Preface

something true
Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/61377676.

Rating:
Teen And Up Audiences
Archive Warning:
No Archive Warnings Apply
Category:
Multi
Fandom:
Sense8 (TV)
Relationship:
Hernando Fuentes/Lito Rodriguez/Daniela Velasquez
Characters:
Daniela Velasquez, Lito Rodriguez, Hernando Fuentes
Additional Tags:
Canon Compliant, POV Daniela Velasquez, Queerplatonic Relationships, Polyamory, Slice of Life, Or 3 key moments of their relationship as told by Dani
Language:
English
Collections:
Yuletide 2024
Stats:
Published: 2024-12-16 Words: 1,861 Chapters: 1/1

something true

Summary

She finds Lito and Hernando in the kitchen, Hernando crowding Lito against the wall, Lito smiling like a schoolgirl, and her heart clenches. There’s something so beautiful, so real about the scene that she wishes she could capture it and look at it when she feels lonely. Instead, she watches Hernando kiss Lito and says “aww, you guys make such an adorable couple.”

 

[Or, three key moments in their relationship from Dani's POV, and how they went from LitoHernando and Dani to family]

Notes

Nestra,

I hope you have fun with this story. These three always make my heart grow three sizes and I hope they do the same for you.

Love,

--maevedarcy

something true

1.

Dani wakes up alone in a strange bed. It is cold by now and she knows she’s probably overstaying her welcome, but Lito is her only chance for Joaquin to leave her alone, so she might as well try her luck. She finds a white shirt on the floor that seems clean enough and puts it on before going to find Lito. The last thing this conversation needs is nudity, especially when it’s not going to persuade any of the parties that need persuading.

She’s known Lito for a short time and she still can’t quite wrap her head around him. Not because he’s a mystery, but because he is, at his core, a mess of contradictions. Lito’s the kind of person who, on the surface, is all charm and polished smiles—the kind of actor who makes you believe he’s the hero in the films— but underneath it all, he seems fragile in a way no one would guess. Hernando is a mystery, but Dani can see herself unraveling it if given enough time.

She finds Lito and Hernando in the kitchen, Hernando crowding Lito against the wall, Lito smiling like a schoolgirl, and her heart clenches. There’s something so beautiful, so real about the scene that she wishes she could capture it and look at it when she feels lonely. Instead, she watches Hernando kiss Lito and says “aww, you guys make such an adorable couple.”

They pull apart immediately, mumbling a half-hearted “good morning” that is definitely not a good sign. Lito offers her an espresso, which she readily accepts as she turns in search of his liquor cabinet. If she gets to stay here, she can be safe. Dani doesn’t think Lito will throw her out, not really, but she can’t say for sure and that’s making her nervous. She pours a generous shot of rum into her coffee and drinks it in two gulps.

She watches Hernando explain how they don’t need a live-in beard, and she knows her face shows all the complicated emotions going through her head. 

“I see. So, as long as I didn’t know the truth you were fine with using me?” 

“Interesting. I’ve said the exact same thing to him,” Hernando says. “Lito, I like this girl.”

“I thought you liked me too,” says Dani, trying to sound casual about it.

There’s some talk of home being a sacred place, a place where Lito gets to be himself, and Dani knows she’s overstepped when she says “I would love to know the real you.”

“Look, Daniela, that makes me kinda uncomfortable,” says Lito, moving next to Hernando.

Dani thinks since she’s seen into their private life, they deserve a peek into hers. A safe version of what’s happening. “I did something. It just– I need a place to crash while things cool down with this guy.”

Hernando encourages her to continue. When she doesn’t, Lito presses on, “what did you do?”

“Fucked his best friend?” she says it as a question almost, ready to wave it away if it’s not well received. 

But all they do is drink from their cups, matching incredulous looks on their faces. Then Hernando turns to Lito with a raised eyebrow and Lito pouts. It’s amazing to see them have an entire conversation with their eyebrows. Dani can only hope she’ll have that some day.

Lito sighs. “Only for a couple of days.”

Dani can’t contain herself and she squeals, jumping to her feet to hug them. Then Hernando asks if she wants breakfast and Dani follows him back to the kitchen. Lito stays behind at first, but as Hernando finishes chopping fruits for the fruit salad, Dani can hear him making his way back, a pout still on his lips.

Truth be told, Dani thinks he looks adorable.

 

2.

She will never forget the day Lito was outed. It was as if the world had cracked open and swallowed him whole. One moment, he was her charming, self-assured friend—living his life in the spotlight, keeping his secret tucked neatly away. The next, he was a target, exposed for something he’d kept hidden for years.

For Lito, it was like someone had ripped the floor out from under him. The headlines screamed. Social media exploded. And suddenly, the man who had been adored by millions became the subject of ridicule and speculation.

And then, there was Hernando. Dani saw the way he stood by Lito, never wavering. It was as if the chaos swirling around them didn’t matter. Hernando held his hand, his steady presence a quiet promise that no matter what the world said, they would face it together. 

She wanted to help, but what could she do? The damage was done and the whole ordeal was her fault after all. She watched as Lito retreated into himself, his once bright smile replaced with a thousand-yard stare. But Hernando was there. He kept Lito from falling apart, reminding him that no matter how loud the world got, their love was real.

In the end, Lito decided to move forward, photos or not. Dani had never been prouder of Lito than she was in that moment. He might not have known it then, but this was the beginning of his true freedom. The world could talk, could judge, but in the end, he would be okay. They would be okay. Because love always wins. And no matter how hard things got, he wasn’t alone.

They spend the holidays at his mom’s and her reaction to Lito’s news is enough to make Dani emotional the whole night. She even cried during mass, which was new for her. She wasn’t one for church to begin with. Here, with Lito’s family, she felt happy and nostalgic at the same time. Sure, she had the opportunity to be with them in such an important moment but she didn’t exactly belong.

On the 25th, they have breakfast together. Lito’s mom is so kind to her that she ends up sniffling over her scrambled eggs.

“Dani, are you okay?” asks Lito.

Almost at the same time, Hernando adds, “Dani, what’s wrong?”

“My family is nothing like this.” She sniffles, taking a deep breath. “This was probably the best Christmas I’ve ever had. Is it horrible that I think it’s because it had nothing to do with my own family?”

Hernando grabs her hand, a quiet gesture of comfort.

Stella tells Dani she will always be welcome in her home and Dani’s chest feels warm.

“Of course she is welcome,” Lito says. “She’s family.”

 


3.

“We need to get to London,” insists Lito, waving his hand at Dani. “No hospitals, Dani. I can’t go to the hospital.”

“Lito, you collapsed,” says Hernando, worry dripping from his words.

“Please, listen to me. I can’t go to the hospital. I’ll tell you everything, but I can’t go there.”

The room grows too small, the air too thick. Hernando sits him in the bed, then sits next to him. Dani hangs up and puts the phone on the nightstand, watching the two of them. He looks... fragile, in a way she has never seen before. There’s something about him—something raw, exposed. It’s as if he’s unraveling before them.

“Dani, Hernando” Lito says, his voice tight, the words carefully measured. “There’s something I need to tell you. Something I should have said a long time ago.”
Hernando’s gaze shifts to her, and for the first time, she sees the worry in his eyes. The kind of worry you can’t fake. Lito’s hand trembles slightly in Hernando’s, and she suddenly feels the weight of the moment. Something is about to change. She braces herself, waiting for the next piece of the puzzle to fall into place.

“I’m… different,” Lito says, his words coming slowly, as if he’s trying to find the right ones. “I’m not like other people, family. I’m... I’m different.”

She doesn’t quite understand at first. The pause between his words feels endless, and in that silence, the world around them seems to hold its breath. She glances between Lito and Hernando, unsure of what’s coming next.

“You said that, love,” says Hernando, gently.

“I’m trying to say I’m a different person,” he shakes his head. “Not different from before, but different from— can one of you help me here?”

The last words are not directed to them, but to the space next to her.

“Me?” Dani asks.

Lito shakes his head again, “no, no, family, I’m trying to say I’m a sensate. There, I said it.”

“What does that mean?” she asks, her voice barely a whisper.

Lito looks at her with those vulnerable yet strong eyes. “It means I can feel things. I’m connected to others in ways that... I can’t even explain. I’m not alone.” He touches the side of his head. “In here.”

Things that never made sense before—the strange moments when Lito seems to be somewhere else entirely, his eyes glazing over, as if he’s listening to something she can’t hear, mumbling in languages Dani can’t understand— start to fall into place. Dani wonders how she can suggest a psych eval without sounding insensitive.

Hernando squeezes his hand, his thumb brushing against Lito’s knuckles. “Lito…”

Lito looks from Hernando to Dani, a wild look in his eyes. “You don’t believe me. You— Nomi, a little help here?”

After a moment looking at the space next to Dani, his gaze goes back to Dani and says “Your phone’s about to ring.”

Dani is about to tell him that psychic stuff isn't really her thing when her phone rings. The screen shows an unknown number.

“¿Diga?” Dani answers, raising her eyebrow in his direction.

A woman’s voice comes through in heavily accented Spanish, “Dani… It’s Dani, right? Could you get Lito to the airport? We need to stick together right now. We can explain when he’s back.”

“Who are you?” she asks.

“One of Lito’s cluster. A sensate.”

Dani’s heart beats faster. The word seems charged, dangerous.

“Why should I believe you?”

“Because Lito just collapsed in his bathroom, he’s insisting you don’t take him to a hospital and you know he hasn’t talked to anyone since then, so now you’re wondering ‘how does she know that?’ Lito is not just Lito. There are 8 of us around the world, but if we don’t hurry, there’s about to be 7 and then, they’re coming for Lito.”

“Over my dead body,” Dani answers, with a ferocity she has never felt before.

Hernando frowns at her, but stays silent.

“Can we expect Lito on a plane to London tonight?” the woman asks.

“He’s not going anywhere without us. Work around that,” Dani says. “Are you this Nomi chick Lito just mentioned?”

“See you in London.” Then the line goes dead. Dani will take that as a yes.

Lito looks like he’d rather talk about anything but this. “So, are you explaining what a sensate is before or after we pack?”

Hernando’s eyes open wide. “Dani–”

Lito, for his part, smiles at her, bright and honest. For the first time in her life, she feels like she truly sees the real him.

 

Afterword

End Notes

Happy holidays!

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[Podfic] Something True by

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