magicalmadrigals

[magicalmadrigals]

Does anyone want to start talking on here? I need more friends. It feels too quiet 😅

[magicalmadrigals]

Where the Lightning Strikes - One-shot

So, I went ahead and wrote my one-shot idea for Pepa and Felix. I've never actually written anything for them as a couple before so this was so fun to experiment with. Especially given the topic. If anyone reads, I hope you like it.

[Summary: At eighteen years old, Pepa Madrigal has always feared the storm inside her, but there's one person in town that never has. Felix. When her powers hurt him during an argument one night, she's sure he'll finally come to his senses and walk away, but he doesn't. The passing of time heals his wounds, but changes nothing else. All those years later, he's still her calm in every storm.]

AO3 Link: Where the Lightning Strikes - BlissfulEscape - Encanto (2021) [Archive of Our Own]

Read under the cut here!

Pepa had always known her gift was dangerous.

She'd learned that before she'd even finished learning her letters and numbers.

When she got frustrated, thunder cracked overhead.

When she cried, she ruined weddings.

When her feelings began building up inside, the whole town seemed to tremble.

Over the years, she had taught – or rather forced – herself to suppress her emotions even when they were raging within. She had smiled when her mother gave her that look. The look that told her to behave. To be more like her hermana, Señorita Perfecta Julieta, who never put a foot wrong. She had shooed clouds away when they began to gather over her head, leading the townspeople to gravitate towards their homes in anticipation of her next disaster. Most of the time, these days, she succeeded. It was easier now. Easier to ignore her emotions. Easier to pretend that she was fine, reminding herself her feelings didn't matter that much.

Or, at least, it had been until about six months ago when he came into her life and successfully tore down all her walls.

There had been no doubt in her mind that he would come after her when she got up from the table in the middle of dinner, fed up with the constant needling from her mother and the teasing from Bruno and the pitying looks from Julieta. Now here she was, pacing back and forth in the pouring rain, soaked red curls stuck to her face, and there he was – Félix Moreno – standing mere feet away from her, shirt probably ruined and dark eyes holding nothing but love for her.

"Pepí, mi tormenta, come back inside and we—"

"No!" Thunder clapped in the distance as she turned away from him, hands raking through her curls, electricity pricking uncontrollably at the tips of her fingers. "You can't fix me, Félix. You can't stop me because I can't stop myself. Don't you think I want to? Don't you think I've tried? I don't want to live like this!"

"I don't want to fix you." He told her gently.

She laughed, a tearful – almost broken – little sound that made his chest tighten. "Of course, you do. Everyone does. Mamá, Julieta, everyone in town."

"Pepí."

"Just go home. You don't need to—"

He reached her with three long strides, seizing her by the wrists and turning her to look at him, her chest heaving as he pulled her in until their faces were inches apart. "Listen to me," His voice was soft. "You don't need fixing. There is nothing wrong with you. The problem lies with them. They are the ones who made you like this, your mamá more than any of them. She made you afraid of yourself and no matter how much I respect her, I hate her for that. I'm sorry, but I do."

"Félix, I can't do this right now, please, just—" She shook her head, working to loosen his hold of her.

"I just want to help you." He sounded almost desperate, his hold of her only tightening.

"Félix!" She snatched her hands back with a sob.

Before she could stop it a hot, blinding light shot from her palm and slammed into his shoulder. He dropped to one knee with a strangled shout of pain, one hand coming up to clutch at where he'd been struck. For a moment, she was numb. The only thing she could do was stand there and stare at him in pure horror, her hand hovering close to her mouth. Somehow though, she succeeded in snapping herself out of it and she fell to her knees in front of him as he squeezed his eyes shut. "No, no, no, no, no," Tears streamed down her face as the rain continued hammering down around them. "Félix, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to, honest."

The air between them was tense and silent for several long moments, but then she heard a sound from him she wasn't expecting in the least.

He chuckled.

It was soft and it was pained, but there was no mistaking it.

He was laughing.

"What the—"

"I always knew you'd be the death of me eventually. I just thought I'd have a little longer than six months."

"Shut up, stupid man!" She snapped, resting a hand over the charred fabric of his shirt before undoing the buttons with trembling hands and moving the fabric to one side to see the damage. Her stomach turned at the furious red welt on his skin, her fingers tracing it tenderly as she made herself look at him. "I hurt you."

He shook his head. "You marked me."

"I need…I need to find Juli. She…she needs to fix this." She stumbled over her own words, palming the tears from her cheeks.

"Who said I want it fixed?" His tone turned serious. "Leave it. Let it prove to the whole town who I belong to."

Her breath trembled. "But Félix."

He hushed her, bringing his hand up to bury in her tangled wet curls as he pressed his mouth to hers. She made a sound in the back of her throat before sinking into him, her arms slipping around his neck as he deepened the kiss and let his hands fall to her waist through her dress. The remnants of electricity still crackled at her fingertips as she threaded her fingers into his curls, but he paid it no mind as he pulled her flush against him, swallowing the little gasp that escaped her. When he pulled back after several long minutes, both of them were panting and he chuckled as he pressed his forehead to hers, feeling her hot breath on his face.

"I'm yours," He managed. "And you, no matter how unpredictable you might be, are mine."

She laughed, relieved, before taking his face in her hands and kissing him once again.

----------

Time had healed wounds but it had changed nothing.

As their recently built Casita slept soundly around them, she laid sated in his arms, a leg hooked over his hip and her curls spread out across his chest. Beneath her, he was in a light sleep, soft snores filling the silence, the dying candle on his nightstand casting an almost angelic glow over him. On instinct, her hand moved up his chest and she stroked her fingers against the jagged edge of the old scar on his shoulder. It had faded, but it was still there. Proof that he was hers.

Proof that, true to his word as ever, he had stayed.

"Mmm…"

She felt more than heard the gentle rumble in his chest, his hand running idly down her spine until it settled upon her hip beneath the sheet.

"Mi tormenta," He mumbled. "Still not asleep?"

She moved over him slightly, lowering her mouth to the scar on his shoulder before pulling back again. "Sleep is for the weak."

He opened one eye then, looking up at her, before he chuckled in the back of his throat and rolled her so she was beneath him, her hand stroking his curls out of his face. "Not my fault I didn't get much last night." He leaned down to kiss her, her mouth soft and warm beneath his own as she laid her hand on his cheek.

"Blaming me?"

"Mhm."

She giggled, the sound becoming a sigh when he began trailing his kisses away from her mouth. He feathered them across her cheek, remembering that little spot behind her ear he had found decades ago now, before turning his attention to her neck as she curled her fingers into the curls at the back of his head. "You really stayed," She tilted her head to give him a larger canvas, her eyes falling closed of their own accord. "All these years – all my storms – you never left."

"I would have been loco." He mumbled against her skin, kissing the underside of her jaw in the way he knew she adored.

"You were loco not to let me get Julieta that night. To heal you. You were in pain for weeks." She reminded him.

He sighed against her throat, kissing her there once more before lifting his head and moving over her again to look at her. "I wanted the reminder. I told you that the night it happened, mi amor. It also made me realize what would have happened to me if I broke your heart, so it was good for two things."

She rolled her eyes, bringing a hand to his chest. "I'm serious."

"So am I," He shrugged. "I'd relive that night a thousand times if I had to."

"I believe you." She whispered, voice laced with emotion.

He kissed her forehead, then the bridge of her nose, his hand cradling her cheek as his mouth found hers once again and he kissed her long and soft and deep. Her hand slid beneath the sheet and found his waist, pulling him down to her until she could feel his warm skin pressed against hers. "I never scared you?"

"Never," He said between kisses. "It was always the other way around. You were scared of you, but you had no reason to be."

She brought her free hand to his cheek, breaking the kiss for a moment. "Félix…"

"Mmm?" He nudged his nose against hers, his breath warm against her face.

"I love you." She told him, her thumb caressing that little grin of his that still managed to set her heart racing after all this time.

"And I love you." He assured her before silencing her for the last time with another kiss.

Outside, the light rain pattered against the window, but this time – for once – thanks to him, her calm in every storm, it had absolutely nothing to do with her.

[magicalmadrigals]

the tiny little shift to Juli’s face is sending me 😂 i needed more of these two interacting, i’m so serious

[magicalmadrigals]

I miss speaking to people on here fr, all my friends just left 🫠😂

[magicalmadrigals]

Never gonna be over the way she covers the teddy bear’s ears so it doesn’t hear her say “the name we do not speak” 😭 She’s the cutest I can’t

[magicalmadrigals]

I’ve had an idea for an awesome Pepa x Felix one shot I want to post tonight if anyone is interested? Set while they’re courting (about 18/19). I’ve never written for them as a couple before really but I love this idea I’ve had and I know a lot of you guys are Pepa fans!

[magicalmadrigals]

The eyebrows, the head-shake, I literally cannot with them 😭 They’ve been married twenty-odd years and he’s still as obsessed with her and she’s still as done with - but still adores - his adorable flirting as ever 🥹

[magicalmadrigals]

Thanks to those that have been so kind about my new generations fic 🤍

[magicalmadrigals]

Hello!

I really want to thank you for your work on your multi-generational Encanto fic. I really liked how you described the relationship between adult Сami and Mirabel. It was really funny to read this. And I also would like to point on how well you described your new characters, such as Miguel and Valeria.

Your idea of introducing a new generation is very interesting. I really want to wish you to not stop working on this fic. Thank you a million and good luck.

I can't wait for next chapter!

This was so nice to read, thank you so much! Camilo and Mirabel’s relationship is so fun to write about. I’m so excited to expand more on the new characters and also the ones we already know and love. So much exciting stuff coming! Hope you continue to enjoy 🤍

[magicalmadrigals]

Happy birthday to Agustin Madrigal! (June 19th)

[magicalmadrigals]

The way I know Juli was always the one making Pepa and Bruno feel better when they were little and the townspeople complained about their gifts 🥺 Just reminding them that they’re special and it’s okay. The best big sister honestly 💙

[magicalmadrigals]

Finally gotten around to posting chapter one of my multi-generational Encanto fic, Generations of Magic! This first chapter has been so much fun to write and I would really appreciate it if you guys would take a look at it and let me know what you think! I posted chapter one over on AO3 already, but as usual I’ll post it under the cut here too! 🤍

[Synopsis: A decade following the return of the magic, the family continues to thrive. Following the recent loss of Alma, Julieta steps into her new role as matriarch with quiet determination. The grandchildren have grown, bringing their own families and challenges into the fold. Mirabel, now a wife and mother, strives to balance the demands of her own family while still doing her best to hold the Madrigals together. As a new generation slowly emerges, old wounds continue to heal, and magic grows, the Madrigals learn that the true magic lies in the love they share across the generations.]

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/66685174/chapters/172046908

Read under the cut here!

Ten minutes.

Ten minutes, he said, Mirabel thought to herself as she donned her nightgown.

She probably should have known better than to take Miguel at his word – ‘ten minutes’ never meant ‘ten minutes’ when he was in the middle of a sketch – but she’d given him the benefit of the doubt and gone to put Solana, their little girl, to bed in the nursery, fully expecting to find him waiting for her in their bedroom when she got there. He wasn’t, of course. She had decided to give him until she had gotten ready for bed to make an appearance, but there was still no sign of him and it was clear to her she was going to have to go down to his study and get him. He would spend all night in there if she let him and that just wouldn’t do given there was no doubt in her mind that their girl would be up with the sun in the morning, diving on them and begging them to let her go downstairs and open her presents.

Raking a hand through her wild curls, she turned and made her way out of the bedroom before venturing down the hall to Miguel’s study. The door was ajar, so she pushed it open and entered the room to see him still hunched over his desk, pencil in hand. “Ten minutes, huh?” She made her presence known to him, prompting him to glance over his shoulder at her, and she failed to keep from chuckling when he gave her a sheepish little smile before turning away from her once again. She ventured across the dimly-lit room to him then, putting an arm around him from behind, and when she saw what he had been working on for most of the evening she felt the love she had for him deepen tenfold. He’d made their daughter a storybook for her birthday. A storybook with her as the main focus. He’d been working on it for weeks, carefully planning each little detail of her adventure, and now it seemed as though he was finally on the last page. “Oh, amor, she’s gonna love it.”

“I just can’t get this last page the way I want.” He grumbled while erasing another faint line.

“It doesn’t need to be perfect,” She reminded him. “She’s not going to mind.”

He sighed deeply, leaning back in her embrace. “I know, but I do. Give me ten more minutes?”

“Tell you what,” She stroked his hair away from his face when he tilted his head back to look at her. “I want to go down and make sure mi mamá is getting on alright before we head to bed, so you have until I come back upstairs to get this finished. If you’re still sitting in here when I get back, I’ll drag you to bed myself, got it?”

The corner of his mouth curled into a small smirk. “Is that a threat or a promise?”

“Mmm, yeah, nice try.” She hummed, leaning in to kiss him softly.

“I love you. You know that?” He asked when she pulled back.

“Of course,” She told him. “I love you too. Now get back to work.”

Taking her arm from around him, she left him to get on with his sketch and made her way back out of the room before closing the door behind her to make sure he had no distractions. She then headed for the staircase and slid down the railing, padding through the courtyard to the kitchen so that she could go and look in on her mother. It was clear the moment she walked into the room that something was bothering her. She had gone completely overboard with the food for tomorrow – there were plates upon plates of all kinds of treats laid out over the table and the kitchen counters – and she only really did that when there was something on her mind. She had every intention of talking to her about it, but then she heard the sound of shuffling bare feet and noticed the little dark curls poking out from behind her skirts. Putting a hand on her hip, she cleared her throat and Solana slowly moved out from behind her abuela. “And what are you doing down here?” She asked.

“I just wanted some milk, Mamá.” Her little girl told her, playing with her hands.

“Uh-huh,” She nodded. “So it had nothing to do with you wanting to sneak a look at your cake for tomorrow?”

Solana glanced at her abuela. “I wanted to see if Abuela started it yet.”

“Mi vida, I already told you that I won’t be icing it until the morning.” Julieta reminded her.

“I know, but I thought you might have changed your mind.” Solana shrugged.

Sharing a look with her mother, Mirabel approached her little girl and scooped her up into her arms. “Do you remember why tomorrow is such a special birthday?”

“I get my gift?” Solana raised an eyebrow at her.

“Mhm,” Mirabel hummed. “Tomorrow is gonna be a very long day. You get all your presents in the morning and then you have your gift ceremony in the evening and your Papá and I don’t want you being too tired to enjoy it. You get a little grumpy when you’re tired and you don’t want to be grumpy at your own party, do you?”

Solana shook her head.

“Then you need to try to get a little sleep.” Mirabel told her, placing a kiss on her forehead.

Moments later, the sound of hurried footsteps and excitable giggles filled the air and Mirabel turned just in time to see Ali, Luca, and Mateo come running into the kitchen with Luci, Lázaro, Elías, and Florencio behind them. “Soso! Papí said we can have a special birthday slumber party in the nursery tonight!” Ali beamed, out of breath.

“Mamá and Tía Isa said we could come too!” Luci added, her little brothers and cousin nodding in confirmation.

Julieta’s chuckling prompted Mirabel to look her way. “So much for her getting some sleep tonight.”

“Yeah…” Bruno rubbed the back of his neck as he entered the room, Mirabel turning to him with a slight smirk. “In hindsight, I probably should have run it by you.”

“Probably,” She teased. “Did you speak to Isa? You know she’ll kill you if you keep Enzo up.”

“Yeah. She and Emil are having him in with them tonight.” He told her.

She rolled her eyes. “So you ran it past her but it didn’t occur to you to run it past me?”

“In my defence, I had three big distractions” He gestured to his chilren.

She thought for a moment before letting out a dramatic, over-exaggerated sigh as she looked at her daughter. “Well, I suppose it is your birthday eve after all…”

Solana’s face lit up. “We can have a slumber party?”

“You can have a slumber party,” Mirabel replied while setting her back on her feet. “But I still want you to get some sleep tonight.”

“I will.” Solana told her.

“Come on, Soso!” Luca grabbed her by the hand and began all but dragging her out of the kitchen, the rest of the children following quickly behind them.

Leaning back against the kitchen table, Mirabel looked at her uncle. “If she’s in a bad mood in the morning because she hasn’t slept, just know I’m blaming you.”

Bruno shrugged. “I’m used to it. Night.”

He left the kitchen then to follow the children upstairs to the nursery and once she was alone with her mother, Mirabel looked over at her once more with a soft sigh. “Mamá? Are you okay?” She asked her after standing there in silence for several long seconds, her mother looking over her shoulder at her as she washed up a bowl.

“What makes you ask that?” Julieta asked.

“Uh…” She looked around at the numerous plates of treats. “You may have gone a little overboard with the treats for tomorrow.”

“You know how busy Casita gets during a ceremony. We’ll get through them.” Julieta reminded her.

She knew there was something her mamá wasn’t saying and so she moved away from the table, taking three small steps towards her before turning and leaning back against the counter. “It’s about Solana’s ceremony tomorrow night, isn’t it? It being the first one without Abuela? You don’t have to pretend, Mamá, not with me.”

Julieta was silent for a moment, but then she reached for the towel on the counter and used it to dry her hands while turning to face her daughter. “I don’t want to let her down,” She shrugged. “I don’t even really know what I’m doing. She made it look so easy, she always handled ceremonies so well, but I…I worry I’ll mess it up.”

“Why? You know what you have to say and what you have to do. You watched her do it with all us kids while we were growing up.” Mirabel reminded her.

“I know. It doesn’t make sense,” Julieta chuckled under her breath. “Your pá thinks it has more to do with me still having a hard time with her being gone.”

Mirabel nodded. “I mean, it’s understandable. It’s only been six months, Mamá, it hasn’t been that long. And you spent the most time with her before she…”

“She didn’t prepare me for any of this,” Julieta said quietly. “She thought she had more time. So did I. But now I’m here and I’m just trying to make her proud.”

Hearing the slight waver in her voice, Mirabel wrapped her arms around her on instinct, pulling her into a hug. “You’re doing amazing.”

“You think so, mi amor?” Julieta asked into her hair.

“Yeah, I do,” Mirabel smiled. “I don’t know how you do it. There are twenty-five – nearly twenty-six – people in this house and somehow you manage to keep it all going while running your stall every day at the same time. Abuela would be super proud of you, I know she would. She’d be as proud of you as all the rest of us are.”

Julieta blinked back the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. “That means a lot to me. Gracias.”

“You’ll do great at the ceremony tomorrow night too,” Mirabel assured her, lifting her head from her shoulder to look at her. “You have nothing to worry about.”

“You are wonderful, you know that?” Julieta reached up to stroke a curl back behind her daughter’s ear.

Mirabel shrugged. “I learned from the best.”

“You should go and get some sleep,” Julieta told her, running a hand down her arm. “Soso is going to have us all up before sunrise no doubt.”

Mirabel couldn’t help but laugh. “Believe me, I know. You should get to bed too. Much longer and Pá will come looking for you, you know he will.”

“I’ll finish these last few dishes and then I’ll go up,” Julieta told her. “You don’t have to worry about me, mi vida, I’ll be fine.”

“You’re sure?” Mirabel raised an eyebrow.

“I’m sure.”

“Good. Well, goodnight, Mamá.”

“Goodnight.”

She turned and made her way out of the kitchen then, brushing her hair from her face with a sigh as she walked back into the courtyard. She knew her mother would do fine tomorrow night. She would be nervous all day, no doubt, that was to be expected, but when the time came for the ceremony she would handle it perfectly. With all the care and the passion that her abuela had in all those years prior. She was going to make her so proud of her, there was no doubt in her mind about that.

She just needed to have more faith in herself.

The same faith that everyone else did.

—————

She had been making her way back to her bedroom, exhausted and more than ready to just fall into bed, when she heard the sound of laughter and squeals coming from the nursery and now she found herself walking down the hall again. Stopping outside the room, she took a breath before turning the doorknob and opening the door only to be greeted with sheer chaos. Her tío was nowhere to be seen, the children having been upped and left in the care of Camilo and Valeria in the time she had been in the kitchen with her mother, and now the lot of them were engrossed in a serious pillow fight. Not exactly the early night she had envisioned for her girl. Camilo was the first to notice her standing there and he stopped, mid-swing, shooting her that silly grin of his as the others quietened. “Hiya, cuz.” He greeted her.

“Uh…” She looked around the room. “Where’s Tío Bruno?”

Valeria chuckled behind her pillow. “He and Isela said something about a…uh…early night for once. Asked us to take charge.”

She made a face. She was happy for her tío, of course, but his love life was something she had zero interest in hearing about. “And this is taking charge?”

“You can’t have a slumber party without a pillow fight!” Camilo said, swinging his pillow at Solana, making her giggle as she fell back onto the bed. “Wanna join us?”

“Yeah, no, I’m going to bed.” She replied, lifting her glasses from her nose and running a hand wearily over her face before replacing them again.

He pouted. “You used to be so much more fun.”

“Mamá is boring.” Solana giggled.

Mirabel feigned hurt. “I am not boring, thank you very much. I just know a certain little mariposa is going to come diving on me in a few hours and I need my sleep.”

“Because she’s old.” Camilo whispered to the nearly five-year-old, only making her giggle more.

Taking the pillow from Lucinda, Mirabel launched it hard at her sobrino. “We’re the same age! Actually, you’re a month older than me!”

“She has a point, mi amor.” Valeria laughed.

“Who’s side are you on?” Camilo asked, whacking her with his pillow.

Shaking her head at the nonsense, Mirabel couldn’t help but laugh. “Just make sure Soso goes to sleep before midnight, por favor.”

“Will do,” He assured her. “Now, if you don’t mind, we were kinda in the middle of something here.”

She muttered a quiet goodnight before heading back out of the room and closing the door behind her, the laughter starting up once again moments later. She was a little worried that it would be long past midnight by the time the lot of them eventually crashed and fell asleep, but she didn’t really mind. Not as much as she had tried to make out. It was a special occasion and she didn’t mind her little girl having a rare late night, a bit of fun, especially when she had one of the most important days of her life ahead of her. She was going to make her so proud. Miguel too, she was certain, but they would make it clear to her that her gift wasn’t everything.

There would be no pressure.

There would be no expectations.

They would love her unconditionally.

Yawning into the back of a hand, she padded back down the hall to the bedroom she shared with her husband and finally made her way back inside, glad to see him tucked up in bed with a book rather than still at his desk in his study. “And she complains at me for coming to bed too late,” Miguel teased, saving his place in the book with his thumb and setting it down in his lap while she approached the bed. “I completed that last page and I’ve finished two chapters while you’ve been gone.”

She rolled her eyes at him as she pulled back the covers and climbed into bed, removing her glasses and folding them neatly before putting them on her nightstand. He closed his book and set it down on his own nightstand then, Casita dimming the lights as he opened his arms to her and let her settle into his side. They were silent for a time then, his fingers running along her arm through her nightgown as she listened to the steady thump of his heart beneath her ear, but then she tilted her head back on his chest to look at him. “I keep thinking…” She said. “What if it happens again? What if I’ve…rubbed off on her? What if she doesn’t get a gift?”

“Where’s that come from?” He frowned.

“It’s something I’ve always worried about,” She confessed. “I can ignore it normally, but these past few weeks – thinking about the ceremony – it’s been impossible.”

He thought for a moment. “It’s possible, I suppose. I don’t know how the miracle works in situations like this.”

“Me neither,” She admitted quietly. “It’s not her not getting a gift that worries me. Not entirely. It’s the thought of her going up there in front of the whole town and it happening.”

“I know,” He kissed her forehead, sighing against her skin. “But you’re worrying about something that hasn’t happened and might not.

“I know. I just know how it feels, that’s all.”

“Then you’ll be the perfect person to deal with it if it does happen. But I don’t want you spending the whole day worrying tomorrow. I want you to enjoy yourself.”

Curling a hand into the front of his nightshirt, she snuggled closer to him. “I will. I can’t believe she’s five already.”

“Me neither,” He shook his head. “Getting old, you and me.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” She laughed.

“Who—”

“Cami.”

“Ah.”

The two of them chuckled, settling further down beneath the quilt.

“I promise,” He mumbled into her hair after they had lain together in silence for a time. “No matter the outcome tomorrow night, nothing will change. Not where I’m concerned anyway. I know what it is to love someone without a gift and it’s the easiest thing ever. It’ll be just as easy for me to love her as it is for me to love you.”

She gave him a watery smile. “Mamá was right. You really are perfect.”

He smiled as his hold of her tightened. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She assured him, accepting the kiss he gave her before Casita turned the lights down the rest of the way.

They settled properly then, his hand rubbing a warm path up and down her back through her nightgown as she tucked her head into the side of his neck with a sigh. That worry still niggled in the back of her mind. The thought of their girl reaching her door only for it to vanish right in front of her as it had for her all those years ago. She couldn’t change it though. She just had to believe that the candle knew what it was doing now just as it had back then. That her little girl would be fine in the end.

She just had to trust it.

[magicalmadrigals]

So I decided to try my hand at writing my first one-shot collection for Imelda and Hector entitled:

Before the Music Fades.

Their relationship has always been so interesting to me and so I thought it would be fun to explore what things were like for them when they first had Coco, before he left Santa Cecilia with Ernesto. I posted chapter one over on AO3 already, but I’ll post it here too in case anyone is interested in having a read!

One-shot contained under the cut 🤍

[Synopsis: Long before betrayals and goodbyes there was only music and laughter, secrets whispered under candlelight, and a love stubborn enough to withstand any storm. In this collection of one-shots, Imelda and Hector - still practically kids themselves - learn how to be parents, lovers, and partners all at once while raising their little Coco in a home full of music and hope. A small glimpse into everything the three of them were before the songs turned sour and the music faded away.]

Link to AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/66671299/chapters/172004329

The Rivera kitchen smelled faintly of soap, warm sun, and a pot of café con leche that had gone cold long ago now. It was a quiet afternoon in Santa Cecilia - clothes were out on the line, dinner was on the stove - and the table was buried beneath half-finished baby clothes, scraps of brightly coloured cloth, and a mountain of idle chatter turned gossip. Imelda, eighteen, sat at the head of the table, posture prim as ever despite the baby weighing almost painfully against her spine. Cecí, her closest friend since infancy, sat loyally at her side, sewing far more with her mouth than with her needle. "It's true! Maria told Lucia who told Sofia who told me..." She paused to take a breath. "She saw him sneaking out through the back door at dawn." She told the group in a half-whisper, Francisca setting down her sewing in surprise and Alba chuckling under her breath, shaking her head.

"¡Dios mio!" Imelda rolled her eyes. "Santa Cecilia is going to run out of secrets at this rate, the way you sniff them out. Like a street-dog to a trash can."

Cecí gave her a look. "I kept yours. I seem to remember you nearly breaking your neck climbing out of your window for a certain troubadour one night. I never said a word."

"Gracias, Cec..." Imelda muttered through gritted teeth.

Julia, rocking her nearly asleep baby boy in her arms, laughed at the other end of the table. "We all knew, Melly. The whole town knew. That esposo of yours doesn't shut up."

Imelda felt her cheeks burn as she brought the needle in her hand through the little nightdress for the hundredth time, running her thumb over the delicate little stich. "Remind me again what I was thinking when I decided to make you godmother," She glanced at Cecí, feigning annoyance. "You're going to fill my child's head with all sorts of nonsense."

"Believe me," Cecí laid a hand on her bump beneath the table, giving it a gentle pat through her dress. "You and Héctor are going to be singing my praises when the little one is here. If he or she ends up being anything like you and I were when we were little, both of you are going to need all the help you can get, corazón, I promise. We were tiranas."

They all dissolved into quiet laughter, hands working stitches carefully as they went on swapping more stories and whispered secrets they had overheard around town. Before long though, the back door opened and their chattering died down. Ernesto wandered in first - like he owned the place - his grin far too wide and far too familiar, his gaze shifting straight to where Imelda was sitting and lingering upon her a fraction too long. She felt it instantly. The little hairs on the back of her neck standing to attention. That prickle of annoyance she'd known since the afternoon she met him. Once upon a time, he'd sniffed around her like a dog. He'd cornered her in side-streets. Made drunken promises of fame and riches in an attempt to win her over. He hadn't realized - well, actually, it had probably been more that he simply hadn't cared - back then that she had already given herself, at least in heart, to Héctor. The one the women of Santa Cecilia actively ignored. The one who followed him around like a shadow, playing his guitar.

He'd had a rude awakening though when she'd made a show of leading Héctor off into a dark corner of the plaza after a dance one night, leaving him in no doubt that he was the one she truly wanted. She'd made sure he had been watching. She'd made sure he'd realized that he hadn't won. For the first time in his life, she imagined, he'd been denied something he craved. Something he believed he was entitled to. And, she was certain, he'd never quite forgiven her for doing that to him. Not even now, two years on.

She was pulled from her thoughts when right behind him came her husband himself, guitar slung clumsily across his back, sandy from the plaza, dark hair sticking to his brow with sweat, and that stupid smile of his softening when his eyes found hers. He moved around Ernesto then, forgetting for a moment he was even there, and approached her, bending to capture her mouth with his in a soft, tender kiss. It was enough to make Ceci roll her eyes and Julia avert her eyes politely, clearing her throat. He soon pulled away, the hand cradling her cheek moving to brush a raven curl behind her ear. "I missed you this morning." He mumbled as he dragged his knuckles down her cheek, voice gentle enough for only her - and a smirking Cecí - to hear him.

"Stop distracting us. If we don't get these finished soon, this child of yours will have nothing to wear," She half-scolded, smiling for a moment before it faded. "Mi amor..."

He didn't even have to turn. "Ernesto."

His friend laughed it off, reaching back to rub at the back of his neck while pretending to busy himself.

Alba, now holding Julia's sleeping son so her friend could drink her coffee, broke the tension. "So, Rivera. You ready for one of your own?"

"Not that he has much choice in the matter." Imelda added as she looked up at him, making her friends chuckle.

Héctor's expression softened and he ran a hand slowly over her hair, letting it settle on her shoulder through her shawl. "A little nervous. Well, terrified," He admitted, Imelda reaching up to rest a hand over his own. "But I've been ready for this since the day she told me. She'll be so much better at this than me anyway, so I'll just follow her lead."

Cecí tutted. "Listen to him. Encantador. Haven't you got pesos to go and play for?"

"Alright, we're going," He laughed, rolling his eyes good-naturedly at her before turning back to his wife for a second and kissing her forehead. "Try to rest this afternoon. I'll stop by the panderia on my way home and bring you something."

"Mmm, and don't you dare end up down at la cantina!" She called after him as he and Ernesto made to leave.

He could only chuckle as he followed behind his friend, making his way out of the door as the kitchen filled with quiet chuckles and hushed whispers once more.

—————

He shut the bedroom door carefully behind him, wincing as it clicked quietly into place. The room was dark except for a sliver of moonlight across the floorboards, silent except for the sound of her slow, steady breaths. He took off his hat and toed off his shoes, slightly unsteady on his feet due to the three - maybe four - shots of tequila he'd had but determined not to wake her. For a moment, he stood there next to the bed, simply watching her sleep. She was curled up on her side, a hand warmly cradling her bump and her long curls like an ink spill across her pillow. Even in sleep, she was divine. He still had no idea what he'd done to deserve her, truly, nor the life he was creating with her, but he'd do it again in a heartbeat if the need arose for him to do so. Without question. Without hesitation. He would.

He knelt on the edge of the mattress, feathering a kiss against her cheek. He should have come home hours ago. He should have been obedient and just said no when Ernesto dragged him to la cantina for 'one drink' on him. He should have been at home with her. Looking after her the way she needed. Letting her put her feet up for once. As he moved to stand again, the bedframe groaned under his weight and Imelda stirred, blinking in the dark. "Héctor?" She managed, voice heavy with sleep and laced with a familiar annoyance. "What time is it? You've been drinking."

He shrugged. "Maybe one or two. You should have seen Mariachi Plaza tonight though, amor, it was alive. So many tips. I did stop by the panaderia, but it was closed and—"

She sniffed the air, brown eyes narrowing at him as he perched on the edge of the bed and cupped her cheek beneath the curtain of her hair. "Tequila again. Ay mi, Héctor."

He chuckled sheepishly. "Lo siento. You know how persuasive Ernesto can—"

"Ah-ah-ah!" She swatted his chest, though it was clear her frustration had begun to settle. "De La Cruz is a lot of things, but he is not to blame for you not having a backbone. I know you heard me say not to go down to la cantina before you left. We need the money. We can't afford for you to throw it all away. Next time, you listen to me. You say no."

"Yes, Señora." He teased, kissing her clumsily on the mouth before climbing over her to his own side of the bed when she shoved him off, tutting, tasting liquor on his tongue. The old mattress dipped under the added weight and she grunted, tying to find a semi-comfortable position a second time while he got himself settled beneath the covers.

She felt him move closer to her once she'd stilled, lacing an arm around her waist and pulling her back against him. Her nose wrinkled. "Ugh. You smell like a cantina floor."

He laughed aloud, muffling the sound in her hair, and then brushed a warm, clumsy kiss against her neck. She felt a shiver run through her as his hold of her tightened, his thumb tracing the curve of her belly through her nightgown. "I'll bathe first thing. Promise. You won't have to make excuses for me with your mamá and papá again."

Despite herself, she relaxed beneath his touch, his mouth on her skin slowly soothing her annoyance. His voice sounded small in the darkness. Innocent, eager for forgiveness. She sighed into her pillow when he found that little spot behind her ear only he knew about. "Sometimes—" She paused for a moment. "Sometimes, it's like I married a child." She reached back, threading her fingers through his hair as he dotted sweet little kisses along her shoulder. She felt more than heard his sigh as he buried his face in her neck.

"I know and I'm sorry," He murmured, his tone more serious. "This is it now though, I mean it. I'll stop being an idiot. I'll bring tips home. I'll be everything you need me to be."

She rolled in his arms to face him - a struggle at eight months gone, but she managed - and they shared a smile when she ran the back of her hand down his cheek. "I'm not sure how much I believe the 'I'll stop being an idiot' part, but I believe all the rest," She whispered. "You have always been everything I've needed and much more, mi cielo."

"I have?" He stroked her hair from her face.

"Mm-hm," She nodded. "And you will be again for this little one. I know you will."

"I love you," He sighed, bringing a hand between them to rest tenderly upon her bump. "Both of you."

She smiled. "We know. We love you too."

He rested his lips against her forehead when she snuggled into him, sighing against her skin as he put his arm around her. "Sleep. I'm not going anywhere."

Imelda mumbled something into his shirt - something about daft men and insufferable musicians - but her voice tapered off, sleep pulling her under again, soothed by him. In the silence, he brought his hand back between them and laid his palm flat against her stomach, feeling for the faintest flutter that never came. Their little one, for once, was sound asleep.

Tomorrow, when he woke with a dull ache behind his eyes, feeling irritable and more than slightly sorry for himself, he would promise her again to be better. To do better. He would prove it with actions, not meaningless words. Tonight though, right now, with the little life they had created together safe beneath his hand and her warm breath against his throat, everything was perfect.

[magicalmadrigals]

A little sneak peek at chapter one of my new fic 🤍 hope you guys like this when it’s posted. Still a bit nervous about posting it but the family fluff is just everything.

[magicalmadrigals]

Gonna try to post the first chapter of my Madrigal next-generation fic today if anyone is still interested in reading that! 💙🧡💛💚🕯️

[magicalmadrigals]

all of this in the space of two dang days, I just know my girl was exhausted and slept for a week 😂 Six minutes of screen-time in a two-hour movie and she spent 90% of it questioning all her life choices, stressed to the max 😭

[magicalmadrigals]

we don’t talk enough about how much she loves her little brother 🥺 the way she was the most emotional about him coming back, the way she was the first one to tell him he didn’t need to apologize, the way she’s cuddles up to him when they’re all back together after the house is rebuilt, the way she’s the only one in the film (before his return) to talk about him without shame and criticism and still get emotional about him being gone even though it has been ten years and everyone else seems to have moved on from it…like, they’re my favourite little duo and I just know he loves her so much 😭