Harana: Camilo x Reader

CHAPTER ELEVEN

𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧: 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬

♫

     When Y/N came home that night, Francisco had already turned in his room. She later found her untouched dinner alone at the table. 

     The next morning wasn't any better, the whole house was still in silence. Y/N was greeted by a single serving of breakfast, Francisco had already eaten his without her. She took a spoonful, it was bitter. Maybe last night wasn't a great idea after all; maybe she shouldn't have stayed out so late. Francisco sat alone last night with their dinner running cold.

    Everything contradicts each other; shame, guilt, and desire seem to class harshly like a wave against a rock. She liked what she had yesterday; a new world opened up before her, a sea of colors seeped her bleak life. If something was so good then why did it put a strain on her relationship with her father? She was left with a thought... It was independence against her family.

     Her skin jumped as heat pricked her finger, cursing, "Damn it." She looked at the loaf pan, seeing the caramelized top of banana bread peak. She sucked on her injured skin, frowning at the mess she made in the kitchen. "I guess it's time to visit a friend." She didn't bother asking her dad anymore, she just went out with a small container on hand.

     The familiar stall looked unexpectedly barren today; before, it was usually flocked with customers gawking at her dear friend. She would be lying if she said that Lucia wasn't attractive; he really was. He's the type of guy that takes pages to describe— but still, somehow she couldn't imagine being more with him. She's content with the friendship they have, it was uncomplicated.

      "I'm here to feed the starving." Lucia yelped as she shoved the bread in front of his face. He let out a low chuckle, gently pushing her hand down. "Hey, it's my favorite customer!" He beamed at her, flashing his perfect row of pearly whites. He tightened his apron like he usually does, clapping his hands excitedly, "It's been less than a week, woman, do you just inhale your coffee?" 

     Y/N sheepishly scratched the back of her head, "No, I'm just here to drop this off." She motioned at the bread. Lucia nodded, he opened the lid and ate a piece, "So you're free today?" She shrugged, "Why? You asking me out?" He blew raspberries, snorting at her little joke.

     His eyes swept over the stall, there were no approaching customers. "Say, the business has been slower than usual." He absently commented, "Maybe I should ask you out, I'm getting very bored in here." Any other girl would have melted into a puddle but she only smiled at him, she knew he meant nothing by it.

     She watched as Lucia removed his apron, giving him a challenging look. "What do you have in mind?" He flipped the store's sign to close before joining her side, linking their arms together, "There's a new shop I wanted to see for a while now, all their stuff is handmade."

     They walked through the busy streets and some passerby would look twice at them. Their stares crawled under her skin and she cleared the lump forming on her throat. She tried to distract herself by looking at the different stores, she doesn't want anyone to prevent her from having a good time with a friend.

     One stall was extra colorful and it caught her eye immediately— it was a florist shop. Lucia noticed her gravitating towards it. "You know... I wish they have Sampaguitas." While orchids and roses were pretty, she missed the simple beauty her home country's national flower has. 

     Lucia quirked a brow, musing, "I've never heard of those before." She sighed wistfully, "They're small white fragrant flowers, I used to grow them back at my old home." Sampaguitas are widely known for their smell; she remembered her childhood days of playing in the garden with a name she can't quite say. She does look back at the times when he would hoist her up to his shoulders so she could smell the Sampaguitas that sprouted out of their neighbor's home. It was then she begged her father to buy her one— she wondered if the new owners of their old home water them regularly.

     "Oh, there it is!" Lucia pointed at a homely store, it was quaint and filled with a lot of wooden carvings. They bent as they enter, triggering a few chimes that were hung at the front. An old man popped his head from the counter, "Come in, come in!" He beckons with a grin before proceeding back to his work, his hands working with age. 

     Lucia's fingers glide over the surface of a statuette yet his gaze was somewhere else; a dreamcatcher. "¿Cuánto cuesta esto?" He asked, reaching up to touch the feathers. The storekeeper mumbled a price and Lucia nodded. Y/N hummed in thought, "A dreamcatcher?" Lucia shrugged dismissively, "Keeps the bad dreams away." He looked down at her with an easy smile on his face, "Why don't you look around? See something you might like."

     She strolled around the shop until she saw a bunch of beaded bracelets on display. She approached it, rolling the beads between her fingers. Lucia paid up for the dreamcatcher, "I've heard that you've been hanging out with a certain Madrigal." He teased, walking to his friend and bumping his shoulder with hers. "So tell me, why are you here with me and not with him?" Y/N huffed, crossing her arms to seem nonchalant about the topic.

     "He said that he needs to make up for his mother since he did 'borrow' her makeup for a prank." She air quoted the word 'borrow'. "I think it's a much-needed break." Pulling pranks two days straight was fun but also exhausting— and her father wasn't the biggest fan of it all.

     Lucia softened, he had picked up on her mannerism whenever something was wrong. As sad as it is, he knew that she wouldn't even bring him snacks if it weren't for her troubles. "Okay, I'm all ears, I heard that sigh in your voice." She smiled at him, her lips were wobbly.

     "My papa wanted me to focus more on mama," She combed her hand through her hair, "So whenever I stay out too much, we would get into a fight." It was silent for a moment. Lucia stared forward with his eyes glassy, they have a lot of things in common and this is one of them. "Fathers, am I right?" His voice trembled, it was barely noticeable but she caught on. She leaned her head against his arm, it was her silent way to tell him that they didn't have to talk about it.

     She unhooked one bracelet and showed it to him, "This is nice." The beads have a marbled effect to them and they had a nice color palette as well. "I might buy one as well." He took a green, white, grey, and black bracelet, beaming at her. "Friendship bracelets, you pay for mine and I pay for yours?" She nodded, an amused look on her face, clinking their bracelets together, "That doesn't make sense but okay." It was the principle of it, she figured.

     Throughout the walk back to his stall, Lucia couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that came with what Y/N had opened. She also looked blue herself like she didn't want to part ways yet, she walked sluggishly with her back slouching. Maybe they should talk about it-

     "I can hardly breathe in there." She mumbled under her breath, chewing on the insides of her cheeks. He winced and before he knew it, he was already talking. Was this some kind of projection on his part? Probably. He had told her things before that he wished to do himself, and this time was no different. The image of his dad flashed in his mind's eye— a look of constant disappointment, he had done that face for so long that it became permanent at this point.

     His beady eyes, his deep frown.

     "Well... have you ever thought of moving out?"