Worth The Shot

Dream Amnesia

Today's fanart is by @weforgotvic ! I love EVERYTHING about this drawing. The golden sparkles on the door are so pretty and the desk and mirror are such cool details to include!! ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT y/n's HAIR AND THE WAY HER CLOTHES LOOK REALISTIC?? It's the scene from "What it's like to be camilo madrigal" where y/n reads his diary.

BACK TO THE STORY

Camilo's hands tangled around your waist, locking your back securely against his chest. "Don't go yet."

"Camilo," you whispered, every joint in your body loosening like the release of rain. You melted into his backwards hold. "You're awake. Camilo." Tears pricked your eyes.

"You like saying my name, don't you?" Camilo rumbled in your ear, his throat rough and gravelly from disuse.

"Maybe a little," you admitted, smiling so hard your cheeks felt sore. I thought he was dead. I thought he was gone. A euphoric, surreal sob blew from your chest.

"Don't do that, don't cry," Camilo crushed a smile, his nostrils twitching as he tried not to laugh. His hands gently turned your shoulders to face him on the bed. His wrists relaxed, lingering heavily on the soft skin between your neck and shoulders.

"Don't laugh at me," you cry-laughed, an ugly, deep wailing noise. Salty tears leaked into your open mouth. "You were gone, Camilo. I've never been so scared."

"What happened?" Camilo's innocent question stabbed you with terror.

"What... what do you remember?" You asked like a prayer. Your tears froze to ice in your throat.

Was it too much to hope for that he'd escaped your father's gift unscathed?

"I remember you, geez, calm down." Camilo's eyes rolled in mock exasperation. You exhaled and sniffled, snuggling closer. Flush against his chest, you still didn't feel close enough. Camilo smirked, crossing his arm over your back. "I also remember that you're kinda obsessed with me."

Seriousness shadowed his frown. "The last thing I remember was eating guacamole at my papi's crazy party. After he embarrassed me with that scavenger hunt?" Confusion flickered over his eyes. Too late, you felt your eyebrows jolting up in surprise. "W-what, did I miss much?" He stammered.

"Only your average apocalypse," you shrugged. Camilo brightly laughed. You didn't. It hadn't entirely been a joke.

Only a monster hunting your family. Only my father torturing you. Only you slapping me.

"O-oh," Camilo suddenly inhaled, surprise stiffening his arms around you. His eyes blurred, unfocusing into the nebulous space behind you.

"What? What is it?"

"I think I'm going under again," Camilo mumbled, his eyelids dipping like silhouette kites in a twilight sky.

"Oh," you forced a smile for Camilo, shoving aside your concern. He'll wake up again. Eventually. Right? "It's okay. You can go if you need to."

"Don't worry about me. I'll wake up quick. I promise." Camilo murmured, struggling to pin his weakening gaze on you. His breathing deepened and unsteadily wavered as he fought the tendrils of sleepy seaweed drawing him underwater.

"I have something to say," Camilo slurred, hovering between the hazy-pink dream realm and reality.

"Yeah?"

"Are you heaven? Because you look like you fell- Oh." His eyebrows furrowed sleepily, deep in thought.

"That was very good, Camilo," you encouragingly grinned, trying not to laugh. Of course he'd flirt a cheesy pick-up line as he slipped off.

"No," Camilo woozily grumbled. "I messed up. Can I start over?" Camilo frowned, eyes drifting closed. After a silent heartbeat, he whined, "I forgot it. Help me out."

"You want me to-" You giggled at his drowsy confusion. You cleared your throat, "Okay. It's supposed to be: Are you an angel? Because you look like you fell from heaven."

"Heh. Thanks," Camilo snickered, eyes closed. His eyes fully blinked open. Underneath thick, tangled eyelashes, his eyes glowed a brilliant evergreen, ringed by golden-brown. "Gotcha."

"I'm not wrong though, am I?" You rested your cheekbone on your neatly folded hands, elbows curled toward your stomach.

"Mmm," Camilo grunted in agreement. He promptly faceplanted into your shoulder, breathing evenly through his nose. He'd fallen back asleep.

Two days later, he would awake in a dark, lonely bed. Nobody would be there.

The entire village would be captivated, lost in the colorful costumes and the overhead, glistening lights of Bruno's play.

And Camilo could not have selected a worse moment to reunite with his family.