Days And Nights (Book of Life and Maya and the Three One Shots)

Good Look At You

After seeing Maria draw, Manolo offers to become her nude model.

It's been almost two weeks since Manolo and Maria got married. While most couples would be on their honeymoon during this time, Manolo and Maria were still in San Angel for several reasons. 

Manolo's father and great-grandmother had just been buried, and Manolo was still grieving, Maria and Joaquin helping him every step of the way. The battle had left the town in ruin and repairs needed to be made. Maria had only returned to San Angel recently and wasn't in the mood to travel anywhere just yet. 

The general had insisted on the young couple living with him. While Manolo and Maria were reluctant at first, they eventually agreed since they had nowhere else to go. 

One evening, Maria was in the library of the Posada residence drawing in her sketchbook. Her father's house didn't have a real studio for her to work in, so she settled for the library. She was sitting in a chair, drawing a portrait of Manolo. It wasn't the first time drawing him, so she had no trouble drawing him from memory.

"Hello." 

Maria looked up at her husband's voice as he walked into the room and looked over her shoulder at her drawing, smiling when he saw it was him.

"Wow, that's amazing."

"Thanks." Maria smiled.

"Let me guess, you also studied visual arts?"

"Yeah. They gave art classes back at the convent."

"Did you always draw me like this?" 

Maria chuckled and said, "Sometimes. They often brought in nude models to teach us anatomy."

"You've worked with nude models?"

"Yep. It was awkward the first few times, but you get used to it after a while." Maria looked at her sketch with a grin, "It's funny how I haven't used you as a model yet."

Manolo stepped away, catching Maria's attention, "What are you-"

Manolo began taking off his shirt, Maria realizing what he was doing. 

"W-Wait, no, I was kidding." She said, her face turning red, "Don't do it."

He was already taking off his pants with a smirk, "It's too late. You already gave me the idea. Draw me like one of your Spaniards."

Maria held her breath as Manolo took off his underwear. While this technically wasn't the first time she saw him naked, this was the first time she got a good look at him this way, something Manolo was also aware of. The young couple stared at each other for a few moments, both of their faces red, with a combination of awkwardness and excitement.

Maria snapped herself from her trance and said, "U-Uh, c-can you lay down... f-for me?" She felt stupid for stuttering. 

Manolo said nothing as he lay on the sofa across from her, Maria flipping to a blank page in her sketchbook.

"Uh... can you... straighten up a little, please?"

Manolo propped himself on his elbow, resting his head against his hand with a small smile. 

"Perfect." The young couple giggled as she started her drawing. 

She glanced between her husband and her sketchbook as she drew. 

As she mentioned before, this wasn't her first time seeing a naked man. After drawing nude models a couple of times, she paid no mind to the fact that they were naked, almost numb to it. 

But the model being her husband made it feel like the first time, making her flustered and somewhat distracted, often staring at him for longer than she should. She could tell he felt as awkward as her, but neither of them said anything, exchanging smiles and giggles which helped relieve tension. 

Half an hour later, Maria had sketched Manolo's upper half. When she looked up from her drawing, her eyes began to wander over his body. Manolo isn't as strong as Joaquin, but he still had a lean figure that anyone would be impressed by.

Maria slowly took in his features; his olive skin, arms, chest, shoulders, stomach, and legs. His body was strong yet gentle at the same time. She's never seen a model with a body like that... or a model as blessed as he was.

He was captivating. 

Maria snapped herself from her lustful trance. She was frustrated with how distracted he was making her. She wasn't even done with the sketch. 

With a sigh, she set her sketchbook aside and stood up. 

"Are you ok?" Manolo asked, getting up from the sofa.

"If I get to see you naked, then you're gonna see me naked, too." Maria said taking her shirt off.

"Oh, y-you don't need to do that."

"Yes, I do." Maria slid off her skirt as she took a deep breath, "It's only fair."

She closed her eyes and held her breath as she took off her underwear.

She slowly opened her eyes to see Manolo staring at her with wide eyes. 

The two stared at each other in silence, their faces bright red. Now it was Manolo's turn to take in Maria. She could tell he was taking his time as she did with him. She watched as his eyes wandered over her body; her slender figure, breasts, curves, shoulders, legs, and arms. He had a gleam in his eyes as he looked at her.

Manolo stepped closer to Maria, placing a hand on her shoulder, the other on her back, while she placed her hands on his face. They locked eyes for a moment before sharing a warm, passionate, gentle kiss, relishing in the feeling of skin on skin. 

"Mija!"

Manolo and Maria turned to see the general in the doorway, his eyes wide and jaw dropped in horror at the sight before him. 

The young couple screamed, scrambling for their discarded clothes in an attempt to cover themselves, "Papa!" Maria panicked.

"Maria, what on earth are you doing?!" The general demanded.

"S-Señor!" Manolo stammered, "It's not what it looks like."

"Well, it looks like it to me!" 

"We can explain." Maria said, "Manolo was just posing for a drawing."

"Does that warrant you being nude?!"

Manolo and Maria looked at each other awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.

"Uh... ok, so-"

"No! No, no, no, no, no! I don't want to hear it! Both of you get dressed now, so I can talk to you."

The general stepped out of the room to allow them to get dressed, Manolo and Maria sighing at the situation. 

...

The general had given a lecture about how indecent Manolo and Maria were. He said they shouldn't be exposing themselves in such a vile manner, especially in his own home, and how intercourse should be for trying for children.

Manolo and Maria had endured the lecture but didn't pay any attention to it. They didn't think they did anything wrong, as they were in the privacy of their own home and married. They were allowed to be as intimate as they wanted.

That didn't make being walked in on by the general any less awkward.

They were lying in bed, still processing what happened. 

"I didn't even finish the drawing." Maria finally said, turning her head to look at Manolo, "We're gonna have to do that again."

"That's ok," Manolo said. He turned to her, "I kinda liked being a model."

"You're no Spaniard model." Maria glanced downwards with a smirk, "Believe me, that's a compliment." Manolo chuckled as he blushed.

They smiled warmly at each other for a moment before they started giggling. It wasn't long before they were heartily laughing.

At least they now knew to lock the door next time.