Chapter Text
apricus: (latin) “full of sunlight”, examples: apricate, apricity
abrigar (spanish): to cover, shelter
el abrigo (spanish): overcoat, shelter, blanket, quilt, protection.
The Old Spanish adjective abrigo came straight from the Latin apricus, meaning "sunny", or as an extension, that which wards off the cold.
You’re not quite sure how you found yourself in this situation.
It’s only been a few months in your stay in the village within the encanto. Five years since the mountain split a passage from the river into the valley. And fifty-five years since the apparent start of the village.
Originally, this was supposed to be a research excursion with your colleagues studying various villages in Colombia. However, once you arrived it seemed the newly discovered encanto had much more magic to offer than you thought. And now fate has landed you in the midst of one of the biggest and most chaotic of weddings you’ve ever seen.
In the madness, you’ve become one of several bridesmaids for a young woman you’ve just gotten to know over the past few weeks.
Dolores was her name. Sweet and quiet but a sucker for gossip at any chance she could get. It also made so much more sense when she revealed to you her power of super-hearing along with the history of her unique family. It took a while to get used to but you’ve grown closer to the family as they graciously answered all your curious questions.
Namely, Mirabel and her cousin Camilo were especially excited to hear about the worldly possibilities outside the encanto. In exchange for their helpful guide to the village and it’s customs, you were more than happy to show off all the fruits of your travels. Because of all the time you spend together, a close friendship was formed between the three of you.
Especially with Camilo whom you spend a great deal of time with, talking for hours on end about anything in particular. He was always happy to see you and easy to laugh with. You smiled to yourself. He was sweet and caring even if he had a tendency to show-off and be on the silly side. Despite only being in Encanto for a few months, the both of you were practically attached at the hip whenever you went out.
However, lately, you’ve become increasingly aware of Camilo. The way he smiles at you and his tendency to always be nearby or even a casual touch of his was enough to make your stomach erupt in butterflies. Confused and flustered, you’ve tried to push down the feelings and pretend that everything was normal. There was a delicate balance in the relationships you’ve made with the Madrigals and you didn’t want to cross a line.
“Mirabel!” You call out, clutching a basket full of colorful fabrics and threads. You smile warmly at Casa de Madrigal’s windows that waved cheerfully to you. A sentient house was quite a shock at first but soon became a normal sight as you began to visit more and more often to see Mirabel and Camilo. Passing through the door, you glance around, trying to catch a glimpse of those familiar dark curls and green glasses. There were people milling around, hanging decorations for the wedding ceremony, and moving furniture. You stood on the tips of your toes to try and find her. “Mirabel? Has anyone seen Mirabel?”
“She’s probably with Dolores!” A voice calls out behind you. Antonio runs in, a toucan peeking at you curiously from his shoulder. “Hola [Y/N]! ¿Qué tal?”
You can’t help but grin at the sunny faced 10-year-old. You pinch his cheek, earning a laugh from him. “Hola Antonio. You’re probably right, they’re probably doing another fitting for Dolores’ gown today.” You lightly scratch the top of the toucan’s head, it’s eyes closing in content. “Would you mind leading me there? I’m afraid I’ll probably get lost trying to look for them.”
Antonio’s face twists into an apologetic smile. “Well, I normally would, but-“
“I can take you.”
A voice chimes in close behind you and you feel someone lightly rest their hand on your shoulder. You turn in surprise, blinking up at the owner of the voice. You’re greeted with a vision of a familiar tall man, curly hair falling into mirthful green eyes. He dips in close, maybe a little too close for your liking that your heart nearly jumps out of your chest and he offers a sly wink as you gape at him.
“Camilo!” Both you and Antonio shout at the same time, earning a chuckle from the shapeshifter.
“Mariano’s wearing a hole in the floor just pacing around,” Camilo laughs and gestures to the worried groom in the corner of the casita. Peeking behind Camilo, you see Mariano’s ashen face as his mother tries to calm him down. “He wants everything to be perfect and I don’t blame him. But it’d be more interesting to see what my sister is up to than stare at him all day. What do you say, [Y/N]? Be a real one and let me tag along, yeah?” He leans in close, making you blush as you turn away to look elsewhere than his mischievous grin.
“W-well, I asked Antonio first,” you say unconvincingly. Camilo’s grin grows wider and you step back away from him, putting some proper distance in between you two. Damn that smile of his. “Otherwise, I don’t want to be a bother while you’re helping-“
“Actually,” Antonio interrupts sheepishly, “Abuela asked me to check on a few things for the ceremony. But Camilo can take you!” He gives a halfhearted wave before he inches towards the front door of the casita. Camilo salutes him with a grin which Antonio takes as his signal to leave.
“Wait, Antonio-!” You call out to him but he’s quick to run out the casita, leaving you with Camilo by yourself.
“Well, that solves itself.” Camilo quips and is quick to slide the basket sitting on your arm to his own. You gasp in surprise and lunge to grab it back from him. But he’s quick to maneuver it out of your reach, leading you to dance circles around him in vain.
“Camilo!” You cry out in frustration as he keeps the basket out of your reach.
With an easy smile, Camilo takes your outstretched hand into his own and tugs you towards the stairs that the casita was putting together as you two walked closer. “You’re insufferable.” You grumble and lift the edge of your skirt to step on the stairs.
“Only you would insult the guy trying to be a gentleman,” He laughs. “Do they not teach the guys how to treat ladies where you’re from?”
“I wouldn't exactly know,” You huff, “I haven’t exactly been courted by many guys before. Especially since I’ve been traveling.” Rolling your eyes at him, you try to tug your hand out of his and he only holds on tighter, making your cheeks warm. You decide to give up for the time being, letting him guide you by the hand up the stairs.
Camilo gives you an odd look. “No way, you gotta be lying,” He says in disbelief.
Shoot, did you just reveal too much? You think to yourself, panicking slightly. Maybe you gave him too much arsenal for his next barrage of teasing about being forever single or something like that.
You chuckle nervously and squeeze his hand a little when you stumble on a step. Damn these long skirts. “Truthful as can be. I just haven’t had the time really, between traveling and research… I’d rather focus on myself right now.” You give a lopsided grin at him. “But while traveling is fun and all, I’ll admit sometimes it gets lonely as the only single person among my colleagues.”
“You? You’re single?”
You laugh awkwardly, “Well, yeah. Everyone’s either paired up within the group or they’ve got someone at home. Even though I love them, you know, it’s just me.”
Once at the top, you drop his hand rather awkwardly as you realize the many eyes peeking curiously at you both. Camilo has an indescribable look on his face that you can’t quite figure out. A beat of silence stretches between you as you fiddle with your skirt awkwardly.
Why was he being so off today? “Er, should we find Dolores or Mirabel? Or…” You trail off, glancing at the glowing doors on the second floor.
“Oh, right, of course.” Camilo says, shaking himself out of his daze. “They’ll probably be in Dolores’ room where it’s less noisy. I remember seeing them there.”
You follow him through the twists and turns of the house, occasionally giving a polite greeting to anyone you knew along the way. As he navigates the halls with ease, you stare at his broad back in front of you. According to Mirabel, Camilo had shot up in height like a sprout within the past few years, taking after his mother. But much of him was still the same after what you could see from the various photos that Mirabel showed you. Long curly locks, mirthful green eyes, infectious smile, and the signature smattering of Madrigal freckles across his nose. You had teased about his younger self in the photos which Camilo often protested against. Always one to tease others but barely one to get teased himself it seemed.
While you were lost in your thoughts, Camilo stops suddenly, causing you to run right into him. You yelp upon impact and he spins around to catch you, grabbing your waist to steady you. In your panic, you grab onto his ruana for dear life just as the door clicks open.
“Oh! There you are, [Y/N]-” Mirabel chirps before stopping herself at the sight that greeted her at the door. “…and Camilo?”
Surprised, Camilo’s grip on you loosens and you slip out of his arms. However, your tight grip on his ruana brings him down with you, and you both yelp as you land in a heap on the ground. He curses under his breath as he scrambles to help you back to your feet.
“I heard that Camilo!” Dolores’ voice calls from the room.
“Sorry! Jesus, I’m sorry I didn’t mean-“ He stammers out as you groan in pain. Camilo and Mirabel rush to help you up and gather your things.
“I’m fine! It’s fine.” You huff. Flustered, you push away Camilo’s and Mirabel’s fluttering hands as you stand up. You manage to grab the basket that Camilo was holding and present it before Mirabel, grinning. “Special delivery for you and the bride! I just got these nice bolts of fabric and thread spools shipped in and figured you could use them for the wedding.”
“Oh!” Mirabel beams and takes the basket excitedly. “Thank you! You really didn’t have to.”
“I figured it’d be in better hands with you than mine,” You shrug and gesture to her elaborately embroidered skirt. “I can’t do anything other than the basics, no doubt you’ll do something amazing with them!”
Mirabel smiles brightly and takes your hand to bring you inside. Camilo tries to follow in but is stopped by Mirabel’s firm hand. “No way, girls only today, señor.”
“Aw, what?! But I just want to see what you guys are up to! It’s so boring outside-”
“It’s a girl’s day, Camilo. We’re doing fittings for the dresses which you can’t be here for.” Mirabel says with a tone of finality. “If you really want to join in, you can come another time. And no shapeshifting to get in!”
Camilo grumbles, sulking as he’s nudged out of the door. Just as Mirabel starts to close the door behind him, he turns quickly and grabs your wrist.
“Wait!” He says quickly, locking eyes with yours. Camilo glances nervously at you as he bites his lip. Underneath the heels of his feet, Casita nudges him impatiently with the worn floor tiles. You give him an amused look as he tries to kick them away. “I just- Well, uh, I’ll see you later [Y/N]? Promise?”
You blink in surprise. This was unusual. He’d usually just find you later, no promise needed. “Oh! Sure? Sure. I’ll see you later, Camilo.”
That familiar easygoing grin slides back on his face, the corners of his lips curling upwards. He lets go of your wrist, lingering before pulling away. “Right, well, don’t miss me too much-”
The door cuts him off, slamming in finality as Mirabel turns to give you a confused look. When the door was shut, Dolores’ room was completely soundproof from the rest of the world but knowing Camilo, he was probably outside telling Casita off for slamming the door in his face.
“Mind telling me what that was about?” Mirabel’s round eyes alight with curiosity.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” You say quickly. Cheeks turning red, you turn around and walk further into the room where Dolores was with Señora Pepa and Señora Julieta.
You give your greetings to the two ladies who were fussing over Dolores’ dress. Dolores waves hello from the podium, admiring the progress of her wedding dress in the mirror before her. Setting down the basket on a nearby chair, Mirabel slides up next to you. She’s quiet, staring intently at you as you glance her way while laying out the fabrics you’ve brought.
“What? Mirabel…” You sigh. You fiddle with the thread in your basket, marveling at the shine it reflects in the light.
“Oh nothing,” She says coyly, snatching the thread from you. You frown at her, watching her suspiciously as she fakes an air of indifference. She hands off a safety pin to her mother’s awaiting hand, mischievous grin widening as you try to avoid her gaze.
You’re breaking and she knows it. “Mirabel…”
“Look, I’m just curious that’s all-”
“But there’s really nothing to say!” You mutter, embarrassed. “I think he’s just being weird today. So there’s really nothing to talk about.”
“But there is!” Mirabel hisses excitedly and grabs your shoulders. Her excitement earns the curious glances of Señora Pepa and Señora Julieta. “I have never, ever in my life seen him like this and we’ve been together since we were in diapers!”
“Seen who like what?” Dolores perks up. Oh no.
“There’s only one possible answer,” Mirabel says, all giddy as she dances around you. “It has to be-”
“Camilo?” Señora Pepa chimes in, now interested as her hands still in their midst of fluffing Dolores’ dress. She glances over at Señora Julieta with a grin alight on her face. The room’s temperature rises just a few more degrees as the sunlight peeking through the glass panes intensifies. “My Camilito?”
“Wait, no- Señora Pepa, please-” You stutter out. Mirabel sits you down roughly in a chair, shooting you a look to stay put and shoves a warm cup of café in your hands.
“Oh, Camilo’s a good man,” Señora Julieta says wistfully. “He’s been dancing around relationships for ages, I think it’s about time he finds someone to settle down with.” She winks at you playfully.
Not both of them now. You think to yourself as you choke on the cafe. “Wait, Señora Julieta, you’ve got it-”
“-it right!” Mirabel chimes in and fixes the strap of Dolores’ dress. “My instincts are never wrong. I think there’s definitely more to what’s going on here.”
Your cheeks are burning at this point. “You’re being silly, Camilo is just a friend. We’ve been good friends since I’ve arrived here and that’s all there is to it.”
“And is that why your heart beats so loud every time he comes around?” Dolores teases, smiling in the mirror. You groan as Señora Julieta rests a reassuring hand on your shoulder.
“I’ll admit, it’s a bit weird as his cousin to see Camilo tripping over himself but…” Mirabel sings.
“But there isn’t anything!” You protest, throwing your hands up in exasperation. It's the truth after all, you were comfortable the way things are. “It’s the truth I swear, maybe it’s just the hustle and bustle of the wedding that’s making him act all weird. I don’t think he’s ever been like this these past few months.”
The four ladies glanced between each other, odd looks on their faces. Your heart sank the longer the silence stretches on.
“What?” You asked, chuckling nervously. “What aren’t you all telling me?”
“Mija, haven’t you noticed?” Señora Pepa tilts her head in confusion. “My Camilo is a good child but, no offense, I’ve had such a hard time getting him down from the clouds and let alone home since you became friends.”
Señora Julieta even laughs, nudging Pepa’s shoulder affectionately. “Not even that, he’ll come around the kitchen over and over again when you’re visiting, looking for you every time! He’s not exactly subtle.”
Your face burns and as Mirabel and Dolores giggles. “He’s so obvious! Whenever anyone is with you guys, he only ever looks or listens to you!” Mirabel says teasingly.
“No way, I’m sure he’s just happy to hear about what’s outside of the encanto! I mean it’s all we usually talk about. He’s only been interested in my life and travels out there.” You say, shaking your head frantically. “Besides, enough about me, isn’t this day supposed to be all about Dolores right now?”
“Ugh, but I like hearing about what you’re getting up to! Even if it does involve my little brother,” Dolores rolls her eyes.
“Maybe, mija, you should ask Camilo himself?” Señora Julieta offers. “Even though we’re his family, he doesn’t tell us everything all the time.”
“I wish he would though!” Mirabel groans and nudges your arm. “You should totally ask! Even I’m curious about what he has to say.”
“Oh stop, whatever! You all are just being ridiculous.” You laugh it off and stand up to help them with the dress alterations.
Thankfully, for the rest of the time no one said anything but the looks that Mirabel gave you told you that the conversation was nowhere near over.