Always In Love With You // Branjie Drabbles (OTP Challenge)

✧･ﾟ: * Seven: Death of Someone Close ✧･ﾟ:*

(The content below denotes the sudden death of a loved one.)

Jose walked back and forth, completely restless since midnight, and it was already half past 2 in the morning. He's gotten a call from his mother in Puerto Rico, informing him that his grandma was rushed to the hospital after collapsing suddenly in the middle of a family celebration.

This grandma, in particular, is super special to Jose. While his Dad had a hard time believing that his son likes dolls more than cars, Grandma would buy him extra dresses and secretly play with Jose for the rest of the day. She was the person in the family that everybody least expected, the one who never had troubles accepting Jose for who he is.

For a long time, Jose's mother and grandma were his only allies. While he was bullied at school for being the kid who looked like a butch but acted like a sissy, Grandma would steal little Jose from his parents every weekend to keep him company and cheer him up. In fact, his very first Britney Spears shirt back in High School was a secret present from Grandma.

When Jose left Puerto Rico to pursue his dreams in The United States, he was extremely heart broken to leave his Grandma behind. And yet, like always, she was the one to push him into finding his place and chasing his dreams. With a heavy heart, he left and worked towards becoming a full-time drag queen. When he got into Drag Race, the first person Jose called from home was Grandma. She was extremely proud of him, and showed off his grandson to all of her friends. I guess you could say... she was the coolest grandma on the block!

Things were going smoothly, and Jose was just a few days away from wrapping up filming for Drag Race. However, one lovely night with Brock, the unexpected happens.

"Babe, calm down... I'm sure they'll call around when they have news," Brock took Jose's hands into his, kissing his knuckles gently, leaving no inch of skin uncovered.

". . ."

But Brock couldn't hide the fear he felt, either. Jose, being the upbeat and bubbly person that he was in and out of drag, was dead quiet for the past hour. Not even a word uttered, just pure silence.

He couldn't stop pacing around the room, tightly clutching his phone with one hand. If only they weren't filming the finale in three days, Jose would go as far as booking a ticket for the next flight to Puerto Rico.

Jose was never faster to pick up a phone call, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting. Once the connection gets through, he is greeted by his mother's cries.

"Jose..."

"Mom? What happened? What did the doctor say?" Brock rises quickly from the couch after hearing Jose scream. They were both pretrified.

"Darling... I-... I'm sorry..."

"W-what do you mean?

"They said... it w-was... s...s-...stroke," his mother sobbed from the other line, and Jose was frozen on the spot. "She c-couldn't make it."

Every smile, every laugh, every word and every cry... all of them came flashing right before Jose's own eyes. The way she stroked his back when he was frustrated with himself, the way she giggled on the phone when she pressed something wrong, the way she squealed when she first saw Vanessa, and the way she cried when Jose received a beating from his father... he's never gonna see any of that again.

Jose's tears came streaming down rapidly, his hands trembling uncontrollably. The words he heard from the other line replayed continuously in his mind, paired with an image of his grandma's lovely smile. A loud thud awakens the whole room, as both Jose and his phone stumble to the floor.

Little did he know that the last time he'd ever see her was at a family reunion six months ago, when his grandma strictly requested for Jose to show up in drag so that she could brag about him to her friends. It was very uncomfortable for Jose at first, but he eventually warmed up to the acceptance by his family. It turns out that grandma had a surprise for him - Jose's dad had finally opened up to his son's reality. It was the best gathering they had as a family. Leaving was the hardest part of it, and Jose felt more reluctant than he's ever been about walking away... for that wasn't without reason.

"Jose..."

Brock immediately ran to Jose, scooping him into his embrace. To Brock, nothing was more heartbreaking than to see the man he loved grieve the death of family they considered their saviour.

"I have no idea about the pain you feel right now, but I'm here for you. We enjoyed the best times together, and we're going through this together as well," Brock pulled Jose closer, holding him tightly in his arms.

Jose's heart was still broken, and it would stay that way for a long time, but knowing he had a shoulder to cry on was more than he could ask. Back in the day, his grandma was the only person who fulfilled this role.

Resting in Brock's warmth, he burried his face on his chest and poured his heart out until his tears ran dry. In the dangerous world they lived in, people only waited for them to show vulnerability, a weakness they could take advantage. But in Brock's arms, Jose never felt safer.

"Once all of this is over, we are heading to Puerto Rico together. I'll inform the company that I'm going to take a week off from all of my schedules. We're going together," Brock whispered softly before planting a kiss on Jose's forehead. "Everyone will understand and I don't give a damn if they happen not to."

Jose didn't say anything. He tried, and he usually never fails, but none of the words escaped his lips. Instead, he pulled Brock closer, hoping his feelings would reach him.

Despite what happened, Jose was grateful for having Brock in his life. Silently, he thanked his grandma for everything, and for holding long enough until he's found someone who loves him and cares for him as much as she did. And he was convinced that Brock was the angel sent by a greater angel in his life, his grandmother.

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[A/N I'm sorry if this was messy. It's mother's day and I really miss my grandma who passed away two years ago. But I'm sure she's happy now! Send your moms all my love! ♡ Nadine]