Shifting Allegiances (Camilo x OC)

~eighteen~

The house was done, finally. It had taken a few days, but when Mirabel opened the front door, it had come alive with magic. Camilo could shapeshift again, something Elian was very grateful for. It had hurt them to see them suffer. Though Elian had to admit, they were jealous. But they had years of conditioning to undo.

Bruno was adjusting to actually talking to people besides Dolores. Turned out that she'd not only known he was there but had actually been visiting him occasionally. Camilo had said that she wasn't great at keeping secrets. Looked like she could when she wanted to.

Camilo had decided to come out to their family as a whole. They had asked for Elian to be there, and Verónica had been invited as well. Their Abuela knew, as well as Dolores and Mirabel, but their other cousins and the adults didn't. So now Elian and Verónica were walking over to the Madrigals, bickering lightheartedly about if a poncho or a ruana was a better fashion statement.

They arrived shortly and sat next to each other and their respective friends. Camilo smiled nervously at Elian, who patted their knee as they sat down. Verónica mouthed a quick "You got this!" at them before turning to talk to Mirabel. Dolores gave them a small thumbs-up.

After everyone had started eating and the conversation was flowing naturally, Camilo stood up. "I want to tell you guys something." The table fell quiet. "I'm-- I'm genderfluid. Like Elian. So sometimes I'm a girl. Or in between. I'm in between right now. Also I would date any gender," they added as an afterthought. "So, uh, yeah. I'd like you to use they/them pronouns for me right now."

There was a beat of silence, then Pepa stood up and rushed over to them, enveloping Camilo in a hug. "Oh, Camilo, thank you for telling us! I love you no matter what." She squeezed him tight, wispy bits of cloud hovering above her head.

"Of course, mijo," Felix said, embracing the two. "Or-- mije?"

"Si, Papa. Gracias."

They let them go and Camilo sat down again. "That's wonderful, sobrine," Julieta said.
(soh-bree-nay, nonbinary nephew/neice) Augustin nodded next to her.

Isabela just said, "Good for you." Luisa grinned at them and gave them a thumbs up.

Camilo smiled widely, and let themself change to the nonbinary form they'd practiced in the last five days. Elian grinned at them. "Yayyyy!" they said quietly as the conversations struck up again.

Elian's Papa had been keeping to himself for the most part. He had taken Elian's old job, which they had dumped after moving to Veronica's house. They just didn't need it, Veronica's Mama was fine with Elian staying there and provided for them as long as they helped with the chores. Elian was happy to help, to repay the kindness.

Elian was getting to know Mirabel pretty well, and the girl was very funny and kind. They could see why Verónica liked her. And Elian would guess that Mirabel liked her back, though Verónica seemed reluctant to believe it.

The four of them hung out together a lot now. Camilo would draw someone or write his Bruno musical (which he could actually talk to his tio about now), Mirabel and Veronica would sew and embroider skirts and purses and stuff for each other, and Elian would write poems or bits of prose. Those days were nice.

Elian hadn't gone to see their father. They didn't want to talk to him. She avoided him, as did most of the townspeople after the confrontation.

Life was finally stable for Elian. There was just one thing they really needed to do, and they were going to do it alone.

"I'm going to do it today. I think I can. And I need to know." Elian was talking to Verónica.

"You sure you don't want me to come with you? Or Camilo, or anyone?"

"I'd rather learn this myself. I promise I'll tell you how it goes though."

"You better, Elian." Verónica gave them a small smile. "Good luck chice."

"Gracias, Verónica. See you later." Elian gave her a small wave as they walked out of the house. It was the afternoon, when most people had already eaten lunch.

Elian walked up to the empanada stand and made eye contact with the woman packing up her wares.

"Hola, Mama."

"Oh. It's you." She gave Elian a shrewd look. "What do you want?"

"Two empanadas and a chat please."

She tossed two empanadas on her grill-thing. "What's up?"

Elian went straight to the point. "Why'd you leave me?"

Elian's mother sighed. "I left because I was stifled. David didn't stand up for me. He was too passive. I loved him at some point, but he was too weak-willed. I couldn't stay there with that controlling bastard." They shot Elian a look. "Sorry about your loss though, I guess."

"I'm not too upset over it, to be frank. But my question was, why did you leave me. Why did you leave your child to be raised by them? Why didn't you take me with you?"

"If I had taken you, I never would have gotten any peace. You know your Abuelo. He wanted you to be like the daughter he'd lost. He laid his claim on you the second you were born. You were always his child, more so than mine or your father's."

She gave Elian an evaluating look. "Sometimes I regretted my choice, I'll admit. When I saw you in line for healing day after day. But you turned out okay. And I did what I had to."

Her words sliced into them. "You're not going to apologize?"

"No." She placed the cooked empanadas on a plate. "I'm not sorry," she said, handing the plate to Elian, who accepted it numbly. "On the house."

She didn't care. She wasn't sorry.

Elian tried to collect their thoughts. They managed it just enough to say, "Thanks for the honesty, Natalia." The woman nodded mutely. Elian turned and walked away.

It felt like their nerves and thoughts were frozen. They found their feet taking them to the stream they had taken Camilo to about a week ago.

What was I expecting, Elian thought bitterly.

A/N

Heyooo!
I think I'm gonna end up with 20 chapters of main plot, but I might write an epilogue. It'd be shorter than normal chapters though.
Enjoy!