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Chapter Text

"No…" Bruno's hands shook as he stared in disbelief at the proof of his latest vision. He wanted to smash it, as he had done with the last vision he'd had ten years ago, but his fingers would not release their grip. "No, no, NO!" he screamed through gritted teeth, pressing his forehead against the smooth, glass-like surface of the vision proof as he began to pace.

After mindlessly wandering through the different rooms in his tower, muttering the word "no" under his breath the whole time, he leaned against the wall in his study and slid down it to sit on the floor next to his desk. He laid the vision proof on his lap, finally able to unclench his hands from around it, then promptly buried his fingers in his hair as he bowed his head. His eyes darted across the image, taking in the expressions on the faces of the people it contained. How could it be, that this would come to pass, and that they'd be… happy? It just didn't make sense!

"Tío Bruno?" came a whispered voice from the doorway.

Bruno started and looked up, hastily hiding the incriminating image by hugging it to his chest. "Dolores," he breathed, getting to his feet and stashing the vision proof in the top drawer of his desk. "What's wrong, sobrina?"

"That's what I came to ask you," she replied as she walked over to him. "You've just been saying 'no' nonstop for the last half hour."

Bruno couldn't meet his niece's eyes. Of course she had heard him; her Gift was superhuman hearing. He bit his lip, casting his mind about for something to say to divert her attention, but he was abruptly brought back to the present by the sound of his desk drawer opening. "NO!" he shouted as he hurriedly slammed the drawer shut again.

Dolores recoiled with a pained grimace, her hands pressed against her ears, but she had still caught the briefest glimpse of what her uncle had been trying to hide.

"Sorry, sorry," he whispered penitently as she lowered her hands. "I just… didn't want you to see…" He drew a shaky breath before adding, "I'm so embarrassed."

"Embarrassed?" Dolores repeated. "Not ashamed?"

Bruno swallowed nervously, but there was no judgement in her tone. "No," he replied.

Dolores nodded. "And rightfully so," she said matter-of-factly. Bruno blinked in surprise as she continued, "You have nothing to be ashamed of; all you did was see something that hasn't happened yet. You have no control over that, so you shouldn't be damned for anything you saw."

"But it's…" Bruno hesitated. "If it's going to happen, then I'm already guilty of…" He couldn't bring himself to say more.

"'If'?" Dolores frowned slightly. "Have any of your other visions not come true?"

Bruno's face crumpled as his last hope of escaping this prophecy was dashed. Even the vision he'd had on the night of Mirabel's Gift Ceremony, which would change depending on how you looked at it, had come true entirely: the Encanto both broke and was restored with Mirabel at the forefront of everything. "Why must I be doomed to this fate?" he moaned as he bowed his head. "This kind of thing shouldn't happen! It's just wrong!"

"Tío Bruno," Dolores sighed, placing her hand under his chin and lifting it. "I feel like you've missed something important." Bruno blinked at her, nonplussed, as she smiled sympathetically and explained, "Your visions always come true, which means there's no sense in fighting it. Since nothing can change what's going to happen, whatever it shows is meant to be."

Bruno shook his head miserably. "If that's the case, then… then my visions… take away people's free will."

Dolores gripped his shoulders bracingly. "No! I don't believe that, and you shouldn't either! You said you were embarrassed but not ashamed, which tells me that this isn't something you don't want. You aren't being forced into this situation, you're being encouraged - and…" She glanced pointedly at the desk. "…from the look on her face, I'd say she's not going to be upset by it either."

"She… did seem pretty happy," Bruno admitted, blushing.

Dolores nodded in agreement. "So, are you going to go tell her how you feel now?"

Bruno blanched at the suggestion. "I… I don't…" He gulped. "I don't know how she… I mean, what if she doesn't want…?"

Dolores shook her head in exasperation. "I'll just go find out, shall I?" she offered, turning to walk away.

Bruno grabbed her arm to stop her from leaving. "You can't tell her -"

"I won't," she reassured him. "I'm not going to tell her about you, I'm going to ask her about you."

Chapter Text

Dolores knocked gently on her youngest cousin's door, studying the image on it while she waited for Mirabel to answer.

Mirabel had finally gotten her own bedroom when they rebuilt Casita after the Encanto broke, and her door wound up looking very similar to Abuela's: the design simply showed a woman holding the magic candle. Since she still was not given a Gift even when everyone else's Gifts were restored, Mirabel's role in the family would be succeeding Abuela Alma as Keeper of the Candle.

Mirabel opened the door and greeted her cousin, "Hola, Dolores. ¿Qué pasa?"

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about," Dolores said. "Can I come in?"

Mirabel readily agreed, stepping back so Dolores could enter before closing the door behind her.

Dolores looked around at all of Mirabel's creations that were on display: clothes and accessories that she'd embroidered; stuffed animals that she had made by hand; and framed needlepoint projects with beautiful designs and, in some cases, kind words. Giving her youngest cousin a smile, Dolores went to sit in the armchair near Mirabel's bed.

Mirabel sat on her bed facing Dolores and asked, "So? What's on your mind?"

"Tío Bruno," Dolores replied, cutting right to the chase.

Mirabel blinked, her face impassive. "What about him?"

Dolores caught and held her gaze. "How exactly do you feel about him?"

Mirabel shifted uncomfortably, her eyes darting away. "What kind of a question is that?"

Dolores raised an eyebrow. "The kind that apparently has a complicated answer."

Mirabel pressed her lips together tightly, sealing her response inside.

Dolores chuckled. "Whatever happened to 'you're my favorite cousin and I can talk to you about anything'?"

Mirabel groaned and dropped her head back to stare at the ceiling. "Why do I get the feeling you're asking me because you already know?"

"Not exactly." Dolores shrugged. "I had my suspicions, but I wasn't certain. Your hesitation is tantamount to an admission, though."

Mirabel sighed. "Alright, fine. You win. I…" She swallowed hard, as though something was in her throat blocking the words from escaping. "I love him," she mumbled, so quietly that Dolores would be the only person capable of making out what she was saying even if someone else was sitting right beside her, "as more than just an uncle."

Dolores's expression immediately softened. "You should tell him."

"What?!" Mirabel shrieked, causing Dolores to flinch and cover her ears. "Are you crazy?!"

Dolores's eyes narrowed. "If you don't tell him, maybe I will," she threatened.

"Ugh…" Mirabel lamented, burying her face in her hands at her cousin's statement, certain that Dolores would not hesitate to do so.

"You should tell him," Dolores insisted, her arms crossed. "He deserves to know, and keeping your feelings bottled up is only going to eat at you until you start to resent it."

Mirabel teared up at that assertion. "I guess," she sniffled. "You promise you won't tell him if I agree to do it myself?"

Dolores nodded. "You have my word. Just remember: if you don't tell him, I'll know." She patted one of her own ears indicatively, as if Mirabel needed to be reminded about Dolores's superhuman hearing.

Mirabel swiped at her eyes, clearing away the moisture that had gathered there. "If he winds up hating me for this, I'll never forgive you," Mirabel growled.

"Don't worry, prima," Dolores assured her as she stood, "Tío Bruno won't hate you. I guarantee it." Taking her leave, Dolores hurried up to Bruno's tower, schooling her features so as not to give anything away.

Bruno was back to pacing, running a hand through his hair periodically until Dolores returned. "Well?" he asked nervously when he noticed her standing just inside the doorway.

"She wants to talk to you," Dolores said simply.

Bruno bit his lip. "You didn't tell her…?"

Dolores rolled her eyes. "Of course not. I told you I wouldn't. Now go - just remember: if you don't tell her, I'll know."

Chapter Text

Bruno dragged his feet as he made his way from his tower rooms to Mirabel's door. He had no idea what he was going to say. How could he even begin to explain his vision to her? Was that even the right thing for him to do? Maybe it would be best if she didn't know about it at all. Of course, Dolores's expression gave him no clues as to what the girls might have said to each other.

When Bruno reached his destination, he raised a shaking hand and knocked three times.

"Come in," came Mirabel's voice from the other side.

Bruno took a deep breath to steel himself, then opened the door and walked in.

Mirabel was sitting on her bed, holding her legs to her chest in an upright fetal position, but she jumped to her feet when she saw who it was. "Tío Bruno!" she blurted, louder than she intended, then covered her mouth with one hand.

"Dolores said you wanted to see me?" Bruno offered uncertainly. "I can come back later if now's not a good time."

"No, no, please," Mirabel fumbled for words as she walked over to him, her eyes drinking him in as though worried this was her last chance to do so, "please stay."

Bruno nodded as he shut the door behind himself. "I… How are you?"

The corner of Mirabel's mouth twitched, endeared by her uncle's awkwardness. "I've… been thinking," she hedged, "about you. A lot. And I… well…" She cleared her throat before continuing, "There's not really an easy way to say this, but… you don't know how much you mean to me."

Bruno's heart skipped a beat. Was she trying to say…? "Mirabel -"

"I love you," she blurted, cutting him off before he could say something that would make her lose her nerve.

Bruno's face lit up, relief coursing through him as he said, "I love you too."

Mirabel shook her head. "You don't understand. I love you as more than just my uncle. I want…" She buried her face in her hands. "I want you. I want to be with you, in ways that I shouldn't - ways that no girl should be with her uncle."

Bruno wrapped his arms around Mirabel and pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her temple and whispering her name in her ear.

Mirabel began to cry in earnest, burying her face in his neck as she returned his embrace.

"Mirabel," he repeated, "It's okay, ¿sí? It's okay; I have feelings for you, too - feelings that are so strong, they scare me."

Mirabel sniffled, turning her head to rest her cheek on his shoulder without loosening her grip. "Get some help from Hernando, then; he's scared of nothing, right?"

Bruno laughed, the sound soothing Mirabel's anxiety just as the rumbling in his chest suffused her with warmth. Adopting the deep voice of his fearless alter ego, he declared, "I am scared of nothing but the thought of losing you!" He stroked Mirabel's hair lovingly as he went on, "As long as you remain by my side, I will have the courage to take on anything!"

Bruno's face fell when Mirabel sighed and took half a step away, breaking their embrace, but then she placed a hand on his cheek. His breath caught as she leaned in closer once more. After only a moment's hesitation, Bruno gently pressed his lips to Mirabel's.

When Mirabel gasped, unable to believe that he wasn't rejecting her, Bruno seized the opportunity to slowly slide his tongue into her mouth. The moan that this action drew from his niece sent a shiver down Bruno's spine, and he desperately wanted to hear her make that noise again.

Cupping Mirabel's head with one hand and the small of her back with the other, Bruno stepped forward and held her even closer than before. He suppressed a satisfied smirk as she moaned again, melting into him.

Mirabel gave a pitiful whimper when Bruno ended their first kiss. Refusing to let him get away, she forced her lips against his once more and thrust her tongue into his mouth.

Bruno was taken aback by Mirabel's clumsy attempt to take the lead. He wasn't expecting her to be quite so enthusiastic. He gave a soothing hum in the hopes of calming her and gently tugged on her hair to signal that he wanted her to slow down.

When Mirabel pulled back a moment later, she lowered her head onto his shoulder and began peppering his neck with kisses.

"Mirabel," Bruno whispered, his voice shaky. He wasn't sure when the hand he had placed on her back had drifted down to her butt, but he gave it a squeeze and then chuckled at the ensuing gasp. "What am I going to do with you?"

"I've got a couple of ideas," Mirabel murmured, nipping lightly at the skin of his collarbone.

Bruno shuddered at the sensation, his burgeoning erection impossible to ignore. "Oh, really?" He groaned as he began grinding against her. "Let's hear them, then."

Mirabel's breath hitched as she felt even more strongly the evidence of Bruno's arousal. "Y-you could… um…" Her face flushed at the mere thought of what she was about to suggest. "…take me to bed?"

Hearing this, Bruno lifted Mirabel up so her feet were completely off the floor, supporting her weight with his arms under her bum. Astonished by this turn of events but not complaining, Mirabel wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his shoulders. Once she was secure, Bruno carried Mirabel across the room. Just as he reached the edge of her bed, however, Mirabel latched onto the side of his neck and started sucking firmly, causing his knees to buckle.

"You're going to be the death of me," Bruno grumbled without heat as he set Mirabel down on her bed. When he started to pull away, however, she tightened her grip. Amused, Bruno commented, "If you don't let go of me, I won't be able to get undressed."

Mirabel immediately released him and scooched back to sit cross-legged in the center of the bed, propping her head up on her hands with her elbows on her knees and staring at him expectantly.

Bruno hadn't thought Mirabel would like to watch him take his clothes off - he had figured they'd both undress at the same time - but he supposed it was flattering that she was giving him such rapt attention. He promptly removed his top and dropped it on the floor, his shoes quickly joining it, but he felt his face grow warm as he reached down to pull off his pants. He chanced a peek at Mirabel and found her mesmerized, her mouth slightly open as her eyes skated across the newly revealed expanse of flesh in front of her.

Sitting on the proverbial edge of her seat, Mirabel was so enthralled by her uncle stripping that it didn't even occur to her to undress herself. When Bruno's underwear fell to the floor, her jaw dropped with it. She had felt his penis trapped between their bellies earlier, but seeing it bobbing in the air in front of him was something else entirely.

Judging by her reaction, Bruno could tell that Mirabel was not at all disappointed by what he had to offer. Now that he was naked, he climbed onto the bed with her. She seemed too stunned to move, so Bruno brushed a lock of her hair back and tucked it behind her ear. "Okay?" he checked.

"Yeah," Mirabel said hoarsely, nodding as she cleared her throat. "Yeah, all good."

"Good," Bruno replied, cupping her cheek and drawing her close to give her a chaste kiss on the tip of her nose. Mirabel's face scrunched up cutely in response, much to Bruno's amusement. "Now are you going to take this off…" He plucked at her sleeve. "…or am I going to have to do it for you?"

Mirabel definitely enjoyed the gravel he injected into his voice for that question, if the dilation of her pupils was anything to go by. "I," she squeaked, stammering, "y-you, um, you can."

Bruno gave a playful growl, delighting in the way Mirabel shivered in response. He then moved forward on his hands and knees, leaving her no choice but to lie down on her back as he literally crawled atop her. He softly kissed her forehead and her cheeks once each before giving her a brief peck on the lips.

Mirabel made a quiet noise of protest at Bruno's decision to pull back instead of deepening their kiss, but he forestalled her by placing a shushing finger on her lips and kissing it.

Bruno kissed his way down Mirabel's neck to her chest, causing her to squirm. When he ran out of visible skin, he crawled backwards until his face was level with her feet.

Mirabel raised herself up on her elbows so she could see what her uncle was doing. He began by resting his hands on her ankles and slowly sliding them up her calves to her knees, at which point he dragged them right back down again.

Bruno raised an eyebrow when Mirabel sighed impatiently. "If you wanted to get right to the main event, you should have gotten undressed when I did," he teased. "Now quit grumbling and just enjoy the foreplay." Bruno's face briefly turned serious as he added, "Let me know if there's something you particularly like or don't like; any feedback you give me now will be helpful for next time." He stressed the words 'next time' and shot her a wink before pressing down on her ankles and lowering his head in order to kiss each of her toes.

Mirabel jerked in surprise and tried to draw her feet closer to herself, but they were effectively pinned. Bruno paused for a second then, glancing up at her face, but he continued his ministrations when she didn't outright tell him to stop.

After kissing every toe, Bruno took one in his mouth and sucked on it. This elicited a small shriek from Mirabel as she tried again to pull her feet out of his grasp.

"Stop," Mirabel requested.

Bruno immediately released her toe with a pop and eased the pressure on her ankles so she could freely move them as he observed, "Alright, now I know toe-sucking is out." He ran his hands slowly up Mirabel's calves again. This time, however, he continued past her knees and all the way up her thighs, crawling forward as he went.

Mirabel's heart raced with anticipation as Bruno's hands crept closer and closer to her nether regions. Much to her frustration, however, they skirted around to her hips instead of going where she really wanted them.

With his hands sliding ever higher on Mirabel's body, Bruno's arms were rucking up her dress to expose more of her to him than propriety would consider acceptable. He ducked his head to kiss her inner thighs and was rewarded with a pleased hum from his niece.

Mirabel's shoulders dropped back onto the bed. Finally things were progressing, though Bruno was still taking his sweet time getting there.

As his face moved nearer to Mirabel's groin, Bruno was able to smell her arousal from the patch of moisture staining the crotch of her underwear.

Since Bruno was mostly hidden from view by her dress, Mirabel could only guess where he was going to touch her next. She crossed her fingers and silently prayed that he would reach her genitalia sooner rather than later.

Bruno took a deep breath before moving in to firmly nuzzle Mirabel's clitoris through her panties. The sudden unexpected friction against her most sensitive area caused Mirabel to jump with a tiny shout, her hands clenching around her duvet.

Bruno immediately pulled away and rose to his knees, concern etched across his face. "I'm sorry, was I too rough? I didn't mean to hurt you," Bruno said earnestly.

Mirabel shook her head. "I'm fine," she breathed unsteadily. "It just… took me by surprise, that's all."

Bruno frowned at her. "You're sure?"

"Yeah," Mirabel insisted, relaxing her grip. "It wasn't painful, just a bit… intense."

Relieved by this reassurance, Bruno grabbed Mirabel's dress and slowly proceeded to undress her. Every centimeter of skin that was revealed received a kiss that formed a path from her navel to her throat.

Mirabel lifted her head and raised her arms so Bruno could fully divest her of her dress, taking her bra off with it. She flopped back down as he folded her garments neatly and tossed the bundle onto the nearby armchair.

Surveying the petite form that was now laid almost bare before him, Bruno straddled Mirabel's hips and sat lightly in her lap. He gently ran his fingers up along her ribs, his touch a feather against her skin, until he reached her diminutive breasts.

When Bruno took her boobs in hand and began softly kneading them, Mirabel inhaled sharply. He hesitated at the sound, searching her eyes for any signs of discomfort, then resumed the action when he was assured that she wanted him to continue.

Bruno bent down and drew a nipple into his mouth, fully expecting the gasp it elicited. He smirked as Mirabel's hands flew to his head, then he began sucking as he rolled her other nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

"Ah!" Mirabel cried out, threading her fingers through Bruno's hair to hold him in place. "Tío Bruno!"

"Hmm?" Bruno murmured inquisitively, his teeth dragging against her nipple as it slipped out of his mouth. "What can I do for you, Novia?" he asked, rubbing her nipples in circles with his thumbs.

Mirabel growled as she yanked him toward her head and kissed him hard, causing their teeth to clack together.

Bruno responded with a quiet hum, abandoning her tits in favor of cupping her face with one hand and stroking her hair with the other.

Mirabel huffed at Bruno's placidity but reluctantly stopped and let go of his hair, realizing that trying to assert dominance wasn't going to get her anywhere with him. Believing that Bruno would go back to teasing her once she had relinquished control, Mirabel was bewildered when he instead deepened their kiss.

Bruno slipped one hand under Mirabel's head and gently lifted it, guiding her into the perfect angle so that his tongue could reach every bit of the inside of her mouth. When he finally released her, Mirabel's head fell back heavily and she was gulping in huge lungfuls of air. Bruno nuzzled her neck and whispered, "See what happens when you leave it to me? You won't be unsatisfied, Novia, I promise."

Mirabel could find no words to reply to that even if she had the breath to express them. All she was able to do was close her eyes and nod to acknowledge that she'd heard and understood him. Mirabel had never thought she would ever willingly surrender completely to someone else, but now here she was and it just felt so right.

Bruno kissed Mirabel's neck before retreating. He crawled backwards over her body, pulling her panties down as he went and throwing them aside once they were off. He then locked eyes with her as he positioned himself so his face was hovering over her waist.

When Bruno lowered his head to kiss her mound, Mirabel spread her legs to open herself up to him, her heart racing.

Sensing her apprehension, Bruno reached out and took her hand, rubbing his thumb soothingly over the back of it.

"Tío Bruno…" Mirabel's voice wavered.

"Yes, Novia?" he replied, still maintaining eye contact as he used his free hand to gently spread her labia.

Mirabel opened her mouth, then closed it again and simply nodded as she gave his hand a brief squeeze.

Bruno returned the gesture and then licked her slit, causing her to throw her head back with a low moan. Heartened by this reaction, he delved into her vagina as far as his tongue could reach.

Mirabel let out a guttural cry and her grip on Bruno's hand became viselike. "Yes!" she gasped breathlessly before he could ask if she was okay for him to continue.

Bruno kept his face buried in Mirabel's vulva as he lapped at her insides, his nose rubbing against her clitoris.

Mirabel's legs shook as the pleasure spiked and she was sent tumbling over the edge into oblivion, her orgasm flooding Bruno's mouth without warning.

Chapter Text

When Mirabel finally came back to her senses, she found Bruno settled over her like a warm, weighted blanket. "Welcome back," Bruno purred, brushing her sweaty hair out of her face.

Mirabel's brow furrowed in confusion. "'Back'?" she repeated, her brain sluggish. "Where was I?"

Bruno chuckled. "Thoroughly enjoying oral sex for the first time, if I'm not mistaken."

"Oh… Y-yeah," Mirabel stammered, blushing. "That was… Yeah."

Bruno smiled softly, floating on cloud nine. "You're beautiful, Novia," he murmured, dropping a quick, chaste kiss on her lips. "I still don't know what I did to deserve this, but I'm so happy that it's coming true."

Mirabel blinked, processing his words. "Wait, what's coming true?"

Bruno closed his eyes, summoning up the courage he'd need to tell Mirabel everything. "I had a vision earlier…"

Bruno took a deep breath to steel himself as he sat in his new vision cave, about to use his Gift for the first time since before the candle had gone out. He closed his eyes and focused his mind on targeting the subject he wanted to look into the future of: la familia Madrigal. When he opened his eyes, everything was tinted green, the barrier circle of sand rising like a tornado around him.

A lone figure formed in the swirling sand, which he soon was able to identify as Mirabel; he would know her facial features anywhere. When the rest of the image became clearer, however, the sight left Bruno stricken. Mirabel was sitting on a bed, naked, with one arm extended beckoningly. He shook his head but was unable to look away.

A sudden strong gust of wind blew at his back then, kicking up eddies of sand that felt like they were going through him rather than around him. Bruno held his breath as the sand coalesced into the shape of another person. Bruno watched as this second figure - a naked man - walked over to Mirabel and climbed into bed with her.

Of course, Bruno thought wryly, the scene unfolding to show the man and Mirabel clearly having sex, a family has no future if they don't continue to have children, so this is literally a vision showing that our family has a future. That is what I was targeting, so why should I be surprised?

Bruno turned his attention to Mirabel's face as the vision was ending, hoping to see in its final moments whether she would be happy in this relationship, and couldn't believe his eyes when he realized who her lover was. A snapshot of the last second was frozen in time, in his mind, and in his hands: Mirabel and Bruno, their nude bodies entwined, sporting matching expressions of postcoital bliss.

Mirabel was dumbstruck by the time Bruno had finished relaying those events to her. She moved her mouth as though trying to speak, but nothing was coming out.

Bruno reached out to cup Mirabel's cheek, concerned. "¿Novia?"

Mirabel shook her head, laying her hands on Bruno's shoulders and pushing lightly. "Please… I need to think."

Bruno bit his lip but nodded, getting up to stand next to the bed. He paused then, uncertain if Mirabel wanted him to leave the room or just to get off of her.

Mirabel wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry as Bruno dithered beside her. She let out a ragged breath and pointed at the chair where he had put her clothes.

Relieved that Mirabel wasn't kicking him out, Bruno picked up her clothes and took a seat. At least they might be able to discuss whatever it was that had upset her if she couldn't work through it herself.

Mirabel sat up, her arms crossed protectively over her chest, refusing to look at him. "Is that…" Her voice was brittle. "…the only reason you…"

Bruno's thoughts raced, trying to figure out exactly what her question was. He assumed she was referring to his vision as being the reason for… whatever she was doubting.

Mirabel's body shook as much as her words when she tried again to ask him, "Why… How would you have… When I… If you hadn't…"

Bruno wanted so badly to go over and comfort her, but she had pushed him away earlier. "Mirabel," Bruno said when there was an opening between her stilted sentence fragments, "having this vision didn't cause my feelings for you, if that's what you're worried about."

"I want to believe that, but…" Mirabel huffed. "This kind of relationship could never be. You even said so."

"When did I…?" Bruno's brow furrowed, trying to think when he might have said something like that. "Oh," he realized with a sigh, "the rat telenovela?"

"An aunt and her nephew, an uncle and his niece, what's the difference? It's a forbidden love," she lamented.

"I thought that too, at first," Bruno admitted. "The difference is that this is meant to be."

Mirabel rolled her eyes. "That's so trite."

"Mirabel…" Bruno frowned, puzzled. "You used to have faith in my visions. What happened?"

Mirabel's face crumpled. "You said hugging Isabela would fix everything! But it didn't! The candle still went out, Casita collapsed, the Encanto broke… You were wrong."

Bruno was crestfallen. "My vision showed that it would make the candle brighter if you embraced Isabela - which it did - but that was an extension of the same vision that showed everything else. The fact that you couldn't change any part of it proves that it wasn't wrong. It was inevitable."

"But that's the point, isn't it?" Mirabel burst into tears. "The only reason this is happening is because you saw it! You don't really love me, you just have to in order for the vision to come true!"

"No, no, no, Novia, please, listen," Bruno begged, feeling like she had just thrust a dagger into his heart. "You're looking at it backwards; things don't happen because I see them; I see them because they're going to happen."

Mirabel scoffed. "The only reason I went to ask Isabela for a hug in the first place is because you told me to!"

Bruno tilted his head to one side. "Considering how adamant you were that Isabela hated you and wouldn't hug you ever, I'm surprised it was as simple as you just going up to her and asking for it."

Mirabel was taken aback. "It wasn't. She refused every time until…" Mirabel sighed. "…until I stopped asking."

"Hmm," Bruno mused, "so what you're saying is that seeing my vision didn't automatically make it happen; it only came true after you gave up on trying to force it."

Mirabel sniffled, her lower lip trembling as she realized Bruno was right. She kept one arm across her boobs while she wiped tears from her eyes with the opposite hand. Finally, she looked at him and asked haltingly, "Then… Then you really do…?"

"Love you?" Bruno prompted. "Want you?" At Mirabel's nod he replied firmly, "Yes. Yes, Novia, a thousand times, yes. To be honest, after I saw that vision, I was as shocked and scared as you. In fact, if it hadn't been for Dolores -"

"Dolores!" Mirabel burst out, causing Bruno to jump. Fearing that Dolores had entered the room without him noticing, Bruno hurriedly concealed his genitals with Mirabel's dress that was folded in his hands before looking around to see that there was no one there. Completely oblivious to Bruno's reaction, Mirabel fumed, "That's why she came in here earlier, isn't it?! She was playing matchmaker, the bruja!"

Some distance away, Dolores couldn't help but snicker when she heard Mirabel call her a witch. Say what you want now, princesa, Dolores thought as she went back to what she was doing, you'll thank me later.

For some reason, Mirabel's irritation at Dolores's meddling made Bruno feel better about it. "What did she say to you?" he wondered aloud.

Mirabel rolled her eyes. "She was like, 'What do you really think about Tío Bruno? You should tell him, you'll regret it if you don't, he deserves to know, if you don't tell him I will.'"

Bruno chuckled, "That sounds about right… although in my case it was, 'Your visions aren't condemnations, fate isn't controlling you it's guiding you, if you're too scared of rejection to even approach her then I'll run recon for you but don't worry I won't tell her anything.'"

Mirabel blinked in surprise. "You… You thought…"

Bruno met her eyes sadly. "I thought my vision was telling me that I had to do it, and that idea made me very uncomfortable because it didn't even occur to me that it might be something you would want as well until Dolores pointed out that you weren't exactly an unwilling participant in my vision."

Mirabel blanched. "She saw it?!"

"Only the proof!" Bruno hurried to assure her, "And only for half a second! I think she just saw our faces and was able to put two and two together."

Mirabel buried her face in her hands, mortified. "She's gonna tell everyone! She couldn't keep a secret if her life depended on it!"

Bruno shook his head, kneeling next to the bed so he could rest a hand on Mirabel's shoulder. "That's just not true, Mirabel. Dolores kept it a secret for ten years that I was living in the walls. She even went out of her way to make sure I wasn't seen when I snuck out into the house proper."

There was a knock at the door then, accompanied by Julieta's voice calling Mirabel's name.

Chapter Text

Mirabel gasped, exchanging a panicked look with Bruno as they both scrambled to get dressed. Praying that her mother wouldn't come in, Mirabel yelled, "Just a minute!" Unfortunately, since her panties weren't in the bundle of her dress with her bra, Mirabel had no choice but to forgo them lest her mom get suspicious as to why she was taking so long to answer the door.

What Mirabel didn't realize was that Bruno had thrown her panties onto the pile of his own clothes when he had taken them off of her. Bruno felt only the slightest bit guilty about pocketing them rather than returning them to her, but he couldn't resist taking a souvenir to enjoy later.

Once both of them were as dressed as they could be, Mirabel jerked her head toward the armchair by her bed as she made for the door. The moment Bruno was hidden behind it, Mirabel opened the door and said, "Hola, Mamá. ¿Qué pasa?"

"Lunch is ready," Julieta replied, eyeing Mirabel's tousled and lightly sweat-dampened hair with a touch of concern. "Are you feeling alright?" Julieta asked, placing a hand on Mirabel's forehead.

"I'm fine, Mamá," Mirabel insisted, though even to her own ears it didn't sound convincing. "Nothing that some of your food won't fix."

"Alright, come on then," Julieta accepted at last, not giving Mirabel a chance to refuse going with her.

Bruno peeked around the edge of the chair after hearing the door close, only to find himself alone. "¡Mierda!" he swore. How was he supposed to get out of Mirabel's room without being seen? He had no way of knowing when the coast was clear if nobody could tell him, and his sister was certainly not going to let Mirabel out of her sight when she thought her youngest daughter might be sick. "Dolores," Bruno realized after a moment's thought. She'd be able to hear him. "Can you come and get me from Mirabel's room so no one will find out I'm here?"

It wasn't long before there was a quiet knock on the door and a hushed voice saying, "It's safe to come out now, Tío Bruno. Everyone else is already at the table."

"Thank you," he breathed as he emerged, giving Dolores a grateful hug before accompanying her to lunch. There were two empty chairs across from each other, one of which was directly next to Mirabel. Without a word, Dolores went and sat in the other.

Mirabel's face flamed as Bruno sat next to her, her anxiety skyrocketing as she recalled the last time Dolores sat across the table from her with the knowledge of a damning secret. Just like before, Mirabel stared her down, but for some reason Dolores didn't seem like she was bursting to spill the beans this time. Mirabel didn't buy it, though, and she was determined to keep her eyes glued to Dolores lest she spread the word.

Bruno nudged Mirabel's leg with his, trying to get her attention, but she steadfastly ignored him… until he placed his hand on her knee and lightly squeezed, at which point Mirabel went rigid.

Mirabel turned her head slightly to keep Dolores in her peripheral vision as she gave Bruno a questioning side-eye.

Bruno appeared mildly amused, raising one eyebrow at her as he began inching his hand up her thigh.

Mirabel swallowed thickly, unable to breathe. Was Bruno seriously feeling her up under the table surrounded by their entire family?!

Bruno's gaze was heated, silently conveying filthy promises to her while she looked at him askance. Finally having her full attention, Bruno looked pointedly at Mirabel's plate, then back at her, before removing his hand from her leg and returning to his own food as though nothing had happened.

Mirabel was flabbergasted by this new side of her uncle that she had never seen before. Who would have thought Bruno would be mischievous and flirty? Mirabel had no time to ponder on that, however, as she realized he had distracted her from watching Dolores like a hawk. By now the news must have spread all the way down the table and everyone would know! …except it didn't seem like anyone did. No one was gaping at her, and they weren't whispering to each other. It was just like a normal, everyday mealtime, and Mirabel couldn't understand it.

When everyone was finished eating, Julieta approached Mirabel and asked her to help with the dishes. Mirabel nodded in response, still a bit on edge due to what Bruno did as well as what Dolores didn't do.

With all the plates, cups, and silverware deposited in the sink, Julieta suddenly pulled Mirabel into a tight embrace.

"Mamá?" Mirabel was thrown off balance, literally as well as figuratively. "Mamá, what…?"

Julieta pulled back, looking tearful, and laid a hand on Mirabel's cheek. "Mira, I know something is bothering you. You hardly touched your food, you've been distracted and nervous and I just… I want you to know you can talk to me about anything…" Julieta sighed heavily when Mirabel bit her lip, refusing to meet her mother's eyes. "…whenever you're ready." Mirabel was taken aback as Julieta continued, "You're my daughter and I love you no matter what. You know that, right?"

Mirabel's throat felt like it was closing up, but she managed a hoarse, "Yeah, I know, Mamá."

Julieta nodded with a ragged exhale. "I'm not going to push you, because the last thing I want to do is drive you away, but I am going to keep worrying about you. Just, please, don't shut me out, okay?"

Mirabel covered her mother's hand with her own and forced herself to look her in the eye. "I will tell you, I promise. I just… can't right now. Not yet."

Julieta squeezed her eyes shut and kissed Mirabel's forehead tenderly. "That's all I can ask," Julieta said quietly. She pulled her youngest daughter in for one last hug before saying, "Alright, I know you can't wait to get away from me, go ahead."

Mirabel frowned as Julieta's attempt to sound lighthearted fell flat. "Mamá, it's not like that."

"I know," Julieta whispered, giving her a strained smile before turning to tackle the dishes that had been soaking during their conversation.

Her heart heavy with guilt, Mirabel gave her mother a hug from behind and murmured in her ear, "I love you." Mirabel then fled the kitchen.

Chapter Text

Mirabel left the room with no destination in mind, her thoughts racing. She only realized where her feet had taken her when her legs' screams of overexertion finally penetrated the pain center of her brain: she was at the top of the steps to Bruno's tower.

"Tío Bruno?" Mirabel called, her voice thick with tears, her breaths labored from climbing all of those stairs. "Tío Bruno! Please!"

"Mirabel?" Bruno rushed out of his study and, seeing the state she was in, immediately ran over to enfold her in a strong, protective embrace. "What is it, Novia? What's wrong?"

Mirabel was trembling as she held Bruno close, but as hard as she tried she couldn't form the words to explain. The next thing she knew, he had picked her up and was carrying her into his study.

"Mirabel," Bruno said, his voice pitched lower than normal as he set her down sitting on top of his desk and took ahold of her hands, "you're starting to hyperventilate. You need to try to calm your breathing or you're going to pass out."

"I-I-I-I," she gasped, her vision spotty, "I-I-I c-c-c-c-a-a-an't!"

Bruno squeezed her hands so tightly it became painful. "Mirabel, Novia, you have to listen to me." He pressed her palms flat against his chest and then pulled her close with her hands trapped between their bodies.

"T-T-T-Tío," she sobbed, trying to focus on him and not the encroaching darkness growing in the corners of her eyes.

"Shhhh," he whispered, his lips right beside her ear, "inhale…" Bruno took a long, deep breath, holding her tightly so she could feel his lungs slowly expanding to full capacity, then after a few seconds he murmured, "exhale…" and slowly released his breath, relaxing his grip on her so she would feel the freedom of the air escaping before he said, "inhale…" and drew it back in, once again pressing her even more firmly against him until with a muttered, "exhale…" he let it out again. He repeated this entire process several times until she was able to match his breathing perfectly.

"Tío Bruno," Mirabel said, her voice strained but steady.

Hearing that she was no longer in danger of asphyxiating herself, Bruno let go of her and, with his head in his hands, collapsed onto his desk chair with a shout of, "Fuck, Mirabel, you scared the shit out of me! What the Hell happened?"

Mirabel blinked repeatedly, shocked that he just swore at her. When Bruno quickly raised his head to look at her, she flinched. She initially feared another outburst, but then she saw that he was actually in tears. "Tío Bruno…" She slid off of his desk and then climbed into his lap, framing his face with her hands and lightly pressing her lips to his.

Bruno wrapped his arms around her again, briefly returning her kiss before speaking. "Mirabel…" He gave her a quick peck on the lips. "…Novia…" Another kiss, lasting a little longer. "…keeper of my heart…" A more lingering kiss, with just a hint of tongue this time. "…and love of my life…" A full, deep, French kiss. Upon breaking this last kiss, Bruno pressed his forehead against Mirabel's so all both of them could see was each other's eyes. "…what, in the name of all that is holy, was that about?"

Mirabel closed her eyes because she couldn't avoid his gaze any other way. "My Mamá just told me that she could see something is bothering me and she doesn't know what it is but that I can talk to her about anything and she'll always love me no matter what." After a beat, she added, "She also said I don't have to say anything until I'm ready to tell her, but in the meantime she's not gonna stop worrying about me."

Bruno was silent for a while, just processing all of that. Was this how things were going to be? Every time his relationship with Mirabel was affirmed, would something else crop up to complicate things even more? He reflected on his feelings - the way he felt about Mirabel, the things he felt for her - and there was no doubt in his mind that his love for her was a real, deep attraction beyond the common, friendly sort of love which one would be expected to have with family members.

Mirabel finally opened her eyes when she couldn't stand the silence any longer. She was becoming afraid that they would keep finding snags in their path that, over time, might tear them apart. Even if they managed to get past one, there was bound to be another for them to have to deal with before long. "Tío Bruno?"

Bruno sighed, sounding resigned. "We wouldn't have been able to keep it from everyone forever anyway, so maybe it's better that Julieta noticed something was up before we went any further."

Mirabel searched Bruno's eyes, her mouth agape. "You… can't be serious," she uttered. "You want to tell my Mamá about us?"

Bruno gave a short, amused huff as he answered baldly, "No, not me. You're going to tell your Mamá."

Mirabel made a sound of incredulity and fired back at him, "Fine, I'll tell my Mamá, but then you have to tell your Mamá."

Bruno paled at the thought, but he didn't back down from her challenge. "Alright," he agreed, reaching behind Mirabel to open the top drawer of his desk.

Mirabel looked over her shoulder to see what he was after and came face to face with… herself… and Bruno… looking like the two happiest people in the world… entangled together, completely naked. "That's…" She couldn't help admiring it. "…the vision proof? Can I…?"

Bruno nodded and handed it to her, a soft smile on his face. She really was beautiful. He was so lucky to have her, and he'd do pretty much anything for her - including telling his mother about their blossoming relationship.

Mirabel slid off of Bruno's lap, the vision proof held close to her chest, and started toward the door. "Good luck, Tío Bruno," she said without looking back, but she was halted by his hand on her arm.

"Are you… going to show that to your Mamá?" Bruno asked hesitantly.

Mirabel blushed deeply, needing to clear her throat before answering, "Only if I have to." This answer was apparently satisfactory as Bruno withdrew his hand then, permitting her to leave with the vision proof.

Chapter Text

Before going to find her mother, Mirabel took a detour to her own bedroom to grab her shoulder bag and stash the vision proof in it. After a cursory search for her missing panties yielded no results, she shook her head and put on a fresh pair. She paused with her hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath, and told herself, "This is it. I can do this," even though she wasn't entirely sure.

Julieta was in the pantry, taking stock of what they had and making a note of the things she'd need to get the next time she went out. When Mirabel cleared her throat nervously, Julieta turned around and stopped dead at the sight of her. "Mirabel…" If she thought her daughter looked distressed earlier, that was nothing compared to now. "Mija-"

"I need to talk to you," Mirabel interrupted, twisting her hands around the strap of her bag. "I'm…" Her throat caught as she couldn't bring herself to say that she was 'ready'. "…going to tell you what's been stressing me out today."

Julieta teared up a little and nodded, accompanying her to the lounge and sitting beside her on the sofa.

Mirabel chewed on her lip, trying to decide where to begin. "Tío Bruno…" She swallowed hard but hurried on before her mother could start thinking that something bad had happened to him. "Tío Bruno had a vision."

Julieta's breath caught, the concern on her face deepening, though her voice remained level as she asked, "What about?"

"He… He saw… my future," Mirabel told her haltingly. When her mom looked devastated at this news, she quickly clarified, "No, no, Mamá, it was a good thing! It was… um… well, I…"

Julieta was more confused than reassured. "If it's such a good thing, then why is it so hard for you to tell me?"

Mirabel stared at the floor, dragging her toes back and forth over it. "I'm scared you won't approve," she mumbled.

Julieta placed a hand on her daughter's face and gently forced her to look at her. "Approve of what, mija?"

Mirabel bit her cheek but met her mother's eyes as she told her, "The man I'm going to be with."

Julieta leaned back, looking critically at her youngest daughter. "So, naturally, you thought it would be better to hide it from me?"

"I don't know, it's all so new to me!" Mirabel whined, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "I mean, I never really had a crush on anybody other than him, so it's not like I'm disappointed it isn't someone else, it's just complicated because of who he is and I can't help thinking that when everyone else finds out it's gonna tear our family apart again and I don't want that to happen but I want so badly to be with him, Mamá, you have no idea, and when you find out who it is you'll understand why I'm so worried and you'll probably forbid me from seeing him but you can't stop me because it's meant to be!"

"Mirabel." Julieta's brows were furrowed with consternation, her voice the sternest Mirabel had ever heard it. "Mirabel, who is it?"

Mirabel gulped, her courage deserting her at the last minute. "It's…"

"It's me, Julieta," came a voice from the doorway, causing the two Madrigal women to look up in surprise.

"Tío Bruno," Mirabel whispered brokenly as he walked in.

"Bruno." Julieta stood as she said, "Mirabel was just telling me you had a vision about her, but she wouldn't say who else was in it. Perhaps you could shed some light on the subject?"

Bruno went to stand beside Mirabel, rubbing her back comfortingly, then looked solemnly at his sister. "I just told you, hermana. It's me. I'm the man who is with Mirabel in my vision."

Julieta looked between the two of them blankly. "I'm sorry, I'm confused. I thought we were talking about Mirabel being in a relationship with someone." Julieta's expression was a mix of horror and disgust when Bruno nodded. "You can't be serious," she said breathlessly. "This is some kind of sick joke. It has to be. You're not…" She put a hand over her mouth as though trying not to puke, then moved it to press against her heart. "You're not kidding?"

Bruno shook his head, and the next second a crack echoed throughout the room as Julieta slapped his face so hard that he staggered.

"How dare you?" Julieta rasped, vibrating with fury as her hands clenched into fists. "How dare you touch her? How dare you even entertain the thought - and then tell her about it!"

Bruno winced as he gingerly touched his fingers to his stinging cheek. "Julieta-"

"Think very carefully about your next words, hermano," Julieta threatened, poised to punch his lights out.

Bruno's voice shook as he asked slowly, "Do you honestly think I would ever want to hurt her?"

Julieta narrowed her eyes at him. "You'd better not."

"I swear on my life, Julieta, that I would never try to hurt Mirabel," Bruno told his sister solemnly. "I love her with all of my heart, and I intend to do whatever it takes to make her happy. I only want what's best for her. I know you would say the same thing."

"There's a difference," Julieta insisted.

"You're right, there is," Bruno agreed. "It's the difference between Eros and Storge - but those are just different kinds of love; we both love her, in our own way."

Julieta still didn't seem convinced, but Mirabel had finally found her voice again. "Mamá!" she called to get her attention. "Do you need to see the proof that will show you how happy I'll be in my relationship with Tío Bruno?"

"Oh, you can prove it?" Julieta scoffed. "Alright then, let's have it."

Mirabel pulled the vision proof out of her bag and held the pane of green glass facing her mother.

Julieta's jaw dropped. She stumbled backwards and fell heavily into the nearest chair, a strangled sound coming from her throat as she turned away, repulsed at the sight.

"Look at my face, Mamá," Mirabel demanded. When Julieta locked eyes with her, Mirabel lifted the proof in her hands indicatively. "My face in the vision. Look at my face in the vision, and then tell me that you don't want me to be with him."

Julieta cringed as she forced herself to look again at the downright pornographic image of her brother and her daughter. Trying to ignore everything but their faces, she was shocked to discover that truly, in her entire life, she had never seen either of them as happy as they seemed there. "I…" She looked from Mirabel to Bruno and back again. "I can't," she sobbed as she ran from the room, leaving a ringing silence behind her.

Chapter Text

After Julieta's hasty exit, Bruno sighed and sank to sit next to Mirabel on the sofa. "That went well," he muttered sarcastically.

"It could have been worse," Mirabel offered as she stowed the vision proof back in her bag before climbing into Bruno's lap and wrapping her arms around him.

"Yeah," Bruno scoffed, "she could've hit me. Oh no, wait, she did do that. Well, she could've said something that made me feel like I'm a horrible person, I mean… Actually, she did that too. But at least she didn't-"

Mirabel covered his mouth with her hand and supplied, "At least she didn't forbid us from seeing each other."

"Hm," was all he could say since she kept her hand over his mouth.

Mirabel leaned in and kissed Bruno's nose, then his forehead, then each of his cheeks, before she gave a tiny shriek of surprise when he licked her palm. "Eww," she complained when she withdrew her hand, but she didn't get a chance to say anything else because he quickly pulled her close for a real kiss.

Bruno kept one hand on Mirabel's back to keep her steady as he kissed her deeply while stroking her hair. He just couldn't get enough of her - and judging from the noises she was currently making, the feeling was mutual. When he finally broke their kiss, she was thoroughly dazed and completely out of breath. He chuckled as he eased her off of his lap and onto the sofa again, kneeling in front of her and tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"Everything okay?" a voice came from the doorway a moment later. Bruno looked up to see Agustín standing there with one hand cradling half of his face.

"We're fine," Bruno assured him. "What about you, Agustín? What did you do to yourself this time?"

"Walked into a post." Agustín shrugged. "Is Julieta around?"

"She was just in here not long ago," Bruno admitted, "but I don't know where she went."

"Alright. I'll find her." Agustín hesitated. "You sure you're good, Miraboo?"

"Yep," Mirabel breathed, shooting him a smile. "Tío Bruno can take care of me."

Agustín nodded in agreement. "I know. Just making sure. Love you, mija."

"Love you, too, Papá," Mirabel replied, returning his brief wave as he continued on in search of his wife.

Chapter Text

Mirabel looked at Bruno with her head tilted to one side after her father walked away. "He said he knows that you can take care of me," she observed.

"He doesn't know we're in a relationship though," Bruno countered.

Mirabel sighed. "He'll find out soon enough; my Mamá is sure to tell him as soon as she sees him."

"True," Bruno agreed, "so that's one fewer person that we need to tell." He bit his lip then. "God, I'm not looking forward to telling Pepa. I'll probably get struck by lightning."

"She's bound to take it better than my Mamá did, since I'm not her daughter," Mirabel pointed out.

Bruno shook his head. "No, but I'm still her brother - and even if I wasn't, this…" He gestured between himself and Mirabel. "…is incest."

Mirabel lowered her head into her hands and groaned, "I didn't even think of that."

Bruno nodded sadly. "It's the kind of thing that people can be exiled if not executed for."

Mirabel was struck dumb by that statement. She fell forward off of the sofa and into Bruno's arms, shaking with silent sobs. The idea of him being put to death just because they were in love… She couldn't bear it.

Bruno rubbed Mirabel's back as he rocked her from side to side. Maybe he shouldn't have said that, but the reality of it was that they needed to tread very carefully. Convincing their family to accept their love would be extremely difficult, but without their support Bruno was certain there would be no hope for them once the people in town found out.

Mirabel held Bruno tightly, her face buried in his neck. He had been a pariah before because of his Gift, and it eventually drove him into hiding. If that happened again, she would go with him in a heartbeat. Casita was sure to give them sanctuary, as she had done for Bruno last time.

Bruno sighed and glanced over at the doorway, experiencing a brief moment of panic upon seeing someone there. When he realized it was just Dolores, however, he nuzzled Mirabel's hair and kissed her head before breaking their embrace. "C'mon, Novia," he said, standing up and pulling her to her feet as well. "Let's g-"

"The fuck did I just walk in on?!" Dolores blurted, much to the couple's surprise. When they both looked at her, Dolores transformed into Camilo and exclaimed, "Tío Bruno! Did you seriously just call Mirabel 'girlfriend'?"

"Camilo…" Mirabel bit her lip, anxious.

Bruno squeezed her hand reassuringly as he said to Camilo, "Don't let your mother catch you swearing."

Camilo scoffed. "If you tell on me, I'll tell on you."

"So we'll keep each other's secret, then?" Bruno posited.

Camilo shook his head. "You're out of your mind. What are you thinking?"

"You don't understand," Mirabel told him.

"You're damn right I don't understand!" Camilo burst out. "This is sick!"

"Listen…" Mirabel stepped forward, but she stopped when Camilo took a step back as though afraid he might catch something from her if she got too close. "Tío Bruno makes me happy. Are you saying I shouldn't be happy?"

"You can be happy when he's around without being… that." Camilo shuddered at the implication.

"If that's the part that bothers you, then just don't think about it," Mirabel suggested.

"Kinda hard to do with you being all lovey-dovey right in front of me!" Camilo exclaimed. "You knew you weren't alone, but you still didn't try to hide it!"

"You were disguised as Dolores," Bruno pointed out.

"So, what? You don't care if she…" Camilo paused as though just realizing, "She already knows."

Mirabel shrugged. "It's impossible to keep anything a secret from her; she hears everything about everything."

"And she doesn't care?" Camilo wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Of course I care," Dolores said quietly as she appeared behind her middle brother and began pushing him further into the room ahead of her. "I care about my family's happiness, so I encouraged them to not fight their feelings. If it wasn't for me, they'd both be miserable, wallowing in denial."

Camilo used his Gift to shapeshift into the form of his father, becoming too heavy for Dolores to continue moving. "I can't believe you, Dolores! How can you be okay with this? I mean, it-"

"It's their life," Dolores interrupted. "None of the rest of us have any right to tell them how to live it."

Mirabel was touched by Dolores's declaration, though it seemed Camilo didn't agree with that sentiment if the expression he was wearing on his father's face was any indication.

"What's… going on here?" Luisa asked hesitantly as she entered with Isabela, looking around at the odd assortment of people there. "Tío Bruno? Tío Félix?"

"Not quite," Dolores corrected her cousin's assumption, slapping the obstinate man in front of her on the back of his head.

Félix changed back into Camilo at the jolt, looking disgruntled as he rubbed the spot she had hit. "Tío Bruno is fucking Mirabel," he whinged querulously, "and they're saying I'm the one who's unreasonable because I'm against it!"

Mirabel's sisters were astonished at this news, Luisa's jaw hitting the floor as Isabela's eyebrows reached toward the ceiling.

"W-we," Mirabel stammered, blushing brightly as she retreated back to Bruno's side, "we haven't actually… yet." Bruno put an arm around her shoulders in a show of solidarity.

A short burst of laughter escaped Isabela before she covered her mouth with her hand. Her amusement only compounded after she used her Gift to grow a wedding arch of flowers over Mirabel and Bruno, leaving Isabela bent double and shaking.

Luisa just stood there mutely until her older sister was able to contain herself, at which point Isabela took her by the hand and led her out of the room, still snickering.

Chapter Text

"Well," Dolores sighed as Mirabel's sisters departed, "that's two more down; only three to go."

"Wait, what?" Camilo looked around, confounded. "You were going to tell everyone anyway?"

"Yep. Sorry hermano." Dolores gave him a noogie. "You should've taken Tío Bruno's offer of mutual confidentiality instead of trying to blackmail him. Now you've got no leverage, and we have no reason not to tell Mamá that you've been dropping cusswords everywhere behind her back."

"Except," Mirabel interrupted, pointing a finger at Camilo. "If you promise to let us decide when we tell people our secret, we'll promise not to tell yours."

"Alright, alright, fine! Sickos," Camilo grumbled as he left the room in a huff.

"Who did you tell?" Bruno asked quietly, sounding hurt. Mirabel turned to face him, but he wasn't looking at her; he was looking at Dolores.

"I didn't tell anyone, Tío Bruno," Dolores assured him. "I wouldn't betray your trust like that."

Mirabel's brow furrowed as she stared into the middle distance, thinking aloud, "Dolores found out first… then we told Mamá, who probably told Papá… and then Camilo came in, and Isa and Luisa… That leaves Abuela, Tía Pepa, Tío Félix, and Antonio. So which one…?"

"If Pepa knew, there'd be a storm over our heads," Bruno observed, "and I'm sure Félix would have told Pepa."

"So that means Abuela or Antonio," Mirabel deduced.

"Mirabel," Dolores implored, "you know how subtle I can be - you called me a bruja for it - please tell Tío Bruno that I didn't break his confidence."

Mirabel looked at her dearest uncle with sympathy. "Tío Bruno… you know I wouldn't put it past her to tell anyone's secrets, but one thing she isn't capable of doing is lying about it. If she says she didn't tell anyone, then I believe her."

Bruno closed his eyes and shook his head minutely. "Then why are there only three people left to tell?"

"I was discussing your telenovelas with Antonio," Dolores confessed, "and he said it would be stupid for a couple who are in love to have their families disapprove just because of something like an age gap."

Mirabel snorted. "I have to admit, that is very clever. Now, even though Antonio doesn't know about us yet, he'll be predisposed to take our side when he finds out because the concept won't be wholly unfamiliar to him; he'll liken it to a love story threatened by family drama instead of seeing it as a family threatened by forbidden love."

"Abuela's coming," Dolores said suddenly. "Should I make myself scarce?"

Bruno's expression immediately turned anxious. Mirabel gave him a quick peck on the lips before turning to Dolores and suggesting, "If you'd like to stick around, I think we could definitely use some moral support."

Dolores nodded in agreement, then glanced up over the couple's heads and asked, "Are you going to stay under there, or…?"

Mirabel dragged Bruno by the arm away from the flower arch her eldest sister had constructed. There was no way to hide it though, so the distance they gained might not make any difference anyway.

When the matriarch of la familia Madrigal appeared in the doorway, she looked at the arch confusedly, then turned to her son and asked, "What's this?"

"Isabela did it," Mirabel answered when Bruno remained silent.

"I figured as much," Alma replied dryly, "but why is it here?"

"She was… teasing us," Bruno told her haltingly.

"Ah." Alma nodded. "Implying that one of you was getting married?"

"Both of us, actually," Bruno clarified.

"To whom? If I may ask." Alma's words were spoken so blandly that none of them were sure if she suspected anything yet.

"Each other," Bruno admitted, his voice shaking slightly.

Alma blinked impassively. "How would she have come up with that idea? It's hardly an appropriate thing to joke about."

"Well, heh," Bruno gave a nervous chuckle. "She wasn't exactly…"

"She wasn't far off," Mirabel blurted. All three of her family members in the room turned to her in surprise. "Tío Bruno hasn't proposed to me, but if he did my answer would be yes."

Alma was aghast at this declaration, looking on the verge of fainting.

"Mamá…" Bruno stepped toward Alma, readying himself to catch her just in case. "I realize this is a shock, but Mirabel and I are…"

Alma raised a hand to silence him, her other hand pressed against her heart. She sank into the nearest chair and stared straight ahead, struggling to comprehend what she had just been told.

Bruno shot Mirabel a glare of displeasure, leaving her cowed, before he knelt next to his mother and hesitantly touched her arm. "Mamá?" he whispered.

Alma slowly shook her head. "You are a grown man, Brunito," she murmured. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Mamá," Bruno offered mournfully. "I had intended to break it to you more gently than that. I had a vision of Mirabel and myself… together." He stressed the last word to make sure the meaning was clear.

Alma lowered her head into her hands. "And we can't fight your visions," she muttered.

"I don't want to fight this one," Bruno confessed. Alma lifted her head to stare at him in bafflement as he continued, "I know it must seem strange to you, but I'm in love with her. I can't get over how beautiful she is when she smiles, and the sound of her voice is like a balm for my soul. She…" He paused, swallowing hard before plowing on, "Every time we kiss, it's like the world stands still, and-"

"That's enough," Alma interrupted hoarsely. "You've clearly given this a lot of thought. I can't say that I approve…"

Bruno clapped his hand over his mouth at these words, though not quickly enough to stifle his ragged gasp nor to hide the devastation on his face.

Alma resumed speaking, her tone unchanged, as though she hadn't noticed her son's reaction to what she had just said. "…but I will accept your decision. You may pursue this relationship to whatever extent that you desire, while I turn a blind eye to it." She then rose and left the room without a backward glance.

Watching her go, Bruno dissolved into anguished sobs the moment she was out of sight. He had once told her that he didn't care what she thought of him, but that was pure bullshit; he only said it to take the heat off of Mirabel after the Encanto had broken, and honestly it wasn't even that convincing since his voice had cracked partway through his bogus claim of indifference.

Mirabel went over to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, but he shrugged her off. Taken aback, she inquired uncertainly, "Tío Bruno?"

"No," Bruno gasped between sobs, "n-not now." He sniffled but couldn't stop crying. "Later." He got his feet and took off like a shot, reminding Mirabel of when she'd run after him inside of Casita's walls. She followed him once more in hot pursuit until he again passed an obstacle she couldn't conquer. Last time it had been a hole in the floor that had brought their chase to an end, but this time her path was blocked by the door to Bruno's tower which he had apparently locked behind him.

When turning the doorknob yielded no results, Mirabel pounded on the door repeatedly with her fists, intermittently calling Bruno's name and telling Casita to let her in, but the door remained resolutely shut. She sighed and collapsed against the door, curled into a ball, and resigned to wait for him to come back for her - just like he did to rescue her from the hole in the floor between Casita's walls.

Chapter Text

Julieta found her youngest daughter listless and unmoving on the floor in front of the door to Bruno's tower. "Mirabel?" She bent down to check on her, but she was unresponsive to the stroking of her hair and the shaking of her shoulder that her mother used to try to get a reaction from her, even when she called her name more loudly and urgently.

Dolores knelt down next to them and leaned in toward Mirabel's face before saying, "Tío Bruno."

This got Mirabel's attention. She met Dolores's eyes and said hoarsely, "Where is he?"

After a pause, Dolores replied, "Same place as you. Heartbroken."

"Well, he's the one who ran away!" Mirabel exploded, causing Dolores to recoil. Frustrated, Mirabel lowered her voice to a more reasonable volume as she went on, "He locked me out, not the other way around!"

"You two had a fight?" Julieta deduced.

"No!" Mirabel denied. "We didn't fight about anything! He was upset after we told Abuela about us, and then he just left when I tried to give him a hug - like it was my fault! If anyone has the right to be heartbroken it's me!"

Dolores took a few seconds to decide what to say to that. With a heavy sigh, she spoke as though to no one in particular, "Mirabel… So young, so callow when it comes to love and relationships. Still needing to learn that you aren't the only people in each other's hearts."

Mirabel stared uncertainly at her eldest cousin. "Are you saying… it's not about me?"

"It's not only about you," Dolores corrected her immediately. "Tío Bruno was grieved by what Abuela said to him, but he's also pretty peeved about how indelicate you were when you broke the news to her."

"You really did a number on yourself, mija," Julieta observed as Mirabel wiped her tearstained face.

"Huh?" Mirabel stared at her own hands dumbly, only just noticing the throbbing pain and stinging abrasions she had sustained from beating on the door. "Oh. Right."

"Come on," Julieta prodded as she grabbed one of Mirabel's arms to help her up. Without any prompting, Dolores took ahold of her other arm, and together the two women pulled Mirabel to her feet. "Kitchen."

Whether because of her reluctance to leave Bruno behind or just from the way she had been sitting scrunched up on the floor, Mirabel's legs refused to cooperate. When she was finally dragged all the way to the kitchen, Casita pulled up a chair for her to be deposited into.

While Julieta set about preparing something to heal Mirabel's hands, Dolores knelt down beside Mirabel and cleared her throat to make her look at her. Her voice hushed, Dolores said, "You realize, don't you, there were a million better ways to tell Abuela about you and Tío Bruno than saying that you want to marry him?"

Mirabel turned red and hissed indignantly, "Give me a break. I panicked, okay? I meant it, though."

"You're missing the point here, Mirabel," Dolores sighed. "It's not about truth, it's about tact. There are times when it's best to rip the bandage off quickly, and then there are times when you should beat around the bush a bit first. Tío Bruno wanted to ease Abuela into it, to bring her around to the idea slowly, but then you just dropped it all on her like a bolt out of the blue."

"Well, how was I supposed to know that?" Mirabel grumbled, her arms crossed petulantly.

"Tío Bruno's hesitancy should have been a clue," Dolores commented, "but apart from that, the two of you had an agreement that you would tell your Mamá and he would tell his."

"Except he's the one who told my Mamá," Mirabel argued.

"Only when you were literally about to say his name but lost your nerve," Dolores pointed out.

Mirabel bowed her head, chastened, as Julieta brought over a fresh arepa. Since Mirabel's hands were injured, Julieta held the corn cake in front of her face so her daughter could have a bite before taking it.

When Mirabel ignored the offering, Julieta singsonged, "Open wide," as if coaxing a recalcitrant child to eat.

Mirabel shot her an annoyed look but obligingly took a bite, her hands beginning to heal immediately. "I'm not a little kid anymore," she complained before swallowing and taking the arepa from her mother, quickly eating the rest of it.

"Your table manners tell me otherwise," Julieta said tartly. "Talking with your mouth full… I thought I taught you better than that," she tisked, making no effort to hide her teasing smile.

Mirabel groaned as she slouched in the chair, tipping her head back to stare at the ceiling. "I really fucked up, huh?"

Julieta couldn't believe her ears. "Mirabel, ¡lávate la boca!"

"It might be hard for the two of you to move past this," Dolores told her cousin, "but hey, no one said love was easy. Ask anyone who's ever felt it."

Mirabel looked from Dolores's sympathetic expression to her mother's stern one. "I'm sorry I swore, Mamá," she apologized, "I just realized that I unintentionally hurt Tío Bruno. Have you ever done or said something that wound up being hurtful to Papá?"

"Of course I have, mija." Julieta shook her head. "Everyone makes mistakes. The important thing is that you make up for it. If it's something that can be put right, then you need to try to fix it, but if there's no way to repair the damage, you should do something to show them that you're sorry - and I don't mean just apologizing, I mean go out of your way to prove to them that you know you did them wrong and you fully intend to be better from now on."

Mirabel bit her lip. There was an obvious way to try to fix it, but she wasn't sure it would work; for all she knew, it could make things worse.

"My Mamá is looking for me," Dolores stated blandly, getting to her feet and stepping back a little bit. "Did you want to give her the big news now, or should I go and meet up with her before she gets here so you have more time to think about how to do it and you can tell her later?"

"I… um…" Mirabel dithered so long that she still hadn't made up her mind before her aunt arrived with roiling storm clouds over her head.

"There you are," Pepa reproached her daughter. "I know you heard me calling you, so why didn't you answer?" A rumble of thunder punctuated her sentence.

Dolores shrugged. "I knew it wasn't urgent, and Mirabel needed me."

As Pepa's mood shifted from displeasure to concern, the clouds over her head became less ominous and began precipitating snowflakes rather than the threatened rain. A gentle breeze blew toward Mirabel when Pepa turned to her and asked, "What's wrong, sobrina?"

"I did something I regret," Mirabel explained vaguely, "and I need to apologize to my boyfriend for it, but he won't talk to me."

"Your boyfriend?" Pepa questioned as fat snowflakes drifted slowly around her confused face. "Since when do you have a boyfriend?"

"Since today," Mirabel confessed as the wind picked up and the snow began falling faster. "He approached me this morning and we started talking and it turns out we both have had feelings for each other for a while now and even though we'd been trying to ignore them they just kept growing so we've decided not to fight it anymore."

"Where is your boyfriend now?" Pepa asked, the snow having changed to hail halfway through Mirabel's monologue.

"Uh…" Mirabel's eyes drifted over to Dolores. "In his room?"

Pepa followed her line of sight. A flash of lightning contained within her storm cloud caused it to glow briefly when she caught Dolores's nod. "What are you two hiding?" Pepa asked suspiciously. "I know there's something you're not saying, now tell me what it is!" This time the lightning broke through the clouds in a brilliant forked bolt, accompanied by a crack of thunder that made Dolores cover her ears.

"It's Tío Bruno!" The words were startled out of Mirabel's mouth. "He's my boyfriend."

Pepa froze, her lips parted, so stunned that even her storm went quiet for just a moment. "What?!" she shrieked, lightning branching through the air over their heads until the whole kitchen smelled of ozone, accompanied by such tumultuous thunder that Casita's entire structure shook.

"Fóllame," Bruno cursed as he was jolted off of his bed and onto the floor. He groaned with dread as he surmised that Pepa had just found out about him and Mirabel.

"Pepa!" Julieta called over the rolling thunder and whipping wind, "Look at me!"

Pepa's tempestuous gaze snapped to meet her sister's, which was startlingly pacific. "Julieta?" Pepa took a deep breath, then slowly let it out while murmuring, "Clear skies, clear skies, clear skies," over and over until the storm died down to a drizzle.

"There we go." Julieta went over to Pepa and enfolded her in a warm embrace. "There's my hermana. You got lost for a minute there."

"How…" Pepa took another deep breath when the thunder started rumbling again. "How are you so calm about this?"

"I found out about it earlier today," Julieta told her, "so I've had more time to think about it and get used to the idea."

"Wait," Pepa gasped, breaking their hug to stare incredulously at her sister as the storm clouds built higher over her head once more. "Are you saying… you're actually okay with this?"

Julieta closed her eyes and tipped her head back, feeling the freezing rain stinging her face before looking again at her sister. "Yes, Pepa. I'm okay with it. None of us want our family to be torn apart like it was before, so why shouldn't we be supportive of something that will tie it closer together?"

Pepa was at a loss for words. When she put it that way, it almost seemed like a blessing, and yet it irked her still.

"Tía Pepa?" Mirabel piped up nervously.

Pepa's expression was inscrutable as she looked at her youngest niece, the swirling of the clouds above her telling Mirabel that her aunt's grip on her emotions remained extremely tenuous.

Mirabel swallowed hard. "I didn't… I mean… Well… It was never my intention to hurt you or… or anger you. I just… I love your brother very much, and being with him makes me happy."

Pepa frowned, staring at her as though not sure whether to cry or scream. The clouds overhead continued rumbling even as they began thinning.

From the corner of her eye, Mirabel saw Dolores look toward the doorway with a raised eyebrow. "Mamá?" Dolores said, drawing Pepa's attention away from Mirabel. "Camilo's right behind you."

There was a whispered oath from just outside the kitchen as Pepa turned around to face the doorway and called out her older son's name.

Dolores snickered when her middle brother stepped into the room. It was clear to her that he was disgruntled about being caught, but he tried to pass it off as normal moody teenager boredom.

"What's up, Ma?" Camilo asked casually. "Looks like I missed the storm, did something happen?"

"Never you mind." Pepa waved her hand dismissively. "Antonio has a playdate with the kids in town tomorrow afternoon, but your father and I are going to be busy so we need you to take him for us."

"Ugh…" Camilo rolled his eyes. "Do I have to?"

The clouds started thickening once more as Pepa narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes," she replied briskly, "and don't think I didn't hear what you said out there. If I catch you saying that word again, you won't miss the next storm."

Camilo gulped. "Yes, Mamá."

"Good." Pepa nodded. "Now go tell your brother dinner will be ready in an hour. Lord knows it takes him that long to come out when he's called anyway."

"That's because Leona likes to fuss over him whenever he's going to leave his room," Dolores explained, having seen just how motherly Antonio's leopard was toward him when she was in his room earlier.

Camilo was barely around the corner when a bout of jeering laughter drifted back to the kitchen, followed by words, "You're so screwed!"

Mirabel looked toward the door hopefully, figuring it had to be Bruno that Camilo was poking fun at. Sure enough, it was only a couple seconds later that Bruno peeked in, keeping himself mostly out of sight behind the doorframe.

Bruno fidgeted, his eyes darting between his triplet sisters and two of his nieces. "Er… Hi," he offered as he finally entered the room, his demeanor that of a condemned man approaching the gallows.

Pepa glared at him, her arms crossed, as her hair started crackling with static. "What… is… wrong with you?!" she thundered as a lightning bolt seared through the air and into Bruno's body.

Bruno cried out when he was struck and convulsed as he collapsed to the floor. The next thing he knew, Mirabel was kneeling by his side, calling his name.

"You'd better have a good explanation for this, hermano, or so help me…" Pepa let her threat hang in the air as Bruno pushed himself to his knees. When he still said nothing, she snapped at him, "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Mirabel turned to her aunt, radiating righteous indignation, but Bruno forestalled her by extending an arm across her chest as though trying to physically hold her back before she could speak. In reality he only meant to put his hand on her shoulder, but the electricity coursing through him caused his muscles to misfire.

Bruno took a shuddering breath, locking eyes with his middle sister before saying, "Do you remember the vision I had the night before Carlos proposed to you?"

Pepa paled at the reminder, stumbling backwards with her hands over her mouth. Julieta helped her to sit down in the chair that Casita had righted after Mirabel knocked it over in her haste to reach Bruno when he fell.

"Jodida…" Pepa mumbled, lowering her face into her hands. It seemed that was all the convincing she needed as the storm over her head became less threatening and more depressive.

Bruno sighed as he tried to get to his feet but couldn't manage it. Mirabel put her arms around him for support and with her help he was finally able to stand.

"Are you going to be okay, Tío Bruno?" Mirabel asked, worried by her uncle's trembling.

"'Course I will, Novia," he reassured her somewhat unconvincingly. "Your Mamá knows what to do."

Sure enough, Julieta came over to them and pressed a nip into Bruno's hands. He gave her a shaky salute with the tiny bottle before downing its contents and handing it back to her.

"See?" Bruno smiled at Mirabel. The difference was like night and day: he was no longer stooped over and leaning heavily on her, his tremors had ceased, and his wan complexion returned to normal. "It's not the first time I've been struck by lightning, and I'm sure it won't be the last." He rubbed the back of his neck and rolled his head in a circle until they heard the popping sound of joints releasing excess pressure from air pockets in the synovial fluid. "Bit more painful than I remember, though. Must be getting old."

"Don't say that, Tío Bruno," Mirabel requested, crestfallen, unable to deny it but loath to acknowledge it.

"Why not? It's the truth," Bruno shot back.

Tears sprang to Mirabel's eyes as she took a step away from him, looking like he'd just slapped her.

By his face it was clear that Bruno regretted these words the second they were out of his mouth. "I'm sorry, Mirabel. That was very childish of me."

"No, I… I understand," Mirabel sniffed. "I'm sorry too. I didn't think before I spoke, and now Abuela…"

"She'll come around," Bruno asserted, though it was obvious from his tone that he did not believe his own claim. When he opened his arms invitingly, Mirabel threw herself at him and hugged him tightly. "Oof," he grunted, staggering from the impact, but he hugged her back just as tightly. "I love you, Mirabel," he whispered so only she and Dolores could hear, "and I always will."

Mirabel gasped, not troubling to keep her voice down as she responded, "I'll love you forever, Tío Bruno. Mi tío, mi novio, mi mundo, mi todo."

"That's the last thing I was expecting to hear when I walked into the kitchen today," Félix commented as he entered the room. "I thought you two would never stop skating around each other."

Bruno and Mirabel broke apart and looked at Félix in awe. "You… knew?" Mirabel asked.

"Of course I knew! It was obvious!" Félix declared. "The way you kept sneaking glances at each other, how you talked more softly to each other than anyone else, the fact that you constantly tried to be as close to each other as possible at all times…" He looked around at the baffled faces of his family members, then said, "I can't be the only one here who noticed?"

"Considering how shocked literally everyone else has been when we've told them?" Bruno nodded. "Yeah, I'd say you are."

Félix was taken aback. "Everyone?"

"The only person in the whole house that we haven't told is Antonio," Mirabel mentioned.

"Bah," Félix scoffed, "Antonio figured it out already."

As soon as her father said this, Dolores found herself the target of twin stares from Bruno and Mirabel. "What? I never said he didn't know, just that I didn't tell him."

"Perra sabelotoda," Mirabel muttered.

"Antonio picked up on the same things I did," Félix began to expound, drawing Bruno and Mirabel's attention back to him, "and he asked me one night if you were together. When I asked him what he meant, he said that the way the two of you looked at each other reminded him of his mami and me."

"Wait a minute…" Mirabel turned to Dolores again. "If you knew that both Antonio and Tío Félix had already figured it out, then why did you say there were three people left to tell after Isa and Luisa found out? There was no one else other than Abuela and Tía Pepa."

"There was one other person," Dolores revealed, "but I can't say who it is because it's not my secret to tell."

Chapter Text

Alma greeted each member of her family with a nod as they came to the table for dinner… until Bruno and Mirabel appeared, hand-in-hand, at which point the Madrigal matriarch turned her head away from the newest arrivals.

Bruno stopped in his tracks when this happened, only continuing when Mirabel tugged on his hand.

"Where are your daughters, Julieta?" Alma asked impatiently when Mirabel's sisters were the only Madrigals missing.

As if on cue, Luisa walked in carrying a piano over her shoulder with the power of her Gift. Confusion was displayed on every face around the table except one as Luisa put the piano down and then sat in the chair that Casita moved into place for her.

Dolores attempted to hide a smile. She knew exactly what was happening, having overheard the plans being made earlier.

Reminiscent of the Madrigal Gift Ceremonies, Casita gradually flipped a wide strip of her floor tiles over to create an aisle starting from the doorway, this time extending in sync with two lines of vines that formed a border to it on either side. Flowers sprouted along these vines at seemingly random intervals, no two of them the same variety, alternating sides until they reached the end of the table directly opposite Alma. A pair of cacti sprouted there, one of them half as tall as the other.

"What is the meaning of this?" Alma demanded a moment before Luisa began playing the Wedding March on the piano.

Isabela appeared in the doorway wearing a veil over her face and a white dress that had live climbing vines artfully circling the entire length of it, starting from the end of the train dragging behind her and ending in what seemed to be an empty bouquet that she held in her hands.

Standing next to her was a little person wearing a multicolor flower-patterned dress with thin strips of lace crisscrossing it as a counterpoint to Isabela's ensemble.

The couple proceeded up the aisle together, Isabela using her Gift to add a flower to her bouquet matching each kind that they passed until it included one of every flower in the room. Upon reaching the end of the aisle, Isabela stood next to the short cactus while the little person stood next to the tall one.

When Luisa finished playing and the last note had faded, Dolores spoke into the stunned silence, "Ladies, gentlemen, family members of all ages, as we are gathered here for dinner on this truly blessed day, we are privileged to also witness the official announcement of Elena and Isabela Madrigal's union of domestic partnership. From this moment forward, they are to be treated as each other's wives because that is how they feel about one another. Please join me in welcoming Elena Madrigal into the family, and offer them congratulations as they take this next step forward in their relationship and in their lives."

"No," Alma said firmly. "No, I won't." This declaration was met with an ominous creaking overhead and a rumble of thunder as a cloud formed over Pepa's head, but both sounds were drowned out by Alma's voice increasing in volume. "I refuse to allow this… this… travesty to take place!" The creaking grew louder as Casita trembled, her walls and floor becoming marred by cracks, but it seemed Alma didn't notice as she continued, "Not in my family!"

"Abuela, stop!" Mirabel cried, slamming her hands on the table when her grandmother ignored her as well as the storm clouds that were spreading to fill the room. "Think about what you're doing!"

"How dare you say such a thing to me!" Alma finally looked at Mirabel, the rage burning in the old woman's eyes even more fearsome as they reflected the flashing lightning overhead. "What I'm doing? You have done so much more damage to this family than I ever could!"

Casita groaned as the cracks spiderwebbed further.

"¡Abre los ojos, Abuela!" Mirabel shouted to be heard over the sudden downpour pounding the table and soaking everyone in a matter of seconds. "Did you learn nothing from last time?! You're so blinded by how you think things should be, you fail to realize that your family is united in front of you as we are!"

"I will not stand for this! It's a disgrace! An outrage!" Alma pointed a shaking finger at her son. "You are a curse to this place!"

Bruno gasped, sounding pained, while most of the family was holding their breath with trepidation as the cracks in the floor around Alma grew steadily wider and instantly filled with water.

Heedless of what was happening, Alma plowed on, "You made life miserable for everyone in the Encanto with your visions before you left, but I welcomed you back because I thought you had changed! Now I see I was wrong to trust you since you're just doing it again!"

Bruno bowed his head in shame even as Mirabel insisted, "That's not true!"

Alma drew herself up to her full height and delivered her final word on the matter: "I refuse to abide having you in my family any longer! You, and anyone who would accept you despite me, are hereby disowned!"

Alma's decree was met with silence except for the heavy rain as the cracks stopped spreading and Casita stopped shaking, but then an almighty crash sounded from the main hall.

Everyone ran to see what had happened, only to find that Alma's door had been pulled off of the wall and dropped over the railing to land on the ground floor, broken into pieces, leaving a blank stretch of solid wall in the place where it had been. Once everyone was gathered around to see it, the disconnected door dissolved into thin air exactly the same way that the new door at Mirabel's Gift Ceremony did when she touched what should have been her bedroom doorknob at the age of five.

Alma fell to her knees, aghast. "No… It can't be…" she murmured. "I… I've lost my home again."

"No, Alma," Mirabel said as she stepped up to the woman and laid a hand on her shoulder. "You haven't lost your home - just your family."

Alma shook her head. "I don't understand. Why?"

"I told you that the family was united in front of you," Mirabel reminded her. "You were the odd one out, so when you attempted to expel us from the family, it backfired; you've expelled yourself instead."

"I've lost my home again," Alma repeated her lament.

"No, you haven't," Mirabel said insistently. "You will still be able to call this place your home, even if we're not family anymore."

"But my door is gone," Alma pointed out. "How can I continue to live here when I haven't a room anymore?"

"Casita," Mirabel addressed the house, "change my room into a guest room for Alma. I won't be needing it anymore, since I'll be moving in with my novio as of tonight."

At Mirabel's command, the lines on her door glowed brightly. When the glow faded, most of the lines had disappeared from its surface. The only part of the design that remained was the image of the candle which had previously been superimposed over the line art depiction of Mirabel. In place of the stylized letters of Mirabel's name at the top, there was now a jagged scrawl of the word 'guest'.

Chapter Text

Dinner was a subdued affair that night. Alma, having deposed herself, no longer had any right to sit at the head of the table. She was relegated to the far end, while Mirabel took her place at the head of the table with Bruno to her right.

Ironically, at the end of the day, the size of the family hadn't changed; Alma had been stripped of the name, but Elena had officially been recognized as a Madrigal by virtue of being Isabela's wife.

Much of the food on the table had become waterlogged due to the storm caused by their argument. There was enough that remained edible for nobody to go to bed hungry, but all of their bellies would be eagerly awaiting breakfast in the morning.

Before Mirabel had eaten much, her attention was drawn to her left by a quiet, "Psst." When she looked over, Antonio whispered, "Is Abuela not my abuela anymore?"

Mirabel's lips tightened as she glanced down the table at the woman in question. "That's correct, Toñito. She's just Doña Alma now."

"Why?" Antonio asked, pushing his food around on his plate. "Is it because she was yelling? Why was she so angry?"

Mirabel sighed, "Alright, hombrecito, eat your food and I'll explain." Antonio accepted this deal, and Mirabel took the chance to eat some more herself before clearing her throat and standing to address the table at large. "Antonio has asked me a valid question, and I would like to make sure that everyone knows the answer. As we all saw, Casita destroyed the door of our Abuela tonight. La casa Madrigal is a cornerstone of this family and the Encanto…" Mirabel looked pointedly at Alma as she stressed, "…which are not the same thing."

Alma found herself unable to maintain eye contact with Mirabel after that.

Mirabel looked around the table as she enumerated, "Our family is nothing more or less than the people who share the surname Madrigal. Our Encanto is the place of wonder that surrounds and protects us. The only thing that these two have in common is that they both came from Abuelo Pedro."

A ripple spread up and down the table as every member of the family turned confusedly to their neighbor.

"Abuelo Pedro," Mirabel raised her voice slightly to quiet everyone's murmuring, "obviously helped to give us Julieta, Pepa, and Bruno…" Mirabel nodded at each of them as she said their names. "…from whom the rest of la familia Madrigal descends. What the rest of you may not realize is that the candle which is the source of our Encanto was imbued with magic when Abuelo Pedro, while journeying with the many people who ultimately founded our town, kissed his wife and newborn triplets goodbye before turning back to waylay their pursuers. He knew, in doing so, that he would not survive. Abuelo Pedro willingly gave his life in the hopes that it would buy his family enough time to escape. It was this selfless act - his sacrifice - that is the reason we were blessed with the miracle that continues to bless this family throughout the generations."

Alma's eyes brimmed with tears at this reminder of her husband's death. Fifty years had gone by since then, and there wasn't a single day that she didn't miss him dearly.

"We all remember what happened when the candle went out," Mirabel went on, "but it might not be clear to everyone why. The candle acted as a barometer of our family bond: when there was dissent, the flame would sputter; when there was understanding, it would burn brighter; and when the conflict between us reached its peak and our family was torn apart, the candle was extinguished and the spell of the Encanto was broken. That is why the mountains split in half, why Casita collapsed, and why everyone lost their Gifts."

Elena raised her hand as she spoke. "Sorry, but, if all the magic was gone when the candle went out, then how did it come back?"

Mirabel gave her sister-in-law a nod. "The Encanto's purpose was to protect Abuelo Pedro's family. With the family broken, there was nothing to protect. Once we had reconciled, the Encanto was restored, the Gifts returned, and Casita reanimated. The magic was never truly gone; it had only left us while we were no longer united as a family, because the magic is perpetuated by our family - for as long as we are one."

"That doesn't answer my question," Antonio commented in a stage whisper.

"Yes, yes, I'm getting there." Mirabel spared her youngest cousin a fond smile. "Antonio's question is why Alma is no longer 'Abuela'. The fact of the matter is that she was alienated from the rest of us by the way our family dynamics are changing. Because she chose to reject it outright instead of trying to come to terms with it, the Encanto no longer recognizes her as a part of our family. However, I was able to stop Casita from completely evicting her."

This last statement caused an uproar of shouted protests. Casita groaned and shifted slightly around them as Pepa's storm clouds shot lightning bolts into the ceiling.

Mirabel gave a shrill whistle, which brought everything to a stop. "I know," Mirabel said slowly and quietly, "every person at this table is in agreement that Alma should remain here with us. What you all need to try to understand is that the Encanto's purpose is to protect the family, and the source of much of the friction between us can in some way be traced back to Alma. Therefore, Casita saw her as a threat to the continued existence of the family as a unified whole. Remember, when Casita collapsed before, the largest crack was a foundational split between Alma and myself, with me speaking in defense of everyone's emotional wellbeing while Alma argued erroneously that certain members of our family didn't care about our family. Now, that being said, and considering that our house, while sentient, has no concept of social mores that we as human beings take for granted - for example, the idea that families should maintain loyalty to one another despite any conflicts that may arise - is it any wonder that Casita would view Alma as something that we need to be protected from?"

This analysis was met by an obviously grudging silence until Alma spoke tremulously, "Casita… wanted to kick me out?"

Mirabel gave Alma a pitying look. "Yes. But the head of the family has the power to read Casita's intentions and veto her decisions."

A mutter of, "Head?" arose in several places along the table as the implication was clear.

When it began hailing, Dolores covered her ears and spoke over the buzz of overlapping voices, "Of course Mirabel is head now!" Dolores lowered her hands and finished quietly, "Her door showed her holding the candle, just like Abuela's door did. It's… her birthright."

"Shouldn't a birthright pass to the eldest, though?" Elena piped up.

"Maybe it needs to be someone who didn't receive a Gift," Félix suggested.

The hail transitioned into a gentle snowfall as that idea seemed logical.

Antonio gave a huge yawn as the emotional roller coaster that spanned tonight's dinnertime caught up with him.

"I think it's time for bed," Pepa commented, stroking her youngest son's hair. "Come on." She stood and helped Antonio stand as he lost his balance to another huge yawn.

Rubbing an eye with his fist to stave off the yawn-drawn tears, Antonio asked, "Can Doña Alma walk me to my room?"

There was a tense stillness in reaction to this request. Pepa glanced at Mirabel, who responded with an it's up to you gesture.

"Of course, Toñito," Pepa said, waving Alma over to them, "of course Doña Alma can walk you to your room." Pepa kissed Antonio goodnight with a murmur of, "Buenas noches, mijo." She then petted the boy's head before Alma took his hand and led him from the room.

Chapter Text

The clouds over Pepa's head were swirling intensely as she watched her youngest son leave with Alma. "I don't know what to do… I don't know what to think…" Pepa dropped back into her seat and immediately felt her husband giving her a backrub.

"Of course, mi vida," Félix said to her soothingly. "This is very stressful, and you're doing the best you can-"

"But is it enough?" Pepa interrupted, a turbulent wind blowing through the room as her worry increased.

"She'll come around," Mirabel echoed Bruno's words from before, her delivery of them more convincing than his had been.

"Yeah," Camilo scoffed, "a bit too late though."

Mirabel turned a raised eyebrow on him. "And just how close were you to also losing your place in the family?" she rebuked him sternly. "You did call Tío Bruno and myself 'sickos' earlier."

Camilo was clearly nettled by this. "What the f-" He caught himself before the cussword could cross his lips. "Seriously?! I'm older than you! What right do you have to talk to me like that?!"

"I am the head of this family, Camilo, that is the right that I have." Mirabel pointed out matter-of-factly, "Besides, that argument is flimsy at best, seeing as how our ages are mere months apart. I can't make you answer my question, but I would very much like to know: when did you decide to side with your family instead of scorning it?"

Camilo rolled his eyes and huffed, "I was always on your side. I was just yanking your chain, okay? I'm all about family loving - why do you think I kept changing into Mariano around Isabela? I was trying to get her to kiss me!" After sighing, Camilo grumbled, "I'm sorry if I went too far; I was lashing out out of jealousy that you guys managed to hook up when all of my attempts to get Isabela to kiss me had failed."

Mirabel glanced surreptitiously at Bruno, but she couldn't tell what he was thinking because he was looking down the table at Camilo with his face partially concealed by his hand.

Isabela waved her hand in a dismissive motion, using her Gift to create a vine on the floor behind Camilo. "You would have better luck with that kind of prank if you change someplace you won't be seen and then go looking for a kiss. But…"

Camilo let out a yelp as Isabela made the vine strike him like a whip on his butt.

Isabela's voice was suddenly menacing as she went on, "…if you ever try it disguised as Elena? That vine will go where the sun doesn't shine."

Chapter Text

As Pepa was unable to settle her emotions by reciting her mantra of "Clear skies, clear skies, clear skies…", Félix took Pepa to bed with the promise of a relaxing massage once they got to their room.

Isabela and Elena left right behind them, saying that they wanted to get to bed too.

Luisa offered the rest of the family a brief, "G'night," before following the newlyweds out of the dining room.

Julieta and Agustín stood next, but they made their way to the head of the table instead of the door. "Mirabel," Julieta began hesitantly, "should you need anything, you know you can come to me, right?"

Mirabel rose and hugged her mother. "I know, Mamá. If I need your help, I know where to find it." Mirabel kissed her mother's cheek before stepping up to Agustín and hugging him. "Same for you, Papá. If I need any fatherly advice, I'll come to you for it."

Agustín rubbed Mirabel's back as he held her close. "I love you, mija," he told her, Julieta echoing the sentiment a moment later.

"I love you, too, both of you," Mirabel said before Agustín released her with a final pat on the back. Mirabel exchanged "Goodnight"s with her parents as they left, then resumed her seat.

"You don't know how lucky you are," Dolores said to Camilo. "I saved your ass earlier." At his confused look she went on, "You had already realized without Isabela suggesting it that you should disguise yourself out of sight if you really wanted to trick someone into believing you were someone else in order to get a kiss; you were planning on walking into the kitchen as Tío Bruno until I told Mamá you were there."

Camilo spluttered for a moment, "Well… But… Ugh, so what if I was?"

"Your Mamá knocked me unconscious with a lightning bolt when I got there," Bruno informed his nephew, who gulped at this news. "You think you've seen her angry, but how many times have you actually been hurt by her storms? Pepa's fury is most fearsome when she's protecting her loved ones - and, unlike you, she didn't see Mirabel and me together to know that we were in love; her immediate thought when Mirabel told her about our relationship was likely that I had come on to Mirabel like a dirty old man and taken advantage of her."

Mirabel reached out and took Bruno's hand in hers. "Little does she know I'm the one who came on to you."

"You did?" Camilo snorted. "What'd you do, kiss his neck and ask him to take you to bed?"

Bruno blushed scarlet as Dolores snickered and Mirabel rubbed the back of her neck embarrassedly. "Yeah, actually," Mirabel admitted.

Camilo burst out laughing, "¡Ay, Dios mío! That is priceless! What I wouldn't give to see that!"

Mirabel studied Bruno's face as she squeezed his hand lightly. He turned his head toward her enough to met her eyes. There was a silent conversation between them before Bruno looked directly at Camilo and said, "Síganos."

Camilo stopped abruptly, staring agape at Bruno for several seconds before whispering, "Really?" A moment later, Camilo's chair clattered to the floor as he leapt into the air with a joyful whoop when his uncle nodded.

Dolores shook her head, amused, as her brother booked it out of the room. That invitation didn't just make Camilo's day; Bruno had basically just made Camilo's life. "You three enjoy yourselves," Dolores told them, "while I go to sleep in my mercifully soundproofed bedroom."

"Buenas noches, Dolores. And thanks for…" Mirabel indicatively lifted the hand that was still holding Bruno's. "…everything."

Bruno voiced his agreement to that, to which Dolores shrugged and said, "Honestly? It was partly for me, since I'd've had to listen to Tío Bruno freaking out for God knows how long before he finally faced it if I didn't intervene."

"Are you guys coming or what?" Camilo complained from the doorway. "It's kinda hard to 'follow you' when you're not going anywhere!"

Chapter Text

Mirabel rolled her eyes at Camilo's whining about how slow they were walking from the dining room to Bruno's door. She thought his boundless enthusiasm was certain to get tiring before long as her cousin just would not stand still. Bruno gave her a half smile and a wink when he opened his door and Camilo took off running up the many stairs to the top of Bruno's tower.

Before Mirabel could walk up more than two steps, Bruno tugged on her hand from his place one stair below her. Mirabel looked askance at Bruno when he addressed the ceiling, "Casita? If you don't mind."

To Mirabel's surprise, the staircase they were on began escalating, slowly conveying them toward their destination without them having to walk at all. "How…?"

Bruno shrugged. "The night that this Casita came alive, I got about halfway up to my room before sitting down on the step I was on to take a breather. I took a minute to really appreciate the architecture and commented aloud that it's beautiful in here but I would love it if there was a way I could get to the top without exhausting myself. As soon as I said that, the staircase started moving like this, and I rode it the rest of the way to the top before standing up."

"I'm so glad Casita was revived," Mirabel mused, admiring the room as it went by, "and not just for the conveniences like this; she's always been a kind of confidant to me. She really makes our house a home. ...What?" Mirabel asked as she suddenly realized Bruno seemed sad about something.

"Mirabel…" Bruno hesitated. "This isn't the same Casita as before. The old Casita… couldn't come back. The one we live in now is brand new. I'm pretty sure she inherited the memories of the other one, but she's only a successor to the role and the name Casita."

Mirabel's face crumpled when he told her this. "No… No, that can't be true!" she denied it vehemently. If she was honest with herself, though, she had to admit she also felt the difference. "Casita… Our old Casita… The last thing she did was protect me from her own collapse! She saved my life, even though it's my fault she died!"

"Mirabel!" Bruno braced his hands on her arms. "Don't you dare say that! It's not your fault-"

"Yes it is!" Mirabel talked over him. "It was my argument with Alma that made Casita fall!"

"She would have fallen anyway, it was only a matter of time!" Bruno argued. "She had been cracking for years before that as the bonds that tied our family together grew more and more strained - I know because I was living in the walls and had to patch them up every night! If it's anyone's fault it's mine-"

"No it's not, it-" Mirabel tried to interrupt, but she cut herself off when the stairs under them jolted to a stop and several small streams of sand fell from the ceiling for about half a second.

"Let's not play the blame game." Bruno's voice trembled. "Please? What's done is done, and regardless of who may or may not be responsible, we can't change it. Casita Primera's dying wish was the same as her mission in life: the survival of our family. She couldn't not protect you, or else she would have died in vain. It's fine to mourn her, but we can't let our grief consume us. We'll never forget her, but we do need to move on. Just honor her sacrifice by making sure the same thing never happens to Casita Nueva, okay?" Bruno patted the stone wall beside them and the staircase started moving again.

The next time the escalator stopped, it was because the steps Bruno and Mirabel were hugging on had reached the top. Mirabel lifted her head off of Bruno's shoulder, about to apologize a third time for their most recent tiff, but Bruno stopped her with a kiss.

"No more talk about that, Novia," Bruno insisted, using his thumb to wipe one last tear from the corner of Mirabel's eye. "I mean it."

Mirabel grudgingly agreed, "Okay." As they started down the hall, Mirabel looked around wondering, "Where did Camilo go?"

"Probably waiting in the bedroom," Bruno posited. "Shall we go join him?"

"Yeah." Mirabel smiled. She stopped in her tracks, surprised, when they reached the bedroom and found… Bruno… sitting naked on the end of his bed, one foot on the mattress beside him so that his penis was on full display between his widespread legs.

Mirabel's mouth went dry as her jaw dropped. She took a step backwards in surprise, bumping into… Bruno… who was standing behind her in an equal state of shock.

The Bruno on the bed licked his lips lasciviously and glanced down at his erect cock before looking back at Mirabel with an eyebrow wiggle and saying in a sultry tone, "See something you like, Novia?"

The Bruno standing with Mirabel in the doorway coughed awkwardly as Mirabel swallowed hard. "C-Camilo?" Mirabel stammered. "W-why are you… Tío Bruno?"

"Oh, sorry, did you want me to be you? My bad," he said as he used his Gift to transform from Bruno into Mirabel, her labia gaping open between her spread legs.

Bruno inhaled a shaky breath at the sight, while the Mirabel in the doorway facepalmed. Peeking between her fingers, she addressed her doppelgänger with a sigh, "No, Camilo, that's not what we wanted." The Mirabel on the bed wrinkled her face in confusion as the other went on, "We didn't ask you to come with us so we could have sex with a double of one of us. We were inviting you to join us as yourself, for a threesome."

The person on the bed was officially confirmed to be Camilo in disguise as he returned to his true form then, but he looked like he was about to break down. "I-I don't… I don't understand. You… You want… me?"

Mirabel ran over to him, completely disregarding his nudity, and knelt in front of him with her eyes locked on his face. "Camilo, what's wrong?"

Camilo shook his head as the floodgates burst open. Mirabel reached out to lay a comforting hand on his arm, but that only made him cry harder as he slid off the bed and into Mirabel's arms. Bruno came over to stand next to them with his hand on his nephew's back while Mirabel rocked him gently side to side, but Camilo remained inconsolable for a couple of minutes.

As his sobs finally reduced to sniffles, Mirabel checked, "You okay?" Camilo nodded but continued to cling tightly to her. Mirabel didn't pull away as she asked, "Now, what was that all about, huh?"

Camilo sniffed and cleared his throat, his voice hoarse as he explained, "Nobody… Nobody ever wants me for me. Everyone either wants me to be someone else or stop being someone else. It's always 'Camilo, we need another José' or 'Camilo, stop pretending to be Dolores'. I can't remember anybody ever saying to me 'Camilo, I want you as you are'."

"Well…" Mirabel kissed Camilo's hair and then looked up at Bruno. "…that's going to change." Nuzzling her cousin's hair, Mirabel whispered in his ear, "Camilo, I want you as you are." Camilo's breath caught at these words, and he held his cousin tighter in gratitude.

A moment later Camilo started as Bruno wrapped his arms around both fifteen-year-olds for a group hug and pressed a kiss to his nephew's temple with a murmur of, "Te quiero como eres."

Camilo shuddered with a dry sob, having already expended so many tears that he had none left. "Thank you. Thank you so -much," Camilo's voice cracked on the last word as Bruno drew his earlobe into his mouth and gave it a nibble. "T-Tío Bruno?" A moment later Camilo squeaked wordlessly when Mirabel began sucking on his neck.

Bruno and Mirabel both chuckled as they launched their assault on opposite sides so Camilo couldn't lean his head away from either of them. This, combined with Mirabel holding him in a frontal embrace and Bruno hugging them together from one side, meant that Camilo was surrounded by love and completely immobilized.

"Ah… G-God… Jeez… guys, I uh… um…" Camilo stuttered as he trembled in their arms, overwhelmed by sensation. "I l-love you!"

Twin pops sounded as Mirabel and Bruno removed their mouths from Camilo's skin to say in unison, "I love you, too, Camilo." This was the final straw as Camilo went limp in their arms, swooning from the emotional overload their attentions caused.

Chapter Text

Camilo blinked awake, unsure exactly where he was until he saw Mirabel's and Bruno's faces hovering over him.

"You okay, Único?" Bruno asked gently.

"Did we come on too strong?" Mirabel asked apologetically.

"I…" Camilo shook his head, feeling Bruno's bed soft and cool under his naked body.

"I think we did," Mirabel contradicted him, "and I'm worried that you're not being honest because you're afraid that we'll kick you out."

"We're not going to make you leave, Único," Bruno promised. "We just want you to be comfortable here with us, and we won't be able to see to that if you don't tell us the truth."

Camilo swallowed thickly as he looked between his relatives, questioning whether he was actually awake. "Alright, yeah, you did come on a bit strong, but I don't want you to stop."

Mirabel and Bruno glanced at each other before simultaneously kissing Camilo's cheeks.

Camilo blushed as he made an embarrassingly undignified sound, but rather than teasing him for it, Mirabel and Bruno smiled at him softly and then kissed him again - this time on the corners of his mouth.

"Which one of us do you want to kiss first, Camilo?" Bruno inquired.

"Don't worry about missing out on the one you don't pick," Mirabel added. "You'll be able to kiss both of us before the night is through."

Camilo looked from one of them to the other, debating, before turning to Bruno and raising his head to press his lips against his uncle's. Before he could blink, Camilo found himself pinned beneath Bruno alone, his head cradled in the man's hands. He wasn't sure how or to where Mirabel had disappeared, but he didn't have the presence of mind to wonder about it because Bruno's tongue in his mouth was doing things to Camilo that he had never gotten from anyone else before.

It seemed like ages before the kiss was broken, Camilo panting dazedly while his hair was being smoothed back by Bruno's hand. A moment later, Camilo jumped as he felt a warm, wet something against his penis.

"Shhhh," Bruno shushed him gently, pressing his index finger against Camilo's parted lips, "it's okay. It's just Mirabel."

Camilo looked bemused for a second, but it clicked when he felt it again: Mirabel's tongue being dragged slowly from the base of his dick all the way to the tip. His eyes rolled and his head fell back, Bruno's fingertip unintentionally slipping in between Camilo's lips as he did so. Before Bruno could pull it away, however, Camilo closed his mouth around it and trapped it between his teeth.

Bruno was unable to hide his surprise, but that didn't matter because no one saw it anyway. Camilo's tongue tapped Bruno's finger, almost beckoningly, before the pressure of his teeth on it lifted. When Bruno indulged him, sliding his finger further into Camilo's mouth, Camilo essentially performed fellatio on the digit.

It was so erotic - the sight of Camilo losing himself to the sexual stimulation of Mirabel's mouth on him, the sensation of the tongue bathing his finger, and the feel of his nephew writhing beneath him - Bruno shamelessly ground his erection against Camilo's belly.

"Don't change, Camilo." Bruno's demand sounded more like a plea than anything as his voice was strained with exertion. "We want you as you are, Único."

This was the third time Bruno had said that word to him tonight, and Camilo couldn't fathom why his uncle was using the adjective 'only' with no noun attached to it.

Seeing the confusion on his nephew's face, Bruno leaned down to whisper directly into Camilo's ear, "Tú eres el único tú que existe - nuestro único Camilo - nuestro único Único."

Bruno's finger was freed when Camilo gasped, tears springing to his eyes, as he finally understood: it was a pet name for him! Mirabel was Novia, and Camilo was Único.

Bruno gave Camilo's ear a little nip to snap him out of his reverie, then kissed his jaw and said, "Tell me what you want, Único." When there was no response, Bruno nibbled at Camilo's skin in various places between each suggestion, "Do you want to kiss me again? Do you want to kiss Mirabel? Do you want us to cover your body with hickeys so you have proof in the morning that this wasn't a dream?" After this last option, Bruno latched onto Camilo's neck and gave it a firm suck.

"Yes!" Camilo sobbed. "Yes, Jefe, please, please, all of that!"

Bruno was momentarily taken aback by the honorific, but when he sat up he leered at Camilo with a crooked grin and growled, "If that's what you want, Único, then that's what you'll get!" A split second later, Bruno dove forward to kiss Camilo roughly, their teeth clacking together when they collided.

Camilo gave a filthy moan, a shudder of arousal running up and down his spine when Bruno bit Camilo's lip as he broke their kiss. As Mirabel had done after her first kiss ended, Camilo chased Bruno's retreat. Unlike Mirabel, however, Camilo bit Bruno's lip before his head fell back onto the pillow.

Bruno raised an imperious eyebrow, pretending to be outraged by Camilo's impudence. In an instant, Bruno bent down again so their noses were touching and muttered menacingly, "If that's how you're going to behave, then I'm not going to let you kiss Mirabel. I'm the only one who can dominate her. You are going to be submissive to her, or else you're going to be punished. You wouldn't want that…" Bruno's face suddenly softened and he cocked his head to one side before asking genuinely under his breath, "Would you?"

Camilo's breath caught as he searched his uncle's now gentle eyes. After several seconds of Bruno waiting patiently with no expectation or pressure for a specific answer, Camilo silently nodded.

Bruno's jaw dropped in surprise, but after a couple seconds he finally said, "Okay. We can do that. You'll need a safeword-"

"I have two," Camilo said immediately. "I'll say 'facade' if I really don't want something, and if I want you to stop completely I'll say 'transform'."

Bruno gave a brisk nod before he was back in character, his face turned ugly as he hissed, "I didn't think so." He dismounted his nephew without another word, leaving Camilo to shiver as the temperature of the air around them was a cold contrast to the shared body heat Bruno had provided until then.

"Tío Bruno, I don't understand," Mirabel said, concerned, as he led her away from the bed, "why are you being so mean?"

"It's an act, Novia," Bruno assured her. "I'll pretend to be a cruel, bossy bastard, and Camilo will be a headstrong twerp resisting my authority - basically himself," Bruno joked with a wink. "The game is that I'm trying to break his will so he won't defy me anymore."

Mirabel stared at Bruno, mouth agape. "That's horrible! Why would you do something like that?!"

"It was his idea, Mirabel." The way her uncle said her name gave her pause. "And it's not that uncommon for lovers to roleplay in the bedroom; some people even continue doing it outside of their sexual interactions." Bruno sighed. "I was going to ask you to play along, but if you'd rather sit this out then that's fine. I won't force you to do anything you're uncomfortable with. You don't even have to watch if you don't want to, but if you're willing to take part later you're welcome to do so. Either way, please join us when the scene is over? For the aftercare; that fosters recovery and strengthens our bond through peace and affirmation."

Mirabel scratched her head. "Wait… Are you saying that the point of this is… he wants you to treat him badly to begin with, while planning to apologize when it's over?"

Bruno considered that summary for a moment. "In a nutshell, yes, but it's all fake, and we know it. You don't have to worry; he's got safewords that he can use to tell me he wants to stop."

"Safe words?" Mirabel repeated. "Why? What's wrong with 'no' and 'stop'?"

Bruno steeled himself with a deep breath, studying Mirabel's face as he explained, "He's most likely going to be saying 'no' and 'stop' during the scene without meaning it - it would fit his character for the storyline we'll be acting out - so I won't be heeding that."

Mirabel's hands flew up to cover her mouth, appalled.

"That's why he has safewords," Bruno hurried to say, "I'll be listening for -"

Mirabel fled the room before he could finish.

Chapter Text

Bruno rubbed his forehead in frustration. He had thought telling his family that he was in a relationship with Mirabel would be the hardest thing he'd ever have to do, but now that seemed like small potatoes compared to explaining BDSM to his young lover. And, speaking of young lovers, Bruno could feel Camilo's questioning eyes burning through the back of his head.

Gathering himself, Bruno arranged his features into an angry scowl, balling his hands into fists at his sides before turning on his heel to see that Camilo was indeed looking at him, sitting upright where he had lain. "Did I tell you you could move?" Bruno snarled. "Lie back down!"

Camilo bit his lip, looking severely torn. He was obviously worried about Mirabel running out like that, but he also really wanted to do this roleplay.

Bruno waited as though time was standing still, his character frozen in place until Camilo made a decision. After a while Camilo reasoned that if something was seriously wrong, Bruno would have followed Mirabel to see to it that she was alright instead of staying here for a silly little skit.

Camilo averted his eyes and lay back down stiffly, covering his genitals with his hands.

"Arms at your sides!" Bruno ordered. "I want to be able to see what's mine."

Camilo obeyed, licking his lips nervously as Bruno swaggered over to the bed, looking Camilo up and down like he was nothing more than a piece of meat.

"That's right," Bruno sneered. "You know that you're mine. You'll always be mine, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"You may own my body," Camilo said shakily, "but you'll never own me; my will and my spirit are still my own!"

"Well, we'll just have to see about that, won't we?" Bruno's voice had gone dangerously soft. Viciously stripping his own clothes off, Bruno went on, "We'll just have to see… how long it takes for me to break them."

Camilo trembled with excitement, but he passed it off as fear in character. "Wh-what are you g-going to… to do to me?" he stuttered.

"For starters?" Bruno climbed onto the bed and knelt with his legs pinning Camilo's arms down. "You're going to suck me off."

"If you put your filthy cock in my mouth, I'll bite the fucking thing off!" Camilo snapped.

Bruno backhanded Camilo across his face. "Wrong answer, smartass. You want me to smack you like that again?" Bruno waited for Camilo to give him the safeword telling him that he wasn't okay with being slapped, but that didn't happen.

Camilo spat in Bruno's face instead, so Bruno backhanded him on the other side. Camilo tried to throw Bruno off of him but failed. "I'm still not gonna suck you off, you bastard!"

"Oh, really?" Bruno grabbed Camilo by his hair and yanked on it to force his head back.

"Ngh! Façade," Camilo whined.

Bruno let go right away, making a mental note not to be too rough with Camilo's hair from now on. Seamlessly continuing the scene, Bruno moved so he could bend down and whisper in Camilo's face, "That's what you think." Bruno then rose to stand on the bed and nudged Camilo's ribs with his foot. "Roll over."

Camilo narrowed his eyes defiantly. "Make me."

Bruno seemed to have been expecting that response because he didn't look surprised. He walked backwards off the bed, grabbed Camilo by his ankles, and flipped him over onto his stomach.

Camilo had the wind knocked out of him, but for some reason Bruno let him catch his breath before doing anything else. Camilo soon found out why as his arms were jerked behind his back and bound together; Bruno had taken the time that Camilo was stunned to grab something to tie him up with.

"Untie me, you fucking asshole!" Camilo shouted, thrashing against his bonds, but they held true and he didn't use his safeword.

"No, I don't think I will," Bruno said casually, as though he was commenting on the weather. "I think you need a bit of an attitude adjustment, and I have a feeling that untying you would be counterproductive."

"You can't do this to me," Camilo snarled.

"On the contrary…" Bruno gave Camilo a single firm slap on his ass, eliciting a yelp from him but nothing more, so Bruno gave him another with each word he spoke as he continued, "I. Own. You. Remember?"

Camilo yelped with each successive strike, and when it stopped he was trembling. "You always…" Camilo sniffled. "…abuse your possessions like this?"

"Only when they misbehave," Bruno answered matter-of-factly.

"And they show you more respect afterwards?" Camilo shook his head. "That's not gonna work on me; it'll only make me despise you more."

Bruno gave an evil chuckle. "It's not the spanking that makes them mind me better, it's my promise that it won't stop until they do."

Camilo's eyes widened at this threat, his heart racing at the thought. "You motherfucker!" Camilo's words ended on a yelp as Bruno spanked him again.

"If you continue to defy me," Bruno said silkily, rubbing his hand over Camilo's buttocks, "then I will continue to spank you."

Camilo squirmed at the friction against his stinging skin, but he didn't say anything.

"If you obey me, then the spankings will cease." Bruno lightly dragged his nails down one reddened asscheek. "Count!" he demanded as he brought his hand down onto Camilo's bum harder than he had previously.

Camilo shouted in surprise at the impact before replying, "No!" A moment later he shouted wordlessly again in response to an even harder slap.

"Are you actually enjoying this?" Bruno asked as he spanked Camilo yet again. This question was both real and in character, because Bruno had no desire to hurt Camilo past what he wanted.

"Of course I'm not, you sadistic fuck!" Camilo spat.

Bruno spanked him again before asking, "Then why do you want me to keep doing it?" Another spank as he tisked condescendingly, "All you have to do is count them, and when you get to five they'll stop."

Camilo shifted in place, seemingly trying to find a comfortable position, before gritting out, "I refuse to give you the satisfaction."

"Suit yourself." Bruno fell into a rhythm, alternating which buttcheek he was spanking each time.

Within a couple of repetitions, Camilo caught on to the exact pattern and began lifting his rear toward the incoming slaps with pretty accurate timing.

Bruno meanwhile was beginning to get concerned about just how red Camilo's ass was becoming, so after the next slap he kept his hand in contact with the warm flesh and stroked it.

Camilo whimpered and pressed up into Bruno's touch. "What's wrong, old man?" Camilo taunted hoarsely. "Is my ass beating you instead of the other way around?"

"On the contrary," Bruno mused aloud, "it seems I'm going to have to try a different approach to get through to you." Bruno grabbed Camilo's bound arms and pulled him up onto his knees.

Camilo's face was about as red as his buttcheeks and wet with tears, but he had the biggest grin on his face as he crowed, "Or maybe you're nothing but a weak-ass pussy who just can't handle a snot-nosed little shit like me!"

Bruno was legitimately shocked by the juxtaposition of suffering and glee Camilo presented, but he did his best to channel it into his character as anger rather than unease. While he did continue with the scene, Bruno reflected that he was definitely going to need aftercare as much as if not more than Camilo once this was over. "Sit," Bruno commanded softly, forcing Camilo down so his bruised buttocks landed on Camilo's own feet when he refused to do it himself.

Camilo winced at the impact but still didn't use his safeword, though it seemed he sensed Bruno's reluctance because he briefly broke character by shooting him a wink.

Bruno's look of confusion turned to realization a moment later as he saw Camilo's penis was engorged and dripping precum. "Ha," Bruno breathed in relief, though in character it was an expression of triumph. "I knew you had to be enjoying it, and there's the proof!"

"That's just a physiological response, you braindead retard!" Camilo insisted. "It doesn't mean I wanted it!"

"Hmm… Perhaps not," Bruno conceded, "but what if you were to… ask for it?"

Camilo scoffed. "As if I ever would."

Bruno gave him a sinister smirk. "I think I could… persuade you…" Bruno slowly reached a hand toward Camilo's swollen member. "…to ask."

Camilo shook his head vigorously as he watched Bruno's hand slowly move closer.

Bruno paused for a moment, lulling Camilo into a false sense of security, before he went on, "Or better yet: beg." Bruno then swiftly closed the distance between him and his target and lightly dragged a single finger down the length of Camilo's shaft.

"Aaah!" Camilo cried out at the touch, his penis hypersensitized because of his extreme arousal. "Stop!"

Bruno slid his finger back up to the tip and swiped it through the fluid that was leaking out. "Hm. Well, I would… but I think you want me to continue."

Camilo gulped. "N-no," he whispered, intentionally sounding unconvincing even in character, "no I don't."

"Really?" Bruno raised an eyebrow as he continued to torture Camilo with his gentle touch. "You don't want me to get you off? To relieve this agonizing pressure? You'd rather endure the pain and discomfort of a sustained erection… indefinitely? Because it's your choice either way. Say the word and I won't touch you anymore."

Camilo opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"I knew it!" Bruno laughed. "Now all you have to do is stop denying it. I don't only own your body, I have your heart and soul as well. Just accept that reality and life will be so much easier for you. Admit that you want this - beg me to let you come - and that's what you'll get."

Camilo's lower lip trembled for a moment before he bowed his head in defeat. "Please," he said at last, "please, Jefe, let me come."

"That's more like it," Bruno said approvingly before bending down and taking Camilo's dick in his mouth.

"Gah, jeez!" Camilo gasped as he instantly came down his uncle's throat.

Bruno recoiled, coughing, and quickly untied Camilo's arms as they both struggled to catch their breath. Once Camilo was freed, Bruno pulled him into a hug with his face hidden in Camilo's neck.

Camilo shook his arms at his sides in an attempt to regain feeling in them before returning Bruno's embrace. Camilo's brow furrowed when he felt moisture on his neck. "Tío Bruno?" he asked hesitantly. "Are you… crying?"

Bruno tightened his arms around his nephew as he choked out, "Y-yes."

"Why?" Camilo asked, baffled by how quickly the mood had shifted from pleasure to discontent. "C'mere." Camilo stroked Bruno's hair as he eased them both to lie down on the bed without breaking them apart. "What is it?"

"I was expecting you to use your safeword," Bruno sniveled.

Camilo frowned. "I did use my safeword when I needed to, and you heeded it well-"

Bruno shook his head as he interrupted, "But then you just let me keep hitting you over and over!"

Camilo sighed and kissed the side of Bruno's head. "I don't use safewords as a signal that I'm in pain, Tío Bruno. In case you didn't notice: I like pain. My safewords are for when I don't like something. If you don't want to do something that hardcore, then maybe you need a safeword to soften an active scene - a cue to me that you want me to bend a little bit? If I had known you were that bothered by the spanking, I would have counted them like you wanted me to and we could have moved on sooner."

"I was trying to get you to bend!" Bruno insisted. "I kept asking you if you really wanted it, giving you a chance to use your safeword to stop me, but you didn't!"

Realization dawned on Camilo's face. "Is that what you were doing?" Camilo chuckled. "It just came across as Mean Ol' Jefe taunting me, trying to give me an easy way out if I'd just break down and tell him to stop."

When Bruno pulled back to look Camilo in the face incredulously, Camilo sobered.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? In hindsight, we should've discussed boundaries before we started, but you did a great job staying in character. I only saw you waver once, toward the end - that's when I broke character too, to wink at you. Now I understand it's because you weren't comfortable with how the scene was going, so we can avoid that in the future…" Camilo looked away before mumbling, "If you even want to do anything with me in the future."

Bruno laid a hand on Camilo's face to make him look at him again. "Camilo," Bruno said firmly, "Único, listen to me. I love you. This was never just going to be a one-off. It's an open invitation for you to join us whenever you want."

"Is that how Mirabel feels too?" Camilo asked softly. "Did you even talk to her about it? Or did you just assume you were on the same page, like you did with our roleplay?" Bruno opened his mouth to respond, but Camilo kept talking. "Anyone could see how in love you two are, and the last thing I want to do is hurt your relationship, so if my being here is going to drive a wedge between you then I'm out." Camilo leapt out of the bed, grabbed his clothes from the corner of the room, and ran past Mirabel out the door.

Chapter Text

Bruno sat up, not having realized Mirabel was there until Camilo ran past her. Bruno wasn't sure at what point Camilo had noticed her, though he thought it was probably when he had looked away from him upon mentioning the potentiality of taking part in something like this with him again.

Mirabel was conflicted. The first thing that she had heard upon returning to Bruno's rooms was Bruno saying that he had repeatedly asked Camilo if he wanted to stop, and Bruno was apparently upset that Camilo didn't.

Bruno cleared his throat, causing Mirabel to jump since she had spaced out. "Mirabel? Novia? Are you okay? Are we okay? Please talk to me. I need…" Tears began falling anew as he told her, "I need aftercare."

Mirabel couldn't stand the sight of Bruno crying. He looked so lost and vulnerable there, naked and alone on his bed. In order to hug him as soon as physically possible, Mirabel threw herself at him.

"Oof!" Bruno grunted as she leapt into his arms, knocking him flat on his back. He held her tightly, nuzzling her as he caught his breath. "Novia, I know you want to ignore my age, but you really have to be a bit more gentle with me or my old bones are liable to break."

"I'm sorry, Tío Bruno," Mirabel apologized with a sigh. "And I'm sorry I took off earlier."

"Shh," Bruno shushed her. "It's alright. I shouldn't have assumed that you'd understand. BDSM is a complicated concept, even for those who are familiar with it."

"Like you and Camilo," Mirabel observed. "I heard that there was some kind of… miscommunication?"

Bruno nodded. "Yeah, a bit of one."

Mirabel pulled away a little to look at him pityingly. "I'm sorry you weren't able to get any enjoyment out of it. Would it have been better if I'd stayed?"

Bruno huffed a laugh in spite of himself. "I can't say I didn't get any enjoyment out of it, but no, it definitely wouldn't have been better if you'd stayed." At Mirabel's discouraged look, Bruno hurried to explain, "It's not that I didn't want you here, Novia, please don't think that! It's just…" Bruno bit his lip. "…you were so upset by the idea of me verbally abusing him, I can't even imagine how hard it would have been for you to see me spanking him."

"Spanking?!" Mirabel shrieked as she reared back, looking at Bruno like she'd never seen him before.

"He refused to tell me to stop!" Bruno defended himself. "That was the miscommunication; I didn't want to keep spanking him, but I couldn't break character so I had to think of some believable reason for an abusive bastard to choose to stop beating a mouthy smartass punk who wouldn't submit!"

Mirabel looked outraged. "Couldn't break character? Tío Bruno, why would you want to hurt him like that? I never would have thought you capable of that even once, let alone repeatedly!"

"I wouldn't!" Bruno shouted, taking hold of Mirabel's arms. "You have to know I wouldn't, Mirabel! I only did it because he wanted me to!" Bruno took a ragged breath, trying and failing to fight back more tears. "This isn't helping. You're badgering me about something that I already feel terrible about, and Camilo isn't here to back me up, not to mention he left without giving me the aftercare I needed. I guess he didn't realize Doms can be just as emotionally fragile as subs…"

"Tío Bruno…" Mirabel shook her head. "I can't understand all of what you're saying, but you've mentioned needing 'aftercare' a couple of times. Is that something I can give you?"

Bruno nodded. "Please."

"Alright then," Mirabel replied. "What do I have to do?"

"Hold me?" Despite trying to keep his composure as Mirabel complied, Bruno began blubbering as he went on, "Tell me that you love me and that you forgive me and that I'm not a horrible person."

Mirabel was stunned by this. While Bruno had 'pretended' to be a cruel man, he'd literally spanked Camilo repeatedly, claiming that Camilo wanted him to do it, and now Bruno was weeping in Mirabel's arms, begging to be told that all of that was okay?

"Please, Novia… tell me…" Bruno repeated his request inarticulately.

Mirabel sighed, "I love you, Tío Bruno. I love you so much. So, so much."

Bruno trembled in Mirabel's arms, his labored breaths coming in short, rapid gasps as he was more focused on what she hadn't said than what she had.

"Tío Bruno…" Mirabel pulled back to look at him, and he looked so shattered that she felt her own heart torn to shreds. She stroked one side of his face and finally told him, "You're not a bad person, Tío Bruno. You're the furthest thing from it. I… It's so painfully obvious that you never wanted to hurt anyone. I'm sorry that I'm too… too simple or too narrow-minded to see… but I want to learn, if you can teach me."

Bruno's eyes were scrunched tight, and a wave of dread swept over Mirabel as she realized Bruno was succumbing to hyperventilation.

"Tío Bruno, you're breathing too fast." Mirabel took his face in both hands, her thumbs swiping through two rivers of tears. "Please try to calm down, I don't want you to pass out, I don't know what I'd do if you passed out, I don't know what I'm supposed to do if you pass out!"

A moment later, Bruno's taut features relaxed as he went limp beneath her.

Mirabel was shocked at this sudden change and patted Bruno's cheeks firmly, calling his name, but she got no response at all. "Oh God!" Mirabel scrambled away from him in horror.

Mirabel had seen Bruno unconscious once before, when he was knocked out by Pepa's lightning. He had woken up pretty much right away then, without any intervention, so as the seconds dragged on now and Bruno still didn't stir, Mirabel only freaked out more.

At least his breathing had evened out within a couple of breaths, but the knowledge that Bruno was so distressed that he'd passed out because he wasn't able to breathe properly really didn't sit well with Mirabel - especially since it seemed like it happened because he hadn't gotten proper 'aftercare', neither from Camilo nor her.

Mirabel wanted to run and find Camilo and drag him back here, thinking maybe he'd be able to get through to Bruno, but Mirabel couldn't stand the thought of leaving Bruno alone unconscious.

"Casita!" Mirabel cried toward the ceiling, "Can you get Camilo back here? Please?"

"She never let me leave," Camilo grumbled as he appeared in the doorway, fully clothed. "The stairs kept moving up faster than I could go down them."

Mirabel whipped around to face him, stomped over, and smacked him across the face so hard his head was jerked to the side. "This is your fault!" she screamed, pointing back at Bruno's still, supine body. "You didn't give him the 'aftercare' or whatever that he needed - and I couldn't either, but it wasn't my responsibility because I'm not the one who made him feel like he was, quote, a horrible person!"

Camilo blinked stupidly, but before he could say anything, there was a tired groan from the bed.

Mirabel was immediately at the bedside. "Tío Bruno!"

Bruno groaned again, wincing, as he brought a hand up to cover his forehead and eyes and slurred, "Wha's goin' on?"

"You passed out," Mirabel informed him as she took his free hand in hers. "I was so scared, I didn't know what to do…"

Bruno sighed, feeling like he just wanted to go right back to sleep. "It's okay, Novia. I'm okay. I'm worried about Camilo, though."

"Why?" Mirabel scoffed immediately.

Bruno slid his hand down his face to look at Mirabel with a raised eyebrow. "Did you not hear what he was saying before he ran past you? He thinks he's coming between us."

"He hurt you!" Mirabel argued.

"We've all hurt each other, Novia," Bruno pointed out. "Remember when I ran away from you after Alma found out about us? Well…"

Bruno flinched with every impact he felt through the door he had barricaded with his own body until it stopped. He had been able to stifle the sound of his crying, but nothing could stem the flow of his tears as he was tormented by that disastrous conversation with his mother.

Bruno didn't know how much time had passed when he heard his eldest sister's voice calling out his lover's name repeatedly.

"Is Mirabel still directly outside my door?" Bruno muttered, quickly dismissing the idea of checking for himself the moment the thought crossed his mind; he figured he'd let her stew in her shame for a bit longer.

Bruno then heard Dolores say his name, followed by Mirabel's voice, quiet and shaky, asking where he was.

"Don't tell her I'm right behind her!" Bruno hissed. "I needed space and didn't want Casita to let her in so I've been holding the door shut."

A surge of anger rose inside of Bruno when Dolores seemed to have disregarded his demand, though it dropped to a simmer when he realized she had concealed the truth within a blatant metaphor. ("Same place as you. Heartbroken.")

"Oho, very tricky," Bruno grudgingly admitted under his breath. "I see why she called you a bruja."

"Wait…" Bruno was stunned upon hearing Mirabel's rant ("We didn't fight about anything! He was upset after we told Abuela about us, and then he just left when I tried to give him a hug - like it was my fault! If anyone has the right to be heartbroken it's me!") as it made Bruno realize, "She doesn't even know what she did?! Of all the obtuse, insensitive, ignorant…" He paused his grumbling denigration when he heard Dolores sigh loudly.

Bruno couldn't help but marvel at how Dolores managed to recriminate him and enlighten Mirabel at the same time without letting on to the others that she was talking to someone else too. ("Mirabel… So young, so callow when it comes to love and relationships. Still needing to learn that you aren't the only people in each other's hearts.")

"Well said," Bruno praised Dolores for her way with words. As his ire abated, leaving only emotional exhaustion in its wake, Bruno whispered, "I'm going up to my bedroom. I'd appreciate it if you could keep her from following me for now, but I understand if you can't. Just, please, don't tell her I was here this whole time."

Mirabel's face didn't seem to be able to settle on a single expression as it twitched in various places without actually showing what she was feeling.

Camilo was leaning against the doorframe, his face blank, lost in thought. We've all hurt each other, boy, wasn't that the truth.

"Novia," Bruno said into the silence that had fallen in the wake of his recount, "be honest: When we invited Camilo to join us tonight, were you intending it to be a one-off thing, or did you think he might join us from time to time in the future?"

"I…" Mirabel hesitated, searching Bruno's earnest face. "I thought it would be a trial kind of thing, and if we all had fun we'd probably do it again."

Bruno nodded. "That's what I thought too. I would like for Camilo to come back. You didn't get much time with him tonight. Speaking of which, you owe him, Novia."

"Owe him what?" Mirabel said defensively.

Bruno squeezed Mirabel's hand. "You promised him that he'd have the chance to kiss both of us, no matter who he picked first, but you ran off earlier and then he ran off as soon as you got back."

Camilo looked over at them surreptitiously, wondering how Mirabel would respond to that.

"He doesn't want to kiss me anymore," Mirabel said with a shrug.

"Yes I do," Camilo contradicted her.

Bruno propped himself up slightly on one arm to see Camilo at the door and beckoned him closer.

Camilo shuffled forward uncertainly. "I don't think Mirabel wants to kiss me, though."

Bruno glanced between the two fifteen-year-olds pensively. "Well, if either of you don't want to, then you shouldn't. However - provided you both are willing - I would like to watch."

"Watch?" Mirabel repeated. "Watch what? Us kissing?"

"Yes," Bruno said simply as he sat up.

"That's fine with me," Camilo agreed, moving to stand by Mirabel in front of Bruno. He scratched his head when Mirabel didn't do anything. "Do you want to lead, or-?"

Camilo's sentence was cut off by Mirabel's lips pressing against his as he was dragged into her by his shirt. He stumbled but quickly regained his composure and placed his hands strategically on Mirabel's face and waist.

Camilo stroked Mirabel's cheek, tilted his head, and opened his mouth so his tongue would be seen on its way to meet Mirabel's. He was intending to give Bruno a show, but it seemed Mirabel had other plans: she closed the distance and sucked his tongue into her mouth.

Camilo made a small noise of surprise but didn't fight it. He took a step closer to Mirabel and pulled her in with his hand on her waist, the gap between their bodies disappearing.

Their chests pressed together, Mirabel's grip on Camilo's shirt shifted to his head instead. He hadn't expected Mirabel to be quite so enthusiastic about kissing him, especially since she'd smacked him and been screaming at him only minutes ago. He definitely wasn't complaining about the rough treatment, though.

Camilo moaned, grinding against Mirabel. He heard the sound echoed back in his mouth from Mirabel, and then again from next to them. Camilo looked out the corner of his eye and caught a glimpse of Bruno stroking himself as he stared unashamedly at his own niece and nephew making out in front of him.

Mirabel broke the kiss, panting, and stared into Camilo's eyes for a moment, her hands sliding off his head to grasp his shoulders before she dove in for another.

As Camilo wrapped his arms around Mirabel and leaned into her, he tried to ease their kiss into something a bit less erratic, but his efforts were in vain. Camilo remembered Bruno advising him to be submissive to Mirabel, claiming that Bruno was the only one who could dominate her. At the time Camilo figured it was mere banter, but now he thought it more likely that his uncle was actually giving him a heads-up. Mirabel really was quite forceful, which made Camilo very curious to see how Bruno would be able to quell her ferocity.

Camilo was beginning to feel a bit lightheaded by the time Mirabel broke their kiss again, so he dropped his head onto her shoulder to prevent her from kissing him again until he recovered a bit.

Camilo started when he felt a hand on his lower back, immediately followed by Bruno murmuring in his ear, "Mind if I cut in?"

Camilo chuckled breathlessly, "Be my guest."

Camilo could feel Bruno's smile against his skin as he kissed his cheek with a whisper of, "You're welcome to stay."

Camilo nodded and stepped back, sitting on the edge of the bed as Bruno smoothly took his place in Mirabel's arms.

Bruno brushed a lock of Mirabel's hair behind her ear before drawing her in for a kiss. The effect was instantaneous: the moment Bruno's lips touched hers, she melted into him. He opened her mouth with his and then pulled back slightly so Camilo could see Bruno's tongue tracing Mirabel's lips.

Mirabel gave a needy whimper and leaned closer, but when Bruno widened the distance between them even further she returned to her original place and simply waited with her mouth ajar as Bruno had positioned it.

"That's my girl, Novia," Bruno purred approvingly. "Patience. You won't be unsatisfied." Bruno took Mirabel's entire lower lip into his mouth and sucked on it as he slowly retreated, her lip stretching between them as far as it could until it finally snapped back to her. Bruno then gave her upper lip the same treatment as Mirabel stood there vibrating with anticipation but not making a move to try to speed things up.

"Good girl," Bruno praised her before kissing her at last. After several seconds, Bruno once again pulled back a bit, this time dragging Mirabel's tongue out of her mouth and fellating it for Camilo to see.

"God that's hot," Camilo groaned, uncomfortably aroused by the spectacle.

Bruno laughed around Mirabel's tongue as he brought his lips to hers again, kissing her deeply. When he pulled back again, there was a string of saliva connecting their mouths until he grinned and said, "I'm glad you both liked it."

"Tío Bruno," Mirabel breathed, leaning in and kissing Bruno's neck. "Take me to bed?" She shot Camilo the barest hint of a wink at these words since he had mentioned he would have loved to see her say them earlier.

Bruno growled, causing Mirabel to shudder pleasantly, before he grabbed the hem of her dress and swiftly peeled it off of her. "I thought I took those away from you already," Bruno teased as he traced the top of her panties with his thumbs.

Mirabel looked confusedly at him. "I-I had to put on a new pair since I couldn't find the ones you took off of me this morning. Where did you put them anyway?"

"Hm." Bruno ignored Mirabel's question, opting instead to remove her bra as he considered his options. Finally deciding, he pulled her panties down and, once she'd stepped out of them, Bruno tossed them at Camilo. "Here. Souvenir. Don't let anyone find them."

Mirabel couldn't believe this audacity, looking from Bruno to Camilo and back in disbelief. "You… Did you… Tío Bruno, did you steal my panties?!"

Bruno smirked as he stood toe-to-toe with her. "And if I did? What are you going to do about it?"

"Maybe I'll take something of yours," Mirabel sneered, reaching out to take ahold of Bruno's penis.

Bruno's jaw dropped and his entire body shivered as Mirabel fondled him.

Mirabel looked pleased with herself at this new development. She wore a shit-eating grin as she stroked his shaft with purpose.

"N-Novia," Bruno stuttered, shuddering at Mirabel's ministrations.

"Where are my panties, Tío Bruno?" Mirabel asked saccharinely, giving him a light squeeze.

"My desk," Bruno whined. "I wanted to masturbate with them."

"Hm." Mirabel gave a sniff of indifference. "I was about to say you have to give them back, but since I've moved in with you there's no real point, is there? You have unlimited access to my drawers now." She turned to Camilo with a raised eyebrow. "You, on the other hand…"

Camilo threw Mirabel's panties across the room and then scooted back on the bed to get even further away from them.

Mirabel laughed sincerely, letting go of Bruno's penis and all pretense of menace at the same time.

Bruno released a shaky exhale before picking Mirabel up bridal style and then dropping her on the bed. "What do you say, Único?" Bruno asked slyly. "Shall we double-team her?"

Camilo bit his lip and crept closer to his cousin. She didn't seem to be against the idea, so he nodded at Bruno and followed his lead.

Lying parallel on either side of her, they each placed a hand on Mirabel's belly and peppered her body with kisses, culminating with a sustained suckle of her nipples.

Mirabel cried out in wordless enjoyment, holding their heads to her breasts as she trembled beneath them.

While still maintaining constant suction, Bruno slid his hand on Mirabel's stomach over to Camilo's and gently grabbed it, dragging it down Mirabel's abdomen to her genitalia. Keeping their hands laced together, Bruno guided Camilo into fingering Mirabel.

Mirabel gasped and her hips jerked in response to the penetrative stimulation.

After a while, Bruno removed his and Camilo's hands from Mirabel's pussy and then shifted himself bodily so he was kneeling between his niece's legs with one hand on Camilo's back as an indication to his nephew to remain there.

Mirabel looked a wreck, flushed and sweaty, and Bruno fell in love just a little bit more. "You're beautiful, Novia," he told her as he swiped away the damp hair that was stuck to her face.

"Tío Bruno," Mirabel panted, "don't stop. I want…"

"I know, Novia, I know," Bruno shushed her, reaching down to line himself up with her opening. "Ready?"

Mirabel nodded immediately, so Bruno carefully inserted his penis into her vagina. "Ah-!" Mirabel winced at the initial discomfort, but it was very brief and overshadowed the next moment by a much less distressed sound.

In order to distract Mirabel, Camilo had reached across to twiddle the nipple that Bruno had abandoned. Suppressing a smirk at Mirabel's reaction, Camilo gave the nipple in his mouth a firm suck as Bruno slid smoothly all the way in.

"Oh God, Tío Bruno, ohh, oh God!" Mirabel cried hoarsely.

Bruno stilled with his pelvis pressed against Mirabel's, his face transported.

Mirabel's nipple slipped out of Camilo's mouth as he turned his head to look up at Bruno for a moment. Seeing his uncle apparently immobilized by pleasure, Camilo crawled forward on his cousin's chest and captured her mouth in a soft kiss, stroking her face tenderly, in an attempt to soothe her.

Mirabel made a quiet, timid sound as she kissed Camilo slowly, giving him control for once.

Camilo jumped as a warm weight settled over him, pinning him between his relatives in a Madrigal sandwich. Bruno's racing heart pressed against Camilo's back as the older man ran his hands through his two young lovers' hair.

Bruno nuzzled Camilo's head, then dropped a line of kisses from his ear to the place where the teens' lips were locked together. Upon reaching his destination, Bruno insinuated his tongue between them and licked the inside of both of their mouths.

Mirabel was most pacified by this, sucking on Bruno's tongue like it was caramel. Bruno laughed at that, the vibrations traveling through Camilo's body filling him with serenity.

Mirabel pouted when Bruno reclaimed his tongue from her, which made him chuckle, "Alright, Novia, no need to look so sour. I only needed to ask if you had adjusted enough for me to start moving."

Mirabel bit her lip, fighting off her reservations. He was already inside her, so she didn't know why she still had misgivings about it.

"It's okay, Dulzura," Camilo whispered, nipping lightly at her neck.

Bruno grunted as Mirabel tightened around him in response.

Camilo smirked as he continued, interspersing each sentence with another nibble, "We're both here with you. We'll take care of you. You know that, right?"

Bruno quivered from the effort it took to stay still through the torturous pleasure of being squeezed intermittently by Mirabel's Kegels.

"Yeah." Mirabel nodded, not unaffected by what was happening. "I'm ready."

"Gracias Dios," Bruno breathed as he began thrusting, his groans of pleasure combined with Mirabel's gasping moans creating a cacophony that Camilo couldn't escape, trapped as he was in the middle of them.

"K-k-kiss me, C-Camilo," Mirabel demanded breathlessly, biting his lip as he complied.

At the same time, Bruno took Camilo's ear between his teeth and growled, "I know you knew what that was doing, Único." Bruno nipped at Camilo's neck indicatively before latching on and sucking viciously.

Camilo felt a buzz from the bombardment of stimuli as not only were his cousin and uncle literally surrounding him while they had sex, but they were including him. They could have chosen to ignore Camilo and kiss each other, but instead they both had their mouths on Camilo himself, giving him pleasure as well. Camilo had never felt so loved - a sentiment that seemed to have occurred to him multiple times tonight alone.

Bruno bit the blooming hickey on Camilo's neck before letting go to stutter, "I-I'm… I'm g-gon… gonna c-come. A-are you… Are you close, N-Novia? Ú-Único?"

Mirabel broke her kiss with Camilo in order to respond, but she was panting too heavily to form words and so had to settle for a fervent nod.

"I'm not," Camilo admitted. "It's okay, though."

"A-after," Bruno promised, kissing Camilo's cheek. "We-we'll make you." Bruno returned to Camilo's hickey and sucked a spot overlapping the edge of it in order to make it bigger as Bruno gave one final thrust before ejaculating.

Mirabel came as well, her pulsating walls milking Bruno of his semen, both of them trembling.

Camilo admired Mirabel's O-face: she pretty much looked like she was thinking really hard about something, her mouth agape as though shocked by the subject matter. He didn't know what Bruno's O-face looked like since it was buried in the crook of Camilo's neck, but Bruno's teeth tightening delightfully on his tender flesh sent a thrill shooting down Camilo's spine. Maybe he was close after all. He firmly bit down on his own lip while vigorously humping Mirabel's body until he jizzed in his pants with a stifled scream.

Bruno collapsed, boneless, on top of Camilo, his warm breaths fanning over the vivid blotch the man had left on his nephew's skin. It was quite a sizable lovebite, but despite the likely implications when people inevitably caught sight of it, Bruno couldn't bring himself to care what anyone else might say.

Mirabel was struggling not to cry, but Camilo saw right through her.

"Dulzura?" Camilo asked, cupping her cheek. "You're in pain?"

Mirabel's lip quivered even as she shook her head in denial, a single tear leaking out as she gasped, "Happy," before the floodgates opened and she broke down sobbing.

"Happy?" Camilo repeated incredulously. "These are happy tears?"

Bruno cupped the other side of Mirabel's face, stroking the apple of her cheek with his thumb. "I understand," Bruno murmured. "We've both just lost our virginity."

Camilo stared at his uncle skeptically. Mirabel, sure, she was only fifteen and by no means licentious, but Bruno? A fifty-year-old man?

Bruno read the doubt on his nephew's face and raised an eyebrow at Camilo in return. "Knowing my reputation your entire life, is it really that hard to believe that nobody ever wanted to be with me? I've been prophetic since my Gift Ceremony at age five. Yes, Camilo, I was a virgin until tonight."

"Damn," Camilo muttered. "And you still wanted me to come with you? Pun not intended."

"Uh-huh," Bruno confirmed as he licked the toothmarks dotting Camilo's skin. "We love you, Único. When are you going to realize that? When everyone notices the…" He trailed off to suck on an area of Camilo's neck that overlapped the edge of his hickey, making it even larger, before finishing his sentence, "…ginormous bruise on your neck?"

"I…" Camilo was at a loss for words. "I hadn't thought you'd take credit for that."

"Are you kidding?" Bruno laughed. "This sucker's a work of art! Pun not intended. Of course I'm gonna take credit for it!"

"But…" Camilo swallowed around the lump forming in his throat. "…after they've just gotten used to the idea of you and Mirabel… what are they going to think?"

Mirabel sounded congested as she piped up, "That we're bringing our family closer together." She coughed to clear her airway before she went on, "This arrangement between us doesn't directly affect any of them. They have no right to judge. They should be supportive of whatever makes us happy, just as we ought to be supportive of whatever makes them happy."

"What if us not being together is what would make them happy?" Camilo countered, thinking of Alma.

Mirabel shook her head. "Then they're the ones in the wrong, not us."

Bruno's next attempt to increase the surface area of Camilo's hickey was thwarted by a yawn. "I think we should get some sleep," he mused aloud.

"I erm…" Camilo blushed. "I need to get cleaned up first. I kind of made a mess in my pants."

"Of course." Bruno smiled as he kissed Camilo's neck. "Bathroom's across the hall, washcloths on the shelf by the sink. If you could toss me a towel first that'd be great, then I can take care of my mess too."

"Sure," Camilo agreed, wriggling out from between the couple when Bruno lifted himself off of him a bit.

Even after he was clean, Camilo still stood naked in Bruno's bathroom for a while, staring into space. We love you, Único, his uncle's words echoed in his mind as Camilo ran his fingers over his hickey.

Tonight had been like a dream - and it seemed it wasn't over yet, as he was brought out of his reverie by a pair of arms wrapping around his waist and a stubbly check pressing on the unmarred side of Camilo's neck.

"Shall I give you a matching one here," Bruno murmured as he rubbed his face against Camilo's skin, his bristles scratching against it not unpleasantly, "or leave this side for Mirabel to do in the morning?"

"Um…" Camilo blinked. "In the… morning? How-"

"Aren't you sleeping with us tonight?" Bruno asked innocently. "Mirabel's already asleep, but the last thing she said was, 'Is he coming to bed or what?'"

Tears welled up in Camilo's eyes at the thought. "I'd love to," he whispered.

"Well, then we're glad to have you." Bruno lifted Camilo in a bridal carry to bring him back to the bed.

Camilo expected to be deposited on the bed like Mirabel had been earlier, but instead Bruno held Camilo in his arms until he was in the middle of the bed before setting him down so Bruno was between the two fifteen-year-olds.

"Sleep well, my loves," Bruno said quietly, pulling them closer and dropping a kiss on each of their heads. Mirabel snuggled up to him without waking.

Camilo laid his head on Bruno's shoulder and reached across the man's chest to place a hand on Mirabel so he could feel both of them as he drifted off, praying that they would still be there in the morning.

Chapter Text

Camilo stirred, burrowing his face into his pillow… His unusually firm, warm pillow, which started to shake underneath him as someone laughed quietly.

"Rise and shine, Único," Bruno murmured as he kissed his nephew's head, tightening his arm around him.

Camilo blushed, realizing it was his uncle's chest that he had been nuzzling. Last night hadn't been a dream after all! Shifting his focus to the other side of the bed, Camilo lifted his head to look and see if it was really Mirabel that his hand was resting on.

"She's still asleep," Bruno informed him.

"No 'm not," came a groggy response, followed by a huge yawn. "'m jus' basking."

"Aren't we all," Bruno chuckled, pulling his niece close to kiss her head.

When Mirabel stretched with a tired groan, Camilo tried to withdraw the hand that was touching her. To his surprise, however, she reached after it, pinning it halfway across Bruno's belly.

Camilo was confused until she started dragging his hand downward, reminiscent of what Bruno had done last night when they had double-teamed Mirabel.

*
Bruno froze, looking between his lovers as he felt their hands drifting lower. He opened his mouth to say something, but the two fifteen-year-olds wrapping their hands around his penis struck him dumb.

There was a mischievous glint in Camilo's eyes as he winked at Mirabel and jerked his head toward the foot of the bed.

Mirabel bit her lip, glancing quickly at Bruno's face, then nodded.

Bruno's heart skipped a beat when his two young lovers dove under the covers. A moment later, he threw his head back with a gasp as they both started licking his penis in tandem.

Bruno trembled, his fists clenching the blankets. He was not going to last long if they kept alternating strokes like that with no lull in between; there was constantly at least one tongue being dragged up his shaft. It was driving him insane.

"Q-queridos… P-please…" Bruno panted.

"Mm-hm," one of them answered, but he couldn't tell which because the vibrations went straight from their mouth into his member and short-circuited his brain.

"Oh Lord have mercy," Bruno wheezed as he came, his seed splattering the blankets - and the faces of his niece and nephew, he found out when they emerged.
*

"Are you alright, Tío Bruno?" Mirabel asked, placing a hand on his heaving chest.

"Of course he is," Camilo scoffed, "he just got his cock and his mind blown, that's all."

There was a rattling noise from the doorway as the tray of food in Julieta's hands shook. She only barely didn't drop it in shock.

Mirabel looked around for the source of the sound and, upon seeing Julieta there, uttered a surprised, "Mamá?!"

"I brought you breakfast," Julieta offered, her voice very strained, "since you missed it."

Bruno ran a hand down his face in embarrassment. Of course his sister had to walk in on them. Although, he supposed, he was lucky it was this sister and not his other one. As he struggled to sit up, his bones feeling like jelly in the aftermath of his orgasm, he realized he was in bed between two Mirabels. "Didn't I tell you not to change?" he said sternly to one of them.

"I didn't want her to see it was me," the Mirabel he was glaring at whispered.

"Changing into me doesn't help then," the other Mirabel pointed out as she reached across Bruno and pinched her double, who shifted back into Camilo with a sheepish frown. "Since I'm right here and I don't have a twin, it's obvious one of us is you."

"Besides," Bruno said, stroking the hickey on Camilo's neck, "I have no intention of hiding this, remember?"

Julieta closed her eyes while she took a deep breath. Once she had composed herself, she stared at the wall behind their heads and calmly walked over to the bed, placing the tray on Bruno's lap.

"Thank you, Julieta," Bruno said, his gratitude echoed almost inaudibly by the shamefaced teens beside him. "Sorry we missed breakfast. It won't happen again."

Julieta rolled her eyes. "Yes it will. Who are you kidding?" With what seemed like a considerable amount of effort, she looked at Camilo and told him, "You're going to have to tell your mother. I don't know whose idea this was, but…" Her voice trailed off, and after a moment of silence she left without another word.

Bruno rubbed his young lovers' backs comfortingly to help ease the tension before reaching for some food. "Eat up," he told them solemnly. "We're going to need our strength to face Pepa."

By the time they'd finished eating, the three of them had decided that the best course of action would be for Camilo to approach Pepa alone. Well, technically it was majority rule rather than unanimous; Camilo was outnumbered.

"I'd really rather not get struck by lightning again," was Bruno's input.

"I doubt I'd get any leniency either, considering how she reacted to me just being with Tío Bruno," Mirabel put in.

So Camilo had no choice but to walk up to his mother, by himself, with a hickey the size of Colombia on his neck. The one Bruno had given him last night was completely healed by the breakfast Julieta had brought them, but Mirabel had impishly put a facsimile of it on the opposite side before they left the bedroom.

Pepa blinked at him several times, white clouds gathering over her head. Camilo gulped, certain they would darken before long. Pepa cleared her throat. "Yes, mijo?"

Camilo looked at the floor, dragging his toes across it. "I uh… made out with someone last night…"

"Evidently," Pepa responded, her clouds darkening slightly. "I assume you've come to tell me who?" The longer he stayed silent, the darker her storm clouds got.

Camilo stiffened when his mother put her hand under his chin and lifted it, forcing him to look at her. "Please don't hurt them, Mamá, it was my idea, I swear!" he blurted in one breath.

Pepa's eyes widened. "Them?" she repeated, thunder rolling. "Don't tell me…" She withdrew her hand before balling it into a fist.

"Mamá, please!" Camilo took her fist in both of his hands and began rambling, "I was jealous of the love Tío Bruno and Mirabel have and wanted to join them, so when they offered I followed them! It was my choice in the end!"

The storm clouds began dissipating as Pepa looked into her son's eyes, seeing the sincerity in them. "Okay," she sighed at last, pulling Camilo into her arms for a warm embrace. "You're old enough to consent, so as long as it was your choice to take part, it's fine. I'm just being a meddling, overprotective Mamá. Forgive me?"

"Of course I forgive you," Camilo replied immediately, fighting back tears of relief. "I love you."

Alma leaned heavily against the wall just around the corner, her hand over her heart, having overheard the tail end of their conversation.

Chapter Text

"Bruno?" Alma approached Bruno that evening looking very lost. "If I could… have a word with you?"

Bruno swallowed nervously but nodded. "Alright… Alma."

Alma's face fell at the sound of her given name on his lips; a reminder that she was a stranger in her own home. "Is it impossible for you to call me your mother now?"

Bruno turned his head away to hide the single tear forming in the corner of one eye. "You're the one who renounced me, not the other way around. Is that all you wanted to say?"

Alma sighed, "No. I wanted to say… I'm sorry."

Bruno looked at her, that treacherous tear clinging to his eyelashes. "You're sorry?" he repeated. "Well, good. You have a lot to be sorry for. First of all: have you any idea how much it hurts to be called a curse by your own mother?"

"I shouldn't have said that to you," Alma admitted.

"You're damn right you shouldn't have said it to me!" Bruno burst out. "But do you know what the worst part is?"

Alma opened her mouth, but Bruno didn't pause to let her speak.

"The worst part is that I wasn't even surprised to hear it!" he exclaimed. "You made it clear by the way you've treated me for most of my life! I already knew that was how you fucking felt about me!"

"Brunito-" Alma gasped at his coarse language.

Bruno pointed a finger in her face, his teeth clenched. "Don't call me that, Alma. I'm not your little boy, I am a grown man. You have no right to tell me what to do."

Alma pressed shaking fingertips to her lips. This conversation wasn't going at all the way she intended. "H-how… How can I make it up to you?"

"Hell if I know." Bruno threw his hands in the air in frustration. "You said you'd accept my decision and turn a blind eye to my actions, so let's start there. Maybe you could respect my decisions and be supportive of my actions? Or is that too much to ask?"

Alma shrank away from his glare, remaining speechless even after he stormed off.

Mirabel found Bruno lying prone in their bed, tear tracks staining his cheeks. "Tío Bruno?" she whispered, laying a hand on his back. He responded by sniffing and turning his head so his face was buried in the pillow. She bit her lip. "Dolores told me you had a fight with Alma…"

"Dolores talks too much," Bruno grumbled.

"Bite your tongue!" Mirabel snapped. "Dolores has done a lot for us - and especially for you - so it's not fair for you to take out your frustrations by badmouthing her."

Bruno sighed, pushing himself up to sit on the bed. "You're right. I'm sorry, Dolores. I didn't mean it."

Mirabel sat next to him as she commented, "She didn't tell me what was said, only that there was an argument and then you came up here. I didn't even know how bad it was until I saw your face when I came in; she hadn't told me you'd been crying."

Bruno rubbed his forehead. "I appreciate that. Thank you." He leaned over to kiss Mirabel's cheek. "And thank you, Novia, for your concern. I'll be alright."

"Is there anything I can… do?" Mirabel asked, stroking his knee sensually.

Bruno huffed a chuckle and put his hand on hers, stilling it. "Not tonight. Well, except maybe hold me."

Mirabel nodded. "I can do that." She climbed into the bed and lay down with him, holding him close. "I love you." She kissed his neck. "I love you so much." Another kiss. "Is there anything else? Because I think it goes without saying that you're not a horrible person, but if you need to hear it?" She kissed his neck again and then held him tighter as he shook in her arms with renewed sobs.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Mirabel visited Alma in the guest bedroom after breakfast. "I understand there was some kind of… disagreement between you and Bruno yesterday," Mirabel began diplomatically. "Can I ask what it was about?"

Alma bristled. "It was a private discussion between me and my son."

"Wrong," Mirabel contradicted her. "It was a conversation between you and a member of my family which turned heated, causing a certain amount of distress for multiple people. You are a guest here, Alma, and I am the head of la familia Madrigal. You are here by my grace. If I were to withdraw my favor, Casita herself would eject you out on your ass in a heartbeat. I'm not saying this as a threat - I have no desire to see you homeless - but you need to learn your place."

"I approached him to apologize!" Alma snapped. "I told him I was sorry and he threw it back in my face! And now you have the nerve to come at me like I'm the one who started it?"

"If you needed to apologize, then doesn't that mean you did start it?" Mirabel said quietly. "Whether or not he escalated the argument last night, the cause of it was ultimately whatever you did that you were apologizing for. Is that not correct?"

Alma exhaled sharply, crossing her arms over her chest. "The fact that I was apologizing counts for nothing, then?"

"I didn't say that," Mirabel continued to speak softly. "It was good of you to want to apologize, but when you've really hurt someone, just saying sorry isn't always enough. You may need to go out of your way to prove to them that you know you did them wrong and you fully intend to be better from now on."

Alma looked at her strangely. "That sounds like a mother's advice."

"It is," Mirabel said with a nod. "That's the advice my mother gave me when I realized how much the way I told you about my relationship with Bruno had hurt him. He cried for hours after you told him you didn't approve, and he was upset at me because he thought maybe if he'd been able to ease you into it that you might have been more receptive to the news."

Alma was downcast upon hearing this, murmuring, "It wouldn't have made a difference." She started when Mirabel touched her shoulder.

"I care about you, Alma. As much as I'd like to bring you back into the family-" As Casita began trembling at these words, Mirabel glanced at the ceiling and hurried on, "alright, you need to prove yourself." Casita stilled then.

"How am I supposed to… prove myself… to Casita?" Alma asked, looking at the ceiling uneasily.

"By reconnecting with the family," Mirabel answered. "Casita can feel the dissension between you and the rest of us. When that's gone, she will understand that you belong- don't start," Mirabel curtly addressed the ceiling with her last two words as Casita had started to protest again. "Now, what were you and Bruno fighting about? Maybe I can help you figure out how to resolve it."

"You do have a lot to make up for," Mirabel acknowledged once Alma had explained what the root cause of her argument with Bruno was. "I don't think it will be impossible, but it's probably going to be a slow process. Make sure that you pay attention to him - but don't be overbearing; I just mean you should try to notice if he needs something and then offer to help. Don't be offended if he doesn't accept, though. He might be wary of you at first. It'll take time to work past four decades of emotional trauma."

Alma shook her head incredulously. "I can't believe I'm having to take advice from my own grand-"

Mirabel cleared her throat. "I'm not your granddaughter, Alma. I think what you were trying to say is that you can't believe you need to take advice from a fifteen-year-old. Right?"

"Right," Alma grumbled, "I'm nothing more than a friend of the family who is living in a guest room because a child took pity on me."

Mirabel rubbed her eyes, exasperated, but didn't correct her. "Is that your way of asking me to leave you alone? I do have other things I can be doing right now."

Alma sighed. "Thank you for your input. I'm just so used to being the one who runs the show, it feels strange to not be in control. You seem to be taking the transition to head of the family well, though. Then again, you always were very headstrong, and constantly trying to help everyone."

"I felt like I needed to work extra hard to make up for the fact that I didn't have a Gift," Mirabel told her candidly. "You always talked about how proud you were of everyone for their Gifts, like it was something they'd earned rather than been given. I wanted so badly to prove myself to you - to make you proud - by earning a Gift later. Of course it doesn't work like that." She made to leave then, but she turned back and placed a hand on Alma's arm. "I believe in you," she murmured before leaving the old woman to her thoughts.

Chapter Text

Over time, things settled into a new normal. Mirabel was unequivocally recognized as head of the family. Her relationship with Bruno was unanimously viewed as a positive step forward. There weren't any protests about the openness of it; nobody questioned Camilo's standing invitation to join them on occasion if he wanted to. Elena Madrigal was welcomed with open arms as Isabela's wife.

Alma didn't stir up any trouble. She didn't pick any fights. She didn't make any complaints. She did her best to help out where she could. And she never made any reference or allusion to her ever having been related to them.

Bruno was suspicious of Alma's sudden turnaround. Most of the time that she was in his presence he spent ignoring her. If she tried to talk to him, he only gave short, clipped responses.

Mirabel hadn't gotten around to asking him for more information about roleplaying or BDSM or whatever he had called it, and he never brought it up again either. They had sex most nights, though she noticed he usually requested a night of just cuddling and kissing after days that Alma tried to engage with him. Mirabel always catered to his wishes when that happened.

The townspeople didn't pry into the family's affairs. There may have been an occasional whisper in a neighbor's ear at seeing Isabela holding hands with a woman after having nearly been engaged to Mariano Guzmán, or a surprised eyebrow raised upon witnessing a public display of affection between Mirabel and Bruno, but they were surprisingly accepting of the fact that Mirabel seemed to be in charge now instead of Alma.

Perhaps it had something to do with the way the community had banded together to help them rebuild after Casita Primera collapsed, but it seemed that the Madrigals were no longer up on such a high pedestal as they used to be. The town at large must've realized by that point that, despite the magic of the Encanto and the Gifts that most of them had, the Madrigals were not infallible.

As Mirabel's birthday drew near, plans were discussed about how it should be celebrated. Camilo's sixteenth had only recently gone by, and it was a pretty small party, all things considered. Casita had been fully decked out of course, but nobody was invited who didn't live there; Alma was the only one present who wasn't a Madrigal. The big difference was, even though this was also a sixteenth birthday, it was going to be the sixteenth birthday of the head of la familia Madrigal. As such, it was decided that the town should be included.

It would be the first time since Casita Nueva was built that they would be hosting an event like this for the entire town to get together. Alma commented that the head of the family, on such occasions in the past, always gave a speech, but she quickly appended that there was no reason that that had to continue if the current head didn't want to do it.

Mirabel admired Alma's candor on the matter, thanking her for her input and promising to give it due consideration. She didn't really want to buck tradition entirely. A lot of the recent goings-on in la casa Madrigal were groundbreaking, so she felt like she kind of owed it to her predecessor to try to preserve at least a little bit of the old days which Alma had - to her detriment - so fiercely clung to.

Bruno did his best to distract Mirabel when he thought she was overdoing something. His method of choice usually involved giving her an orgasm one way or another. She only got a little annoyed by that; there she would be, trying to make sure everything was going to go smoothly, and then all of a sudden he'd swoop in to sweep her away and… granted, it was enjoyable, and she did appreciate that he wanted to help her relax, but she still kept worrying.

Finally she mentioned to him that she was afraid if she didn't take care of every single detail herself then it would all come apart at the seams. His response was to pull her close and admit to her that he was afraid her determination to take care of every single detail herself was making her come apart at the seams.

"If you drive yourself to distraction, it might cloud your judgement," Bruno warned her. "I would hate for you to feel pressured into doing something you don't want to do." He tapped the parchment on the desk Mirabel was sitting at, which contained more cross-outs than legible words. "As much as I am loath to agree with Alma about anything, she did have a point when she said the old traditions didn't need to still stand."

"There's no harm in me giving a speech, Tío Bruno," Mirabel insisted. "I just can't figure out how to say what I need to say, that's all."

"I'm concerned about you, Novia," he began, massaging her shoulders. "I haven't seen you this stressed since the early days of our relationship." Pressing a kiss to her hair, he suggested, "What if I did the speech?"

"What?" Mirabel's mouth fell agape. "No, it's my job, as head-"

"What does that make me?" Bruno interrupted. "Alma was a widow the whole time that she was head of her family, so she had no one to share the burden with, and look what that did to her. We don't want the same thing to happen to you, do we?"

Mirabel stared at the scribbled-on parchment that swam before her eyes. "It's my responsibility to see that everything gets done…"

"So delegate," Bruno told her. "You can still make sure everything gets done without doing it all yourself; just supervise. As long as you check in on everyone's progress, you can lend a hand when it's needed and not burn yourself out. You look exhausted, Mirabel, and it's supposed to be your birthday. You won't be able to enjoy the celebration if you're sleeping through it."

"Alright, fine," she grumbled, shoving her failed attempt at a speech away from her.

"That's my girl," Bruno praised, bringing a smile to her face as she tilted her head back to look at him. "And there's that beautiful smile I can't get enough of." He stroked her face tenderly and kissed her forehead.

Chapter Text

The townsfolk gathered in and around Casita on the evening of Mirabel's birthday. The young head of la familia Madrigal was clearly nervous, but not to such an extent that she was unable to greet the visitors and mingle for idle chit-chat. When anyone brought up a heavy topic, she graciously requested that they wait for her speech, promising that they would get their answers then.

In order to ensure that everyone could hear Mirabel's speech loud and clear, Casita had positioned the open end of an empty pipe at the top of the podium on the balcony where she would stand, with the length of it running up to the roof over the door to carry her voice to those furthest from her. On the podium, for only Mirabel to see, was the speech that Bruno had written for her to give - with her input and final approval to ensure that it came out as good as she could have hoped considering she didn't do it all herself.

The chatter faded to silence when Mirabel ascended the stairs and stepped up to the podium, clearing her throat in front of the pipe to test how well the sound would carry. "Welcome," she began, "and thank you for coming." She was pleased to hear that her words were discernable even from such a distance, relieved that she wouldn't have to talk louder than her normal volume to be understood by everyone.

"Some of you may have been surprised to receive an invitation to what could hardly be considered a momentous occasion as sixteen is not a milestone age, but it is not the number itself that is significant for this particular birthday.
"A lot has happened since the Encanto was broken. Some of it is common knowledge; most notably the rebuilding of la casa Madrigal that most everyone here contributed to - for which our entire family is exceedingly grateful, so thank you again - but now I am going to explain the rest of what you need to know.
"Our family dynamic has changed drastically to become, in a word, unorthodox. I stand before you now, on my sixteenth birthday, as head of la familia Madrigal."

There was a planned pause in the speech at this point, anticipating the audience interrupting. It was the right decision, as they grew just loud enough that they needed to be reined in before Mirabel could continue.

Mirabel gave a shrill whistle, which brought everything to a stop. She took a deep breath and then went on, "The reason the Encanto broke was because our family was breaking apart. Our family togetherness is what powers the Encanto. Anything that drove a wedge into our relationship with each other - an argument, a grudge, even something as simple as careless and hurtful words or actions that went unaddressed - would cause cracks in our Casita.
"Family bonds are strong, sturdy, able to withstand a lot of strain; but like a house, when there are too many cracks that aren't repaired, they widen, they compound, and eventually destroy. In other words, the first Casita collapsed because its structure suffered a literal representation of the cracks in our family bonds that went too long without being fixed.
"La familia Madrigal came together in that time of crisis, rebuilding those bonds that had been broken, so that we were united and whole once again when our new Casita was finished. This is why the Encanto was restored and the Gifts returned.
"And, speaking of Gifts… We do need to talk about Bruno."

Mirabel paused again, though there was only a brief ripple of murmurs this time.

"Every. Madrigal. Gift. is a blessing," Mirabel stressed, "but nobody appreciated Bruno for the treasure that he is."

Bruno put a hand over his face. Mirabel was ad-libbing. When she was critiquing the speech, she had made some suggestions that he thought would be inadvisable to include so he didn't put them in. Unfortunately, he hadn't thought he would need to ask her not to go off script.

"Bruno's Gift of clairvoyance was seen as a curse, his visions like a plague, but that couldn't be further from the truth," Mirabel declared. "Bruno's visions are not and have never been a jinx. They are a herald of future events, not the cause of them. But he was treated as a leper, turned into a scapegoat, and ultimately made taboo.
"No human being should have to suffer through that, but Bruno did. He has lived decades without receiving any love from anyone, so there should be no argument against me now for giving him all of my love - and I do mean all of my love."

The uproar that arose in the wake of that revelation was almost deafening. Luckily, Mirabel had formulated a plan with Antonio ahead of time just in case the crowd got out of hand.

Mirabel picked up the speech notes and then stepped to the side of the podium. This was a signal for Leona the leopard to take her place at the podium and roar into the pipe, "||Shut up, you closed-minded capybaras, or I'll start eating you all!||"

Everyone gasped and went quiet, staring fearfully at the leopard.

"||That's better,||" Leona growled before dropping back down on all fours as Mirabel returned to the podium.

Mirabel surveyed the crowd to make sure everyone was paying attention. "Now that you've all gotten that out of your system, I would like to move on. Your reaction was expected, and while I'm not surprised, I am disappointed. How dare you shame me for loving someone? Hate is what should be shamed, not love. Love is what holds families together, and as I said earlier, it is the togetherness of la familia Madrigal that powers the Encanto. If you seek to drive any of us apart, then you will cause the Encanto to break again.
"People can't control who they love. When there's a connection, a spark, between people, it's just there. And this doesn't only happen with couples; it is possible to feel love for more than one other person, but it's still love, and should therefore be celebrated, not shamed. Nobody has the right to judge anyone who decides to share their love with multiple people, as Bruno and I have done."

There was the beginnings of a protest from the crowd, but Leona quashed it with a rumbling, "||Quiet…||"

Mirabel cleared her throat. "As I was saying: you can act on your feelings, or you can deny them. I personally have tried both, and denying them only made me feel miserable. The same can be said about my sister, Isabela, who had been miserable because she was denied the freedom to be with her now wife, Elena Madrigal, before the Encanto was restored."

The crowd shifted restlessly, but no one said anything this time.

"I realize this was a lot of information for you to absorb," Mirabel acknowledged, "and in the minds of some it may be upsetting at first, but we need to be understanding of one another. The Encanto is meant to protect us, but if we are divided then there is no us, and with no us to protect, the Encanto would die.
"Alma was as appalled as all of you were about the way our family has been changing, and she attempted to put a stop to it. She sought to officially renounce the members of la familia Madrigal who were willing to accept Bruno, his relationship with me, and the union of my sister and her wife - but that amounted to the entirety of the family. We were all united in supporting one another, so instead of all of us being renounced from la familia Madrigal, the magic renounced her from us. That is why I am the head of the family now: Alma is a guest here, not a Madrigal."

Everyone was silent, looking between one another and Leona and recognizing that voicing their opinions about this was not worth incurring the wrath of a menacing predator who could tear them to pieces.

"Now, in closing, I'm certain we're all capable of behaving like reasonable, civilized people," Mirabel stressed. "All we have to do is accept each other's differences, and agree to disagree if we can't see eye to eye. Remember, this is my birthday party, and nobody wants their birthday to be ruined by prejudice and hate, right? So let's enjoy ourselves!"

Mirabel left the speech notes on the podium when she went to rejoin the party guests, letting the leopard know that she didn't need to roar into the pipe again. Leona instead sat at the top of the stairs and simply stared down at the crowd, occasionally meeting a random person's eyes to make sure everyone remembered she was watching so they wouldn't step out of line anymore.

After Mirabel's speech, a number of the townsfolk left quickly without a word. However, it seemed there were enough people who were willing to consider - or at least put up with - new ideas that the party was still a full and lively one.

A pair of redheaded identical twins, who looked to be a little younger than Luisa, approached Bruno and struck up a conversation with him. Bruno smiled and laughed with them like they were kindred spirits. Apparently the brothers had been openly in love with each other, but everyone assumed it was pretend because they were well-known to be jokesters.

Mirabel left the three men to talk and moved about the crowd alone, fielding a wide variety of questions: everything from inquiring minds asking for more details that might sate their curiosity to nervous people seeking advice about how they might come out to their families as 'unconventional' in one way or another.

There was a middle-aged couple with a baby who caught Mirabel's attention. They were staring at Elena from across the room, frowning and whispering to each other, but every time Mirabel tried to move closer to them she got waylaid by another guest.

Elena froze when a stern female voice behind her yelled, "Ephraim!"

Elena's frightened eyes sent a silent plea to Isabela, who immediately picked up on her wife's anxiety and offered a hasty excuse to the young woman she had been conversing with.

"Don't worry about it," Isabela murmured as she gently pulled Elena over to the refreshment table. "Let's get you a drink."

"Ephraim!" The woman shouted, following them. "It is you, isn't it! ¡Gusano profano! ¡Sinvergüenzo impío!"

"¡Señora!" Mirabel called, her cordial tone belying her outrage as she stormed over. "I'm sorry, but did you only just get here?"

"No," the woman sneered. "I heard that disgraceful speech of yours."

Mirabel nodded. "I guess you missed the last part, then. My bad, I must not have been talking loudly enough. I had commented that nobody wants their birthday to be ruined by prejudice and hate, and I expected everyone here could behave like reasonable, civilized people. It seems you disagreed with those two points as well as the rest of it. Maybe you're right though, maybe my entire speech was hyperbole. I'll be sure to visit your home next time you throw a birthday party and I'll shout vicious insults at your family members, since that's obviously how you think reasonable, civilized people behave."

"Why you little…" The woman's eye twitched. "How long have you been harboring this filth? He's obviously poisoned your home! This parasite has leeched everything respectable out of this place! There's nothing worthwhile left here! A teenaged head in an incestuous polyamorous relationship deposing your matriarch? I knew we should have immolated that disgusting creature along with all of his things!"

"Señora," Mirabel spoke levelly in the wake of the woman's diatribe, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. You're disturbing my guests."

"Your guests are disturbed alright, but not because of me!" the woman spat. "Anyone who would happily linger here knowing what's been going on under this roof is most definitely disturbed! The only reason I stayed was because I recognized this trash!"

The irate woman pointed a shaking finger at Elena but recoiled when she realized there was a leopard between her and her target.

"||You are going to go away,||" Leona growled threateningly, stalking closer as the woman took a step back, "||and you will not return.||"

Mirabel crossed her arms. "Señora, with all due respect, please leave. I won't tell you again."

Leona bared her teeth. "||Get the point?||"

The woman kept her eyes on the leopard the entire time she backed away to the door. This place was crazy, keeping that thing here! As soon as she was outside, the woman turned and ran, never stopping, though she did stumble when Leona roared after her.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Mirabel asked Elena, concerned, as the little woman was obviously heavily affected by that altercation.

"I'll take care of her," Isabela told her youngest sister. "You take care of everyone else."

"Right." Mirabel hurried up to the balcony to speak into the pipe again. After a deep breath she announced, "My sincerest apologies for that horrible scene that just occurred. I never meant for anything like that to happen. Rest assured that everything is under control now. I truly hope the entire night hasn't been spoiled for all of you. Let the celebration recommence!"

Bruno met Mirabel at the bottom of the stairs and pulled her into a hug. "That was…"

"Yeah," Mirabel agreed when Bruno failed to complete his sentence. "That kind of behavior just burns me up."

"I'm glad it's over," Bruno said as he broke their embrace. "You handled it very well."

"Wanna help me with damage control? I'll go this way, you go that way," Mirabel said, pointing first to one side of the room and then the other.

"Of course," Bruno replied, giving her a kiss before they split up to reassure the remaining guests.

Chapter Text

When the party finally drew to a close and the last of the guests were leaving, Bruno searched for Mirabel but couldn't find her.

"Dolores," Bruno said, walking over to his second-eldest niece, "have you seen Mirabel?"

"She wanted me to tell you there's a surprise waiting for you in your bedroom," Dolores informed him.

Bruno cocked his head to one side. A surprise for him, on her birthday? "What kind of surprise?"

Dolores raised an eyebrow at him. "Just because I know something doesn't mean I'm obligated to answer questions about other people's secrets. Go to your room and find out for yourself."

A grin spread across Bruno's face as he took in the sight that awaited him upon reaching his bedroom: Mirabel was sitting on the bed, naked, with one arm extended beckoningly. He hastily stripped out of his clothes, tossing them aside, before he walked over to join her.

Mirabel wrapped her arms around Bruno's shoulders and kissed him as he straddled her. He leaned forward, his chest pressing against hers, until she was forced to lie down on her back.

"Happy birthday, Novia," Bruno murmured as he broke their kiss, moving to kiss her neck next.

Mirabel leaned her head to the side to give him better access, moaning in enjoyment. "With you here, Tío Bruno? It couldn't not be."

Bruno chuckled, sucking and nibbling on her neck between every few words. "I'm glad… I can… please you. You make me… happy too… Novia."

Mirabel was quivering with arousal by the time he finished speaking. "Tío Bruno," she panted, gazing longingly into her uncle's eyes. "Make love to me?"

"Of course," Bruno replied as he worked his way down her neck to her chest and tongued one of her nipples. "I was planning on it."

Mirabel hummed in response as he continued lower.

Bruno paused when his face was over Mirabel's groin, looking up at her with a raised eyebrow. "Seems like you got started without me," he commented, running a finger through her already wet pussy.

"So I got a little impatient," Mirabel muttered. "You gonna keep making me wait?"

Bruno growled playfully as he positioned himself between her legs, taking his penis in hand and using it to stroke her moist clit.

Mirabel gasped at the teasing. "God Tío… please."

Bruno slid into her smoothly, aided by the copious amount of lubrication. "Mm Novia," he groaned, "you feel so good…"

Mirabel's hands tightened into fists, gripping the pillow beneath her head. "T-Tío… ngh… yes."

Bruno peppered Mirabel with tender kisses as he began thrusting leisurely.

Mirabel wrapped her legs around him and pulled him in with a whispered, "Faster."

Bruno obliged, grunting at the increased pleasure as Mirabel met him thrust for thrust. It didn't take long for him to near his climax, so in order to make sure she came first he thumbed her clit.

Mirabel clenched around Bruno, coming just before him with a pleasured cry.

Bruno buried himself to the hilt inside of Mirabel and filled her with his spunk.

Mirabel studied Bruno's o-face: his eyes were scrunched shut, his teeth gritted firmly. She raised herself up to kiss him, the wrinkles on his forehead disappearing as his grimace eased. "I love you, Tío Bruno," Mirabel whispered as she hugged him tightly.

"I love you, too," Bruno replied, returning her embrace.

Mirabel and Bruno fell asleep with their nude bodies entwined, sporting matching expressions of postcoital bliss.

Chapter Text

Bruno awoke the next morning in the same position he'd fallen asleep in: tangled up with Mirabel. He sighed happily as he ran his fingers lightly over her face, feeling slightly guilty for waking her but reveling in the beauty of her smile when she opened her eyes and smiled at him. "I can't get over how beautiful you are when you smile," Bruno told her.

Mirabel blushed at the praise. "I'll have to do it more often then," she offered as she stretched.

Bruno tucked a loose bit of hair behind Mirabel's ear before saying, "Do you remember when I told you about my vision? How what I had been trying to see was the future of la familia Madrigal?"

Mirabel's brow furrowed. "What about it?"

Bruno lifted himself up on one arm so he could rest a hand on Mirabel's stomach. "Last night was the fulfillment of my vision. Everything I saw happened. This…" He tenderly rubbed her stomach. "…is the future of our family."

"What the fuck?!" Mirabel shouted, scooching herself out from underneath Bruno's body and staring at him in horror. "You can't be serious! You're not saying I'm… I can't be…"

"Mirabel, shh, it's okay, Novia, it's okay," Bruno tried to soothe her but it wasn't working.

"No, it's not okay, Goddamnit!" Mirabel screamed. "This wasn't part of the deal!"

Bruno blinked, utterly perplexed. "'Deal'?" he repeated.

Her lip trembling, Mirabel met Bruno's eyes tearfully and said, "My deal with Mirabel…"

"Camilo?" Mirabel began nervously. "Can I ask you for a favor?"

Camilo looked at her curiously. "What kind of favor?"

Mirabel searched his face, second-guessing herself. "Never mind." She shook her head. "It's not fair to you. I was just being selfish…"

Camilo was baffled. Mirabel? Selfish? "That's not possible, Dulzura. You're the least selfish person I know… next to maybe Tío Bruno."

Mirabel huffed self-deprecatingly. "I wanted to ask you to do something for me for Tío Bruno… And by 'for me' I mean… as me." She cringed, then began rambling, "You see, the thing is, Tío Bruno and I were planning on having sex tonight, but I really don't feel up to it now, so I was hoping maybe you could have sex with him while you're transformed into me." After a beat she added, "Still think I'm not selfish?"

Camilo was silent for what felt like hours to Mirabel, his expression inscrutable. She felt horrible asking this of him because she knew how insecure he was about his personal value beyond his Gift, but she was just so exhausted that even the thought of making love was unappealing to her. Finally, Camilo said, "Oh, what the Hell, alright, I'll do it - but! In return, I get to have sex with you while I'm transformed into Tío Bruno. I'll let you pick when. Fair enough?"

Mirabel teared up with gratitude, pulling him into a hug. "It's a deal! Thank you so much, Camilo!"

Bruno stared, stony-faced, at the person he had slept with last night. Speaking in a quiet, level voice, Bruno said, "Dolores, send Mirabel up here if you haven't already."

"I…" the Mirabel on the bed started to speak, but Bruno forestalled her with a hand.

"You've said enough for now, Camilo," Bruno told the Mirabel he had just interrupted softly.

"Dolores said you wanted… me… up here?" a different Mirabel said as she walked into the room, her words faltering when she saw the other Mirabel there. She bit her lip, then began, "Tío Bruno, I can explain-"

"Camilo already told me," Bruno spoke over her. "I know what you did and why. I'm not confused about anything. I'm disappointed. You manipulated Camilo, you deceived me, and you've disgraced yourself. If you didn't want to have sex with me, you should have just told me. I wouldn't have been upset. When I don't want to have sex, I tell you. Have I not earned the same respect from you?" Bruno shook his head. "You have no idea what you've done. The consequences of your deplorable scheme are literally never going to go away. The vision I had that showed the future of la familia Madrigal came true last night. Camilo is pregnant."

The more recently arrived Mirabel's hands flew up to cover her mouth in shock, her eyes darting between Bruno and her double.

The Mirabel on the bed whimpered, then began sobbing, "I can't… I can't be pregnant! This isn't my real body! I'm a guy for fuck's sake! I can't bear a child!"

Bruno tossed one final glare at the Mirabel who had come up with the idea, then enfolded the distraught Mirabel on the bed in a gentle embrace. "Alright, Camilo, alright, I'm here. I'm here," he said to the future mother of his unborn child, kissing her on the head as he began rocking her gently. "I'm so sorry that Mirabel did this to you, Único. You and I are going to get through it, though. Together."

Chapter Text

Both Mirabels were in tears as the one who was standing ran from the room. How could this be? Bruno's vision was clearly of her - Mirabel - not Camilo!

"What if you didn't understand what it meant?" Mirabel asked desperately.

"Then you'd better figure it out, because it was coming for you!" Félix insisted vehemently.

It had happened again: another vision that showed Mirabel in it when what was going on wasn't actually about her. It had been about the whole family last time, and that had been what Bruno was looking for this time. That should have been a clue, she supposed.

"…you aren't the only ones in each other's hearts," Dolores said after a heavy sigh.

Mirabel stared uncertainly at her eldest cousin. "Are you saying… it's not about me?"

"It's not only about you," Dolores corrected her immediately.

Except it really wasn't about Mirabel - not only not only but not at all!

When the fleeing Mirabel reached her uncle's study, she frantically dug through Bruno's desk drawers. She had to move aside a pair of her own panties during her search before she found what she was looking for. She pulled out the vision proof she sought, but her eyesight quickly became so blurry that she could no longer make out the picture.

Mirabel hugged the proof to her chest as she leaned against the wall and slid down it to sit on the floor next to Bruno's desk. She laid the vision proof on her lap so she could swipe at her streaming eyes and then looked again. Her eyes darted across the image, taking in the details of the faces of the people it contained. Was there anything that would've proven it was Camilo in disguise? If there was some kind of difference, some way of having known beforehand that it wasn't actually her, then she couldn't be blamed for not knowing that this might happen!

When Mirabel first saw the proof of this vision, it made her happy. Seeing herself and Bruno basking together in the afterglow of sex had brought a smile to her face. Now, though? Now she knew it was a lie, and she hated it.

"It should have been me," Mirabel muttered as she sat hugging her knees dejectedly, staring unseeing at the vision proof she'd laid on the floor in front of her. She had looked so long and hard at the image that she had it committed to memory, and there was no doubt about it: Camilo's transformation into her was flawless.

Mirabel honestly hadn't thought about that vision in a long time, and she wasn't really sure how she would have reacted to Bruno telling her that he knew she was pregnant because of the vision. It was common knowledge that sex could lead to pregnancy, and she had been having sex quite frequently, so anyone might assume she was pregnant too, even if she wasn't showing yet.

"I…" Mirabel hugged her knees tighter, tears pouring down her face. "I hope I'm not."

The idea of going through a pregnancy without Bruno by her side was terrifying. The look he had given her that morning was devastating. He had been upset with her in the past - he'd glared at her before, even snapped at her - but this time was different. This time it wasn't just a look of hurt or offense, it was a look of hatred. Bruno hated Mirabel for what she had done, and she thought that was perfectly fair.

"I don't deserve his love," she mumbled, and as she sat crying on the floor in Bruno's study, Mirabel had never felt more alone.

Chapter Text

Both Mirabels were in tears as the one who was standing ran from the room. The physical reassurance from Bruno was doing wonders for the emotional state of the one in his arms, though.

"T-Tío Bruno?" Mirabel murmured, sniffling.

"Yes, Único?" Bruno whispered, rubbing her back soothingly.

"I-I'm scared," Mirabel stuttered.

"I know." Bruno sighed. "I am too. I knew I'd become a father, but I didn't know when, and now-"

"Not just that," Mirabel interrupted him. "I'm scared of what will happen if I change back." She choked on her words as she continued, "Would the baby die?"

Bruno stilled. How could he have not thought of that? He'd been hugging this Mirabel with his eyes closed, and was so focused on comforting Camilo that he'd forgotten he was transformed into Mirabel.

"I don't want to lose our baby, but I don't want to stay in this form either," Mirabel admitted.

Bruno pulled away to look Mirabel in the eye. "We are not going to lose our baby, Único. My vision showed that the conception of this child was the future of la familia Madrigal, so if you change back into yourself, I am certain it won't terminate the pregnancy."

Mirabel blinked several times, holding Bruno's gaze, gathering strength from his conviction. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and became Camilo again… sort of.

Camilo put his face in his hands when he realized he still had breasts, devastated that his Gift seemed to have failed him, but then he realized something: as he ran his fingers over each of his facial features, he recognized them as his own. "I've… I've only partially transformed," he commented tonelessly.

"Let me see, Único," Bruno said, gently prying Camilo's hands away so he could see. He stroked his nephew's face as he gave it a once-over. He seemed to have returned to normal in every way except for the fact that he still had breasts.

Camilo gingerly touched his chest, biting his lip as he understood, "It's for the baby. So I can nurse." He took a shaky breath before adding, "I bet I've got all the girl parts on the inside, too, and…" He gulped as he reached down between his legs. A moment later, he felt as though his heart had stopped. His penis was there, but it was protruding from a fleshy mound that surrounded it and extended further down. His balls seemed at first to be gone, but by palpating the area he found a testicle housed inside of what he now realized was a labia. He slipped his hand between the folds and confirmed his suspicion. "…I still have a pussy. I'm… I'm a hermaphrodite."

Bruno took Camilo in his arms again and pulled him close, rubbing his back comfortingly.

Camilo sighed as he snuggled with his uncle, "I'm sorry I freaked out."

"No, Único, no. You have nothing to be sorry for." Bruno kissed his nephew's head, but the man's voice grew stern as he spat, "It's Mirabel who should be sorry."

Camilo flinched back from him, looking contrite. "Don't be mad at Mirabel, Tío Bruno."

"Why shouldn't I be?" Bruno contended, "She used you, and tricked me, not to mention she's forced this on you." He gestured at Camilo's body.

"She only did what you predicted," Camilo posited.

Bruno blinked. "What?"

"You said everything we did last night was in your vision," Camilo pointed out.

"Yes," Bruno confirmed.

"So it had to happen," Camilo insisted. "And even though I looked like Mirabel, there's no way all of that would have happened exactly the same if it had actually been her." When Bruno looked dubious, Camilo went on, "You may not have noticed anything last night, but look back on it now. Was there nothing I did that Mirabel wouldn't have done?"

Bruno furrowed his brow in thought. Now that Camilo mentioned it… "You were a lot less passive than Mirabel usually is with me," he admitted.

"Now can you really hold it against her when your visions are guaranteed to happen?" Camilo asked seriously.

"She didn't have to be so underhanded!" Bruno fumed. "It could have happened without her going behind my back!" He looked pleadingly at Camilo, his voice softening as he added, "You could have at least told me it was really you."

"No I couldn't," Camilo countered. "I know you, Tío Bruno. You've made it abundantly clear that you don't want me to be anyone but myself when I'm with you."

Bruno looked away stubbornly. "If you told me you wanted to…"

"Really?" Camilo questioned him skeptically. "If I told you I wanted you to have sex with me while I was transformed into Mirabel, you would have done it?" Bruno was silent. "I didn't think so."

"But I would have!" Bruno looked at Camilo triumphantly as a thought occurred to him. "I would have had to, for the vision to come true!"

Camilo shook his head. "It couldn't have all happened just the way it did in your vision. You would have treated me differently if you knew it was me. The only way that vision could happen exactly the same was if you thought I was her."

Bruno's face crumpled as he was finally defeated. "Alright. You win. C'mere." He pulled Camilo in once more, enveloping him in a tight embrace.

Hugging Bruno just as tightly, Camilo asserted, "We're not really a family without her, anyway."

Chapter Text

"You seem to be making a habit of this, Novia," Bruno said softly, laying a hand on Mirabel's shoulder as he knelt in front of her so they were at eye level.

Mirabel jolted awake, her body stiff from being hunched up on the floor for she wasn't sure how long. "Huh?" She blinked at Bruno uncomprehendingly.

Bruno gave her a half-smile. "Sitting on the floor waiting for me when I get upset? You're making a habit of it."

Mirabel hung her head in shame at the reminder that she had hurt him once again. "I'm sorry, Tío Bruno…" Her face buried between her knees muffled the rest of her words as she continued speaking.

"Shh," Bruno shushed her gently, rubbing her arm in an attempt to comfort her. "It's okay, Novia, it's okay. I forgive you."

Mirabel gasped and looked up sharply. "Wh-what?"

Bruno wiped her tears with his thumbs and then kissed her forehead. "I forgive you."

When Mirabel began crying in earnest, Bruno turned to sit on the floor next to her with a groan and pulled her into a sideways hug.

"You don't think you deserve forgiveness?" Bruno surmised. "For what? I already told you I'm not angry that you didn't feel like having sex with me. You know there have been times when I haven't been in the mood. I'm happy that you chose not to have sex with me last night; I would hate for you to feel pressured into doing something you don't want to do.
"I'm also not angry that you asked Camilo to have sex with me. I enjoyed it, and he did too. I am sad that you thought he should do it disguised as you, though, not just because of his self-esteem, but because for some reason you thought I would want him to be disguised as you."

"I figured… since it was my birthday… that you'd want me… because it was my birthday," Mirabel offered haltingly.

Bruno looked at her strangely. "That makes it sound like you thought it would be my birthday present to you." He frowned when Mirabel nodded. "So you're saying you wanted me to give your birthday present to Camilo instead of, I don't know, having me give it to you later?"

Mirabel blushed. "Well, when you put it that way, it does sound really stupid."

"Especially since I was thinking about proposing," Bruno revealed.

Mirabel's jaw dropped. "You… You were?"

"The only reason I didn't was because I didn't propose in my vision," Bruno explained. "The way Camilo was on the bed when I walked in was exactly the same as the beginning of my vision."

Mirabel looked stunned. "You were… You were going to propose?"

Bruno was taken aback. "Why so surprised, Novia? You had said you would marry me if I asked you on the first day of our relationship."

"Well… but… I…" Mirabel stammered. "The way you looked at me after I said that… I thought you were against the idea."

Bruno rubbed his forehead. "No, I wasn't against the idea, though I was surprised to hear you suggest it. That look was entirely because of the fact that you said it to Alma before she even knew we were together at all."

"Oh." Mirabel looked abashed at that revelation.

"So, as I was saying," Bruno segued, "what exactly is it that you've done that you think is unforgivable?"

Mirabel bit her lip. "Getting Camilo pregnant."

Bruno chuckled. "Don't give yourself so much credit, Novia. I got Camilo pregnant."

"Yeah, because of me," Mirabel insisted.

"I'm equally to blame, Dulzura," Camilo piped up. Mirabel hadn't even noticed he was there, holding the vision proof. "It may have been your idea in the first place, but I agreed to it. And it's not even like you bribed me; I'm the one who set the conditions, so technically you agreed to my deal."

Mirabel stared agape at her cousin. "C-Camilo? You… You're… You've got…"

"Yeah, I noticed." He rolled his eyes. "If I'm going to bear a child, I need to have all the proper equipment, right?"

Chapter Text

Lunch in la casa Madrigal that afternoon brought with it multiple surprises for the people who lived there. Dolores of course knew everything, and Mirabel had been given Luisa's news that morning before Dolores told her that Bruno wanted her upstairs, but everyone else had at least one new thing to learn once they got there.

Isabela had kept Elena in bed all morning, giving her constant reassurance that she was a woman, no matter what that miserable wretch had said at the party last night. When they approached the table for lunch, they were shocked to see Luisa holding a baby that appeared to be several months old.

"Hola, Isa, Elena," Luisa greeted them as she bounced the baby in her arms. "Meet my son, Ephraim."

Elena staggered backwards at these words, but Isabela was able to keep her on her feet.

"Are you alright, Elena?" Agustín asked as Julieta poured a glass of fresh cider and brought it over to her daughter-in-law.

"Why did you use that name?" Isabela asked Luisa tensely.

Luisa looked down at the baby and then back up at her older sister. "He came with that name."

Steadied by Julieta's cider, Elena spoke evenly. "That's her baby, isn't it? The woman from the party?"

"He was, yes, but he's my baby now," Luisa insisted.

"That fucking bitch!" Elena hissed. "She had another kid and gave him the same fucking name she gave me!"

Isabela rubbed Elena's back as she guided her to the table, taking a seat next to her and asking quietly, "Are you going to be able to cope with hearing that name all the time?"

"As long as it's not being used to refer to me it's fine," Elena replied. "It just caught me off guard because I wasn't expecting it, that's all."

Alma was keeping her mouth shut, as had become her wont whenever something offended her old-fashioned sensibilities. If Elena originally had the same name as that baby, that would imply that she was… born male? The indulgence of these newfangled concepts boggled Alma's mind: incest, same-sex marriage, and now… gender changing?

Mirabel and Bruno entered at that moment, accompanied by… Alma's jaw dropped. Camilo? He was dressed normally, his face unchanged, but for some reason he had breasts. It was one thing to know that he would have female anatomy when he transformed into a woman, but he wasn't transformed into a woman at the moment; he was just… himself with breasts.

Camilo didn't notice Alma's reaction to his new body because his attention was caught by the sight of a several-month-old baby in his middle cousin's arms. "Heh," he chuckled. "Here I was thinking I'd be giving birth to the start of the next generation of Madrigals. Looks like I'm a bit late."

Alma covered her mouth upon hearing that as a chill wind blew through the room, clouds multiplying rapidly overhead. Camilo… giving birth? She didn't want to believe what she was hearing, but this family was constantly being turned on its ear, so maybe she just shouldn't be surprised by anything anymore.

"Mierda," Camilo uttered as he turned to his mother, whose hair was being blown everywhere around her rigid face.

"Way to ease her into it, Único," Bruno muttered under his breath.

Sleet began falling as Pepa stared between her brother and her middle child, her mind furiously processing the information she had just been given. "It's safe to assume it was you," she commented flatly, her eyes settled on Bruno. "My only question is why?"

Mirabel opened her mouth to confess, but Camilo cut across her, "I was just trying something new. I didn't consider the consequences. Now that it's happened, what can I do? Do you want me to abort it?"

Bruno and Mirabel both gasped, their gazes snapping to Camilo in horror.

Pepa blinked, disconcerted. The sleet softened into snowflakes as she searched her hermaphrodite son's eyes. "No," she said finally. "No, I don't want you to abort. Come here."

Camilo met his mother halfway across the room and hugged her. "I love you, Mamá."

"I love you too, mijo…" Pepa broke their embrace and held him at arm's length, shaking her head as her eyes slid down his body to rest on his flat stomach. "…and my little nieto. How far along are you?" she asked, looking at his face again.

"It only happened last night," Camilo answered.

Pepa's brow furrowed. "Then how can you know already?"

Camilo gestured to his chest. "Why else would these still be here? I didn't try to keep them, they just didn't disappear when I changed back. I'm in my own body right now, it's just got everything I need for the baby added in too."

"Mirabel?" Julieta piped up, just finishing passing out glasses of cider to everyone. "Are you also…?" She let the sentence hang unfinished.

Her question sparked a silent panic inside of Bruno. One pregnant lover was going to be stressful enough, but two? He wasn't sure how well he'd be able to handle that, though he did manage to survive his sisters' simultaneous pregnancies not just once but twice. Of course, as soon as that was over, they would then be faced with the absolute chaos of having two babies at the same time.

Bruno's eyes darted around the table. His brothers-in-law could only give him pointers about dealing with a single baby, not two. Alma, though? She had raised triplets on her own, so if anyone at this table could help him in such a situation it would be her. He frowned, considering the way she had been behaving over the months since she had been renounced from la familia Madrigal. She really had been making a valiant effort to mend fences.

"I… I don't think so," Mirabel stammered, "but… it is possible." God, talking about her sexlife was awkward! Her face felt aflame just from acknowledging that she had sex at all! "I'll let you know if I miss my period. I should be getting it by next week."

"It's okay either way, mija." Julieta kissed her youngest's forehead.

"I know it is," Mirabel agreed.

Chapter Text

Bruno awoke in the middle of the night a few days later, uncertain why at first. He was spooning Camilo, who was still asleep, but the cool air on his back told him that Mirabel was no longer behind him.

Bruno eased his arm out from under Camilo and kissed his head. Looking around, he discovered that Mirabel had disappeared. He climbed out of bed and went to check if she was in the bathroom. Upon reaching the door, he heard crying inside.

Mirabel jerked when Bruno touched her arm. She lifted her head from where it was buried in her hands to see her uncle in front of her.

"Novia?" Bruno asked, clearly worried. "What's wrong?"

"I… I lied to Mamá," Mirabel blubbered. "I… I told her I didn't think I was, but I think I am!"

Bruno blinked. "…think you are… what?"

Mirabel's lip trembled, meeting Bruno's eyes as she placed her hands on her stomach before crying harder.

Bruno looked at Mirabel's stomach and then back at her face, and Mirabel saw the exact moment when realization struck. "You mean…?"

"I think so," Mirabel managed between sobs. "'m sorry."

"Oh, Novia." Bruno dragged her into a hug. "This isn't a bad thing. Not at all. Don't you see how blessed we are?"

Mirabel sniffed. "Y-you're not upset?"

Bruno pulled back to look into her eyes, thumbing away her tears. "Mirabel, mi amor, why would I be upset?"

"You were…" Mirabel cleared her throat. "You were upset about Camilo's."

Bruno shook his head. "I wasn't. I was upset about the dishonesty, not the baby. That morning, I was under the impression that I had impregnated you, and I was ecstatic. Don't get me wrong, I'm no less excited about Camilo having a baby, but you have to understand what a shock it was. Can you imagine if you thought your baby was mine and then found out it was Camilo who was the father instead? You wouldn't love this baby any less, but you would be shocked about the mix-up, wouldn't you?"

Mirabel squeezed her eyes shut. "Yeah," she conceded.

"It's going to be like I'm having twins," Bruno commented, tamping down his trepidation in the hopes that Mirabel wouldn't pick up on it. "Your baby and Camilo's will be half-siblings."

Mirabel shook her head as she wiped her nose. Bruno gave her a puzzled look, but before he could ask, she explained, "They're not half-siblings. They just have three parents."

Bruno smiled tearfully and hugged Mirabel even tighter, but he quickly let go when she hissed in discomfort. Concerned, he apologized, "I'm sorry, was I holding you too tightly?"

"No, it's just… my boobs have been really tender lately," Mirabel mumbled. "They're sensitive and kind of painful."

"I think I remember your Mamá having that as an early symptom of pregnancy," Bruno recalled. The awkwardness of finding that out when it happened to his sister was now outweighed by relief that this information was helpful knowledge now; at the very least it eased his mind a little to know that it was merely a symptom of pregnancy and not an injury or something more sinister. "Was that the first sign you had?"

Mirabel bit her lip. "I actually started suspecting it last month, when I was supposed to get my period, because I only had some cramping and just a little bit of spotting."

Bruno scratched his head. "That might be a symptom, but I wouldn't know because it's not one that was ever mentioned around me. Anything else?"

"I don't think so," Mirabel murmured. "I mean, I've been tired a lot, but I figured that was just stress from planning for my party and everything."

"Being overtired can be a symptom," Bruno told her. "Maybe you would have been fatigued anyway and the stress just made it worse. Either way, I think we should both get back to bed. What do you say?"

"Alright," Mirabel agreed with a yawn, accompanying him back to the bedroom. She climbed into bed and snuggled up close to him, quickly falling asleep in his arms.

Chapter Text

Over the next couple of weeks, Mirabel slept more than usual, and Bruno didn't wake her; he knew it was important for her to get plenty of rest, and if her body was telling her to stay asleep then he was sure that was the best thing for her.

Camilo, on the other hand, started to have trouble sleeping. Bruno was very attentive to his pregnant lovers, so after he discovered that his nephew enjoyed backrubs, he would give Camilo a backrub every night to help him relax.

Thankfully neither Camilo nor Mirabel suffered from morning sickness, though Camilo did begin craving offal - something which he had never liked the taste of before but now simply couldn't get enough of.

Another thing Camilo craved was sex. Bruno was perfectly fine with this, though Mirabel always declined if she was asked to join them. Even after her boobs stopped hurting, she just had no interest in sex whatsoever.

"Tío Bruno," Camilo called in a sultry voice.

Bruno's mouth went dry when he looked up from his desk to see Camilo, naked and hard, in the doorway of his study. "Único," he greeted him, pushing away from his desk and standing up.

"Sit back down," Camilo commanded.

Bruno hesitated. This was new, but he was intrigued so he obeyed.

"What are your safewords?" Camilo questioned.

Bruno answered, "Offal means stop everything. Arepa means pause the scene for discussion."

"Good," Camilo murmured. "Now… kneel."

Bruno cocked his head to one side, wondering what kind of threat Camilo would level against him if he refused. "And if I don't?"

Camilo crossed his arms. "Then I won't let you come." He tapped his foot in mock impatience. "You have to the count of three."

"The floor is too hard," Bruno whined exaggeratedly. "It will hurt my knees."

Camilo rolled his eyes. "Take your clothes off. You can kneel on them," Camilo suggested. "One…"

Bruno stood, took off his pants, and meticulously folded them before placing them on the floor.

Camilo raised an eyebrow. "Two… Don't test me, Tío."

Bruno quickly shucked off his shirt and dropped it in a crumpled heap on top of his pants.

"Two and a half," Camilo grumbled.

Bruno chuckled at Camilo's leniency, curious if his next demand would be accompanied by another empty threat or if it would get more serious as the scene went on. Bruno carefully lowered himself to his knees on the pile of clothes before asking cheekily, "Now what?"

"For starters? You're going to suck me off," Camilo said matter-of-factly as he stepped closer.

Bruno licked his lips as he reached for Camilo's penis.

"Without using your hands," Camilo added.

Bruno lowered his hand and, after a couple of fumbles, managed to get the head of Camilo's dick into his mouth using his tongue to steady it.

Camilo placed a hand on Bruno's head and told him, "A quick double tap on my leg means you need to stop. Tap my leg once right now if you agree to this."

When Bruno tapped Camilo's leg once, Camilo took a half step forward, moaning in pleasure as his cock slipped further into Bruno's mouth.

After a few seconds, Camilo growled, "Well? Are you going to suck, or are you just going to sit there?"

Bruno only undulated his tongue against the underside of Camilo's penis, looking up at him with challenge in his eyes.

The corner of Camilo's mouth twitched. "I'm going to suggest something. If you put your hands on my hips, I'll do it; if you don't, then I won't. Tap my leg once right now if you agree to this."

Bruno tapped Camilo's leg once.

"If you're not going to suck me off, I could just fuck your mouth."

Bruno's brow furrowed. The way that was phrased made it seem like Camilo would be rough, but as he held his gaze Bruno was inclined to believe that that was merely for show. He slowly placed first one hand on Camilo's hip, then the other, fully prepared to quickly double tap his leg if he was wrong.

Camilo bit his lip, threaded his fingers through Bruno's hair, and slowly began rocking his hips forward and backward.

Bruno breathed a relieved sigh through his nose, glad that he had assumed correctly. To convey his appreciation for his gentleness, Bruno started sucking him off.

Camilo's motions stuttered, his hand spasming in his uncle's hair. "That's more like it," he muttered.

After several repetitions, Bruno leaned forward on the following time Camilo rocked toward him, taking even more of his penis into his mouth.

"Oh God," Camilo gasped. "Tío…"

Bruno hummed in response, causing Camilo to shudder at the vibrations and thrust into his mouth more forcefully than he intended. Bruno gagged and recoiled when the head of Camilo's penis hit the back of his throat.

"Shit." Camilo immediately attempted to step away but was prevented by Bruno gripping his hips to hold him where he was.

Bruno took a deep breath through his nose before slowly easing himself forward, relaxing his throat as he took Camilo the rest of the way in.

"H-holy fuck!" Camilo cursed as his knees trembled. When Bruno swallowed around him, Camilo came with a sob of, "Jesus, Tío, fuck!"

Bruno tried to pull back, but Camilo's fist in his hair held him fast. Tears pricked the corners of Bruno's eyes as he gave Camilo's leg several quick taps.

"Shit!" Camilo hissed, panting, as he released Bruno's head and stumbled back against the wall. Camilo had been so consumed by pleasure that he hadn't realized he was holding Bruno so tightly.

Bruno coughed, rubbing his throat, his eyes streaming.

"Shit, Tío, I'm sorry!" Camilo went over to Bruno, kneeling in front of him.

"S'okay," Bruno rasped. "All good."

Camilo wrapped his arms around Bruno, patting his back as he asked, "Was that alright? Up until the end, I mean."

"Yeah," Bruno confirmed hoarsely. "For you, too?"

"God yeah," Camilo sighed.

"I…" Bruno's attempt to speak came out as an inaudible wheeze this time, so he cleared his throat before trying again; this time Camilo could hear him say, "I'm glad."

Camilo nuzzled Bruno's neck, but when he opened his mouth to say something, all that came out was a yawn.

Bruno gave a weak laugh. "Tuckered out?" Camilo nodded in response. Bruno helped him to his feet and supported him back to bed. The younger man was asleep almost the moment his head touched the pillow, but Bruno stayed by his side for awhile to watch over him.

Chapter Text

One morning, when Mirabel was awake and Camilo was not - a rare occurrence these days - she woke Bruno with a kiss.

Bruno opened his eyes and gave her a surprised smile. "Good morning, Novia."

She laid her head on his chest facing away from him but didn't say anything right away.

Bruno stroked her hair. "What's wrong, mi vida?"

"I'm sorry," Mirabel whispered.

Bruno kissed her head. "Whatever for?"

Mirabel sniffed. "For being useless."

Bruno gently shifted her off of him so he could turn on his side and look her in the face. "Mirabel," he said firmly, "you are not useless."

Mirabel refused to meet his gaze. "All I do is sleep-"

"That's not useless," Bruno insisted, laying a hand on her stomach. "You're growing a baby in here. That's hard work, and your body needs to rest so you can keep your strength up."

"Camilo doesn't sleep all the time," Mirabel muttered.

"And he's constantly exhausted because of it," Bruno countered.

Mirabel bit her lip. "I feel bad that I keep turning you down every time you want to have sex."

Bruno cupped her cheek, looking pained. "Mirabel. We've talked about this. If you don't want to have sex with me, then I don't want you to either. Sex should only be a mutually desired activity, never an obligation."

"But Camilo-" Mirabel began.

"Camilo is not you," Bruno parried. "Just because you're both pregnant doesn't mean everything's supposed to be exactly the same for you. It's even possible for one person to have completely different symptoms during two separate pregnancies."

Camilo groaned, wincing, as he brought a hand to his head. "Wha's all th' noise?" he slurred.

"I'm sorry, Único," Bruno offered as he rolled over to face him. "We didn't mean to wake you."

"'t's a'right," Camilo mumbled. "Jus' stop yellin'. I got a headache."

Bruno frowned. They hadn't been yelling. He wasn't going to argue the point, though. Sometimes headaches came with hypersensitivity to external stimuli. He brushed his lips over Camilo's forehead and whispered, "Try to get some more sleep. That should help."

"Uh-huh," Camilo grumbled.

Bruno turned back to Mirabel and tipped his head toward the bedroom door, silently suggesting that the two of them leave the room so Camilo could have some peace and quiet.

Mirabel nodded and went with Bruno into the tower library, where they sat side by side on the loveseat. He put an arm around her and pulled her close to kiss her head. She sighed in response, resting her head on his shoulder. Enough time passed that he thought she might've fallen back to sleep before she spoke under her breath, "Have you had any visions lately?"

Bruno was taken aback. Where did that question come from?

Mirabel lifted her head to look at him, actually meeting his eyes this time. "Is that a yes?"

"No," Bruno answered. "Why do you ask?"

Mirabel shrugged, her gaze skittering away. "No reason. Just…"

Bruno waited, but she didn't finish. "'Just…' what?"

"Just… you have a Gift." Mirabel didn't expound.

"Ah." Bruno let his head drop back onto the back of the loveseat and stared up at the ceiling. "You think the magic is wasted on me because I'm not using it."

Mirabel's silence was tantamount to an admission as far as Bruno was concerned.

Bruno took a deep breath and let it out slowly before telling her, "Having a vision… It's not a pleasant experience. My body starts tingling uncomfortably as soon as the fires are lit, and that sensation doesn't stop until the proof forms. The sand chafes my skin whenever it blows into me. The greenish tint over everything causes a strain on my eyes. But the effects aren't just physical. Mentally, I wonder why I'm seeing whatever my vision is showing me, what the significance is of the specific snippets I'm shown, and what I should do with the information I'm given. And emotionally, I feel shame for prying into other people's lives. I feel guilty knowing ahead of time when something bad is going to happen, and discouraged about the fact that I can't do anything about it. Worst of all: I get depressed because I almost never see anything positive."

Mirabel knelt up on the cushion so she could see Bruno's face. "Why have you never said before?"

"No one's ever asked," he replied, turning his head toward her. "You're so jealous of those of us who have Gifts, you don't realize just how jealous some of us are of you for not having one. Dolores literally can't help but hear everything within the Encanto, and any shouting or other loud noise in her vicinity hurts her ears. Can you imagine that? What about your Tía Pepa? How frustrating must it be to have your emotions broadcast to everyone nearby? Not to mention the fact that the stronger those emotions are, the further the range of her storms get until they reach as far as the distant mountains. And I'm sure I don't need to remind you of Camilo's meltdown that first night when he joined us."

Mirabel nodded, wiping her eyes before throwing her arms around Bruno. "I'm sorry, Tío Bruno."

He returned her embrace. "It's okay, Novia. Really, it is." After a minute, he muttered in her ear, "You want me to have a vision for you, don't you? That's why you brought it up, right?"

Mirabel stiffened guiltily, then sagged in Bruno's arms. "It's not important," she mumbled. "Just forget it."

"No." Bruno shook his head. "If you wanted to ask me to see something, then I believe it is important to you. Tell me what it is."

Mirabel nuzzled his neck but didn't answer.

Recognizing this deflection for what it was, Bruno prodded her, "Mirabel. Tell me what you wanted me to find out for you."

"I…" She cleared her throat. "I'd like to know… whether I'm having a boy or a girl."

Bruno petted her hair, his mind turning over that request. It wasn't as simple as Mirabel thought, she just wasn't aware because she knew so little about his Gift. She had only seen the proofs of his three most recent visions, though she did sit in with him for one of those. Was she going to ask to join him for this one too? He hoped not, because he wasn't sure whether he'd be able to say no.

While he could try for a specific subject when he had a vision, he didn't always hit the mark. The more complicated the idea, the harder it was for him to hold his focus on the target. There was always a chance that he would get something completely unrelated, whether or not what he was looking for existed. What if he aimed for the gender of their baby and didn't get it? There'd be two possible explanations for that happening: either he wasn't focused enough, or… Bruno swallowed thickly. He really didn't want to think about the worst-case scenario: there was a chance that they wouldn't have a child.

It would be a crushing blow if they wound up losing their baby, but Bruno thought it would be even more painful to have Mirabel learn ahead of time that it was going to happen. Unfortunately, he knew from experience that she would insist he try again if he didn't find out the first time, so there wouldn't be any way to spare her that extra heartache if she were to know about it beforehand.

"I can't make any promises," Bruno said at last, "but I will tell you if I find out what the sex of the child we're going to have will be."

Chapter Text

"¡Hola, Tío Bruno!" Antonio exclaimed, grinning, when he found his uncle was the one who had knocked on his door.

"Hola, Antonio," Bruno greeted him with a smile. "Do you mind if I come in? I have a favor to ask."

"No problem!" Antonio beamed as he stood back for Bruno to enter. "What do you need?"

"||I remember you,||" Leona rumbled as Bruno shut the door behind him. "||You're the one that made the sandstorm.||"

"It's okay, Leona," Antonio assured the leopard with a pat. "If he hadn't made that sandstorm, we wouldn't be here right now." The boy looked up at his uncle. "Right, Tío Bruno?"

Bruno scratched his head. It was a bit more complicated than that, but he supposed that was true enough. "Right. Your animals weren't very happy about that, huh?"

Antonio shook his head. "They're okay though. Nobody was hurt."

"That's good. I'm glad no one got hurt," Bruno said sincerely. "Antonio… You know your brother and Mirabel are pregnant."

"Yeah." Antonio acknowledged.

"Well, they're both asleep right now, and I don't want to wake them," Bruno said evasively.

Antonio's brow furrowed. "Why not? You're supposed to sleep at night, not during the day."

Bruno gave his little nephew a half-smile. "It's different for pregnant people. When someone is pregnant, their body is working nonstop to create a baby inside of them - day and night. It takes a lot of energy, so they get tired faster, and since their body is still working on making that baby even while they're sleeping, they need more sleep in order to feel rested when they wake up."

"Oh." Antonio thought about that for a moment and decided it made sense. "Okay. So, what do you need from me?"

Bruno sighed. "Mirabel asked me to have another vision."

Antonio cocked his head to one side. "You want to do it here again." It wasn't a question.

"My vision cave is the room right next to the bedroom, and I'm worried it would wake them up if I had my vision there," Bruno explained.

"Why don't you just wait and do it when they're awake?" Antonio asked.

Bruno bit his lip. "I could do that, except I don't want Mirabel to know that I'm having this vision."

Antonio was puzzled. "Why not? I thought you said she's the one who asked you to do it?"

Bruno sighed. "She is. That's why I want to do it in secret. If she knows that I've had this vision, she'll ask what I saw, and I would rather lie about having the vision at all than tell her the truth if it's something she doesn't want to hear."

"Shame on you." Antonio's words, though quiet, had a steely edge to them. "When you see something bad in your visions, the worst thing you can do is lie about it, because when it comes true, however bad it was will be twice as bad since you knew and didn't say anything, and the fact that you lied will make it three times worse."

Bruno blinked, wrong-footed. He'd just been called out by a five-year-old. "I…"

Antonio's face was hard as stone as he pointed at his door and barked, "Get out of my room! Go apologize to Mirabel for even thinking about lying to her, then have whatever vision she asked you to have, and tell her exactly what you see! My sister will know if you don't!"

Bruno gulped, looking between Antonio and Leona as the latter growled more and more savagely the longer the boy spoke. When Antonio's rant ended, Bruno lunged for the door. In his haste, his sweaty palm slipped off the doorknob on his first attempt. He got the door open on his second try, but Leona apparently decided at that point that Bruno wasn't leaving fast enough. No sooner had he crossed the threshold than Bruno fell to the floor, screaming in pain.

Distantly he thought he heard Antonio say, "Drop it," a moment before the viselike pressure on Bruno's ankle disappeared, but it was no less excruciating after Leona's fangs were gone from his flesh.

Bruno gasped and sobbed as he crawled to the balustrade and hauled himself up to sit on his hip, one leg extended awkwardly with a trail of blood leading from his foot to Antonio's door. It was all he could do to cling to the balusters and weep, his mangled ankle burning and throbbing in time with his pulse.

Chapter Text

Suddenly, Bruno felt something wrap around his leg and tighten sharply. He screamed again and tried to pull away, fearing the leopard had come back for more, but he couldn't escape. When he ran out of breath to scream with, he became aware that someone was talking in a steady stream of gentle words, "…hold still, Bruno, just a minute, Julieta's coming, don't worry, you're going to be fine…"

"M-M-Mamá?" Bruno stammered, unable to think clearly through the pain. The voice went silent. "Mamá," he sobbed, "duele… duele mucho…"

"Cálmate, Brunito," the voice responded softly. "Your Mamá is here for you."

"Mamá…" Bruno sniveled, repeating the word over and over like a mantra.

Silent tears poured down Alma's cheeks as the man who had once been her son cried out deliriously for the memory of who she used to be to him. It was almost more than she could bear, but she was determined to keep the makeshift tourniquet tight around his leg so he wouldn't bleed out while his sister was getting some food to heal him.

The next thing Bruno was aware of was someone saying, "Abre la boca, hermano."

"Julieta?" Bruno murmured with a sniff, immediately wrinkling his nose at the smell that wafted into his nostrils as he did so. "Ugh, what is that?"

"Sopa de mondongo," Julieta replied. "Drink some broth first to fix your severed artery walls…"

"You've got to be kidding me," Bruno grumbled.

Julieta continued, talking over him, "…that's the most important, then the rest will heal as you eat more." Julieta pressed the bowl to his lips and tipped it so he was forced to take a sip or wear it.

Bruno grimaced as he swallowed the first mouthful. "Since when do you make tripe soup?"

"Since Camilo's pregnancy craving is offal," Julieta answered as she poured some more broth into Bruno's mouth, "which means you've brought this on yourself, since you're the one who got him pregnant."

Bruno made a face as he forced himself to swallow, shuddering as it went down. "Disgusting. There's a reason 'offal' is my safeword, you know."

Julieta blinked bemusedly. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, but your voice seems to be stronger so start eating. The meat of the soup will do the most healing."

Bruno shook his head but obediently took the bowl and spoon. "I don't care what anyone says, Julieta; as far as I'm concerned, the lining of an animal's stomach should not be considered food, let alone meat." Bruno reluctantly scooped up some tripe, wincing as he put it in his mouth and began chewing. The texture wasn't horrible. It was actually quite tender, and would probably be enjoyable if not for the distinctly unpleasant taste.

"I think it's safe to remove the tourniquet now, Alma," Julieta said once Bruno managed to swallow his first bite.

Bruno looked down at his leg and then did a double take. Alma was kneeling in a puddle of blood by his injured ankle, heedless of the fact that it was seeping into her dress. He watched, awed, as she carefully untied the thick strip of fabric that was wrapped tightly around his leg. It seemed the old woman had used the cloth belt of her dress to cut off the circulation in his leg to minimize blood loss.

Julieta poked Bruno to get his attention. "Keep eating, you," she told him. "The wound is closing up now, but you're not done yet. An injury this bad can take more than one meal to heal completely. Finish that bowl and I'll bring you some postre de natas, okay?"

Bruno quickly took another bite, trying to polish it off as soon as possible so he could have the promised dessert. He couldn't wait to get that awful offal taste out of his mouth. Bruno sincerely hoped he'd never have to suffer this tripe ever again after Camilo had his baby.

"Bruno," Alma said softly after Julieta walked away.

Bruno's spoon hovered just over the bowl as he paused to glance at the old woman. "Yes?" he asked as he continued eating.

Alma hesitated. "I hate that this has happened to you, but it looks like you'll make a full recovery. I'm relieved you're going to be okay."

Bruno swallowed, said a terse, "Thank you," and then immediately took another bite.

Alma closed her eyes. Bruno was speaking to her civilly. That hadn't happened in a long time. It was nice to be able to talk to him without being snapped at or brushed off. She just wished it hadn't taken him being attacked for any progress to be made.

"Alma," Bruno said as he poked at the last few chunks of vegetable in the bowl.

Alma looked at him, but Bruno's eyes were glued to his soup. "Yes, Bruno?"

"I…" Bruno's mouth moved soundlessly for a couple seconds before he gave up on words and filled his mouth with food instead.

Alma got to her feet. "It's okay," she murmured as she turned to go back to the guest room.

"No, wait!" Bruno said hurriedly.

Alma stopped in her tracks, a tiny laugh escaping as she thought back to when he was a child. She remembered having to tell him not to talk with his mouth full, and here he had just done it again.

Bruno swallowed and set his bowl down on the floor. "You… um… That was quick thinking, with the tourniquet. I don't know if I would have… If you hadn't… well… I guess what I'm trying to say is… you might've just saved my life."

When Bruno didn't say anything else, Alma responded, "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

Bruno winced. "I haven't given you any reason to."

She turned to look at him, tears in her eyes. "I had every reason to. I-" Alma choked. "I love you like I would a son, if I had one." As soon as she had said this, she turned on her heel and ran away.

"Alma!" Bruno called after her when he managed to get past the shock of what she had just told him, but she was already gone.

Chapter Text

When Julieta returned, she had two servings of postre de natas on a tray. "Where did Alma go?" she asked.

"She… She ran off," Bruno answered numbly, still staring in the direction Alma had fled.

"What? Why?" Julieta wondered. "Did she say-"

"She said she…" Bruno shook his head. "She said she loves me like she would a son if she had one."

"Talk about being the last to know," Julieta muttered.

Bruno looked confusedly at her. "Last to know what?"

Julieta sighed and sank to sit next to her brother with the tray in her lap. "Being cast out of the family was devastating for Alma. She's consumed by regret every day over what she said, and she's been doing everything she can since then to try to make up for it. If you only just now figured that out, you're the last one of all of us to know."

Bruno ran a finger along the rim of one of the dessert dishes. "I knew," he murmured guiltily. "I just disregarded it because… I dunno, maybe I wanted to hold a grudge."

"That doesn't sound like you," Julieta challenged him. "Come on, be honest."

"Okay, fine." Bruno rubbed his eyes. "I was distancing myself from her in order to punish myself. It kind of blew up in my face, though, since doing that has hurt Alma even more."

Julieta frowned. "Why would you tell a lie that makes you look worse than you are?"

Bruno stilled. That was a good question. Why would he? What was with him wanting to lie? It was what got him bitten in the first place. "I'm scared," he finally admitted. "I'm scared of… of people hating me again. Now that I'm not being blamed for the bad things that happened in my visions, what can people hate me for? If they still hate me, it'll just be for who I am. I don't think I'd be able to cope with that. But if I lie, then it's not me people will hate, it's the lying."

"Except that wouldn't be giving you something else to blame, that would be changing yourself into someone who deserves blame," Julieta pointed out.

"You're right," Bruno conceded. "I'm sorry I tried to lie to you. Thank you for helping me see the flaw in my logic."

Julieta gave him a half-smile. "What are sisters for? Now, dig in. You're not done healing yet."

"I have other healing to do first," Bruno declared, ignoring the spoon Julieta proffered him as he struggled to get to his feet. "One of those was supposed to be for Alma, right? Give it here."

"How about I carry them?" Julieta recommended as she stood gracefully. "In your current condition, you're almost certainly going to fall and/or drop it."

"There you go again, pointing out the flaws in my logic," Bruno laughed, leaning on the balustrade for support. "I guess that really is what sisters are for."

"Lean on me," Julieta instructed when Bruno tried to step away and nearly crumpled back to the floor. "Seems you're being stubborn and punishing yourself again."

Bruno did as he was told, his steps unsteady due to his partially-healed ankle.

Chapter Text

Alma took off her soiled dress as soon as she got back to the guest room, using the shower in the en suite bathroom to rinse the blood out of the fabric so it wouldn't stain. She had just finished using a washcloth to clean off the blood that had soaked through it onto her skin when she heard someone knock on the main guestroom door. She hurriedly threw on a robe before going to answer it.

"I'm sorry, Alma," Bruno said without preamble when the door opened. The man was leaning heavily on Julieta and, Alma noticed, his ankle was still not completely healed. "Could I join you for some postre de natas?"

Alma nodded timidly and opened the door further so the siblings could enter. The guest room was pretty barebones, but the sparse furniture it contained did include a chair and a small table near the bed. "Please…" Alma gestured to the bed. "…take the bed. Put your leg up if you need to."

"Thank you," Bruno replied as he hobbled in and took a seat on the bed with a groan.

Julieta set the postre de natas and spoons on the table for them. "I'll leave you to it," she said as she turned to go, pausing at the door to look back and point a finger at her brother. "Eat. You should be able to walk on your own once you finish that, but if not there's plenty more sopa de mondongo-"

Bruno made a gagging sound. "I'd rather walk with a limp for the rest of my life."

"I'll remind you later that you said that," Julieta laughed. She shot Alma a reassuring smile and then departed, pulling the door closed behind her and leaving silence in her wake.

Alma sat in the chair across the table from Bruno, unsure what to say.

"Here's to you, Alma," Bruno said at last, raising a spoonful as though in a toast, "without whom I would not be alive." He gave a pleased hum as he took a large bite of his sister's delightful milk pudding, and then another.

Alma's eyes brimmed with tears as she picked up the spoon that had been set there for her, but she did little more than prod at the contents of her dish with it.

"I've been unfair to you," Bruno said as he put his spoon down after a couple more bites.

Alma met his eyes briefly. "I was unfair to you for a long time."

"That doesn't give me the right to do the same. It just makes me equally wrong." After a beat, Bruno amended, "More wrong, actually, because I was doing it intentionally."

Alma blinked at him, taken aback. "You were…?"

"Believe it or not, I wasn't doing it out of spite." Bruno rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly. "It's really stupid in hindsight. I wasn't trying to get back at you, I was only trying to isolate myself, because I knew that would be painful for me. I just didn't think about the fact that it meant I was isolating you from me, too."

Alma slowly shook her head. "Why would you want to do that to yourself?"

"Because I believed you," Bruno confessed. "I believed everyone who said that I was the cause of everything. I stopped having visions because I thought if I didn't see them then they wouldn't come true. But it doesn't work like that.
"The things I see in my visions are going to happen whether I see them or not. Seeing them is a forewarning. That's the purpose of my Gift. I'm able to find out what's coming so people can be prepared for it. If I have a vision of a building falling down, that doesn't mean I'm going to cause it to collapse, it means that the structure isn't sound."

Alma was contrite as she added, "And seeing Mirabel in front of it didn't mean she was at fault, it only meant that she was there when it happened."

"And, I suppose," Bruno mused with a faraway look in his eyes, "just because I'm afraid of what I might see, that doesn't mean not seeing it will be better." Alma's confusion prompted him to expound, "Mirabel asked me to find out the gender of our baby. But I hesitate to check because I'm afraid my vision might show that we don't wind up having one."

"I understand that all too well," Alma commiserated with him.

"Wait, you mean…" Bruno's brow furrowed. "…you thought your children weren't going to make it?"

"It's something any expectant parent might dread," Alma posited. "Pregnancy is always a delicate thing, and multiple births are even riskier. Thankfully, there were no complications with your birth. You and your sisters were born healthy, albeit premature."

"Premature?" Bruno repeated.

"Smaller than average, slightly underdeveloped, earlier than your due date," Alma defined. "That's normal when you're carrying more than one, because they run out of room to continue growing."

"If there are going to be any sort of…" Bruno swallowed thickly. "…complications with Mirabel's or Camilo's pregnancies, it would be better to know ahead of time, wouldn't it? Not that we'd be able to change anything I see."

Alma nodded sadly. "We'd be able to prepare for it, mentally, if we knew it was coming."

Bruno put his head in his hands. "I just don't want to crush their hopes, if the worst is going to happen."

"Or yours either," Alma put in. "That information would affect you the same as it would them. You don't deserve the anguish of losing a child. Don't pretend your own feelings don't matter."

Bruno rubbed his eyes. "That's gonna be a hard habit for me to break." He finished off his postre de natas and then rotated his ankle, wincing slightly.

"Here." Alma pushed her dish across the table to him. "So you don't have to choke down any more tripe."

Bruno laughed. "You're giving me two helpings of dessert when I didn't even finish my meal? How times have changed."

Alma smiled ruefully. "You're a grown man. I have no right to tell you what to do."

Bruno recognized his own words being spoken back to him and sighed before digging into the untouched portion Alma had passed him. "Thanks," he offered belatedly once he had finished, "and I'm sorry again. I've got a lot of apologies I've got to say."

"You're a good man, Bruno," Alma observed. "If I can be forgiven for my words and actions, then there's no reason you can't be."

Bruno stood with no sign of pain or discomfort and surprised Alma by giving her a hug before taking his leave with the dishes. Neither of them noticed the slight sparkle on the door where the flame of the candle was pictured.

Chapter Text

Bruno went straight to his room and knelt beside his bed, staring at Mirabel's sleeping face. Leona had put the fear of God into him, so he was going to follow Antonio's instructions to the letter.

"Tío Bruno?" Camilo's voice drifted over to him from where he was lying behind Mirabel. "Is something wrong?"

"I want to tell you both at the same time," Bruno said.

"Tell us what?" Mirabel mumbled before yawning widely.

Bruno sighed. "I need to apologize to you, Mirabel, for being a hypocrite."

"What do you mean?" Mirabel squinted at him confusedly.

"I had been so harsh about your dishonesty before, but earlier today I was being dishonest as well," Bruno admitted.

"Dishonest about…" Mirabel sat up, suddenly fully awake. "About the vision I asked for?"

Bruno nodded. "I was going to have it in secret, and maybe not tell you about it, depending what I saw."

Mirabel teared up. "W-why? Why would you do that?"

"I was scared," Bruno began to explain, but he was cut off.

"Scared of what?!" Mirabel yelled. "Why would you be scared of finding out if I was having a girl or a boy?! Would you not love them if they weren't the one you wanted?! What the fuck, Tío Bruno?!"

Bruno shook his head vigorously. "No no no, Novia, that's not true! I would love our baby no matter what gender they are! I was scared that my vision might show that we'd get neither! That we'd lose our baby!"

Mirabel's mouth fell agape, her hands wrapped protectively around her middle. "No…"

"I haven't had the vision yet, so I don't know," Bruno hurried to assure her. "I just had to explain why I wanted to hide it from you." Suddenly, his head jerked to one side, a red handprint blooming on his cheek where Mirabel had just slapped him. He was frozen in shock for a moment before he muttered, "I deserved that."

Camilo wrapped his arms around Mirabel as she vibrated with indignation. "Alright, Dulzura, you've hit him, you can let it go now."

"What?" Mirabel hissed. "You heard him!"

"Yes," Camilo confirmed, "I heard him. He said he was sorry. You got angry - which is fair - and now you can forgive him, just like he forgave you."

Mirabel leaned against Camilo, laying her head on his shoulder. "Fine," she mumbled, "I forgive you. Just don't do it again." Camilo kissed her cheek approvingly.

"I won't," Bruno promised. He met Camilo's eyes before saying, "Thank you."

Camilo nodded and then kissed Mirabel's neck. "C'mon, Dulzura, lie back down. Tío Bruno will tell us what he sees in his vision, and you're turning into dead weight on me 'cuz you're falling asleep again."

Mirabel groaned grudgingly as Camilo lay down while still holding her, kissing her jaw when she settled.

Bruno rose, gingerly touching his own face. Mirabel had a strong slap. He made his way to his vision cave and prepared to use his Gift. It doesn't matter what I see, he told himself. Whatever's going to happen is going to happen regardless. I'm just getting a sneak peek so we know what's coming.

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes as the sand began swirling around him. There was a lot going on all at once in this vision, everything in flashes that he could barely track.

It was a flurry of activity, the whole household in a frenzy. Pepa had whipped up a tornado, and it took both Elena and Dolores to drag her out of the room.

In the next shot, Mirabel looked ready to pop. She was staggering, but Bruno was supporting her so she wouldn't fall down.

The scene jumped to Mirabel on their bed, squeezing Agustín's hand. Lying next to her and squeezing Bruno's hand was Camilo, whose belly was somehow even larger than hers.

How is that possible? Bruno wondered absently. Mirabel has been pregnant longer than Camilo.

He couldn't ponder this question for long, however, because that image changed almost as soon as it had appeared. What replaced it was a scene showing a large baby girl flailing and screaming in Félix's arms.

Another quick scene jump showed Mirabel's baby halfway out, feet first, and clearly a boy.

The next snippet was of Camilo giving birth to a baby girl. This was not the same baby as the one Félix had been holding in the other scene, however. It seemed there were going to be three babies.

Therein lied the answer to Bruno's earlier question: the reason why Camilo's belly was larger - and why he was going into labor at the same time as Mirabel - was because he was having twins. Alma had said when there was more than one baby that they would run out of room to grow inside and have to come out early.

Exciting as this revelation was, Bruno felt uneasy about this latest snippet. The baby shown here looked rather frail and was hardly moving. The scene blurred as he teared up, but he quickly swiped at his eyes. He needed to see what was in the vision and what wasn't, so he'd know whether or not the weaker baby's fate was already sealed.

Another scene change showed Mirabel and Camilo, their faces tear-stained, looking exhausted but happy. They were both reclined against Bruno's chest with his arms around them, and they were holding all three babies. Seeing them together like that warmed Bruno's heart, even if one of Camilo's babies was particularly small and fragile-looking while the other appeared to be unusually swollen.

Bruno wanted to stare at that scene for hours - and it seemed he could, since that was what the proof of this vision showed. He was a father. A father of three. And he had two wonderful partners with whom he would raise his children.

Something small and unexpected caught Bruno's attention as he drank in the snapshot that had been immortalized in green glass. He blinked hard and looked closer. Were his eyes deceiving him? He slid his hand across the surface of the vision proof, but there were no cracks or blemishes on it that would distort the picture. It really was a part of the image: Mirabel, Camilo, and Bruno were each wearing a ring on their left hand.

Chapter Text

When Mirabel next woke up, Bruno was kneeling in front of her again. She sat up immediately, anxious to hear about the vision. Since Camilo had fallen asleep with his arms around her, he was jostled awake too.

"Novia… Único…" Bruno looked each of them in the eye as he said their nickname, making sure they knew he was talking to both of them, before he pulled his hands out from behind his back. He was holding a ring box in each hand, already open to reveal the rings inside. "Will you marry me and each other?"

Camilo's and Mirabel's mouths both dropped open. They simultaneously turned to look at each other and then back at Bruno.

"Yes!" Mirabel screamed, leaping at Bruno and wrapping her arms around him as she French kissed him. She hadn't kissed him this enthusiastically since the first day they were together; after that, she'd always let him choose the intensity of their kisses.

The ring boxes skittered away across the floor as Bruno fell on his back. The force of Mirabel slamming into him combined with the subsequent impact against the floor knocked the wind out of him, leaving him unable to take control of their kiss. He shakily reached up and threaded his fingers through her hair, slowly pulling her head away from him until her lips left his and he could breathe.

"Oh, Tío Bruno, I'm so happy!" Mirabel cried.

"I gathered," Bruno said dryly, untangling his hand from her hair once he was sure she wasn't going to redouble her efforts to kiss him to death, "but what about Camilo?"

Mirabel rose to her knees and turned to look back at her cousin. Camilo was staring at the ring that was supposed to be for him, which had fallen out of its box and onto the floor.

"Único?" Bruno asked, propping himself up on his elbows to see his nephew.

"I… I don't… I don't know," Camilo stammered, sounding frightened.

"What?" Mirabel said incredulously. "What do you mean you don't-!"

"Novia," Bruno interrupted her gently, putting a hand on her arm as he looked at Camilo with understanding. "It's okay, Único. You don't have to answer right away. I'm sorry that I sprung this on you so suddenly. I was just excited by what I saw in my vision."

Camilo met Bruno's eyes confusedly. "I thought your vision was for Mirabel?"

Bruno gave him a half-smile. "It was, but I found out about yours too, because they're going to be born at the same time. You're having twins, Camilo."

Camilo seemed twice as scared now. He gulped and looked down at his stomach, placing a hand over it. "Twins?" he muttered under his breath.

Bruno nodded. "Twin girls. And Mirabel is having a boy."

Mirabel hugged Bruno again, kissed his cheek, and then carefully climbed off of him to approach the bed. "Camilo?"

Camilo started, having spaced out, and scooted backwards away from her. "This is too much," he mumbled. "Please go. Let me just think for a while."

Bruno retrieved the rings, returning the one that had fallen out back to its box. Once he'd pocketed them, he went over to Mirabel and draped an arm over her shoulders. "Take all the time you need, Único. C'mon, Novia."

Mirabel reluctantly let Bruno usher her out of the bedroom and down the hall, but as soon as they were through the door into his study she dug in her heels.

Bruno raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't you want to see them?"

Mirabel's brow furrowed. "See what?"

Bruno left Mirabel where she was standing and walked over to his desk. He pulled out the proof of his latest vision, hugging it, before turning around. "Our babies."

Mirabel's eyes lit up. "Let me see, let me see!" she cried as she ran over to him.

Bruno smiled and handed it over. "I couldn't stop staring at it myself. They're beautiful, aren't they?"

Mirabel's eyes skated over the surface of the vision proof, taking in the sight of the three newborns in Camilo's and her arms. "Why didn't you bring the proof with you into the bedroom?"

"Because the babies aren't the only new things there." Bruno tapped on the place where Mirabel's hand was depicted.

Mirabel brought the proof closer to her face. "That's…" Her breath caught and she grinned at Bruno when she realized, "We get married before the babies arrive!" She looked back at the proof again. "Camilo too! So why didn't you show us right away? He wouldn't have freaked out about you proposing if he knew it was going to happen!"

"I didn't want it to sway his answer." Bruno put his hand on Mirabel's shoulder bracingly. "Remember, we can't force the vision to come true. Isabela wouldn't hug you until you stopped asking her to. So I'm not going to badger Camilo about this - and neither are you, right, Novia? No arguing with him about it. Let him make his own decision, in his own time, however long it takes him to choose."

Mirabel nodded grudgingly, then went back to studying the proof. She was having a boy! She ran her fingers over her son's face. And Camilo was having twins! She hoped her cousin would be okay with her thinking of his babies as her daughters, too. Mirabel, Bruno, and Camilo were a thruple, so the three of them should be co-parents to all of their children collectively, shouldn't they?

Chapter Text

Mirabel spun around when she heard a throat being cleared behind her. Camilo was standing in the doorway, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"I, um," he began, looking back and forth between Mirabel and Bruno. "I've decided that…" He bit his lip as his eyes settled on Bruno. "I'm not going to marry you."

Mirabel looked down at the proof that proved Camilo was lying. He was just scared, but that was okay, he'd come around.

"Don't get me wrong, Tío Bruno," he hurried on, "I love you, and you're the father of my babies, and I wouldn't change that for the world, it's just that… I don't want you for a husband. But…" Camilo's gaze drifted to his cousin. Seeing her downcast expression, he added, "I would like to marry Mirabel."

Mirabel looked up, stunned, trying to process what Camilo had just said. "You… You want to… just marry me? While I marry both of you?"

Camilo swallowed thickly. "If you're willing to marry both of us, I'd agree to that."

Bruno rescued the vision proof from Mirabel's slackened grip, then placed a ring box in her hand and pressed her fingers closed around it. "Propose to him," he whispered in her ear.

Mirabel glanced at Bruno, who gave her an encouraging nod. She nodded back, then got down on one knee facing her nearest and dearest cousin. "Camilo, mi primo… bearer of our daughters and one of the fathers of our son…" Mirabel opened the ring box and held it out to him. "¿Cásate conmigo?"

Camilo swiped a hand across his eyes as he had started tearing up. "Yes. Yes, Dulzura - Mirabel - bearer of our son and mother of our daughters, I will marry you." He dropped to his knees and kissed her deeply, noticing as he stroked her cheek that she was crying too.

When their kiss ended, Camilo caught sight of Bruno wiping away a tear from his own eye.

"I'm sorry," Camilo apologized.

"No, it's okay," Bruno responded, his tone sincere. "I understand that you don't want to marry me, that's fine. It's much more important to me that you'll be marrying Mirabel. At least now I know she won't be alone in a few decades' time."

"Tío Bruno!" Mirabel gasped, turning to stare at him incredulously.

"Hey, hey, shh," Bruno soothed her, "it's a way's off yet. Relax. We'll have our time together, but realistically? We both know I can spend the rest of my life with you, but there's no way I'd be able to be with you for the rest of yours. This way I don't have to worry about you wasting away without me; you'll have him."

Mirabel bristled. "Was that your plan all along? For me to marry him so I wouldn't wind up alone in the end?"

Bruno was taken aback. "No, I was honestly proposing to the both of you. I'm just saying that I'm not offended that he turned me down, and I'm genuinely happy he'll be marrying you as well."

Mirabel frowned petulantly, her doubt obvious.

"Oi," Camilo complained, "Madre Malhumorada."

"Excuse me?" Mirabel leveled a glare at Camilo.

"Well, I can't call you 'Sweetness' if you're being a sourpuss, can I?" Camilo tried to look serious, but it only took a second for him to crack up.

Bruno smiled when Mirabel started laughing too. In that moment, he knew he was making the right decision here. They really were good for one another.

Chapter Text

Mirabel, Bruno, and Camilo kept their rings in their pockets until after they sat down for dinner that night, at which point they surreptitiously slipped them onto their fingers under the table. They planned to announce their engagement to the rest of the family at the same time as a surprise.

Antonio was the last to arrive, dragging his feet and staring at the floor. Bruno's heart ached at the sight of his little nephew looking so downtrodden, so he stood and walked over to him as soon as he entered. The boy's lip quivered as he looked up at his uncle. Before any words could be spoken, Bruno got down on his knees and pulled Antonio into the biggest, warmest embrace ever.

Antonio dissolved into tears, clinging to the man's shirt and sobbing, "I'm sorry!"

"Shh," Bruno shushed him gently, rubbing his back. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You were right."

"B-but," Antonio stuttered, "L-Leona, she… she almost k-killed you!"

"That wasn't your fault," Bruno assured him, leaning back a bit so he could wipe away the boy's tears. "You didn't tell her to attack me."

"She did it because I was yelling at you, though," Antonio argued.

"You were yelling at me for good reason, Toñito," Bruno insisted. "I was wrong to try to hide what I was doing, and you were behaving very grown-up by correcting me the way you did. Thank you."

"Bruno," Julieta piped up, "is that what I think it is?"

Bruno looked over at her. "What?"

Julieta raised an eyebrow as she lifted a hand and wiggled her fingers indicatively.

"Ah." Bruno belatedly realized that he had inadvertently revealed his ring when he wiped away Antonio's tears. "Well, yes. I guess the cat's out of the bag." He turned to Mirabel sheepishly. "Sorry, Novia."

"That's okay." Mirabel shrugged. "Seeing as how we're all here, I was going to announce it as soon as everyone was in their seats."

Antonio plopped down between his mother and his brother, noticing as he did so that the latter had a ring, too. He looked quizzically at Camilo, who gave him a smirk and a wink.

"Well," Mirabel said, standing when Bruno sat, "as you might have inferred, I am now engaged." She held her hand out in front of her to show off her ring. "However, the surprise has not been completely spoiled, because I am engaged to…"

Bruno and Camilo stood and extended a hand so they were touching Mirabel's, their three rings lined up with each other like Orion's belt.

"…both Bruno and Camilo," Mirabel finished.

This pronouncement was met with a stunned silence. The fact that Mirabel wanted to marry Bruno didn't surprise anyone, and their polyamory was common knowledge, but nobody expected Camilo to wed them as well.

Undeterred, Mirabel continued speaking once the others sat down and they all lowered their hands. "I am also excited to announce that Bruno had a vision earlier in which he discovered that Camilo is currently carrying twins."

A round of congratulations followed in the wake of this statement.

"Thank you," Mirabel responded graciously. "That being said, the three of us have decided to ask Alma to be godmother to our children…"

Alma's hands flew up to cover her mouth as her eyes filled with tears.

"…if she wants to accept?" Mirabel paused.

"Yes." Alma's voice was muffled behind her hands until she lowered them to add, "I would be honored."

Mirabel smiled. "We couldn't think of anyone better suited for the job."

After the meal, Mirabel informed everyone that there was one more bit of news if they would all follow her. Bruno and Camilo exchanged confused glances. They weren't aware of anything else, but they went along with it.

There was an uncanny sense of déjà vu as everyone gathered in the main hall. Nobody would ever forget when the door that had been emblazoned with the word Abuela was destroyed there all those months ago. The moment they were all present, their eyes were drawn to a dull, pulsating glow emanating from the guestroom door.

At first it was only coming from the flame of the candle pictured there, but then the glow spread to fill the rest of the candle as it got brighter. Lines of light spiderwebbed across the entire surface of the door to create a new image and scrub out the untidy scrawl of the word 'guest'. When the glow finally faded, the word Madrina stretched across the top of the door in fancy cursive above a line drawing of Alma holding a nondescript baby in her arms.

Alma stood staring at the door, one hand over her mouth, tears flowing silently down her cheeks.

"Welcome back into the family," Mirabel said as she put a hand on the old woman's shoulder, "Alma Madrigal."

Alma let out an audible sob as she threw her arms around Mirabel, repeating a whispered, "Thank you," in her ear.

"Don't thank me," Mirabel told her. "You earned it." She patted Alma's back before addressing everyone at large, "Just so we're clear, I'm still head of la familia Madrigal. Alma's position hasn't been reinstated, just her name and her former relationship to each of us." Mirabel gave Alma a kiss on her cheek. "My abuela."

After the two women broke apart, Bruno stepped in to hug Alma as well. "Te amo, Mamá."

Alma sniffled as she replied, "Te amo también, Bruno, mi querido hijo."

Chapter Text

"Hola, Señor Flores," Mirabel greeted the pastor at the church in town the following afternoon. "How are you today?"

"Buenas tardes, Mirabel," the man responded affably. "I'm doing well, thank you. And yourself?"

Mirabel sighed, "Busy."

"I'm sure." Señor Flores nodded. "Being head of la familia Madrigal must be quite draining. The stress was showing at your birthday party, if you'll forgive my saying so."

"You don't know the half of it," Mirabel chuckled. "Speaking of my party, I wanted to ask you what you thought about my speech."

Señor Flores took a deep breath. "It was very…"

When he seemed unable to think of an appropriate adjective, Mirabel supplied, "Unorthodox?"

Señor Flores laughed. "Yes, you did use that word, and it does fit. You've broken convention in innumerable ways since taking over."

"Hm, that's true," Mirabel concurred. "Is that such a bad thing, though?"

Señor Flores rubbed his chin in thought. "I suppose there are some things that could stand to be made more progressive. But tradition is important to our culture as well, is it not?"

"As long as the traditions we preserve are not damaging to our society," Mirabel postulated. "How long did you stay at my party?"

"I stayed to the end," he told her.

Mirabel clucked her tongue. "So you were there when Elena was verbally assaulted. Were you able to infer why?"

"Señora Santos was using masculine words to describe Elena," Señor Flores recalled, "so I can only assume she thought Elena was a man."

"Señora Santos is Elena's birth mother," Mirabel informed him. "When Elena came out as trans, Señora Santos disowned her, kicked her out of her house, and burned all of her things. That kind of intolerance is unacceptable as far as I'm concerned."

"Yes," Señor Flores mused, frowning, "I see what you mean about certain conventions being damaging to society. You have opened my eyes to many things, Mirabel."

"That's good," Mirabel observed, "because there is something important coming up that I need to be able to count on you for."

"What would that be?" he asked.

Mirabel raised her right hand, drawing his attention to it. "I need an officiant for my wedding."

Señor Flores stared at Mirabel's ring for a moment. "You're marrying Bruno, I gather?"

Mirabel bit her lip, watching the priest's face for his reaction as she clarified, "I'm marrying Bruno and Camilo."

Señor Flores gulped. "Unorthodox indeed. You want me to officiate a three-way marriage between Bruno, Camilo, and yourself?"

"Not exactly," Mirabel corrected him. "It's more of a… Vee marriage; I'm marrying both of them, but they aren't marrying each other."

After a minute, Señor Flores surprised Mirabel by saying, "…Okay. When did you want this 'Vee marriage' to take place?"

Mirabel was taken aback by this response. She had figured it would take more convincing than that to get the pious man on board. "The sooner the better, honestly," she admitted. "Bruno had a vision that showed the three of us already married before our babies' birth, and that's going to be by the end of the year."

"You're pregnant?" Señor Flores was clearly shocked.

"Yes…" Mirabel blushed. "…and Camilo is, too."

Señor Flores's mouth fell open. "I didn't realize… I mean obviously I know with Camilo's Gift that he can take on the appearance of a woman temporarily, but it didn't occur to me that it would be possible for him to be… impregnated."

"None of us had considered the possibility either, until it happened," Mirabel confessed, "but Bruno was able to get both me and Camilo pregnant. We are very blessed."

"Indeed." Señor Flores hesitated, then segued, "On the subject of weddings… In your speech, you referred to Elena as Isabela's wife."

"Yes…?" Mirabel stressed her answer, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. Was he going to contest the validity of their domestic partnership?

"I don't suppose they'd want to…" Señor Flores cleared his throat, obviously choosing his next words carefully. "…reaffirm their vows? I could officiate that too."

"Huh." Mirabel was not expecting that. Señor Flores was offering to formalize their marriage, not refute it. "I'll have to ask them and get back to you. But you'll do my wedding?"

"Absolutely," Señor Flores confirmed.

"Gracias, Señor Flores!" Mirabel grinned, pulling him into a brief hug. "¡Hasta luego!"

Señor Flores was so thrown off by this that Mirabel had broken the embrace before he could do anything about it. "Hasta luego, Mirabel," he returned her farewell, but she was already several paces away so he wasn't sure whether she had heard him or not.

Chapter Text

When they made it to the bedroom on their wedding night, Bruno carried Mirabel over the threshold before turning around and passing her off into Camilo's arms so he could do the same. Once they were inside, he set her down and worked together with Bruno to peel off her dress. Both men's breath caught when they saw that their new wife hadn't been wearing any underwear. After a moment of staring, they both attacked her neck with kisses and nibbles, making her gasp.

Mirabel's hands scrabbled over her husbands' clothes, wanting to take them off, but she couldn't focus on anything beyond their lips and teeth as they were driving her crazy.

"Please," Mirabel panted.

"Please what, Novia?" Bruno murmured against her skin.

"Please… Please… Just please," she begged.

"I thought that's what we were doing, Dulzura." Camilo smirked. "Aren't we pleasing you?"

"She seems pretty pleased to me," Bruno commented as his fingers found her pussy dripping wet with arousal.

"T-take," Mirabel stuttered.

"Take you?" Camilo guessed. "We intend to."

Mirabel groaned. "Take… clothes… off."

"We already did." Bruno ran his moistened fingers through the crease between her breasts. "See? You're naked."

"Your clothes," Mirabel growled. "Strip!"

"Well, why didn't you say so?" Camilo snarked, shucking his clothes off before pulling her into a kiss - which she immediately took control of.

Bruno chuckled, taking his time undressing himself as he enjoyed watching her dominate Camilo.

Camilo yielded to her mouth even as he walked her backwards toward the bed. Upon reaching it, he surprised her by picking her up and throwing her onto their bed. He bent to kiss her stomach before climbing atop her, licking a stripe up the center of her chest and savoring the hint of her juices that Bruno had smeared there.

"Didn't you say you were going to 'take me'?" Mirabel teased once she'd caught her breath. "You're not- ah!" Her taunt was cut off as Camilo buried himself inside of her in one quick thrust.

"Oh, fuck," Camilo cursed, his head thrown back as he felt the delightful squeeze of Mirabel's tight pussy surrounding him.

"C-Camilo," Mirabel moaned, her eyes squeezed shut. She had forgotten how good it felt to have sex! Although she'd had no desire since the early days of her pregnancy, her libido had returned with a vengeance as she passed into her second trimester.

"Ngh," Camilo grunted, struggling to hold still until Mirabel told him she was ready for him to move. "Ready? Dulzura?" When she nodded, he began a steady, even pace to ease her into it.

Bruno joined them on the bed, naked, and pressed up against Camilo from behind. "How about you, Único?" he whispered suavely in his nephew's ear. "Are you… ready?"

Camilo gulped, stilling as he felt Bruno's rock-hard cock teasing his pussy. "Fuck me," Camilo muttered.

Bruno wasn't sure if Camilo meant it as just an expletive, but he decided to obey his words anyway.

"Oh-h-h-h," Camilo breathed raggedly as Bruno slowly slid all the way into his vagina.

"Whenever you're ready, Único," Bruno murmured, brushing aside the hair from the back of Camilo's neck before kissing it.

Camilo began moving again, gradually finding a maneuver that left all three of them moaning with pleasure: a quick thrust in, eliciting a gasp from Mirabel; a slow slide away from her and further onto Bruno, making him shudder; a clench that caused Bruno to jerk forward with a groan, forcing Camilo deeper into Mirabel.

After a few repetitions, Bruno seemed to get impatient with the slow rhythm Camilo had chosen and decided to speed it up.

"OhJesusFuck," Camilo's exclamation came out garbled as Bruno transitioned into a punishing pace, hitting his G-spot every time while also driving Camilo's dick into Mirabel's G-spot more often than not.

"Ah!" Mirabel cried out in ecstasy. "T-Tío… B-Bruno! Ngh! C-Camilo!"

"F-fuck!" was the only thing Camilo could articulate, but he managed it repeatedly.

All Bruno could do was grunt and moan wordlessly, but it was clear that all three of them were very much enjoying it.

"C-c-c-close," Camilo eventually sobbed.

"Mm-hm," Bruno responded. "N-n-nov-via?"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" Mirabel blubbered, tears in her eyes as her orgasm crashed into her.

Camilo came right after her, pumping her full of cum as his vagina contracted around Bruno's penis.

Bruno buried himself to the hilt as he ejaculated deep inside of his nephew. When he finished, he collapsed on top of them, struggling for breath. He slid off of his lovers one way while Camilo rolled the other direction, leaving Mirabel blissed out between her two husbands. Bruno smiled, staring at his beloved wife as he stroked her hair.

Camilo closed his eyes with a sigh, his hand resting on his own stomach. "Tío Bruno?" he murmured. "Will you tell me about my babies?"

Bruno remained silent, but he reached across Mirabel to lay his hand over Camilo's belly.

Camilo opened his eyes and looked at Bruno expectantly. "Tío?"

"I didn't see much," Bruno whispered hesitantly. "They're twin girls. One of them is larger than the other. I saw your father holding that one. She's very energetic."

"What about her sister?" Camilo prompted when Bruno didn't continue. "The smaller one?"

"She's… very small, and she wasn't moving much. I…" Bruno gulped. "I think she might be sick."

Camilo sat bolt upright. "What?! You think one of my babies is sick?! Why didn't you say anything before?!"

"Because she's my baby too and I didn't like the thought of her being unwell either!" Bruno yelled back defensively. He took a deep breath to rein in his frustration and rubbed his eyes. "We can't change anything that was in my vision. That's just a fact. All I know is what I saw: she looks weak when she's born, but she doesn't die. The proof shows all three babies sleeping in you two's arms. That means she's going to be fine."

"You still should have told him," Mirabel grumbled.

"You're right," Bruno admitted. "I'm sorry."

"What about my baby?" Mirabel asked, raising an eyebrow. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Bruno met her eyes. "He comes out feet first."

Mirabel's brow furrowed. "But… isn't that…"

"It's rare, but it's not unheard of," Bruno told her.

"…dangerous?" Mirabel finished tentatively.

"Just because a baby is breech at birth doesn't mean there's anything wrong with them," Bruno insisted, "but yes, there is a slightly higher chance of complications. All pregnancies have risks, though."

"I can't believe my baby is going to be born facing the wrong way," Mirabel muttered.

"I can't believe one of my babies is going to be born sick and there's nothing I can do about it," Camilo lamented, hugging himself.

"Maybe it would help if you guys talked to your mothers?" Bruno suggested. "They've each had three babies. It might give you peace of mind to hear from some women who have gone through successful pregnancies already."

"Don't forget Abuela," Camilo commented. "She had triplets, so she can sympathise with me about carrying more than one."

Bruno nodded. "She also didn't carry your moms and me to full term; we were born premature too."

""Too'?" Camilo echoed. "You mean my girls are going to be early?"

"They have to be," Bruno explained. "When you have more than one at a time, they run out of room before they're done growing. It's why your twins and Mirabel's son are born on the same day."

Camilo's eyes filled with tears. "If they're not gonna have enough time to grow before they're born, I guess I'm lucky they're not both sick."

Bruno took one of Camilo's hands in his own and gave it a light squeeze. "Try to get some sleep, Único. It's late, and we're all tired."

Camilo grudgingly lay down on his side and snuggled up to Mirabel, who kissed his head with a murmured, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Dulzura," he replied. When he saw the crestfallen look on Bruno's face, Camilo sighed and added, "I love you, too, Tío Bruno."

Bruno's face brightened immediately. "And I love you. Both of you."

"I love you, Tío Bruno," Mirabel said, slurring a bit as she was well on her way to dreamland already.

Bruno shed a happy tear at that affirmation. The negative aspects of his vision didn't make his lovers hate him after all.

Physically and emotionally tuckered out, the three newlyweds were dead to the world in a matter of minutes after that.

Chapter Text

Mirabel and Camilo slept that night embracing each other with Bruno spooning Mirabel. Bruno was the first to wake the next morning. He nuzzled Mirabel's neck and kissed her cheek, earning a tired grumble and a shrugged shoulder from her.

"Buenos días, esposa," Bruno whispered in her ear, savoring the last word. Mirabel was his wife. The thought made him smile.

"Mm… duermo más," Mirabel muttered, her arms tightening around Camilo, pulling him in closer to her.

Bruno chuckled. "Okay, okay. I'll bring you some breakfast in bed, how's that sound?"

Camilo cracked an eye open. "For me too?" He sounded genuinely uncertain.

Bruno's brow furrowed. "Of course, Único. Just because we're not married doesn't mean I don't love you anymore." He stroked Camilo's head. "You're still my family in so many ways: you're my nephew, my wife's husband, the bearer of my daughters, and a co-parent of my son."

Camilo teared up at that. Even though he hadn't fathered Mirabel's child, she and Bruno both insisted that he was to be considered a parent to their baby as well. "Co-parent," he murmured, wiping his eyes. "What would he call me though? If you're his Papá…"

"You'll be Papá," Bruno said immediately.

Camilo froze with his mouth open, staring at his uncle.

"I'm his Tata," Bruno clarified. "That will make it easier for everyone to differentiate between us."

"I think it should be the same for your babies," Mirabel piped up. "Tío Bruno is Tata, you'll be Papá, and I can be Mamá?"

Camilo nodded, unable to hold back the tears anymore. "I'd like that."

Mirabel captured Camilo's lips with hers, kissing him deeply as she rolled on top of him. She ground against his morning wood, eliciting a moan from him.

Bruno slipped silently out of the bed and quickly got dressed, going downstairs to get some food for the three of them while his niece and nephew were… occupied.

Camilo's hips jerked, but Mirabel's body on top of him prevented much movement. He ran his fingers through her hair, making the slightest attempt to rein in her enthusiasm, but he knew it was futile. All he could do was to lie back and let her ravish him - which he did happily.

Mirabel adjusted the angle of her attack, tilting Camilo's head into a position where her tongue could reach farther into his mouth.

"Mm." Camilo's hand tightened reflexively in Mirabel's hair.

Mirabel continued kissing him just as intensely. When she finally broke their kiss, they were both panting.

"How… the fuck… are you… so good at that?" Camilo managed haltingly.

Mirabel smirked. "I'm doing what… Tío Bruno… does to me… just faster and harder. You like?"

"God yes." Camilo's head fell back, exposing his neck.

Mirabel took that as an invitation and latched onto the vast expanse of unmarked skin on the side of his neck opposite where Bruno devoted all of his attention.

"Hahhh!" Camilo exclaimed in surprise as Mirabel sucked fiercely. "Fuck, Dulzura!"

"Mm-hm," Mirabel replied as she rubbed her genitals against his, still sucking on his neck but now also firmly licking the patch of skin she had captured in her mouth.

"Ngh," Camilo whimpered, "please…"

Mirabel released Camilo's neck with a pop, leaving a vivid bruise behind. She rose to her knees, straddling him, and grasped his penis, guiding it to her vagina and sinking down onto it.

Camilo and Mirabel both moaned as she moved in circles over him, doing Kegels to squeeze him intermittently. "D-dul-zura," he stuttered.

Mirabel leaned forward over Camilo, humping him enthusiastically. She took his breasts in hand, massaging them and flicking his nipples with her thumbs before giving them a hard pinch at the same moment she clenched around him again.

"Gah! Fu-, Je-, Go-, ngh," Camilo babbled as he came while Mirabel continued fucking him through his orgasm.

Chapter Text

Bruno stopped in his tracks when he reached his bedroom and saw Mirabel riding Camilo. He watched as she leaned forward and fondled his boobs, drawing such sounds from her young husband that Bruno got an instant erection. He stared in awe as Camilo couldn't complete a single curseword when he came. He had never been able to drive his nephew that far out of his mind; he was always able to articulate his profanities when he made him come, even if they were garbled or muffled by breathlessness.

Bruno was suddenly envious of both of them: Mirabel for her proficiency in pleasuring Camilo, and Camilo for the privilege of experiencing such extreme pleasure from their wife. Before he was even aware that he had walked into the room, Bruno found himself kneeling naked on the bed, his arms wrapped tightly around Mirabel from behind and his face buried in her neck, the tray of food he had brought with him abandoned he didn't know where. "You'd better have saved some of that for me, Novia," he growled, nibbling lightly on her skin.

"T-Tío Bruno!?" Mirabel gasped delightedly, clenching around Camilo and causing him to gasp too.

"Well?" Bruno rumbled as he nipped her neck again before soothing it with his tongue. "Do I also get an orgasm this morning, or am I relegated to lesser husband now?"

"I-I um… I saved some for you," Mirabel told him.

Bruno blew on her neck, drying his saliva there and making her shiver. "Well then, let me have it," he commanded as he released her from the bearhug he had trapped her in. "I'm already hard as a rock just from watching you two."

Camilo's cock slipped out of Mirabel's pussy sopping wet with a combination of her juices and his semen. Upon seeing this, Bruno had a sudden urge to taste it, to drink up every drop of evidence that had been left behind by their lovemaking.

"Novia," Bruno said, cupping her cheek and pressing a chaste kiss to her lips. "I'd like for you to suck me off while I suck Camilo off. Are you okay with that?"

"Yes," Mirabel confirmed.

Bruno's penis twitched in anticipation. "You can ask to stop at any point, okay? And if you can't speak, just tap my leg quickly a couple of times to let me know." After Mirabel nodded, he dropped down on all fours and dragged his tongue up Camilo's cum-soaked member.

Camilo shuddered at the renewed stimulation on his flaccid dick, though he still seemed partially out of it. If Camilo hadn't previously given his lovers blanket consent to pleasure him even when he wasn't fully aware, Bruno would have backed off until he returned to his senses. However, since he had Camilo's permission in advance, Bruno gave him another lick, pressing the fluid against his palate to analyze the flavor. It was rather bitter, musky, but with the slightest hint of sweetness.

Bruno inhaled sharply when Mirabel licked a long stripe from the head of his penis to the base. She continued on to his balls then, swirling her tongue over and around and between them before… He groaned, his arms buckling, as she sucked an entire testicle into her mouth. He buried his face in Camilo's vulva, drawing an identical groan from him. Bruno inserted his tongue into his nephew's dripping vagina, which added some saltiness to the cocktail of sex in his mouth.

"OhGod, dontstop, Icanttakeit," Camilo breathed, dropping a trembling hand onto Bruno's head and attempting to force him closer as he lifted his hips to meet him. Bruno chuckled as he dug even deeper, eliciting a blasphemous expletive from Camilo.

"Hard to believe I let you kiss me with such a dirty mouth," Mirabel teased. "You're lucky I'm a dirty girl myself." As if to prove a point, she punctuated this statement by spreading Bruno's buttcheeks, spitting a glob of saliva onto his asshole, and then rimming him.

"N-nov-via?" Bruno choked, giving a breathless squeak of disbelief at what his wife had just done. "Wh-what are you…?"

Mirabel leaned away slightly, giving him a bit of respite, but she left one hand on his bum, teasing him with her fingers a couple centimeters away from his anus. "I was just trying something new," she said innocently, slowly sliding her index finger up and down Bruno's crack without touching his hole. "You can ask to stop at any point, okay?"

"I…" Bruno gulped. "Okay."

"Okay then." Mirabel ran her finger slowly around the edge of Bruno's sphincter, barely pushing just the tip inside of him for a moment before withdrawing it. "Don't be neglecting Camilo now, Tío Bruno."

"Right," Bruno muttered, "right." He returned his attention to Camilo's genitals, licking the moisture off with quick, short strokes.

Mirabel parted Bruno's glutes wide, pressed her lips to his pucker, and began eating him out.

"Shhhhhit," Bruno cussed, shaking. He lowered his head to rest on Camilo's groin, his hands gripping the duvet as his anus spasmed around Mirabel's tongue.

"God that's hot," Camilo uttered, the sight of his uncle falling apart between his legs quickly getting him hard again. He threaded his fingers through Bruno's hair and tugged him toward his dick. "Get back to sucking, Jefe."

Bruno looked up, wild-eyed, at Camilo's face before nodding his consent. He took the younger man's erection in his mouth, tickling it with his tongue as he sucked lightly.

"I had wondered if you would like anal," Camilo commented, his voice strained, holding Bruno's head in place. "You seem to be enjoying it so far."

"Hmm," Bruno hummed noncommittally, causing Camilo to thrust into his mouth. Bruno gagged slightly but didn't try to pull away.

Holding Bruno even tighter, Camilo groaned, "I'd like to fuck your ass one of these days. How's that sound, Jefe?"

Bruno swallowed, tears in his eyes, shaking his head as he looked up at Camilo and whimpered, "Mm-mmmmm."

"Fff-" Camilo gritted his teeth as the vibrations drove him closer to the edge. That reply had been longer than it needed to be, leading him to believe two things: firstly, that Bruno was doing it intentionally, and secondly, that he was not actually opposed to his suggestion.

When they had done a roleplay before in which Bruno was unable to speak, a serious response of 'no' was signalled by him doing nothing, whereas here he had responded with a denial - which was in character.

Mirabel didn't know this, so when she heard Bruno's negative reply she stopped with a hasty, "Sorry."

Bruno tried to retreat but couldn't because of Camilo's grip on his hair. He raised his eyebrows at Camilo, who did not let go but gently pulled him away from him so he could speak.

Bruno cleared his throat before saying, "It's okay, Novia, I like what you were doing. I was not being serious just then." Camilo jerked as Bruno started lapping up the saliva pooling around the base of his dick.

"Not being serious?" Mirabel repeated. "Oh, like one of your roleplay things? You should have told me we were going to do that."

"You're right," Bruno acknowledged. "I'm sorry. I was wrong not to tell you ahead of time. If I really want you to stop I'll say offal."

"And if he wants to stop but can't talk, I'll say it for himm," Camilo promised, faltering when his penis was once again enveloped by Bruno's mouth. "Ngh, you act so high and mighty, calling yourself 'Jefe'," he sneered, "but you give head like a fucking cockwhore. That is what you are, isn't it? Nothing but a little cockwhore."

Bruno whined, sniveling, as he sucked on Camilo's dick like a piece of candy.

"That's right, putito." Camilo squeezed his eyes shut as he fought to keep his orgasm at bay. "Sh-show our wife… what a m-motherfucking slut you are."

Mirabel couldn't believe her ears. Was this the kind of thing they were doing that first time? Bruno had told her Camilo was 'mouthy' in their roleplay, but this was extreme! No wonder he was so distraught without the reassurance of the aftercare that he needed. Why would he want to do this? There was no way he could he possibly enjoy it! This was verbal abuse, plain and simple! Now she understood why he'd said it was better that she wasn't there for it back then; she wished she wasn't there right now.

Chapter Text

"Novia? Please, Novia, look at me," Bruno's voice broke through Mirabel's thoughts. She blinked a few times as his face swam in and out of focus. He wiped a tear from her cheek, looking deeply concerned. She hadn't even realized she was crying.

"Why?" Mirabel whispered tremulously. "Why this? This is… This is horrible."

Bruno frowned. "I'm sorry. We should have done a softer scene for your first roleplay. We're just so used to-"

"But why?!" Mirabel cried.

Bruno tipped his head back with a sigh as though looking for help from above before meeting her eyes again. "It's called a kink, Mirabel. Some people get sexual pleasure from things that you wouldn't usually think of as pleasurable. Camilo has a pain kink; he gets aroused by being spanked, that's why I spanked him before."

Mirabel shook her head in denial. "You can't seriously expect me to believe that you get off on being called a whore and a slut."

"Did you enjoy tonguing my asshole?" Bruno asked. Mirabel was unable to follow the sudden shift of topic but nodded slowly in answer. He gave her a half-smile as he said, "There's nothing wrong with that. But you must know there are people out there who would find the idea horrible. Think of how nearly everyone in the Encanto reacted when we announced our relationship. They couldn't believe that someone would be sexually attracted to a close relative. And yet we are. You believe that love should never be shamed. As far as I'm concerned, kinks should never be shamed either. We can't help what we find enjoyable, any more than we can help that we're in love."

Mirabel bit her lip. "You… You actually like it? Being humiliated like that? It doesn't remind you of how you were so hated before?"

Bruno tilted his head to one side. "This is different because it's a controlled environment. I can choose to stop it at any time if it becomes too much, and since I know it's pretend I can compartmentalize it so it doesn't stay with me after the scene is done."

"And," Camilo piped up, "with proper aftercare, there can be some catharsis to help him move past any lingering hurt from when it was real."

"Pelos de la misma chancha," Mirabel muttered; it was the idea that exposure to the cause of something negative could help it get better. "I guess, if it works for you, that's what matters."

Bruno nodded, framing Mirabel's face with his hands and giving her a peck on the lips. He rested his forehead against hers and stared sincerely into her eyes. "Thank you for understanding. I'm sorry I didn't explain earlier."

"I'm sorry I spoiled the mood," Mirabel offered. After a moment she added, "You know you're not lesser, right?"

"What?" Bruno asked.

"What you said earlier, about being my 'lesser husband'," Mirabel reminded him. "You're not lesser."

Bruno laughed lightly. "I know that, Novia. I was teasing. I know how you love it when I growl at you." When he growled the word 'growl', a satisfied smirk spread across his face as Mirabel shivered. "See? You've got a kink too; who would believe that growling could be a turn-on?" He captured her lips in a kiss and growled again. Her mouth dropped open to welcome his tongue as she melted into him.

While he continued to kiss her, Bruno moved to lie on his back with his head on a pillow at the head of the bed, holding her slack body against him the whole time. When he finally broke their kiss, Mirabel had a dreamy look in her eyes. "Tío Bruno," she whispered adoringly as she stroked his stubbly cheek and kissed the tip of his nose.

"Novia," Bruno murmured, "I want you to make my cock as wet as you can, and then I want you to ride me like you did Camilo earlier. Will you do that?"

"Yes," Mirabel replied.

Camilo spoke from behind her, making her jump in surprise. "I want to eat you out until you come on my face. Can we do that at the same time?"

Mirabel nodded, getting into position with her head hovering over Bruno's groin. "Ready?" she asked, moistening her lips with as much saliva as she could muster in that moment. When both of her husbands said they were ready, her mouth enveloped just the head of Bruno's penis before she began lapping at his slit.

"Jeez!" Bruno jerked at the feeling of Mirabel's tongue probing his urethral meatus.

Mirabel smirked around his member, drool dripping down his shaft as she did so. "Mm!" she exclaimed as her clitoris was assaulted by Camilo's tongue, the vibrations causing Bruno to thrust into her mouth.

"Heheh," Camilo chuckled, burying his nose in Mirabel's pussy while flicking her clit repeatedly with his tongue.

"Mmm," Mirabel moaned as she rocked forward and backward on her hands and knees, fucking herself on Camilo's face and fellating Bruno's dick simultaneously. This drew an identical moan from Bruno, and his hands flexed into fists around the edges of the pillow beneath his head as he braced himself for more pleasure.

Mirabel's walls fluttered around Camilo's questing tongue as he licked the entirely of the inside of her vag. She whimpered as she proceeded to give Bruno a very sloppy blowjob, leaving more spit on his penis than he had thought she could produce in such a short period of time.

Bruno couldn't wait to feel Mirabel's tight pussy clenching around him again - it had been so long! - but he'd have to wait just a bit longer, since she'd agreed to come on Camilo's face first. Was there some way to help her along? He knew she found the sound of his voice when he growled at her arousing, so maybe he could talk her into an orgasm. But what should he say? What sort of auditory kink might Mirabel have?

"Thatta girl," Bruno whispered breathlessly. "That's how you do it." Mirabel looked up at him as he continued speaking. "You're doing such a good job," he commented, watching as her eyes dilated. Perfect, he thought, smiling triumphantly, Mirabel has a praise kink. "Look at you," he purred, "getting me nice and wet, just like I told you to."

Mirabel blushed and tried to smile back at him through her mouthful of cock.

Bruno hummed in appreciation of that smile of hers that he couldn't get enough of. "God you're beautiful."

Mirabel's breath had been quickening with every word Bruno said, her body trembling, her vagina contracting around Camilo's tongue. When he began massaging her clit, one second was all she needed to tumble over the edge. She was so overwhelmed by her orgasm that her arms gave out and she fell forward, choking on Bruno's cock as she inadvertently deep throated him.

"Hohh fuck!" Bruno exclaimed, fumbling to rescue Mirabel from asphyxiation while he barely held back his own orgasm.

Mirabel coughed as she resurfaced, a thick strand of viscous mucus connecting her mouth to Bruno's penis.

"Shit, Novia," Bruno cursed, "are you okay?"

Mirabel nodded, panting, "That… was the best… fucking… orgasm… ever!"

Bruno gave a relieved laugh. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Do you need a breather? You can ride me some other time…"

"Nah." Mirabel shook her head. "I promised you, didn't I? Besides," she added as she straddled Bruno's hips, "I'm so fucking horny, it's like my body wants to catch up on all the sex I missed over the last few months." She swiftly impaled herself on his cock, her pleasured groan drowning out his cry of surprise as she began riding him hard.

"Jesus," Bruno gasped, "y-you weren't kidding."

Chapter Text

Mirabel grinned as she continued bouncing in Bruno's lap. Her husband's dick sliding in and out of her pussy was just about the greatest feeling in the world.

"You're amazing, Novia," Bruno managed, struggling to keep a grip on his senses. He had been edging, doing his best to delay his orgasm, but he was reaching the limit of his capability to do so. "I-I'm not gonna last… if you keep this up."

Mirabel stopped moving when she heard that, panting just as heavily as Bruno was. "We can't have that, can we?" she asked as she combed her fingers through his chest hair.

Bruno groaned and dropped his head back. She was definitely going to kill him. What a way to go, though, huh? Death by sex… Talk about dying a happy man.

Mirabel continued running her hands over Bruno's chest while they both caught their breath. She couldn't believe she had gone months not wanting sex. Damn pregnancy hormones. Why did they have to affect her that way when they did the opposite for Camilo?

Her fingertips lightly grazing Bruno's nipples with every pass was enough erotic stimulation for him to maintain his erection even as he backed away from the precipice of oblivion. Thankfully he now felt like she could resume fucking him without him instantly blowing his load.

"Okay?" Mirabel asked, circling one of Bruno's areolae with a single finger.

"Yeah." Bruno swallowed. "You didn't have to stop for me."

"I know." Mirabel began moving on him again, starting slowly this time. "But it seemed like you didn't want to come yet."

"Ohhh," Bruno exhaled. "I just wanted to feel you come on me first."

"Hmm," Mirabel mused. "Well, keep talking to me like you were when I was sucking you off and I'll be coming before you know it. I don't know why, but that did things to me."

Bruno gave a breathy chuckle. "You're such a wonderful person, Mirabel. You have an incredible mind, but you're so kind that your devotion to giving me pleasure has turned off everything else in your fantastic brain."

Mirabel bit her lip as she began riding him faster.

Bruno's voice faltered as he continued, "I-in your boundless selflessness, it didn't occur to you that being praised must be a kink of yours. I know you would have figured it out yourself if you were able to focus, because you're so unbelievably smart."

Mirabel was breathing even faster as she sped up once again. Bruno praising her really did increase the pleasure she was experiencing.

Bruno could feel his orgasm fast approaching, so he hurried on, "You always put others before yourself - and that's so admirable, wanting to make me come before you - but I would love for you to come first."

Mirabel fell forward, bracing herself with her hands on the bed as she rode him in earnest. This new angle made both of them gasp, and had the added benefit of giving Bruno a close-up view of his wife's beautiful face.

Bruno's voice trembled as he went on, "Seeing you in the throes of passion is so erotic to me, I think that alone would almost be enough to make me come without even being touched."

Mirabel whimpered as she hurtled toward her climax, her vagina tightening around Bruno's penis and momentarily taking his breath away again.

Bruno's voice dropped to a whisper as he watched Mirabel get closer and closer to coming with every sentence he uttered. "That's what you do to me, Novia. That's how true the love between us is. And that's the reason I'm about to come inside you - right… fucking… now!" He yelled the last word as Mirabel's orgasm finally struck. When she clenched like a vise around him, he ejaculated more powerfully than he ever had before, the force of it so strong that he sobbed from the intensity of his release.

Mirabel collapsed on top of Bruno, a hand cupping his cheek as tears flowed down his face. "Was I too rough?" she asked worriedly.

Bruno shook his head. "H-happy," he stuttered, echoing Mirabel's excuse for crying after their first time.

Mirabel sighed with relief. "So it was good?"

Bruno had to take a few deep breaths before he could answer, "Mejor de todos."

Mirabel blushed and smiled at the compliment.

"Just like your smile," Bruno added.

"And just like your mom's cooking," Camilo piped up, bringing over the tray of food he had found on the dresser near where Bruno's clothes were scattered haphazardly on the floor.

Bruno groaned as Mirabel dismounted, and she turned to sit with her back against the headboard. Camilo passed the tray of food to her before climbing onto the bed as well. He sat against the headboard next to her so she was situated between her two husbands.

Bruno felt so exhausted, even the idea of sitting up was daunting. Just when he'd gathered the strength to attempt it, Mirabel placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. He looked up at his wife, opening his mouth to ask why, but she held out a piece of food in front of his mouth before he could say anything. Was she planning on hand-feeding him while he was lying in their bed?

"Since I wore you out, I figured I'd pamper you a bit," Mirabel explained.

Bruno huffed a laugh and took what she'd offered him. He ate slowly, basking in the presence and devotion of his wife. "Make sure you eat plenty yourself, Novia," he said in between bites of food. "You too, Único," he added when he noticed Camilo was picking through the options but not really taking anything. "Remember you're each eating for two or three now."

"I know, I know," Camilo grumbled. "I just don't have much of an appetite right now. I'm worried about my babies."

"All the more reason for you to eat," Bruno pointed out. "Feed them so they'll grow to be nice and strong."

Camilo frowned. "And sick."

Bruno heaved a heavy sigh. "Camilo… I don't want to scare you, but seriously, if you don't take proper care of yourself during your pregnancy, the twins will be more likely to die after they're born."

Camilo's jaw dropped, tears springing to his eyes.

Bruno quickly went on, "You have to provide for their needs while they're growing inside you so they have a better chance to survive being sick."

"I don't want them to die," Camilo whimpered, his lip trembling.

"Neither do I, Único," Bruno concurred. "That's why I'm telling you, please, eat. I love our babies so much, the thought of anything bad happening to them makes me sick to my stomach."

Mirabel threw an arm over Camilo's shoulders in a sideways hug. "Even though I didn't help to make the twins, I feel the same way," she insisted. "I want all three of our babies to live long and happy lives, so if I have to hand-feed you too in order to make sure you eat, then so help me I will."

Camilo wiped his eyes, chuckling in spite of himself. "I don't think that'll be necessary, Dulzura, but thanks for the offer. Go back to pampering your husband."

"That's what this is," Mirabel said as she hugged Camilo tighter. "Don't tell me you forgot you're my husband too?"

"No," Camilo murmured, leaning against her and finally eating some food. "I could never forget that."

Chapter Text

Dinner that night was uneventful. Abuela of course said a few words about the family continuing to utilize their Gifts to strengthen the community, which as always left Mirabel despondent. When everyone finished eating and Mirabel left the room without a backwards glance, Camilo hurried after her.

"Hey," Camilo called out as he took Mirabel's hand upon catching up with her, "where are you going?"

Mirabel blinked at Camilo in surprise, looking down at their hands and then back at him. "To bed," she answered confusedly, pulling her hand out of his to point at the nursery door.

"Wait… Wait, this is wrong." Camilo grabbed Mirabel's left hand and lifted it to eye level. "Where's your ring?" He looked at his own left hand and found it unadorned. "Where's my ring?"

"What are you talking about?" Mirabel took her hand back from him again. "I've never worn rings, and neither have you."

"This isn't funny, Dulzura!" Camilo cried, panicky. "Something's wrong-"

"What did you just call me?" Mirabel stared at Camilo like she had never seen him before.

Camilo ignored her question to ask his own. "What about Tío Bruno?"

Mirabel's brow furrowed. "We don't talk about him. He just disappeared. Camilo, are you feeling alright?"

"Am I feeling alright?" Camilo huffed, putting a hand on his chest emphatically. "I'm not the one who… who…" He trailed off as he felt his pectorals. He looked down at himself, shocked to see he no longer had breasts "No," he murmured, tears filling his eyes as he realized he was fully male. "No, this can't be!"

Dolores approached while he was having his meltdown. She gestured toward the nursery door, indicating that Mirabel could go to bed while Dolores took care of Camilo.

Camilo's mind was racing. Something had happened. Mirabel wasn't wearing her ring, didn't recognize his pet name for her, and apparently wasn't sleeping with Bruno anymore. Not only that, but Camilo had somehow lost his ring, his breasts, and - most devastatingly - his babies.

Retrospectively, though, that wasn't everything. Alma was apparently back to being head of la familia Madrigal. In addition, not only was Bruno absent from dinner, but Elena also wasn't there, and neither was Ephraim. It was almost as if the family had reverted back to the way it was before the Encanto broke. Did that mean Bruno was in hiding again?

"Dolores," Camilo muttered. Surely Dolores could help him.

When Bruno returned after being in hiding for ten years, Dolores elbowed Camilo and told him, "I knew he never left; I heard him every day."

"I have to talk to Dolores," Camilo told himself.

"So talk," Dolores said.

Camilo blinked, surprised to see his sister standing there with her arms crossed and Mirabel nowhere in sight.

Dolores raised an eyebrow, tapping her foot impatiently. "Well?"

"I need to find Tío Bruno, and I know you know where he is," Camilo blurted.

Dolores tensed at the accusation. "First of all, what makes you think I know where he is, and secondly, why would I tell you if I did?"

Camilo groaned in frustration. "You knew he was still around after he 'disappeared' all those years ago, so you must know where he is now, too, and I need to find him! It's a matter of life and death!"

Dolores considered her brother for a minute. "I can't take you to him." She raised a hand to forestall Camilo when he looked like he was about to interrupt. "I don't know how to get to where he's staying. I just know when he comes out. I hear him sneaking around the house. He goes to and from the kitchen only when nobody else is in there, so he must be monitoring that room somehow."

"Ugh, I wish we had talked about this before," Camilo lamented. "Tío Bruno never wanted to talk about his time in hiding. Wait, Dolores, you said you know when he's sneaking around! Can you tell me when he's out and about so I can catch him?"

"No," she told him firmly. "I've protected him for ten years. Why would I suddenly let you trap him? I told you he's monitoring the kitchen, so go there if you want to make contact with him. Let him decide whether or not he wants you to find him."

Camilo rolled his eyes as he headed for the kitchen with a sarcastic mutter of, "Thanks a lot."

Chapter Text

When Camilo walked into the kitchen, it was still, quiet, and empty. Dolores had said Bruno might be monitoring it, but how? Was he able to directly see or hear inside it, or did Casita just signal to him when the coast was clear? Camilo could only hope it was the former, and that Bruno was monitoring the room right now.

"Tío Bruno?" Camilo called out, his voice echoing with nobody else there. "Tío Bruno, if you can hear me, I need you. Please come for me. Something is happening, and I'm…" He swallowed. "I'm scared. You're the only person I can think of who might be able to help me. Please, Tío…" He closed his eyes, his breath shaky as he fought off tears. "Please, I need your help."

"I don't know what you think I can do," a voice murmured behind him.

Camilo gasped as he turned around and saw Bruno, looking haggard and unkempt but alive and well. "Tío Bruno!" he sobbed as he threw himself into his uncle's arms.

"Whoa, whoa, Camilo, take it easy. What's going on?" Bruno asked, thrown off balance both literally and figuratively.

"I have no idea!" Camilo sniffled. "All I know is that this isn't right!" He broke their embrace and gently took ahold of Bruno's left hand, already knowing what he'd find - or, rather, what he wouldn't find. Sure enough, there was no ring.

"I don't understand," Bruno said plainly, though he didn't pull his hand away from Camilo like Mirabel had.

"It's complicated," Camilo admitted.

"Let me grab some supplies and I'll let you come with me," Bruno offered. "I might as well stock up since I'm out here."

Camilo looked around interestedly as Bruno led him through the corridors within the walls and into his living quarters. "You were hiding out like this for ten years?" he asked, awed.

"Just about," Bruno confirmed.

"How long are you planning to stay away again?" Camilo wondered aloud. "I mean, with everything that's happened, and Mirabel being…" He trailed off as Bruno rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly but didn't answer. "You… weren't going to come back at all?" he deduced, but he didn't want to believe it.

"My Gift wasn't helping the family… but… but I love my family," Bruno declared quietly.

"I know you do, Tío Bruno," Camilo assured him. "You love this family more than anyone else. That's why you never left in the first place. Isn't that right?"

"What did you need my help with?" Bruno asked in a transparent attempt to change the subject.

How much has he forgotten? Does he really not remember anything? Camilo thought with trepidation. He wasn't sure how to explain it, so he just started rambling, "This place has changed, drastically, and not for the better. I first noticed it at dinner tonight, but it seems like I'm the only one who realizes anything is off. Our family is supposed to be bigger, for one thing, and-"

"Bigger?" Bruno interrupted. "Someone was supposed to get married? Or have a baby?"

"Both," Camilo confirmed. "Not to mention the shift in our family's dynamic, which seems to have been reversed…"

Bruno shook his head. "When was all of this supposed to have happened?"

"It's been a gradual change," Camilo commented, "but it all started just after Antonio got his Gift."

Bruno looked askance. "Antonio's Gift Ceremony is still a week away."

Camilo stumbled backwards, falling against the wall and sliding to the floor as his legs refused to hold his weight. "That… That's not… That means… That means I'm in the past!" he exclaimed, panicking. "I'm a year in the past! We were supposed to have celebrated Mirabel's sixteenth birthday a few months ago! That was…" He teared up. "That was the best day of my life, and now… now it never happened?"

Bruno crouched in front of Camilo so they were at eye level. "How was Mirabel's birthday the best day of your life?"

Fat tears rolled down Camilo's cheeks as he told him, "I got pregnant that night."

Bruno's butt hit the floor. "You… You what? You can…?"

Camilo rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, it never occurred to anyone else that having sex while I was transformed would make it possible for me to be impregnated, but it happened… Or was supposed to happen, next year apparently. Oh God, I hope it still does! I don't want my babies to never exist! How do I get back to my proper time? Am I just supposed to live this year all over again? I don't want to! I want to go back home to my wife and the father of my twins because even though my family is here they're not them and I can't stand having you look at me and not see me!"

"How am I not seeing you?" Bruno asked.

Camilo put his hand on his belly. "You're not seeing me as the bearer of your unborn twins."

Bruno recoiled. If he hadn't already been seated, he almost certainly would have fallen to the floor. "No," he whispered. "Y-you're my nephew, how- why- who? Who were you disguised as when… when it happened? I can't think of anyone that I…"

Camilo buried his face in his hands. "I've said way too much already. You obviously weren't ready to hear any of this."

"Camilo, tell me," Bruno insisted. "I need to know."

"No, you don't." Camilo shook his head. "You wouldn't be able to deal with this foreknowledge."

"My Gift is foreknowledge!" Bruno said frustratedly. "If anyone would be able to deal with information about the future it's me!"

Camilo looked Bruno in the eye, unblinking, and said slowly and clearly, "Mirabel."

Bruno blanched. "What the fuck? What… There's no way. You're crazy. It's impossible. There's no way that could be my future. You're just… making it up, or… or remembering a fever dream. I would never!"

Camilo huffed, "Told you you weren't ready."

"I refuse to believe it," Bruno stated.

"I knew you wouldn't." Camilo rubbed his forehead. "Not until after you have the vision, anyway."

Bruno stiffened. "I don't do visions anymore."

"Yeah, I know," Camilo rolled his eyes. "Because you haven't realized yet that everyone was wrong about you. Your visions don't cause things to happen, they're just a heads-up so people can be prepared. Whatever you see is going to happen whether you see it or not."

"And what is this vision I'm supposed to have that will magically change my mind?" Bruno queried skeptically.

Camilo raised an eyebrow. "You're looking for the future of la familia Madrigal, and you see yourself having sex with Mirabel."

"Of course," Bruno grumbled. "I should have guessed. What else could convince me?"

Camilo banged the back of his head against the wall and let out a string of random swearwords until Bruno's expression changed from disgust to concern.

"Camilo?" Bruno called his name uncertainly, having to repeat himself a couple of times increasingly louder until he got his nephew's attention.

"Tío," Camilo said tonelessly.

"You're…" Bruno swallowed thickly. "You're not okay."

Camilo snorted. "You think? Gee, I wonder why? Could it be because this morning I was pregnant with twins and I got fucked to within an inch of my life by my pregnant wife who subsequently came on my face as I ate her out while she blew her other husband before fucking him to within an inch of his life, but tonight after dinner my lovers both believe I'm crazy for thinking that there was ever anything between us?"

"Lovers…" Bruno muttered, his brow furrowed. "Pregnant wife… Other husband…" Realization struck him then. "You're talking about Mirabel and me, aren't you?" When Camilo nodded, Bruno put his head in his hands. "This is too much."

"Now do you understand why I have to get back?" Camilo asked tearfully. "I can't live in the past like this. I need to see the love in your eyes when you look at me. I need to hear you call me 'Único'. I need to hear you call Mirabel 'Novia', and see how much you love each other. I need to be able to call Mirabel 'Dulzura' and have her smile instead of freaking out. I need to have my twins in my tummy, and Mirabel's son in hers. I need to have my pussy so I can give birth. I need to have my breasts so I can nurse. I need to go home!"

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Bruno and Camilo scrambled to their feet, looking at each other confusedly.

Chapter Text

A few seconds later there was another knock, followed by a child calling out, "Papá? Tata?"

And then another child saying, "Can we come in?"

Camilo's hand flew up to cover his mouth. Could it be? He leapt for the door and opened it, falling to his knees in front of the two little girls standing there and pulling them into a hug. "My babies!" he cried. "How did you- oh forget it, I don't care how, I just can't believe you're here!" He pulled back and searched the children's faces, stroking their cheeks. "It is you, isn't it? Wait, is this your Gift? Is that how you were able to find me? But how did I get here in the first place?"

"I'm sorry, Papá, it was my fault," one of them apologized, launching into a rapid run-on sentence to explain. "We just got our Gifts and when I used mine for the first time I didn't know what I was doing and I did a mind-slip and wound up in your tummy and it was so dark and I was so confused I pushed you away from me and it wound up sending you mind-slipping back here while I went back to the present and Tata came up and told me he remembered this and we needed to both come here and save you and I figured out how to do a body-jump instead of a mind-slip so now here we are."

The other twin spoke up then, her voice very subdued. "I have to make you both forget all of this until our Gift Ceremony."

Camilo bit his lip. "Do I really have to forget meeting you? I don't want to forget that you… live," he choked out. "While you two are in my tummy, I'm so scared that you're not both going to live…"

The twins turned to each other, communicating silently for a moment, before they looked back at him and one of them said sadly, "I'm sorry, Papá, but Tata said both of you had to forget everything that happened while your mind was here."

Camilo sniffed and pulled his twins into another hug, turning his head to kiss each of them on the cheek. "I love you both so much. You know that, right?"

Both of the twins giggled, then one of them said, "Of course we know that, Papá."

The other twin added, "You only tell us that every day."

The first twin spoke again, "More than once a day."

Both of the twins then said in unison, "For our whole lives."

One of the twins walked over to Bruno, who had been standing with his mouth agape the entire time. Staring up at him, she said, "I know you didn't know about us until tonight, and you won't remember us after we leave, but I just want to tell you that you're our Tata and we love you."

Bruno blinked down at her, this small child who seemed to have his nose and Camilo's complexion. Considering her features, this little girl really did look like she could be their daughter.

The twin who was with Bruno locked eyes with him and murmured something unintelligible, which seemed to lull the man into a trance.

The other twin continued to hug Camilo as she said, "I'm sorry, Papá, but I have to push you to send your mind back to your present."

"There's no point telling him that," her sister piped up. "I have to make him forget everything first anyway."

"We can't do this here," Camilo interrupted before they could start arguing. "I'm not supposed to know about this place." He stood while still holding the twin he was hugging, settling her on his hip, then took the other twin's hand and returned with them to the house proper. "I'm going to miss you two so much," he sighed.

"No you won't," the twin who was walking said.

"We'll be there in your tummy," the twin he was holding told him.

The twin who was walking rolled her eyes. "He's not going to remember meeting us anyway, so there's nothing for him to miss."

Camilo tightened his grip on the twins as he took them to his old bedroom. "Alright, girls. Do what you've got to do. I'll see you when you get back." He crouched down and reluctantly let go of the twin he had been holding, giving each of them one more kiss and trying to commit their faces to memory before he remembered he wasn't going to be able to remember them. "I love you," he said to them before staring into the eyes of the twin who had walked beside him hand-in-hand. He couldn't make out what she was mumbling, but his mind went fuzzy and he didn't even feel the small pair of hands that pushed him.

"Único?" Bruno called. "Are you alright?"

Camilo looked around, surprised to find himself slumped in Bruno's arms. "Yeah, I'm fine. What happened?"

"You just fell." Mirabel laid her hand on Camilo's cheek, looking into his eyes with concern. "It almost looked like you'd been pushed, the way you stumbled backwards."

"I'm glad I was able to catch you," Bruno commented, helping Camilo regain his footing.

"I don't think you actually fainted," Mirabel offered. "Just a dizzy spell I guess?"

"I guess," Camilo murmured. He didn't remember feeling dizzy, though. He remembered they were on their way to have dinner, and then the next thing he knew he had fallen into Bruno's arms.

Chapter Text

"Tío Bruno, Tío Bruno!" Mirabel called excitedly as she shook her sleeping uncle.

"Hm? What is it?" Bruno asked groggily.

Mirabel's response was to take Bruno's hand and press it against her stomach. "I felt him move!"

Bruno was instantly awake. "You did? That's wonderful!" He waited with bated breath for his son to move again, but a full minute went by and nothing seemed to happen. Finally he asked, "What did it feel like?"

"It was sort of a fluttering kind of feeling," Mirabel explained. "I guess that's not such a big deal."

"Nonsense, Novia," Bruno countered. "You felt our son moving inside of your body. That's incredible, regardless of whether or not I'm able to feel it too."

"I haven't felt the twins move yet," Camilo muttered with a sniffle.

Bruno turned and laid a hand on Camilo's stomach. "That's not surprising, Único. You're not as far along as Mirabel is."

"But I'm bigger than her," Camilo argued.

"The only reason you're bigger is because there are twice as many babies in here." Bruno rubbed Camilo's belly indicatively. "They're developing at the same rate, you're just a bit behind because Mirabel was already pregnant when the twins were conceived."

Camilo sniveled. "I wish I could know they were okay."

Bruno sighed and pulled Camilo close, burying a kiss in his hair. He wanted to reassure his nephew that the twins were going to be fine, but he didn't know that for sure, so he said nothing. Bruno had learned his lesson; any time he considered lying, he remembered how painful a leopard's bite was and immediately decided against it.

Mirabel pushed herself up and moved to Camilo's other side so he was between her and Bruno, snuggling up to him and kissing his head as she laid a hand on his belly.

Bruno chuckled when he heard someone's stomach growling only a few seconds later. "C'mon," he said, stretching, "let's get those babies fed. We have to wish your brother a happy birthday, too."

When they arrived at breakfast, Luisa was feeding Ephraim mashed yuca. He seemed reluctant to eat it unless she made silly noises while swooping the spoon through the air on its way to the baby's mouth.

"Morning, hermana," Mirabel greeted as she walked over. "Good morning, sobrino," she added, laying a hand on Ephraim's head. A moment later, she gasped and put her other hand on her own stomach. "He moved again!" She turned excitedly to Bruno, who shot her a wide smile.

"Gah bah pah pah bah." Ephraim giggled, food dribbling down his chin as he hadn't swallowed all of it before he started babbling.

"Ephraim," Luisa sighed as she dragged the spoon through some of the spitty vegetable on her son's chin and scraped it up into his mouth.

Recognizing his name, Ephraim stopped staring at his aunt and turned to face Luisa. "Mamá, thbbbp," he blew a raspberry at her, the yuca she'd tried to feed him from his face coming right back out again.

"I know, I know," Luisa said in a soothing tone, "you don't like yuca-"

"Yucka!" Ephraim yelled, banging his fists on the table.

Luisa continued as though she hadn't been interrupted, "But if you finish this up, you can have some banana."

"Bababananumnum!" Ephraim shrieked with delight, banging on the table again.

Mirabel smiled at her nephew. "I keep meaning to ask: how old is Ephraim? Do we know?"

"I don't think he's quite a year yet," Luisa replied absently, her attempt to scoop more yuca into Ephraim's mouth foiled by him turning toward Mirabel after she said his name. "Maybe in another month or two."

"We'll have to pick a birthday for him at some point," Mirabel observed. "Unless… We don't have any idea where Señor Santos is?"

"Haven't seen him since he gave me Ephraim," Luisa told her, positioning the spoonful of yuca so when her son looked back at her it slipped right into his mouth. "He kissed his head and then disappeared before I even had him securely in my arms."

"There's the birthday boy!" Bruno exclaimed when Antonio walked in. "¡Feliz cumpleaños, Antonio!"

"Hey, hombrecito!" Mirabel went over and pulled Antonio into a hug. "Happy birthday!"

"Happy birthday, hermanito," Camilo said mildly, vigorously rubbing his hand back and forth on top of Antonio's head.

"Argh!" Antonio grunted, recoiling, as he raised his arms to try to protect his hair. "Ow! Why do you have to be such a meanie?"

Camilo shrugged. "I'm your brother. That's my job."

"You look more like a sister right now," Antonio snarked, lightly poking Camilo's belly.

Camilo's face fell. "Now who's being the meanie?"

"You said that was a brother's job," Antonio pointed out, but the boy's grin vanished when he saw Camilo's frown. "What…? What did I say?" he asked uncertainly. Their light banter had never bothered Camilo before.

"Nothing," Camilo tried to reassure him, but his smile was obviously forced. "I'm just…"

"It's okay, Único." Bruno wrapped his arms around Camilo from behind and kissed his cheek before telling Antonio, "Being pregnant can make people extra sensitive. You didn't say anything wrong, it just hit him harder than it normally would because he's pregnant."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Camilo," Antonio apologized sincerely. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Honestly, I think it's really cool that you're gonna have babies. I know you're still my brother though."

That brought a fleeting but genuine smile to Camilo's face. When Bruno released him, Camilo pulled Antonio into a hug.

"Do you know what you're going to call them yet?" Antonio asked curiously as he laid a hand on Camilo's belly.

Camilo tilted his head. "I haven't really thought about it much. Did you have any suggestions?"

"No. Well, I mean…" Antonio bit his lip. "I like the name Oscar, but your babies are girls."

"Oscar is a nice name," Mirabel piped up. "What do you think, Tío Bruno? Shall we name our son Oscar?"

Bruno nodded. "That sounds good. Oscar it is."

Less than two weeks later, a letter showed up at la casa Madrigal:
Dear Ephraim Madrigal,
Today is your first birthday! We haven't met before, but I am your father and I love you very much.
I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you during your first year of life, but you are in good hands now. I know your family will raise you with love and care.
We will meet someday, I promise. Until then, be a good boy for me. Mind your Mamá; she loves you dearly and only wants what's best for you.
Love,
Papá