Chapter Text
It’s not every day a Madrigal walks into your tío’s shop. Looking up from the register, you see Julieta Madrigal walk through the front doors. Her dark curls are pulled back in her usual bun and a bright smile graces her face as she walks up to you. She’s the only Madrigal you like to consider a friend or at least a close acquaintance.
“Julieta! This is a surprise. How can we help you?” At your words, your tío Benito and cousin Davíd look up from stocking the shelves. They abandon the tools they were sorting and come to greet Julieta as well.
“Buenos dias, Benito, Davíd, (y/n).” Julieta nods respectfully at each of you. Many years ago, your tío was having trouble with his bad leg. He was in an accident in his youth and as he got older, it was affecting his work. Julieta and the Madrigals offered their help and he was healed with just a bite of an arepa. Your family is very grateful to the magical family who lives in the beautiful casita at the top of the Encanto. You have only had the pleasure of getting to know Julieta, only seeing her sister and brother out and about every so often. She was always kind and ready to help if her healing abilities were needed. Owning the town’s only hardware store, you and your family are always in need of Julieta’s cooking.
“Do you need anything, Julie?” Your tío asks, ready to assist with anything she needs.
“Oh, no, no. I simply wanted to invite all of you to my daughter’s gift ceremony.” At your confused expression, Julieta continues. “On every Madrigal’s fifth birthday, we are blessed with a gift to help the community. That is how I and my siblings have acquired our gifts. The same will be done tonight for my daughter, Isabela.”
“We would love to attend!” Your tío exclaims. You and Davíd nod ecstatically in agreement. Getting to see such a magical ceremony, one that no one in the town under the age of 30 has witnessed before in their lives, will surely be something you can’t miss.“I remember when you and your sibling were given your gifts! I couldn’t believe it. Me and my hermano were chattering on and on about it for weeks. Our mamas were going crazy.” Your tío chuckles at the memory and you feel your heart pang slightly at the mention of your father.
Julieta lets you all know what time the ceremony will begin that night and you all wave after her as she leaves. The entire town was bustling with excitement at the upcoming ceremony all day. Every customer who came in to buy wood or tools was talking about what they thought the new Madrigal gift would be. It wasn’t long until you and Davíd head up to the small apartment above the store where you live with your tío and cousin. You get ready for the ceremony, trying to look nicer than usual in your best dress and tight braids. Davíd and your tío knock on your door as you finish painting your lips in red to let you know it was time to go. You wrap your shawl around yourself as you follow them downstairs.
The magical casita welcomed every guest with a wave of a window or a tile as the entire town came together to celebrate the new gift. It was a little overwhelming trying to make your way through the crowd. It seems like everybody in town was here tonight. The casita was beautifully decorated and the smell of delicious foods filled the air as you tried to find a more secluded part of the atrium. Félix, you know as Pepa’s husband, comes by offering glasses of champagne. You take one, thanking him, before sipping the bubbly drink. Looking around, you watch as children play on the casita’s stairs, sliding down as they try to go upstairs to Isabela’s future door. You see people indulge in all kinds of delicious-smelling food, no doubt prepared by Julieta. And then you see a vaguely familiar face in the crowd looking back at you.
It’s unmistakable from the murals painted around town that the hazel-green eyes of the man staring at you belonged to Bruno Madrigal. He startles a bit when he notices you have seen him. His eyes dart away for a moment before returning. You hold up a hand and wave, giving a small smile. His eyes widen for a moment, face flushing. He waves back before turning and disappearing into the crowd.
You frown, wondering where he disappeared to. Before you could venture into the crowd to look for him, Alma Madrigal is gathering everyone’s attention. She gives a speech as she holds the magical candle that brought this Encanto to life. It’s very moving to see the older people in the town remember alongside her when she speaks about how they had to flee their homes 34 years ago. And how their Encanto has been and will continue to keep everyone and the future generations safe. People dried their eyes as she introduced Isabela. You see Julieta and her husband, Augustín at the top of the stairs take each other’s hands in excitement as their five-year-old daughter is put under a spotlight.
As the whole town watched Isabela walk up the stairs to her door, the air was electric, the only sounds being Isabela’s footsteps and people’s shallow breaths. Your eyes drift across the crowd as the young Madrigal walks towards the stairs leading to her door. You see Bruno again, standing next to his sister Pepa. His little nieces, Dolores and Luisa you remember, are each holding one of his hands. You smile as you see how they cling to him in excitement. His eyes are full of love for his little niece as he watches her make her way upstairs. His gaze falls on you for a moment and you give him a smile that seems to have startled him a bit. He gave an awkward quirk of his lips before returning his attention to Isabela.
Soon, her little hand reaches up to her doorknob and her door glows bright. An etching of an older Isabela appears along with flowers surrounding her. Isabela’s eyes light up before she flicked her hand, decorating a railing with beautiful pink flowers.
“We have a new gift!” Alma’s voice cheers, causing everyone to cheer and clap. Isabela’s little cousin and sister run up to hug her tight. Isabela gives them each little flower crowns. Pepa and Félix follow, Félix having to wave away a cloud as Pepa holds back happy tears for her little niece. Bruno then makes his way up slowly, only to be caught in the middle of the crowd of people all racing to enter Isabela’s new room.
You stay in the back of the group, watching Bruno to make sure he wasn’t injured by the excited group of townspeople running past him. Once the crowd narrowed down, you walked up and placed a soft hand on his shoulder. You retract your hand quickly when he flinches away from you. He relaxes slightly when he sees you, though he still seems tense, clutching onto the railing.
“Are you alright?” You ask, folding your hands in front of yourself. Bruno’s eyes roam over your face for a moment, seeming surprised. Maybe this is the first time someone’s asked him that in a while.
“I, uh. I’m, yeah, yeah, no, I’m okay. I’m… I’m good.” He nods, pausing for a moment before heading upstairs without another word.
“O..kay…” You mumble to yourself, quirking an eyebrow. He was a character. You head up after him, joining the rest of the town in Isabela’s new room. The rest of the night is spent dancing and celebrating. You see only glimpses of Bruno Madrigal throughout the night, catching him staring at you more than a few times as you danced with your cousin and tío. Soon, the three of you decide it’s time to head home after being given many flowers in your hair by Isabela.
But before you can exit the main doors, a voice calls out to you.
“Señora! Excuse me!” You turn to see the man who has been watching you all night. His long curly hair bounces as he runs down the steps into the atrium with a shawl in his hands. You recognize it as your own and you look down to see that you had lost your shawl at some point in the night. “You dropped this earlier.”
His voice was timid as he finally came to a stop in front of you. He reaches out, offering you the shawl. You smile at him, taking the cloth and wrapping it around yourself.
“Thank you. I didn’t even realize I had dropped it.” You chuckle a bit and he cracks a smile, surprising you. You don’t think you’ve ever actually seen him smile before. Even if it’s a small one, it makes a big difference. He’s a lot more handsome when he smiles.
One of the flowers in your hair comes loose and Bruno catches it. He examines it for a moment before reaching up and placing it behind your ear. His touch was gentle and suddenly you feel your face warm up and your stomach doing somersaults. Bruno pulls away quickly after realizing what he had done, face as red as you suspected yours was.
“Bueno, well, I won’t keep you any longer. Have a safe trip home.” He nods, turning to go back upstairs.
“Wait!” You don’t even realize you had said it until Bruno had turned around with a raised eyebrow. “Ah, um. I…” You reach out a hand to him. “(y/n).” You introduce yourself, face heating up as his eyes seem to take you in. He clears his throat before taking your hand and shaking it.
“Bruno Madrigal.”