What Could Have Been - Lalo Salamanca (ON HOLD)

Chapter One

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Slumped in the studio late at night, there was a knock in the door that pulled Dina out of her thoughts. Dina pulled her sleeve to glance at her watch- it was past ten thirty and wondered if that was her uncle checking in on her.

Getting up from the floor, Dina opened the door only to see Nacho with a raised bag of Chinese food.

"Hungry?" Nacho said with a small smirk.

"Chinese food. How'd you know I was craving it?" Dina stepped aside for Nacho to enter.

Once he entered Nacho looked around to see massive paintings covering Dina's paint stained walls.

"Just had a hunch." Nacho set the food on the table and unpacked while Dina sat and watched him, peeling the dried paint off of her knuckle.

"I'm surprised your uncle didn't come and break down the door." Nacho pointed at the clock, hinting at the time.

"He's probably busy with some cartel stuff." Dina said as she dug her chopsticks into the fried noodles.

"Speaking of cartel." Nacho said. "I heard that you were down in Mexico yesterday. Don Eladio?"

"Oh, yeah." Dina nodded. "What you heard was true."

"I gotta say, I didn't think uncle Fring would be okay with that." Nacho snickered.

"I don't think my uncle was in any position to decline. But it was weird, I still don't understand why Don Eladio would insist on me coming along. Everybody was intimidating, to be honest."

"You don't belong in such a place." Nacho spoke honestly. "You shouldn't have even been there."

Dina only offered a genuine smile at his words and they both ate silently as they sat closely. The woman had nothing to say; how could she even avoid being in such a place when her uncle was so involved with the cartel? She was bound to be sucked in.

Nacho's eyes roamed around Dina's studio and pointed at a geometric work that Dina spent months creating.

"Now that is genius." Nacho's eyes brightened, impressed by her. "You know that would look really good in my house with the other one you made."

"Hey- I am flattered. But you know you don't have to buy my work because of me."

"Who said it was because of you?" Nacho scoffed. "Come on, Di, I am a huge fan of your stuff. Really."

Dina rolled her eyes as she held back her smile. "Well, sorry for the let down, but that's for a show next week."

Nacho's eyebrows raised. "A show?"

"Yeah- in New York."

"Wow, that's amazing." Nacho nodded his head impressed as he crossed his arms on his chest. Nacho's eyes flicked from Dina's work to her and couldn't help but smile.

Nacho could say he knew Dina for quite sometime; even with the help of her uncle's money to get her work recognized, Nacho truly didn't think she was in need of it. Dina was brilliant and her talents would get her places.

"How's your father doing?" Dina asked, interrupting his thoughts for a moment.

"He's doing great. He asked about you the other day."

"Send him my regards, would ya?"

Nacho nodded and later gazed at Dina,  he began to drift in his thoughts of how they used to be; the both of them didn't necessarily start out as friends.

"Don't look at me like that." Dina pulled Nacho away from his thoughts as she smacked his bicep.

"I'm not looking at you. Like that." Dina couldn't help but roll her eyes as Nacho scoffed.

"Come on- you got that glint in your eyes. Stop it." Dina said softly as she avoided looking directly at him.

After finishing their food, Nacho watched Dina clear up and throw away the garbage. The two later found themselves in the studio area on the couch; Dina had her legs crossed as she faced him.

"You know I care about you. Right?" Dina spoke before Nacho could say what was on his mind. "But it didn't work out with us before. We were always arguing."

"We were young and stupid." Nacho admitted- even though it was rough between them sometimes, Nacho truly did love Dina- Nacho swore to himself that he'd always be there for her no matter their relationship status.

"I know." Nacho placed his hand on Dina's cheek and softly moved his thumb; the man couldn't help himself as his eyes bore into hers. Nacho's hand moved to the back of her neck and pulled her in, his lips immediately caught hers and Dina did not fight back. Dina's hand gripped onto his cherry red shirt as Nacho's hands pushed her down onto the sofa. Before the intensity between them could escalate, Dina broke the kiss after letting out a small moan.

"You didn't come all the way here for some action...right?" Dina asked nervously as she let out a small chuckle from underneath him.

"No." Nacho shook his head as he spoke honestly. "Dina I just miss-"

Dina pulled him in for a kiss and cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

The two later were cuddled in each other's arms; Dina had fallen asleep in Nacho's hold and before Nacho could do the same, a call from Tuco had pulled him away from the woman.

Before leaving the studio, Nacho covered Dina in her throw-blanket, kissing her forehead and whispered a small goodnight.