Chapter Text
You sighed softly, the warmer air of Columbia brushing against your lips as you adjusted the dark tunic you were wearing. You slowly lulled your head backwards, glancing up at the sky above you as you crossed your legs into a more comfortable position. You were sitting next to the river, the one so famous to all of the people of this small village, the place where it all started.
Over the years here, you grew fond of the place, but as small as it was, it was always so bustling and loud, it was easy to become overwhelmed with it all. So, you came to this place to cool down, rest your mind a bit and recharge. You opened your eyes softly, glancing down at your palms before grabbing one of the circular rocks near the creek, rounded into that shape from the rushing water. It felt cold and smooth in your hand as you moved it around, looking up at the river to watch it move and rush over itself.
You smiled for a moment as you listened to the sound of nature around you, it seemed like no place in the world was as lively as this one, filled with life and noises of animals and trees, it was an endless record of mother nature’s beautiful symphony. You pulled your arm back and aimed the rock, tossing it across the surface of the river, small rings of waves following it as it skipped, until it eventually lost its momentum and sank to the bottom with a small “plop.”
You shook your head with a small chuckle as you saw small water bugs quickly swim away from where the stone landed, dirt at the bottom stirring up into murky clouds around it. Your head whirled around as you heard the snap of a twig behind you, earning a small wince from you as you had given yourself whiplash. You look into the forest, scanning from tree to tree with squinted eyes before finally landing on a smaller bush whose leaves were swaying as if it had just been disturbed.
Cautiously, you rose to your feet, straightening yourself up enough to try and look over the rim of the plant, finding you needed to get closer to truly examine what the source of the noise was. You knew just as well as the next person here that wild life ranged from all sorts of animals, including predators that could become increasingly dangerous, some of which the most recent Madrigal is responsible for. Antonio, you think his name was? He received his gift only a little bit before, the ability to communicate with wildlife, and because of that, there has been an increase in new animals flocking towards the area, as if called to him. Not that you minded, there were animals here that you couldn’t find unless you traveled halfway across the world and then some, so there were some benefits.
You heard more rustling from the bush, indicating whatever was there still resided and was most likely aware of your presence, though you couldn’t tell for sure its size or demeanor. Starting forward carefully, you were soon only a few inches away before raising yourself up again to peek over the side, there you saw what looked like a green cloth cloaking the figure of what seemed to be a man.
You cocked an eyebrow at the sight, creeping closer until you could pull the bush down to reveal more of the person before you. At the contact, a small yelp was heard from him as he scampered back, revealing what seemed to be a middle aged man with shoulder length, dark curly hair, a few strands of gray shimmering in the light to reveal the age of the man. He wore what seemed to be a faded green poncho with small designs near the hem, a brown tunic and a pair of pants layered underneath, none of the clothes were in the best of condition, but they looked good on him. Examining his face more, he had dark, hazel eyes with hints of green that had deep, dark bags underneath them that heavily contrasted from the rest of his skin. He had a bit of unkempt scruff on his face and chin, further adding to the less cared for characteristic of his appearance. You didn’t mind though, it was strangely charming.
He looked frightened, having fallen on his back through his attempt at scrambling away, looking up at you with large eyes the size of dinner plates. You couldn’t help but chuckle, “Señor? Are you alright?” You spoke between quiet snickers, a grin on your face as you crouched down to attempt to help him up. He babbled for a moment, looking at your outstretched hand as if it would burn him to the touch, “I, uh, I was just um-”
You laughed harder, shaking your head as a genuine grin came to your face. He stared at you, almost bewildered before beginning to calm down a bit, “You don’t need to explain yourself, I come down here all the time to gather my thoughts. Here,” You stopped for a moment to sit down fully to show you weren’t going anywhere, getting comfortable. You looked back up at the man, he was slouched back, holding himself up with his elbows, but after a moment seemed to slowly raise himself up to sit securely. “Let’s start off slower, my name is [Your Name], what’s yours?” Your hand fell back to your side, recognizing that physical touch might be something he’s not comfortable with at the moment. You didn’t want to overwhelm him, he seemed kind enough, and he was already quite jittery as it was.
His eyes were still wide as he looked you over, not responding for a moment so that he could think, he seemed to be anxious about every action he made. You tilted your head curiously, looking at him with kind eyes as you waited for him to speak, patient.
After another moment of silence, he adjusted himself and stared down at his hands, which you noticed he was messing with nervously, “I, my names, um…” He hesitated, as if his name itself was laced with poison and dangerous to say, his eyes flickering back up to you. You nodded at him to continue, your smile still gracing your features. “My names Bruno…”
Bruno… You could’ve sworn you had heard that name before, spoken about in hushed voices and whispered under gossipers’ breaths. You never truly knew what surrounded the whole situation, but based on his demeanor, he wasn’t as threatening as people were convinced he was. Bruno stared at you cautiously, analyzing your expression for any hints of a negative reaction, but none came to front. All you did was smile at him, “It’s good to meet you Bruno, I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.” You tilted your head once more, “How long have you lived here?” You questioned, recognizing that a lot of this small talk was going to be one-sided.
He looked up at you again, his eyes looking like the ones of a lost puppy as he stared at you, it was strangely endearing, “No, I’ve, I have lived here for a while, all my life actually. I just uh..” He looked away, almost embarrassed, “I don’t get out very much…” He smiled up at you sheepishly as he spoke, his voice shaky as he fumbled with his fingers. You smirked, “An introvert, hm? I understand, there’s so much noise and commotion packed into such a small town, some days I need time alone to recharge.”
His eyes seemed to gleam at the fact that you understood him, speaking to him without judgment or some sense of superiority over him, “Yes! Yes, exactly like that, though maybe a bit more, uh…” He sputtered for a moment, “Extreme, than that, but yes.” He nodded, a grin coming to his face. It made you feel warm, knowing that he was beginning to come out of his shell with you.
You shifted and stood up, reaching a hand out to him to help him stand as well, only for him to once again look towards it in hesitation. You laughed, nodding your head towards the river, “Come on, we can skip rocks together, sitting on twigs and whatnot probably isn’t very comfortable.” You explained as you cocked your brow at him, canines showing charmingly. He seemed to brighten after a moment before he looked over at the tree next to him. He glanced back at you before quickly turning back, muttering something under his breath as he knocked repeatedly on the bark of the tree, after which lightly thunking himself on the head.
You tilted your head to the side, a crooked grin coming to your face as you watched him finally take your hand, helping him up. He was surprisingly light despite his height, which towered a bit over you. His strange mannerisms appealed to you, you haven’t met many people like him before, but that made the whole situation all the more interesting.
His hand was calloused, as if it had been through so much over the years, but it was warm in your palm, a welcomed feeling that contrasted against your own of different texture. You smiled at the feeling before quickly wiping it off your face at the realization, leading him out of the trees to the creek. His hand was shaking in yours, as if he was scared you would break at his touch, like you were made of porcelain. You could feel his eyes staring into your back as you sat on a patch of grass next to the river, pulling him down with you.
Bruno yelped a bit before quickly sitting down next to you, the two of your knees clunking together in the process. He jumped at the contact, almost releasing your hand before quickly chasing it back with his own, holding it tighter so you wouldn’t slip away. You were a bit confused at his sudden need for what seemed to be affection, though you understood in a way. You inferred that he probably hasn’t had a lot of it in a long time, making him scared to receive it, but also wanting it desperately. You welcomed the feeling, you had your own struggles as well with contact, but knowing that you could bring him some sort of comfort, it made the experience enjoyable for you as well.
You looked over at him and smiled, which he blinked at for a moment before smiling himself, a genuine one, one that made you feel happy just from the sight of it. It was nice, being able to spend time with someone new, someone who isn’t overwhelming and loud. Even though you had only just met him minutes before, you could already feel a bond forming. It was sweet, simple.
You realized you were staring, quickly looking away from him. You could tell he had noticed, the small crack in a confident presenting persona, not with negative connotation though. You cleared your throat, turning and grabbing two rocks next to the side of the river, both thin and oval in shape. You handed one back over to him, he stared at you curiously as you did so. Would those big eyes of his ever stop staring at you like that? You liked it.
You shook your head before handing it to him, which he took and promptly looked at like an idiot, “What? Have you never skipped rocks before?” You asked curiously, laughing at the thought. He looked away, a sheepish smile on his face as he scratched the back of his neck, fumbling with the stone in his hand.
“I, well… No, I haven’t. Mama never took me down here as a child because of what happened.” Bruno trailed off, looking towards the water with a blank look. You looked at him with solemn eyes, recognizing that the topic was sensitive. You weren’t going to push, you had only just met him, and as kind as you had been so far, he has every right to not fully trust you with his past. After a moment, you simply smiled and squeezed his hand lightly, “Well then, no better time to start than the present! Ven, te enseñaré.” You flipped the rock in your hand, making sure he was paying attention. He was very attentive, watching your movements as you readied your arm and then flicked your wrist, the rock flowing out to skip over the surface of the water, continuing over a few hops before suddenly stopping and sinking.
You turned to him, smiling softly, you received an unsure expression in response. You nodded towards him encouragingly, “Go on, there’s no pressure, we can always try again.” Bruno bit his lip after a moment before readying himself, throwing it over.
You held back a snicker as you saw it sink to the bottom, though you quickly silenced yourself when you saw his disappointed face. You grinned, patting his shoulder, “Hey, it was just your stance, it’s like throwing a frisbee. Here, let me show you.”
You shifted over so that you were behind him, carefully grabbing his arms and adjusting them to the correct position, your chest pressed closely to his back as you did so. You felt his chest tighten for a moment before relaxing in your hold a tiny bit, though you could tell he was still cautious. Your grip was gentle on him as you held his wrist in the position, mimicking the throwing motion with it, “There, like that, just throw it forward like a disc.” You spoke quietly, you were near his ear and didn’t want to startle him. You pulled back, standing up and towering over his sitting form, watching him shudder and hesitate for a moment before throwing the rock forward.
You both watched intently as it skipped a few times and then sunk, not going as far as yours had, but going nonetheless. You cheered, raising your hands above your head in fists, “Look! You did it!” You grinned down at him as he lifted his head back to look at you, mouth agape in what seemed to be shock.
You tilted your head at his expression, a crooked grin on your face as you did so, “What?” He simply blinked at you for a moment before looking back down. You sat back down in your spot next to him, leaning down to look at his face, “Why…” He began quietly, “Why are you so nice to me?” You cocked an eyebrow in confusion, “What do you mean?” You shifted so you were sitting up fully, turning over to face him instead of the river. “Do you… Do you really not know who I am?” Bruno finally looked back up at you, his face sullen. You could really see his eye color from this point of view, a cocktail of browns and dark greens that mixed into a beautiful hazel.
You looked down at your hands, feeling as if you had not been truly honest, “Well, I have heard the name Bruno before amongst neighbors, but, other than that, no.” You look back up at him, a small smile coming to your face, “Plus, I would rather make my own opinions of someone based off of my experiences, not hearsay from others!” You grinned wider, gently offering your hand to him, “And, from what I’ve gathered so far, you’re a very kind, albeit nervous, person.”
His eyes flickered from your face down to your hand, after a moment slowly raising his own shaking one to hold onto yours. He bit his lip, looking down as he struggled to find words “You…
Dios mío, you are… Something.” Were the words he chose to settle on, an almost pained smile coming to his face as he shook his head lightly. You laughed, gently squeezing his palm in yours, “Well then, I’ll take that as a compliment. Now,” You started, looking at him with a raised eyebrow, your expression firm but understanding, “How about you tell me what’s actually going on with you?”
Bruno seemed to tense up at the question, looking up at you with wide eyes, “I thought you said-” You quickly cut him off, “I’m not going to judge you, and if you’re not ready you don’t have to tell me, but you can’t blame me for being curious, can you?” You smirked at him lightly, earning a nervous glance in response.
He seemed to think it over for a moment before letting out a shallow breath, “Okay… Promise you won’t freak out?” He looked back up at you with those puppy dog eyes, it weakened your heart a bit. Whatever it was, you knew you wouldn’t think of him much different. “Promise.” You spoke softly. He licked his lips, “Well, I’m, uh… I’m Bruno Madrigal.” He seemed to wince at the name, looking away from you, expecting some harsh reaction. Your only reply was your mouth falling slightly agape, “Madrigal? You mean, the family of Madrigal? Renowned family with magical gifts?”
He glanced up at you, hesitating, “Yeah..?” His voice was quiet, watching you attentively. You simply hummed, silent for a moment, though that was quickly broken seconds later. “That’s really cool!” You suddenly burst out, beaming at him as you leaned forward, supporting yourself with your hands in front of you.
His eyes widened in shock, moving back a bit, his eyes never left your form, “I didn’t even know there was another Madrigal! I mean, I’ve overheard there being a relative who suddenly disappeared, but I thought they were long gone by now! I mean, it’s a sensitive topic to talk about so I never thought to ask anyone because it’s not really my business but-” You rambled on, words flowing out of your mouth at rapid speed before Bruno suddenly reached forward and slapped a hand over your mouth.
You went silent, looking down at his hand on your face with a surprised expression, not expecting the action though quickly understanding why he did it. You hadn’t ever really had someone do that to you before, it was definitely new, especially for a stranger, but if you got to shut someone up, you’ve gotta shut someone up.
You looked back up at him, seeing him looking at you worriedly, occasionally glancing around to the area around the two of you, his eyebrows furrowed together in concern and anxiety. “Sorry, sorry but uh… I don’t want people to know, if that’s okay…” He trailed off, looking at you sheepishly. You blinked at him before he suddenly realized his hand was still on your mouth, quickly retreating it as if your skin had burned him, an apologetic look on his face. You looked at him with a blank face for a moment before nodding, “I understand, sorry, I tend to get a little bit ahead of myself…” You chuckled, a bit embarrassed by your own talkativeness, that being shown as you rubbed your arm awkwardly.
It was now his turn to chuckle quietly, something that snapped you from your own flustered thoughts. Your eyes snapped up at him as you watched, his eyes were closed as he laughed, dimples and soft smile lines showing as he grinned, a hand raising to cover his mouth lightly. His smile complimented the rest of his features nicely, the eyebags even more so for some reason that you couldn’t quite pinpoint.
You watched him, a dumbfounded look on your face, so far in the bit you had been talking he hadn’t actually laughed once, so drawn back in his shell that he couldn’t. You closed your mouth, quickly moving into a smile as you joined in giggling with him. After a moment or so, your laughing fits subsided and left the two of you sitting next to each other, chests heaving up and down as you both caught your breath. Bruno spoke again, his voice light and surprisingly joyful, “You don’t have to apologize, it’s nice to see someone actually interested in my life,” He smiled up at you, “And, to have someone be so kind to me, especially after I haven’t exactly, uh… Interacted with people for a while, it’s…”
Bruno trailed off, this time him being the one to become a bit flustered, “It’s really endearing…” He looked down, rubbing his neck shyly. You grinned, laughing lightly, “Of course! I mean, I know we only just met but, I would really like to hang out more after this, even if it’s just small chats like now.”
He smiled softly at you, nodding slowly, “Yeah I would… I would like that a lot, are you available tomorrow? We could meet back here, you can keep showing me the, uh, rock skipping! Yeah!” He sputtered out, fumbling with his hands again like he had when you had first found him in the bushes. You grinned, nodding quickly before shifting to stand up. He watched you as you offered him a hand to help him stand, raising him up from the ground so you were both straightened up. “¡Así que es un plan!”
You had a good feeling about all of this, a really good feeling.