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thetavolution · 1 month ago

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They Fell From the Sky

Bruno x OC

a/n : I have so much to do and I've been depressed. I've been hyper-fixating on Encanto and Bruno. I decided to let myself just be a dork and write this.

I headcanon that Encanto takes place in 1949 based on the idea that the triplets were born on October 17, 1899. I was slightly inspired by this. I stumbled on the idea for this fic by accident. I brought my OC Bex along for this ride.

I played with the idea that the characters speak English and Spanish. If they're speaking English, I put entire sentences in Italics to help indicate it. If anyone has a better title suggestion, I'm all ears!

Plot: A plane crash brings a group of strangers to the Encanto, bringing new dangers to the village.

Chapter 1

Bruno had a vision.

Smoke would billow from the mountains around the Encanto as fire erupted from the wreckage of a plane. The ground would shake from the impact. There were blood stains on the grass as survivors rose from the ashes, descending to the village below. The townspeople were anxious, not sure what to expect from these outsiders. It wasn’t clear how many there would even be. As leaders of the community, the Madrigals prepared themselves for what was to come.

They would help these strangers or, if they proved dangerous, protect their village from them.

There had been talk about trying to intercept the crash by sending people out of the Encanto to find nearby civilization. They would try to radio any nearby planes to tell them to turn back. That was easier said than done, given how far off the beaten path their town truly was. Mariano volunteered to try for the closest town, although many people feared it was inviting trouble to their home. The odds he would intercept the plane in time were so low that the villagers didn’t believe it was worth it.

The Madrigals focused on preparing for the strangers’ arrival. They were ready for every possible outcome.

“What if they don’t speak Spanish?” Camilo wondered.

“We’ll figure out something,” Mirabel answered, confidently. “We’ll just have to be patient with each other.”

Mirabel was the backbone of the family. Everyone stood taller and stronger because of her, and Bruno couldn’t be more proud. He would have sworn off giving prophecies if Mirabel hadn’t encouraged his gift. She could see the good in every vision. She helped him to finally feel like he was truly gifted.

“We made a temporary shelter on the edge of town.” Mirabel set a cup of coffee down in front of her grandmother. It was tradition for the Madrigals to eat breakfast outside, weather permitting. They’d catch up and discuss what was in store for the day. The Madrigal women ruled the roost and Bruno liked it that way.

“They’ll have somewhere safe to stay when they get here,” Mirabel added. The whole family had agreed it would be too dangerous to house the newcomers at the casita.

“Thank you, Mirabel.” Alma trusted Mirabel to help oversee a lot of the preparations. They had a new understanding between them. It was a lot easier for Mirabel to get things done when people believed in her.

Bruno said nothing. He rarely jumped into family conversations, preferring to be a fly on the wall. A decade of watching in silence will do that to a person.

“I’ve been gathering ingredients to make sure there’s plenty of food,” Julieta added. No one needed a doctor when she could cure their ills with an arepa con queso or two. “We should also be ready for when some of them….”

“Don’t survive,” Alma finished.

Julieta nodded. “It’ll be devastating for them,” she said. Julieta had boundless empathy for those around her. It broke her heart to know the trauma that these complete strangers would endure.

“Do we know when it’s going to happen?” Isabela wondered.

There was a long silence. It took Bruno a moment to realize everyone at the table was waiting for him to answer. He sat up a little flustered he had missed his cue. “No, no, it wasn’t clear,” he answered, nervously. “My visions are never that precise.” It was a drawback to the gift. He could never say when it would happen, just that it would.

The family finished up their breakfast before getting to back to work. They would get their answer to Isabela’s questions that same day.

It happened just after nightfall.

The flames that engulfed the Ariel Star lit up the night sky. The wreckage was high enough that the village was safe from the initial contact, though the ground shook fiercely. It woke Antonio from a deep slumber, sending him running to his mother’s arms. There was only some debris that Luisa quickly dispatched of. The search party was at the ready and headed up the mountain only minutes after the crash.

Everyone who remained in the village was beside themselves with worry, and Bruno couldn’t blame them. He had a follow-up vision that showed anyone sent up the mountain to help would return safely. It quelled one fear the villagers had. Still, the Encanto had been isolated for 50 years. Bruno himself had reservations about being exposed to outsiders. He tried to remain open-minded. His nieces and nephews helped with that. They were bouncing off the walls with excitement over the idea of meeting new people. They had all sorts of theories on what they might be like.

Luisa had, unsurprisingly, offered to go up. Her parents had firmly rejected the offer. It was far too dangerous for them to send their little girl. Neither Julieta nor Agustín said it aloud, but it was also clear they knew there would be casualties. They wanted to shield their children from the death that the rescue party would come face to face with.

Félix was part of the search party, but Agustín was, kindly, told to remain in town to help Julieta. They feared that the accident-prone man would get himself killed. Julieta needed the extra hands to help care for any injured survivors. It was already a miracle people lived at all, it’d be impossible for them to be unscathed. Pepa helped Julieta and Mirabel when she wasn’t pacing, terrified about Félix.

“What if he gets hurt?” The cloud above Pepa’s head boomed with thunder.

“Bruno’s vision showed us that everyone will be alright,” Mirabel reassured her.

Pepa nodded. She was able to get herself to stop pacing. She continued to help move supplies, allowing the cloud above her head to storm. She’d gotten better at just feeling her feelings. Mirabel squeezed her tía’s shoulder. She noticed that it helped calm the storm for a nanosecond.

It took hours before the rescuers returned with dazed and injured survivors. Julieta had been given plenty of time to cook healing arepas and empanadas. The Madrigal children were kept away from the process of bringing in the injured and healing them.

Mirabel had been sent home long before the survivors arrived at the makeshift camp. Back at the casita, she couldn’t sit still, frustrated.

“I should be down there helping,” Mirabel lamented. The desire to help everyone ran in the Madrigal blood, but Mirabel truly embodied it.

Bruno placed a hand on her shoulder. He had stayed behind to keep the children occupied. “It’s better you don’t see it.”

“How can they expect me to stay on the sidelines?” Mirabel exclaimed. “I’m practically an adult! I should be there.”

Bruno smiled, weakly. Was it tradition for 15-year-olds to see themselves as ‘practically an adult’? He remembered thinking the same thing at her age. He knew that in few years time, she’d realize she wasn’t as adult as she thought.

“Mirabel,” Bruno gently redirected her attention. “You’re needed here.” He nodded his head toward Antonio.

When Mirabel’s eyes landed on Antonio, she softened. Bruno knew that would be the thing to convince her. If he couldn’t talk her into staying away for her own good, she’d do it for Antonio.

“Alright, you win. This time.” Mirabel knew what he was doing. It still worked so, yes, he did win.

It would be hours before anyone returned home. The decision to make the children stay behind turned out to be warranted. Pepa and Félix were the first to return, looking haggard. Bruno approached, quietly. His eyes met Pepa’s and she silently pleaded, ‘Please, don’t ask.’

He wouldn’t learn more until Julieta returned. Out of 30 passengers, only 14 had survived. Even with Julieta’s gift, it was bloody and grim. Her magical gift had also lead to panic among the survivors. None of them had ever encountered magic before.

“Fortunately, most of them seem to know Spanish, even if they aren’t very good at it,” Julieta said. “I was able to explain what was happening. There was a boy with them who helped translate, too. He was Colombian so it was easy to talk to him.”

“How did they take it?” Bruno asked. “Your gift, I mean.”

“When they realized I was saving their lives, they took to it very quickly,” Julieta managed a smile. It was a smile that was meant to comfort her baby brother. “I have to go back soon, but we also wanted to give them some space to mourn.”

It had to be devastating, Bruno thought. He didn’t even want to try to put himself in their shoes.

“Some of them have a clear head,” Julieta said. “They seem to be the ones taking the lead. We’ll be helping them find a way to get everyone home.”

Bruno could understand their urgency to get home. It would also make the village feel safer, knowing that they were already planning their departure.

“We were right to leave the children at home,” Julieta added. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve healed a lot of broken bones and wounds in my time, but some of them came to me completely mangled. The children should never have to see that.”

Bruno carefully took his sister’s hand in his, pulling her closer to wrap his arms around her. She rested her head on his shoulder, needing the embrace.

“How are you feeling, hermanita?” Bruno knew that people often forgot to check in on Julieta. She was the eldest daughter who always had to hold it together for everyone else.

With that one question, Julieta let loose a stream of tears. She clung to her brother for dear life. Bruno let her cry, patting her back for comfort. It was all the answer he needed. They remained like that until Julieta’s tears subsided. She stood back and cupped her brother’s face in her hands.

“Thank you.” She then lowered her hands, wiping away any lone tears still on her face. “I need to get back to work, but I very much needed that.”

And, as if nothing happened at all, Julieta went back to work, darting around the house. Bruno would always admire her strength and courage, wishing he was more like that.

It would be a few days before Bruno would even meet any of the survivors. They had been struggling to process the loss of 11 passengers and the 5 crew members of the plane. As Julieta said, only some of them were able to move forward with a clear head at the moment. Their de facto leader, Edward Gruber, had arrived at the Madrigal home, accompanied by their Colombian guide, Guillermo Muñoz, and a woman named Bex McQuoid. She’d been brought along to be a mediator of sorts for Edward and Guillermo, who had no lost love between them. Guillermo didn’t seem to be much older than Mirabel and Camilo, but it was difficult to gauge how old he was on sight alone.

Having a fellow Colombian with the survivors definitely helped ease some fears. He was the most accepting of the Encanto. It didn’t take long for him to fit in among the villagers, although he had a clear Rolo* accent. He was definitely a city boy and, while he fit in, he definitely was missing the comforts of home.

They had arrived in time for dinner. The family gathered with their guests in the cozy dining room with a meal lovingly prepared by Julieta and Isabela. The family allowed Abuela to steer the conversation. She still ran the show, after all.

“Señora Madrigal, we’re hoping to be out of your hair very soon.” Guillermo was a polite young man. He seemed rocked by the events of the crash, yet he was a strong and resilient lad. “I imagine you must be very worried about all these strangers in your home.”

“We had concerns,” Alma sat tall at the head of the table. She was a powerful presence. “Our village has never had outsiders.”

“This is probably a pretty traumatic way to get your first visitors,” Bex noted. While she seemed to be putting on a brave face, Bruno had a suspicion it was for Guillermo’s benefit rather than her own.

Guillermo and Bex shared a look. It seemed to be a silent language between them. It reminded Bruno of the silent conversations his family could have with just a glance. The two seemed to have a familial relationship, although Bruno couldn’t really discern if they were actually related. They didn’t look anything alike, but that didn’t prove or disprove anything.

“We have no intention of bringing anyone else here,” Guillermo reassured the Madrigals. “Once we leave the Encanto, you’ll never hear from us again.”

“Bex, tell the boy not to be so dramatic,” Gruber cut in. He seemed to have no reverence for the dead. It felt like having a salesman in their house.

“Call me crazy, but I think he can hear you without my help,” Bex took another bite of her dinner, disinterested in Gruber. Guillermo smirked.

Gruber quickly changed the topic, “You live in such a beautiful and vibrant town. It’d be a shame to just leave and pretend we’d never been here at all.”

“We prefer our privacy,” Alma stood firm. Her only concern was to protect her family. Gruber’s alleged charm would have no effect on her. “We offer our hospitality to you, but we do ask that you leave as soon as possible. We would prefer if you did not return.”

“Let’s not be too hasty, Abuela,” Mirabel said. “I don’t think we have to completely cut off the outside world.”

Alma gently touched her granddaughter’s shoulder. “We will speak on that another time, Mirabel.”

Mirabel bit her tongue. Alma and Mirabel might not discuss everything in the moment, but there was an unspoken promise to discuss it later. Alma simply didn’t want to do it in front of strangers.

“We very much respect your wishes, Señora Madrigal,” Guillermo promised.

“Seconding the kid,” Bex said. “You got a nice thing going here. I wouldn’t want us messing it up either.”

“We wouldn’t be ‘messing it up’,” Gruber argued. “I’m suggesting we simply come to some sort of agreement, like a trade agreement or alliance.”

“Trade agreement?” Alma sounded skeptical of the suggestion.

“Yes!” Gruber became more animated as he spoke. “You see, Bex and me come from a place called America. It’s just above—”

“I’m aware of what the United States is,” Alma cut him off. Bruno noticed a smirk cross Bex’s face at that. She enjoyed Gruber being put in his place. “We’re not the fools you imagine us to be.”

“I didn’t mean it like that, Señora!”

The way he spoke Spanish was like nails on chalkboard to Bruno and he couldn’t explain why. While Bex had an accent — a fairly thick one — he didn’t mind listening to her speak. Perhaps it was because she took corrections on grammar and pronunciation from Guillermo in stride. She lacked the defensiveness Gruber had over his Spanish.

“Then how did you mean it?” Camilo asked, dubious.

“I wasn’t sure how much outside knowledge this village had, that’s all,” Gruber said. “You said you were isolated. It was an honest mistake.”

Alma was unimpressed, but allowed him to continue.

“We have a lot in common,” Gruber addressed Alma. “You’re a mother. I have a kid! She’s back over at the little huts you have us staying at. She’s about this one’s age.” He pointed directly at Mirabel. “And I’m sure she’ll pop out a grandkid or two eventually, so I’ll eventually get around to the abuelo thing. And back home, I’m very respected in my community, like you are!”

Guillermo grumbled something Bruno couldn’t hear at that. He made a mental note to ask Dolores what he said later on.

“I think my company has a lot to offer the Encanto,” Gruber said.

“What kind of company do you run?” Mirabel asked.

“I’m in real estate,” Gruber exclaimed. “I’ve been buying properties in Florida and the Bahamas for a while now. I’ve started expanding my business to South America and I knew Colombia was the perfect place to start….”

As Gruber droned on, Bruno struggled to focus. His social battery was draining faster by the moment. It didn’t help that something felt off about this man. Bruno’s anxiety was starting to bubble up, causing him to fidget. He would pull at a string on his ruana before telling himself to leave it alone. He was too nervous to eat so he didn’t know what to do with hands. His fingers went right back to that string on his ruana.

He felt someone was watching him. He looked up to see Bex had noticed his movements. Great, now he was even more anxious. He gave her a jittery smile, trying to be polite. She gave him a much more confident smile in return. She turned her focus back to eating, giving Bruno some reprieve. He was used to watching other people, not being watched.

He felt a hand squeeze his. He looked down to see Antonio holding his hand. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”

Bruno’s anxiety dissipated in an instant. He whispered back. “Thank you, Toñito.”

“I’ll let you think about what I said.” Gruber wiped any food remnants off his mouth before getting to his feet. Bruno had missed every word of his sales pitch. “Maybe we can continue it after you’ve slept on it.”

Alma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “My answer will remain the same.”

What had Mamá said? Bruno wondered, regretting tuning out.

“Now, Señora Madrigal, you don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”

“I should remind you that there are people in your group who are still in mourning,” Alma reminded him. Bruno was reminded of the black shawl that used to grace his mother’s shoulders, as if she would mourn his father forever. It took her 50 years to finally take it off.

She must have been disgusted with his disrespect for the dead and those who mourned them.

“I don’t understand,” Gruber admitted.

“She’s trying to tell you that you’re being tacky,” Guillermo switched to English. Bruno didn’t catch a word of it. Did any of his nieces or nephews learn English? He’d have to ask.

Gruber’s grip tightened around his fork. When the wave of anger passed, he let out an amused chuckle. “Life must go on, as they say,” he said. “But we don’t want to wear out your welcome. Thank you for dinner and my compliments to the chef.”

Julieta smiled although Agustín placed a protective hand around her waist. It felt like a threat to have this man even just speak to his wife. “Thank you,” she said.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to get some of these recipes from you before we leave the Encanto,” Bex said to Julieta.

“It would be my pleasure,” Julieta said, happy to teach people how to cook traditional Colombian food.

The goodbyes between the two groups were clunky, but the Madrigals remained polite in seeing them out the door. Félix helped guide them back to the survivors’ huts. Bruno watched as they headed down the pathway. He had a bad feeling about all of this.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Mirabel nudged him.

“Huh?”

“About that guy?”

Bruno nodded. “Something’s not right with him.” It was really saying something for Bruno, of all people, to say that about someone else.

“So…?” Mirabel was leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for him.

“So?” He wasn’t picking them up.

“Have another vision! This time, about Señor Gruber.”

Bruno took a deep breath. Maybe she was right. Maybe it was time to have another vision.

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*The Rolo accent is a Colombian Spanish dialect that's spoken in Bogotá and other major cities. Guillermo is from Bogotá so he has a Rolo accent.

#bruno madrigal #encanto bruno #encanto #bruno x oc #encanto fanfic #mirabel encanto #antonio madrigal #alma madrigal #camilo madrigal #Bex #They Fell From the Sky #isabela madrigal #luisa madrigal #julieta madrigal #pepa madrigal #other ships possible #encanto fanfiction #I just wanted to name an obviously villainous character Gruber

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foggyfanfic · 4 months ago

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The Jorge Situation

Welcoming Antonio

Preview: Bruno hovered awkwardly for a second, briefly lost for what to do. He had played support with each one of his sisters’ pregnancies, but childbirth could be unpredictable. He mentally reviewed his memories, forming a rough to-do list out of experience.

Read on AO3

Bruno hummed a little tune to himself as he mixed the spackle, he was pretty good at it by now, but wasn’t sure if it was right to be proud of himself. On the one hand, the only reason he had learned how to mix spackle in the first place was because his magic house was going through some sort of crisis. On the other, he had learned a new skill, one he thought he’d never get the hang of. Look at him, Bruno Madrigal, mixing spackle and patching up cracks like a person who knew how to do things. It was hard to not be at least a little proud.

His wife was proud of him, but these days saying Leandra was proud of him was sort of like a young kid saying their mom thought they were special. It was great having a loving wife, really great, great enough that Bruno paused to knock on the wood around him because he would really like to continue having a loving wife. So it was great, but she wasn’t the most objective of people when it came to his accomplishments. Julieta seemed impressed too, but lately Juli wasn’t that objective either. Any time Bruno interacted with Mirabel in front of either Julia or Agustín they’d get this look in their eyes. Julieta was better at hiding it than Agustín, who had pulled him aside on more than one occasion to double check that Mirabel wasn’t in any physical danger. Then he would hug Bruno and thank him for protecting her.

So, yeah. Neither of those two were good people to ask if it was alright for Bruno to be proud of his new skill.

Pepa would be perfect, if she knew about the cracks, especially if Félix was with her. He would give a low whistle and tell him it looked good, then Pepa would tell him how vocal he could be about his spackling skills without people getting all uppity. Sadly, if Pepa knew about the cracks, she would constantly be storming, so they had to keep her in the dark.

Bruno continued humming as he got out his spade and picked up a glob of spackle. Carefully, he filled in a crack, then smoothed the spackle against the wall. It was almost meditative, now that he’d gotten the hang of it. He spent a good half hour like that, feeling content, thoughts falling in and out of him while he watched the cracks disappear under his practiced hands.

Then, a new crack appeared before his eyes.

Followed by another.

And another.

Casita shivered, all of the cracks healed, then a few more were created. Slowly, Bruno stood from his stool and backed as far away from the wall as he could, watching cracks appear and disappear in rapid succession.

“Um, Casita?”

Casita shivered again, but otherwise didn’t respond. A bit of plaster landed on Bruno’s shoulder and it suddenly occurred to him he maybe didn’t want to be in the walls while whatever was happening happened. Moving as quick as he could in the dark, narrow corridor, he rushed for the hole that would take him out of the walls. After a couple turns a crack opened in the floorboards right in front of him, and he tripped on it, cutting the top of his foot. He swore through his teeth, but didn’t pause to examine the damage.

Usually, Bruno was very careful to check the coast was clear before exiting the walls, but with the whole house going crazy around him, he elected not to bother. Which was why, as he climbed out of the hole, he came face to face with Félix.

“Bruno?! What?!” Félix took a few startled steps back, dressed in a soaked yellow bathrobe and similarly damp under shirt and shorts.

The house shivered again and a burst of wind almost knocked Bruno back into the walls. Félix grimaced visibly.

“Nevermind, glad you’re dressed, can you go get the midwife?” Félix asked in a rush, already walking past Bruno to get to Julieta’s door.

“The mid-?” Bruno started to ask, thunder cut him off and realization struck him, “Oh! Oh dios! Right. The midwife, I-I’m on it.”

He closed the painting and jogged to the stairs, ignoring the way his foot stung. His sandals slapped noisily against the shivering steps, he pulled his hood over his head as he burst out of the stairwell and into the rain. The tiles shook under his feet, slick with rain as they were it took all of his concentration to get to the front door. Once he did he found that the storm was thankfully isolated to just the sky above Casita. For the time being at least.

Once he was on dry, non-slippery ground, Bruno sprinted as fast as he could to the midwife’s house. He knocked urgently, gasping for breath. Thankfully, she must have heard the thunder, because she opened the door almost instantly, already carrying a bag full of her supplies.

“The babe is early,” she shouted over the wind that was creeping into town.

“You’re telling me,” he yelled back, still catching his breath.

The Madrigal family’s preferred midwife, Alexia Moreña, was just a few years older than his Má. She had helped Julieta and Pepa with all of their pregnancies, and had helped them find Amada a wet nurse when she was brought to them. She was one of those people in town who had never looked at him with any scorn, and one of the few he would break some of his own rules for when it came to visions. She never asked for frivolous visions, she only ever came to him when it was important (usually when it involved the health of a newborn or new mother), so he never turned her away.

He led her back to Casita, and helped her cross the courtyard to the stairs. Once they had made it to the second story, she brushed him off and disappeared into Pepa’s room.

Bruno hovered awkwardly for a second, briefly lost for what to do. He had played support with each one of his sisters’ pregnancies, but childbirth could be unpredictable. He mentally reviewed his memories, forming a rough to-do list out of experience.

A door cracked open behind him, he turned and found Camilo peeking out of his room, yawning.

“Tío Bruno? What’s going on?”

Step one, check on all the kids and make sure they stay away from the birth.

“Oh uh, well um, your Má uh-. Pepa is going into labor,” he cringed over the words, rubbing at his arm.

“What?!” Camilo squawked, he began to run to Pepa’s room, but Bruno caught him around the middle.

“Whoa, whoa, hold on kid, what are you doing?”

“I-! Well-. I don’t know, going to see if I can help?” Camilo looked up at him with wide helpless eyes, “What do we do? Do we uh get towels and hot water and stuff? Like in your story?”

Bruno couldn’t help but smile at his nephew, he was a mischievous kid, but a kind soul, “If the midwife sends for them. This can take hours, uh actually, you took almost a whole day. We usually hang around the house and just sort of be ready to help if it’s needed. You know? Try to get some rest, actually. The midwife might send you into town to pick up supplies when the market opens tomorrow, so uh, s-some of us should be well rested.”

“What are you going to do?”

Bruno shrugged, “Take the first shift.”

“The first shift?”

“Yep. We do this in shifts. Even if the labor goes by quick your Má will be exhausted tomorrow, she’ll need extra support. And a lot of food.”

“Shifts. Ok, we do this in shifts. Got it,” Camilo nodded, still looking a little jittery, but also as serious as a ten year old could ever be, “I can do shifts.”

“I know you can,” Bruno said, patting him on the shoulder.

Camilo nodded again, then turned and walked back to his room, muttering something about resting up so he could be ready. Bruno smiled at his back. He’d have to tell Pepa about this, it would warm her heart.

He checked on the rest of the kids, explaining what was happening to Mirabel and Octavia, who had both been woken up. Dolores was also wide awake but already knew what was happening, she made sure he knew she was available to help, showed him where the entrance to her sanctum of silence was this week, then disappeared into it until she was needed. Lastly, he shooed Luisa back to bed, who had also surmised what was happening, but was just as panicked as Camilo had been. She only agreed to go sleep once Bruno had pointed out they might need her gift in the morning to clear away storm debris.

Leandra had apparently woken up and been shooed back to bed while he was out fetching the midwife. When he checked on her, she sleepily told him she had been assigned to relieve Julieta if needed, and keep the kids busy if not. He kissed her good night, then retreated to the bathroom and finally checked on the cut on his foot.

It had long since stopped bleeding, so he cleaned it up then mentally declared it good to go.

When he left the bathroom, his Má was just leaving Pepa’s room, frowning worriedly, she saw him and gave him a rueful smile, “I always hate this part. The waiting. If I had my way-. Well, it doesn’t matter. I am going into town first thing tomorrow to see if the crib is ready, it has been recommended I rest, however if anything happens, anything at all. Come wake me.”

“Of course Má,” he said, nodding loyally. The crib had gotten damaged while in storage, so they had sent it to the woodworker for him to replace what was cracked. Their Má was the most logical choice to go pick it up and politely pressure the woodworker to hurry up and finish it if necessary. However, it was entirely possible she had been kicked out because she always got really nervous when Juli or Pepa went into labor, and that apparently wasn’t the energy either of them needed at such a time.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Julieta once said, “it’s always nice to see how much she cares-.”

“But does she have to show it just then?” Pepa had groused, “It’s already stressful enough without Má trying to crush my hand and constantly asking me if everything feels normal!”

Juli had nodded, “Especially since-, what even is normal in childbirth?”

“Pain,” Pepa had said, “and our Má freaking out.”

Julieta had chuckled and nodded again, then the conversation moved on.

In the here and now, Bruno kissed his mother’s cheek and once again promised to fetch her if she was needed. When she was gone, back to her room to pretend to sleep, he slipped into Pepa’s room. He was greeted by less noise than he had expected, Pepa wasn’t in bed yet, instead she was sitting on the couch in her entryway with Julieta. She smiled at him in greeting, but he could see the worry around her eyes. It would seem the storm outside was not caused by the labor itself.

“H-hey,” he greeted, quietly, “how’s it going?”

“Fine, fine, the contractions are still pretty far apart. Félix and Alexia are getting the bed ready for the hard part,” Pepa said, almost managing to sound casual.

“Bruno, you had a vision of her son, sí?” Julieta did not bother to sound casual, “Will you please tell her he’s going to be perfectly healthy?”

“He’s almost a month early,” Pepa said, “it’s not unusual to be a bit worried.”

Thunder crashed outside, like a symphony running into a brick wall.

Julieta raised a pointed eyebrow at Pepa, “A bit?”

“Oh hush.”

“He will be healthy,” Bruno reassured her, “healthy and happy and a little bit shy.”

“A little shy?” Pepa asked, voice suddenly a little wobbly.

“Sí, he’ll be a sweet kid,” Bruno sat on her other side, “in my vision he was maybe a year old, and hiding his face in your blouse while the church choir cooed over him.”

“Oh,” her eyes welled with tears, she wiped at them and made an attempt to scowl at him, “Bruno, y-you can’t tell me things like that! Not now when my emotions are already all over the place. Do you want to drown the town?”

“Myeh, it’ll be good for the crops. Especially given all the sunshine they’re about to get,” he plowed on, “this kid is going to be the most fucking adorable little baby you’ve ever seen.”

She laughed a little watery chuckle at his cursing, then put her head in her hands and groaned. He made sympathetic eye contact with Julieta, and they both sat silent and still next to her, waiting.

“I hate this part,” she eventually said.

“Oh?”

“Sí. I already feel crazy enough without-. My emotions are so much right now,” she lifted her head and scowled at the nearest window. Lightning flashed in response to her frustration. With nothing to say, he rubbed her back and Juli took her hand, holding it securely.

The labor didn’t last quite as long as Camilo’s had. No sooner had Alexia returned and declared the bed ready than Pepa’s contractions started speeding up. They got her into the bed, Bruno on one side, Félix on the other, and Julieta helping Alexia. Occasionally, Bruno would run and fetch whatever the women needed, so that Félix could stay with his wife through the entire birth. He would get the occasional glance at the clock as he did so, and each time was surprised to see how much time had passed.

During his last errand, refilling the pitcher of drinking water, Bruno walked into the kitchen and was greeted by Leandra, Agustín, his Má, and all of the kids while they ate a silent breakfast. As the pitcher filled, he updated them.

“We’re probably going to need that crib sooner than later, but it’s going well, Pepa said it’s the easiest birth yet,” he said to his Má, then to Camilo, “and your Má has been craving citrus, do you think you could help her with that?”

Once the pitcher was full he hurried back. Pepa wasn’t quite screaming when he entered the room, but the noise coming out from between her clenched teeth certainly wasn’t one of serenity. He refilled a few glasses then took up his spot next to Pepa, holding her hand as she started to push.

In another universe, Bruno wasn’t there for this, in another universe he was on the other side of the wall, praying while Agustín fetched whatever was needed, Abuela left to get the crib, and the kids sat in the dining room by themselves wondering what they should do. In that universe the cut on his foot didn’t get cleaned until long after Antonio was born, until it was too late to stop the cut from getting infected and he spent the next week limping, worried he might have to cut his foot off. (It would serve him right if he did, he thought to himself as his foot throbbed, his sister had needed him and he'd sat there uselessly, listening to her scream). In that universe, he had to wait until Antonio was old enough to sleep in the nursery and Mirabel was away at a sleepover to hold his nephew for the first time. In that universe he never forgave himself for not being there, even when he came out of the walls.

In this universe he wiped his sister’s brow and backed up every encouraging word spilling out of Félix’s mouth.

Antonio came into the world with a little wail, and out the window Bruno saw sunlight and rainbows chase away the storm. Félix grinned broadly as he cut the cord and helped Alexia clean the newborn, he kept telling Pepa how great she did, how perfect their baby was. If Pepa had enough energy she would have sobbed from sheer joy, but instead she just smiled, tears slipping down her face. Bruno wiped those away too and gave her a gentle smile when she looked at him with weary gratitude.

In the meantime, Julieta noticed the cut on Bruno’s foot, she gave Bruno a spare arepa and the cut disappeared from memory just as it disappeared from his flesh. He smiled at her gratefully, and she almost smiled back, to worn out to offer anything more than a quick, loving twitch at the corner of her lips. She hugged him, then gently stroked Pepa’s damp curls and asked if she thought she could manage a couple bites of arepa.

“Ugh, unfortunately the only thing that sounds worse than trying to keep down food right now is not letting you heal me,” Pepa groaned, weakly holding a hand out for the arepa. Julieta gave it to her, and she managed three whole bites before she shook her head and shoved it away, complaining of nausea.

Félix brought Antonio over to her and she cried some more as she held her baby boy for the first time. They all cooed over him for a little, until Juli and Alexia left to rest. Then it was just Bruno and the not-so-new parents; while they basked in their joy he fetched another pitcher of water, some clean blankets, and a bucket just in case Pepa’s nausea got worse. Alexia had taken the soiled blankets to be properly disposed of, so Bruno put down fresh sheets while Pepa fed Antonio and Félix got her to eat a little more. Eventually, Pepa had drifted off to a much needed sleep and Félix tucked her in, while Bruno held his newest nephew.

“I told her you’d be the most fucking adorable baby ever,” he whispered down at the sleeping infant.

“Right as always, ‘mano,” Félix murmured then suppressed a yawn. He held his hands out and Bruno gave him his son back. Félix settled onto the bed next to his wife, propped up against the headboard, and looked down at his youngest with open adoration, "Ay, little Antonio. I don't suppose you saw what his personality will be like?"

"Shy."

"Shy," Félix repeated, he chuckled and shook his head, there was a long pause in which they both just stared at the baby, then Félix asked, "Do I want to know what you were doing behind that painting?"

"Weird seer stuff," Bruno said, the answer falling past his lips with little thought. Which was good because it bought him enough time to consider what he should say next, Leandra had told him a few times that the truth was always easier to keep track of than a lie, so if he had to answer a dangerous question find a truth he didn't mind sharing.

"Weird seer stuff?"

"You know how I uh have little hammocks for my pet rats? And um how Casita lets rats stay in the walls as long as they don't go in the kitchen?"

"You made little hammocks for the rats in the walls?"

"Yeah-huh."

Félix laughed under his breath, then yawned, "Never change Bruno, never change. But uh get out. Sorry, nothing personal. I just want to be alone with my wife and son for a little."

"That's fair," Bruno said, with a nod as he backed towards the door, "see you when- uh see you later."

Bruno heaved a yawn of his own and left. Agustín was mopping up in the courtyard below while Leandra had organized the children into a fruit juice production line. Everyone asked him questions at once. He didn’t actually understand the individual questions, so he answered the basic gist of what they were asking.

“Baby- Antonio is adorable, and healthy. Pepa is exhausted, a little nauseous, and also healthy. I am exhausted, well uh n-not exhausted as Pepa, obviously, but-. Tired. I am tired. And officially off the clock, good night,” he said, while swatting the air as if to bat away any more questions.

“Alright, you heard the man, nap time for the night shift,” Leandra told the kids, “that means we all need to be quiet and let them sleep.”

“Aye aye Capitan Má,” Octavia shouted, saluting.

“Do you know what the word 'quiet' means?” Camilo asked her.

“Right, sorry,” Octavia put a hand over her mouth.

“Do you think she still wants citrus?” Mirabel asked.

“When she wakes up she’ll probably be starving,” Agustín said, barely loud enough for Bruno to hear as he opened his door, “we should have as much food ready to go as possible.”

“We’ll make a list-,” Leandra was saying as he shut the door behind him. He trudged down the stairs to his sleeping cave, pushed through the flaps of his tent, shuffled to his bed, and collapsed onto it.

He was fast asleep before it occurred to him he should have taken his sandals off.

#bruno madrigal #encanto #love and fury #Pepa Madrigal #bruno x oc #encanto au #foggy writes

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