Chapter Text
Mirabel lies back, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling as if it might save her. Her mind races with a thousand thoughts. A million conflicting feelings and unanswered questions. Not the least of which is what the hell is she even doing? She made out with her mamá. She fondled her breasts! She glances over at Julieta, who’s fast asleep against her, soft snores escaping her lips as she leans into Mirabel like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“Oh God,” Mirabel whispers under her breath, mindful of her sleeping mother. She can still hear the faint sounds of music. The party is definitely still going and now she’s wondering who is going to walk in here? Oh, she hopes that her mother wakes up fast before anyone gets the wrong idea because it definitely looks like they slept together. Julieta Madrigal is in bed with her daughter instead of serving others. Fucking fantastic.
She shifts slightly, careful not to disturb Julieta, warm and heavy with sleep. This is fine. Perfectly normal. Perfectly fine. It’s not like they’re touching each other. Or doing anything inappropriate. They’re just laying here. Side by side. Breathing the same air. Heartbeats almost in sync.
The floor creaks under them, the walls shifting ever so slightly, like a silent chuckle.
Casita is laughing at her?
“Stop it,” Mirabel mutters at the house, voice tight. “This isn't funny.”
Casita gives a slight twitch in reply.
Mirabel can almost hear the house speak back.
“You’re so annoying.” Mirabel hisses, face flushed. There’s another shift in the floorboard. “H-Hey, you insisted. I was curious and you let me—! You swore not to speak about i-it.” What goes on in the nursery is nobody’s business but her own. “And shut it. You’re going to wake up my mamá.”
Another soft shuffling sound.
“Me? You’re the one teasing me—“
“You both are so loud,” Comes a soft whisper, startling Mirabel into near silence. Julieta stirs against her, lifting her head slightly, voice thick with sleep but sharp with awareness. “You're supposed to be asleep. What are you doing?”
“M-Mamá?!” Mirabel stammers, heart leaping into her throat.
Julieta gives a slow, drowsy chuckle. The kind that rumbles in the dark like thunder just before it breaks. “I'm a light sleeper,” She murmurs, shifting closer instead of away. One hand settles absently on Mirabel’s leg. “When you’re muttering under your breath…trembling like that…” She trails off for just a second. “How could I possibly stay asleep?”
Mirabel freezes, brain short-circuiting, heart still racing from Julieta's knowing voice, the warmth of her hand on her leg. “Uh…”
Then suddenly, Julieta sits up fully, turning to face her with that slow, unnerving smile. She leans in, close enough that Mirabel can feel her breath.
“I might misunderstand what you’re doing. I don’t suppose you were…well, doing anything else while I was trying to sleep?”
“I-I wasn’t—” Mirabel stammers, eyes wide like a cornered animal.
Before Mirabel can finish, Julieta laughs. Light. Warm. The kind that fills makes everyone around her melt. Or maybe that’s just Mirabel’s homosexual thoughts. “I’m just messing with you, mija.” She reaches out and gently flicks Mirabel’s forehead. “Relax. I know you’re not doing anything less than appropriate.”
Mirabel laughs nervously, totally unconvincing. Their bodies are facing each other against the faint glow of the moonlight. She’s screwed. “I mean—of course I wasn't…I’d never, uh—“
“Relax.”
Mirabel instantly shuts her mouth because that’s the best option. Screw her inability to function like a normal human being around her family members.
This means nothing!
She swears, she’s going to paint Casita’s walls black for teasing her like this.
Suddenly, someone bursts into the room.
“Mira—” Pepa’s voice cuts off mid-sentence as she steps into the room, eyes widening at the scene. Julieta leaning way too close to a flustered Mirabel, who looks like she wants to vanish into the floor. “Oh. Wow.” She blinks once. Then again. “Wow.”
Julieta jerks back like she’s been caught with her hand in the empanada tray. “Pepa—” She starts, flustered in a way only her sister could cause.
But Pepa just raises an eyebrow, pressing a hand over her mouth as laughter bubbles out anyway. “Wow, I did not expect this when I came looking for her!” She fans herself dramatically. “Lock the door next time if you don’t want company…and invite me! Ay, what fun!”
And before either can sputter even one protest?
She twirls right out of there, her storm-cloud mood magically gone, and closes the door behind her with far too much flair.
“Oh my God.”
“…Does your tía usually visit you this late at night, Mirabel?”
Mirabel’s face flushes red-hot as she realizes what Julieta is implying.
“What?! No, mamá!”
“Dolores! Hey, you know out of all my older cousins, you're, like, my favorite cousin!“ Mirabel exclaims with a too wide of a smile. She knows that if anyone would know something about the Miracle and something potentially being wrong with it, it would be Dolores. She hears everything. “So, I feel like I can talk to you about anything and you can talk to me about anything, like the problem with the magic last night that no one seemed to worry about but maybe you heard about that maybe I should know about—“
“Camilo! Stop pretending you're Dolores so you can have seconds!”
Camilo shifts back to his original self. “Worth a shot.” Then, he playfully glares at Mirabel. “What do you mean, favorite older cousin? She didn’t share five years in the nursery with you! That’s so unfair. You’ve been going around saying Antonio is your favorite cousin and now this? What am I? Dirt?”
Mirabel really should’ve known it was Camilo when she saw Dolores stacking so much food on her plate. She doesn’t eat that much. “Come on, Milo, you know that’s not true!”
Camilo steps forward, eyes narrowing. “Favorite. Older. Cousin?”
“Is, of course, you!”
“Oh, then what am I?” Mirabel lets out a quiet yelp when she hears Dolores’ voice. She is standing directly behind her, an amused glint in her eyes. “If Antonio is clearly your favorite younger cousin and favorite cousin in general then what am I? I’m hurt, primita.”
Mirabel recoils because both of her cousins are looking at her with expectant stares. She knows they’re teasing her, hopefully, but they don’t need to give her all this attention! “D-Don’t be hurt!” She stammers out. “You can be my, uh, favorite?”
Dolores hums. “Favorite Madrigal? I like the sound of that. Consider yourself forgiven.”
Camilo groans, throwing his hands up in the air. “Now I want to be your favorite. That sounds so much cooler.”
Mirabel stares between Camilo and Dolores. “…You two are going to kill me.” She mutters, half to herself, half to them. They really are.
“You really need to stop being so jumpy.” Dolores says calmly. “I don’t typically bite unless asked.”
Camilo snorts. “I do without being asked!”
“Hm. I know. I hear when you do.” Then, Dolores leans in close, so close Mirabel can feel her breath ghost over her ear. “The only one worried about the magic so far,” She murmurs, voice low and knowing, “Is you.” Then, just as Mirabel starts to exhale, a sharp little nip at her earlobe.
“P-Prima,” Mirabel gasps. Shivers. Presses back into her like she could melt through her.
“Oh and Luisa.” Dolores doesn’t pull away. “I heard her eyes twitching all night…along with other things.” Her lips brush against Mirabel’s skin once again. “Ask her.”
Casita gives a single delighted creak, like she just got front-row seats to the drama of the century.
“…I hate you,”
“You fucking love me.”
“I can’t deny that.”
“I truly am so…flattered to hear that I’m your favorite.”
“Aw, Mira, what do I have to do to be your favorite? Give you a—“
“Dolores, Camilo, stop messing with your cousin! You’re giving her a heart attack!”
“Luisa!” Mirabel calls out, rushing down the valley, hand instinctively brushing the dark smear of lipstick near her ear.
Thanks to Dolores.
Saying that she wanted to show appreciation as if that explained anything.
Now Mirabel stumbles after Luisa, who’s power-walking toward the barn with a group of donkeys.
“Hey! Wait up!”
Luisa doesn’t even glance back.
“Come on! Just tell me what she meant!”
Another donkey gets hoisted onto her shoulder like it’s nothing.
“My eyes don't twitch, Mirabel.”
Mirabel groans as Luisa disappears around the corner with supernatural speed.
“Ugh! Why does everyone get stronger but me?!”
Mirabel glares at the sky.
Curse her luck.
“Luisa, can you re-route the river?”
“Will do!”
For a few long moments, all Mirabel hears is the sound of wind through the trees.
Then, finally, she rounds a bend and spots Luisa loading crates into a cart at the river’s edge.
“Hey!” Mirabel waves desperately, jogging closer. “Can I talk to you for a second? Please?”
“Mirabel…please, not now.”
“You just gotta tell me what you’re hiding!”
For a long moment, Luisa just stands there.
Finally, Luisa sighs. “I'm not hiding anything,” She says, piling one last crate onto the cart. “But maybe you should go home. I have plenty of chores to keep me busy.”
Mirabel stops short, breathless from more than just the run. “Please,” She says again, more quietly this time. “I just want to understand what Dolores meant. That's all. What’s making you…nervous?”
“There’s nothing to tell, Mirabel. I’m fine.”
“You’re obviously worried about something.”
“Mirabel, leave it alone.”
“Luisa, if you know something’s hurting the magic, it could get worse…worse than it already is. Especially if you’re not even trying to help. And—“
Luisa’s head jerks up, eyes flashing. “I said I’m not hiding anything!”
Both of them stiffen at her shout.
“I'm so sorry!” Mirabel blurts out instantly, hands rising. “I didn't mean it like that…I just…I'm scared and confused and I saw something last night and…I was hoping that you would have the answers. I’m sorry…for…this. I shouldn’t have pushed things.”
Luisa’s face crumples. “Oh no. Mira…” She drops the crates she was holding, rushing forward, pulling Mirabel into a crushing hug. “No, no, no—I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m sorry. I’m the one who should be sorry.” Her voice cracks. “You’re not…you’re not doing anything wrong.” She holds Mirabel tight—one sister trembling from guilt, the other still buzzing with nerves. “Don’t ever think asking questions is a mistake.” She hesitates for a moment. “And…and you’re right.”
“I am?” It’s not like Mirabel didn’t trust Dolores’ words, she just knows how Dolores can be when it comes to teasing her. She’s mostly honest. Like ninety percent of the time. “I mean, I am!” She clears her throat. “What am I right about exactly?”
“Last night…” Luisa starts, shifting uncomfortably. “I…I felt weak. Not sure what it was, but like my Gift kind of…faltered.” She sets Mirabel down, finally letting out a slow, shaky breath. “I know I overdo it sometimes,” She mumbles. “The Miracle hasn't been at its normal level lately—just a little off, but noticeable.”
Mirabel stares, heart still hammering from adrenaline and confusion and relief all at once. “You…you know what’s wrong? Do you?”
“Not…not really,” Luisa admits, voice dropping low. “But I did hear the grown-ups talking about tío Bruno. Before he left.”
Mirabel’s breath catches. “H-Huh?”
Luisa glances around like the trees might be listening, then leans in. “He had a vision,” She whispers. “A terrible one. Bad enough that he left before anyone saw it. No one knows what was in it…or if it was even found.” She hesitates. “He left after that. So if something’s wrong with the Miracle…start at Bruno’s tower. Find that vision.”
Mirabel isn’t so sure how she is supposed to start with that.
Mirabel presses her lips together. “Are you, uh, are you good?”
Luisa’s brow raises. “Am I good? What do you mean by that?”
“I am very, very grateful that you told me about Bruno, but I was asking about you.” Mirabel tells her. “You work too much. You need to take a break. I can bet on everything that that’s why your eye is twitching.”
“I really wish tía didn’t take you gambling that one time.” Luisa mutters underneath her breath, causing Mirabel to laugh. “But…but you are right. I guess I work too much. I do try to take breaks, but that’s…”
“Hard?”
Luisa nods. “Yes,” She really does but the townspeople need help, she can’t say no! It’s her weakness. “I suppose…the stress is kinda catching up to me. But I’ll try to lessen my workload. Just for you. I promise.”
Mirabel swallows, heart in her throat. “Then…then can I help you?”
Luisa goes pink. “Excuse me?”
“Can I…help you?” Mirabel repeats. This is her first time asking her family—anyone for this. She never used Free Use for her advantage or anyone else’s. She’s so damn nervous. Of course Luisa could reject the offer and she wouldn’t hold it against her! Yes, she will cry herself to sleep, but she’ll be fine! “O-Only if you want!” And that causes Luisa to stare at her with wide eyes, a blush sprawled across her cheeks. Great. Both of them are a flustered mess.
She’s taken notice of the way her family treats her. All of them. She’s not that blind. She…she thinks they’re hitting on her. Or at least, some of them are. She thinks. Her mamá making out with her and Dolores kissing on her was definitely an eye-opener.
Luisa blinks in surprise. “Help me?” She repeats slowly, unsure if she’s hearing her younger sister correctly. She’s no stranger to people offering to please her as a thanks for her service. “Are you asking what I think you’re asking or are you—are you just asking to help me?”
“Yes!” Mirabel blushes. “I-I want to…fix things. Let me take the weight off for once.”
“But—but I’m sweaty and—“ Luisa breaks off mid-sentence, cheeks darkening at her own words. Something passed across Mirabel’s face. “Oh my…hermanita.”
“I-I don’t care about that,” Mirabel laughs, the sound shaky but bright. She’s nervous. Way too nervous. And she’s doing her best to not let it show. She thinks she might be failing. “Sweat? Dirt? Please. You’ve carried so much for years. Letting me help you…is long overdue. I can help you if you let me.”
The air between them shifts.
“I’m not—I’m not saying no.”
A pause.
Waiting to see what’ll happen next.
“How are you going to—“
“I…don’t know what I’m doing?” Mirabel admits, voice cracking as her face burns scarlet. She offered. She insisted. But now? The weight of it crashes down. Her inexperience is screaming louder than any confession ever could. “I’m—I’m sorry, but—“
“Hermanita.” Luisa’s voice cuts through like a summer breeze. Instantly, Mirabel falls silent. Her heart slams into her ribs at the tenderness in that single word. The way she says it like she’s fragile and fierce all at once. “You’re…brave,” She reaches up carefully and cups Mirabel’s cheek with one rough palm, still warm from labor. Her thumb brushes over a freckle just below her eye. “Braver than any of us.” She whispers. “You’ve always done things we wouldn’t do. Said things we were too scared to say out loud. And now this?” She lets out a quiet laugh, almost disbelieving. “I think it’s sweet that you asked me…I’m flattered and honored. So, so honored. And I’m your…first?”
“Y-Yeah…” Mirabel breathes, barely audible now. “You're my first.”
The silence stretches. Not awkward. Not rushed. Just full. Full of fear and warmth and courage blooming between them like a secret finally given light.
“Any stress that I was previously feeling is now…gone when you offered to help. Just like that.” Luisa whispers, suddenly aware of how close they are now. Closer than they were before. “I think…no, I know I would be happier if I helped you out instead. Is that alright with you? I can please you really, really well. You wouldn’t have to…lift a finger. I’ll just make you feel good. Is that okay?”
Mirabel nods once.
“A verbal answer, sis.”
“Y-Yes, it’s okay!” Mirabel would be an idiot to deny pleasure from her sister. Her first time is with her older sister. One of her fantasies is coming true. “Very, very okay. I’m okay with it. Please.”
“Tell me when to stop.”
“O-Okay!”
Slowly, almost hesitantly, Luisa closes the space between them. Her hands find Mirabel's waist, warm and grounding. And she kisses away every drop of lingering doubt.
Mirabel is actually going to explode.
Not one, not two, but three of her family members kissed her in the span of two days!
Hell yeah.
For a beat, they stay like that, lips barely touching, their breaths mingling in the space between.
“Are you…nervous?”
“I am,” Mirabel murmurs. “But y-you’ll help me, won’t you?”
Or as some would say, fuck the nerves away, though neither of them are that crude.
“I will.”
The quiet breaks.
“L-Lu—“
Hands roaming, lips moving together, each kiss growing hotter, stronger. They part just long enough for a gasp of breath, diving back in.
Over and over again.
“Please—“
Mirabel clutches at Luisa's shoulders, pulling her closer with impatient, shaky hands, breath coming faster as her entire body thrums with want.
“More.”
Luisa presses closer, pinning her in place, one leg slipping, then sliding between Mirabel's, their bodies flushing together in a way that makes her head spin.
“More?”
“Yes—!”
Luisa’s fingers trail downward, tracing feather-light circles along Mirabel’s abdomen that make her whole body tense in the sweetest way.
“Mmm…so sensitive,” Luisa murmurs, voice low and warm with wonder. She never thought she could be in a position like this with Mirabel of all people.
Mirabel shudders instantly. A sharp gasp escapes her as those fingers drift lower—still gentle, still unhurried—gliding down the sides of her thighs in long, maddeningly soft passes.
“Luisa!” Mirabel whimpers, squirming under the touch. Her legs twitch, trying to close them instinctively, but Luisa holds them open quite easily.
“Wow, Mira,” Luisa soothes, nuzzling Mirabel’s neck as she continues. “You’re so…reactive…every little touch,” Another slow stroke up the inside of a thigh. “Makes you tremble like a leaf.” It makes her chest fill with pride that Mirabel chose her first. The others are definitely going to be jealous.
Mirabel arches slightly with a choked breath that borders on a sob from pure sensation overload. She's not being pushed. Not rushed.
It’s perfect and it’s driving her completely insane.
“I-In public?”
“You’re shy?” Luisa’s hand slips beneath the soft fabric of Mirabel’s bloomers, fingers gliding slowly over warm skin, making Mirabel gasp and jerk under her touch. “Nobody will see. Even if they did…they wouldn’t bat an eye at me pleasing you. It’s fine. We’re fine.”
Mirabel trembles. Not from fear, but from how right it feels.
How safe it feels.
And for the first time in her life?
She lets go.
Not because she has to.
But because Luisa is holding her.
Because no one's watching.
Because nobody is judging.
Because magic hums low through the ground beneath them. Breathing with them as one.
Unaware, inside of Casita, the Candle burns brighter.
Without much hesitation, Luisa slides a finger inside of Mirabel, prompting her to moan as she begins to gently finger her.
“I’ll make you feel good. Don’t worry about anything. Just relax.”
“L-Luisa—!”
Luisa's touch sends sparks dancing along her spine from heat. Her entire body is coming alive, trembling with an excitement she'd never felt before.
It feels so new, and still so terrifyingly right.
Why didn’t she ask earlier?
Mirabel gasps as another wave of pleasure hits—a cry caught in her throat. “Lu…!”
“Shh,” Luisa soothes, even as her own breath turns heavy, shuddering on the edge but refusing to give in. “I’ve got you.”
Mirabel’s breath hitches as Luisa’s finger moves deeper, curling just right inside her. “I’m—I’m—“
She can’t finish. Can’t think. The world narrows to heat, pressure and that coiling tightness building low in her belly like a storm about to break.
Mirabel’s fingers clutch at Luisa’s arms, nails pressing into sweat-slick skin, and she whimpers. “I-I’m…I’m gonna…”
“I know.”
Luisa doesn’t stop.
Doesn’t slow.
She kisses her instead as if sealing the moment into magic itself.
That’s all it takes to make Mirabel shatter.
A muffled cry spills into the kiss as Mirabel’s body arches violently under Luisa’s touch, quivering from head to toe, thighs clamping instinctively around that still-moving hand like she never wants it gone.
“Let go,” Luisa says sweetly, finger still moving almost desperately now, curling in the most perfect, agonizing rhythm. “I’ve got you. Always.”
It’s a promise.
And a promise is a powerful thing.