Work Text:
It had been only a few weeks since Casita was rebuilt and Bruno returned to living (openly) with his family.
He was still getting used to it, really. The whole being involved in conversations and family meals and whatnot would take a while to feel normal again, but he felt happier than he ever had.
He’d recently taken to sitting in the kitchen while Julieta cooked, and the rest of the adults would gather there to chat as well. He enjoyed listening, mostly - his social skills were certainly not yet up to par with the others yet, (they never had been, but, well, he wasn’t ready to admit that) so he felt most comfortable simply observing. The others knew this, and did their best to include him without actually making him respond; always looking over to see his reaction after telling a joke, or grinning at him when they spotted a loving smile grow on his lips at the mention of any of his sobrinas or sobrinos.
That was what he had been doing, anyway, when he heard an excited voice call for him in the midst of some conversation about Julieta’s dinner plans for the next few days.
“Tío Bruno! I have a- oh!”
Mirabel stopped at the doorway, realizing the number of people in the room who were now all staring directly at her.
“…Sorry, am I interrupting?” She asked sheepishly, an apologetic smile on her face.
“No, no, not at all! Do you need something, mariposa?” Bruno asked, standing and muttering a quick apology as he slipped past Pepa.
Mirabel still seemed a bit worried, but a glance at her tío’s gentle smile calmed her almost instantly.
“I made you something!” She pulled her hands out from behind her back, revealing a blue box with a purple bow carefully wrapped around it.
In Bruno’s shock, he nearly forgot to actually take the package from her. He was motionless for a moment, just holding the little box in his hands like it was the most delicate thing in existence.
“The box isn’t the gift, y’know. The gift is inside.” Mirabel quipped, a small (and slightly nervous) smile on her face. The other adults in the room chuckled at the star struck man.
That snapped Bruno out of his stupor, and he laughed, placing the box on the table and carefully unwrapping it.
What he found inside tugged on his heartstrings so tightly, he thought he’d start crying right then and there.
It was a green ruana, almost identical to his own - except the hourglass pattern was fully hand-embroidered, and on the front was a colorful array of threaded decorations matching Mirabel’s dress. And in the midst of the swirls and timepieces and little sewed rats, embroidered in a multicolor thread, was his name.
…Yeah, he might cry.
The silence stretched on as he admired the lovely handiwork, desperately trying to keep the tears from falling. Mirabel wrung her hands anxiously.
“Um, I wasn’t really sure if it was gonna be your style or not - I tried to keep it close to the one you always wear, but, y’know, if you don’t like it, that’s fine! You don’t have to wear it, obviou-“
Mirabel’s anxious rambling was cut off by her tío suddenly enveloping her in an absolute bear hug.
“Mirabel… I love it.”
She only made a quiet noise of surprise, choosing to return the embrace rather than respond with words.
When they pulled away, Bruno had tears streaming down his cheeks.
“Oh, Tío, don’t cry!” Mirabel giggled, reaching to wipe his tears. He laughed with her, swiping his own sleeve across his face before removing his ruana and tossing it over his shoulder. (There was a muffled “Oof!” behind him that sounded suspiciously like Agustín)
Within a second, he was wearing his new ruana, lovingly custom-made by his beloved sobrina. The sight of her tío in her gift put the brightest smile any of them had ever seen on Mirabel’s face.
God, he would do anything for this kid.
He turned to face the other adults, pulling Mirabel into his side proudly.
“Check it out!” He gestured animatedly toward his new ruana, “None of you have anything on me now. My fashion is unmatched. Rivaled only by one!” He grinned at Mirabel, ruffling her hair lovingly. The others laughed loudly.
“I’m never taking this off.”
“Never?”
“Never.”
“Not even to shower?”
“Nope. It’s getting washed with me.”
Mirabel was sent into a giggling fit. “Eww, Tío, gross!” She managed to say in between her giggles, pushing him jokingly.
The room fell into a lovely cacophony of joyous laughter at the two’s antics, wholesome and pure noise filling the house. Casita itself felt brighter with their smiles.
When they all calmed down, Bruno pulled his sobrina into one last hug.
“Really, though, Mirabel - I love it. Thank you so much, mariposa.” He pulled away to smile at her. “You are a gift.”
Mirabel’s eyes became glossy at his words, and she threw herself back into the embrace.
“I love you, Tío Bruno!”
He laughed, hugging her tighter.
“I love you too, mariposa.”
They stayed like that for a moment, the other adults watching lovingly. They had never seen either of the two smile so brightly in their lifetimes; they had some sort of connection no one else in the family could achieve with them. Pepa and Félix were maybe a little bit jealous at their sobrina’s obvious favoritism, but Julieta and Agustín couldn’t be more grateful towards Bruno for bringing back their hija’s smile.
A loud beep interrupted them.
“Dinner’s ready, mija. Could you let the others know?”
The two pulled away from the embrace, both still teary-eyed and smiling.
“Of course, mamá!” She turned back to Bruno to quickly whisper to him. “Save me a seat next to yours!”
With that, she waved goodbye and bounded up the stairs.
Bruno watched her with a smile until she was out of sight, and only then did he turn around, examining once again the detail in his new ruana.
“I can help set the tabl- …Juli?” Bruno suddenly had his arms full of his oldest sister, his brother-in-law joining soon after. He returned the embrace gently.
“Are you alright?” He asked, confused.
Julieta stepped back, as did Agustín, and dabbed at her eyes.
“We haven’t seen her smile like that in so long, Bruno. She’s been so happy since you came back. Thank you.” Julieta gave him a warm smile, her hand still resting on his arm. Agustín nodded beside her.
“Oh, i-it’s no problem. I love the kid. A-and seriously, look at the detail in this thing! It’s great.” He stumbled his way through a reply.
Talking to the kids was always so much easier.
“There is some serious favoritism going on here. I never got an embroidered ruana.” Félix mumbled, earning a laugh out of Pepa that instantly broke his grumpy façade. Pepa placed a hand on Bruno’s shoulder.
“You’re very good with the kids, Bruno. All of them. We’re all grateful for you.”
Bruno was embraced for the umpteenth time that day, and he couldn’t say he minded it at all.
(He kept his word to Mirabel.)