Chapter Text
Bruno hummed to himself as he dipped his putty knife into his bucket of spackle and slowly filled a crack in the wall. He didn’t need to anymore; his family had gotten better at communicating, and as they worked out problems that arose, the cracks vanished on their own. Yet it was soothing and didn’t hurt anyone, so Bruno still retreated behind the walls and fixed them whenever he needed some time alone.
Bending down to scoop more spackle, Bruno noticed a new crack beginning to spread, just as the one he’d been fixing disappeared, blending seamlessly into the wall as if it had never existed at all. He shrugged and reached to start fixing the new crack instead, but a sudden strange feeling made him pause.
His heart started beating quickly, and Bruno could feel the familiar pressure on his temples that signified a vision. But he wasn’t trying to have one- the magic must be acting strange again. Bruno tried to start his vision ritual, but it was happening too quickly. Wind whipped around him, and Bruno squinted at the glowing figure appearing before him.
It was himself- holding something? A rock? A pillow? A baby? Bruno smiled as the image became clearer, showing that he was indeed holding a sleeping infant. Dolores had just gotten married, could this be a sign that her and Marianno were already expecting? Bruno waited as his vision materialized as green glass, settling in his hands-
The vision fell and shattered as Bruno suddenly felt like he’d been punched in the gut. He gasped, doubling over with two hands pressed to his middle in shock. The pain vanished as quickly as it had come, and Bruno took a deep, calming breath. He’d had uncontrolled visions like that before, but none of them had hurt. Bruno decided to go get a snack from Julieta, just in case.
As he began walking towards the exit out of the walls, Bruno felt a strange sense of fullness settling in his lower abdomen, as if he had just eaten. Bruno paused; did his pants feel tighter?
He touched his belly and gasped; there was a tiny curve under his hand. Bruno rubbed small circles against it while his other hand lay flat, wondering why he was suddenly so bloated.
Right under his fingertips, Bruno felt his belly grow. It wasn’t a huge surge, but he felt it. The waistline of his pants now dug into his skin, and Bruno’s eyes widened. Instead of continuing towards the rest of the house, he whirled around and retreated to the little hidden room Casita had preserved for him when the house was rebuilt. To get there he had to squeeze through a very narrow portion of hallway, a gasp escaping him when his belly expanded another inch, brushing against the wall.
Once back to his hidden room, Bruno sat down on his bed, shaking from panic. He ripped his poncho off over his head and lifted his shirt, wanting to see what was really happening to him. Placing both hands on his now bare middle, Bruno tried to press down on his expanding flesh. It felt mostly solid, with only a slight amount of give.
Now that Bruno was watching the growth seemed to speed up. His breath quickened as his middle swelled rapidly into a rounded orb, sticking out from his body like a sore thumb. It didn’t look like a beer gut. Out of morbid curiosity, Bruno poked his belly.
Something moved inside of him.
Bruno screamed, shoving a fist in his mouth just in time to muffle it. Tears welled in his eyes as the thing inside him began to kick and thrash around. Its movements became stronger and stronger as his belly continued to grow, rounder and rounder until Bruno couldn’t see his feet anymore and his belly button popped into a rounded out shape.
By the time his belly stopped growing, it was hard to take a full breath, and the seams of Bruno’s shirt had burst. A throbbing pain on his lower belly told Bruno that his pants had somehow stayed buttoned, and he scrambled to stop the fabric from digging into his skin. He fumbled, having to reach around his massive belly and undo it. When he finally got it open he sighed in brief relief, gut surging forward and relieving a tiny amount of pressure.
Bruno struggled to his feet and nearly fell, but managed to waddle a few steps to reach a full length mirror hanging on the wall. Eyes wide as saucers, he took in the sight.
His belly looked just like Pepa’s and Julieta’s when they had been pregnant.
The thing inside him, as bizarre as this was, must be a baby. But how? Bruno gulped as he ran shaking hands over his belly.
Bruno’s first instinct was to get to Julieta and beg for her help. But what if his mother saw? He could picture her face, see the disgust and wariness in her eyes. He was already the creepy goldfish killer, and now he’d be the random magic baby guy too. His mother had come a long way in showing appreciation and acceptance of her family members, but this might just be too much.
Not knowing what to do, Bruno stumbled back to bed and curled up, tears in his eyes. He was so sick of being the freak. The pain and shock became too much to handle, and Bruno passed out.
Bruno reawakened to the feeling of someone stroking his hair, and a gentle voice singing softly. A crampy pain rolled through his gut, and the singing stopped when he groaned.
“Bruno? Have a little water for me.” Bruno opened his eyes to see Julieta hovering over him. He tried to sit up, and his sister helped by placing some pillows behind him.
Bruno accepted the water, and Julieta sat down beside him. “Dolores heard some strange noises earlier during some magic issues and got worried.” She hesitated, then gestured to his large middle. “This sounds strange, but we all went swimming yesterday and I’m pretty sure that wasn’t there. I also found your vision… wasn’t too hard to connect the dots.”
“Sounds like I don’t have to sound crazy explaining everything then.” Bruno snorted, but his brief wry amusement faded when the baby inside of him began kicking. “Who else knows?”
Julieta sucked in a breath through her teeth. “By this point… everyone.”
“Is mama- is she-” Bruno choked, and his hands shook. Julieta steadied them. “She’s actually-
Said Madrigal Matriarch burst through the door, followed by Pepa. She was flustered and exclaimed, “Is Brunito okay? I brought some things,” Upon noticing that her son was awake, she set aside everything she was carrying and rushed to hug him. “How are you feeling?”
Shocked, Bruno awkwardly accepted the hug. “Er, I’m okay. You seem weirdly okay with this.”
His mother’s face fell a little, and she looked ashamed. “I’m sorry. I’ll admit that this is very odd, but I love you. I just want to make sure you are alright.”
She sheepishly dug through what she’d brought in, and held up a tiny little onesie. “I thought that this might be needed for the little one. It used to be yours.”
Bruno gave her a smile, and she sagged in relief. Alma had come a long way in how she treated her family, and this was a big step. Bruno was just relieved that she hadn’t been angry.
The matriarch left soon afterwards to update the rest of the family, kissing Bruno’s cheek on her way out.