A Dia To Remember (Patreon)

Leo Alvarez never much cared for the Day of the Dead, but he reconsiders it for his family.

Work Text:

Leo Alvarez carefully cleaned his shrine.

Marigolds, candles and incense surrounded a photo of his abuelo and abuela. It was a rather simple shrine, born out of inexperience, for it was the first time in years he celebrated this holiday.

Growing up, Leo didn't much celebrate Dia de los Muertos. After moving to Echo and adapting to its Latin-hostile existence plus leaving El Salvador behind, there was little to celebrate. To say nothing of that ruinous time he did celebrate the holiday, which broke Micha's heart and his friends' bones. Echo robbed him of that aspect of his life.

And now, he got it back. For the sake of his family.

"Looks wonderful" Kudzu said, "Do we leave food offerings? In Huaxia we do for our departed."

"Chula, I'm not going to waste good food. I'm trying to reconnect with mi familia, but not that hard."

Chase chuckled, and placed a snickers bar - a Halloween relic - on the shrine, much to Leo's chagrin.

"Shams, come join us" Kudzu called out.

Shams, their son, had previously been laying on the couch, playing Assassin's Creed: Mirage. He quickly rose up to join his parents, albeit apprehensively.

"Looks great, but it's we're not going to stay still to pray or something?" he asked, "Because that sounds boring."

"Bicho, you couldn't be more wrong" Leo said, leaning to touch Shams' shoulder, "Dia de los Muertos is like a party! We celebrate, this isn't a funeral. Just say a few nice words to your abuelos and you can go back to playing."

"O-okay" Shams said, looking at the photo.

A moment passed, and a smirk manifested on the cheetah's muzzle.

"I'll do one better: I'll sing."

"Oh, that's lovely" Chase said, always fond of his son's creative expressions.

Shams took a moment to compose himself, trying a few tones in whispers, before starting:

"Oh abuelo,

Thank you for this light,

Golden like honey under the moon.

Oh abuela,

Thank for always being right,

I never met you but I know it so soon.

If it weren't for you I wouldn't be,

So thank you both for being there

For them and for me."

The three parents clapped their paws.

"That was beautiful Shams" Leo said, wiping a tear from his eye.

"You're going to make a great singer some day" Kudzu said.

The cheetah smiled, making a dramatic bow. He then stared at the photo again, and his features softened into a pseudo-nostalgic contemplation.

"This feels nice" he mumbled.

He was free to go, to go back to playing Mirage. But instead he just stood there, and the three of his fathers joined him, feeling the warmth of the candles and the sweetness of the incense.

They were a family, and took solace in that.