Endless Evasion (Bruno x Reader)

Resolve

Bruno's POV
My breath caught in my throat and my heart skipped a beat as I gazed, dumbfounded beyond belief, at the ocelot that stood where the (h/c) woman had been just moments before. So many emotions surged through me, and my thoughts with them.
"If the (e/c) eyes weren't enough of a clue, then this just beat me over the head! There's absolutely no doubt, this must be the form from my vision!!!! Same size, same color, same EVERYTHING! But what does her presence in my vision mean, both for her and our entire family? If there's one thing that I learned from Mirabel, it's that not all of my visions are dark omens of some giant catastrophe or calamity. So who's to say that this woman will bring any harm to us!"

Which the last thought echoing in my head like a broken record, I stepped in front of the ocelot and crouched so that I was eye level to her. Her eyes studied me apprehensively as I started to speak,

"Please, just let us help you. Sure, you may feel like you need to never stop running in order to escape those who are after you. But you are the first person that any of us have seen, outside of our own family, who possess magical powers. And assuming that you've also never seen anyone like us during your time on the run, then why don't you stay with us in our casita? You have never seen others like us, right?"

Her eyes lowered ever so slightly and she shook her head in a gesture that told us that her answer was "No" before padding back to the bed and transforming back into her original human form. Her eyes remained downcast and her hands seemed to grip the bedcovers in an almost melancholy manner. I made my way over and knelt on the floor in front of her before I took one of her hands in my own,

"Well then, that settles it! You'll stay with us! If those men decide to come looking for you in our village, then we can help keep you away from them!" I said as I glanced towards the rest of my family. They all shared the same look of determination as my own upon hearing what the female had been though and responded with a chorus of agreements. Though when I turned back to the woman in front of me, I saw something I was not expecting. Her eyes burned with sheer resolve, and she gently patted my hands with one of her own before stating,

"I thank you all for your concern and desire to help a complete stranger, but this is something I've been doing for a long time on my own, and I'm better off that way. If they succeed in finding me again and capturing me, then I'll be sold to one of the most evil and cruel people in all of Colombia and I'll never be free again!
And who knows what they would do to all of you if they are led to your village in their search for me! You all seem to be good people, and I will not let you all be put in danger on my account! That's why I need to keep running!"

At her words, I gently grabbed her hands again and met her resolved look with one of my own,
"But is freedom a life where you're constantly looking over your shoulder and sleeping with one eye open?! I understand that you don't want to be caught by them, but you have a much better chance of being truly free of you stay here with us in our Encanto! We can protect you! You don't have to do this alone! Let us help you to be free! Let us help you to not just survive, BUT TO LIVE!"

Reader's POV
As Bruno's words sunk into my brain, I started to think,
"How long has it been since someone else offered to help me? How many years have I been running with no end in sight? I've never met anyone like these Madrigals, but maybe this man has a point. Maybe if I stay with them, then they will be able to protect me much better than I can protect myself alone? If I was to continue running, then I'll eventually be captured again, and no one will be there to save me. My brain says to keep running, but my heart is telling me otherwise. Which should I listen to?"

I decided to listen to the louder of the two, and stood up from the bed, pulling Bruno up with me.

"Maybe, if it would not be any trouble, I could take you all up on your offer?"

At my words, the entire family's faces lit up with smiles and they all nodded and cheered as Bruno's mother exclaimed,
"Of course! Now that you are officially staying here with us, may we now know your name?"

"It's (y/n)" I answered.

Bruno again took my hand and shook it with a happy grin on his face as he cheered,
"Well (y/n), welcome to our casita!"