Summary: Bruno Madrigal, Seer of nothing but bad futures, pays the baker a visit. At least she's nice about it.
Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3 Pt. 4 Pt. 5 Pt. 6 Pt. 7 Pt. 8 Pt. 9 Pt. 10 Pt. 11 Pt. 12 Pt. 13 Pt. 14 Pt. 15 Pt. 16 Pt. 17 Epilogue
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In the Jungle with the Rats - Bruno x fem!reader
Summary: "Bruno was a bit confused when he saw the woman slinking away while everyone else was gathering to eat."
"He decided to check on her, just to make sure she was okay, and if she was he could just return before she spotted him."
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The Dead Speak to Those Who Listen - Bruno x fem!reader
Summary: Reader moves into the small town of Encanto in the jungles of Colombia, determined that no one find out about her secret.
Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3
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How to Make Friends by Telling Stories - Bruno x fem!reader
Summary: Bruno's attention is caught one day by the woman telling stories to the town children.
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The Mechanic - Bruno x fem!reader
Summary: Alma brings Bruno with her to meet the new mechanic in town and he leaves feeling like his life has been flipped.
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The Fortune-Teller in the Cave - Bruno x GN!reader
Summary: "It was a rumor that had been circulating through the nearby rumors, a legend really. It was said that, if you could manage to get through the jungle and to the cave, there you would find a hermit, a magical man who could tell your future..."
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A Trip to the Vet - Bruno x GN!reader
Summary: There's a new vet in Encanto. Antonio wants to get his animals checked out, just in case, and Bruno decides to join him with some of his rats.He gets more than he was expecting.
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Wasted Time - Bruno x fem!reader
Summary: "Bruno was happy, for a little bit. But, as is often the case, he started thinking too much, getting in his own head. As much as he just wanted to enjoy the moment, he couldn’t help but start regretting his past decisions."
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GN!Reader has the same powers as their father, Bruno Madrigal. - HC
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Seeing You Again
Summary: The day comes for Bruno's daughter's gift ceremony and he isn't content to watch from inside the walls.
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A Good Scolding
Summary: You are able to see and communicate with the dead. One day, Abuela gets angry enough to possess you.
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Drabbles:
A Jump in the River - Bruno and Pepa sibling bonding
Aren’t you Tired of Being Nice? - Bruno and Camilo bonding
What are you Doing? - Bruno and Julieta bonding
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Make Me - Bruno x fem!reader
Summary: Bruno get's dead lifted by his crush, bridal style, leading to a confession to slip out.
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Another Show of Affection - Bruno x GN!Reader
Summary: Bruno has an odd habit, one you find really cute but he finds embarrassing. You decide enough is enough and talk to him about it.
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Steps to His Healthiest Self
Summary: Pepa and Julieta are determined to make sure their hermanito returns to his best, healthiest self. Some steps are easier than others.
Or: Bruno begins his road to recover with support from his sisters.
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The Child in the River
Summary: Bruno finally gets the chance to go on a walk, ready to enjoy some time outside in the peace and quiet. He doesn’t expect to find a child in the river, but then again, who would?
Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3 Pt. 4
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A Bad Vision - Bruno x GN!Reader
Summary: One vision too many one day leaves Bruno in terrible shape. You do your best to try and help, though it's not much. It means everything to him.
18+ FICS, MINORS DNI
Under the Sun - Bruno x OC
Related to The Seer and the Baker, but you don’t have to read that to enjoy this one!
Summary: Bruno and Laila go on a picnic date and things go better than they expected.
A werewolf story where the main character is looking to settle down after traveling for many, many years. We follow one of her attempts to join a town and just live a peaceful life.
The main character is just tired. She’s been alone for far too long. All she wants is some companionship, a friend or two she can trust. But, obviously, that can be hard for her to find when she’s considered evil or dangerous by everyone who sees her at night.
I’m still figuring out a lot of the plot points, but I do know I want it to be more of a character focused book.
Characters: (Still thinking up names)
> The main character, a woman about 30 years old. She was bitten by a werewolf when she was a teenager and was so scared of hurting anyone she ran away. But that was years ago and now she’s just fed up with the whole thing and trying her best to live a normal life.
> We’ve got a shepherd and his family. He’s an older man in his 40′s, very in love with his wife and children. Hard working and kind, not a man of many words. He struggles to convey what he’s thinking most times.
> The shepherd’s wife. She’s also in her 40′s and is more of a harsh woman, though often unintentionally. She’s just rather blunt which can sometimes make her come off as rude, but she’s a warm and friendly woman at heart.
> The shepherd’s oldest daughter and their oldest child, in her late 20′s. She has no interest in farm life or sheep. She has no interest in following her parents work. She wants to escape their little town and travel.
> The shepherd’s son, early 20′s. Laid back and calm, more than happy living his peaceful life in the little town. He shares his father’s difficulty with expressing himself, but is nowhere near as quiet. His struggle with words can lead him into trouble sometimes.
> The shepherd’s youngest daughter, about 8 or 9. She was most definitely not intended. She’s a quiet little girl, currently more focused on finding what she enjoy’s doing the most.
That’s all I’ve got so far. I’m currently working on the first draft of the first chapter, which I’ll post once I’m done.
Thoughts are welcome as I work on this! Thank you!
If any of you guys liked my writing and want more of it, even if it’s not Bruno focused, this might be the blog for you. I’m really excited to write my book, and the more people I have following the more I can keep myself focused. No motivation quite like disappointing others lol!
Anyways, follow for werewolf and fluff
(And because I’m struggling to name the characters and need ideas)
Just a bit of an update, I suppose. I'm going to finish the last chapter of "The Child in the River" (yes, im afraid theirs only one or two left). Then I plan on taking a break from writing.
I'm not sure how long it'll be or if I'll come back to this blog, we'll just have to wait and see. Until then, im afraid it's goodbye for now! Thanks for being such amazing followers!
Summary: Bruno starts the morning early with a conversation with his mother about the girl.
Read it on AO3!
Word Count: 1.7k
Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3 Pt. 4
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When Julieta went into the kitchen that morning, she was not expecting to see Bruno already there. Even as a young boy, he always tended to sleep in. As he grew older and his visions became more taxing, sleep became more difficult, which led him to tossing and turning through the night, not getting up until the afternoon or he was forced to get up. Even after he returned, he wouldn’t leave his room until as close to breakfast as he could possibly get.
When Julieta saw him already in the kitchen, sitting at the small table with a cup of coffee in hand and a far off look in his eyes, she knew something was wrong.
“Bruno?”
He looked up at her, relaxing slightly with her presence.
“Ah, ‘morning, Julietta. I, uh - I made some coffee if you, you know…” He gestured vaguely with a hand, already returning to the thoughts in his own head.
She did get herself a cup, but that didn’t mean she had been distracted. She poured herself a cup, leaning against the counter as she took a sip, eyes still on her brother. The silence only lasted a moment before she spoke up.
“What’s on your mind, hermanito?”
He didn’t respond right away and when he did it was with a sigh, leaning back in his chair and staring at the ceiling.
“A lot.” he finally answered.
Julietta gave him a look, but it seemed like he was going to say more, so she waited patiently, taking the time to walk over and sit with him at the table. She could see his thoughts coming together as he searched for words.
“I had a vision last night about … well…” He gestured again, but that was fine. Julieta knew what he meant. “It was … I’m still trying to accept what I saw. I just - just need to … wrap my mind around it.”
Julietta nodded, placing her cup on the table.
“Would it help if you talked about it?”
He gave a small, hesitant smile and nodded.
“Of course, but … I want to wait and talk with Mamá, too.”
Oh. Whatever he saw must have been big, then. She smiled gently at him.
“Alright. I’ll be right here.”
She reached over to give his hand a gentle squeeze before getting up to get started with breakfast, placing her empty cup in the sink.
Julietta was almost always the first one up in the mornings, having to not only cook breakfast for the family but get ready for a day in town, feeding the injured and sick. She did as much cooking the night before as she could, but that still left plenty to do in the morning. She didn’t work nearly as much as she used to, but she did still enjoy making breakfast.
The second to get up was always Alma, intent on watching over the family as they wake up. It wasn’t long before Bruno could hear the familiar footsteps before she appeared in the doorway. She was also surprised to see Bruno there, though she didn’t show it outwardly as much as Julietta did.
“Mamá,” he greeted her. “Can we talk?”
And he had never been very good at hiding his emotions. It was written all over his face, the worry and anxiety.
“Of course, Brunito. She quickly agreed, sitting with him at the table. “What’s bothering you, mi vida.”
He tapped a finger against the table, giving himself a moment before speaking.
“I couldn’t sleep last night, so I - I decided to have a vision. I was worried about … well, everything, and just wanted to know if everything will be okay in the end. It …” He paused, unsure how to move forward.
“Is it bad?” Alma asked, keeping her voice quiet and gentle. Bruno shook his head adamantly, wild curls flying.
“No, no, no, it DOES work out, in the end. She’ll do great.” He couldn’t help the slight smile that pulled at the corners of his lips, but it was short, quickly replaced with a grimace. “But … we won’t find her parents. I saw …” He paled at the memory of the vision and shook his head. “There’s a body up river. That’s the most we’ll find.”
Alma was silent a moment, eyes trained on where her hands rested on top of each other on the table, before giving a slow nod.
“I see …” The words left her slowly, a frown etched into her face as she thought very carefully. “Is there any sign of what happened?”
Bruno shrugged and shook her head, looking off into the distance as he tried to remember the details of the vision, any sign or clue as to what incident could cause such damage. He sighed and shook his head again.
“I couldn’t say.” He finally got out. “Perhaps an animal attack of some kind? It is right next to the water. It’s possible she was pushed or fell during … whatever happened.”
There was another moment of silence before she nodded once more, sitting straighter in her chair, a determined and stern look on her face, one he knew very well.
“Very well. I’ll send the group as planned, but we will warn them of what they will find. We will continue to care for the girl for the time being while we decide what is best for her.”
She said her words with a finality that left no room for argument. There was more that Bruno had wanted to say, more that needed to be said, but he was already feeling exhausted from having to reveal this much. He would have to tell her eventually, yes, but it could wait, at least for another day.
-
It was still some time before breakfast when Bruno decided to check on the girl. If she was awake then he saw no reason why he shouldn't get her ready, and if she was still sleeping, well, there was still some time for sleep yet.
He walked quietly through the halls, unwilling to break the silence that settled over the house like a blanket. Most of the family didn't wake up until Mirabel woke them with knocks on their doors. Sometimes Antonio would be up earlier, taking care of and playing with his animals, or Isabella, caring for her garden behind the house. Still, mornings were always so quiet.
It made it easier to notice the sound of someone talking.
He paused at the nursery door, tilting his head slightly to better make out the little voice through the heavy door.
"... bad bear. No playing. Time to make the bed."
He gave a quiet sigh, feeling no small amount of relief to hear the girl talking. She hadn't spoken a word the day before and he was starting to think she couldn't talk at all.
He opened the door as quietly as he could, peering through the crack. The girl was up, the stuffed bear in her arms. All the pillows and blankets were in a pile on the floor next to the bed. He could only assume she had put them there herself. As he watched, she took ahold of the bear's little hands, moving them to grab onto one of the blankets in the pile and drag it onto the bed. She did her best to smooth it out with the bear's hands before doing the same with the second blanket. Then, of course, the bear had to do the pillows, too.
Bruno couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face at the, frankly, adorable behavior. He let her finish before knocking lightly against the door, opening it a bit wider to let her know he was there. He could swear he felt his heart melt when she looked up at him with the biggest smile, eyes sparkling. She ran up to him and he happily lifted her into his arms.
"Good morning, nina. Did you sleep well?"
She gave a curt nod.
"And I see the bed is made already. Did you do that?" He asked with a smirk, chuckling when she shook her head no.
"Bear did it." She said in her tiny voice, lifting the bear up to show him.
"Oh, did he? Well, he did a wonderful job." She beamed at his praise.
He put her down and went to the dresser, motioning for her to follow. She bounced by his side, eagerly looking into the doors while he decided what she should wear today. There were plenty of choices with all the old clothes and the girl seemed happy with all of it.
He was eventually able to settle on a shirt and skirt. He asked her if she could dress herself and she thought for a good long moment before sadly shaking her head no.
"Mama always helps."
He felt his heart twist at the words, but he forced himself to swallow the lump in his throat and focus on the task at hand.
"Alright, I'll help you."
She dashed off to put her bear on the bed before coming back to him.
"So," he said while he helped her with her clothes. "Are you going to tell me your name today?"
Apparently, the question required a lot of deep thinking. He humphed and puffed and screwed her face up before she could think up an answer.
"No!" She said with a giggle. He chuckled along.
"Really? Not even if I ask real nicely?" She shook her head. "Well, I'll make you a deal. You tell me your name and i'll tell you mine. Like a trade."
That seemed to do the trick.
"Ana."
He smiled at her as he finished helping her dress.
"And I'm Bruno." He said, sticking his hand out. She glanced between his eyes and hand before taking it, almost immediately bursting into laughter as he shook too hard, making her whole arm wiggle about.
"It's very nice to meet you! Now, you ready for breakfast?"
She nodded once more, making sure to grab the bear off the bed before running back to where he was now standing, grabbing his hand and looking up at him with a smile. And how could he not smile back?
Bruno needs to slow down and relax but won't listen.
TW: heavy implied violence, angst
Also didn't proof read so many apologies!
🌺
For weeks, you watched your poor husband run back and forth. In and out of his vision cave with handfuls of emerald glass tablets. His eyes full of panic and desperation. It pained you to see him exhaust himself for appreciation and respect. You tried to tell him to slow down, take a minute to breathe. Sadly, it all fell upon deaf ears. He wanted the town to love him, like they love his sisters.
You frequently found yourself sleeping and waking up alone. You wonder if Bruno even made it to bed during the night. He was never present for the family breakfast and always late for dinner, keeping his head down as he barely touched his food. Even the family tried to talk to him, but he'd always tell them he's fine and quickly leave.
You had had enough one day, when Bruno started avoiding everyone with his hood pulled up. He sprinted into your shared room, passing you and aiming towards his vision cave. His hands clutching his hood, covering his face. You had grabbed him before he could hide, forcing him to pull down his hood. You were ready to yell at him, but his face had made you freeze. His eyes refusing to look at you. A bruise around his right eye screams at you; a harsh mixture of blue, purple and green. You let him go as his eyes start to pool with regretful tears. He hides in his vision cave, no green glow emerges from it. Only wails of pain and anguish. You had cried yourself to sleep that night, angry at yourself for not doing anything more.
The next morning, you brought him an arepa Julieta had cooked. You shut his refusal down as you shoved the arepa in his mouth, healing his black eye. He gave you a lazy smile and you were able to see the damage. The bags under his eye were darker and heavier. His wrinkles more prominent and more grey hairs clouded his natural black locks. You had told him to stay home and rest, but he shook his head, muttering about not letting the family down. He brushed past you, leaving you alone once more.
Lavender reduces stress... Isabela had told you when she found you crying into your hands. She offered you a few lavender plants, all neatly picked and radiating a beautiful scent. Suddenly, an idea popped into your head. You were going to get Bruno to relax, no matter what he says. He needs this. You need this. You miss him. You can't remember the last time he embraced you lovingly or made love to you. You tear up when you can't remember him saying he loves you.
Bruno had returned home within the late hours. The casita silent. He rubbed his throbbing head, the constant migraines from his vision were taking a toll on him. He wanted to stop, but he can't. The heavy weight of wanting to gain the approval from his mother and the town forced him to keep going. He had expected you to be asleep in bed, but to his shock and panic, the bed was empty.
A strong smell of lavender drifted into the room from the bathroom. He cocked an eyebrow as he followed the intoxicating scent, only to find you drawing a warm bath. You glanced up at him with a loving smile and sad eyes. He tried to return the smile but couldn't bring himself to do so. He looked at the bath confused. Small purple tealights sit around the bath, burning softly. Almost delicate. Lavender petals lay comfortably ontop of the bubbles, swaying gently with the water.
For you, you had told him. He shook his head, telling you he can't stop now. You took ahold of his wrist, stopping him from escaping. Before he could protest, you brought him into a tight hug. You felt him freeze in confusion only to relax in your arms withing mere seconds. His shoulders shook as silent whimpers escape his lips, clawing at your back to bring you impossibly closer to him. You stroked his greasy curls as he cries into your shoulder, allowing him to scream and sob his frustrations.
You help him strip from his clothing and guided him into the heavenly bath. His body disappearing under the fizzing bubbles. With a deep exhale Bruno closed his eyes and sunk deeper, only his neck and head visible. You slid a pillow behind his head, sitting beside him on a small stool. For the first time in ages, you finally see him relax. His mouth agape as his breathes softly, his eyelids showing no signs of pressure or force.
The lavender sends him into a world of bliss. All his worries long forgotten. You gentle massage water into his curls, earning a sigh of contentment. You clean the grease out his hair, careful not to disturb him from his well needed rest. Place a hand on his cheek, he leans into you, a trickle of water falls onto your thumb. His quiet sobs rumble against your hand as you stroke his cheek. His eyes still closed, he brings a hand to your free one, holding it firmly. He brings you knuckle to his lips, placing a tender kiss to the back of your hand.
He slowly opens his eyes, looking up at you. Nothing but appreciation, adoration and pure love in his jade eyes. He mimics your hand and places his own wet one on your cheek, his thumb strokes you as unknowing tears syream down your face. No words need to be said. Eyes tell more than lips. The silence between the two of you speaks. You love eachother. More than life itself.
He reads the pain he caused you through you glistening eyes. The lonely nights, the loss for emotional and physical affection he had caused. He had been so blind to you. In wanting the attention and love from the town, he forgot about you. Your love can't compare. Your love was worth a million towns and more. He had almost lost that.
He joined you in bed, a deeply missed moment to both of you. You faced him and looked up at his eyes. They were full of regret and fear. Fear he'll lose you. You took ahold of his hands, kissing the back of both palms before releasing him. He cupped your cheeks and placed a soft kiss on your forehead. You pulled eachother into a tight embrace, inhaling eachother as if it was your last breath.
Within minutes, Bruno was falling into a deep slumber, nuzzling your head as he tried to hold you closer. You find yourself following suite, relieved your lonely nights had come to a somber end. He whispers into your hair as you drift off.
I know, its been a while since I posted, but imma just slide this in here to let you know I'm not dead and still writing, just getting distracted and struggling.
I'll hopefully have the next chapter of "The Child in the River" posted this week
"Bruno is good with kids" this and " Bruno was a good uncle to the Madrigal children" that.
What about Bruno being good with the elderly?
- The grandfather with absolutely no filter, who actually has a good laugh about Bruno upsetting his sensitive granddaughter by telling her her fish will die. His handshakes and pats on the back are just a little too rough for Bruno, always leaving him a little shaken, but seen.
- The condescending but well meaning church goers who "want what's best" for him. They might fear Bruno like many others, but they also pity him and pray for him, assuming he just needs to "find god". Bruno appreciates the effort, as misguided as it may be.
- His retired elementary teacher who watched him grow up and tells him he shouldn't spend his life hiding himself away. She still sees the bright and happy student he once was.
- The widow who playfully flirts with Bruno. She knows that she's got very little to lose since she's already lived most of her life, so she might as well shoot her shot. She will playfully joke with Bruno about whether he sees her in his future. When he politely rejects her she takes it in stride, not letting it stop her from telling Bruno how kind and handsome she finds him. She is sure that whoever does manage woo the young Madrigal man will be very lucky.
- Alma's friend who has seen enough terrible things in his life that he actually appreciates the soft spoken young man who tells him exactly now much longer his dog has to live, so he knows to make every second count.
- The bedridden hermit who never gets visitors in her home besides Bruno, who visits out of pity after a particularly sad vision about her fate. She knows she doesn't have much longer without having to ask and instead just wants to make the most of her final moments with her only visitor, telling stories of her life before the Encanto came to be.
Bruno never had many friends his own age, which made his sudden disappearance that much harder, as despite his return many years later, his finals days before going into hiding would be the last time he'd see many of them.
Summary: It's bedtime in Casita and Bruno has a lot to think about.
Read it on AO3!
Word Count: 2.1k
Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3 Pt. 4
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It was decided, almost unanimously, that the time before bed would be spent drawing.
Every set of crayons, pencils, markers, paper and coloring books were brought into the dining room and piled in the middle of the table. Most of the family crowded around the table, laughing as they drew, poking fun at each other’s skills or complimenting them.
The girl had been excited to see such a large pile of goodies, giving a little giggle as she climbed onto her own chair, making sure to sit on her knees so she could still reach. She looked back to Bruno with a big smile, patting the chair next to hers, so he smiled back and sat where she wanted him to, happy to watch and help her grab whatever she wanted.
It was a peaceful night, as far as nights with his family went.
Bruno decided it was probably time for the girl to go to bed after she had started getting tired, giving big yawns and rubbing at her eyes between pictures. Antonio would be going to bed soon, as well, so it seemed like the right time.
“Alright, querida, I think it’s time for bed.”
She didn’t put up any sort of fuss when he picked her up, clutching her last picture in her hands. She gave another yawn, slumping in his arms. There was a chorus of “goodnight”s as they left the room, their voices soon fading as he made his way to the nursery.
The new nursery was in a very different place from the last one. When they were rebuilding Casita, it was decided that Mirabel’s new room would be where the old nursery was. Instead, they had put it off an isolated little hallway on the second floor, one that was actually quite close to where Bruno’s door was. He passed his sisters and mother’s door and, right next to them, no longer hidden away, was his door, then the hallway that led to the nursery.
The room wasn’t dark. The moonlight falling through the window was plenty bright enough this night for him to see everything, washed out of colors by the night but still there. It was a simple room, having been empty just that morning. They weren’t expecting to have to use the room for several years yet, not until the oldest grandkids started having children of their own. But, when he and his mother came in to set the room up for their little guest they had found a few furniture items waiting for them, conjured up by Casita, just a bed and a dresser. They had done their best to make it welcoming enough for the little girl, making the bed up with plenty of blankets, filling the dresser with extra clothes provided by both Pepa and Julieta from when the girls were little, things of that sort. Antonio had even offered to give the girl one of his stuffed animals, a brown bear with a little green bow tie.
Bruno padded over to the bed, pulling the blanket away and ever so gently placing the girl onto the mattress. She hummed, pressing her face closer to the soft cotton of the pillow while he pulled the blanket up to cover her and tucked her in, nice and comfy.
“Buenas noches, querida.” He whispered, running a hand through her hair. Her eyes were already fluttering closed, quickly falling to sleep after such a long day. “Tomorrow will be better. I promise.”
He stayed like that for a few minutes, watching as she slept before he felt she was okay and he could go. Quietly, he got up from the bed, sneaking out of the room. He made sure to leave the door open a crack, just in case, before returning to the dining room with the rest of the family.
-
Bruno spent far too long pacing his room, deep into the night, thinking in circles and worrying. There was a lot to worry about, yet very little to do, especially so late at night.
He sighed, wiping a hand down his face, letting it rest over his mouth. Tired eyes glanced over to his bedroom door, wondering. Past the door was a sort of sitting room, all dark wood and green fabrics, and at the back of the sitting room was a very familiar round stone door.
Perhaps he should have a vision, just make sure everything would be okay. He thought it over a few times before nodding to himself, marching to his vision cave.
The room was plunged into darkness as the door shut behind him, but that was fine. He was used to navigating the room while it was dark. It wasn’t long before the fires were lit, anyways, salt and sugar thrown over his shoulders with murmured words of luck.
He let his breath out slowly, closing his eyes a moment as he felt the pressure build in his ends. When he opened them again they glowed a gleaming emerald, the sand rising around him to form it’s usual dome. The images flashed before his eyes, glimpses of the future but not what he was looking for. He gritted his teeth at the forming headache, forcing the images to bend to his will, to show what he wanted to see. The pressure behind his eyes built, but the vision obeyed his silent command.
He saw tomorrow. He saw Félix with a few other men from the town, walking through the jungle, the river at their side. No doubt they were the search party his Mamá said she would send up the river. Another image flashed, the group looking disturbed as they stared at something on the jungle floor. He frowned, trying to get a better look at what it was that had their attention, but when the thing was shown he almost wished he hadn’t seen it.
It was a body, whether man or woman he couldn’t tell. They had been practically torn apart, nothing left of them but a bloody, broken mess. A hand came up to cover his mouth, nausea rolling through his gut at the image. But the vision wasn’t over and, as much as he wanted nothing more than to stop, to look away, he was forced to keep watching. Even when he closed his eyes, the image still hovered in front of his sight.
He let out a sigh when the image finally passed, giving way to images of the group returning to Casita, presenting a traveling bag to his Mamá. Then it showed the girl. It showed her crying in his arms while he did his best to comfort her. It showed her sitting at the dinner table with them, all on her own. It showed her playing with the youngest family members, showed her being cared for by the older members, smiling and laughing and growing up like a normal girl, despite the horrendous images he saw before. The vision ended on an image of the girl, a few years older, dressed up all fancy and standing before a door, just like he did when he was such a young boy, just like every family member that came after them.
He came out of the vision with a gasp, stumbling back a step before he steadied himself and reached out of the green glass-like panel. He stared down at it with slightly blurry eyes, the last image of the vision etched into its depths. His breath caught in his throat,
That was that, then.
He held it close to his chest, thinking everything over. He would have to tell his Mamá, warn his cuñado what they would find so they would be prepared. Not now, though. Tomorrow morning, before everyone left.
Which left … the girl.
He sat in the sand with his legs crossed, frowning in thought.
The vision had been clear about what would become of the girl. The thought made his hands itch and his heart beat faster. Anxiety, fear, worry, all the usual emotions were present. Doubt as well, though not in her but in himself.
He didn’t even know her name! Or how old she was! He knew nothing about this girl that had been so suddenly thrust into his life.
But none of that hardly mattered, not right now. What mattered was the little girl, sleeping away in the nursery. A little girl that needed him now, more than any child had ever needed him. He took a deep breath, determination clear on his face.
He pushed himself to his feet, holding the evidence of his vision carefully in his hands. He left his vision cave, returning to his own room to put the tablet away, somewhere safe, somewhere it wouldn’t be broken. The dresser would do just fine, tucked between the fabric clothes he would rarely if ever wear.
His exhaustion was starting to catch up with him, but there was one thing he needed to do before he went to bed.
He left his room behind, shutting his glowing door as gently as possible. Casita was quiet, the sounds of the jungle at night the only sound. At least, that’s what he thought when he first closed the door. But as he stood there, he could hear something under the sounds, something much quieter and unfortunately familiar.
With quiet footsteps, he walked to the nursery. The door was closed now, muffled the quiet sobs that came from inside, and with them a whispering voice.
He opened the door to find Dolores, trying her best to comfort the little girl who was sobbing in her arms. She looked up at him with wide eyes when he entered.
“I heard her crying.” She told him in a hushed voice as he padded over, taking the girl from her. She was quick to clutch at his shirt and bury her face in his chest. “I didn’t want to wake you …”
“It’s alright.” He murmured. “I don’t mind. You can come get me if she ever needs anything.”
She nodded, getting up from the bed and heading for the door.
“Buenas noches, Dolores. Thank you.”
“Buenas noches, Tío.”
She gave a soft smile before leaving the room, leaving the door open a crack for him.
He shuffled over to the bed, the springs squeaking as he sat, settling with his back against the wall. He sat the girl in his lap, watching as she shuffled about a bit before stilling once more, almost laying down with her head in the crook of his arm, hands still clutching the fabric of his shirt and face hidden away. She shook with silent sobs, having quieted herself considerably when he had picked her up.
He shushed her gently, rubbing circles into her back and rocking ever so slightly from side to side.
“I know, querida, I know.” He murmured in his gentlest voice, earning a few sniffles, those big eyes looking up at him. “Don’t worry, mi vida. You’re okay. Everything will be okay.” He continued to reassure, smiling down at her. His grip tightened ever so slightly as the girl sighed and sank into him, eyes fluttering closed. She continued to sniffle a few more moments before stopping. A few minutes after that her breathing had evened out as she fell asleep once more, whatever nightmare that had awoken her forgotten, at least for now.
He watched her sleep, chest tightening as all those emotions came back to him in a tsunami.
He held the girl close, careful not to wake her.
“I’ll take care of you.” He promised her, feeling his chest swelling and the tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. “I promise, I’ll always be here for you. Always.”
He didn’t leave the room until his eyes had grown too heavy and he was struggling to stay awake. It was only then that he got up and carefully tucked her back in, making sure she would be comfortable and warm until the morning. He stayed there a moment longer, crouched next to the bed, before reaching out to brush her hair out of her face. Then, a moment later, he leaned over to give her a kiss on her forehead.
It was only then that he forced himself to his feet, body feeling heavy as he trudged to the door. Before he closed it he looked back to her, so little in her bed, already going through so much more than anyone deserved.
But he was there for her now. He felt the determination replacing all his doubts, a smile slowly spreading over his face.
“Dulces sueños, mi hija.”
With that he left, dragging himself back to his room. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.
Agustín had been young enough, when Bruno started seeking him out, that it felt like he’d known Bruno his whole life.
It wasn’t true, of course. Bruno was only a few years older than Agustín, and hadn’t gotten his gift until he was five. But practically since Agustín could remember, Bruno had been appearing on the peripheries of his life. Even as a little kid, the older boy been a bit skittish, but he would show up first thing in the morning at Agustín’s house with food from Julieta, deliver it as quickly as he could, with some sort of stammering explanation that usually didn’t make much sense, and then flee back to the casa Madrigal.
Inevitably, those would be the days that Agustín would fall and skin his knees, or run afoul of bees, or, on one memorable occasion where Bruno showed up with a whole basket of arepas and a slightly haunted look, Agustín broke both wrists falling from a tree.
He’d finally sought Bruno out himself the next day.
Or, he’d tried to, anyway. It turned out that when Bruno didn’t want to be found, he was quite good at disappearing. Agustín had asked señora Madrigal where he was, but she hadn’t known. Instead, Agustín had found himself in the Madrigal’s kitchen with Julieta. He’d never met any of the family aside from Bruno, so he was a little bit startled at how at ease Julieta had been. When he told her so, she grinned at him.
“Oh, Bruno hasn’t told you yet?”
Agustin had blinked at her. “Told me what?”
She’d poked him in the chest. “Future Madrigal.” She’d told him in a conspiratorial whisper. He’d just stared at her for a moment, but by the time he managed to come up with any questions to ask, señora Madrigal had appeared in the kitchen doorway, and Julieta had shushed him meaningfully.
So he kept looking for Bruno.
Julieta had told him to try checking by the stream behind the house, so Agustín had gone there next, and found Bruno crouched by the water, holding something in his hand and talking quietly.
“Who are you talking to?”
Apparently Bruno hadn’t heard Agustín come up behind him. With a yelp, he shot to his feet, spinning to face Agustín, and missed his footing on the edge of the stream. He toppled into the water, and Agustín ran to help him up, but Bruno wasn’t really paying attention to him anymore, shaking his wet hair out of his eyes and frantically searching the stream for something.
“What are you looking for?” Agustín had asked, perplexed.
Bruno hadn’t even looked up. “A rat, about this big–” He held up his hands as though Agustín didn’t know how big rats were. “I lost her when I fell–”
Agustín still didn’t understand, but he looked. He spotted something moving downstream and ran after it. The stream was deeper here, and he slogged into the water up to his hips to scoop up the swimming rat, trying not to feel grossed out. But Bruno was right behind him, and plucked the rodent gently from his hand, talking quietly to it and offering it a crumb of something that looked suspiciously like Julieta’s cooking. Agustín decided not to ask, as Bruno carefully tucked the rat under his shirt.
“Is…she your pet?” He asked instead.
“What? Oh, no, she just likes me. There are a bunch of them, but mamá doesn’t like it when I feed them in the house, and they don’t like to stay in my tower all the time.”
Agustín blinked at him. “You have a tower?”
“Well technically it’s my room, but–yeah.” Bruno had offered him a shy smile. “Thanks for helping. I know people don’t really like rats.” He still had his hand protectively over where the rodent was hiding in his shirt. Agustín wondered if he’d forgotten they were both standing in a cold stream. It really was quite cold, and Bruno was more soaked than Agustín was.
“Sorry for startling you.”
“That? Oh.” Bruno waved his free hand dismissively. “I startle too easy, everyone says so.”
For a moment, they’d stood in awkward silence. Agustín was pretty sure this was the longest conversation he’d had with Bruno. Usually by now the older boy would have hurried off back to his house.
“What does Julieta mean I’m a ‘future Madrigal’?”
Bruno blanched. He’d already been looking a little pale from his dip in the stream, but now he looked ashen. “You weren’t supposed to know about that.”
Agustín frowned at him. “…Why not?”
Bruno still looked like he’d been slapped, and wouldn’t meet his eyes. “My mamá said it should be your decision. And Julieta’s.”
Agustín grinned. “So I marry Julieta?”
Bruno blanched all over again. “I didn’t say that,–I–”
But Agustín couldn’t stop smiling. He’d only met Julieta that day, but he was quite sure she was the prettiest girl he’d ever seen. He already loved her cooking–not to mention relying on it to stay in one piece–and he liked Bruno too. “Does that mean we’re going to be brothers?”
That seemed to stop Bruno’s mind entirely in its tracks. “What?”
“If I marry Julieta, that makes us brothers, right?”
Bruno blinked owlishly at him. Agustín was fairly sure this hadn’t dawned on him before. “Oh, yeah.”
“Is that why you always bring me food?”
Bruno shook his head. It made his wet hair bounce. “I bring you food because half the time when I have a vision it’s about you walking face-first into a bee hive.”
“And because we’re going to be brooo-theeers.” Agustín crowed.
“Stop that,” Bruno splashed stream water on him, but he was smiling. They both froze at the sound of señora Madrigal calling Bruno’s name from the house. Agustín took in the older boy’s wide eyes, and the fact that they were both still soaked, and came to a quick decision.
“I’ll distract her while you sneak inside!” He announced, scrambling out of the stream before Bruno could stop him. “Then you won’t get in trouble.” He ran towards the house without looking back, still beaming with excitement.
Summary: The family learns about the little girl and make a plan. Meanwhile, Bruno tries to help her the best he can.
Read it on AO3!
Word Count: 2.1k
Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3 Pt. 4
-
Everyone knew before dinner about the girl that had been plucked from the river. After Julieta and Alma, it was Augustine. He walked into the kitchen after finishing his chores, ready to enjoy some time with his wife and family after a long day.
He froze in the doorway when he spotted an unfamiliar child, one he knew didn’t belong. The family was big, yes, but it wasn’t so big that he wouldn’t notice a whole new child being born and raised for a couple of years.
The girl stared up at him with her big, dark eyes as if she was staring into his soul, little hands grasped around a mug that looked far too big for her. And … was that his Mirabel’s dress?
“Ah … Julieta?”
His wife hummed, glancing over her shoulder to him with that smile he fell in love with.
“Augustine!”
He skirted around the little table, the girl’s eyes finally leaving him to take a big sip of her drink, keeping her lips on the rim of the mug. He felt like he had been released from some sort of spell. Why were kids like that? Some of the kids in town did the same thing, staring with such an intense gaze it creeped him out.
He gave his wife a tight hug and a quick kiss before she went back to making dinner.
“So, uh … What’s going on?” He tried to ask gently, gaze flickering over to the girl before returning to her. She hadn’t even noticed.
“Bruno found her.”
“ … Bruno found her.”
She nodded.
“In the river.”
A pause.
“What?”
She just shrugged. He huffed, leaning against the counter and glancing back over to the little girl. She was tracing her finger over the wood of the table now, seemingly fascinated by the patterns. He supposed that explained why she was in Mirabel’s old dress.
Bruno and Alma walked in shortly after, looking like they had just been deep in conversation. He was in different clothes than when he left this morning. Instead of his usual magenta shirt and brown pants he was wearing a white button up shirt and dark blue, almost black, pants, and his ruana was very noticeably absent.
He really did jump into a river to save the girl, didn’t he?
He shook his head fondly, watching as the girl jumped out of her chair the instant she spotted Bruno, running over to him. She all but flung herself at the man, clutching at the fabric of his pants and looking up at him with her big eyes, silently pleading. The man gave a soft chuckle, picking her up and settling her in his arms. She gave a happy noise, burying her face in his shoulder, little hands grasping at his shirt.
“Hola, niña, I told you I’d be right back, didn’t I?” He said in the gentlest voice, one he used with all his sobrinos and sobrinas when they were younger. “Did you finish your drink?”
She shook her head no as Bruno brought them back to the table, gently settling with the girl in his lap.
“Well then, you better finish it up. It’ll make you feel better!” He encouraged. She seemed to think hard a moment before nodding her head, leaning forward to grasp the cup and take a big gulp.
“You better drink yours, too, hermanito.” Julieta said with a chuckle, placing a mug of hot chocolate in front of him as well. He smiled up at her.
“Gracias, Juli.”
Antonio and Luisa were the next to know, coming in while Bruno was combing the girl’s hair, trying to talk to her under her mother and sister’s watchful gazes. It was difficult, the combing because of the persistent knots and the talking because she simply refused to speak. She looked up at the two as they entered, eyes widening slightly as she shifted in her chair to try and sit closer to Bruno. He frowned, finding the new angle more difficult but not really willing to push her away, not when she was clearly so nervous.
“Hey, tio. What, uh, what you got there?” Luisa asked. Antonio peered past her legs. His animals weren’t allowed in the kitchen, but he could see some of them from where he was settling in the dining room to wait for him. They were nice like that, he knew.
Though his tio tried to explain while the girl was there, Antonio was afraid he wasn’t really listening. He was thinking very carefully, watching the girl. She looked scared. That wasn’t very good. Maybe he could do something to help? He knew his animals always made him feel better, maybe he could use them somehow. Maybe not Parce, though. He noticed most people were scared of her, so she would probably be scared too. Chispi might be okay, though. Everyone loved Chispi! Or one of her babies, then she could hold them!
With a little giggle, he ran off to the dining room. Hopefully Tía Julietta wouldn’t mind too much.
“Why was she in the river?” Luisa asked, completely perplexed. Bruno sighed, running the comb through her hair once more. This time it ran through the strands smoothly. The knots were gone now, so he put the comb down, letting the girl crawl into his lap.
“That’s a good question.” Was his only response. Luisa huffed, crossing her arms and digging her heel into the ground. It didn’t sit right with her and she wasn’t the only one, but what was she supposed to do about it? It looked like the grown ups were handling it and she was certain Abuela already had a plan. She huffed again and nodded, relenting for now.
That’s when Antonio popped back up, managing to sneak to his tío’s side without being noticed. He tugged at the girl’s dress a little, getting her attention while Bruno and Luisa talked. She tilted her head curiously, eyes widening and sparkling when she saw the tiny creature in his arms. She reached out to pet its little head, breaking out into the biggest smile as her hand sank into it’s rough fur. Her giggle drew the adults attention and Antonio froze when he heard his tía sigh.
“Tonito, as much as I love you trying to cheer her up, you still can’t have animals in the kitchen.”
Antonio tried to give her his best puppy dog eyes, but when Julieta made a rule she did not back down.
When the other members of the family filtered in, they didn’t see the girl. Bruno had taken her and Antonio to play with the animals in the backyard in an attempt to avoid his sister's anger. Still, it was made sure they were informed of the new little guest. Dolores already knew, of course, but it came as quite the shock to everyone else. When Pepa heard a cloud had formed over her head and Félix had looked truly shocked. Isabela had been quite confused and when Camilo heard he decided he would go find the missing family members and satisfy his curiosity before anyone could tell him not to.
Mirabel was the last to get home and therefore the last to know, though by then everyone was at the table, talking and discussing questions and theories. Dolores told her everything and the more she said the bigger the girl’s eyes became.
While the family was, in some way, dealing with the knowledge of what happened that day, Bruno was more than happy to enjoy the relative peace of the backyard. He knew very well that wasn’t going to last. He loved his family very much, but they weren’t exactly the most … calm. Julieta, maybe, but everyone else? Not a chance.
Besides that, he was worried about how the girl would react to such a rambunctious bunch of people. She had been nothing but quiet and shy since he had found her, shying away from anyone else that she met. Maybe it would be okay, but he had his doubts. He supposed if it was too much he could just take their plates to eat elsewhere, but he didn’t really want to do that. After ten years of not being able to enjoy meals with his family, he didn’t really want to give it up. He would if he had to, of course, but still.
At least she was getting along with Antonio. They were huddled together while he introduced her to all his animals, even the big scary ones. She acted nervous around those ones, slinking back to where Bruno sat to watch them from a distance, but she adored the little ones, especially the capybaras. She was giggling and happy, smile beaming as she looked back at him. He smiled back and she went back to petting another animal.
It wasn’t long before Dolores appeared at the back door, calling them in for dinner. Bruno gave her nod before she vanished back inside, taking a deep breath before getting up himself.
“It’s time for dinner, niños.”
They ran over to him, giving the animals a final wave before the three of them went inside.
Antonio rushed ahead, entering the dining room before the other two so he could clamber onto his chair at the end of the table.
The girl froze in the doorway, eyeing the group with wide, nervous eyes, clinging onto Bruno’s pants in an attempt at comfort. He picked her up, letting her lean into the comfort of his arms but still keeping her eyes on the large group.
“Don’t worry, niña.” Her murmured, voice all but drowned out by the chatter of the gathered family, only loud enough for her to hear. She turned to him with her big, brown eyes, listening intently. “I know, there’s a lot of people, huh?” She gave a tiny nod. “But it’s just for dinner. You can sit right next to me and you don’t have to talk to anyone if you don’t want to, okay?”
She still seemed nervous, but she still gave another little nod and let him carry her into the room. She gave a little whimper when she saw far too many eyes on her, turning away from them to bury her in face in his shirt so she didn’t have to see them. She could still feel all their gazes on her though.
“Oh, is that her?” Mirabel asked, smiling brightly. “Ah, pobra niña.”
He nodded, carefully sitting without bothering the girl too much. There was an empty chair right next to his, and he tried to encourage her to sit there, though he knew it might take a bit, especially while everyone was still looking at her. They were just curious, he knew, but it still wasn’t really helping.
Before he could say anything, though, Alma spoke up with her usual command, effectively grabbing everyone’s eyes away from the little girl.
“As you’ve all been made aware, we have an unexpected guest.” There was a chorus of agreement, a few glances in her direction, not that she noticed. She kept her face firmly planted in Bruno’s chest, refusing to look up. He rubbed her back comfortingly. “Tomorrow we’ll see about trying to find her parents. Does anyone recognize her from town at all?”
Her question was met with silence and shaking heads. If anyone would recognize her, it would be the youngest three. They spent the most time with the village children, helping with babysitting or, in Antonio’s case, just playing, but they were the most adamant about not recognizing her.
“I’ve never seen her in town before.” Mirabel insisted.
“She must be from outside the Encanto.” Pepa suggested. “Especially if she was found in the river outside the mountains.”
Alma sighed but nodded.
“I’m afraid you may be right. We’ll ask around town tomorrow just in case, but we’ll also have to search upriver of where she was found, see if there’s anything that might give us a clue.”
And it was agreed, that’s exactly what they would do. They decided what each of them would do as they ate. While did that, Bruno murmured to the girl.
“Hey niña, you ready to eat?”
She finally moved away from his chest, just enough to look up at him as she thought. After glancing around the table and finding no one directly staring at her, she nodded, shifting in his lap so she was at least facing the table. She wouldn’t be sitting in her own chair, then, but that was fine. It wasn’t a necessity, they could work on it another time if they needed to. The important thing was that she was eating, slowly at first before she was soon enough humming happily and kicking her legs between bites.
Hey there! Quick question, do you write Bruno whump? Because this man is MADE FOR HURT/COMFORT!!!! And I need more! If you don't have too many requests, perhaps Bruno doing a vision for reader and collapsing? And reader helping him with the aftermath?
(Thanks so much and have a great day, I love your content so much!!!)
You guys wanted whump, so have some whump
A BAD VISION
Bruno x gn!reader
Words: 2.3k
Read it on AO3
-
There was a knock at his door, the sound bouncing around the cliff faces until it reached Bruno in his little bedroom, nestled in a little alcove hidden away from the rest of the room. He groaned, burying his face into the soft fabric of his pillow, hoping beyond hope whoever it was would just leave him be.
It had already been a very, very long day. There had been so many visions, one towns person after another begging him for a peek at their futures only to turn on him when he had to be the bearer of bad news. Only now, nearing the end of his day, was he able to get some sort of rest, fighting through the pain of what had to be the worst migraine he had in some time in an attempt to get some sleep before dinner. He didn’t want to worry his family by the sight of him, far too pale, sweat beading his forehead, face twisted in pain as a breath hissed out of him after a particularly painful throb from his head. Under no circumstances was he in any mood to have to face yet another town's person begging for yet another vision they would only hate.
And yet, the knocking came again, like a hot nail being driven in his temple. He let out another groan but forced himself to leave the comforts of his bed, nudging his feet into their sandals. He took several deep breaths before gritting his teeth and forcing himself onto his feet. A wave of dizziness washed over him but he forced himself to keep moving, stumbling around the room in search of his ruana. It was difficult when the room was so dark and his vision had gone blurry after so many visions. He did, eventually, manage to stumble upon it, wincing at every knock that rang out. Once he had finally managed to somehow shove the ruana over his head he forced himself to stand straight and try to keep his face carefully blank. There was to be no weakness shown in front of others. He couldn’t let it slip even for a moment.
Once he thought he was ready, or when the knocking became too painful to withstand, he forced himself to walk as smoothly as possible to open the door.
There standing at his door was the one who was doing all that damned knocking, looking startled as the door was suddenly yanked open.
“How can I help you?” Bruno asked, doing what he could to keep his voice even and unbothered. Still, it cracked slightly at the end.
It seemed that this new visitor hadn’t noticed, at least, smiling their best smile at him.
“¡Señor Madrigal! I’m sorry to be bothering you, I just … I was hoping for a vision?”
Bruno nodded, slowly, feeling his head throb at the movement.
“Follow me.” He commanded, turning away to make his way to his vision cave. They followed close behind, though he didn’t turn to look at them. Still, he could feel their presence there, easily keeping pace as he slowly, far too slowly, trudged up the countless stairs. By the time he reached the top he was panting and out of breath, though he still tried his best to pretend he was fine. His visitor clearly was not fooled, however, looking at him with concern.
“Hey, are you okay?” They asked, but he shook his head, giving a breathless chuckle.
“I’ll be fine.” He lied, trying to give them a reassuring smile. “Just a lot of stairs, you know?”
They looked doubtful, but nodded anyway, letting him lead them through the ominous stone hallway and to the large, circular door that lay at the end. He had made sure to leave it open after his last vision, knowing if someone came in he would be in no proper state to actually open it himself. He wasn’t sure how he would be able to open it again after, but that was a problem for future him.
It shut behind them automatically, plunging them into the comforting dark. He sighed, the pressure in his head easing ever so slightly without the bright light burning its way into his eyes. That couldn’t last, however, as the faintest of green glows shone from where bits of emeralds were logged into the walls, giving just enough light to see what he was doing.
He motioned for them to enter the center of the room, where there was a circle of sand. They obediently sat, tracking him as he moved about the room and set the ritual up. When it was finally ready he took a deep, steadying breath, begging for the migraine to dissipate at least slightly so he could manage to get through this one vision, just one last one. It didn’t, of course, but there was no further delaying what was to come.
“What do you wish to see?”
They stared at the sand between them, staring into the middle fire he had lit.
“This is going to sound so stupid …” They mumbled, shaking their head. Bruno didn’t respond, happy to wait for as long as they needed. “I’m just … I’m worried about my dog. He sort of just … disappeared one night. It’s been over a month. I’m worried about him. And yeah, I know it sounds stupid, it’s just a dog after all, but … I don’t know, I love him. I just want to make sure he’s okay.”
Bruno nodded, fully understanding. Sometimes people cared very deeply for their pets. He knew he loved his own rats very much, regardless of what others thought of them. The thought of one of them just vanishing made his stomach curl.
Or maybe that was just nausea from the migraine.
He stretched out his hands and they laid theirs in his. He gritted his teeth, the pressure behind his eyes nearly unbearable as the sand around them began to fly into the air, forming a dome around them.
He knew the moment the vision started that it was too much for him. It felt like his head was about to burst, tears gathering in his eyes and running down his face as they stung. He was nearly blinded by the pain, unable to properly focus on the images that flashed across his sight, mirrored in the sand that surrounded them. His hands shook and they squeezed them, holding them tight as he was forced to keep going. He couldn’t stop, not now, not until they got their answer. This would end badly for him either way, he might as well be useful to them.
Every moment felt like agony, but before long the final image flashed. He could only just make out the shape of an animal but nothing more. That would have to be enough.
The sand fell around them, the sound like rain as the glass gently fell between them.
He groaned, the room swirling around him in a blur. He didn’t even notice when he fell as well, falling limply to the side. He did hear a yell, but his mind was too foggy to make out what was said or even who was saying it. He could do nothing as waves of exhaustion and pain raked his body, forcing his fingers to twitch with every pulse. There was the feeling of something warm on his cheek, some sort of sound that must have been a voice, before his thoughts drifted away from him and he felt his eyelids sliding closed.
-
When he woke up, he was in his bed.
His mind was too foggy to work properly but he got the distinct feeling that he shouldn’t have been there.
He groaned, shifting under his blanket as he pried his eyes open to glance around the room, trying to ignore the all too familiar throb of his head. The room was blessedly dark, the furniture nothing more than shadows and figures. He could feel the warmth of his rats snuggled around his head and chest, four points of comfort he was immensely grateful for.
“Are you awake?”
He frowned at the voice. It was familiar, but he didn’t know why. It wasn’t his sisters or his mother, that he knew. He squinted into the dark of the room, finding one of the shadows moved, settling close to his bed. Despite the dark he could see their eyes, shining with genuine concern and worry, and he remembered.
“Sí.” He said, voice quiet, pained, and tired, so terribly tired. “I’ll be fine.”
He could hear them huff.
“That's what you said before collapsing! So sorry if I don’t believe you.” They argued back, voice just a bit too loud, feeling like a sledgehammer against his skull. At the very least they noticed his wince and lowered their voice for him, keeping it gentle and calm. “I’m getting your sister.”
“No!”
His hand shot out, grabbing their wrist before he could even think. Granted, that wasn’t very difficult at the moment. His thoughts were slow, flowing like molasses in his cotton stuffed head.
“Please, don’t.”
They were frozen for a moment, hopefully pondering his request, before finally relenting with a sigh, kneeling back down by the side of the bed. One of the rats stirred from their spot at his chest to go investigate but they didn’t even seem to mind.
“Alright, alright.” They said in their gentle voice and he could feel himself sink into the mattress, comforted if only for a moment. “But you have to tell me what happened.”
He frowned, trying to get his muddled thoughts together enough to form an answer of some sort.
“I was … It was too much, the vision. I already had so many visions just today before you came in.”
“You overworked yourself.” They said it as a statement, no question in their voice he nodded. A moment of silence passed between the two, silence Bruno was more than happy for. “I never knew …” They mumbled a moment later, sounding … sad? What were they sad about? “Is there anything I can do? Anything that can help?”
He hummed, wincing at the pain once more before he could answer.
“I’ll be fine, I just need to rest. And dark. And quiet. I just … just need to lay here a bit.”
There was a moment of silence and he thought he could see the figure shift slightly.
“Alright… I suppose I should leave you to rest, then.” They said, getting up to leave, but he stopped them again. He wasn’t sure why, not while his brain was so muddled, but it felt important that they don’t leave. Not yet.
“Please.” His voice came out weaker than he wanted it to, but he hardly noticed. “Stay. I don’t … I can’t …” He huffed in irritation, his attempts at putting together a sentence hanging in the air. He wasn’t even sure what he was trying to say.
Another pause, but then they were sitting down, their back leaning against the bed frame. It was the perfect position for the rat who had been sniffing at them to climb on their shoulder.
“Ok, I’ll stay, at least until you fall asleep.”
He sighed, relaxing into the mattress even as the pain in his head throbbed unbearably.
“Gracias …” he mumbled, eyes sliding closed, letting the dark and silence wash over him like a balm. All he could hear of them was there gentle breathing, but even that was enough to calm his limbs and settle the cotton in his head. He knew he would probably regret this later. When he woke he would only be able to think about how much of a fool he had made of himself, so needy, so pathetic, but none of those thoughts passed his mind now. Now all he wanted was to sleep, comforted by the knowledge that he wasn’t alone.
It only took a few minutes before his breathing evened out and you knew he had fallen back asleep.
You sighed, pulling your knees to your chest. You felt guilt like a hot iron settling in your chest, bringing tears to your eyes.
You hadn’t known. How could you? No one else had mentioned how much the visions took out of the man. All they could be bothered to do is mutter about the bad look a vision from him brought, as if he himself was altering their futures for the worse. You couldn’t believe for a moment that any of the Madrigals, the people hell bent on helping their community thrive, would do something as evil as that.
But the point remained. The vision he had given you had only brought him pain, left him fainting and weak and … and it was all your fault. Your grip on your knees tightened, digging into the fabric of your clothes.
You had to make it up to him. Somehow.
Gently, ever so careful, you got up, tiptoeing through the dark to reach his door. You only dared to open it a crack, glancing back to the bed to make sure the sliver of light didn’t bother the man. He remained sleeping, face still twisted slightly in pain, making your heart clench.
You left.
On the walk home you made the decision to visit him again soon. Maybe you should bring him something, too. The only thing you could come up with was food, though you knew his sister’s cooking would be better than anything you could come up with. But it was the thought that counted, right? And maybe you could bring something for the rats you had seen, too. They seemed to be his pets, snuggling close to his body like that. Maybe that would make him happy.
You nodded to yourself, determined.
You would make it up to him. For everything. Not just for the vision, but for everything the town did to him.
Summary: Bruno finally gets the chance to go on a walk, ready to enjoy some time outside in the peace and quiet. He doesn’t expect to find a child in the river, but then again, who would?
Read it on AO3!
Word Count: 2.3k
Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3 Pt. 4
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It was a rather nice day as far as Colombian summers went. It was terribly humid, clouds covering the sky and threatening a light rain, but with that also came a cool breeze that brought relief from the usually stifling heat. The small town had more people than usual enjoying some time outside before the heat returned once more, sitting on porches or walking through the streets. Children played and laughed, the market was bustling, and everywhere you looked there was movement and life.
And amongst that all there was one man, intent on leaving the noise and bustle of the town behind.
He kept his head low, shoulders drawn and tense as he rushed along, not quite running but a bit too fast to be walking. He didn’t relax until he had started to reach the edge of the town where the crowds were nonexistent. He let out a long sigh, lowering the hood of his green ruana, a relieved smile on his face.
Bruno had wanted to go on this walk for a while, but the last couple of days had him pretty busy, helping one person or another, giving visions, entertaining the kids in town, whatever other chores were asked of him. But today he had the afternoon off, more than enough time to take a walk to the river and back before dinner. No rush, no worries about needing to be somewhere else, just some peace and quiet without the need to think about anything.
He only stopped when he reached the river, looking over the beautiful, peaceful scenery. He missed this when he was isolated in the walls for so long, missed his long walks but mostly just missed being outside. He let out a content sigh, sitting down and leaning against the trunk of the tree, closing his eyes and just listening. For a while the only sound he could hear was the rushing river waters, but as time passed that melded with the other sounds of nature and he picked out each sound he heard.
The birds calling in the trees, one on the other side of the river and one somewhere nearby.
The rustling of the branches as a breeze passes through, like a wave of sound, building to a roar before gently fading.
The rustle of a small creature in the undergrowth, feet padding away.
The splash of something in the river, probably a fish of some kind.
No, that was too big to be a fish. His brow furrowed in confusion and he sat up more, looking over the river in front of him. The surface remained still and undisturbed, perfectly calm and serene. The splash must have come further upriver then, past the waterfall. Oh, he hoped no poor creature had fallen in. He knew the rapids were worse up there and going over the waterfall wouldn’t be fun for any creature.
He got to his feet, already deciding he needed to check, just to be sure.
It only took moments to climb over the layers of rocks by the waterfall, peering out over the rough waters the moment he got far enough. It was harder to see if there was anything in the water here with all the large rocks and rapids. Still, he was able to scan it in an instant.
And there was something there, their distressed noises drowned out by the rushing water around them. For a split second, he wasn’t sure what it was. It didn’t look like any sort of animal he knew of. It’s limbs were too long and its hair wasn’t right. But then he recognized it and his heart stopped, panic gripping his throat.
There was a kid in the river! Just a small girl, grasping desperately at one of the large rocks close to the edge of the waterfall so that water wouldn’t drag her away. As he watched she managed to lift herself up and out just a bit, draped over the rock and looking around desperately. She looked soaked through, black hair sticking to her brown skin and covering most of her face. Her dress was being pulled violently by the flow, threatening to drag her back in at any moment.
“¡Santa mierda!” he cursed, scrambling over the rocks onto even ground on the shore. With a quick toss of salt over his shoulder and sugar over the other, he rushed to strip off his ruana and sandals and plunged into the river.
He hissed at the freezing waters that swept around his legs but grit his teeth and forced himself to keep moving, chanting a good luck mantra under his breath. It wasn’t particularly deep, reaching his chest at the deepest point, but the current was strong and the cold was quickly stealing his strength and numbing his body. It was more than enough to kill the girl if he didn’t get her out soon.
As he approached, far more slowly than he would like but careful enough not to fall himself and have to waste time by climbing back up the rocks, she saw him. She stared intently at his direction, arms straining to keep herself attached to the rock. She looked so scared, eyes wide and filled with nothing but fear, seemingly begging to be rescued.
He had nearly reached the rock when, to his horror, her grip on the rock faltered and she slipped, creating another loud splash as she fell back into the freezing water. He gasped, lunging forward in an attempt to grab her before she fell over the waterfall. Somehow, he managed it, feeling his hand grab something solid he guessed was her arm, but the extra weight pulled at him and he lost his footing for a moment, forcing him to slam against a rock. He huffed at the impact, breath forced out of his lungs, but forced himself to brace against the stone, quickly pulling until he had the girl clutched tight to his chest. She clung to him the best she could, his shirt clutched in tiny, loose fists, weakly coughing in an attempt to rid herself of the water in her lungs.
“I’ve got you, I’ve got you.” He murmured reassuringly, even if she couldn’t hear him over the water. He shifted his grip once more, making sure he held her tight and regained his footing before attempting to return to the shore without tripping. Of course, that was easier said than done. It felt like every stone on the river bottom would shift in the worst possible way whenever he took a step, threatening to plunge him in the cold. It didn’t help that his legs were so numb, feeling like heavy weights, especially once the water got more shallow. He never stopped praying, didn’t allow himself to look anywhere but the shore as it steadily grew closer, didn’t for a moment loosen his grip on the girl in his arms, still coughing.
But, for once in his life, it looked like luck was on his side. They made it to the shore safely. Soaking wet, freezing to the bone and exhausted, but safe.
He sat by where he threw his ruana and sandals, clutching the girl close to his chest, trying to catch his breath. She had stopped coughing, at least, but now she was shivering violently, teeth clattering loudly. Her face scrunched up, a tiny, tired sob escaping her lips, tears mixing with the water that still streamed down her cheeks.
He rocked her gently, trying to shush her and calm her down, brushing the mass of wet hair out of her too red face.
He needed to dry her off.
He grabbed his ruana, shaking off the bits of grass that had stuck before wrapping her up the best he could. He set her on the ground next to him (he didn’t want to soak the ruana before she had dried) and set to work attempting to warm her up, rubbing the cloth over her to absorb as much of the water as possible. She probably would dry faster if she could change clothes, but that wasn’t really an option, was it? Still, he did the best he could.
If only it had been a warmer day. The humidity wouldn’t have helped her dry, but it would have kept her warm.
His mind was running a million miles a minute, trying to think of everything and anything that would help, what he was supposed to do. He guessed he had to take her back to Casita. Maybe there were some old clothes in storage or something she could wear, or at least someone had to have an over-sized shirt she could wear until they got her proper clothes. There would be towels there, too, proper towels, and Julieta could make her something warm to eat and he could wrap her in a blanket and she could rest and recover in peace.
“Alright, we’re alright, yeah?” He said with a smile. She looked up at him with big, dark eyes, sniffling. “Yeah. Let’s, uh … let’s get you back to the house and we can get you dry and warm, okay?” She kept staring before finally giving the smallest of nods, lifting her arms from somewhere in her bundled form for him to pick her up.
It was going to be a long walk back, even when he was rushing. The girl continued to whimper and cry, resting her head on his shoulder. As time passed, however, her sniffles lessened until she was silent, breathing even as she fell asleep in the warmth of his arms. That was good, she had to be exhausted. She wasn’t shaking anymore, which was also good.
But …
What the hell was that? Why was there a kid in the river? Where were her parents? What was going to happen to her now? He heaved a sigh, grip unconsciously tightening around the girl as she slept.
-
He was given many strange looks as he walked through the center of town. Not the usual looks he used to get before the town had become more accepting, like he was a piece of filth or a curse walking through their midst. No, their looks were confused and concerned when they saw the eldest son of the Madrigals carrying a child, both of them still wet, looking so terribly tired. He ignored them with a practiced ease, focusing single mindedly and getting home as soon as possible.
He let out a sigh of relief when he made it through the town and Casita was finally in sight. Casita welcomed him in, swinging the front doors opened as he approached, tiles over the doorway jingling a tune of worry.
The house appeared to be empty when he first entered. No doubt everyone was still out, but they would be coming back soon enough, either for dinner or because they heard from the townspeople about him and the girl. But Julieta should at least be home with a few others, preparing dinner, and they could help. So he went to the kitchen, everyone looking at the door before he had even entered, having heard the ruckus the house was making.
It looked like it was just Julieta and Alma working on dinner today, their eyes wide as they took him in, not soaked but still very wet with some random little girl bundled up in his ruana in his arms.
“Bruno Madrigal, what is the meaning of this!” Alma demanded, hands on her hips while her son walked in. The girl let out a whine at the yell, jolting out of her sleep. She looked around the room with frantic eyes as her hands instinctively wrapped themselves around Bruno’s neck, pulling herself closer. Instantly Alma’s face softened, but she stood firm. She needed an explanation, but she would allow herself to be patient while Bruno calmed the girl down.
“Hey, hey, it’s okay niña. You’re fine. We’re just in the kitchen, is all.” He said in a quiet, gentle voice, the girl’s big eyes on him in an instant. She seemed to relax when she heard his voice, eyes turning back to observing the room around her. “That’s mi mama.” Her eyes followed where he pointed, the older woman giving her a kind smile. “And that’s mi hermana.” Julieta also smiled. The girl seemed to calm down, resting her head on his shoulder once more with a big yawn. Once she had settled he turned back to face his sister and mother, panic and concern clear on his face.
“I found her in the river.” He explained. “The water was freezing cold and she’s exhausted. I don’t know - don’t know how she got there or - or - or how long she was in the water! I didn’t know what else to do, so I brought her here.”
Alma tutted, shaking her head, but her expression remained gentle and sympathetic.
“Poor thing. She’ll need a change of clothes, then. And something warm to drink.”
“I still have some of Mirabel’s old dresses. They should fit.” Julieta offered, wiping her hands off with a rag. “I can fetch one real quick and get started on some hot chocolate.” Alma nodded and Julieta ran off.
“And you.” She turned back to Bruno. “Mi Brunito, you need to change, too. Dios mio, you must be so cold. And so uncomfortable, walking all that way in wet clothes.” She walked over to him, squishing his face as she worried over him, making the girl smile. Bruno groaned, but relented, the slightest of smiles tugging at his lips. He did have to change and the girl seemed calm enough to leave with his mother, at least for a little bit. So, he let his mama take the girl into her own arms and shoo him out the kitchen door.
He didn’t like the idea of leaving the girl alone for too long. For whatever reason he was too tired to think of, it rubbed him the wrong way. So, with a throw of salt over his shoulder, he hurried away to his tower, ready to throw on whatever he grabbed first.
If it’s okay can I get some fluff about Bruno becoming both physically and mentally healthier once he’s out of the wall thanks to his fam’s efforts he gains a healthy amount of weight and even some muscle, his skin returns to its natural tone, his eye bags start to receded, and is of course his everything is much cleaner and starts to feel better about himself and starts to become less timid letting others finally see how radiant of a person he truly is inside and out and dispelling the rumors
Someone else also asked for triplet wholesomeness, and whats more wholesome than helping your brother recover? So I combined the two.
It may be a bit rambly, but hopefully there’s some good moments in there.
STEPS TO HIS HEALTHIEST SELF
Words: 2.5k
Read on AO3
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One of the first things anyone in the family noticed after Bruno returned to them after ten long years of absence was, to put it kindly, how terrible he looked.
He had always seemed to have bags under his eyes since he was a teenager, but now they were far worse. The bruising was so dark and the bags were so heavy they seemed to drag at his eyes. His skin, once a warm brown, had gone pale after all his time without sunlight, now very nearly gray. His cheeks and eyes were sunken in and his whole person seemed to be unkempt. His hair no longer held the sheen or bounce it once had, now hanging in limp knots from his head. His clothes looked like they were close to falling apart on his body, ruana once new and clean now ragged and stained. It hid his body well, but when his sisters hugged him they could feel how thin he was, dangerously so. He had always been rather small, but never before could they feel his bones shift under his skin.
It took only a second, perhaps less, during that hug for Pepa and Julieta to decide that something had to be done. With a shared glance they became a united front on this matter.
They would not rest until their little brother was healthier than he had ever been.
After Casita fell, the town was more than happy to step up and help house the family. Despite their generosity, there was no house in the town with enough room for all of them, which meant they had to split up. In the shuffle of figuring out who would go where, Pepa and Julieta made sure Bruno ended up in the same building as one of them. He ended up sharing a house with Julieta, Augustine, and Mirabel, which Julieta was delighted by. She could keep an eye on him, making sure he took care of himself even when it got late.
The first steps were the easiest, ones Bruno was more than happy to take himself.
Before his disappearance, he had always had impeccable hygiene, something he immediately returned to. At the end of every day after working on rebuilding their home, he would shower and clean himself up, doing his best to maintain his hair in some sort of way. Julieta made sure he had everything he would need, though she did need to consult Félix to make sure she got the right hair products. It was worth it to see the delighted look on his face when she was able to give them to him. It wasn’t more than a week or two before the bounce and softness returned to his curls, now trimmed so it didn’t reach past his chin.
Julieta and Pepa worked together to make sure he was properly fed.
He had clearly not been eating enough in those walls, but he was not quite so willing to discuss it with them. It took a bit to drag out of him how much he had managed to get for himself, but with Pepa’s stern words and a concerned and caring look from Julieta, they managed. He said he would collect food at night, when everyone else had gone to bed. He grabbed whatever leftovers he thought he could get away with, often stretching one meal to last a day or more.
Well, they were clearly having none of that. Pepa had wanted to stuff his face with as much food as possible, wanted to make sure his plate was loaded every mealtime. Julieta was avidly against it.
“He wouldn’t be able to eat it all! He’d just end up getting sick.”
Pepa huffed, sitting back and brushing the dirt off her hands onto her skirts. They were working on sifting through the rubble, hoping to at least get some of it moved off the foundation by the end of the first day. That left time for the sisters to talk, just the two of them, and plan.
“Then what would you suggest? He clearly needs to eat more!”
Julieta sighed.
“I know, I know, but it might be best if he takes it slowly at first.”
“Uh, do I have a say in this?”
They both turned to the voice, Bruno jumping slightly at the sudden attention on himself. They shared a glance with each other before turning back to him with matching smirks.
“No.” They said in unison and Bruno scowled, but there was no heat behind it, the corners of his mouth trying not to twitch in a smile.
He really missed them.
They went with Julieta’s plan. After a few weeks he was eating normal again like everyone else, and he had only gotten sick a few times in the process.
Pepa was the one to make sure he got new clothes within the day. It took no time for her to collect everything she thought he would like, most of which were brightly colored button up shirts. She remembered that, despite constantly hiding under his ruana, he had liked wearing bright colors. She knew she made the right choice when he lit up, thanking her with that smile of his, that toothy, goofy grin she had missed so much but could never admit to herself. She smirked when she saw the old tattered clothes in the trash later that day.
Despite not being a part of the sisters' plans, Alma was the one to replace his ruana. She saw it as her responsibility, having personally made every one of his old ones as he grew up. She remembered the day she had given him his last one all those years again. It had been only a week or so before Mirabel’s gift ceremony, that fateful night when everything had gone wrong. She had handed it to him just after lunch, telling him it was time to switch out the old one for something new. He nodded and mumbled a thank you before taking it and moving on with his day. The whole thing was treated more like a transaction than anything else, just something that needed to be done.
When she presented the new ruana to Bruno this time, it was very different. It held far more importance for the both of them. Bruno stared at the fabric with big eyes, glancing to his mother and back before gently, ever so gently, taking it from her. He felt the soft, warm fabric in his hands, taking a moment to admire the shade of green, a few shades brighter than the old one, and the carefully embroidered hourglass pattern that ran down the sides. She had taken her time with this one, he realized. The last one had no embroidery, just the flat pattern printed on rough fabric. It was faster to make that way. Embroidery took time. Lots of time.
When he looked up at her again it was with tears in his eyes.
“Gracias, Mamá. Es - es perfecto.”
He gave her a watery smile, one that broke her heart.
“Lo siento, mi hijo.” She couldn’t help but say, cupping his face in her hands. At her words, the tears fell down his face and he broke, letting himself fall into his mother’s arms.
This was all he ever wanted. All those years, not just the ones in the walls but long before that, all those hard days, the hate thrown at him by the town only to return home and be told he wasn’t trying hard enough, he wasn’t enough. But now …
Perhaps that was the beginning of the hardest step.
After he had come back to them he had been … different. Quieter, more jumpy, hardly the loud, rambunctious man they once knew. But, under their watchful gazes, they could see him returning, bit by bit.
Bruno’s mental health hadn’t exactly been the best, and that was before he spent ten years in isolation. They weren’t really sure what they could do about that. Nothing they had done before he disappeared had seemed to help. What could they do now?
It was a discussion the two had often as the weeks passed, weeks of feeling unsure and helpless, just wanting to see their dear brother heal. While they searched for an answer, the best they could do was be there for him, just as the rest of the family did.
And maybe, in some way, that was enough. They couldn’t help but notice that, by the time Casita was nearly done being built, he seemed to be doing better. He looked healthier, at least. His face was filled in, complexion less pale, over all cleaner. Even the bags under his eyes had lessened considerably, though they were still there, always there. These changes aren’t what kept the sisters up at night, however, it was the change in his behavior.
It was easier to see when he interacted with the kids. He loved telling them stories, once they had managed to convince him to do so. The oldest three girls still remembered the stories he used to tell before he left, when they were just little, and they were the ones to encourage him to tell them again. His first stories were a bit bland, told while Bruno kept his hands busy with another task, taking his mind away from his audience in an attempt to quell the anxiety. It wasn’t long, however, before he found himself getting more into the stories, speaking in different voices for each character, motioning wildly with his hands.
He came alive with each story, eyes sparkling just like they used to when the triplets were just children, with no worries in the world, happy to tell stories and play late into the night. When there was no worry about being useful or what their gifts could do for others.
One day, Antonio had brought some of his friends to his tio, begging for him to tell them a story. He shied away, at first, uncertain, but who could say no to those big brown eyes? So he told his story and, for a moment, he could forget the other people surrounding them as they worked on the house, could forget he didn’t know these children that looked up at him with eager smiles.
Pepa believed that was really the turning point for how the town itself saw her hermanito. Because as he told his story to his eager audience, he wasn’t some villain, spouting ill omens about injured cattle or dying pets. In that moment, they saw a part of who he really was, an entertainer, a storyteller, a bit of a jokester that had the children laughing often and even drawing a few chuckles out of the adults that listened.
And it was always easier to interact with others when they were kind, not vindictive and cruel.
Julieta could tell it had shocked Bruno, the first time someone had spoken a kind word to him. He stared at them with those wide, uncertain eyes, as if he expected it to be some sort of trick. Eventually, though, he realized no such trick was coming and, hesitantly, he talked with them. Others working around them joined in the conversation as well and it wasn’t long before the atmosphere had changed, everyone talking happily and laughing. And Bruno still wasn’t as loud or adamant as she knew him to really be, still spoke softly and dared not raise his voice, but he was smiling.
He was making progress and everyone could see it. It would take some time, still, before he finally returned to his true self, but there was enough progress to delight his family, especially his sisters.
And then Casita was finished and the magic returned.
The party that ensued was remarkable, perhaps the best since Encanto. Or, perhaps, that was just in the family's eyes. There was laughter and music and dancing that didn’t stop until late into the night, and more than that there was overwhelming love given from every member of the family.
It wasn’t until well after the party, well after everyone else had left and the rest of the family had gone to their new rooms, that the triplets sat in the kitchen, around the small wooden table, in silence. They all had things to ponder, thoughts occupying their minds.
“... I should … I should probably go to my room …” Bruno mumbled, drawing his sister's attention. His fingers picked at the grain of the table, staring intently at nothing, not looking at all like he wanted to go to his room. Pepa winced, remembering the stairs that had been his last room. They hadn’t always been there. When they were small, just turned five and unaware of the difficulties that awaited them, there had been no stairs. The sand had been there, the cliffs had been there, the cave had been there, and of course his actual room, hidden away. The stairs didn’t come until he had gotten older, until he had become more and more distant from not just the town but his own family. The thought twisted her heart painfully.
No one wanted to see those stairs, and not just because it was a bit of a climb.
“Would you like us to go with you?” Julieta offered. They all knew he wasn’t about to say no. So, they went to the door together.
Julieta was more concerned about what having his gift back would do for his recovery. He had been doing so well and she was worried that the return of the gift, the one thing that had ruined him, had forced him away from his family, that she knew he had blamed for all his troubles, would ruin his progress. If not that, then set him back. How would the town react? How would he handle it? Would he isolate himself again?
The silence weighed heavy on them.
It had changed location. It wasn’t around the corner in some dark nook far away from everyone else. Now it was in the middle of everyone’s doors, nestled between their mothers and Pepa’s, the wood swimming with golden magic, ready to be opened once more.
He hesitated, hands gripping each other as he struggled to gather his courage. But he had his sisters by his side, there to support him no matter what. His sisters who had missed him so terribly when he left, who had never once stopped loving him, even if he couldn’t always see it. They all did.
They put a steadying hand on each of his shoulders, each giving him an encouraging smile. He gave a small smile back, feeling the anxiety wash away under their warm, loving gazes.
They had done so much for him. Everything was different now and he knew he had them to thank for a lot of it. They had tried so hard to support him, to build him up into his best self after he had been so broken and lost.
In the end, it didn’t matter what lay behind the door. What mattered was that it was there, that he was a part of this family, and that it glowed with the magic of his family's love for him. Whatever they still had to face, they would face it together. Nothing could tear him away from his family. Not again.
