What Love I'm Truly Fighting For?
A/N: Okay, I know this is… unusual, considering I'm not the type to involved with yaoi/shash, at least, not entirely. Why I am writing this? I honestly have no understanding clue, but I'll tell you one thing… I'm seriously craving for a Manolo/Joaquin fanfiction, and I don't see one :\ so I decided to make one! I know this is weird, I find it weird because I'm not very quick to ship yaoi couples, but I'm find myself silently shipping these two… three?
Rated T – Swearing and Suggestive themes.
Pairings: Manolo/Joaquin, Manolo/Maria/Joaquin.
Summary: His love for Maria continued even when the beauty left for Spain. Heart yearning for Maria's voice, her touch and fascinating goddess-like appearance. The day when Maria returned meant everything to him, and he promised to fight for Maria's love. Why did he have to be rivals with his best friend? It just makes things much more difficult.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Book of Life, nor its characters, plotline, music, scenery and-… you get the point. Belongs to the creators :P
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Manolo brushed the strings gently, letting soft tunes float from his guitar as he stared into Maria's beautiful hazel eyes. Those gems for eyes so gorgeously crafted Manolo nearly mistaken them for fine bronze. "I can't help…" He began to sing with his rich voice, soothing the souls amongst the crowd who partake interest within this moment, their moment. "Falling in love with you~" He watched Maria's eyes soften, body relaxed and itching to move closer, aching to be within his grasp- which Manolo would gladly accept.
The luminous moonlight shined rays of glowing white over the town, creating a harmonious setting of San Angel, and Manolo was ready to capture his angel, Maria, no matter how long it took. Manolo pulled a few key notes once more and continued to sing from the bottom of his heart, showering Maria with all the love he could muster. Being the natural multi-tasker Manolo managed to balance his footing against a thin wire rope attached to the window, inches away from Maria's goddess structured face. "I can't… help…" Manolo's voice began to wane, hovering over everyone like a warm, fuzzy blanket from the chilling night.
Falling in love with you.
Yes, Manolo Sanchez won't hesitate to say he's absolutely in love with Maria Posada. Ever since the days Manolo bonded with Maria, his heart was hooked by her smile, her laugh… everything. The day Maria left for Spain shattered yet build his fragile heart, making him a stronger, determined man that will fight for his freedom and love. Manolo leaned closer towards Maria's face, just centimeters away from her glossy red lips. Eyes slowly closing, Manolo was sure Maria would press those precious lips against his and create chemistry, an explosion of wonder and blossoming love.
…
"Did you really think it was that easy?"
"H-huh?" Manolo's eyes snapped open in surprise, a flicker of confusion flashing across his face. A petite finger rested upon his lips while a smug smirk started to spread across Maria's lips. "I apologize, but I'm not a prize. You gotta do more than that to win me over, querido." Maria finished with chuckle and slowly moved away from him. Suddenly, gravity began to shift, "w-w-woah!" Desperately trying to regain his balance, but ultimately, Manolo found himself falling to the dusty ground. A flash of sharp pain bit his shoulder and slithered down his back, a throbbing sensation that made him feel incredibly dizzy. Ouch. Manolo knew Maria wasn't the easiest person to be with, but why does she makes things so difficult?
"Ugh…"
"Serves you right. Maria wants a strong man who'll fight in war! Not some petty guitarist playing a few musical notes." Manolo felt his eye twitching at the sound of his oh so 'nice' friend laughing behind him and furthering his humiliation. "Idiota estupido, siempre arruinando todo…" Manolo grumbled, trying to ignore the pain as he carefully moved off the hardened ground. "Can you please not ruin this moment? It's soiled enough already." The young guitarrista snapped, dusting off the dirt covering his clothes.
"What? I'm just speaking the truth." Joaquin Mondragon stated, walking around Manolo rather slowly… almost as if Joaquin's taunting his friend. "If Maria interested in a true man, then she knows where to find the excellent guy, right here." Joaquin pointed at himself with that snooty smirk of his- just damn it! Why must situations be so difficult?! "Oh please, Maria doesn't want an arrogant snoot that only cares about looks! She wants more attributes with decent quality! And right now, you're at the bottom of quality!"
"Bottom?! Are you freaking serious?" Joaquin took a step backwards, almost as if he was surprised. "Damn right I am! Now quit butting between Maria and I!" He practiced intensely to perfect this moment- once beautiful moment, now crumbled into a pitiful disaster. Oh, Maria's heart must be closing just watching their arguing, their unnecessary fighting… but Joaquin started it first!
"Jackass!"
"Ignorant fool!"
"Whiny loser!"
"Whiny? Please! You are whining more than a toddler-"
"BOYS!" The men jumped at the loud explosion of Maria Posada and immediately stilted. Everyone became a silent shadow, haunting the two (immature) men that winced at Maria's angry, stern glare that pierced their hearts. Those beautiful brown orbs can turn sharp and deadly, looking into the eyes of a monster without any fear, instead, instilling fear into the monster. "You are both being whiny, immature and insensitive fools! Please, I just came back from Spain and these are how my best friends act? So pitiful." The woman loudly scoffed before she pointed a delicate finger at them. "I'm not interested in men who constantly bicker, nor accept situations as it is! So, if you'll excuse me, I'll be leaving." And the woman slam the windows shut, nearly cracking the glass.
…
Great. A sigh escaped from Manolo's lips, trying to ignore the embarrassment radiating from him- no, them. The urge to pounce on Joaquin and strangle him until his last breath felt very tempting, but Manolo's no cruel man, and of course, Joaquin is his best friend… supposedly. "I'll be at the bar." The guitarrista muttered, reaching to grab his guitar and hung the object over his shoulder before silently leaving the quiet town, ignoring the penetrating stares of bystanders, the pitying look of women.
He doesn't need pity.
-0-
Manolo finished playing the second musical piece with his dearest amiegos and decided to hit up with a few drinks. Playing the guitar brought his mind off the harsh reality between him and Maria, not only Maria but Joaquin as well. Manolo plopped on a stool and rested his elbows onto the counter, "Ruby Tequila, please." While the bartender went to make the drink, Manolo began to muse quietly.
Throughout all these years Manolo knew what he wanted in life, and the main goal is to capture the love of his life…- and be a professional guitarrista. He thought Maria shared something special with him, sure, it isn't blunt but… she does see something in him, right? Manolo frowned as his fingers tapped against the counter quietly, "maybe I'm overlooking the whole situation." Maybe Maria's right, and… probably Joaquin too. What has he done in his childhood that affected Maria so greatly? Probably not much, and giving her a pet doesn't qualify anything special… besides, Joaquin's more stronger, brave, handsome- immature, yes, but likeable.
Suppose Maria likes Joaquin more than him? The thought churned his stomach, feeling his insides being squeezed and torn at the image of Maria and Joaquin, together. Manolo snatched the tiny glass of Ruby Tequila and gulped the liquid without a second thought. "Refill."
"Mm."
The fifth shot gave Manolo a slight buzz, but he needed it, he needed to get away from everything, from everyone, from the strange world that loves and hates him. A soft screech of chairs tingled his ears, however, Manolo paid no attention. The guitarrista could feel a presence next beside him, though he assumed it was just a random customer.
"I like to have what he's having." The voice sounded familiar, but Manolo wasn't so sure. Just to ease his curiosity, Manolo turned to find…- Joaquin? Manolo blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't imagining things, but Joaquin remain in his view and beside him. What's Joaquin doing here? Oh, wait… bet he came for forgiveness? Too damn obvious. "Whadda doin' here?" Manolo asked in a slurred voice, uncaring if he sounded improper. Joaquin twiddled his thumbs as silence caressing his usual boastful face, until finally he sighed. "Look, Manny, I… I'm sorry. It's just that Maria's back and-"
"And you decided to humiliate me."
"You placed that on yourself, buddy."
"Only to make the situation worse, and then proceeded to mock me!" Manolo felt a spark of anger flame through his inner core, the concrete reminder that Maria could find him a weak man, a sore loser. Joaquin snatched his shot and swallowed the drink, a soft smirk covering his features, "you know how I am, Manny, I just can be… so full of myself sometimes." Joaquin finished with another shot of spicy red Ruby Tequila.
"No jodas." Manolo retorted and Joaquin burst into tiny fit of chuckles, "okay, okay. Though, why… why did we have to fall in love with the same girl?" The question made Manolo ponder many nights previously, but always remained a blank, unsatisfactory answer. Though Joaquin barely admits it, Manolo knew his friend had some feelings for Maria, heck, dare he say it? Deeply likes her because thinking about the other term would be too much. Is he jealous? Of course not! Just… bothered, that's all. "I dunno, Joaquin. Life just happens to place us in these… situations, and sometimes you can't do anything about it."
"Are you still mad at me?" Ah, here it goes… Manolo knew Joaquin was going to pull a guilt-tripping apology on him. The guitarrista groaned out a gentle 'yes', and looked away from his friend and romantic rival. Holy Mary, why must Joaquin be his rival? Butting in the way of things, altering chances of being with Maria-…
No, what he is thinking is completely selfish. Manolo scrunched his eyebrows, "I'm selfish, am I?" The question sounded stupid, but after drinking the seventh shot of tequila, well, it makes his self-conscious thoughts feel… less conscious. "What makes you say that?" He heard Joaquin reply, and Manolo sighed for the hundredth time. "I think I'm being too forceful with Maria, and I haven't been considerate if what she feels about us and-."
"Manolo, relax. You know we both carry these feelings for her, but as long it doesn't get in the way of our brotherhood then it'll be okay. Take it one step at a time… and I know I haven't acted any better, to be honest." Joaquin finished with another glass of tequila and smiled brightly. Eventually, Manolo smiled, "thanks, Joaquin."
The silence suddenly felt comforting with just the two of the drinking the night away.
"Manolo?"
"Hm?" When Manolo glanced at Joaquin, he noticed his friend acting fidgety and strange, or did the tequila caught up with him? The man held his red glass tightly and chewed on his lip, the mustache constantly brushing against his chin. Haha, that silly mustache Joaquin so desperately wanted, and now he have it. "Do you…" Joaquin started slowly, almost unsure if he should continue. Curiosity spiked Manolo's interest as he turned his attention directly towards his best friend, "do I what?" Manolo asked.
"Do you remember the first time we went here?"
"…Yeah? Why do you ask?" They were in the rebellious teenage stages of life, wanting to repel orders from their authoritative figures and prove to be their own versions of men. And what better way to cross your father than go to a bar at the age of 16? Manolo chuckled at the memories of teenage wild life. Surprisingly, no one questioned their ages when they bought their first drinks, but supposed it didn't matter, after all money is money, you know?
"Well, I remember us sitting together one night, and… we were talking casually, and then we started talking about our love lives. Mostly Maria, but our experiences with other girls." Joaquin blinked slowly, expression appearing sleepy and calm, his hand loosely holding the tiny glass. Manolo narrowed his eyes, unsure where his friend's conversation was leading to… "Y-yeah, we were musing over what girl we would take interest in if not Maria." Manolo said, musing over the idealistic women he would choose if it wasn't for Maria. He did fancy red heads since you certainly don't see them in regular San Angel life and… ah, blue eyes are gorgeous, though, any color is alright by him. He never thought much of it due to fantasizing over Maria, but occasionally Manolo does like imagining someone else besides Maria.
Joaquin chuckled as he fiddled with his glass, "I like my women nice and busty." Yeah, how can Manolo not forget about that? A soft blush seared across Manolo's cheeks, trying to ignore the memories of different conversations he had with Joaquin.
"And do you remember when we first gotten drunk?"
"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah."
"… And then, that happened. Will we ever go back to that if Maria rejects both of us?" Manolo halted from drinking another set and stared at Joaquin with his puzzled eyes. "What do you mean by that?" Manolo had a feeling, a feeling which he didn't want to acknowledge for quite some time, an obvious knowing that they shouldn't be discussing about this.
They vowed never to speak of it again.
So why is Joaquin bringing it up? Manolo narrowed his eyes to slits and frowned deeply. "Joaquin, don't tell me you're still thinking about it." He thought they were completely over that! It held no significance whatsoever, and besides, they had more important things to do… "Well, I know we promised not to mention it anymore, but-"
"What we had never existed."
"I know, but…"
"Joaquin." Manolo said sharply, causing Joaquin to flinch. "We were only teenagers! We didn't know any better. What would our fathers think if they saw us together? They could have disowned us-"
"I think you're over thinking things."
"No, I think you're not understanding." Manolo hissed and pushed himself out of the seat, walking past Joaquin- a hot hand snatch his wrist tightly and Manolo paused. "Joaquin, let go of me." Manolo didn't want to deal with this right now, especially when Joaquin bombarded him with these… questions. "Just answer me one last question, and I won't bother you anymore about it." Joaquin loosen his grip, yet didn't let Manolo go completely.
"Did you ever enjoy the moments we shared?"
… Did they? Manolo wasn't so sure, in fact, it's been so long that he can barely remember. "I…" Manolo licked his lips, feeling suddenly nervous and he sighed. "I don't know. Maybe."
"… Okay. Sorry for bothering you with all this. Um, goodnight?"
"Night." And Manolo yanked his wrist and marched out of the bar, trying to ignore these disturbed emotions plaguing his conscious.
Why? It took so many months to move away from that, from a relationship so forbidden that San Angel would look down upon them with disgust so vivid Manolo wished not to imagine. He never wanted to think about it, never wanted to relive the moment of desperation for love, and he just had to choose the closest one to him.
-0-
Their curious touches sparked flames upon skin, lips brushing against each other so passionately that they never wanted to let go. Liquor tasted so good amongst their tongues that he assumed they were drinking straight from the bottle.
Manolo pressed his hands against his face, frustrated why these thoughts still lingered in his mind. The melancholy memories were bittersweet, but he knew they had to end it.
It was for the best… for Maria.
Right?
This is all Joaquin's fault… if he didn't discuss about it then Manolo wouldn't be suffering. Then again, what did that mean? Did he… did he miss the days being with Joaquin? Did he truly enjoyed those moments together? Manolo closed his eyes and choked out a bitter laugh.
What difference did it make? They can't go back to those times, they must move forward. Right now Maria is the main focus, not Joaquin, but… if… if things don't turn out the way Manolo planned…
I'll still love him just as much.
A/N: English translation for Spanish.
Querido - Darling
No jodas - No shit
Idiota estupido, siempre arruinando todo - Stupid idiot, always ruining everything
Google Translate is pretty handy :P. Yay~! I'm so freaking done with this one-shot! :D Hope you enjoyed reading, toodles!