No Llores - Camilo Madrigal

5

Hearing cracking sounds from the ground, (y/n) subtly lifted up the table cloth and was shocked to see the floor breaking. Mirabel seemed to notice the same as she put her whole head under the table.

"Mirabel," Mariano called out while the said girl bumped her head against the table and groaned in pain. "Everything okay?"

Augustin awkwardly laughed to save his daughter. "Everything is great! She's just excited for you to propose! Which, uh, you should do-"

"Yes!" Mirabel added.

"-as fast as you can."

"Uh, I was actually gonna-"

"You're actually gonna! Great!" She turned her sister's chair towards Mariano.

'How is she that strong?' (y/n) was baffled. She did not know what they were hiding and why Casita was breaking for the second time.

All she knew was that she wanted to help save La Casa Madrigal, her second home and she had a feeling that Mirabel was already in the middle of it.

"W-w-well, since everyone here has a talent, my Mariano wanted to begin with a song." Señora Guzman suggested, "Luisa!"

Luisa visibly frowned and the young Sanchez felt bad because she clearly just wanted to eat her dinner in peace.

"Could you bring over the piano?"

Luisa's lips quivered before she forced out a response, "Okay."

"Uh, it's actually family tradition to sing after!" The four-eyed girl said, pushing Mariano out of his chair.

'Huh, I never knew that. I'd like to hear Camilo sing again. He has a beautiful voice.' (Y/n) thought.

Mariano was in the middle of proposing when all of a sudden, Mirabel dived onto the floor which confused everyone in the room especially Abuela who was slowly losing her patience.

"Um-"

"You're doing great."

Mariano continued until Luisa started crying on the wooden piano. (y/n) wondered why she couldn't carry a piano when she was just carrying around donkeys a while ago like it was nothing.

She noticed something glowing against her shoes so she looked under again, her eyebrows furrowed when she found a couple of red raccoons and green, broken shards of...? She didn't know.

"No!" Mirabel yelled, jumping under the table. She and the Sanchez made eye contact as the animals dragged the pieces away on a tray.

When (y/n) straightened up, she noticed Abuela getting really angry and Luisa falling to the ground with a loud thud, crying uncontrollably.

Pepa's cloud caused a loud thunder and the animals started to go crazy around the dining room. Mrs. Guzman screamed, "what is happening?!"

The young girl stayed silent as to not add up to the pressure growing in the place. Even so, she felt herself start to freak out at the sight of everything in shambles.

The Madrigal's were not as perfect as they seemed.

"Mirabel found Bruno's vision, she's in it, she's gonna destroy the magic and now, we're all doomed!" Dolores exclaimed.

Mirabel desperately trying to take the vision, she accidentally pushed the tray instead which stopped in front of Abuela.

Everyone turned to Mirabel who could only nervously stare at her grandmother. The walls started cracking behind her, giving fear to the people in the house.

Camilo's head transformed into a baby's with a mustache and even though (y/n) found it incredibly silly, she couldn't laugh at all in the current situation they were in.

A flower grew from the crack on the ground and hit Mariano in the nose, making everything even worse as Isabela panicked. Then, as the sound of thunders boomed all over the room, the door quickly opened.

"Felicidades!" A group of townspeople greeted as it began raining... inside the house.

"Wow. This is by far the weirdest dinner I have ever had." (y/n) mumbled.

Mirabel and the others rushed outside, leaving (y/n), Camilo, and Antonio in the dining hall.

"Tonito, why don't you go to your room for the night? The animals seem to be stressed out, they all need a best friend." Camilo knelt down to Antonio's level and gave him a smile. Antonio sadly nodded at his brother, waving to (y/n) before going up to his room.

Camilo stood back up and took the girl's hand. She felt it shake against her skin as the boy's smile faded and his whole expression fell.

"I don't know what happened." His voice shook as he stared at (y/n)'s eyes, looking for comfort. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be sad. I'm the one who should be making people happy, I can't be sad."

Her gaze softened, subconsciously giving his hand a squeeze.

"Don't say that. You're allowed to feel sad. You're human, just like everybody else."

"Abuela's gonna be disappointed in me if i show it. It won't help the family if I can't make everyone smile with my gift."

"Don't listen to her, Camilo. Your gift is not what makes you special. Don't be so hard on yourself. In my eyes, you are perfect the way you are now."

He gave a bittersweet smile at the reassuring words of his best friend. "Thank you, (y/n)."

She reached up to cup the side of his face in her gentle hand and rubbed her thumb against his cheek. He nuzzled closer to her warmth.

"Everything will be alright, Camilo. The Madrigal's are strong. You are strong. Remember when you faced those bullies who were trying to steal my coins back then?"

Camilo laughed at the memory. "I lost to them, hermosa."

She softly squeezed his cheek as they giggled, "only because you were told not to fight." Heaving a sigh, she took both of his hands in hers. "But you were so brave, standing up to them just to save me. You're lucky Papá came and taught them a lesson."

"Yeah, Tío Sanchez was so cool. Like a knight in shining armor!"

"He just scolded them."

"Still!"

The two teenagers laughed their beating hearts out before silence graced upon them again. (y/n) carefully wrapped her arms around Camilo's waist, surprising the boy for a second.

"You've always been protecting me since we were little. Now, it's my turn to protect you."

Feeling the growing warmth in his chest, he pulled her close and laid his head on her shoulder. Her gaze, her voice, her touch... she was enough to make him forget about all of his troubles.

Nothing mattered at the moment but the calming embrace they shared. Camilo didn't know how, but he swore he fell even harder.