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Ana stared at the child in front of her, Edmundo had dropped Christopher off a few minutes ago, staying just long enough to thank her for watching his son before leaving.
Apparently his aunt had an appointment and Carla, the child’s caretaker, was out of town.
Ana was broken out of her thought by the sound of a door closing. Christopher must have gone to his room because he wasn’t in front of her any longer.
Ana sighed before deciding to follow, might as well get to know the kid. She walked down the hall and knocked on chistopher’s open door.
Christopher looked up from his spot on his bed and frowned, “miss Flores?” He said questioningly.
Ana mentally took a deep breath at the title, “you can just call me Ana.”
Christopher shrugged in response before looking down, drawling Ana’s attention to the camera in his lap.
“What do you got there?” She asked curiously, moving to stand next to the bed.
Christopher bit his lip, debating on telling her. “It’s my camera, Buck got it for me.”
Ana noted the name down, remembering the name being mentioned when he first started school. She still had yet to meet the infamous ‘Buck.’ She smiled at the boy, “how long have you had it?” She asked, the camera was in good condition so it must have been relatively new.
“Since I was..” he paused before grinning. “Eight! Buck got it for me for Christmas!”
Ana felt her eyes widen, the child must have taken great care of it for him to still be using it almost 5 years later. “Oh wow, you must have a lot of videos on it.” She commented.
Christopher looked at the camera and smiled, “yeah, Daddy and Buck are really silly.”
Interest peaked, Ana stared at the camera with curiosity. “Whats your favorite video?” She asked.
Christopher looked at her hesitantly before telling her, “probably the one where Daddy and Buck are arguing about icecream.”
“Can I see?” Ana questioned, genuinely curious to see the video.
Chris shrugs, “sure.” Then he gets up and sits at his desk, loving into the computer. It takes a few minutes for him to get the video pulled up but once he does Ana is immediately drawn in.
There’s two males in the frame, Edmundo and a bulkier man. Blond with what looks like a bruise above his brow. She wonders just what kind of people Edmundo is allowing to be neat his child of his best friend is muscular and looks like he was recently in a fight.
The audio is what teuily catches her attention.
“-old you that mint is not a good flavor!” The unmistakable voice of Edmundo shouts. It’s not angry or stilled, but rather playful and fond. It almost sounds like they’ve had that conversation before.
“Yes it is! You just got to try it.” A different male says, Buck presumably, opening the freezer door.
“I will do no such thing! We are not buying that toothpaste monstrosity.” Edmundo said firmly, crossing his arms. Ana briefly wonders why head shopping with Buck before she realizes he’s just messing around. Shes never seen, or heard, him sound so childish before. He’s always stiff and uptight, almost uncomfortable even.
“But Eddie~” Buck pleaded, grabbing the pint size ice cream. Ana involuntarily quirks her lip when she sees Edmundo roll his eyes as Buck pouts dramatically. In the background she can Christopher giggling.
She glasses at the older Chris and he has a small grin on his face. It must be a cherished memory or something because he has clearly watched the video quite a few times in order to be mouthing all the words in sync with the video.
“No but’s, you are not stepping foot in the house with that toothpaste milk creation.” Edmundo said with a glare, unfolding his arms to push the cart away from Buck. “It’s not toothpaste!” He defended, making another move to place it in the cart.
Ana wonders why Buck doesn’t just buy the icecream for himself at eat or at his own house. Maybe it was for a movie night or something? Edmundo did mention that they did those when he asked her to pick a different day to go on a date.
“Then why does it say mint?!” Edmundo asked, moving the shopping cart out the way again. Christopher began laughing louder. “I’m getting it.” Buck said firmly, a mischievous glint in his eye.
Ana wonders how close her boyfriend was to his befriend. They seem to gravate towards eachother in the video. Close enough to go shopping and apparently buy things for themselves at the others house.
Edmundo scoffed, “no, you’re not.”
Ana frowned when she spotted the cocky yet determined look that passed the blonds face. “Watch me,” Buck smirked making move to place it in the cart.
Edmundo moved the cart away again, “if you put that in the cart you’re sleeping on the couch.” He said with a glare.
Ana blinked. Her mind simultaneously freezing and running in circles as she tried to absorb the information. Why was Buck sleeping at Edmundo’s house? Was that why they were shopping together?
She knows there’s not a guest bedroom which means that if Buck was staring over than he had to have been sleeping in Edmundo’s bed if he wasn’t sleeping on the couch. Unless Edmundo kept a blow up mattress? She’s not sure this qualifies as normal Friendship behavior.
As she milled over her thoughts the video continued.
Buck gasps dramatically, “you wouldn’t!” “Oh but I would” Edmundo says, sounding as if he had just won. Buck took that opportunity to place it in the cart and the video cuts off as Eddie gasps dramatically.
Ana stand up to her full height, unsure when she first began leaning down to get a good look. “Huh.” The quiet noise passed her lips before she got the chance to think it over.
Christopher giggled in his seat. “They’re always like that. Oh! Here. This one happened right afterwards.” He clicked on a new video.
Ana leaned back down to watch the video. It was definitely shorter than the last.
It started off focused om Buck who was eating mint ice cream straight out the tub before it zoomed out to show Edmundo making a very judgmental face at him.
Ana was shocked to see how much emotion the man showed around Buck. He rarely even smiles around her, it’s more of a grimace when he does.
The camera zooms into Eddie’s look of disgust and concern before his head snaps to the camera when he hears Christopher’s soft laughter. Then the camera pans down jerkily as Christopher turns it off and moves away, the screen going black.
“It was bedtime but I heard the freezer open and I knew I had to get a video.” The child snickered, explaining the abrupt ending.
Ana nodded slowly. “Are they always like that?” She points at screen.
The thumbnail on the video displaying the two men on the couch, illuminated by the tv, sitting on the couch. Edmundo with his legs propped up on the coffee table and Buck with his feet ton Edmundo’s lap. Underneath that file were more photos and videos of the two men or varients of them and Christopher.
The desplaiy icons were very telling to how they interacted. Christopher was also very helpful. The child showed her various photos and videos, his eyes widening and smile stretching across his face as he excitedly explained the background of each one.
Both men seemed to be alergic to personal space. They seemed to always be near or touching in some way. Even when one was out of frame Ana could tell when the other was probably nearby because they’d stare off to the side.
Ana wonders if the two men dated at some point. They were too close. They looked at each other with so much adoration and affection is was a wonder how she ended up with Edmundo.
But the time she leaves, after some carefully prodded questions, she knows what she must do.
Maybe with her out of the picture Edmundo will go after the one he really wants. Truly she can’t even be too mad about it. Not when she sees the way Edmundo lights up when he talks about Buck.
Clearly Edmundo still has something’s to learn about himself if his response to almost dying is to sign over his child to his best friend. Especially when the best friend in question is just as likely to be caught up in the same situation.
She ends off their relationship. She can’t quite bring herself to stay with him with the nnowlage that she’s really only with him because he can’t be with Buck. She won’t be the girl he ‘settles for’ intentionally or not.
Edmundo seemed rather confused about the breakup more than he was upset by it but agreed to end it off amicably.