The Heart of Camilo (A Camilo Madrigal x Reader Fem Y/N Story)

Expectations

*Camilo*

My family chattered happily about the events of the party as we arrived home, Casita greeting us excitedly by waving the window panes and clattering the tiles. As everyone hustled and bustled around the kitchen, putting away spare food given at the party, cleaning up for the night, I collected my incomplete homework from the desk and started towards my room.

"Camilo, a word before you head up for the night?" my father, Felix, reminded me gently, his hand on my shoulder.

"Right ..." I trailed off, then plastered on the grin. "Let me guess, you want to tell me how awesome of a son I am. Well, I know it's frowned upon to brag, but I already know."

Antonio laughed and ran around me. "Camilo is the best! Camilo is the best!"

"You heard it from the authority, folks!" I laughed. "We all know Antonio is the smartest Madrigal!" I scooped him up and swung him around. He laughed and wiggled to come down, seeing that Dolores was holding up a warm cup of milk for him to have before bed. I made eye contact with her and raised my eyebrows, silently asking if she was in on whatever this 'talk' about be about. She looked at me appraisingly, as if to say, 'like you don't know?' and then led Antonio up to his bedroom.

I dropped the grin as Antonio disappeared up the stairs. I have never had so many people on my case all in one day before. I felt the anger coming up again - and shifted into my father, mother, then Luisa without meaning to.

"Stop shifting, Camilo," my father reprimanded me gently, "Come, let's sit down with Abuela and your aunt and uncle."

Mirabel, Luisa and Isabella started heading up the stairs, leaving me alone with the adults, sensing the cue to leave. Isabella looked constrainedly pleased, Luisa simply looked ahead and Mirabel looked worried. She mouthed, "I'm sorry" to me as she backed up the stairs. I just looked away and followed my parents into the sitting room, where the rest of the adults were sitting.

"I know it's late, Camilo, so we'll make this quick," Abuela said, gesturing to a chair for me to sit in.

Aware that Dolores would hear this entire conversation, I stayed silent. No need for two lectures, one tonight and then another one from her tomorrow about how I acted during the first lecture. I sat quickly down in the chair and rested my head on my hand, leaning my elbow on the arm of the chair, in an attempt to look unbothered by all this - but inside I was still with Y/N in that moment, watching her eyes change from happy to confused to hurt when I pulled away from her. I wanted to scream at my own stupidity. I just wanted to -

"Camilo, you neglected your duties this morning, you ran off to the river to spend time with Y/N without finishing your homework as I asked you to, and then you engaged in what I can only describe as ... inappropriate behaviour at the party tonight," Abuela listed off, staring at me.

I stayed silent, unsure of whether she was waiting for me to confirm that this was true or deny it. How did she know that I was at the river? Had Dolores heard us? I cringed inside. Didn't she have anything better to listen to than me?!

They all stared at me. It did seem like they were waiting for me to say something. My aunt Julieta looked worried, my uncle Agustin, had his eyebrows raised, waiting for me to speak respectfully. My mother and father looked concerned, but I saw a cloud forming over my mother's head the longer I didn't say anything. My father brushed it away quickly, glancing at Abuela, who was simply staring at me with cold eyes.