Work Text:
The gentle sound of leaves, the light breeze of the wind flowing through the trees, the warmth of the setting sun. Even in this peaceful moment, you could only fasten your steps along the thin path between the bushes.
*****
"Thank you for helping me with the surprise party, Julieta. I'm so happy with how it all turned out." You smiled warmly at the woman as you picked up a tray of snacks. "I know it's not as fancy as the ones you usually host, but it really means a lot, and I'm sure that Bruno loved it too."
She smiled back, cleaning her hands with a cooking cloth, "There's no need to thank me, Y/n, everyone made their part to make it perfect." She put a hand on your shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly, "But it was you who made it all possible. And as the older sister, I'm the one who should be thankful for everything you've done for us. Especially for Bruno."
You could feel the sense of gratitude emanating from her words, and you couldn't be happier to be there.
"Now! Let's bring out the snacks, or else the boys will be starving!" She chuckled, picking up a tray in both her hands.
With a bright smile, you made your way through the hallway leading to the terrace.
*****
A sharp pain interrupted the flow of your thoughts, making you stop briefly. You moved your hand closer to your face, a small cut burning on your finger. You resumed your walk, steady as to not cut yourself again with the brambles.
"Please, let him be there"
*****
With the tray in your hands, the two of you made your way to the other members of the familia, who were all chatting happily with one another.
Julieta precedes you, attracting the attention to herself, "Who wants some arepas?"
They all made their way toward her, some more eager than others to grab as much food as possible. Mirabel moved closer to you, taking some food from your tray.
For the hundredth time that day, you admired the beautiful work they did with the decorations: the plants, the lights, the food, the music. Even the house was so eager to help you all this morning.
But the more your eyes moved around, the more they narrowed in confusion.
"Hey, is everything ok?" Mirabel asked, her mouth half full of food, noticing your change of mood.
"Mirabel... have you seen Bruno?"
"Uhm, I thought he went to the kitchen with you..." She started looking around too, only to be met with the same confusion as yours.
You bit your lower lip, hands clenching the plate in your hands, "I knew it was still too soon... I mean, we've been celebrating since this morning, I should have guessed that it was getting a bit too much for him."
"Hey hey, don't say that, you too saw how happy he was today! Maybe he just wanted to take some time for himself." She took the tray from your hands, "Go find him, I'll take care of the rest."
You smiled, ruffling her hair, "Thank you, Mira." Moving away from her, you took a few steps toward the house, "I'll go check his rooOOOOOM!" The tile under your feet moved, turning you in the opposite direction.
A line of tiles flipped upside down, forming a red arrow pointing toward the trees behind the habitation while the ones under your feet rose up, pushing you forward.
After a moment of realization, you glanced back at the house, "Casita, did you see him go that way?"
The roof tiles moved like the keys of a piano in affirmation. You beamed at it with gratitude, "Gracias, Casita!"
As a window sash waved back, you started walking toward the woods, giving one last glance at Mirabel, "If the others ask, tell them not to worry ok?"
"Got it! Go find him, tía!"
Your cheeks flared up at the comment, "Will you ever stop teasing me with that name?!"
She stuck out her tongue, "Nope! I need to practice it for the day it will actually be your name!"
And with a last roll of your eyes, you disappeared into the woods.
*****
It took a moment for your eyes to adjust to the light, the branches finally freeing you from their grasp as you stepped into a clearing. A gentle breeze rippled the surface of a small pond, sparkling with the colors of the sunset.
But your mind was too distracted to pay attention to it, hands moving on their own to remove the few leaves that were still stuck to your clothes. Your eyes scanned the area, searching for anything that could tell you where he was; your heart beating faster with worry.
Until your attention was caught by a different kind of bush.
A tangled bush of black hair spread across the grass. The owner of said bush sprawled on the ground like a starfish.
A great sense of relief washed over you, muscles relaxing as your heart ceased its frantic beating. Your legs acted on their own, moving you closer, but just as you filled your lungs to call out for him, an idea popped in your head.
You stopped. A mischievous smirk making its way on your lips as you leaned down to take off your shoes, leaving them on the grass.
With slow and steady movements, you began to approach him. Your body instinctively leaned down, making yourself smaller as to not be easily noticed, even if you knew that he couldn't see you from there.
When you realized you were close enough, you sprinted and reached him in a few seconds.
You leaned over his head, your hair spiraling around your face as you watched his eyes widen in surprise.
"FOUND YOU!"
"AAAHH-"
THUMP
Your hands shot over your forehead, holding them in place to try and relieve the sharp pain as the two of you groaned in unison. Hissing under your breath, you cracked an eye open to see Bruno rolling in the grass, hands over his head too.
"Cariño, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to startle you like that!" You said, leaning down next to him.
His hand flailed in the air, "N-No no no, it was my fault! I didn't hear you coming. Are you ok? Did I hurt you that bad?"
Rolling back next to you, he steadied himself up, his hand moving over yours, stroking your forehead with eyes wide in concern. You leaned into the touch, enjoying the sensation, "Not that much, but dios mio, is your skull made of rocks?"
Copying his movements, you placed your hand over his head, stroking his hair to numb the pain.
"No, but I once broke down a wall with it."
Your hand stopped, eyes widening as you looked at him, who was still agitated by your prank.
You could feel your lip twitch, a puff of air escaping from your nose. And as his head tilted in confusion, you couldn't hold back anymore. You burst out laughing, leaning over him to steady yourself.
He stared at you with his doe eyes, a mix of concern and amusement at the sound of your laugh, "I, uh, I think I hit your head harder than expected...?"
"How can you-" a sudden snort interrupted you, "How can you say something like that with a straight face?!"
As soon as he registered your words, all his apprehension disappeared, his lips lifting into a smile as he chuckled with you.
You leaned over his chest, his hand still stroking your forehead as you came down from your fit. The two of you stood there for a moment, resting on the grass, enjoying the quiet evening.
But even if you didn't want to let go of him, the string of guilt pulling in your chest was still too strong to leave you alone. You straightened up, detaching from him, your hand moving to rest on his cheek.
You leaned up, leaving a kiss on his forehead. The blush on his face made you smile, brushing your thumb tenderly under his eye.
His eyes widened a bit, "I, uhm... I think I'm missing something", the heat under your palm intensified, "Not that I didn't like it, of course, I mean, I really enjoy it but... uh..."
You smiled, averting your eyes "It's... my way of saying sorry."
His eyebrow rose up, "What do you mean? You didn't hit me that hard, you know? There's no need to worry."
A sigh left your lips, your head facing down to hide the pink that made its way on your cheeks. How could be always be so oblivious and lovely at the same time?
"No, it's not only about that. What I mean is... I'm sorry for not noticing that it was getting a bit too much for you back there..." You glanced up at him, your fingers stroking gently against his rebellious beard, "I know that it's still draining for you to be around people for such a long time, even if it's your family."
You felt the warmth of his hand over yours, fingers intertwined as he leaned into your touch, "No, I... I should be sorry, for leaving without saying anything, I mean..."
Your eyes softened, "You have already made a tremendous progress since we met, you know? I can't help but admire the effort you put into it and continue to put in every single day." You moved your hands closer to your lips, kissing his knuckles, "You just need to remember that you are not alone anymore in this."
You took your time to kiss every single one of his fingers, doing your best to convey all your love into every touch, "You are never going to suffer by yourself again. Your family is here for you..." You smiled, looking into his eyes.
"I am here for you."
There were no words to describe the expression of pure adoration in his eyes, as his other hand enveloped yours, squeezing them into his bigger ones. You saw his eyes reddening slightly, a thin veil of tears glistening his beautiful dark orbs.
"You know... it's been a year since the day I came back, but... it still feels strange; being on the other side of the wall, I mean..." a breathy sigh left his lips, "Eating at the same table..."
You felt your heart tighten in your chest, "Oh Bruno..."
"But... I can't even describe how grateful I am for where I am now."
You stood there for a moment, giving him time to reorganize his thoughts.
His mood seemed to improve, the tears already a long-lost memory, "It's still hard to be with other people. You know, after all those years talking to rats my social skills aren't the best." He chuckled, bringing a hand on the nape of his neck, "I still remember practicing how to ask you out the first time."
You felt your cheeks heat up when a sheepish smile crept on his lips, the butterflies in your stomach going wild as you giggled, "You practiced?"
He just then seemed to realize what he actually said, eyes averting as his blush spread all over his lovely nose, "W-Well, yes- I mean! Maybe, but- what I wanted to say is..."
He looked at you, his eyelids slightly closed, watching you with a fondness that warmed your heart. "I'm so, so happy that I found you."
You felt his soft, warm lips kiss the palm of your hand, keeping it against his cheek as he took a moment to take in all the sensations.
You could almost feel the heat coming off your face, unable to react to that unexpected display of affection, so intense it made you feel dizzy.
"And if I had to repeat all those years for the hope of meeting you again, I wouldn't think twice... I will do anything to stay by your side every day, to see your smile every single day of my life."
Your breath stopped as you admired him, in all his beautiful, messy self. And you've never seen a smile so pure, so sincere, so handsome, so... like him.
You saw his eye wrinkle, half closed as he gazed at you with such heartfelt adoration.
"Te amo, mi vida."
You felt your heart burst inside your chest. A wave of warm shivers spread all over your body, reaching for the deepest part of your being. You felt your lips start to tremble, your vision wavering as you felt tears slowly making their presence known in the corner of you eyes.
But you still wouldn't dare to look away from the perfect soul you had in front of you, the fear of him vanishing in thin air too much to bear for your heart.
As you tried to process everything that was going on inside your mind, suddenly you felt both his hands hold your face, his expression changing into worry as he examined you, his eyes moving fast as to try to understand what he had done to make you like that.
You saw the dread in his eyes as he felt the warm tears rolling down your cheeks, his thumbs trying in vain to wipe them away.
"Mi amor?! Why are you crying?! D-Did I say something wrong? Dios mio, I'm so sorry, I knew it was too soon, let's forget about it, but please don't-"
He suddenly felt the warmth of your hands envelop his face, fingertips digging under his jaw, just near his ears.
The only thing he could do was widen his eyes as your lips crushed into his with such intensity that took his breath away.
He had just the time to steady himself as you conveyed all the love you felt for him into the kiss. It didn't take him too long to return the gesture, even if he was unsure how to handle the intensity of your emotions. The only thing he could do was embrace you, keeping you as close as possible.
After a minute or two, the two of you broke away from the kiss, your head light as air as you lost yourself into his eyes, "You are the most handsome, adorable dork I've ever met, you know that?"
You let a breathy giggle escape from your lips when he flushed, his cheeks, nose and even his ears turning a lovely shade of red. A bashful smile formed on his lips. He averted his eyes, running a hand through his hair, "Y-You, uh, this is-... w-we really need to find a middle ground or else you'll make my heart pop out of my chest someday."
"You are the one who started it!" You chuckled, your thumb rubbing absentmindedly against his beard.
He took notice of it, leaning into your touch, his face burning even more.
You brushed your hand against his beard, scratching it softly with your fingers, "I didn't think it could be so soft. I could touch it all day and never get bored!"
He inspected you, his eyebrows rising up at this new information. A sudden wave of confidence washed over him. He focused on you, on your vulnerable form, too distracted for you to notice. And an idea formed in his head.
With a lopsided grin, he leaned over, catching your attention, "Well, if you like it that much you could have said it sooner."
Suddenly you felt his arms wrap around you, capturing you into a firm hug. Before you could register what he was doing, his face came closer, the smoothness of his beard rubbing against your cheek.
You stifled a laugh, biting your lower lip, "Bruno- Wh-what are you doing? Stohop it!"
"You said you enjoyed the feeling, I just thought you would like this more!" He said, making sure to brush his beard with slow and steady strokes.
You could feel his grin against your face, your lip already twitching as you tried to keep your laugh inside, "You dork, just- pfft- just admit you wahant to hear me laugh!"
He chuckled, moving his lips near your ear, "I can't hide anything from you, cariña." His grip on your body tightened, your chest pressed against his as you felt his smile widen, "This is payback!"
His fingers suddenly dug into your sides, stroking frantically against your soft flesh.
The laugh you were trying to hold burst out, your cheeks flushing as you felt the muscles tense up, "NAH! Bruno no! Plehehease stoppit!"
"Nope! This is what you get for that little prank of yours!" he said, moving away to admire your endearing expression, "You know what you have to do to make me stop!"
Sputtering into a fit of giggles, you tried to catch your breath, your eyes focusing on him, "I'm not- hahaha- I won't give up so easily!"
He displayed the cutest toothy grin you ever saw from him, already regretting your decision, "I was kinda hoping for this answer." He chuckled as your body jolted with a sudden touch.
"Prepare for my final attack!"
And with that, he dipped his head into the nape of your neck, his chin rubbing against your weakest point. Even his hair worsened your situation, stroking against your neck and jaw.
You shrieked, struggling to free yourself or at least your arms form his grip, "NO! Bru- HAHAHA! BRUNO!", you tried moving your neck away, but he wasn't going to let you escape from him. He snickered, the vibrations adding into your torture as he sank his chin even deeper, rubbing it thoroughly against your sensitive skin.
"NAHAHAHA! YOU- PFF- YOU TONTO, LEHEHET ME GO!"
You could feel his chest rumbling with chuckles, already infected by your laughter, "That's not a nice thing to say, you know?"
He blew on your neck, a puff light but constant. You couldn't take it anymore.
"OKAY! OKHAHAHAY! LO SIENTO, I'M SORRY! I LOVE YOU, BUT PLEHEASE STAHP IT!"
After digging his head one last time against your neck, he decided to take mercy on you, moving away and letting you finally catch your breath. You placed your hands on his shoulders, keeping him at distance as your whole body still shivered from the phantom touches.
"I- I love you so much, but you are such an insufferable dork sometimes!" you jabbed your finger into his shoulder, a string of giggles escaping your lips.
He chuckled, his head touching yours, "Alright, I know, but I couldn't miss the chance to hear your laugh. I have to catch any opportunity I get."
You felt your cheeks blush as you admired him. And there he was, with his eyes closed, his messy hair all over the place and his adorable toothy grin in all his glory. The smile that could turn your insides into a melted mush.
Without even thinking, your hands pulled him closer, pecking him tenderly on the nose.
He froze on the spot; eyes wide open and staring at your smaller form. You tilted your head, unsure of his reaction.
You saw his face flush a deep shade of red, from his cheeks to his ears; even his neck was starting to change color.
He quickly moved a hand over his mouth, eyes averting from you. But you could clearly see his lip trembling, suppressing a smile as he tried so clumsily to not make it that obvious.
You felt a wave of happiness wash over you, almost proud to be the only person that could make him react like that. And to be the only one who could witness it.
You chuckled, giving him a kiss on the cheek, "I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist!"
He took a moment to regain his composure, the redness decreasing but still present. He couldn't keep his smile hidden any longer. His arms enveloped you, moving you closer to his chest as he leaned back into the grass. You rested your head on his chest, pleased by the vibrations from his light chuckle "And who's the dork between us two again?"
"Obviously you!" You wrapped your hands around his neck, giving him a peck on his chin.
"You'll for sure be the death of me someday." He tightened his grip, keeping you close, his chin resting on top of your head.
Finally some peace and quiet, just the two of you. You looked up, the stars already starting to light the darkening sky. You felt at peace in his arms, feeling his heart beating steadily against his chest. To say that your cheeks weren't as red as his would be a lie.
The tiredness accumulated over the day began to weigh down your eyelids, a small yawn escaping your lips.
"Hey.... now that I think of it, there's something I never told you."
He hummed in response, his hand moving in circles on your back, too tired to actually talk. With the last bit of energy, you cuddled against his chest, a content smile on your lips.
"To be completely onest..."
"......I practiced how to ask you out too."
Right as your eyes closed, surrendering to sleep, your lip lifted, fulfilled by the sound of his heart beating fast in his chest.