The Heart of Camilo (A Camilo Madrigal x Reader Fem Y/N Story)

Control

*Y/N*

Mirabel and I had decided to try again today after Javier's threat yesterday. We had found out that Abuela had rescheduled the lunch for today, much to our relief, and so we intended to once again come back at lunch and try and take the flame then. We would go immediately to Javier and them in the woods - it was worth the grief of getting in trouble for skipping school for this just to be over. My anxiety was through the roof at how close I had come yesterday to losing control right in front of Abuela. It just needed to be over. Dressing quickly in the morning after Mirabel and Antonio had already gone downstairs, I was rushing around getting my books and shoving them into my bag and didn't notice Camilo at the door.

"Good morning," he said, getting my attention.

I jumped, startled, and he laughed. I turned around and saw him holding a huge bouquet of orchids - the same ones I had been asking Isabela about yesterday. "Oh, are you helping Isabela with something?" I asked.

"No, weirdo, they are for you," he said, coming into the room and handing them to me, grinning widely. "I heard you saying how much you liked them. I thought they could brighten up the room a bit."

"I love them!" I gushed, taking them, feeling the heat rise in my face. They were beautiful. He had overheard my conversation with Isabela and gotten me the ones I loved ... I melted inside, smiling at his obliviousness to how much the gesture had meant. I put them down on the table by my bed and reached up to put my arms around his neck to hug him. He pulled me to him tightly, burying his face in my hair, like he hadn't seen me in weeks. I was about to pull back and ask if he was alright when there was a slight knock at the ajar door, and we jumped apart like we had been electrocuted. 

His mother, with a knowing smile, opened the door the rest of the way. "Time for breakfast, you two," she said. Blushing deeply, I smiled shyly and quickly grabbed my bags. As I passed her, she grabbed Camilo's arm and tugged him back, saying something to him under her breath so only he could hear. I wished I had Dolores' hearing, but understood it was private and hurried downstairs on my own, finding a seat next to Mirabel. Camilo joined me a minute or two later, sliding in beside me.

"What did she say to you?" I asked quietly, reaching for food.

"Just reminding me that you and I should be hanging out downstairs," he whispered back, a hint of amusement in his voice. 

I blushed deeply again, looking around the table, but everyone was chatting and normal. I took a deep breath, turned my thoughts to what we had to do at lunch and breathed deeply. Today at least one weight would be off our shoulders, as long as we weren't interrupted again. I looked meaningfully at Mirabel and she seemed to understand, reaching over and grabbing my hand in a reassuring way.

***

Camilo, thankfully, had been pulled in by his group of guy friends for some speed eating competition at lunch. He initially had waved them off, but all it took was one, "What, you think Sebastian can out-eat you?" from me and Mirabel to trigger his competitiveness and he had run off with them, saying he would be back in triumph momentarily and expected heartfelt apologies from both of us for daring to doubt him. Mirabel and I immediately left our bags with our friends like yesterday and ran towards home, reaching the house and taking a minute to catch our breath. Once again, the house was quiet and still.

"I'll do it myself this time," Mirabel said, looking down at my hands in worry. "You stay here, make sure no one comes upstairs, and if someone comes, call me and say we're getting late for school as if I'm just getting something from my mom's room."