ShadyMariah fan fic about them breaking it to Tilda that they are getting married. It takes place a while after the events of episode ten of season 2, which I changed the ending of to imagine that Shades and Mariah are still together.
Hernan, Mariah, and Mariah’s daughter Matilda all sat at a table for a brunch in a crowded and expensive Manhattan restaurant. They awkwardly sipped on bloody marys and made even more awkward small talk.
“How’s the holistic healing business?” Hernan smarmily asked Tilda. Tilda took a deep breath and exhaled, then downed the rest of her drink.
“It’s going well” Tilda said curtly. Mariah beamed at her daughter.
“Sweetie that’s wonderful! If you still want to be part of Family First, you know…”
“I know, mommy” Tilda sighed. Hernan called the waiter over for more drinks. Tilda shook her head no but Hernan held his hand up as if to say “I got this.”
Tilda didn’t know what to do. Hernan Alvarez was a convicted felon, he helped unwittingly create Luke Cage by almost killing him. Hernan Alvarez was her mother’s business partner, almost certainly in crime, no matter how many times they said they were legit and the Stokes family name was being redeemed. Hernan Alvarez was also her mother’s boyfriend. He was 40 years old. Mariah was 60. Tilda was 44.
Tilda didn’t think of her mom was the cougar type, though she long knew Mariah to be an opportunistic, calculating politician and an even colder mother. Even after she’d learned the truth about her parentage, she still could not feel much in care for her mom. Hernan stinks of crime and deceit and in that way, my mother and he were made for each other, Tildas mused.
Mariah gave Shades a little nudge. Hernan shot her an annoyed glance. Hernan was annoyed because he knew what she was getting at. He had a lump in his throat, however. He and Tilda weren’t on the best terms. But he knew they had to tell Tilda, and a public place with a crowd was the best place to do it.
Mariah softened by kissing his neck when she thought Tilda wasn’t looking. Tilda saw and tried not to vomit up her fruit salad and bloody marys. Mariah rested her hand on Hernan’s thigh, and he put a hand over it, his fingers looking to join hers. She obliged and they held hands. Hernan smiled and laughed softly and felt stupid. Mariah batted her eyelashes and smiled calmly at her lover next to her and her daughter across from them.
Tilda just poked at her cantaloupe and grapes, staring intently down at the remaining fruit. She grabbed her water glass and gulped it down, beckoning the waiter over for a refill of both her beverages.
Mariah inhaled deeply after a long awkward silence between the three amid all the endless chatter from every other table. She cleared her throat.
“Tilda, baby, I wanted to tell you something.” Mariah’s eyes widened, and she scanned Tilda’s face for a reaction. Tilda stared coldly at her.
“Whatever it is, please just tell me. Rip the band aid off.” Tilda exhaled and glared at Hernan.
“I wanted to give this a mother’s touch” Mariah cooed. Tilda rolled her eyes.
Hernan felt sweaty. He did not want this whole announcement to go awry. Usually he was good about not sweating, not letting it get seen, anyway, but this was larger than any of the usual song and dance with the law or rival gangsters. He thought of Comanche and how he might have felt, had he been here with them at this restaurant. He lowered his gaze into his lap. He fumbled for Mariah’s hand again.
Tilda felt her heart pounding. She didn’t know what could be going on, it had to be some new business arrangement. But why was Hernan there? She really did not want to think about the unthinkable.
“Hernan and I are getting married.” Mariah smiled, her lips tight. Hernan gulped and nodded slightly, smiling too.
Boom. There it was. The unthinkable. Forty year old baby faced Hernan, marrying her old mother. Forty year old, four years younger than Tilda, Hernan. Hernan the lowlife. Hernan her future stepdad. Tilda gaped at them, her face losing color. She felt truly nauseous. All she could muster was a squeaky “What?”
Hernan furrowed his brow. “Look, Tilda. You ain’t gotta like me. I respect you. I have given and will continue to give you your space. But I love your mother and I want to make her my wife.” Mariah stared at the ceiling and folded her arms, embarrassed.
Hernan’s hand was free and he folded both his hands together on the table.
“What about Alex? Is the marriage going to be open to him?”
“Isn’t he already part of the relationship? Side booty for mother?” Tilda kept her face tight, unrelenting even as she mouthed off.
“Stop it right now, Matilda” Mariah snarled.
“I get it. If Darius was side piece for Hernan here, then Alex can be for you.”
Hernan balled his hands into fists. He grimaced. It was taking everything he had not to lose control. He was trying, he really was.
“Keep Comanche’s name out your mouth, got it? Alex’s too. You shut up and you…”
“Hernan! God damn it will you keep it together?” Mariah snapped. Hernan just cast a dark glare upon Tilda, staring daggers at her. She returned the expression.
“Both of you, get a grip!” Mariah growled. “Tilda, I am marrying Hernan. You don’t think Dillard is honest. You don’t care for the Stokes name. Alvarez is neither. I want this for my future. My legacy. Our legacy.”
“I know you’re not changing your name to Alvarez. Unless you really want the latino vote.” Tilda smiled coldly at the pair opposite her.
“This is a political ploy, mother. I know you.” Tilda snapped.
“You don’t know shit.” Mariah chuckled.
Tilda turned back to Hernan, who was trying to get back to his omlette. “You know she can’t have kids at her age, right? You just want to make off with the club and the money and get fat off the Stokes’ blood profits.”
Mariah groaned, sucking her teeth.
Hernan couldn’t stop himself. “Maybe at Mother’s Touch you can make a fertility potion for your mother and I.” Hernan snickered. What was he doing? He had lost all patience. Mariah would kill him…
Mariah slapped him upside the head, then resting her face in her hands. Tilda jolted up and speedily left the restaurant. Mariah stormed out, leaving Hernan alone at the table with the check.
He slapped money down, tip and all, and went after his fiancee. Mariah had driven off in the car. No matter. Hernan flagged down a taxi and headed over to Mariah’s apartment.
He rang the buzzer. Nothing. He rang it again. Nothing. He missed the brownstone where he didn’t have to buzz anything.
He called Mariah on her phone. Voicemail. “Mariah, let me up. I’m sorry I said what I did, OK? If you don’t let me up I’ll meet you outside. Just let me see you.”
He rang the buzzer again. She buzzed him in. He took the elevator up to her place. She groggily opened the door. Her face was stained with tears. She raised her hand to him again but he caught it, like he did the first time over a year ago. They stood like that for a few moments. Then she backed up, he let go, and he walked in.
She glared at him menacingly.
“I’m sorry, baby. I’m sorry. I made a mistake. I lost my cool. I would never hurt your daughter.”
Mariah laughed. “She ran her mouth too.” A couple tears streamed down her cheeks. She ran her fingers through her hair, turning her back to him. He spun her around to face him. She froze and looked as if she was going to strangle him. She did grab his neck, but kissed him hard instead. He held her and they stayed in that embrace until the both of them felt like they weren’t going to lose it.
“You still wanna marry me?” Hernan asked softly.
“Shut up” Mariah murmured, caressing his cheek.
Mariah rolled her eyes. “Really, Hernan? You want me to say it? Yes.”
Hernan kissed her. She kissed back, their mouths opening for one another. Was he in the family? He really didn’t know. But he was getting there. Or somewhere close to it.
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