its-a-hot-girl-thing - Tumblr blog

[its-a-hot-girl-thing]

When I say best additions to the MCU you say

This has major “what color is your dick?” “every shade of your mom’s lipstick” energy

[its-a-hot-girl-thing]

I just started but I already love Antology! But I’m curious, with no judgment! Why 26 yo? (Yes, I’m on chapter 2). A 13yo diference is better than, say, a 26yo difference. But still makes me wonder why such big gap?

Hi! That’s a very interesting question, thanks for asking.

There are various reason why I decided to set the reader’s age at 26:

1. Woman used to get married younger than now days in the ‘40s, specially in small towns like Encanto (E.g. Isabella was 21). So I needed the reader to be in her late 20’s to fit the storyline, and 26 seemed a reasonable age for her mum to be worried and desperate enough to ask for Bruno’s help.

2. The reader needed to be younger than Bruno so they could meet a year before he left. This because I’m sure Alma introduced Bruno to all the single women around his age in town once he turned 30, desperate to have grandchildren to keep the lineage. If the reader had been of age at that time (around 21, because I think at 18 you’re still a kid) they’d have married then.

3. Although the main reason for the Cortes family to oppose their relationship is Bruno's reputation, the big age gap bothers them as well. While it wasn’t/isn’t uncommon for woman to marry older men, the reader was known in town as a very lively, young and beautiful woman, which led her family to believe she must marry someone young, handsome and with a similar personality to hers (like Mariano).

I hope it makes sense <3.

Thanks for reading!

[its-a-hot-girl-thing]

Antología | Bruno Madrigal x Reader

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

Months after keeping a secret relationship, days which Bruno considered the happiest of his existence just like her, the beginning of the end started.

It was during Camilo's ceremony, in January 1940. The entire town had gathered at la Casa Madrigal to witness the event as usual, and once the sun disappeared behind the horizon, Pepa's youngest son received his gift: shapeshifting.

As everyone celebrated inside the new room, Bruno and (Y/N) sneaked out to the courtyard, where they danced under the moonlight until they couldn't feel their feet. Their laughter could be heard through the halls, but since there was no one, there was no need to worry about being caught. She didn't really care if someone saw them, she wasn't ashamed to be in love with him, but Bruno had insisted on keeping everything a secret and she couldn't deny him anything. Perhaps it was because she was so dazed by the first love that she hadn't noticed it, but he had already deciphered that the prophecy was about them ever since they first kissed. His predictions never failed, but he was willing to do whatever he could to stay by her side; and if no one knew about them, it was easier to change their fates. 

They eventually decided to go back to the party with the others, but upon reaching the second floor, the door to Camilo's room opened, and he was quick to hide with her on the short flight of stairs between the corridor and his tower. The click of a pair of heels came closer, but they stopped in front of the bathroom and disappeared behind its door. 

"That was close" he turned to see her nervously, but she took him by the neck and pressed their lips in a tender kiss.

“I wished I could scream to the entire Encanto that you are mine and I'm yours”.

"They'd think you've lost your mind."

"And? Maybe I have, it's insignificant."

He caressed her cheek lovingly and kissed her again, trying to avoid the conversation. It started out innocently, but within seconds, he was pressing her against the wall, holding her hips tightly as she tugged off his ruana desperately, panting. 

"Bruno," she moaned into his lips, making him sigh as he rubbed himself against her inner thigh.

They were so distracted in their own bliss that they didn't hear the bathroom door open, nor the slow footsteps approaching where they were. Amparo followed the agitated breathing to the stairs, where she discreetly peeked out and discovered what for her was a nightmare: the most hated man in town fervently kissing her youngest sister. Shocked, she put a hand on her mouth before running back to the party, looking for her mother, her heels clicking throughout the house.

It's the sound of the bedroom door slamming that finally makes Bruno react.

"Perdón!" He backed up until he hit the wall on the opposite side, embarrassed. "Forgive me."

They'd never done that before, and given the times, he believed such things were exclusive of married couples. It was a grave insolence then that he had approached her that way.

"Don't worry, seriously, I..."

“(Y/N)!” Her mother called for her not far away. She was tired of being interrupted all the time. 

"I see you at the river tomorrow?" She asked him in a whisper, peeking around the corner to locate her mother.

"Sí."

"Perfect, see you tomorrow, amorcito" she gave him a fleeting kiss before rushing down to the first floor and going into the kitchen.

It was her sister who found her drinking a glass of water.

"Where were you?" Amparo asked in a serious tone, looking her up and down in contempt. "Mum's looking for you."

"I've been here the whole time, I was thirsty."

"We're leaving now."

The woman turned around, trying to hide her anger. Her mother had told her not to say anything at the moment, that it was surely just a tantrum of hers to defy her.

"Like that time I forbade her to wear red lipstick and it was all she wore for a year." She reminded her, but she wasn't sure it was that on this occasion. "That man's old and creepy, your sister would never marry someone like that." 

The next day, at sunset, (Y/N) met with her lover on the banks of the river, in a small corner hidden by trees. At that hour no one passed by, making it the perfect place for their clandestine encounters. He was waiting for her on a tablecloth, candles lighting the dinner that Julieta had prepared as a request from Dolores and Isabela, who were his accomplices in it all. 

"I'm sorry about yesterday." He told her after eating and while he was putting away the dishes in a basket “I don't know what got into me, I promise it'll never happen again.”

“There's nothing to forgive... I actually liked it.” Her face was burning, but she was willing to get what she wanted. "I wouldn't mind if we went beyond kisses and caresses."

Bruno looked at her in dismay, wondering if she was testing him or if she was serious. However, before he could dwell on the matter any further, she clarifies her intentions by kissing him eagerly, taking his hands to position them on her hips. He looked in amazement as she sat on his lap, gently stroking her core against his bulge as she trailed his neck with butterfly kisses and tried to get rid of his ruana. 

“(Y/N)…” Bruno pulled the green fabric down, making her stop. "I... You... No, we shouldn't..." 

"You don't want to do this?" She panicked, thinking she might have pushed him too much "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to overstep, I thought..."

"It's not that, I do want you, like, really, really bad" he kissed her hands with a gloomy expression. "It's just that this is a huge step, I don't want to tie you down."

“If it's not with you, I don't want to be with anybody else” She kissed him, letting her hands roam over his shirt. “Please, take me.”

Her words along with her warm skin made him forget his uncertainties and his hands slipped under her blouse, making her shiver at the feel of his cold fingers. At first, he touched her with worry, fearing he'd hurt her due to his inexperience, until she began to guide him, assuring him she'd let him know if she didn't like something.   

They took their time, as they had the entire night to themselves, and explored their bodies centimetre by centimetre, seeking to give each other as much pleasure as possible. Bruno kissed, sucked and bit every piece of skin within reach like a starving man, delighting in the way she sighed his name and moaned.

As they became one under the moonlight and he thrust into her at a slow pace, their hands intertwined and her gaze devoted to him, Bruno decided it was time to buy a ring.

<That night you made the stars look brighter than ever, amor mío. You convinced me that there was hope for us with your sweet love and tender voice. Mariposita, you became my sun, my moon, my stars and my will to live. If I could have, if fate wasn't so cruel, I'd have fallen asleep on your bare chest for the rest of my life.>

Taglist

@moocat-caboose | @hymnofthevalkyrie | @a-hopeless-fan | @quesowakanda | @endurablerose | @staradorned | @aerichoi | @sunshineyrosie | @girl-next-door-writes | jennmaldonado | porcelainpeachess | moyo5653 | gabi-moureira | bagsy-not-it | janora00 | lostgirl-28 | starryeddie | witchblossoms | v-vic | amoalasmadrigals | 4rin4 | acdassenza | in-this-minute | otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore | tigreost | staygoldsquatchling02 | lunna-star-8 | whimsicaldreaming | mayusenpai666 | chervbs 

[its-a-hot-girl-thing]

Toxic | Kingo x Reader

Word Count: 1,136

Part 1 | Part 2

Ajak looked at her from the door with dismay as she finished brushing her wet hair. 

"You sure you don’t want to come?" She and the others were going to a party on the banks of the Nile.

"I don't want to spoil the fun." They'd never said it out loud, perhaps out of fear or decorum, but she knew perfectly well that she wasn't welcome among humans and that her fellows preferred to keep their distance. 

"You wouldn't spoil the fun for anyone."

“There is no need to lie, Ajak. Don't feel bad, I don't even like parties anyway." She felt guilty for concerning her leader so much, especially since she had spent the last thousand years trying to include her in their daily activities and for the others to accept her as part of the family. However, there was nothing she could do to calm her worries, and years ago she had accepted her fate was to be alone. 

Ajak sighed resignedly, wishing her a good night before joining the others at the entrance. The chorus of laughter and footsteps slowly faded into the darkness of the night, leaving her alone between the four mud-brick walls she called her bedroom. 

Once she made sure she was on her own, she took the papyrus she had taken from Sprite's things a day before and examined the hieroglyphs in detail. She knew that Ajak had asked Sprite to stop scaring the humans by taking advantage of the superstitions around her, but there was no way they'd change their perception of her. The story she had before her eyes, for example, narrated how Apophis -the personification of chaos, evil and darkness- tried to kill Ra, god of the sun, every evening. It didn't take a genius to know that this entity was inspired on her, she'd heard people whisper that name, among others, on the few occasions she went out on the streets of Memphis.

She didn't show it, but it hurt her deeply that, while everyone else was considered a god and worshipped, she was always a devil, someone to be repelled of and cast away. She didn't want temples and statues in her name, she just wanted to be loved and accepted.

As she crumpled the papyrus in her hands, an act that her leader would probably disapprove of, she heard footsteps in the corridor that led to her room, so she pressed the ball to her chest, hiding it.

"I'm not going, stop insisting, Ajak."

"I'm not Ajak." A male voice said, startling her. She turned around on the bed and found Kingo standing in the doorway, watching her with a smile. “Can I come in?”

She couldn't help but see him surprised, like a deer in the lights, as he waited for her answer. It had been a millennium since the last time he'd talked, smiled or looked directly at her, but she discovered that even after all those years, her heart still raced at the small interactions. 

“Are you okay?” He entered the room concerned at her expression and the delay in her response, sitting on the edge of the bed as he reached out to touch her face. Panicked, she backed up against the wall, holding her breath. 

"What are you doing here? I thought you left with the others to the party.”

"I'm not in the mood tonight." 

He had actually decided to stay after Ajak told her that (Y/N) she wasn't going, deciding it was the moment to act. He felt bad for having let the apprehension of others affect him to the point of overlooking the friendship they had since they first arrived on Earth, shutting her out and abandoning her little by little. The worst part was that he'd only realized the damage he had done when they settled in Egypt and he noticed she rarely left the house, that she didn't eat with the rest of them and that with each passing day she became more reserved. He intended to approach her on numerous occasions, but he was ashamed and afraid she'd reject him.

"What's that?" She had dropped the papyrus when he sat on the bed. (Y/N) tried to grab it, but Kingo was quicker and was already unfolding it to see its content. "Who gave this to you?" He was aware that Sprite had a predisposition for messing with her, but that was just plain cruel. 

"I stole it." She hugged her legs to her chest as a form of protective barrier. “I just wanted to know what's being said about me nowadays.”

"It could be completely unrelated to you."

"No, it's about me, I know... Although I wonder why they always depict me as a man." 

"I believe it's because they think that makes you scarier."

"Am I not scary enough as a woman?"

"I don't think you're scary at all." She finally lifted her gaze to see him in the eyes, surprised. He'd gotten closer to her as they talked and now he was so near they could almost touch. "(Y/N), I... I want to apologize for... Well, for everything, even though I know a few words aren't enough after ignoring you for a millennium."

“There's no need, seriously…”

"There is" he took her hand gently, intertwining it with his own to pull her to his chest and embrace her. Her head spun, having forgotten how it was to be touched, and her hands quivered as she returns the gesture, hypnotised by his warmth and scent.

For a few minutes, while she closed her eyes, she remembered their time in Mesopotamia before the incident, when Kingo used to find any excuse to touch or be near her. She'd always thought there was something more than friendship hidden between the furtive glances and endearing smiles they gave each other, but eventually ended up convincing herself everything had been a product of her imagination and that her feelings weren't reciprocated. 

“I should have thanked you for saving my life that day, no matter what everyone else thought… I should have said something, I’m never forgiving myself for not doing it.” He felt her cling to his arms tightly, as if she was afraid of falling into an abyss if she didn't.

"I haven't been hugged in years." She laid her head on his shoulder while she whispered, relaxing on his embrace as he stroked her hair. She wanted to cry, but didn’t want to seem pathetic. “Do you mind if we stay like this for a little longer?” 

"For as long as you want." 

She ended up falling asleep on his chest, soothed by the intimacy, and not wanting to wake her, he lay down on the bed with her on top of him, keeping her close. 

That's how Ajak found them the next day when she went to tell (Y/N) breakfast was ready.

[its-a-hot-girl-thing]

Toxic | Kingo x Reader

Pairing: Kingo x Eternal!Fem!Reader

Warnings: Graphic descriptions of violence, blood. 

Word count: 929 (It’s probably a five part story)

Summary: Being an Eternal comes with its downsides, and hers is within her skin and talents. 

Part 1 | Part 2 

They weren't always afraid, in fact, during (Y/N)'s first fifteen hundred years on Earth she was welcomed wherever she went and was treated like the other. Sure, she wasn't allowed to touch any living thing (except for the Eternals) and humans knew it perfectly, it was a rule Ajak had made clear since day one. Regardless, curious children still approached her with questions, adults asked for her help with their daily chores, and her mates spent their free time around her without compunctions.

And then one day, a deviant almost killed Kingo.

When it came to fighting, they were divided into three groups: the combat squad, formed by Ikaris, Thena, Gilgamesh, Makkari, and Kingo; the control unit, composed by Ajak, Druig and her; and the entertainers, Sprite, Phastos, and Sersi.

"Only interfere if, and only if, one of us is in mortal danger." Her leader had instructed her before coming down to Earth for the first time, and her powers had remained a mystery to all until that fateful day because of it.

It was just another normal day in their hectic lives when three deviants attacked a village in broad daylight: Makkari ran all over the place taking people to safety, Ikaris shot rays from the skies, Gilgamesh and Kingo fought two deviants while trying to get them away from Thena, who was being healed by Ajak, and Druig kept the villagers calm.

Everything was going great as usual, one of the beasts had already fallen to Kingo's hands and the one fighting Ikaris was about to... When a fourth deviant came out of the river, running directly to Kingo and Gilgamesh. (Y/N) noticed it right away, but didn't try to do anything at first, trusting someone else would see it. However, everyone was so focused on their own battles that they didn't even hear her warning. It may have taken the deviant seconds to reach her friends, but for her, time slowed down after she realized it was centimetres away from them and no one had seen it yet.

"Kingo, behind you!" Ikaris yelled, drawing everyone's attention, but it was so close they probably would have been killed if not for (Y/N).

A bright yellow sphere exploded in front of Kingo, blinding him and the others for a few seconds, and creating a small shock wave that knocked anyone within fifteen meters to the ground.

“Are you all okay!?” Ikaris couldn't see due to the cloud of dust, but he managed to land next to Ajak and Thena.

“Where’s (Y/N)?” The Prime Eternal looked for her in panic.

The answer to her question appeared in front of them as the dust cleared, an agonizing howl filling the air. She was standing between them and the last deviant, who lay on the ground writhing in pain as she lay her hands against him. In a matter of seconds, the beast's skin dissolved along with its bones, leaving in its place a boiling, viscous blue liquid spattered with scraps of organs.

All went silent as everyone, including the Eternals, looked between her and the two pools of viscera that lay steaming at her sides. It was a horrific scene, so gross and bizarre that even Dante would rely on legends of it to illustrate the seventh circle of Hell.

Chaos broke out after someone screamed, and people started running away from her, terrified, as Druig, stunned, just watched along with the others.

"Go back to the Domo!" Ajak yelled at her, but it was all going so fast that she didn't quite understand what was happening until she felt a sharp pain in the side of her abdomen.

She looked down dizzy, grasping with trembling hands the shaft of the spear that had impaled her. She felt her throat sour and coughed, a trickle of blood falling from her lips to blend with the scarlet drops that poured from her abdomen. It was her blood that made her friends react, and Druig regained control of the villagers as Makkari stopped another spear coming her way.

“(Y/N)!” Ajak caught her in the air, preventing the stake from sinking deeper. "Makkari, carry her to the Domo."

She wanted to get her away as soon as possible to heal her, so she could explain to the others there was nothing to fear as cosmic radiation wasn’t harmful to Eternal. But Makkari didn't dare to touch her despite doing it countless times before without repercussions. "Ikaris." Ajak turned to him pleadingly, but he didn't move from his spot either.

(Y/N) cried in her leader's arms, but it wasn't the stabbing pain in her abdomen that hurt, but the looks of horror and mistrust the others directed her. Especially that of Kingo, with whom she was very close and had a special bond. She couldn’t control it, her skin and fluids being radioactive was an unfortunate design flaw, but there was no way she could hurt her friends with it; and she’d never attack them intentionally either. 

"Fine, I'll do it." Ajak carried her with ease as she glared at the others and hurried toward the Domo, reassuring her over and over that she was going to be okay.  

It was the beginning of a life of solitude, in which she'd be believed to be a bad omen and a monster. Sprite would only promote the legends with her stories, and she'll go down in human history as a bringer of decease and death, feared all around the globe for millennia. Never again did parents allow their children to get close, or asked for her help, and her compatriots avoided her for centuries, inventing excuses not to get close to her. 

(Y/N) would have considered the next five thousand years a living hell if not for what happened one night in Egypt in 3000 B.C.

[its-a-hot-girl-thing]

Mortal | Druig x Reader

Pairing: Druig x GN!Reader

Warnings: Major character death, blood, pet names

Word count: 495 (Drabble) 

It felt as if the Earth was crumbling beneath his feet or the night sky was parting above his head, and all he could do was stare in agony and confusion. They weren't supposed to be there, he had made sure they left the city safely with their family hours ago... Then why was he holding their limp and cold body against his chest? 

"Druig, we have to go." Ajak put a hand on his shoulder, but she seemed miles away. "Come on". 

He felt their warm blood burn his skin as they turned pale and became cold. How long had they been there? 

"(Y/N), I'm here" he sobbed, finally letting himself cry. "Please, my love, talk to me." 

His mind rushed with a million thoughts as his clothes became damped in red, his hands desperately trying to stop the bleeding at her abdomen. Could he have saved them?, Had they called for him in their last moments? Did it hurt? Were they scared? Who? How? Why? 

"Druig" Ajak kneeled in front of him with a pitiful expression before closing their eyes. "They're gone, there's nothing we can do. Let's go". 

"No" he hid his face in the crook of their neck as he rocked back and forth. "They're going to be okay, they just need to rest, that's all. Right, sweetheart?" 

The others watched in silence as they surrounded him, shocked at the scene unfolding before them. Druig had never shown himself weak in front of them, they didn't even believe he cared about anything or anyone enough to break down like that. Yet, there he was, losing his sanity over the death of a human none of them knew about until then. 

Druig always knew their time together was bound to be ephemeral, as they were tied to mortal rules and he was an Eternal; but they were in the prime of life, they still had forty or fifty years left, at least. 

"Will you still love me when I'm no longer young and beautiful?" they had asked him once while they lay in bed, bare bodies intertwined under the sheets. 

"Of course" he kissed their eyelids one by one. "I'll love you forever, (Y/N), even after you're long gone."  

Ajak had warned him, she'd told him their time together would feel like a blink in comparison to the everlasting pain they'll leave behind. But he was stubborn, believing it was better to have love and lost than to never have loved at all, especially when it came to them.

He kissed every inch of their face with such delicacy, one might have thought they were made of glass instead of bone and skin, and gently caressed their hair. He left their lips for last, wiping some blood from them with trembling hands before giving them a goodbye kiss. 

"I love you." He whispered to their ear as Makkari hugged him from behind. "We'll live in my heart forever, my love, I promise." 

[its-a-hot-girl-thing]

Antología | Bruno Madrigal x Reader

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

After that first date, (Y/N) and Bruno spent the next three months secretly meeting after the sunset, as at night it was easier to hide from the prying eyes in town and most importantly, her family. Those weren't adequate times for lovers to encounter each other, and he was sure that if by any chance, someone saw them together on the streets or entering his house, a scandal would arise from which she would never be able to recover. However, she didn't seem to care about the possible consequences, because whenever he threw small rocks at her window to let her know he'd arrived, she would receive him eagerly by throwing herself into his arms.

"You're lucky everyone in this family's a heavy sleeper," Catalina told her once after she opened the door, a routine they'd adopted to make sure that her mother or her sister didn't see her come in so late at night. "And that I love you so much."

No one in the Madrigal household, with the exception of Dolores, had noticed anything weird either or that every night at midnight Bruno left his room only to return at five or six in the morning when the sun began to rise over the horizon. Sometimes, when they were too tired to walk around town or go to the river, he took her to his house to show her one of his novelas or take a quick nap together. 

It was on one of those nights, while Bruno interpreted one of his recent novelas for her with the help of his rats in the kitchen, that their fates were sealed.

"You don't know how much I need you" he moved the rat wearing a black jacket, courtesy of her along with other garments she had sewn in her spare time. “Beatriz, tell me, do you want to destroy me?

"No, Armando, I don't want that" he made a female voice for the other rat.

“Then please don't let me fall, I beg you. Betty, I know you don't feel anything for me anymore, but don't let me down... Because I still do."

He slowly brought the rats closer, pretending a kiss between them, and her eyes moved up his arms to land on his face, watching him mesmerised. She loved the way he smiled when he did something he was passionate about and even more that he trust her enough to show her with such enthusiasm. 

“Bruno” she spoke softly, reaching out to touch his face fondly. No matter how many times she did it, he always became a blushing mess at her touch.

"Are you bored? We can do something else, whatever you want!” There was a certain sadness in his voice.

"No, it's not that! I truly enjoy your telenovelas." She ran her thumb across his cheekbone in gentle circles. "I just want to ask you something".

"What is it?" His breath hitched in his throat, as he was completely lost in her eyes and touch. 

"Why have you never kissed me?" The question stuns him so much, he inadvertently squeezes the rats in his hands before letting them free on the table. "You don't... like me that way?"

"Of course I do!" He cupped her face between his hands, tense. "It's just... I didn't want to make you uncomfortable, I wasn't sure if you wanted me to." 

“I like you a lot, Bruno” she'd never uttered those words together before. "I'd even dare to say I'm beginning to fall for you."

He couldn't believe what his ears were hearing, he was sure to be dreaming or hallucinating. He never expected her to reciprocate his feelings, it was enough for him to be her friend and be near her. 

"So it's okay if I kiss you?"

"Try and find out" He'd never say it out loud, but her bold and flirtatious personality drove him crazy. 

He moved closer to her face, trembling, taking his time to look carefully at her features to make sure she was comfortable with that. 

"I don't really know how to do the whole... Kissing thing, I've never done it before." He was scared she'd laugh at him, but she brushed away his insecurities by kissing his palm fondly. 

"Neither have I." She smiled shyly at him. "But they say practice makes perfect, right?"

Red cheeks and nerves on edge, Bruno closed the gap between them slowly, barely gracing her lips with his. It was a skittish and fleeting kiss, but it was enough to make him see fireworks behind closed eyes. 

“Not bad.” She needed more, but she knew perfectly well he was not going to take the initiative again. “My turn.”

He watched her in confusion as she grabbed him by the collar of the shirt, pulling from it to meet his lips in a deep kiss that took his breath away. She moved her lips sloppily as she intertwined her fingers in his hair, snapping something in him with that simple action. He drew her closer by the waist, startling her, and deepened the kiss as his lips moved on his own, perfectly fitting with hers. Her arms locked around his neck, her hands still playing with some strands while he melted in her embrace, realizing he needed her more than he'd thought.

They broke away at the lack of oxygen, his forehead leaning against hers as they recovered their breath panting. 

“You taste like canela” his voice was hoarse.

“Must be the tea” she was dizzy and her legs had gone numb, but she couldn't care less, she just wanted to kiss him over and over again. “I take back my previous statement, I'm completely sure now: I'm in love with you.”

“Me too.” There was no fear or hesitation in his words even though he was handing her his heart on a silver platter. He didn't care if there came a day when she left him, he was willing to give himself to her and enjoy the little or much time she could call her his. “Te amo, (Y/N).”

“I love you too, Bruno.”

They spent the next two hours in his room, cuddling and kissing between words until five am when he walked her back home. Never before had it been as difficult for them to say goodbye as that morning. Their lips were red and swollen, and their throats were dry from declaring their love to each other so many times. 

“Buenos días, señor Madrigal" Catalina greeted him as she opened the door with a yawn. "(Y/N), hurry up, I think Mario woke up while I was coming downstairs." Her husband had begun to suspect something, but he hadn't asked her anything so far.

"See you tomorrow, amor mío." The nickname took him by surprise, but he gladly accepted it as she gave him one last kiss before entering the house, her skirt mimicking a butterfly.

"I love you too, mi mariposita."

Taglist 

@moocat-caboose | @hymnofthevalkyrie | @a-hopeless-fan | @quesowakanda | @endurablerose | @staradorned | @aerichoi | @sunshineyrosie | @girl-next-door-writes | jennmaldonado | porcelainpeachess | moyo5653 | gabi-moureira | bagsy-not-it | janora00 | lostgirl-28 | starryeddie | witchblossoms | v-vic | amoalasmadrigals | 4rin4 | acdassenza | in-this-minute | otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore | tigreost | staygoldsquatchling02 | lunna-star-8 | whimsicaldreaming | mayusenpai666

[its-a-hot-girl-thing]

Antología | Bruno Madrigal x Reader

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

The market was unusually empty for the hour, so it only took them fifteen minutes to complete the shopping and be on their way home. (Y/N) walked behind Amparo as her sister looked for something in the basket, completely lost in her thoughts, oblivious to the fact Bruno had been following her for a while then. He'd tried approaching her on several occasions, but he didn't want to get her in trouble or risk Amparo causing a scandal. 

"Ay, qué mensa" the woman stopped in the middle of the street, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples "I forgot the onions."

"Oh, I can go get them" (Y/N) had noticed her sister had a headache minutes before. 

"Thanks, mom asked for two" she handed her some coins. "Don't take too long, okay? I wait for you here”

"Ok".

Bruno saw his opportunity as the sisters parted ways, so he hurried to catch up with her once he made sure Amparo couldn't see them.

“Psst” He tried to get her attention from behind a fruit stand, but immediately regretted it as she turned around in confusion. He slapped himself internally, he shouldn't have done that, she wasn't a cat, it was rude. 

(Y/N) shrugged and continued on her way after not seeing anyone, not giving it too much thought.

“You can do this, you can do this” he reassured himself as he hid the bouquet behind his back. Breathing in deeply, he knocked six times on a wood wheelbarrow on his side and approached her slowly “Señorita Cortés”. 

She recognized her voice immediately. "Bruno!" Her eyes brighten at the sight of him and she ran to hug him tightly. "I'm so happy to see you." She took his hand and hid behind the church to be safer from her sister's gaze. “I told you to call me by my first name.”

He hadn't expected her to greet him so warmly, and his mind turned blank as he stared at their hands together. "I'm glad to see you too, (Y/N)".

"Don't think I've forgotten about our bet, I just haven't had the time to deliver the arroz and the arequipe personally." She was embarrassed to admit Asunción had been preventing her from seeing him. "By the way, I'm deeply sorry for what happened with my mother, it must have been overwhelming."

“I appreciate your concern, but you shouldn't be unsettled, it's something I'm used to."

"Just because you're used to something doesn't mean it's right." He's caught off guard by her words, as he isn't used to people being this soft with him. "Please accept my apologies." She didn't think it was fair that such a wonderful person should have to put up with everything that was said behind his back, much less that he simply accept it as part of life.

"Of course I do, I didn't mean to offend you."

"You haven't" She dedicated him a sweet smile, one Bruno so longed to see, and as she did so, she got closer. “Um, you have something in your hair… Do you want me to get it out?”

He could only nod, still appalled at the situation, and she released his hand to gently brush a few grains of salt and sugar from some strands near his cheek. As she retrieved her hand, her fingers brushed his skin accidentally, making him flinch and startling her.

“Sorry!” He reached out to grab her wrist unconsciously, but instead ended up hitting her with the bouquet on the nose. "Dios mío, I'm so, so sorry. These are for you!”

She looked at him with reddened cheeks, a million butterflies unleashing deep in her stomach. “Tha…Aah!” as she took the flowers, a rat scurried up his arm, scaring her. The small animal fell to the ground along with the bouquet. "Cielo santo, forgive me!"

They both bent down nervously to pick up the bouquet, bumping into each other in the attempt. “Ow!” Seconds later, as Bruno searched desperately for his rat, she began to laugh softly. He froze, feeling a pit in his stomach out of humiliation. 

<I screwed up> He thought, looking at the ground with teary eyes. <What was I thinking? Of course she was going to laugh at me, I'm pathetic.>

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare it, I was just surprised” He looked up to find his rat on her shoulder as she gently pat on its head, the bouquet on her hands. "Thank you so much, they're beautiful. ”

And then, (Y/N) kissed his cheek with such gentleness, his sight turned blurry and his whole world spun. Her soft lips left a pink stain that his mother would later notice at dinner, leading to dozen questions he'd refused to answer. 

"Isabella made them" It was obvious, but he didn't know what else to say.

She blushed again, remembering what the eldest Madrigal grandchild had told her about pink daisies. The girl had spent hours talking about the language of flowers when they designed her dress for the ceremony five years prior. 

"It's a love declaration" the kid explained as her mom showed her different fabrics. "A request to court someone."

Bruno fidgeted with his ruana as he gathered enough courage to say ask her out. “Um, (Y/N), would you like to, I mean, if you’re not busy… We could have lunch together, or even just coffee at my house if you don’t have a lot of time?” He didn't want anyone to see them together, it'd be the ruin of her reputation, and consequently, of the Cortés family. "Of course, my family would be present, I don't want you to misperceive my intentions..."

“(Y/N)!” Amparo was looking for her, angry at her lateness. “(Y/N)!”

"I have to go." She kissed his cheek again, pressing the flowers against her chest. "But I'd love to have lunch with you tomorrow at two, is that alright?" She would make up some excuse with Catalina's to get out of the house, or even jump off the balcony if necessary. 

"Perfect".

“See you tomorrow, then”

"I'll be looking forward to it". 

<I can't believe I got a first date, let alone a year> he'd write at the dim light of a candle months later. <I've only been yours ever since that day, and for that, I'll be eternally sorry. I'm so thankful for everything you did for me even when I wasn't worthy of your love, vida mía.>

(Y/N) turned around and caught up with her sister, jumping up and down with joy as Bruno leaned against the church, smiling broadly.

Taglist

@moocat-caboose | @hymnofthevalkyrie | @a-hopeless-fan | @quesowakanda | @endurablerose | @staradorned | @aerichoi | @sunshineyrosie | @girl-next-door-writes | jennmaldonado | porcelainpeachess | moyo5653 | gabi-moureira | bagsy-not-it | janora00 | lostgirl-28 | starryeddie | witchblossoms | v-vic | amoalasmadrigals | 4rin4 | acdassenza | in-this-minute | otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore | tigreost | staygoldsquatchling02 | lunna-star-8 

[its-a-hot-girl-thing]

Antología | Bruno Madrigal x Reader

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

On the following days, neither of them could stop thinking about the other, reminiscing over and over again their first encounter. (Y/N) desperately wanted to see him again, but couldn't find the right moment to sneak off to apologize for what her mother had said. She wanted to know more about him: his interests, dislikes, fears, hopes, his story and everything else in between. However, her mother never took her eyes off her, as if she suspected something was off, she wouldn't even let her go to the market alone. 

On his part, Bruno daydreamed about the youngest Cortés all of the time, from the way she smiled to the way she spoke. He spent all day looking at the door, waiting for her to appear with arequipe and arroz con leche, as she had promised him, but every time someone knocked, it turned out to be someone else looking for him. His patience ran out after three days, and in an act of uncharacteristic courage, he went to look for her at the Cortés workshop, just to end up cowering at the last minute and hiding among some planters outside her house.  

For the next week, he kept prowling her house, trying to talk to her, only for his insecurities to get the best of him. It wasn't until a Thursday morning, after he spent an hour practising with the bathroom mirror, that the solution appeared in front of him as he opened the door.

“Who's (Y/N)?” Dolores, then just a ten-year-old girl, was standing outside the bathroom, wide curious eyes awaiting his response. 

Bruno panicked, unable to decide which lie or truth to say. "Bye" Overwhelmed, he walked around her to go to his room, the girl following him closely behind. 

"Dime! Dime! Dime! You haven't stopped talking about her... Well, practising how to talk to her for days, I need to know!”

"You shouldn't be spying on people, Dolores."

"I can't help it!" Bruno reached the stairs that led to his room, but his niece took him by the arm, looking at him pleadingly. “Please, I won't tell anyone. Is she your girlfriend?"

“You have a girlfriend, tío Bruno?” Isabella had come out of her room without them noticing.

“No, listen, (Y/N) and I…”

“(Y/N) Cortés? You don't seem like her type."

"You know her?" Dolores ran to her cousin, taking her by the hand to bring her closer.

“Sí, she's the tailor's daughter. They made our ceremony dresses, remember? (Y/N) was the one who embroidered the flowers.”

“Uh!, I remember." She squeaked. "She's that pretty girl with the butterfly skirt, right?"

"Niñas!" They both turned to see him surprised, as they were used to him only muttering and mumbling "I'm sorry, sorry, sorry." He's sighed. "Listen, I barely know (Y/N), we've only met once. And yeah, of course, she's really pretty and funny and interesting… But I'm not." 

“So you do like her?” Dolores moved her brows up and down.

“Yep… I mean, no!” he blushed, looking away from the pair.

“You do!” Both cousins ​​look at each other in excitement. “You should ask her out!”

“Absolutely not, and I don't want to hear another word about this. Bye” He turned to enter his room, but once again, someone stopped him by the hem of his ruana.

“She's talking about you too right now.”

"Dolores! What did I just tell you? It's rude to listen to other people's conversations." The girl looked at him with puppy eyes as he nervously fidgeted with his hands, his curiosity winning. “And… What is she saying?” His niece smiled at him. She had been hearing the young woman's conversation with another person at the Cortés household for a few minutes already. 

"You made arroz con leche again?" Catalina asked (Y/N) upon entering the kitchen. "You've been cooking arroz and arequipe for days... Who's it for?"

"Oh, no one in particular" her cheeks turned pink.

"Uh-huh, then why you've been trying to get away from abuela all week?" She didn't know if she had been that obvious, or if her niece just knew her very well. "Now tell me, who's it for?"

“I met someone recently and promised to make him this as part of a bet, that's all." She tried to end the conversation, turning around to escape her niece's questioning gaze, but the girl grabbed her skirt to stop her. 

“You don't fool me. Could it be that you have a secret boyfriend out there?" Catalina said it as a joke, accustomed to (Y/N)'s voluntary singlehood, getting caught off guard by her answer. 

"It's nothing serious, I just think he's... Interesting."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing, this is a historical event!" Catalina took her hands excitedly, shaking them. "You like someone!"

“Like is a very strong word for someone I've only met once, and all I said was that I find him interesting.”

"And who's the lucky man who has accomplished the impossible task of rousing your curiosity?"

(Y/N) bit her lip nervously, looking for a way to escape from the uncomfortable situation. It wasn't that she was ashamed of Bruno but rather wanted to avoid a conversation like the one that had ensued with her mother at la Casa Madrigal.

"Uhm... Well, he's very sweet and charming, with curly black hair, beautiful jade eyes, and about your height."

"That doesn't answer my question."

“You're going to judge me, he's older than me.” That was the least of her problems.

"How older?"

"Thirteen years"

“Oh, no… Are you in love with a married man!?” She whispered, alarmed.

"No! No, he's not married” she didn't remember seeing a ring on his finger. "And I'm not in love with him."

“Uff, you scared me for a second there. So, let's recap: your mystery lover is sweet, charming, has black hair, green eyes, is single, and has…” she counted with the help of her fingers. "39 years."

“(Y/N)!” Suddenly, Amparo called her sister from the workshop. “Could you come with me to the mercado?” 

"Comming!" She got up as Catalina kept trying to remember someone in town with those physical characteristics.

"Argh, I can only think of Doña Alma's son, the one with the rats, what's his name?" (Y/N) had stopped a few steps from her, remembering the joy in his eyes as he told her about his rats in their way back from his Tower.

"Bruno." She said his name in a sigh, an indiscreet smile crossing her lips.

“Ah, sí” Catalina laughed, getting up to follow her to the workshop, convinced it wasn't him. To her, it seemed ridiculous to imagine her aunt -  a woman full of energy, happiness and beauty - would be attracted to a man like Bruno Madrigal, a man feared by the whole town for his creepy reputation. However, it's upon seeing (Y/N)'s smile and red cheeks that she stops laughing, stunned.

“Por Dios, you're in love with Bruno Madrigal!”

"Shh!" (Y/N) covers her mouth, looking around in fear someone had heard her. “You can't tell anyone, understand? Besides, I already told you I'm not in love, I'd just like to get to know him more."

"He doesn't scare you? I mean, with all those rats and the eerie premonitions. In town they say he's…” 

“I don't care what they say, it's not true. Bruno's a very kind man, he just wants to help others.”

“(Y/N)!” Amparo called her again, so she leaned close to Catalina's ear:

"Not a word, okay?" And with that, she ran to the entrance, where her sister was waiting with a basket. 

In la Casa Madrigal, Dolores recited to Bruno word for word what the young Cortés was talking with her niece, watching his face brighten up with joy.  

“She thinks I'm charming?” His heart was beating so fast he thought it was going to burst out of his chest.

"What are you waiting for? She's going to the mercado, it's your opportunity to talk to her.” Isabella started to push him towards the stairs while Dolores pulled from his hand.

“But her sister's not going to let me get anywhere near her. Besides, I wouldn't know what to say! What if she thinks I've been following her?"

"Haven't you?"

“N…No!” It was impossible to hide anything from his niece. "I wanted to talk to her, but I don't know how to approach her."

"Gift her something" Dolores suggested. "Uh! You can give her flowers, right Isabella? Men give flowers when they're in love, like my dad does with my mom." 

“I think she likes daisies” he remembered seeing them in his vision. 

"Perfect!" Isabella appeared a bouquet of pink daisies and handed them to Bruno. “Go to the market, find her and give her these flowers, she'll understand.”

“Understand what?”

“Just give them to her!”

The cousins ​​managed to get Bruno out with Casita's help, locking the entrance door so he couldn't come back inside  "Good luck!" Dolores yelled behind it as she high-fived Isabella. 

Taglist 

Btw, thanks for the beautiful comments! I got so inspired thanks to them. Also, I think it’s a little confusing, but Catalina is the daughter of one of the eldest sisters of the reader, so they’re the same age. 

@moocat-caboose | @hymnofthevalkyrie | @a-hopeless-fan | @quesowakanda | @endurablerose | @staradorned | @aerichoi | @sunshineyrosie | @girl-next-door-writes

[its-a-hot-girl-thing]

Antología | Bruno Madrigal x Reader

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

Bruno entered the room behind (Y/N), letting her roam around it for a few seconds, analyzing the patterns marked on the floor and walls, as he turned on some candles. 

"Come, sit here" He pointed to the centre of the room, where five little piles of leaves lay in the sand. She approached him with little leaps and was about to sit down when Bruno took her by the shoulders. "Wait! We can do it like this so you don't smudge your skirt."  

"Oh, it doesn't matter!, I'll wash it later" She sat down, pulling from his arms to follow her. "You know? I think my mamá thinks it's a whim of mine not to get married, but it would make me very happy to do so. It's just that I haven't found the one, that man who makes the colours brighter and life prettier... Señor Madrigal, I just want to know if there's someone like that out there for me." 

Bruno reflected himself in her eyes, full of hope and youth, and remembered the time when he used to have the same gaze. He desired the same things as her when he was around her age: to find someone who sweeten his existence by making him feel understood, someone to share his life with and to form a family of his own. This craving appeared after Julieta introduced him to Agustín when they were twenty-six, during a town festival. They looked so happy he couldn't help but feel jealous, because no matter how many flowers, chocolates or pretty words he said, all the girls in Encanto fled at the mere mention of his name. Eventually, the hope of finding someone faded, and he resigned himself to witnessing his sisters marry and have children, knowing he'd never have the same.

"There probably is" Bruno looked at her tenderly, praying God his same fate didn't await her. From his ruana, he grabbed a pinch of salt, which he proceeded to throw over his shoulder, then struck a match and lit the leaves at his feet. "May I?" He extended his hands towards her.

Nodding with a bright smile, she put her palms against his, feeling her fingertips tingle as they touched his skin. Bruno closed his hands around hers, warm and soft, and took a deep breath before his eyes began to glow a brilliant green that took her breath away. Sand began to swirl around them until a dome formed a dome over their heads, green lights and a strong breeze accompanying it. Between them, two jade figures materialised: a woman (Y/N) recognized as herself and a man of mysterious identity, handing her a bouquet of daisies.

"Felicidades, the man you were waiting for has already entered your life." She squeezed his hands, excited, giving a little squeak. He felt a small ail in his chest, a bittersweet feeling invading his mind: he was happy to deliver good news, especially to her, but at the same time there was a prevailing sadness in his heart. 

"Who is he?" She didn't remember anyone who had caught her eye lately.

"Hmm, wait..." the figures changed to show (Y/N) sitting in front of the man, laughing as he moved two small animals on a table, and then them kissing near the river. “I can't see yet, but you'll love each other fervently. You'll be very happy, your bond will be stronger than any obstacle in your way."

"What obstacles?"

And just when Bruno was about to see the man's face clearly, his figure disappeared, leaving in his place an older woman arguing with her daughter. "Your family" Bruno sighed, of course he couldn't predict a good thing, there always had to be a dreadful twist. "They'll try to separate you by all means... And they'll succeed, a tragedy will prompt him to leave." 

The sand around him began falling, leaving him confused; why couldn't he see the man's face? A jade glass slab formed in front of him, blocking his view of her, picturing (Y/N) crying on a bed, clutching something to her chest. "You won't be able to be together, you'll never marry." The breeze ceased, the green lights disappeared, and Bruno found a bewildered and brooding woman behind the slab staring at him. 

"Perdón." He was waiting for her to start insulting him. 

Usually, the content of his prophecies didn't affect him on a personal level, he just hated having to deal with the reactions they provoked. But the one he held in his hands had struck a chord within him; it seemed an injustice that something like that should happen to people like her. 

"Hey, don't listen to me, I could be wrong." Upset, he broke the slab between his hands and let the pieces fall to the sand, desperately trying to cover them with it. "Let's pretend that none of this happened."

"Señor Madrigal" her voice paralyzed him, and he unconsciously held his breath in anticipation of her anger. "Thank you for your time".

Her words baffled him, particularly because of the calm in which she said them, no trace of resentment or hatred in them. He looked up almost trembling, discovering her hand extended in his direction.

"I guess those things happen, huh" (Y/N) laughed gloomily as he took her hand. “Any idea of who the man is?" 

"No, perdóneme, señorita Cortés."

"It's okay, you've done more than enough for me." She sighed, dusting the sand off her skirt. “Now I have to tell my mother, she's going to go crazy. Huh, well, she'll have to get used to the idea." She shrugged her shoulders. "What about a rematch? If you get down before I do, I'll make you arroz con leche and arequipe. Deal?"

He looked at her astounded as she walked to the door, her characteristic sweet smile back on her lips. She didn't blame him, she didn't yell, she didn't even get angry; And instead, in an act of sheer sympathy, she thanked him for his vision. 

"Señor Madrigal, are you okay?" she touched his arm, concerned for his paleness. 

"Sí, perdón". He snapped out of his thoughts, walking beside her through the passageway. "Please, call me Bruno."

“In that case, call me (Y/N). And well, Bruno, what do you say about that rematch?" 

He ended up beating her again, she even had to walk down the last forty steps at a slow pace, trying to catch her breath. They returned to the courtyard laughing, and found Asunción talking with Julieta near the kitchen. Upon seeing her daughter smiling, the woman ran to take her hands in excitement. 

"When is the wedding?"

(Y/N) and Bruno's smiles faded as they looked at each other nervously.

"Mamá, I need you to stay calm... I'm never getting married." the woman dropped her hands abruptly, staring at her in shock, before glaring at Bruno. "It's not that important, marriage isn't for everyone. And I'm not going to die alone: I have my sisters, Catalina, the children..."

"It was a mistake to bring you here." She took her tightly by the arm, almost dragging her out of the house. “Your sister warned me! That man is a bad omen, he enjoys ruining people's lives. Did you know he was the one who told her she wouldn't have children? And look! Nine years of marriage and no offspring!"

Bruno remembered Amparo Cortés very well, but not for a good reason. The young woman had come to consult him about her marital life a few days before the ceremony, and when he told her she would never be able to conceive, the woman had blamed and cursed him for it. 

"Mamá! You're being rude." (Y/N) tried to get out of her grip. "He only answered your question, it's not his fault."

"Vámonos!"

"I'm so sorry, Bruno. I don't think you're a bad omen!" she shouted as her mother pushed her out the door. "I'll bring you the arequipe and the arroz con leche later!" He didn't notice when he started following her, but he found himself under the arch of the door, watching her fight her mother to go back to him. "It was nice meeting you!" 

"It was nice meeting you too." He whispered to the air, waving her goodbye seconds before Julieta ordered Casita to close the door.

Taglist

Btw, thank you all for reading my story. I hope you’re enjoying it as much as I am. <3

@moocat-caboose | @hymnofthevalkyrie | @a-hopeless-fan | @quesowakanda | @endurablerose | @staradorned | @aerichoi | @sunshineyrosie | @girl-next-door-writes

[its-a-hot-girl-thing]

Antología | Bruno Madrigal x Reader

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

They met in late spring, when (Y/N) and her mother knocked on the door of La Casita after breakfast, back in 1939. Pepa opened, a grey cloud over her head as she desperately tried to soothe the child in her arms, Camilo, who was crying inconsolably.

"Buenos días, Pepa" the woman greeted her. "Is your brother home?" 

"Ah, I think he's in the ..." the boy pulled from one of her curls, causing a thunder above her. "Ouch! Argh, BRUNO!"

"Sí?" An unkempt man with black curls, green eyes, and big dark circles peeked out from the kitchen, concerned. 

"They're looking for you" his sister walked away to her room with Camilo shifting restlessly in her arms. 

Bruno approached the entrance prepared to be yelled at, trying to remember what he had predicted to cause someone's anger this time. He immediately recognized the woman as the town's tailor, Asunción Cortés, but the girl next to her was only vaguely familiar.

"Buenos días" he said barely in a whisper, looking down and holding his breath.

"Buenos días, Bruno" Asunción took her daughter by the arm, giving her a little push inside the house, almost making her bump with the man. "I need to know when my daughter's getting married."

"What?" Confused by her words, he looked up, meeting a curious pair of eyes and a sweet smile inches from him. Bruno only knew three of the twelve Cortés sisters, but among the townspeople, he had heard of their great beauty and charm. However, nothing he heard before compared to reality: the girl in front of him seemed out of a fairy tale.

"What my mother means, señor Madrigal, is that she needs you to confirm through your gift whether she'll ever see me dressed in white or she should resign herself to seeing me die alone."

"Verá, all my daughters, granddaughters and nieces have married before the age of 24." he couldn't take his eyes off the young woman, who seemed amused by the situation. “But (Y/N)'s just turned 26 a week ago and there's still no one interested in taking her down the aisle. I need to know once and for all what her future holds before I have a heart attack." 

Bruno doubted that the younger Cortés' singleness was due to a lack of suitors, and he was correct. Ever since her 18th birthday, several men had tried to lure her with all sorts of schemes, but she always ended up rejecting them, bored by their flat and monotonous personalities.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, señor Madrigal" her voice reminded him of a joyful melody. "We can come back later if you're busy."

"Don't worry, I can attend to you now, señorita Cortés" he moved to the side to let both women pass."If you follow me upstairs, por favor."

"Could you stay here?" (Y/N) stopped her mother at the foot of the stairs.

"And leave you alone with a man in his room?" Her mother responded alarmed. "But what a scandal would that be!" 

"Ay, mamá, por favor, el señor Madrigal is an honourable man" Bruno didn't believe most people would agree with that statement. "It's just that you're so nervous, I don't want you to interrupt the process, especially if it turns out not to be what you expect." The woman looked at him up and down, then at her daughter and back at him as he smiled sheepishly. "Fine, but I want all the details."

"Sí, mamá" Bruno couldn't help but blush as she entwined her arm with his to guide her into his room. As he opened the door, he suddenly felt mortified by the number of stairs in front of them; he was used to it, and when someone from town came to ask him something, he didn't care they had to climb so many steps... Until that moment. 

"Wow" is all she could say, looking up amazed.

"Sorry, they didn't use to be that high, but..."

"Oh, no problem" (Y/N) jumped to the first step, in front of him. Her interest in him began then, as he nervously fidgeted with the hem of his ruana, eyes glued to the floor. She felt the need to cheer him up, to see him smile truthfully and not just for appearance. There was something in him, a distant sorrow that reached her soul and somehow became affection. 

"Do you have to go up there every day?"

"Yep"

She winced, pitying the man, particularly for everything she'd heard about him in town. She'd expected to meet someone scary with a malicious gaze and dark aura, but instead, she came across a cordial, shy man with melancholic eyes. He looked tired, probably overwhelmed by his reputation, one of which seemed impossible to change or flee. 

"Then I guess you’ll have no problem beating me".

"Beating you…?" Confused, he watched her run up the stairs, hopping here and there.

"Whoever arrives last owes the other an arequipe!". 

It took him a few seconds to understand what was happening, seconds in which he noticed that the green and black details on the edge of her white skirt made her look like a fluttering butterfly; the reason why he'd call her “mi mariposita" later on in their relationship. 

"Hey, be careful!" he snapped out after seeing her skid over the edge of a step. "Wait!"

He ran after her, hearing her giggles echo through the tower, a ghostly sound that would haunt him in dreams during his years in exile. He caught up with her about thirty steps from the top, where he found her leaning against the wall gasping for air, red face and tousled hair.

"Okay, okay! I give up.” She raised her hands in surrender, smiling at him. "There were more steps than I’d expected."

"Are you alright?" He was tired, but not as she was. 

"Perfect! I just needed to catch my breath. Vamos!" Together they finished climbing the stairs, reaching a dimly lit passageway. "Hey, feel free to stop by the workshop any day to claim your prize." She reached up to boop his nose, and Bruno's face turned the same colour as an apple. “Not to show off, but my arequipe won first place at the food fair three years ago. Sure, it was because Julieta didn't attend that year, but second-best is not bad, right?”

He was amazed at her energy and optimism, which seemed to spread throughout the place like a bright warm light. He watched her walk to the door at the end of the passageway, feeling his heart racing against his chest. At the moment, he attributed it to the race, but later that night, in the solitude of his bed, he realized it was love being born from the depths of his being. 

<From the very first moment we met I knew that you'd never be mine. And yet I was selfish enough to try; How foolish of me to think you could be mine, when you're the light and I'm the eternal night.> He'd write her two years later, in hasty handwriting and teary eyes, her photo pressed against his chest.

"Ready?" (Y/N) pointed to the door.

"Oh, yeah, sorry" smiling, he walked up to her and opened the room.

Taglist

@moocat-caboose​

[its-a-hot-girl-thing]

Antología | Bruno Madrigal x Reader

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

Slightly based on Antología by Shakira 

Summary: Years before disappearing, Bruno and (Y/N) had an ephemeral romance that ended unexpectedly by the tragic whim of fate. 

"How foolish of me to think you could be mine, when you're the light and I'm the eternal night.” 

He saw her talking to Julieta near where the entrance was being built, handing her two baskets full of food as she smiled gently, air moving her skirt like butterfly wings. For a moment, as his sister took the baskets, he believed to be hallucinating, that she was just the ghost of a worn-out memory after a decade of playing it over and over again in his head out of pure masochism. 

“Ah, (Y/N)” Julieta stopped as she turned to leave. “You probably already heard from the neighbours, but Bruno came back. Well, he never actually left, but it's a long story... "

She had stopped hearing the woman the moment she mentioned his name, surprised to hear someone pronounce it after so many years in exile. A dozen emotions flood her body, leaving her dismayed and lost, not quite sure how to react. It's as if she had been awakened from a profound sleep because her heart starts beating vehemently against her chest, pumping blood to her cheeks to tint them with a slight pink hue, her brain going so fast not even she understands what's happening. 

<I'm dreaming> she thought, it wouldn't be the first time. She pinches her wrist, but Julieta's still there, telling her something she can't hear thanks to the commotion a simple name caused in her insides: happiness, delight, guilt, despair, anger, and so much more piles up in her chest. She wanted to see him, hug him, kiss him, tell him how much she had missed him and how sorry she was for not arriving that night. And it's precisely the memory of that night that makes her smile fade and her face go pale, a hole replacing the butterflies in her stomach. 

"Let me go look for him, I saw him with Luisa a few minutes ago." Julieta turns around, but the man had run to hide already. 

"I have to go, I left the children alone." It was a lie, Amparo, her sister, had stayed at home with her husband to look after them. 

Heart racing, she turned around and nearly ran downhill, leaving Julieta confused and puzzled: She'd expected another response given the way she had reacted years ago when she found out about the disappearance of the youngest triplet. 

<He hates me> she kept repeating as she walked between the townspeople <He hates me more than anything>. She had learned to live with that thought over time, but it was one thing to suspect and another to confirm. There was nothing she wanted more in the world than to see him, but she didn't think she could bear his disdain and rejection; she'd rather die before seeing the slightest hint of resentment in his eyes.

<She hates me> Bruno torments himself with made-up scenarios. <She hates me as I've never been hated before, and that's saying a lot.> Had she received his farewell letter? And even if she did, would it make any difference? He'd left her with little to no explanation, the only person who saw him with tender eyes and not as a bad omen, she who had dared to defy reason to devote herself in heart, mind and body to him, to whom he vowed marriage... To ultimately disappoint her like he did with everyone else.

He didn't deserve to see her, (Y/N) probably didn't want to either, and he could live with the hatred of the entire Encanto - with being perceived as a cold and calculating monster - but not hers. Bruno wasn't strong enough to look her in the eyes, once burning with love for him, and only find rage and repulsion.

Their minds went back to the first day, eleven years ago, when their lives crossed at the same place that now lies in ruins behind them.

<I'm sorry for falling in love with you, mi Mariposita> Said his last letter. <You deserve better than me>

And as she disappeared between the houses and the crowd, his words seemed truer than ever to him.