#working on a Cesar wip from a bit ago

[0m3n-0f-d3ath]

⚰️figure from my dreams

again because it haunts my psyche⚰️

[leoswritingcorner]

a thing i’ve had in my wips for a hot min ft Yesenia and a tiny Cesare

79’s Club, 2001

Yesenia presses her back to the door and shuts her eyes tightly. She tries hard to drown out the muffled beats of music playing.

She was almost home. Back to the desert, in the small hideaway she called home for so long. She was almost in his arms and far, far away from here…

“Tia?”

Yesenia opens her eyes with a gasp, and catches Cesare sitting at his mother’s spot of the vanity table. A mess of papers and a school text book laid over the table, but his eyes watched her curiously, a hint of worry filling them. “Tia,” he repeats, “are you okay?”

“Celito!” Yesenia greets, swiftly wiping away the tears that gathered in her eyes. “What are you doing here? I thought your mama had tonight off?” She asks, making her way to him. On the way, she plucks her satin robe from a hook, slipping it on.

Cesare sighs, resting his chin on his hand. “She got called in last minute,” He mumbles. “I had to brings my homework. I forgot my Gameboy,” he laments. Yesenia chuckles, tugging her seat over. She looks over the papers and hums.

“Mmm, math,” Yesenia sighs with a click of her tongue. “How’s it coming along?” She asks, resting an elbow on the table, her hand tangled into the dark strands of her hair.

“Bad,” Cesare replies bluntly. “It’s long division.”

Yesenia offers a hand and Cesare gladly pushes the text book to her. Her eyes scan over a few examples “Chingada,” Yesenia remarks, then winces. “Ay Señor,” she quickly corrects. “This is math now?”

“Horrible, right?” Cesare asks, leaning back in the chair, her tried balancing the pencil on his nose. “I’m no good at it. I’m gonna fail,” He sighs.

Yesenia frowns, “Cesare Bruno, do not let me hear you say something like that, again.” She says firmly and fully in Spanish. The young boy pauses and sits up, lowering his head.

“Lo siento tía,” He says quickly, peeking a glance up to her.

Yesenia shakes her head, fixing up the scattered papers. “I do not want to hear you ever put yourself down like that. Ever.” She continues. “It’s okay to ask for help.”

Cesare nods quickly, tugging through papers and book back to him. “Will you help me?”

Yesenia smiles, “Of course,” She moves closer, her hair falling from her face.

Cesare pauses. The sight of a dark bruise on her cheek comes into his vision. “Tia, what’s that?” Cesare asks, pointing at her cheek. Yesenia feels her skin go cold as she tenses and covers the growing bruise with her hand.

“It’s nothing, mijo,” Yesenia assures gently, giving him a smile. “I’ll be fine.”

A customer had gotten too handsy. Yesenia could still feel the way his fist slammed across her face when she confronted him. Yesenia’s jaw ticks at the memory from only moments ago. Lana had bouncers on the man in an instant, as Yesenia took off. While the physical pain did hurt. It was her pride and something else deep within her that hurt even more.

“When I grow up, I’ll protect you, and mami and Lana. I’ll be big and strong,”Cesare says suddenly, puffing his chest out a bit. “I’ll help you just like you help me.”

Yesenia grins, pressing a kiss to his cheek. She only hoped and prayed he and his mother could ride above all this.

“I know you will.” Yesenia replies “But let’s work out that brain of yours for now. So if we divide 8 by…”