Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was amazing how the family dynamics could change after the addition of a single person. Even in a family of eleven, where the reinstated member was a socially distanced uncle that nobody had seen in years. Of course, some of these alterations could be associated with other recent events. The family living separately during the rebuilt of their destroyed house. Everyone getting back their special powers after months of living like ordinary people.

This, coupled with recent shifts in the matriarch’s expectations, made other things less obvious. Like the fact that there were some changes in the smaller family units.

“Antonio, where’s Mirabel?”

“I don’t know, Ma. I last saw her at breakfast.”

“Julieta, did you see Mirabel?”

“She was just with me, but then Bruno came, and she went with him.”

“Dolores, mi amor, where is Tio Bruno?”

“He’s helping Mirabel move furniture around in her room.”

It was slowly becoming a pattern. Wherever Mirabel went, Bruno was usually nearby. They did almost everything together. Be it running errands, doing household chores, entertaining an audience with the rat theatre, or spending time with their family.

This evening, they were sitting in a circle on the floor of Camilo’s bedroom. Mirabel, Bruno, Camilo, and Antonio. It was another Madrigal game night. There were normally four or five of them playing, although the gaming group changed from night to night. Sometimes the boys would drop out, other times Luisa would join in. Dolores and Mariano used to show up, but Camilo couldn’t stop teasing them about making googly eyes to each other. Finally, his older sister had had enough, put the back of the boy’s poncho over his head, and walked out, never to be seen near a board again.

However, no matter the circumstances, a common denominator was always Mirabel and Bruno.

It took him a long time, but Bruno seemed to finally have found his own place in the family. He truly enjoyed playing with his nieces and nephews. He was a great actor and storyteller, always making funny faces and doing all the voices. The younger Madrigals especially loved to hear embarrassing stories about their relatives that no one else had ever told them. The man often spent time with the kids, being the cool uncle and having more free time than the other adults. He had his favorites, like anyone, but this usually didn’t come up; not when everyone was having fun.

“So, how do we split up?” asked Camilo from over the game board.

“I’m playing with Tio Bruno,” said Mirabel at once, grabbing him by the forearm, “and you guys can play with each other.”

“That’s no fair!” complained Antonio, as he pursed his lips. “I wanted to play with Tio Bruno. You two are always together.”

With raised eyebrows, Mirabel and Bruno glanced at one another. They never paid it much attention. Now that they came to think of it, Antonio indeed might have a point. However, there was a perfectly good reason for this.

“Look, Tonito,” said Mirabel, trying to sound understanding. “Your Tio had never played The Castles of Segovia before. I need to explain him the rules. You can play together in the next round, okay?”

Her little cousin didn’t seem very happy. But he agreed, just this once.

“Okay, fine…” he muttered, fiddling with a yellow token.

Soon enough, he did get his chance like promised. This was exactly what Antonio wanted. Tio Bruno was usually good at strategy games, so the boy was hoping to finally win against his older brother. That would show Camilo that little Toni was not a pushover anymore!

However, Antonio’s enthusiasm was short-lived. Despite playing just fine in the previous game, now Tio Bruno was evidently distracted, making one obvious mistake after another. Antonio was doing his best to meet the win conditions, but this wasn’t enough, as Tio made their team lose points whenever the game rules allowed him to.

"You're helping them win!" the kid accused, severely disappointed.

“Uh, not on purpose,” said Bruno with an apologetic smile.

Sure enough, Antonio and Bruno’s team lost in the next two turns. Camilo high-fived Mirabel, satisfied with an easy victory.

Meanwhile, Antonio just sat there, arms crossed, his expression sullen. The boy’s entire posture resembled that of his mother on a bad weather day, minus the cloud. In an irritated tone, the kid stated,

“Mirabel, you can have him back.”

He pushed Tio Bruno away, so that he would move towards his cousin. Even Camilo, who was visibly amused with Antonio’s reaction, thought that this was a little rude. However, instead of being offended, their Tio seemed relieved. Especially after his niece pulled him closer by the elbow, not bothered at all by a return to the previous pairings.

They never changed pairs again.

Chapter Text

After spending literal years inside the house, Bruno enjoyed his time outdoors. During his years of isolation, the most daring thing he could do while not being seen was take a quick walk at night. Maybe go to the roof and watch the stars. Because of this, he’d nearly forgotten how different the world during the day was from the world covered in dark. For this reason, the first opportunity he’d got, he started taking regular walks around the Encanto. To observe how much things have changed while also reminiscing about the past.

His nieces and nephews were happy to keep him company.

“Look, Tio Bruno! This is that bridge I told you about. I put it there myself.”

Luisa directed his attention towards the river. She puffed out her chest, looking proudly at her creation. There was a stone passage that Bruno had not seen before.

“Oh, that’s awesome!” he said in a genuine praise. “I didn’t know we could save so much time on our road back.”

They walked a bit further, until it was Antonio’s turn to show something interesting.

“Check this out, check this out!” the boy pointed at a tall tree, jumping up and down. “This is Pico’s favorite nesting spot. He says it’s very comfortable and close to the food source.”

Pico the toucan, who was sitting at Antonio’s shoulder the whole time, cluttered his beak in agreement.

“And it’s also where Isabela first kissed a boy,” said Camilo with a huge grin.

Isabela’s face went red. “You little twerp! You spied on me!”

She went for her cousin’s neck with her bare hands, but Camilo was quicker. He turned into Antonio, grabbed the boy’s hands and span them both around, confusing Isabela as to whom to punch.

“Stop it, you two – three – all of you,” said Bruno, trying to end the argument. He sounded at a loss about how to deal with the situation at hand.

Thankfully, Luisa was there to help.

“Hey!”

Without a warning, she lifted Isabela and Camilo to the air, each with one hand, and waited for them to calm down.

“You two done?” asked Luisa with a stoic voice, as if she’d done this many times already.

“Yeah,” said Isabela and Camilo in unison, both offended and unhappy.

When everyone was back and safe on the ground, the group headed to the town square. As they kept on walking, the kids would play a little game with their Tio. They’d point out random things in the scenery and ask him questions.

“Do you remember this abandoned house? It’s so spooky!”

“Were these hills already here when you were younger?”

“How about this sculpture? It looks ancient.”

“Do you know about the old graveyard? Mama says she never played there when she was my age, but I think she’s lying.”

At times, Bruno was overwhelmed by the interrogation, but he didn’t mind. Spending time with his family, being a contributing part of their lives, this was all he’d ever asked for.

However, the kids got bored soon. Not even a week had passed, and they weren’t joining him on his walks anymore.

All except Mirabel.

She would take him to the town outskirts to show where her three little friends lived or where she hid from the family when she wanted to be alone. Bruno would lead her even further: to the forest, up to the bottom of the mountains.

“See this hilltop?” he pointed up with his finger. “I fell from it once, see? I think I was about twelve, thirteen maybe. I bet I broke my leg.”

“Ouch!” Mirabel flinched, imagining the pain he must have been in. “How did you get back home?”

Bruno gave a reminiscent smile, his eyes going out of focus.

“Oh, your mom ran to me and gave me a candy she made earlier. When we were young, she’d always have some at hand – y’know, just to be safe.”

The girl chuckled. “Sounds just like her.”

During their lone escapades, Bruno showed Mirabel many places from his childhood. Like his long-abandoned secret base, or a small secluded beach by the river. Sometimes, he would just point out random places and tell her stories of how he remembered them from before he disappeared. The man was amazed at how the vegetation had grown. But also a little sad that the trees he used to climb as a kid had disappeared to make space for more houses.

With time, their lonely expeditions only became longer. They often stayed outside until it got dark or left the house before dawn. One morning, when they were sneaking back in before breakfast, they had a surprise encounter with Isabela.

“Back home at last. Where have you two been?” she asked with a meaningfully raised eyebrow.

Startled by her sister’s resemblance to their mother, Mirabel glanced at Bruno, who merely shrugged, unimpressed.

“Watching the sunrise,” he replied matter-of-factly, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Hmph,” uttered Isa in doubt and disapproval, but she let it slide.

Until the evening when she caught them take a blanket on their evening stroll.

“Can you believe these two?” she asked Luisa, who was also there to witness it.

“What, you mean the blanket?” said the younger sister, frowning thoughtfully.

“Of course I mean the blanket! Why would they need it on a walk? What exactly are they going to do with it?”

Luisa scratched her neck.

“Uh, I don’t know. But I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation. Why won’t you go and ask them instead of speculating who-knows-what?”

“Oh, I will ask them, alright,” said Isabela, her tone betraying determination.

Sure enough, she adjusted her dress and flounced to block their way. Closing her eyes for a second, she evened out her breathing, so that her voice would sound natural. The girl looked her Tio straight in the eye.

“What are you doing with this blanket?” she asked not without accusation. “What do you need it for?”

Bruno blinked. He stared at his oldest niece as if she sprouted flowers out of her nostrils.

“To… have something to sit on?” he said, confused.

Isabela’s insistent stare moved to Mirabel, who clarified,

“You know, dew drops and all. Wouldn’t wanna get all wet.”

Isa’s eyes narrowed. She considered her younger sister, looking out for any indications of dishonesty.

“That’s it?” she finally asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Um, yeah? Can we go now? You’ll make us miss the sunset.”

As Mirabel and Bruno were walking away, Isabela could hear her Tio ask, “Er, what was that about?”

Shaking her head, she went back to join Luisa. She wasn’t happy, if a child-sized cacti that spontaneously sprouted from the floor were anything to go by.

“And?” inquired Luisa in a hushed voice. “What did they say?”

Out of a sudden, the biggest cactus was punctured right through by a venomous vine. The younger sibling flinched; the message not lost on her.

In an exceptionally composed voice, Isa replied, “That they need a blanket to sit on.”

Luisa gave a nervous chuckle.

“Go figure, am I right?”

“I still think this is fishy,” said Isabela, pointing in the direction where Mirabel and Bruno disappeared behind the door. She crossed her arms on her chest, annoyed that they rebutted her accusation so easily.

“You’re reading too much into it,” said Luisa, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “I know how this looks. Our little sister disappearing for hours to watch romantic sunsets with the Tio we barely even know. But I think we should give them the benefit of the doubt. Mirabel’s smart, she’d tell us if something was off.”

Isabela looked like she’d swallowed a rotten papaya. However, she refrained from further comments.

“If they’re saying all they do is sit together and watch the sun, I believe them,” continued Luisa, hoping to end this pointless discussion once and for all. “I think we should stay out of it.”

“You still sure we stay out of it?” asked Isabela weeks later, the moment she saw Mirabel and Bruno return home holding hands.

Isabela was more than ready to let her temper out on the pair, petals flying and all. But before she moved a muscle, the girl felt a steel grip of Luisa’s hand on her shoulder.

“No, let me talk to them.”

She approached the duo, nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Instinctively, the girl slouched, trying to appear smaller than she was not to scare them off. She put her hands together, feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable about making any kind of assumptions.

“Tio Bruno, Mirabel!” she greeted them a little too loud. “What a surprise!”

“Um, hey,” said Bruno, evidently taken aback. He’d wave his hand but both were full: one with a colorful blanket, the other with his niece’s hand.

“Luisa, hi!” said Mirabel, smiling at her sister. “We’ve seen each other like ten times today, remember?”

“Oh.” Luisa didn’t know how to answer to that. “Yes, I – well, I’m aware.”

There was a short silence.

“Did you – want something from us?” asked Bruno, not sure whether he and Mirabel should keep standing in place or walk around Luisa.

“Yes!” Luisa exclaimed as if she just remembered why she was there. She pointed at their joined hands and asked awkwardly, "So, uh, what's with the hand-holding?"

They followed her gaze to their intertwined fingers and then glanced at one another, visibly surprised by the question.

“Should I?” Mirabel asked Bruno, who moved his head and voiced a quiet myeah. She turned back to her sister. “Do you recall last week’s festive?”

Luisa didn’t see where Mirabel was going but she nodded nonetheless. Of course she remembered. It was a huge event, everyone attended.

“It was very crowded,” the girl continued. “On the streets, everywhere. We were passing by the church when we got separated. We couldn’t find each other for like an hour.”

“And it was a really bad experience for some of us,” added Bruno, giving Mirabel an affectionate look. “I thought I lost you back there. Your mother would have killed me.”

In response, the girl stepped closer, touching her shoulder against his.

“So, we started walking around holding hands. This made it easier not to get lost. And then, well, it stuck.”

Mirabel glanced at Bruno for affirmation.

“Oh yeah, turns out holding hands is a lot of fun.”

Luisa stood there, brows on her forehead, arching high above her eyes. In silence, she pondered about the logic behind the explanation she was given. The girl couldn’t decide whether it worried her or not.

Chapter Text

Ever since their engagement, Dolores and Mariano were spending almost every waking moment together. He usually appeared at the Madrigals’ doorsteps soon after breakfast, disappeared for some time around lunch, and then stayed until dinner.

But this pattern was soon to be broken. Once Felix caught Mariano sneaking back after dark, he took action. Next day, the man asked his daughter to the side and suggested,

“Mi amor, why are you making the poor man run back and forth, only to grab a meal? Invite him to eat with us. He’s almost family!”

Camilo, who sneaked up to eavesdrop, grinned at the opportunity that presented itself. Pranking his sister for having a guy for dinner was more fun than annoying Isabela. What was even better, today’s occasion wasn’t special or anything – just an ordinary meal. This meant that he could go all out without fearing for repercussions.

Abuela seemed startled at Mariano’s appearance at the table. Felix quickly moved to whisper something in her ear. Having nodded in understanding, the woman clapped.

“Antonio, bring a plate for Mariano.”

With one extra person to feed, the order at the table needed to be altered. Dolores, who usually sat in-between her brothers, was now on Abuela’s left, next to her fiancée. This caused other shifts, and so for the first time Bruno and Mirabel were forced to take seats on the opposite sides of the table.

Which clearly posed a problem.

From the very beginning, they always sat next to each other. Be it at mealtimes, adventures around the town, or family gatherings. This became so natural that nobody paid it any attention.

Although, things had changed. Now that they were kept apart by several people and the width of the table, Bruno became visibly anxious. It didn’t help that the man was seated between Isabela and Luisa, who had been eyeing him suspiciously for some time already. It wasn’t long before he engaged in one of his self-soothing repetitive behaviors without even realizing. Something he quit doing months ago, after he became confident that his family loved him as is.

This didn’t escape Dolores’s notice. She pricked up her ear in interest, shooting her Tio a worried glance. However, she couldn’t determine the problem right away.

“Dolores, you and Mariano have been dating for a long time,” said Abuela, bringing the girl back to the conversation. “I think it’s time to talk about your wedding plans.”

Camilo groaned under his breath. He was so bored, waiting for Abuela to take her eyes off the lovebirds for one second, so that he could throw in a snarky comment. And now, she pulled out the wedding card! The adults could talk about this for hours. Tough luck.

Leaving his sister alone for now, the boy focused instead on Antonio and his cousins, looking for anything to poke fun at. Only then had he noticed something interesting.

It seemed that Mirabel and Bruno were making up for the lack of physical proximity with gazing at one other. Like, a lot – and intensely. It didn't even seem like either of them noticed anything that happened around the table. Camilo didn’t believe it was possible, but the way they stared was much worse than any looks Mariano and Dolores shared. Because at least his sister and future brother-in-law had the decency not to do this for extended periods of time. Or, if they did, they would get a room.

The boy shook with disgust. Something needed to be done to prevent his innocent eyes from bleeding. He took a handful of grapes and threw them one by one at Mirabel. His attempt to make her stop undressing their Tio with her eyes didn’t have any lasting effects, though. Except for her throwing one grape back in Camilo’s face.

“Mirabel!” said Abuela warningly.

With a feeling of injustice, Mirabel sent her cousin a reproachful glare.

In response, Camilo showed her his tongue. Rule number one in mischief-making was waiting for the right opportunity to present itself. Something his prima had no idea about, being well-behaved and all that.

Now that he had Mirabel’s undivided attention, Camilo seized his moment to mess with her. With a snap of his fingers, the boy turned into an identical copy of Bruno. He sent his prima a meaningful look, his eyes half-closed and eyebrows waggling. He planned to do more, but then his father elbowed him in the ribs, causing the boy to change back.

“Ouch!” he exclaimed, more in surprise than actual pain.

He must have gone a tiny bit too far, Camilo realized.

Before he recovered, Mirabel and Bruno returned to their previous activity, but – thank Dios – with a bit more subtlety. Mira gave the Tio a short glance, put her hair behind her ear, and resumed eating, playing with her food. Then, Bruno rubbed his fingers back and forth against a wine glass, checking up on his niece before taking a sip. Camilo was forced to admit defeat, but at least this was entertaining – watching them interact without speaking, using only their body language.

After failing miserably at his self-imposed task, the young mischief-maker ran out of ideas. It was hard to tease people when they ignored him. Therefore, this was high-time for his next signature number: showing off.

His trusted tricks seemed to be working as intended. Felix smirked and showed his son thumbs up, Antonio clapped his hands, even Dolores chuckled despite not looking directly at her brother. However, Camilo lost his audience the moment Mariano asked,

“Mirabel, avocado?”

For unknown reasons, Mirabel burst out laughing, soon joined by Bruno. They laughed so hard that none of them could sit up straight in their chairs. With a stoic expression, Abuela watched her son and granddaughter, horrified by their lack of manners. The rest of the family remained silent, observing the duo with strange looks on their faces. A warm breeze blew around the table, trailing everyone’s hair.

From the excess of sniggering, something caught in Mirabel’s throat. She started to cough, gasping for breath. Agustin, who was sitting next to her, patted his daughter on the back and offered, with the best of intentions,

“Water?”

There was another heartful chortle from Bruno. Mirabel coughed and laughed at the same time, tears coming to her eyes. The girl’s dad chuckled nervously, a water jug still in hand, unable to comprehend what was so funny about it. He gave an uneasy side-glance to his wife, who shook her head in equal incomprehension.

“Hey, what’s the joke? Let us in on it, will ya?” asked Felix, feeling left out.

Bruno and Mirabel needed another moment to calm down. For a long time, they simply looked at one another, wondering how to put their thoughts into words.

“I don’t think you’ll understand,” said Mirabel, stretching every syllable. Her eyes were still on Bruno, searching for support.

“Yep, too much explaining to be done.” Bruno glanced briefly at Mariano, as if he didn’t want to raise this particular subject in front of him. He had to think fast. “Oh, but I can tell you about the red ink.”

“No, not the red ink!” Mirabel couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I don’t know this one. Come on, Bruno! Share with the class,” Felix encouraged with a joyous clap.

“Erm, oh – okay,” said Bruno in an undertone, disconcerted with all the attention he was instantaneously given. He cleared his throat. “So, you see, we were preparing the season finale for Amazing Rebecca. I mean, me and Mirabel, the two of us. It was a small field wedding, only the bride and her groom. But I had this vision earlier, and I knew that all my rats would have an accident and get themselves covered in a green ink.”

“I thought it was supposed to be red?” asked Felix.

“It was, but the visions are emerald, so I couldn’t exactly tell the difference. Anyway, to avoid bathing all the rats, we changed the scenery to a flowery meadow. Red, blue, purple, all the colors.”

“But no green in sight,” specified Mirabel.

“No green,” he agreed. “So, we prepared for a final rehearsal, turned away for like a few seconds, and – and –“ Bruno stuttered, stifling a chortle.

“And it turned out that the rats bit open a bottle of red ink!” Mirabel helped him finish. “They were covered in it from head to tail. The rats, Bruno’s desk, the props, everything. The albino rat had these huge red stains that made him look just like Santa! Before we cleaned her, we took early Christmas pictures. You remember her face?”

“Say cheese!” Her Tio produced a full denture smile. He made the girl boff.

“Yeah, so after the set was ruined, Tio Bruno had this crazy idea to make the episode into a crossover between Night of the Living Dead and Corpse Bride! I love the part when Rebecca’s dead boyfriend comes to life and says, You chose this piece of meat over my dead body?”

“Oh, and Rebecca says, Go bite dirt, my love for you is as dead as you are!”

They continued to tell the story in turns, each time laughing way before the punchline. When Bruno and Mirabel were done, all they received for their efforts was an affronted look from Abuela and blank stares from everyone else.

“A living what?”

“What’s a horse bride?”

“I guess you’d probably need more backstory to understand.” Mirabel rubbed her eyes from unshed tears. ”Sorry guys, I’m afraid it would take too long to explain.”

Camilo shook his head and shrugged, unable to comprehend why Tio and Mira laughed so hard at each other's jokes. True, Bruno could make some clever remarks, and Mirabel was playful more often than not, but still!

“Come on,” remarked Camilo, “neither of them were that funny.”

After the tales of the rat show, the dinner came to an abrupt end. However, Camilo was still intrigued about the inside jokes between his prima and uncle. To drag the truth out of her, the boy followed her around from a certain distance. He stayed close and waited. The first time Bruno ventured out of sight, Camilo transformed and took his place.

He went towards Mirabel to question her when she surprised him with a playful threat.

“Don’t you even think about it, Tio Camilo!”

Camilo cursed under his breath and walked away before she’d get angry. He didn’t anticipate to be figured out, not so easily anyway. To his dismay, Mira could instantly tell him and Bruno apart, thus ruining his entire plan. The boy assumed there had to be something obvious that he got wrong.

But then, as he tried the same trick with Tio Bruno, his disguise was broken just as quickly. This was highly unexpected. Mirabel he knew; Camilo shouldn’t have any problems pretending to be her.

This gave him a pause. Something was definitely off. And he was going to figure out what.

Chapter Text

Camilo ran down the stairs with heavy steps, irritated that he didn’t find Isabela in her room. He had such a great prank at the ready, everything set in place and prepared to put in motion. A special treat, just for his older cousin. Since the girl broke up with Mariano, Camilo had one less button to press, but this also forced him to get creative. Glass half-full.

As he walked through the courtyard, he pricked up his ears. There were definitely voices coming from the direction of the living room. His familia was apparently having a good time out there. Maybe he could ask around; someone must have seen where Isabela went.

He took the first turn right, entered the room, and froze.

With an astonished expression on his undersized Isa’s face, Camilo stared forward, his mouth agape. Mere steps before him, Tio Bruno was sitting comfortably on the couch. Which wasn’t that surprising, not since he’d been reinstated into the family after the magical candle disaster. No, there was something else in this picture that disturbed Camilo.

On the same couch, right next to his Tio, lied Mirabel. Her legs hang over the armrest, but her head was resting on Bruno’s lap. She was looking up into his face while he leaned forward and stared right into her eyes. The scene seemed very intimate, and Camilo felt as if he was interrupting something. Unwillingly, this whole situation reminded him of that one time when he walked onto his own parents by mistake. Since then, he’d never looked at that couch in the same way.

Ugh. The memory caused the boy to shrug inwardly.

Before he was noticed, Camilo backtracked, quickly but quietly. He hid behind the wall, leaning out just enough to keep his eye on the duo.

They were evidently in the middle of a heated discussion, but their hushed voices made it impossible to distinguish single words. Mirabel gestured rapidly with her hands, and Tio Bruno laughed at something that only he could hear. He leaned even further down as he murmured back his response. And now, it was the girl’s turn to give a heartfelt laugh. In a swift move, the man brushed away a loose hair that got into her eyes. Only then did Camilo notice that one of Bruno’s hands had been gently stroking Mirabel’s hair the entire time.

Their brazen displays of affection shocked the boy just as much as the fact that they were doing it in the open. He felt he had to do something about this. Let them know he was here, go out and confront them, pull them apart then and there. Full of determination, he transformed back into himself, straightened his poncho, and went forward.

To get Bruno and Mirabel’s attention, he had to clear his throat. They looked up at him with mild interest.

“Oh! Hi, Camilo,” said Bruno, giving him the broadest of smiles.

“What’s up?” asked Mirabel, making no attempt to alter her position.

“Uh, guys,” Camilo started, only slightly deterred that they weren’t at all disturbed by his presence. “Don’t you think that – hey!”

This last exclamation wasn’t a part of Camilo’s speech but a reaction to being pulled by the collar.

“Let me steal my brother away,” said Dolores in a loud whisper. “We need a word.”

She dragged him to the kitchen, like she would a stubborn child, and closed the door.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he said through gritted teeth, his temper rising.

He only calmed down after his sister put a finger to her mouth. He was irritated alright, but he didn’t mean to hurt her ears.

“What did you bring me here for?” he asked much quieter. “Couldn’t you tell I was in the middle of something?”

Dolores gave him an exasperated look. “In the middle of what, exactly? What were you going to do? What was your plan?”

“I dunno,” admitted Camilo, scratching the back of his head. “Something? Did you see Mira and Tio? Don’t you think they’re going too far? That it’s weird? I mean, come on, who sits like that with their own family? You? Me?”

His own words gave the boy something to ponder about. He thought back to all the other instances where that particular pair got way too familiar for his liking. If he remembered correctly, it all started with Mirabel leaning on Tio Bruno’s shoulder whenever they were next to each other. In return, Tio Bruno often stroked her arm or held her hand in his, playing with her fingers. None of this was considered by Camilo as a usual display of affection. He’d known Mira for years, and they were never so touchy-feely with one another. He wasn’t jealous or anything; just looking out for his cousin. Keeping quiet only because no one else seemed bothered by her actions.

“Only because you’ve never been this intimate with a girl, doesn’t make it weird,” he heard Dolores say with a squeak.

Camilo put his arms out, shaking his head incredulously. Why was she so okay with this when he was not? He didn’t understand.

His sister covered her eyes with her hand. She gave a frustrated sigh.

“Do you actually have a proof that they’re crossing a line?” she asked, glancing around nervously, probably able to hear something he couldn’t. “I mean, a real proof, not just your teenage-boy imagination? Maybe they enjoy the touch, ever thought of that? You know, with Tio not having any in so long. I can’t imagine what that must have been like for him. And only because they touch a lot, it doesn’t mean that – It doesn’t mean that –“

“That they’re having more of it than you and your boy-toy? Ouch!” Camilo grabbed his shoulder where Dolores hit him. “What was that for?”

“It’s not a laughing matter, you dork. Not everyone’s as horny as you. We can’t throw serious accusations left and right. Remember how this turned out last time? We don’t want to wrongfully accuse anyone again.”

Her brother listened with such a sour face that it made eating lemons look pleasant. He crossed his arms, and Dolores thought that he might just let go and walk away. However, Camilo needed to have the last word.

“Okay, fair point. But can’t we at least tell them to tone this down a bit? You know, at least in public spaces, like the living room?”

She regarded him with eyes wide and pursed lips.

“Talk about a very awkward conversation,” commented the girl in an undertone. “Even if we do, which we definitely shouldn’t, I don’t think they’ll listen. They’ve been acting like this for months, just not in front of us. There is simply no point in telling them off now.”

“What – ? You’ve heard them snuggle?!” Camilo sounded weirded out. “And you didn’t do anything?”

Dolores frowned. “Who said I didn’t?”

She thought back to the time when she first noticed Mirabel and Bruno get more physically close than generally expectable. She confronted her cousin about this at the first opportunity. Dolores expected Mirabel to be uncomfortable and avoidant, but she merely shrugged.

“I'm just helping Tío Bruno make up for years of solitude,” heard Dolores in response. “What I don’t understand is, why am I the only one giving him free hugs? He won’t bite your head off when you touch him, you know. He truly needs it. You have Mariano, not everyone is this lucky.”

So basically, all Dolores accomplished by broaching the subject was feeling ashamed for not hugging Tio Bruno enough.

“It’s simply not my place to tell other people’s secrets,” she said to her brother, supposing that she needed to justify her actions, to explain herself.

“Just like when you didn’t tell anyone about Bruno living in the walls?”

Camilo’s biting remark completely missed the target.

“No. More like when I didn’t tell Mama that you broke her wedding gift from Abuela. Or when I told Pa that you were sick the day after you smuggled a wine bottle into your room. Or that one time when Isa was about to see Mariano and you –”

“Enough!”

The boy watched his sister in horror. He slowly – and painfully – realized that this one person had so much on him that she could get him grounded until next decade. If she only wanted to.

“If I’m not sharing your dirt with anyone, I’m certainly not butting into Mirabel’s business. Or Tio Bruno’s.” Dolores ended on a final note.

Palms up, her brother backed away from her, as if she was a ticking bomb that could go off at any time.

Chapter Text

Agustin entered the kitchen, took one look at the stove, and swore under his breath.

Where he expected to see a big pile of Arepas, all he found was an empty plate. This rarely happened, even though he was the person who used up the majority of Julieta’s food. No breakfast leftovers meant that he was forced to wait for his wife and her sister to return home. Since the women went shopping downtown, this could take a while.

To kill some time, the man decided to join his family in their usual activities. It was early in the afternoon, so all the kids gathered in the living room to watch the latest episode of Bruno’s telenovela. Agustin brought himself a chair, sat in the back, and tried to catch up with the on-stage action.

It had been some time since he last watched the rat theatre. The first thing he noticed was that the backgrounds got much better thanks to professionally prepared sets. Also, the acting had vastly improved; a courtesy of Antonio, who occupied the director’s chair. The rats were wearing cute mini-costumes prepared by Mirabel, who also did all the female voices. However, the main star of the show was still Bruno, who dubbed the male characters and made up the script on the go.

After taking in the setting, Agustin focused on the plot and dialogues, hopeful to figure out the main conflict.

This was a telenovela, after all. How complex could it be?

“Oh, Josefa,” said the rat in a red uniform in Bruno’s deep, dramatic voice. “Please reconsider! I can’t go on living like this.”

“Francesco, you know we can’t do this!” exclaimed the other rat in Mirabel’s voice. A girl in a light blue dress. “What would my mother say?”

“I don’t care, mi amor!” stated Bruno with passion. The man was so in character that he was making adequate poses as he spoke. “Let’s tell her – right here, right now.”

There was a dramatic pause. Dolores grabbed Mariano by the forearm. Everyone sat motionless in their seats, waiting for the words that would come out next.

“What comes next, what comes next…” muttered Bruno, nervously tapping his fingers on the wooden table.

“You’re so resolute, Francesco!” Mirabel improvised, going with the flow. ”I agree, let’s do it!”

“Oh, I love that! And then, he goes like – After you, my dear! We’ll face our destiny together.”

Everyone gasped at the plot twist. Including Bruno himself.

Okay, so Agustin didn’t figure anything out. Disconcerted, he leaned towards Luisa and discretely whispered,

“What’s going on? What is this play about?”

His daughter flinched, startled. She was focused on the scene to such an extent that she forgot her father was sitting nearby. Without taking her eyes off the performance, Luisa moved closer to Agustin and explained as quietly as she could.

“Oh, you see, these are the main characters, Josefa and her uncle Francesco. Francesco left his hometown when Josefa was little in order to protect her. But then, the family started breaking apart, so Francesco had to come back into her life. He was afraid to face his family, but then it turned out that everyone still loved him after all he’d done. So, Josefa helps Francesco to reconnect with the family, but then Francesco falls deeply in love with Josefa. Now they are arguing whether it’s safe to tell Josefa’s mother, Francesco’s sister, about their forbidden love. This is so beautiful and so sad at the same time!”

Luisa took out a napkin and put it to her eyes. Only then had she finally moved her eyes away from the stage and looked directly at her father.

“What’s with your nose?” she asked with a frown.

Impatient, Agustin waved his hand. “Never mind that.”

He was thinking hard. The main characters painfully reminded him of someone, too much for this to be a pure coincidence. The uncle’s backstory that Luisa told him about was almost exactly what happened to Bruno. Except for the last part; this was new.

Mi Dios, it was new, wasn’t it?!

”Let me get this straight,” said Agustin in an undertone, his heart beating rapidly. “This story, it’s about an uncle and a niece that are in love and don’t want to admit this to their family?”

The girl considered him for a short moment. “Pretty much, yeah.”

Agustin sat there, trying to figure out what he should do next. Was Bruno’s script really a self-insert story, as he initially assumed, or was this all a huge misunderstanding? Were his suspicions enough to justify having a serious talk with his brother-in-law? Or perhaps he would just make a fool out of himself? The man had no idea, and he was in a desperate need of answers.

Before Agustin noticed, the play came to an end. Belated, he joined in with the clapping. The final scene must have been a tearjerker, by the looks of it. In the first row, Dolores and Mariano were sobbing, drying each others’ eyes. Next to her father, Luisa sat teary-eyed, trying to pull herself back together.

Once the applause died out, the kids were getting ready to leave. Agustin observed that no one besides him seemed to be disturbed by the plot implications. This did nothing to waver his new-found determination to confront Bruno. With his head held high, he approached the stage.

However, it was Mirabel who came to him first.

“Hey, dad! Did you like the show?” asked the girl cheerfully. But then, her father looked down, causing her to jump back in surprise. “Ouch, what’s with the nose?”

“I’m fine,” replied Agustin, involuntarily bringing his hand to his face. “Could you and Antonio excuse us for a moment? I need a word with Tio Bruno.”

“Um, sure,” said Mirabel, evidently surprised. But she did not protest. “Hombrecito, you fancy showing me your new ant collection?”

“Sure!”

The boy ran to the door and waited for his cousin to follow.

Before leaving with Antonio, Mirabel approached Bruno, brushing his shoulders with her fingers as she passed. She whispered a short goodbye and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, doing the same to her father before he could feel left out.

When the two men were alone at last, all Agustin’s confidence evaporated on the spot. He gulped, straightening his posture to appear in control of the situation. It was now or never. He went too far to back away.

“Hi, pal,” he said to Bruno, his voice a tad too high. “Got a minute?”

“Agustin, hey,” the man replied with a short wave of his hand. In the same conversational tone, he added, “There’s something wrong with your nose.”

“So I’ve been told,” remarked Agustin with a short snort, breaking his serious facade. “Listen, I wanted to talk to you. It’s about your play. The plot, it sounded familiar. Was that, like, intentional or – ?”

Bruno seemed taken aback by this question. Instinctively, he walked around to the other side of the table, putting additional distance between them.

“It’s fiction, Agustin. It’s not real.” He hesitated. “But, uh – if you must know, it was based on a real story.”

Aha! thought Agustin. Now he had him. He wasn’t getting away with this, no way.

However, as Bruno kept talking, the defiance on Agustin’s face was fading.

“You see, I’ve had a talk with my Mama about – well, about why I left you guys and what happened to me later. Mama told me it’s okay to speak about my past experiences, even the bad ones. It helps, she said.”

Bruno was speaking softly, his voice barely more than a whisper. Almost like he wasn’t sure whether he wanted to let Agustin in on his secret. But once he started, the man felt inclined to reveal more.

“And yet, um – it felt weird, saying this stuff out loud. It’s – It’s uncomfortable – to me, to whomever listens. So I told her this, and she was like, why won’t you try making a play out of it? This would be good for you, too.”

To justify no eye contact, Bruno kept himself busy with dismantling the telenovela stage and packing it back into a dedicated suitcase. His every move was slowed down, buying him more time to put his thoughts in order.

“So I did. And, as you know, I can only write telenovelas – which is good, because this way my story ended up as an unrecognizable mix. Well, not that unrecognizable, I guess, since you’ve figured it out.”

Bruno gestured at Agustin, who fidgeted uncomfortably in place. He didn’t dare telling his brother-in-law that this was not the first thought that came to his mind.

“Please don’t tell the kids,” Bruno continued, finally able to look Agustin straight in the eye. “I don’t wanna them to view my play as anything more than that – a play.”

Without meaning to, the man made Julieta’s husband glance away in shame. Agustin felt extremely guilty for once again assuming the worst in Bruno. Nearly accusing him for writing screenplays about an inappropriate relationship with his daughter. What made the matters worse was that he himself, along with the rest of the Madrigals, was the reason that Bruno needed to write this play in the first place. As a form of self-therapy. To not bother others with his problems.

In a few swift steps, Agustin walked over to him, put a hand on his shoulder, and stated,

“I won’t. Don’t worry, bro. You write what’s good for you. The kids won’t find out, not from me anyway. So, um – you just do you, right?”

He might have said it a little bit too clumsily, but he meant every word with the best of intentions.

Bruno responded with an awkward but grateful smile. He picked up the suitcase and headed back to his room.

Watching him go, Agustin nodded proudly to himself. He handled the situation well. Even Julieta couldn’t do it better. She’d be pleased with him, no doubt.

Now that he was done dealing with Bruno, Agustin was worried about one other thing. It was still a possibility that Mirabel would read her Tio’s script the wrong way. Like father, like daughter, as they used to say. For this reason, he sought her out later that day. She closed herself up in her room, working on a new piece of art. The girl was alone, which created a perfect opportunity for their father-daughter heart-to-heart.

“Hi, amor,” said Agustin, coming in after a short knock. “I meant to talk to you about today’s play. How did you find it?”

Mirabel’s face lit up. Although she was busy, it was clear that she wanted to tell someone about her day.

“Oh, it was so great!” she stated in an excited tone, picking up a needle. “Did you see when Bruno ran out of ideas, and I helped him with the dialogues? He said he loved it! And the entire audience gasped, so they must have loved it, too.”

This wasn’t exactly what her father had in mind. But at least they were talking. Now all he had to do was ask the right question.

“Yes, this was cool and all. And, uh – what’s your opinion on the main hero?”

“Francesco?” she asked, sewing another button to the back of a yellow dress. “He’s very handsome, isn’t he? I made his little uniform myself. It was tailor-made – the shirt, the jacket, even his tiny tie. I think it fits him perfectly.”

Agustin never thought himself to be good at asking indirect questions and getting the right answers. But apparently he also never fully appreciated just as bad he actually was.

He cleared his throat and tried again.

“Um, yeah. And don’t you think it’s strange, two family members falling for each other?”

The man studied Mirabel’s face, looking out for any giveaways. She held his gaze, staring back at him with a blank expression.

“Strange? No, Bruno writes it all the time.”

Apparently, his daughter didn’t think anything into Bruno’s play. What a relief this was! With a satisfied nod, the man was about to get up and leave. But then, he looked down and noticed a change in the girl’s attire.

“You have a new skirt!” he exclaimed, wondering if Mirabel had been wearing it all day.

This new piece of clothing was nearly identical in color to the previous one. The fit was different, though – less girly, more mature. Although Agustin had a hard time determining what exactly made it appear this way. Just like the previous skirt, it was covered in small pictures relating to the family.

“Oh, you like it? I grew out of my old skirt, so I made this one. Tio Bruno suggested that I upgrade the patterns – now that everyone’s gifts have evolved. Look, I’ll show you.”

Agustin’s eyes followed along with Mirabel’s explanations. He immediately recognized piano keys and little Arepas for him and his wife. Felix and Pepa were represented by the sun hiding behind a rain cloud and a pair of dancing shoes. For Dolores and Mariano, there were circular sound waves around a twelve-string guitar. Mirabel included herself in the form of a fancy dress. And then, there was Bruno.

“Why –?” Agustin asked through a clenched throat. ”Why this for Bruno?”

“Oh, because that's what brought us all back together,” explained Mirabel in a casual voice. “Me, him, the family. I thought it would be fitting. Don't worry, I showed him this badge before sewing it on – and he loved it.”

Agustin didn’t think that her justification was enough. He took a deep breath and asked in a quick succession,

“But couldn’t this be an hourglass? A pile of sand, a vision tablet, or something? Why a green heart?”

This time, Mirabel took her time to respond. She gave her father an annoyed look, the one she usually reserved for her sister Isabela.

“It’s a butterfly, dad.”

The man blinked, confused. He stared intently at the green symbol. Maybe if he squinted and moved his head a little further to the side… Alright, he could actually see the butterfly, now that she mentioned it. Agustin wondered whether Bruno figured out what his icon represented.

Well, as long as he loved it, then everything was fine, right?

Agustin gave an inward sigh. He should probably talk to Mirabel more. About Bruno, about their rat plays, about her relationship with her Tio. Not now, though; he was way too tired. Later, yes. Or, he could wait for Julieta to do it for him; she was always better with handling the girls’ problems.

Yes, that would be the perfect solution.

Chapter Text

Mirabel’s birthday party was the only one where the whole town wasn’t invited.

There was nothing for them to celebrate, not really. Without her getting a gift, Mirabel’s birthday was just that – a birthday. Not a celebration of the Encanto receiving yet another miracle. When the girl was little, she perceived this as one more way to make her stick out. To miss out on a big social event. To feel left out.

Years later, she couldn’t care less. Not everything she lacked turned out to be better than what she actually had.

That’s why, when Abuela proposed that she would invite everyone in town, Mirabel politely declined. She preferred to spend this day with her family.

The party started in the afternoon. Luisa moved the dining table to the courtyard, which Isabela decorated with compositions of vines and colorful flowers. On the tabletop, there stood a home-made birthday cake with Mirabel’s name on it. The family gathered around the birthday girl, and – one by one – they handed her their gifts. Mirabel would open each one, express her appreciation and excitement, and then move to the next person. All went quickly and smoothly.

Finally, it was Bruno’s turn. He stood last in line. A little slouched, more than a little fidgety. In his hands, he held a small, well-packed box. His fingers were softly tapping on its sides, betraying nerves. He took a deep, shaky breath before approaching Mirabel.

“Happy birthday,” he said, awkward and a little uncertain.

The girl opened the present, and he nearly missed her initial reaction, too nervous to watch her break the wrap.

“Oh.“

Her eyes widened. She stood motionless, a small green object on her palm. It rendered her speechless.

“It’s a butterfly,” Bruno stated the obvious, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “I made it outa a vision plate. The first one I had after you… found me. I just thought – I just thought you might wanna have it. And a butterfly – well, because – you know…”

His explanations were interrupted by Mirabel, who – Julieta could have sworn – gave Bruno a light peck on the lips.

“I love it,” whispered Mirabel, her voice breaking. Bruno beamed at her.

Nobody paid attention to Mirabel’s mother, who stood motionless, her eyes wide. She was evidently alarmed by such a blatant display of affection. She knew that the two of them were close but apparently never fully appreciated just how much so.

She meant to speak up, to tell her daughter off. But then, Julieta looked around, and it was clear that she was the only one to have noticed. Nobody as much as gasped, instead watching Mirabel’s gift with uneasy expressions. Meaningful gazes were exchanged, as no one could fully grasp the meaning behind the green necklace nor its possible implications.

Whatever had just happened, Mirabel and Bruno were not embarrassed by it at all. The girl continued to smile as her Tio helped her put on the necklace: a leather string with an emerald butterfly pendant.

“No! Bad jaguar!” screamed Agustin, making everyone jump. By the table, the man was doing his best to stop the big cat from having a lick of the temporarily unsupervised cake. “Antonio, tell him something.”

Laughing in amusement, Antonio rushed to help.

With all the commotion, Julieta was no longer certain about what she’d seen. Maybe she was looking from the wrong angle, she thought. Maybe she stood too far away, maybe Mirabel wanted to kiss him on the cheek, but Bruno moved at the last moment.

Even though her initial assumptions were probably wrong, Julieta decided to observe her brother and daughter more closely from now on. To her astonishment, upon further inspection, she started noticing small things that she’d miss otherwise. Lingering looks, accidental finger brushes, but also more intimate exchanges.

After the birthday girl blew her candles and Abuela cut the cake, the celebrations could fully begin. Julieta’s cake, totra de café, was Mirabel’s favorite. The woman knew that her girl especially enjoyed the cream topping. Still, she did not expect it when Bruno allowed Mirabel to have his. Or rather, let her eat it off his piece of cake, spoon by spoon. After Mirabel was done, she thanked him with a quick peck, this time definitely on the cheek. This made the girl’s mother more at ease about her earlier assumptions.

However, to Julieta’s dismay, this whole kissing thing soon turned out to be not as one-sided as she’d thought.

Camilo was telling the old family joke that involved a young Luisa placing Mirabel on a high shelf after she annoyed her. For enhanced visual effects, the boy transformed into them both in a quick succession. Bruno, who hadn’t heard that one before, listened with particular interest. Laughing at the last part, he leaned towards his niece and whispered a quiet remark only for her to hear. He also put a gentle kiss on Mirabel’s temple before pulling away. A very similar situation repeated itself later, when they were parting for the night.

Although, by that time, Julieta might have been seeing things.

After the party was over and everyone headed back to their rooms, Julieta knew she needed to talk over her new discoveries with someone. She pulled Pepa to the side.

“Us. Kitchen. Now,” the woman conspicuously whispered.

Pepa waved at her husband to go on without her and followed Julieta to the kitchen despite having no idea what was going on. She was in a fog, both literally and figuratively. After entering the room, the sisters leaned against the cupboard and waited for Julieta to ready herself.

“Spill it out,” said Pepa over a quiet growling of her newly-formed cloud.

Her sister took a deep breath. Her voice was rapid, as if she couldn’t wait to lift the weight off her shoulders.

“I think I saw Mirabel kiss Bruno on the mouth.”

The cloud grew bigger in an eye-blink.

“What – ? How? When…?”

“Today, after he gave her a present. Didn’t you see?”

Pepa seemed genuinely surprised. The fog around her disappeared when she drizzled.

“No, I was looking at this beautiful pendant he made for her. I wish Felix would give me jewelry. Why doesn’t he, Juli? And what’s the deal with the butterfly, anyway?”

“Who cares right now,” said Julieta, rolling her eyes in exasperation. “You sure you’ve never seen them kiss? Not even once?”

She felt a light breeze on her skin while her sister was thinking intensely, her brows frowned.

“Hmm… No, sorry, I remember just this one time.”

Julieta stepped sideways to face her sister. “What one time?” she asked in a high-pitched voice.

Pepa flinched, startled by the woman’s sudden reaction. A white cloud immediately formed above both their heads.

“You know, last week when we were doing laundry. Remember how you helped me carry the basket? We were walking by the dining room, and I saw Bruno and Mirabel talking about some book. Bruno said something, Mirabel seemed really excited about it, and then she pecked him on the lips.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?!”

“I thought you knew,” replied Pepa; she was thundering now. “You were there!”

Julieta put her head in her hands. She needed a short break. Evidently, so did her sister, who kept repeating her quiet chant about clear skies to dissolve the cloud. She did this much less often than she used to, although the woman couldn’t get rid of her old habits altogether. Mainly because it still sucked to have her emotions on full display all the time.

“You sure you’re not thinking way too much into it?” asked Pepa, now cool and collected. “We used to kiss each other all the time when we were kids, and it never meant anything special. Besides, it’s Bruno, remember?”

“But they do this way too often to be appropriate. First on the cheek, on the head, now on the mouth. It’s not just Mirabel; Bruno initiates this, too. I think we should talk to them.”

Her sister gave a deep sigh.

“If this will make you feel better, then sure, why not. Go talk to Mirabel, and I’ll make the guys talk to Bruno.”

“And you?” asked Julieta, raising the eyebrow. But Pepa simply shrugged.

“I still think you’re overreacting, sis.”

On the following day, Julieta approached Mirabel just as planned. They had just finished dinner, so the woman casually asked for help in cleaning the dishes. The girl readily agreed, as always happy to assist in household chores. Unexpectedly, there was another volunteer.

“I’ll help, too.”

Bruno appeared out of nowhere, standing right next to Mirabel, good and ready to join them. It didn’t escape Julieta’s attention that his arm was around her daughter, his hand lying comfortably on her back.

“Gracias, hermano, but there isn’t enough work for six hands.”

“That’s okay,” said the man, undeterred. “I can do your part.”

Julieta sighed inwardly. She tried to tell him off in a polite way, but apparently she was doing a lousy job. Fortunately, her daughter was quicker on the uptake.

“Mama wants to talk to me alone,” she explained with a smirk, bumping playfully into Bruno with her hip.

“Oooh,” he said, his expression changing as understanding washed over him. With a wave of his hand, he added, “Okay, no biggie. I will see you later?”

They took one last longing look at one another before Mirabel and her mother disappeared into the kitchen. Julieta turned on the tap and washed the dishes under running water. Mirabel stood next to her, a clean rag ready in her hands.

“So, what do you want to talk about?” the girl asked, drying her first plate.

The cutlery clattered in her mother’s hands. She had no idea where to start, so she tried gently,

“You and Tio Bruno seem very close, mi amor.”

Mirabel gave her a side glance, not expecting this particular choice of topic.

“Well, I guess we are, now that you mention it.”

Only her first words were cautions. Next moment, the girl started chatting, and Julieta couldn’t squeeze in any follow-up questions.

“You have no idea how great it is to finally have a dear friend. Someone I can talk to about everything, who understands me, enjoys a lot of the same things that I do. I’ve never had this with Isa nor Luisa. Might have at one time with Antonio or Camilo, but they stopped spending much time with me after they got their gifts. Bruno also has a gift, he has his daily chores, but he always makes the time for me.”

Her eyes lit up when she spoke. She couldn’t conceal her happiness.

“And I thinks it’s good for him, too,” the girl continued. “You have no idea how hard it was for Tio Bruno at the beginning, how lost he felt trying to fit back into the family. But he’s all better now; you don’t have to worry.”

This was news to Julieta. She had no idea about her brother’s struggles. Bruno never opened up about this to neither her nor Pepa. He did to Mirabel.

“I’m glad that you’re helping each other, mi vida. But don’t you think you are much more – affectionate – with your Tio than anyone else in the family?”

Mirabel blinked. The look on her face was pure incomprehension.

“What do you mean, Ma? All the things we do together, I also do them with the others. Pa, Luisa, Antonio, even you.”

“Yes, but don’t you think it’s not the same?” asked Julieta, doing her best to remain calm. ”That you’re giving him special treatment?”

Mirabel frowned, unable to grasp the hidden meaning behind her mother’s words. After she gave it some thought, however, a realization hit her. Her eyes widened.

“Oh my, you’re right!” the girl exclaimed, putting away the plate she was drying. “I’m so sorry, I should have noticed this sooner. I never meant to make you feel left out. Come here, you!”

Mirabel threw away the rag and put her arms around her mother, enclosing her in a tight hug. She also gave her several kisses for good measure.

At first, Julieta didn’t know what had happened. She did not expect her daughter to miss her point completely and come to the wrong conclusions.

Were her daughter’s conclusions wrong, though? Or was there really no issue, and Julieta was looking for problems that weren’t there?

At that moment, it didn’t matter anymore. The woman was too overjoyed that Mirabel hugged her on her own accord to continue their discussion. All this time, she couldn’t wait for her youngest to grow out of her teenage phase where she didn't want her mother to kiss or embrace her, not even in private. She’d missed it so much!

Maybe Mirabel’s behavior was normal and not strange at all. What would Julieta know; she'd never had an uncle.

Chapter Text

Since morning, Felix and Agustin followed Bruno around, waiting for the right moment to strike. They were asked by Pepa, in an authoritative tone that accepted no contradictions, to talk to her brother about Mirabel. This request made Agustin anxious, as he had previous concerns about the man’s relationship with his daughter. Luckily, Felix was there to help, calm and business-like. They could do this, definitely.

The problem was that Bruno and Mirabel were almost glued together. They followed each other around non-stop. Even if they happened to be out of each other’s arm length, they were making up for it with frequent glances. There was absolutely no way to drag Bruno to the side without Mirabel noticing. And Pepa told them, in way too many details, why they had to be discrete.

The wait was becoming unbearable. Done with sitting still and making no progress, the men decided that they needed help. Felix covered his lips and whispered,

“Dolores, mija, please keep Mirabel busy for like half an hour. I’ll explain this later.”

Dolores’s eyebrow twitched, a clear indication that she’d heard her father’s request. She put her book away, adjusted her hair, and walked straight to Mirabel. The girls whispered, so it was hard to tell what they were talking about. However, judging from Bruno’s reaction, Dolores probably asked for help in some girl stuff, making him reluctant to join in. The plan had worked, and before they knew Mirabel kissed Bruno goodbye and followed her cousin, leaving their Tio behind.

Discretely, Felix muttered, “Thank you, sweetie!”

Finally, the men could act. Together, they approached Bruno, who paid them no attention whatsoever. His eyes were still on the door behind which Dolores and Mirabel disappeared.

“Hey, Bruno!” Felix called to him in a cheerful tone. ”Could you come with us for a second?”

He put an arm around the man’s shoulders and steered him upstairs. They were already half-way there before Bruno managed to blurt out a timid confirmation. Together with Agustin, they all went to Pepa and Felix’s room. It was nice and cozy, decorated with bright colors.

Which didn’t stop the shiver that went up Bruno’s spine once his brothers-in-law closed the door and cornered him. This brought back too many painful memories.

“So, um – guys, what do you want with me?” he faintly asked.

“Nothing, it’s just a friendly talk between friends!” Agustin smiled nervously, his teeth clenched together. He looked creepy rather than comforting.

“You're scaring him, man!” Felix bumped into him, so that he’d move away. To Bruno, he offered, “Wanna sit down?”

Not wanting to have the two men tower over him even more, Bruno shook his head.

“Um – no, thank you.”

Agustin tried to calm himself down. He closed his eyes, took a steadying breath, and started over.

“Bruno, do you want to tell us about Mirabel?”

“Mirabel?” Bruno blinked, surprised. “What about her?”

“Well…” Agustin cleared his throat. ”You’ve been spending a lot of time together. So, we thought there might be something you’d like to tell us.”

Felix covered his face with his hand. He shook his head, wishing that Agustin would stop beating around the bush and ask the question already.

Bruno wondered, scratching his stubble.

“Hmm. What is there to tell? She’s an amazing young woman. Smart, beautiful, compassionate, fun to be around…” As he was making the list, a sudden smile softened his features. “But you know all that. What do you need me here for?”

Raising his eyebrows in a meaningful way, Felix urged Agustin to get his act together. Mirabel’s father shifted his weight from one leg to another, showing his teeth in an awkward smirk.

“Well, you see, since you two are so close, I thought you might have more to say.” He made a significant pause but all he heard was silence. Coughing to cover up his discomfort, he asked, “Do you have more to say?”

First notes of irritation could be heard in Bruno’s voice, as he failed yet again to grasp the point.

“I have no idea what you’re getting at, Agustin.”

This was the final straw. Too impatient to stand idly any longer, Felix walked in between the two men and took over the initiative. Bluntly, he said to Bruno,

“He thinks you’re hitting on his daughter.”

“Felix!” exclaimed Agustin, mortified.

“What? Don’t you?”

Bruno recoiled in horror, his face pale. “I’d never hit Mirabel!” he said with outrage, his voice adamant.

“Not hit, but hit on! It's a saying, Bruno,” explained Felix. Glancing at Agustin for support and receiving none, he went on. “It means to… to make romantic advances towards someone.”

“Whoa!” Bruno’s eyes widened. He put his hands out in a stopping gesture. “Wait! Wait, wait, wait. You – you think that I – that us – with Mirabel?”

Bruno seemed even more horrified than before. He had troubles catching his breath.

“And you’re… not…?” Whatever Agustin implied, he was supplementing his words with strange hand movements.

“Of course not! Why – What gave you that idea?”

A significant look was shared between the other two men. Their half-closed eyes and raised eyebrows were like, really, man?

“What?” Bruno shrugged, uncomfortable with the way they stared at him.

“Oh my, bro, where to start!” said Felix, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re always together. You hug a lot. You lean into each other, like all the time. You can’t take your eyes or your hands from one another. The list goes on and on.”

“Your sisters said they saw Mirabel kissing you,” continued Agustin, although his entire body was screaming that he would rather not. ”Have you also… kissed her?”

There was a resounding silence. Too long for a single no.

“H-How exactly – ?”

Bruno struggled for words. But then, his face momentarily lit up. “Oh, I can show you!”

“Hey, man!” Felix jumped back to hide behind Agustin, who did not move. Bruno stood on his toes and placed a feathery kiss on his cheek.

This lasted for less than a second. Agustin rubbed his face clean for way longer than that.

Felix looked out from behind him, doing all he could to stifle a chortle.

“That’s it?” asked Agustin, sounding disapproving but also relieved.

“How did you suppose I kissed her?!”

“Let’s not… go there.”

Bruno combed his hair back with his fingers and puffed out a heavy breath. He was trying to grasp the meaning behind this interrogation.

“Why are you asking me, anyway? All these questions…” His face fell when a certain thought crossed his mind. “Did Mirabel – She – she’s not angry with me… is she?"

He stood there, with these big sad eyes, holding his elbow in his other hand. Bruno looked heartbroken, like a kicked little puppy.

The men glanced at one another, feeling sorry for him. They had to remember that the family was acting upon assumptions. The last thing anyone wanted was to break Bruno and Mirabel apart and later learn that they had never done anything wrong after all.

“No, Mirabel’s fine,” said Felix with a sudden urge to comfort the man before him. “But you know, man. The way you two act around one another, this raises some eyebrows.”

“The way we act? Like what?”

There was genuine interest in Bruno’s voice. Felix was not so confident anymore. They were apparently not on the same page here. Could this be that these two never realized how their relation looked like from the outside?

Everyone jumped at a loud bang. There was a sudden sound of the door being opened too forcefully, echoed by a thunder. Pepa entered the room, a cloud of impatience looming over her head. The guys watched her wide-eyed, freezing in place.

Agustin, who stood nearest, took a tentative step back.

“Pepa! I thought you wanted to stay out of this.”

“So I’ve changed my mind! Go on and shoot me,” stated Pepa, waving with her arms.

“We were taking too long, weren’t we, Pepi?” asked Felix with understanding, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. The cloud momentarily dissolved.

“So, what did you guys establish?” she inquired, putting her hands on her hips.

“I'm not hitting on Mirabel!” said Bruno loud and clear.

Pepa stared at her brother open-mouthed, a dark cloud forming above her head. When the initial shock wore off, the woman put two-and-two together. Knowingly, she glared at her husband.

“What?” he asked innocently. ”At least we cleared that up.”

She rolled her eyes at Felix’s insensitivity. Good thing he didn’t ask an even more blatant question. If everyone’s faces were something to judge from, the conversation had been difficult enough already. Seizing the opportunity, Pepa asked her brother about the things that Felix was supposed to figure out.

“So what's up with the two of you? What's with all these romantic things you do together? Julieta’s all freaked out right now.”

“She also thinks we act strange?” said Bruno, sounding let down, disappointed. It hurt him that his sister not only doubted him but also didn’t tell him this in person. If she thought it would be easier, talking to the boys…

Well, um, it wasn’t.

“Don't you?” she said curtly.

Pepa raised the eyebrow, eyeing him suspiciously. A cold wind blew around the room.

“No! It may be romantic to you, but it isn't romantic for everyone. I don't get it, so feel free to explain. Julieta and you, when we were younger, you were both just as affectionate with your friends. We all were, and no one has ever accused anyone of anything! How come?”

“Julieta was? When? With whom?” asked Agustin, intrigued. This was clearly news to him.

“Remember Juan?” Bruno asked Pepa. “Or Carlos, or - or Manuel, or what – what’s his name?”

“Alberto,” she muttered under her breath.

“Right, Alberto! They were only friends, and yet - yet she was very affectionate towards them! And – and it never meant anything, r-right?”

Bruno was so scandalized he began to stutter. It’s been years since Pepa had seen him this agitated.

Felix leaned towards Pepa and whispered, “Wait, I thought that Alberto was –“

“It doesn’t matter!” she said through gritted teeth, shushing him with a windblow. Much louder, she stated, “We were kids, teenagers! You're a pair of adults. Don't you see the difference?”

Everyone’s eyes were on Bruno. Judging, calculating, evaluating. He didn’t like the looks on their faces. Even though these expressions belonged to the family members that he loved so much.

“Okay, so maybe I am a bit strange. You've always thought of me as such, and years of isolating myself didn't really help with that. It changed me, more than you can imagine.”

Bruno spoke clearly now, but his voice was unusually bitter.

“I've been through more than any of you. Which is good – not an accusation – because I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. My gift, it made me see things, terrible things about the future that is yet to come. People – dying, friendships – ending, families – breaking. Affection, my way of expressing it – it’s different than yours, couldn’t be the same. Can you at least accept as much?”

He took his time to catch a breath. Strangely enough, no one tried to interrupt him.

“Mirabel, she’s also not like you. She had a challenging childhood, this girl did. I guess you wouldn’t understand, not fully.”

“We love Mirabel,” Agustin said as if Bruno had just offended him. “We always have.”

“We never meant to hurt her, ever,” added Pepa. She felt Felix put his arm around her in support.

“I know you didn’t do this on purpose. But, in your eyes, she was always giftless. Because of this, you often dismissed her, and every time you did, she felt left out. This leaves scars, and she has so many. All these needs in her that had never been met, not when she was growing up. To belong, to be useful, to be a contributing member of this family.”

Everyone listened in complete silence. They’d been through this topic before, along with the rest of the family. They knew how Mirabel felt, they realized that Bruno was right, but they also remembered why they treated her this way. Nevertheless, him rubbing this in their faces made them feel extremely guilty. Their first impulse was to say he was mistaken, to justify their actions. But all the reasons that came to mind sounded like cheap excuses.

“There's loads of insecurities there,” Bruno continued. “She requires constant reminders: that she's appreciated, that she’s wanted, that she’s needed. So I hold her, and I kiss her, and I tell her how much she means to me, because she does. Whatever's wrong with that?”

To avoid the answer and get this conversation over with, Pepa replied with a question of her own.

“So, just to sum things up. There’s absolutely nothing between you and Mirabel?”

Bruno fiddled with some loose threads in his ruana. The confessions they were dragging out of him…

“Well, we’re best friends, and I – and I love her.”

“That’s it?” insisted Agustin. ”Just friends, nothing more?”

“That’s huge!” With less resolution, Bruno added, ”For me, at least…”

Before the atmosphere would tense once more, Felix moved to stand next to him.

“Okay, the interrogation’s over! Let the poor man breathe.”

Was Pepa’s husband taking his side? Bruno wondered. He wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Am I in trouble?” the man asked worriedly, grabbing his elbow with his other arm.

“Of course not, you didn’t do anything wrong,” stated Felix, putting an arm around Bruno. “Come on, bro, let’s have a drink. We’ll grab Abuela’s wine, it’ll be fun.”

Felix pushed him out of the room, leaving Pepa and Agustin behind. They glanced at one another, wondering what they were both thinking but unwilling to speak up.

Once the tension dropped, Agustin remarked in a reproachful tone,

“Your brother kissed me!”

Chapter Text

Bruno was never the life and soul of the party. It didn't make things easier that, having twelve relatives living under the same roof, he had to attend birthday celebrations almost every month. Because it wasn't just family that would be present. There were everyone’s friends, neighbors, and it was called a small party if things stopped at that.

However, the worst were his own birthdays. For variety of reasons.

The man shared a birthdate with his two sisters, which was great – because the attention split between them all. The downside? Their birthdays were never about them, not really. Because that same date marked yet another anniversary: the establishment of Encanto and, even more importantly, the Madrigal family being blessed with a miracle.

“Let your gift grow even stronger,” were the wishes Bruno kept receiving since the age of five.

Each year, the entire town celebrated. The Miracle Day was bigger than any other holiday, bigger than Christmas. It lasted most of the day, often late into the night. The official part with his sisters, where they were standing all together in their white ceremonial clothes, receiving gifts and thanks – this Bruno could handle. It was the second part that he hated. Strangers talking to him one after another, women he never met asking him to dance, people begging him for visions just to entertain themselves. He'd gladly disappear into a dark, quiet corner if he could. The first birthday since his comeback, he actually cried.

This year, to avoid any surprises of such sort, Abuela took some preventive measures. Before the ceremony, she asked her grandchildren to mind her only son and help him out if he seemed like he needed it.

Their answers to her plea surprised her.

“I’m busy. I have a date, sorry. Can’t you ask Mirabel?”

“Ask Mirabel, I’m sure she’ll agree.”

“Oh no, I don’t want to be stuck with Tio Bruno all day. But Mirabel wouldn’t mind.”

“I thought Mirabel will be with him?”

Sure enough, when confronted, Mirabel readily agreed to keep Bruno company and make sure he was okay. The girl also confirmed that spending the entire evening with her Tio wouldn’t be a problem. Abuela relaxed, having one less worry on her shoulders.

Because, what could go wrong?

The main part of the celebrations included food, drinks, and dances. There were three birthday cakes, one for each triplet, barbeque with five types of meat, fancy drinks, and lots of wine. People seemed to enjoy themselves, and, as they did, Abuela rushed from one guest to another. Being the host, she felt obliged to exchange at least a few words with each guest, so that no one would hold a grudge against her. While she hurried through the crowd, the woman listened to the townspeople’s opinions about the party, ready to intervene if anything was off.

“The food is great! You need to try these legs, amor,” Señor Ozma told his wife. “They’re better than yours!”

“There are so many drinks to taste, you’ll have to carry me home,” said Señora Guzman, winking to one of the barmen.

“Red wine! Hallelujah!” praised the priest, Señor Flores.

But then, Abuela’s ears caught something that she never expected to hear.

“And what about this Bruno? Thinking he can get away with anything only because he’s a Madrigal?” Señora Pezmuerto snorted in disapproval.

“If this keeps going, we again won’t be allowed to speak his name,” agreed Osvaldo, looking the other way when Abuela walked past him.

The woman raised a suspicious eyebrow. Why were these two gossiping about her son of all people?

Abuela didn’t have to wonder for long. She looked behind her shoulder, staring in the same direction as everyone else. On the empty floor between the tables, she saw couples dancing slowly to a sentimental ballad. There were her daughters with their husbands, Dolores with Mariano, and even Isabela with her boyfriend Bubo. It took Abuela a moment, but she spotted Bruno among all the romantic pairs. He was in his new white tuxedo, looking very handsome, and dancing with a partner. Curious about her identity, Abuela strained her eyes.

With one hand on Bruno’s shoulder and the other in his gentle grip, there was her own granddaughter, Mirabel. In her new evening gown, the girl looked so mature that Abuela didn’t recognize her at first glance. She was no longer her little Mira but a grown woman dancing with a man. Her eyes gazed deep into his, as if the whole world ceased to exist. Bruno’s arm on Mirabel’s back lead her steadily around the floor. They were both laughing and seemed to have a lot of fun.

“Look at them go! Do you think they are together?”

“That girl could do so much better, honestly.”

“Don’t talk like that or the seer will make your butt grow pimples.”

“Rubbish,” said Abuela under her breath, commenting on the people’s whispers.

“How can their family tolerate this? Such a dishonor to the Madrigals!”

Standing among the crowd, Abuela listened and watched in disbelief. When she asked for Mirabel’s help, this wasn’t what she had in mind. However, their neighbors’ muttering bothered her even more. The stories that people would make up baffled her. Hadn’t it crossed their minds that Bruno and Mirabel were caught by surprise? They didn’t expect a slow music to start playing, but once it did, they just went with it.

Mystery solved.

However, this theory was quickly disproven when they stayed for another song, even more sensual than the previous one. Bruno let go of Mirabel’s hand and moved his own to rest on her waist. Her arms crossed around his neck, resting comfortably on his shoulders. Their cheeks were touching now. They were so close to one another that it was impossible to slip a sheet of paper in between their torsos. The girl’s jade dress was swinging left and right in the rhythm of the music, as they slowly rotated in place.

The way they leaned into each other was making others look away with discomfort, not wanting to disturb on such a private moment. The guests kept speculating on what was going on between the two Madrigals. More hushed murmurs could be heard.

Abuela frowned in disapproval. She should have known that if there were going to be trouble, it would be caused by these two. They would have to discuss the appropriate levels of public affection between close family members. But this talk would have to wait. Right now, it was more important to make Bruno and Mirabel stop behaving like a couple. Otherwise, they would be on the mouths of every citizen in Encanto.

Clapping her hands, Abuela said in the general direction of the music band,

“Maestro, a short break please.”

The woman had hoped that, once the dances ended, the duo would keep their hands to themselves.

She couldn’t be more wrong.

They walked out from the dance floor holding hands, heading together for the beverages. When choosing her drink, Mirabel went to Bruno’s side, tracing his biceps as she passed. They chose a table for two, where he pulled out a chair for her. After she took a seat, he walked to sit opposite her, his fingers brushing over her shoulder, lingering there for just a little bit longer.

The Madrigals that witnessed these displays of affection now came to Abuela, notifying her of their concerns.

“Should we go and talk to them?” inquired Julieta, her expression worried.

“No,” said her mother slowly, considering all the options. “We don’t want to draw even more attention. I’ll handle it.”

Not wasting any time, the matriarch asked around, searching for her old friend Ozma and her single daughter. She decided to deal with the symptoms first, and then with the underlying problem being the questionable nature of Mirabel and Bruno’s relationship. Because, whatever was happening, the town couldn’t know.

She found the Ozmas near the barbeque grill. As politely as she could, the woman asked her friend’s girl to have a dance with her son. This young woman agreed on the spot but came back almost immediately, her expression sullen.

“Did you ask him?” said Abuela. The woman curtly nodded. ”What did he say?”

“No, thanks, I’m good.”

Abuela frowned, dissatisfied. She tried again with another friend’s relative, this time asking for the help of Camilo and his shapeshifting abilities. Her first choice was usually Dolores, but the family matriarch hoped to soon become a great grandma if she left the girl alone for now.

With a sour face, Camilo turned into Jose and kept a discrete watch on his Tio, trying to determine whether things would go right next time.

“Hey, handsome!” a young redhead greeted Bruno with a flirtatious wink. “Could we talk about our future together?”

Barely glancing at her, the man responded with, “Nope. I don’t do visions at parties.”

The next woman sent his way settled on a different approach.

“Excuse me, Señor. My fingers are so frail! Can you open this for me?” She handed him a bottle of wine.

“Um, me? Y–Yeah, sure,” said Bruno, caught completely off-guard.

This woman was much higher than him, not that this was a huge accomplishment. Surely, he was an odd choice for help. Luckily, the cork went off smoothly. Without a word, the man gave the bottle back to its owner.

“You have such strong hands,” stated the woman in an overdramatic tone, making sweet eyes at Bruno. “You must be working out a lot.”

“Thanks, you too,” he answered absentmindedly, his thoughts already elsewhere.

Mirabel giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. Bruno observed her with a mix of amusement and confusion.

According to the report made by a very unhappy-looking Camilo, his Tio was simply not interested in these ladies. Accepting that her plan wasn’t going to work, Abuela tried a different approach.

Felix’s nephew had a handsome friend in Isabela’s age. She sought him out and asked the boy a favor. He eagerly agreed, excited to spend some time with a pretty Madrigal girl. But he also returned empty-handed.

“Did you talk to her, young man?” asked Abuela with a raised eyebrow.

“No,” he admitted, lowering his gaze under the woman’s stern look. “That guy she’s with, he’s intimidating.”

Abuela blinked, wondering whether she’d heard him correctly. They couldn’t be thinking of the same person.

“Bruno? Impossible,” she replied with a wave of her hand. “Go back and try again.”

Despite being a head taller, the boy appeared small and frightened. Still, he dared to disobey.

“Um, no way. Sorry, Señora.”

“Why not?” asked Abuela in a shocked voice, evidently not used to being defied.

“How do I explain…” said the young man thoughtfully. “This guy – Bruno, was it? His entire posture says, this is my woman, stay away. And I don't wanna fight.”

You’d win, for sure, thought Abuela, even though this was an odd thing to first come to her mind. Especially under the current circumstances. Not wanting to bring attention to the fact that Bruno and Mirabel were related, which the boy obviously didn’t know, she let him leave without another word.

Glancing at her watch, Abuela only now realized how much time she’d lost on emergency damage control. Horrified that she might miss someone important, the woman went back to talking with every person at the party. Not so coincidentally, she started with the people that were close to Bruno and Mirabel’s table. She meant to keep an eye on them.

Not that they minded. Not Abuela’s presence, at least.

With all the women coming over to talk to Bruno while ignoring her, Mirabel decided she’d had enough interruptions for one evening. The next one that approached their table didn’t get to say more than hola. Mirabel told her off before Bruno had the chance to open his mouth. He laughed in relief, mouthing a quiet thank you.

“You’re very popular today. Must be your tuxedo,” she said in a teasing voice.

He chuckled uncomfortably, taking a quick glance at his new piece of clothing.

“Nah, that’s probably Abuela’s doing. Wants me to, um – meet someone, she says.”

Having heard her own name, Abuela stopped her own conversation and listened in.

“Oh, I bet she only wants what’s best for you,” said Mirabel, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Instinctively, Bruno reached over the table, taking her hand into his. With his thumb, he started making small circles over her knuckles.

“I’m happy where I am now,” he replied, his green eyes staring straight into hers.

They smiled fondly at each other. Without breaking the eye contact, Bruno moved his chair a little closer.

Abuela’s breath caught in her chest. What on earth was her son thinking, making a scene like that? She had to intervene, saving face being damned.

“Señora! It’s time!”

Abuela froze in place, stopped from storming at them by a sudden appearance of Arturo.

“Time for what?” she asked irritably, unhappy with being interrupted.

He stared back at her, confused. “It’s time for your speech. Everyone’s waiting.”

With a heavy sigh, Abuela was forced to let her family members be and follow Arturo to the stage. She had her duties to the town, and she was going to do them well. All the other matters would have to wait until she was done. During the speech, all the eyes would be on her, anyway.

However, when Abuela had finished, Bruno and Mirabel were already gone. They must have sneaked out during her official talk. Right before she had the chance to confront them in person.

But they couldn’t avoid her forever.

Chapter Text

Next day, upon Abuela’s request, all the Madrigals gathered in the living room for a family intervention. The atmosphere was strained, almost palpable. There was a great commotion among the family members. Everyone was talking over one another in nervous anticipation. Among them stood the family matriarch. With a face made of stone, she called for their attention.

“Everybody quiet. Get inside and close the door.” In an authoritative tone, she added, “Not you, Toñito.”

Antonio stumbled back as she grabbed him by the poncho. He groaned inwardly, wishing for the first time that he was five again. With a shorter body, it used to be so much easier to sneak in unnoticed.

“But why?” he whined, making big sad eyes at Abuela, which usually granted him whatever he wanted. ”I’d like to know what's going on, too!”

Not this time, however.

"You're too young,” heard the boy in response. “Casita!"

Right on cue, the ceramic tiles moved under Antonio’s feet. In the blink of an eye, Casita pushed the boy out of the room and shut the door behind him. However, before her brother was gone, Dolores heard one of his rats crawl out of his pocket and take cover under the couch.

Smart kid, she thought.

“You two,” said Abuela, pointing at Mirabel and Bruno, and then to the empty couch. “Sit down.”

They did as they were told. The older woman took a seat on the opposite side of the coffee table, while Bruno’s sisters and their husbands occupied the remaining armchairs. The rest of the family stood nearby, surrounding them from every side. The height difference alone was enough to generate undue pressure. The meeting resembled more of an interrogation session than a family gathering.

When the matriarch raised her hand, everyone went silent. She leaned forward in her chair and began the meeting with the words,

“As you might already suspect, we all gathered here to determine, once and for all, what is truly going on between Bruno and Mirabel.”

The duo in question glanced at each other, eyebrows raised in evident confusion.

“Between us?”

“What do you mean?”

They both asked with all the innocence and sincerity, looking up at Abuela for clues.

“Oh, don't play dumb,” she said curtly with sudden irritation. “You know perfectly well what I’m talking about. The way you’ve been treating each other, it’s certainly not how uncles and nieces should behave.”

“Like what?” replied Bruno with a shrug. “We didn’t do anything.”

“Whatever you think you did or didn’t do, the entire town noticed! It’s one thing what happens between you in private, but in public? In front of everyone? Mi Dios, what were you two thinking?!”

“Abuela,” said Mirabel in a gentle tone. “Whatever someone told you, I’m sure – “

“No one had to tell me anything,” the woman interrupted. “I saw you yesterday. I saw the way you danced.”

“Well, it was a dancing party,” Bruno pointed out, raising a finger. “Everybody danced.”

“Was everybody glued to their partner?”

“I…” He wondered, confused. “I don’t know. I wasn’t really looking.”

Abuela sighed in frustration. They weren’t making much of a progress.

“You weren’t looking… Are you also going to tell me you weren’t flirting with anyone at the party?”

Her son opened his mouth but didn’t answer right away. So, Mirabel did it for him.

“You mean all the desperate women that were hitting on Tio Bruno?”

Giving her granddaughter a disapproving glance, Abuela harshly stated, “I’m talking to my son right now. Well, Bruno?”

“Um – Y-you see, Mama…” Bruno gulped, afraid to give her an honest answer.

Unable to help in any other way, Mirabel took his hand into hers, providing her Tio with the support he clearly needed. He squeezed it back, trying to find the courage to tell his mother something he should have told her a long time ago.

“I won’t go out with these women.” Several gasps could be heard, but Bruno ignored them. “Sorry, but I – I just won’t. The ones you ask to talk to me, I mean. Please stop. If I ever wanna meet ladies, I will, I swear. I’m a grown man. I don’t need my Mama to find me dates.”

“I – I see,” replied Abuela, taken aback by her son’s request. “Well, if this is your wish, I’ll have to – ahem – accept it.”

Brushing off an invisible dust from her forearm, the woman cleared her throat before moving on to the next issue.

“The main problem is that even little kids think you two are a couple. Yesterday, you gave quite a show. And this wasn’t even the first time; you’ve been acting like a pair for much longer. All these intimate touches, prolonged hugs, kissing.”

She shook her head, thinking back.

“I knew I shouldn’t have let you keep this on. I thought this was all temporary, that you would come to your senses eventually. But no, you just made everything go out of control!”

Bruno sat closer to the edge of the seat when he asked,

“What exactly are you insinuating, Mama?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know,” she said, exasperated. “It’s not the first time we confront you about the nature of your relationship.”

Mirabel frowned in surprise. “It’s not?”

She glanced at Bruno, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“Well, um, they – they asked me something similar, yes. But it was a while ago.”

“Who did?”

Her Tio moved his eyes over the familiar faces to indicate who exactly he was talking about.

“Your Papa, Tio Felix, and Tia Pepa.”

A low rumble of thunder echoed around the room, forecasting an upcoming storm.

Mirabel glared at the three of them before looking back at Bruno.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, sounding a little hurt.

Pulling their joined hands closer, the man wished to communicate that there were never any bad intentions on his part. He began to explain.

“Uh, you see – it wasn’t nice, the talk. Some accusations were made, which turned out to be false, of course. But hey – they never asked again. So no big deal, right?”

Bruno gave a nervous laugh, which Mirabel knew was humorless. She couldn’t believe him not telling her but also the unfair treatment the family was still giving her Tio. It was as if nothing changed, nothing had been learned during the last several years. The family suspected something, and he was the first person they turned their eyes to. Not her, even though they were in this relationship together.

The girl’s voice raised in indignation as she voiced her discontent.

“I can’t believe you guys! How could you gang up on Bruno like that, already assuming he did something wrong?”

“Tio Bruno, Mirabel,” Agustin corrected.

“For years he was we don’t talk about Bruno for me,” the girl retorted, refocusing her anger on her father. “So excuse my slip of the tongue.”

“Hey, we didn’t mean anything wrong!” said Felix, putting up his hands defensively. “We were just trying to help.”

Pepa thundered, silencing Mirabel’s response. Something didn’t add up.

“Wait, didn’t you have a similar talk with your mother?”

This gave Mirabel a pause. The girl looked up at her Tia, confused.

“I don’t remember.” Her eyes found her mother’s. “Did we, Ma?”

“Uh, we tried.” Julieta smiled apologetically. She seemed a little embarrassed. “But you didn’t understand my point, and I didn’t want to push you.”

“When was it?” asked Bruno with clear curiosity.

His sister didn’t meet his eyes when she said, “After Mirabel’s birthday, when I saw you kiss.”

Mirabel and Bruno blushed a light shade of pink. Sometimes, they were forgetting that others paid attention to what they were doing. Particularly with each other.

“Actually,” interjected Agustin as he raised his finger, “I first suspected something when I watched Bruno’s telenovelas about an uncle in love with his niece.”

A commotion erupted out of nowhere. Suddenly, every family member started listing all the potentially romantic moments that they had witnessed in the past.

“But even earlier, they would often cuddle on the couch, remember?” asked Camilo with a reminiscent smirk. “It felt so weird to sit next to them...”

Isabela, who stood next to him, added, “Or they would go for romantic walks in the middle of the night – with a freaking blanket!”

“But it was years ago!” said Mirabel incredulously, putting her palm up.

Hearing her granddaughter’s statement, Abuela sat back in the chair. There was a satisfied grin on her face.

“As you can see, there certainly has been something going on. I don't know what exactly, but I saw it, the family saw it, and now so did the town. It's impossible for so many people to be wrong.”

When no one answered, she addressed her son once more.

“Be honest, Brunito. How can you not see your actions as romantic?”

“Because they’re not?” he said with a shrug.

His mother shook her head.

“This level of physical affection – it’s not normal, and yet you maintain it all the time. You can’t even stop now!”

She pointed at their joined hands. Mirabel’s palm was on Bruno’s knee, and he was absentmindedly playing with her fingers. When confronted about this, he just looked down, consider it for a moment, and asked in surprise,

"Oh. Does this bother you?"

Abuela stared wide-eyed, her lips pursed. This was definitely not the reaction she expected. She was thinking of something more like, Oh, my! How did this get here? Busted! But instead, both Bruno and Mirabel remained calm and unfazed. Whatever the joined hands represented, they were not ashamed by it. The fact that they were not intimidated by Abuela was noted by the rest of the family with awe and even hints of jealousy.

Reluctantly, Bruno placed Mirabel’s hand back at her side. It didn’t stay there long, however. When the conversation was resumed, so was the hand-holding. It became obvious to Abuela that this was a subconscious gesture.

Which wasn’t making her job any easier.

The woman let out a quiet groan, covering her eyes with her hand. At this point, she was praying for any favorable information.

“Please tell me at least that it was Mirabel who first initiated this whole physical affection thing.”

The duo glanced at one another. Mirabel’s expression betrayed a range of complicated emotions. Hesitantly, she admitted,

“Well, it kinda was…”

“No, it wasn’t,” contradicted Bruno almost immediately. “You’re not being blamed for anything, mi vida.”

“But I was the one who offered to be your emotional support niece, remember?”

“True, but it was me that craved for affection of – of any form.”

“If you ever did something I didn’t like, I’d tell you to stop.”

“Um, yes, we’ve established that, but – “

They defended each other in turns, getting into such a heated discussion that they seemed to forget the others were still there. It remained so until Felix raised his voice.

“Ahem, guys, we’re not disturbing you, are we?”

They stopped at once, slightly embarrassed to have been lost in a moment.

Abuela cleared her throat to get back their full attention.

“So, what’s your final answer?”

Mirabel looked into Bruno’s eyes with tenderness as she answered, “I guess nobody started this, after all.”

Gazing back at her, with a gentle smile on his lips, Bruno added, “It just… happened.”

Abuela ran her hand over her face. She was getting too old to be dealing with these stubborn kids.

“But what is this exactly? You keep telling us you’re not romantically involved, and we find it hard to believe you.”

“What do you want to hear from us?” asked Mirabel, getting tired of the interrogation.

Her grandmother closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and asked the difficult question that had been on everyone’s mind for quite some time.

“Are you two having sex?”

Everyone looked around uncomfortably, even though they were equally curious.

In a very elevated heartbeat, Mirabel said, “No!”

“Well…”

Bruno’s answer gained much more attention than hers. Immediately, all the eyes were on him. Mirabel’s included. His own eyes widened when he realized what they must be all thinking.

In a state of panic, he clarified, “Not with each other!”

“Ewww!” said Dolores in disgust, covering her ears – even though it was too little too late.

“Bruno!” exclaimed his sisters in equal shock.

But, mere moments later, Bruno used this little misunderstanding to his advantage, voicing his own opinion on the entire situation.

“I don’t get it, Ma. Do you want to know what’s going on between us?” he asked, pointing his finger from himself to Mirabel. “Or do you want to prove that we should be involved?”

The silence that followed was deafening.

These words gave the others something to think about. Apparently, the family never realized that they were swinging a double-edged sword. By accusing two of its members of being romantic towards each other, they were not only stopping them from pursuing this path. They also gave them ideas.

Time passed, and yet nobody said anything; not ever Abuela. Mirabel took in a deep breath, ready to add her own take to Bruno’s remark.

Unexpectedly, it was her sister who spoke first.

“Tio Bruno is right,” said Isabela, taking a small step forward. “Why are we even having this conversation? I thought we had a family emergency because – oh, I don’t know – you caught him and Mirabel making out half-naked or something. But apparently nothing’s changed compared to the last few months.”

In giving Mirabel a harsh but meaningful look, the girl meant to convey all the support for her youngest sister. Ever since Mira stood up to Abuela in her defense, Isa felt like she owed her big time. Back then, after she walked away on her sis, leaving her completely alone to face their grandma’s wrath, Isabela felt awful. She hated herself for it. At least now, she could return the favor.

Apparently, Luisa felt the same.

“Yeah. Can’t we give them the benefit of the doubt and just agree that they’re enjoying each other’s company? Whatever it is that they’re doing, it makes them happy. Personally, I’d like to find someone, anyone, who could make me smile the way Tio Bruno does to Mirabel. Why do we have to ruin it for them?”

Abuela stared at the girls in disbelief.

“So you’re okay with this? How can you be?”

“How can you not?” Camilo joined the discussion. ”Aren’t families supposed to support each other? Or something? We don’t want Tio Bruno to move into the walls again. Or – do we?”

There were nervous chuckles, quieted down by Dolores’s whisper.

“If you paid attention, everything that Mirabel and Tio do can be interpreted as either romantic or platonic. Whichever this is, depends only on the way they feel for each other. There’s no way for us to know other than them telling us. They said this is platonic, and I believe them.”

Dolores’s words were no longer treated like the truth, not since she blatantly refused to spy on her cousin. But her opinions still counted, just like everybody else’s.

“I totally agree with you, mi amor!” said Mariano, putting his arms around his wife. ”Mirabel’s a great girl, she can make her own choices, and we shouldn’t judge her for that. I bet that the same is true for your Tio Bruno, who I barely know.”

Mirabel gave the man a warm smile. Ever since she introduced him to his future wife, Mariano often took her side in family arguments. It seemed he was still grateful for finding him the woman of his dreams.

There was a long silence while Abuela considered what everyone had said. Whatever was going on between them, it’s true that both Bruno and Mirabel seemed happier than she ever remembered them. During today’s intervention, the woman expected her son to budge under the pressure, and yet he was dealing with it surprisingly well. He didn’t run, he didn’t hide, his back was straight and look confident. His superstitious behaviors diminished significantly over the years. The woman wouldn’t want to watch her son revert back to the nervous mess he used to be. She couldn’t stand to lose him again.

Nor Mirabel, who grew up to be a strong, independent young woman that knew exactly what she wanted. Something Abuela feared might be impossible before Casita’s fall. She was very proud of her, even if she rarely showed it.

Maybe there was some truth to her grandkids’ words, she thought. As long as Bruno and Mirabel weren’t hurting each other, it would be cruel to break them apart. This would hurt her as a mother and as a grandmother to take this newfound happiness away from them. Therefore, she asked again,

“Do you promise that these gestures have no sexual or romantic undertones?”

“Yes,” they replied in unison.

“Do you swear that your relationship is purely platonic?”

“Yes.”

Realizing that these two were even more stubborn than she was, Abuela finally heaved a sigh and said,

“Okay, fine.”

Pepa and Julieta looked at each other, unsure whether they heard their mother correctly. Mirabel gave Bruno’s hand a tight squeeze.

“I’m going to accept that your gestures mean nothing more than familial love. But only under one condition.” They both stared at her expectantly, holding their breaths. “You need to tone down the physical displays of affection. Because, no matter how they appear to you, they sure don’t look that way to the outsiders. Do we have a deal?”

Mirabel and Bruno weren’t thrilled with Abuela’s condition. Nevertheless, they accepted it with a reluctant nod.

Chapter Text

Not letting go of her hand, Bruno walked Mirabel straight to his room. He opened the door for her, and, placing his hand on the small of her back, he gently led her inside.

While her Tio fiddled with the lock, the girl settled down on his couch, making herself comfortable. Leaning her head back, she let out a frustrated sigh.

“Can you believe them?” she asked incredulously, closing her eyes for a moment.

Her Tio sat next to her, his legs crossed in front of him. He held up his arm, inviting his niece for a side embrace. In response, she leaned slightly forward, allowing him to put his arm around her shoulders.

“Well, this was awkward,” said the man as he pulled her closer.

Mirabel gave a throaty groan, still irritated about the family meeting. Unable to hold in all these thoughts and emotions, she let them run freely. In front of like the only person that would understand.

“What’s the deal with this stupid condition?” Mirabel gestured in agitation, her speech more rapid than usual. “Tone down the physical affection. This is so unfair! Did Abuela also mean the house or just the town?”

“Dunno,” said Bruno, his tone a little distant. “We can try and see.”

Mirabel puffed out a long sigh to slow her rapid heartbeat

“So now what? If I want to give you a hug or a kiss, we will need to hide?” She snorted, having just thought of something. “Now it’ll actually feel like we’re having a fling!”

This time, she got no reply. The man just sat there, fidgeting mindlessly with the leather string of her necklace. Silent.

“You okay?” she asked in a soft voice. Her fingers lightly brushed his leg in an attempt to get his attention. “This meeting must have been very stressful for you.”

Bruno looked down and smiled warmly at Mirabel, loving how considerate and observant this girl was. He placed a feathery kiss on her temple and whispered into her hair,

“Nah, I’ve seen worse. I was more worried about you.”

In response, she leaned further into him.

“It’s fine, I can handle them.” Thinking again about what he’d just said, the girl frowned. “Wait, what do you mean you’ve seen worse?”

Mirabel felt the man’s chest rise and fall as he gave a heartfelt chuckle.

“Oh, you should’ve seen the other meetings! I still remember how your family interrogated my hermanas’ boyfriends. Every man who wished to marry in, they had to go through with this.”

Bruno took a deep breath and continued in a low voice.

“For your dad, it went rough. He always got himself into troubles, see. So, your Abuela asked why he dated your mom. As a reason implying an unlimited supply of healing Arepas.”

“Mi Dios, she didn’t!” Mirabel put the hand to her face. “It must have been embarrassing.”

“It was.” Her Tio grinned. “Your Mama was sure Agustin’s gonna dump her. But he didn’t – he stayed. Later, he laughed that this was like an initiation. To see if he’s worth being a part of the family.”

This new piece of information made Mirabel’s mind drift into a new direction.

“So, we really were treated like a couple, huh?”

Bruno raised an eyebrow and smiled to himself, staring blankly ahead.

“I guess so,” he said softly.

His hand moved lower, now caressing the bare skin on Mirabel’s upper arm. Evidently, he was done telling the story, so the girl went on with her rant.

“What’s their problem with us, anyway?” she asked, not really waiting for an answer. “Everything was fine, but once we dance together on your birthday, that’s where they draw the line? Gosh, I wish they’d told us.”

She gave a bitter-sweet laugh.

“What would you do?” asked Bruno with a note of hesitance. “Not dance with me?”

“No.” Mirabel shook her head. “I’d get mentally prepared. For the questioning, I mean.”

Bruno stretched his muscles and adjusted his seating position. He also thought back to the family gathering.

“Y’know, I can’t believe they noticed – and remembered! – so many details from our past. Our strolls around the Encanto, discovering new places. This was so long ago. But I also feel like it happened yesterday. Brings back memories.”

He sighed in content, once again appreciating all the time he got to spend with Mirabel. After over a decade apart, this still wasn’t nearly enough.

“Right?” asked his niece with a snort. “I mean, Pa can’t even recall where he put his socks, but he remembered what our plays were all about. And he apparently looked into them for double-meaning. Because they clearly mean something more than meets the eye.”

Bruno pulled away just far enough to see her expression. There was a huge grin on his face.

“Hah – yes, Mirabel. I am secretly in love with you. That's why all my telenovelas are about forbidden love. The main characters? They’re us, definitely.”

They both laughed out loud at the absurdity of such assumptions. When they stopped, Mirabel noticed that Bruno’s fingers were no longer stroking her arm. In a reassuring gesture, she placed her hand on top of his, adding her own twist to his story.

“Can you imagine? If we were secretly a couple, we wouldn't be stupid enough to be so obvious. We’d hide in our rooms, behind the closed doors, and do whatever the hell we wanted.”

They laughed again, but this time they both sounded awkward and embarrassed. Before any of them knew, their laughter became forced rather than genuine. As it slowed down, Bruno and Mirabel looked at one another. For a heartbeat, they just stared.

“Yeah, right,” they said dismissively, dropping their gaze. There was another series of nervous chuckles.

But then, they glanced up once more.

The laughter died out.

They looked each other in the eyes.