Rat Boy - Bruno x Reader

Chapter 2

I slowly strolled through the towering trees, wanting to appreciate every inch of my home. The woods were full of open spaces to relax in; I felt so free amidst all of the carnations and the orchids that decorated the ground around my feet. I was careful not to ruin them as I walked. Eventually, I discovered a new area that I had not yet painted, so I set up all of my equipment there.

The branches of the trees before me were entangled with one another like lovers on a cold night, yet they parted in the right places so that the sun peeked between the cracks, illuminating the jade grass. The scene was gorgeous in every way - it was perfect.

The time passed by slowly, but not in the way that it dragged on. All of my attention was focused on the brush strokes that etched my heart and soul onto the canvas. I was so focused that, after about an hour, I almost didn't notice the rat that had settled near my feet, almost like it was watching what I was doing. It wasn't until it let out a small squeak that I acknowledged it: it surprised me, but I welcomed its appearance.

Everyone seems to be grossed out by rats, thinking that they're riddled with diseases, but I just think they're misunderstood. They're actually quite cute.

"Hello little guy, where did you come from?" I asked it. That was a silly question to ask; it's a rat, it not like it's going to reply to me. And as I suspected, it didn't. It just stared at me blankly. I didn't think it was possible to create an awkward atmosphere with a rat, but alas, I had somehow managed it. Moving past my mistake, I opened my hand for it to climb on to and lifted it onto my thigh, where it happily settled down. I was expecting it to go to sleep, but instead it watched me as I continued to paint.

A few more minutes passed in peace before I heard the sound of footsteps and the rustling of leaves behind me. Confused, I whipped my head around; the rat, on the other hand, didn't seem phased by the mysterious noises.

I heard a familiar voice coming towards me, calling the name "Antonio" over and over again. My suspicions about the source of the voice were confirmed when Bruno Madrigal appeared from the path I had taken. 

"Antoni- oh, hey (y/n), what are you doing here?" he asked. His posture shrank slightly when he noticed me.

I looked from my canvas to him, as though it were obvious. "Um, painting? What are you doing here?" I voiced with a polite smile.

"I'm looking for Antonio." I gave him a questioning glance. "Oh! He's my pet rat." His voice got quieter at the end, as though he were embarrassed to admit that he has a rat for a pet.

"Would it happen to be this rat?" I proposed with a smug smirk as I lifted up 'Antonio', revealing him to Bruno.

For a fleeting moment, he looked shocked that I was holding a rat in my hands without going green in the face, but that look was quickly replaced when he broke out into a wide smile and rushed towards me. "Yes, that's Antonio!" He carefully took his rat from me, and held it up to his face. "Never run off like that again, okay?"

I couldn't help the smile that graced my own face to see him scolding Antonio, reminding me of how I had tried to speak to the rat earlier. He noticed this and furrowed his eyebrows at me.

"What?" He chuckled slightly.

"Ohh it's nothing," I returned with a chuckle of my own. "You should keep a better eye on your pets, you know."

He suddenly shrunk again, and his voice became slightly smaller. "Oh, yeah, I should... I'm sorry if he bothered you."

"Don't worry about it, I enjoy the company; it was nice to have a friend with me" I reassured him with a warm smile.

He looked back at me and the corner of his lips raised once more. Then, unsure if it was the right thing to do, he inquired, "Well, if you don't mind company, would it be alright if I sat with you?"

My eyes lit up at the idea of Bruno Madrigal willingly spending time with me, and I responded with an "of course". He chose to sit down on a patch of grass a couple of metres to the side of me, with his legs crossed, and so he was facing me; I wondered whether he'd be comfortable, but he didn't seem to mind it down there. I went back to painting, and we sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments as he watched me.

Bruno was the one to break it when he asked, "Do you often come here to paint?"

"To the woods, yeah, but I've never been to this part before. I don't know why I haven't though, it's beautiful."

It sounded like Bruno mumbled something under his breath, but I couldn't quite make it out. I dismissed it, thinking I was just hearing things. 

He then spoke louder, instead saying "I think you're really talented" with an admiring smile on his face.

"Right, says the person who can literally see into the future" I remarked; we laughed together as he went red. I also felt my own cheeks heating up. "Thank you though, I appreciate it. What about you, do you come into the woods often?"

"Not really, if I need to clear my head I usually just go into my room - it's pretty easy to get lost in there. You're right though, it is beautiful in here." 

Oh yeah, the Madrigal's bedrooms are all practically the size of their Casita, each. Plus, they are all themed around whatever their gift is; I was only young when the town attended the triplets' gift ceremonies, so I don't remember what each room looked like.

We continued talking for hours about all sorts: his family, my family, our interests, rats and so much more. I found that, now Bruno was here, the time didn't pass by slowly anymore; oh how I wanted it to. Bruno was actually a really fun person to be around, and once he was out of his tentative shell his presence became intoxicating to me. 

I don't know exactly how many hours had passed, but the Sun had began its journey to its bed. Bruno had shifted slightly closer to me whilst we spoke, and I hadn't made much progress on my painting since he first appeared. 

"I should probably be getting home; I'm at my parents' house for dinner and it's getting late." I sighed, beginning to pack away all of my equipment. Bruno's face dropped, but he nodded his head, knowing that he should be heading back home too. He came up to me and helped me pack away my things. He made sure to be careful of Antonio, who had fallen asleep precariously on Bruno's shoulder, almost buried by the latter's curls. I gave the man a grateful smile and thanked him for his help.

"No problem, I should probably get back too." 

We walked side by side back to the Encanto as he carried some of my things for me. What a gentlemen. When we emerged from the trees, he handed back my things and gave me another warm smile. "Thank you for letting me sit with you, I really enjoyed today." he confided in me.

I returned his smile with a grin. "It's ok, I had a really great time as well," I hesitated for a second, before suggesting, "I'll be there again tomorrow, at the same time as today, if you'd like to keep me company again?"

Crimson washed over his cheeks and the tips of his ears and a timid smile graced his lips. "I-I'll definitely be there then, if you really don't mind."

I gave him one last smile and reached my hand up to stroke Antonio; the rat didn't react, but his nose twitched slightly, so I assumed that was his way of saying 'see you tomorrow'. Me and Bruno then parted ways, heading back to our houses with extra springs in our steps and warm feelings in our hearts.

Today was definitely a good day.