Unspoken whispers

Unearthing Memories-XXXVII

You crossed your arms, staring at him with narrowed eyes. Diego however kept his stony expression, and you frowned.

"I have, I have no idea, no idea what you're, you're talking about."

The boy pinched his nose, looking troubled. He rummaged around the box once more, this time he pins a gold flower onto his shirt. At a snap of his fingers everything's seems to freeze. The noise, the light, the movement. By your confused expression he spoke.

"I stopped time, El tonto," Diego grumbled, flicking your forehead. "How do you think your esposo Wil act if I keep you here for longer than 3 seconds?"

"Hey! How, how am, how was I supposed to, supposed to know!"

You scoffed, the boy ignoring you and continuing to shift through the many items in the container. Every now and then a swear would leave him lips, every minute he looked to be more anxious. Sweat dribbled down his forehead, and you crouch down to try your luck in searching as well.

"It's not here," He breathed. Diego said that once before, but you didn't quite know what he meant. The boy panicked, eyes wide, before speaking in a shaky voice. "You won't belive me if it's not here."

"What, what's not, not there?"

"It must be with papa-"

"Who-?"

It's happened before, but never up to this extent. Diego was the most frazzled you've seen, hands quivering and eyes wide and unfocused. You didn't know what could have been so strange that convinced him you wouldn't believe, but you pitied him in this state. It reminded you of Camilo, how he would act during particularly hard moments.

It rang a somber tone in you. No matter how much you hated him, it felt nearly cruel to just watch his vulnerable state. The boy didn't seem to noiice as ou approach. Who could he with his loud, labored breathing?

"Hey, hey, look at, look at me-" Your voice was soft, cutting off from the shock of him wrapping his arms around you. The boy, you could tell he was involuntarily scared, with the way his muscles were rigid, clinging into you to try and stop his convulsing." Di- Diego-"

At first you feared that you would stiffen, but surprisingly the hug felt natural. It confused you, as the boy wasn't really someone you were too close with.

"I can't believe they did that to you-" His voice a hoarse whisper. "It was the only way- the only way-"

"Only way, way to what-?"

"To keep you safe- but they found us-"

"Diego what are, what are you talking, talking about?"

The boy tensed, pulling away. He was ashamed by his actions, furiously wiping at the unwanted tears. You watched with creased brows, hand attempting to pat him back only for him to flinch and move away. From a distance you can tell he's trying to steady himself, repeatedly clearing his throat.

"It's," Diego's voice broke. "Mierda, esto as stupido-"

You watch sympathetically. He stared simply into his hand, adams apple bobbing. Eventually the boy mustered up a few words to speak out.

"You have to promise to hear me out."

"I, I promise-"

"We lived in the same Encanto."

He doesn't left you finish. The words slip by you. It took a while to register as well, dread filling your chest. There was no possible way- Your house... What, what did it look like? Your... Your friends? Why, why can't you remember? It seemed to sink in in the worst possible way, you mimicking the anxiety Diego was in just a moment ago.

The harsh glare he held as he thought to himself immediately softened. You were hyperventilating, your mind working in overdrive to try and fix the gap in your memory.

"There's, there no-"

"No way?" The boy continued, rubbing your back. Despite the strange gentle tone that he speaks in the evidence is brutal. In the way he sounds its as if he offers an alternative explanation, however his words contradict it. With the fast way he speaks you can tell that he did not find the truth any more pleasant. "It's hard to belive, but you have a gift too, do you not?"

"I-"

"And didn't you find it strange? You knew you left a home behind, but why did you feel so detached?"

"But it, it-"

"-Was because you didn't feel like you had a right to complain-"

"Let me, let me finish!" You exasperately push him away. The idea of losing your memory scared you. Who are you? Did you forget yourself? If Camilo finds out, will he still love the past you left behind? That scared you the most. "It can't, I, there's no, there's no way-"

"y/n," Diego puts his hand on your cheek, meeting his eyes that mirrored the very same look you wore. "Do you really believe that?"

The question rendered you speechless, unable to think of a rebuttal to say. It didn't feel real, and this time you wanted it not to be. Knowledge of Bruno's prophecy poked and prodded at your conscience. Could this somehow be related?

Diego sat next to you, shoulders sagging. The eye bags he had looked heavier. He still looked as shaken as before, but he bit is lips to try and hide the regret. You could see in in his eyes though.

"Belive me, if I had my way with it, I wouldn't have told you."

Still the silence drags on as you deprive him an answer. The boy grunts.

"The person who's coming to kill me, he's coming to kill you too."

You visibly tense, but you fail to articulate your thoughts, instead choosing to to fix Diego with your terrified gaze. He shares the same sentiment, a slight stammer in his voice.

"Yeah, it's not great is it? There's a lot more I have to tell you, but this was the most important one. I needed to tell it to you to your face."

You nod limply. It felt like far too much to process.