Alex was still half-asleep, blinking at her phone as Rosa's text glowed on the screen—the photo of her and Marco curled up together, looking ridiculously cozy. She bit back a smile, her cheeks warming despite herself.
Then, strong arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her back against a warm chest.
"Mmm, buenos días, mami," Marco murmured against her shoulder, his voice rough with sleep. His lips brushed the nape of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine.
Alex tried to play it cool. "Morning."
Marco nuzzled into her hair, his hands sliding up her waist. "What're you looking at?"
She quickly locked her phone. "Nothing."
"Liar." He chuckled, his breath hot against her skin as he kissed along her shoulder. "You're blushing."
"Am not."
"Are too." His fingers danced up her ribs, tickling just enough to make her squirm.
Alex gasped, twisting in his grip. "Marco—stop—"
He grinned, flipping her onto her back and hovering over her, his dark eyes full of mischief. "Make me."
She rolled her eyes, but her traitorous heart was pounding. "You're ridiculous."
"And you love it." He dipped down, capturing her lips in a slow, teasing kiss.
Alex melted into it—just for a second—before shoving at his chest. "We just woke up. You have morning breath."
Marco gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. "You wound me, corazón." But then his smirk returned, wicked. "Bet I can make you forget about it."
His hands slid under her shirt, fingertips tracing lazy circles on her stomach. Alex's breath hitched.
"Marco—"
"Mm?" He kissed her jaw.
"We—we should probably get up—"
"Probably." He didn't stop.
"Breakfast is—oh—" His lips trailed lower, and her protest died in her throat.
Then—
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
"¡Oye, amorosos! Breakfast is ready—vámonos!" Lucía's voice rang through the door, followed by a knowing laugh.
Alex flushed scarlet, shoving Marco off her. "I told you!"
Marco groaned, flopping onto his back. "This family has the worst timing."
Alex scrambled out of bed, straightening her clothes and running a hand through her tangled hair. "We'll be down in a minute!" she called, voice embarrassingly high-pitched.
Lucía's laughter faded as she walked away, leaving Marco grinning up at Alex like the smug bastard he was.
"You're impossible," Alex muttered, throwing a pillow at his face.
He caught it, still grinning. "But you like me anyway."
She rolled her eyes—but she couldn't fight her smile.
"Hurry up," she said, tossing his shirt at him. "Before your mom comes up here herself."
Marco sighed dramatically but sat up, stretching. "Fine, fine. But this isn't over, mami."
******
After breakfast, the cabin buzzed with the usual morning chaos.
Rosa, Lucía, and Isabel commandeered the kitchen, cleaning up while debating the best way to make chilaquiles. Valeria disappeared into the shower, grumbling about "boys and their lack of hygiene." Diego, Javier, and Malik lounged on the porch, already cracking open cold drinks despite the early hour.
Marco, ever the whirlwind of energy, was halfway through reorganizing the fishing gear when he noticed Alex standing by the window, phone clutched tightly in her hand.
"Everything good, mami?" he called.
Alex didn't answer right away. She just stared at her phone screen, jaw clenched.
Marco frowned. He set down the tackle box and walked over, nudging her shoulder. "Hey. What's up?"
Alex let out a slow breath. "I just called my mom."
"And?"
"She forgot I was even gone."
Marco blinked. "…What?"
Alex's grip on her phone tightened. "She asked why I was calling her from my room. Like I hadn't left for an entire week."
Marco winced. "Damn. That's… cold."
Alex rubbed her eyes roughly, her voice tight. "Yeah. Real nice to know how much they miss me."
Marco could see it—the way her eyes were reddening, the frustrated tears she was stubbornly holding back. Without a word, he pulled her into a hug.
Alex stiffened for a second before melting against him, her face buried in his shoulder.
"Screw 'em," Marco muttered, rubbing her back. "You're here with us now."
Alex let out a shaky laugh. "Yeah. Lucky me."
Marco grinned and pulled back, tilting her chin up. "Hey. Wanna come fishing with us?"
Alex blinked. "Wait, really? Isn't that, like… a boys thing?"
From the porch, Javier snorted. "Mira, at this point, you're basically one of the boys anyway."
Malik facepalmed. "Dude. No."
Javier shrugged. "What? She rode ATVs with us, she eats chicharrones without complaining—"
Alex raised an eyebrow. "That's your criteria?"
"It's a high bar," Javier said solemnly.
Malik groaned. "Ignore him. But yeah, you can come. Just don't expect us to go easy on you."
Alex smirked. "Wouldn't dream of it."
———
The river was a short walk from the cabin—a wide, slow-moving stretch of water shaded by towering pines. The guys set up quickly, unfolding chairs, cracking open beers, and casting their lines with practiced ease.
Marco, however, stayed by Alex's side, holding out a fishing rod like it was a sacred artifact.
"Alright, mami. Time to learn the ancient art of not scaring the fish."
Alex rolled her eyes but took the rod. "I'm a fast learner."
"We'll see."
Marco's teaching method was… unique.
"Step one," he said, standing behind her, arms wrapped around her to guide her hands. "You gotta feel the rod. It's an extension of your soul."
Alex snorted. "That's not a real thing."
"Shh. Feel the energy." He exaggeratedly waved the rod in the air like a wizard's staff.
Javier, already reclined in his chair with a beer, called out, "He's full of shit, Alex. Just cast it."
Marco shot him a glare before turning back to Alex. "Ignore him. This is how you do it."
He guided her through the motions—reeling in the slack, flicking the wrist, releasing the line at just the right moment.
And, because she was Alex Dunphy, she got it on the first try.
The line sailed out, landing with a satisfying plop in the water.
Marco blinked. "…Okay, show-off."
Alex smirked. "Told you I was a fast learner."
"Yeah, yeah." He kissed her temple before plopping down in his own chair beside her. "Now we wait."
The next few hours passed in lazy contentment.
Javier and Malik argued over who had the better fishing spot. Diego, the only one who'd actually caught anything so far, quietly sipped his beer like the champion he was.
Marco, ever restless, kept stealing glances at Alex—her focused expression, the way she bit her lip when she reeled in the line, the way the sunlight caught her hair.
"You're staring," Alex said without looking at him.
"Can't help it," Marco grinned. "You're cute when you're concentrating."
Alex rolled her eyes but didn't hide her smile.
Then—tug.
Alex's rod jerked.
"Oh shit—!" She nearly dropped it.
Marco bolted upright. "You got one! Reel it in!"
Alex fumbled but managed to grip the rod properly, twisting the reel as the line fought against her.
Javier and Malik whooped from their spots. "Hell yeah! Don't let it get away!"
After a brief struggle, Alex pulled in…
A tiny, tiny fish.
Marco burst out laughing. "Aww, mira, it's a baby!"
Alex glared at the fish, then at Marco. "This is your fault."
"How?!"
"You distracted me!"
Diego chuckled. "That's fishing, hermana. Sometimes you get a trophy, sometimes you get bait."
Alex sighed but carefully unhooked the fish, letting it plop back into the water. "Go live a better life, little guy."
Marco wiped fake tears from his eyes. "I'm so proud."
Alex shoved him. "Shut up and fish."
He grinned, throwing an arm around her shoulders as they settled back into their chairs.