Reyes Introduction Drabble
by @xclearskiesx
Bruno Madrigal was heading toward the library. It was his favorite place to go when he wanted to escape the hecticness of life. Before he had completely escaped into the walls for ten years, that is. As he became more distant from his family, he would always come to the library for a breather. His good friend Reyes, who managed the library desk, would always be kind enough to let him go into the back room where only employees were allowed. There he would either chat with his friend, write or draw in his notebook, or if he was especially overwhelmed, he might take a nap there.
Of course, it had been ten years, but Reyes had welcomed back his friend with open arms. While the main reason he was going to the library now was to escape the overbearingness of his family as they fussed over him, Bruno also was excited to see his dear friend. As he headed to town, he had a little spring in his step.
Reyes Correa sighed a little as he shelved books. He normally enjoyed his job, but ever since Casita had fallen and been rebuilt - and most importantly, since Bruno had returned, he had been a little antsy at work. He found himself hoping his dear friend would walk in, though he knew he must be very busy with his family. He knew he couldn’t be selfish. He had a lot of people who loved him and had been missing him for years, but Reyes sure wanted his share of Bruno, too.
Ever since the mountains opened up, new people started coming to the Encanto. Reyes scanned the room, noticing a couple of new faces in the library. One in particular headed toward him. “You work here?”
“Sí. Can I help you?”
“Your book selection sucks.” The man was a bit gruff and blunt, but he didn’t scare Reyes.
“I’m sorry. We have been a small community for years so we only have the books donated by the people who live here. If you know anyone who has books they’d like to donate, feel free to send them my way.” Reyes kept a cheery disposition as the man rolled his eyes in a huff, walking away. Out of the corner of his eye, Reyes saw a glimpse of that green ruana that was unmistakably Bruno. A grin spread across his face, and he hurried to greet the man. “Bruno, hi!”
The man was looking a little healthier than he did since the last time he saw him. Not by much, but Reyes could tell Bruno’s family - probably most likely one sister in particular - was keeping him well fed. He looked happier, too. Reyes noticed he didn’t have the hood of his ruana on as was usual for him once. No, Bruno was not hiding under his hood; in fact, he was smiling, seemingly just as happy to see Reyes as he was to see him. “H-hey,” he flashed a sort of crooked grin.
“I was hoping you’d come by,” Reyes smiled, tucking a bit of hair behind his ear, suddenly a bit shy.
“I would’ve come by sooner, but my family is… I love my family, but truth be told, I’m a bit overwhelmed by all their love right now. There’s ten years to catch up on, and so many family members to spend time with. It’s a lot, especially for someone who hasn’t seen the sun in years…Heh.” He rubbed his arm, a bit nervous suddenly.
There was the Bruno Reyes remembered. Sweet, shy, a little nervous. It made him want to kiss him right on the mouth - to kiss those nerves away, but that would be too bold. He had no idea how Bruno felt, and he didn’t want to ruin anything, but Reyes would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little in love with the man.
They chatted for a while, enjoying each other’s company. Reyes had plenty to talk about - books he’d read, things he’d been writing. Bruno was also a writer; they could compare notes. And, of course, Bruno had plenty of stories to tell about his family. The man truly loved his family. When Bruno was getting ready to go, Reyes said, “Hey, weren’t you here to get a book?” He realized they had been talking for quite a while, and Bruno never looked for a book.
“Oh,” Bruno blushed lightly. “I uh…” he cleared his throat a little, hoping the fire to his cheeks weren’t noticeable. “I came to see you.”
That made Reyes smile.
They were then interrupted by that same gruff man from before. “Hey, you’re Bruno Madrigal, aren’t you? Why don’t you give me a vision?”
It wasn’t a suggestion. The man’s tone was commanding.
Bruno looked to the large man apologetically. “I’m sorry; I’m not quite up to giving visions yet. I’ve got to build my strength back up.”
“Let me rephrase myself. Give. Me. A. Vision.” The big man loomed over the smaller man threateningly.
Bruno slipped the hood of his ruana over his head, getting nervous.
“The man said no!” Reyes glared at the rude man.
“Oh? And what are you gonna do about it?”
Reyes thought fast, quickly grabbing the largest book within his eyesight, holding it high above him and whacking the man on the back of the head. The book must’ve been as heavy as Reyes had hoped, for the large man fell unconscious.
“Damn,” Bruno said softly, amazed at what had just happened.
The adrenaline that had driven Reyes was wearing off, and he could feel the quick beat of his heart against his chest. “You better go. I doubt he’ll be out long.”
“T-thank you, Reyes.”
Reyes leaned forward and kissed the man on the cheek with a shy smile. “It was nothing. I couldn’t stand by while that douche spoke to you that way.”
Bruno held a hand to the cheek that had been kissed, blushing a little with a little smile. He glanced down, noticing the man start to stir and knew he had to hurry off. He wanted to return the kiss gesture, but there was no time right now. He’d just have to repay Reyes for that kiss later.