to see Maria looking at Manolo with her hand over her chest, and you look back at Manolo to hear his song.

(WATCH VIDEO AT THE TOP)

At the end of his song you hear your father calling after you, you grab your sombrero seeming to forget that you left here as you put it on you murmur to Maria,

"You should head back to Father, I have to tie my boots." Maria nods with sad eyes. "I'll meet you there in a second," you add. Maria grabs her fan and heads back to the house, watching her until you know that she's out of earshot you look down at Manolo before saying loud enough that he could hear it,

"You're okay Manolo, you're okay." Manolo's head shoots up at the voice, to the booth to see you nodding at him with a small yet appreciative smile on your face before you head back home and Manolo leaving the arena knowing that he made someone proud today. Neither of them noticed a pair of bright golden eyes and a pair of red skull-shaped eyes watching them.

TIME SKIP

(Y/N), Maria, General Posada, Joaquin, and other soldiers were sitting at a table enjoying the meal in front of them. 

'All of this just because we came home? It's a little extra if I say so myself.' (Y/N) think as they're drinking their (f/d).

"It's great to have you back hijas, we have missed you both so dearly so." General Posada smiles at his children. The younger Posada were about to say something before they were interrupted by their father adding. "And to our well-known soldier-"

"To Joaquin !" He and the rest of the party-goers cheer as they raise their glasses in the air. Joaquin tosses his sombrero to a random citizen who in which caught it and cheered gleefully, (Y/N) silently rolls her eyes at the exchange and looks around the area with little interest since they finished their food. 

"Too bad you're just in town for a few days," your father starts, you shake your head knowing what's about to happen. "If only there were something to make you stay.." he stares at Maria with mischievous eyes. 

"Like a special girl. Maria?" He laughed as hnudgedes said, Posada with a mischievous smile. Maria smiles nervously at Joaquin before looking at her father surprised at his claim.

"Pap!" Maria quietly barked appalled at her father. 

"What? What I say?" General Posada asks with false innocence. You lightly shove your father's shoulder a little ticked off at yourfather's' antics, he looks at you with a confused look and a shrug of his shoulders. Yet you respond with a sigh, an eyeroll, andae slight shaking of your head.

Maria tries to come up with an excuse but fails to think of one and just murmurs.

"Oh, my father," in all honesty you had zoned out staring at your half-empty glass. Yet your attention is gained by a large shriek, you and everyone in the vicinity of that scream turned to the source. The source has to be Joaquin, who seems embarrassed when he notices the number of eyes staring at him. As he composes himself you stand up having to leave the room becoming a tad stuffy.

"Well as much as I'm enjoying this party and trust me I am," you say as you look around the room. "But I'm going to talk a walk to clear my head" you add, "mostly because I want to leave," you murmur the last part as you walk to the door.

"Ah wait (Y/N) but the party had just started and yo-you're not listening are you?" rushed out General Posada as everyone watched you leave the house. Maria glared at your back thinking only slightly panicking,

'Well there goes my support friend' Maria had a small frown on her face at her thought.

Joaquin looked at your empty seat with a slightly upset face thinking that he could be the reason that you left, not knowing the real reason. Meanwhile, you were sitting on the roof of Maria's room looking at nothing in particular but your mind filling with tons of unanswered questions such as,

'Why didn't Papa tell me the truth?'

'I guess the Joaquin is still hooked up on Maria.'

'That Manolo has some real talent.'

'Did I finish my book from yesterday?'

'Joaquin has grown into the town's savior huh?'

'Manolo's love for music has grown.'

'Maria's love for Manolo hasn't changed it only grew'

'Papa's ideals have grown too?'

'I have physically grown.'

You remember the faces of the younger versions of you, Maria, Manolo, and Joaquin only to fade into the grown-up faces of those kids today. With a nostalgic smile, you think

Have we all grown up?