Chapter Text
Héctor quietly descended the stairs, careful to avoid making any noise, just because he couldn’t sleep didn’t mean that he had the right to wake anyone else up, especially after they had allowed him a place in their home in the wake of his adventure with Miguel that had culminated in an averted final death. He made it to the back door fairly quickly, grateful for the simple layout of the house. He had chosen the back door as an exit since he knew that the main entrance tended the squeak a little. His exit was completed without making a sound, it seemed that all those years of trying to sneak past security at the Marigold Bridge came in handy when he wanted to be stealthy.
He gently closed the door, being sure not to let the glass rattle, and with that he left through the garden gate. As he walked, he felt eyes on him, and when he looked up he saw Pepita, glowing brightly in the darkness of the night. How he had missed the light she was giving off could only be attributed to being extremely distracted by his own thoughts.
He was still quite unnerved by the large alebrije, but ever since he had almost been forgotten, Pepita had been a lot calmer around him, but he wasn’t sure if it was because of Imelda ordering Pepita not to hurt him since she didn’t hate him as much or some genuine affection on the part of the alebrije.
With a single beat of her wings, Pepita descended and landed quietly beside Héctor, thankfully the street was wide enough to accommodate her size. She gazed at him, watching him fidget uncomfortably, before giving him a look that was clear with the question she wished an answer to.
“I…uh couldn’t sleep…” he said grabbing one arm with his other, as he often did when he was nervous.
Pepita growled a bit in admonishment, she bet that he hadn’t even left a note saying where he was going.
Héctor gazed at her, with a look that was a mixture of fright and confusion. Pepita unfurled her one of her wings, and wrapped it around Héctor. Despite what he may have been led to believe, she did not hate him. She hated the hurt that he had caused her Imelda, but she had never truly hated him. Part of it, was that Imelda herself, despite wanting to, couldn’t bring herself not to love him, and that bled into Pepita’s judgment. A larger part was that the man was just so small. Naturally, given her size in the Land of the Dead, most things were small to her, but it was also the way Héctor held himself. If he was not brought into the twins antics, he tended to shrink away, and blend into the background, so that he wouldn’t do anything that would upset anyone. He had done more of the latter, since he was still in such a weakened state. She hoped that more time with the family would allow him to be more vibrant in their presence, but only time would tell.
His reaction to her winged embrace was to go completely still, and she didn’t approve. She ducked her head down until she was level with his head, and gently nuzzled him, purring softly. A hesitant hand reached up and stroked her fur, and she purred encouragingly.
“I guess you were worried when you saw me leave the house?” he questioned.
Pepita purred louder.
“ Dios, I’m an idiot.” he said realizing that the others would come to the wrong conclusion if they woke up and saw that he was missing. At best that would think he was abandoning or rejecting them, because everything was so new, that it could be the case, and at worst, they would think that he had succumbed to the final death somehow.
Pepita nuzzled him again as she saw him come to understand what she had been concerned about.
“I guess that’s you agreeing with me?” Somehow he got the feeling he was being laughed at, as Pepita pulled her wing away.
“Thank you,” Héctor said, reaching out to pet her, a little less hesitantly than he had the first time.
Pepita allowed the touch for a moment, and then took a few steps, Héctor caught up to her, and the two of them began to walk home side by side.
They were one street away, when Héctor suddenly froze. Pepita glanced around alert for any danger. Finding nothing threatening, the large cat looked back at her companion. His gaze was focused on a small alley, and he walked over almost in a daze, bending down, he reached out a hand, and a small alebrije came into view.
The creature appeared to be a wolf cub, but it was extremely small, approximately the size of a chihuahua pup , and it was thin, to the point where bones would be all it was if it lost the smallest amount of weight. It’s fur was a dirty gray, and it’s markings were faded to the point of being invisible, were it not for the faint green glow at the tip of its fore paws, it would have been impossible to tell that it was an alebrije.
The small alebrije’s little tongue, darted out to lick Héctor’s hand.
Héctor forced himself to contain a squeal that would have drawn far too much attention, because the little alebrije was adorable, and somehow he knew that it was his, he didn’t know how he knew, but he did.
As he gently petted the tiny creature, he turned to Pepita, “How do you think Imelda feels about strays?”
The look he was given, was so like one that Imelda herself might give, that he couldn’t help, but laugh. Especially since the look clearly said, ‘She let you in didn’t she?’