In Need of Assistance? (TF2)

Sixty-Five: Nyctophilia

        "Good lordy, she has babies," Darlene gasps upon seeing Salvador as she comes down the front steps to the house, and I giggle.

"No! No, this is Salvador. He's my little brother." Cold settles into my skin and makes my throat feel dry when I breathe in. A neighbor's dog barks into the night, a crescent moon in the sky. We stand around in the floodlight circle on the front porch. Miniature bugs glow in the air, and a fuzzy, glowing outline from the lint on clothes and baby hairs on heads is made around our figures. It's well past midnight, I know that for certain, meaning it's Christmas Eve.

She looks at me and then him before me again. "How old are ya, Mona?"

"Thirty-one?" Her eyes go wide before pointing at Salvador. "He's sixteen."

"Well now," she says under her breath before beckoning Salvador to come closer. He was not expecting a hug, but he got one anyway. He's prudent about being here, cautious in every sense of the word. He opted to stay in the car at the gas station when he's usually all for doing some observation of different convenience stores in different areas. Engie comes behind me and puts his hand on the small of my back.

"Mama, don't go scarin' her off," he pleads.

"I'm not, I'm not," she sighs. "But if you say that--"

He groans. "Salvador, come help me get our things." I turn to follow them, but Engie refuses me the right to carry my own bags into the house. We step into the warmer interior, kitchen lights are on with the Christmas tree illuminated gold in the living room. We had dinner at a Mickey D's a few hours ago, and Salvador swore up and down that he's not hungry. Engie scratches the top of his head. "Think we'll be hangin' our hat."

"Good," Darlene states. "Got yer lady here, maybe you'll actually sleep for once."

"Ma," Engie emphasizes to let her know to ease it up on the gas. Salvador grimaces at her wording. He sighs. "Let's go, everyone to bed." She laughs as she watches Engie lead me and Salvador down the hall and up the stairs. Salvador gets his own room, and Engie and I stay in another. He pulls me into a hug when I close the door, kissing me and pushing my jacket off of my arms. His fingers plant firmly on my hips and they lift my shirt up enough for me to tell he still has his glove on. I sigh.

"What happened to everyone going to bed?"

"I'm a hypocrite when I wanna be," he answers. "And, technically, we'd be in bed."

I can't help but laugh as he pulls me over to the bed and has me sit in his lap as he kisses me some more. I hold his face in my hands, leaning in and moving my arms to hang over his shoulders. He holds my waist, surprised at first but wasting no time in assimilating. I break the kiss and look at him. I can see myself in the reflection of his goggles, but I want to see him. My thumbs push under the strap on both sides of his head, and I lift the front off of his face slightly and slowly pull them off. He squints at first to adjust to the light but opens his eyes fully again to give his full attention.

"Aw, why do you wear your goggles all the time?"

He furrows his brows with a smile and looks away from me. "Just put 'em on one day as a kid and never took 'em off."

I rub his scruffy cheek with my thumb. "You have pretty eyes."

"Shucks." He grins with his teeth, his face fading to pink. He looks at me with his jade-green irises, poking his lips out for another kiss. I give him a peck. I stare at him, and he stares back. Like we're studying the other and mapping out our features. Engie certainly looks tired, weary eyes showcasing kindness and his brows being weighed down by the knowledge he carries from studying. Darlene's eyes are brown, so I'm assuming his father's eyes are the ones who are different. They're a beautiful shade, hazel near his pupils that dissipate into the deep forest tones.