Beautiful Bruises ~ Camilo Madrigal x Reader

Resurrected

You woke up completely surrounded by darkness. You could vaguely hear someone scrambling around above you, like you were in a basement while a party was going on upstairs. You tried to sit up, disoriented, but hit your head before you fully could.

"What the..." Your words sounded loud in the close confines and silence. Panic set in, worsening when you realized how hard it was to breath. Your lungs struggled, and you pounded on the wooden ceiling weakly. "Hey! Let me out!"

You clawed at your throat, the horrible feeling of being completely alone arriving.

Just when you thought you were about to pass out, the top swung away, and you saw a bright night sky filled with stars, and... Mirabel's face?

You sat up quickly, sucking in as much air as possible before scrambling out and kneeling on the grass, placing both hands on the ground to support you as your chest heaved.

A few moments later, you felt someone grab you from behind and pull you into a tearful hug.

"(Y/N)!" Mirabel wailed, holding you close. You shifted so that you were facing her, tentatively hugging her back.

"Wait... don't you hate me?"

She pulled away, eyebrows pulled together, before realization donned on her face, sending more tears falling.

"No," she whispered, holding your arms tightly. "I would never hate you, (Y/N). I'm so sorry for what I did, I... I didn't mean it, I promise. I was scared, I was stupid. But you really don't remember anything past... your death?"

"Death?" you asked with a short, looking into her eyes searchingly. "How could I have died? I'm right here."

She froze awkwardly, before standing and helping you to your feet.

"Let's get you back to Casita. I'm sure everyone really wants to see you."

"Why?" you asked, struggling to get out of her grip. "What's wrong? Whoa - I just remembered... Jude! Is he ok?! Is my brother ok?!" you cried as your memories flooded back. She was dragging you now, finally reaching the streets of the village.

Your brother had been stabbed, by your papa. He was most likely dead. And why did everything look so... different? Even Mirabel looked odd, older somehow, and more sad. Her hair was untamed and wild, and she was skinny, like she hadn't really had much of an appetite for a while.

"Jude is fine," she promised, continuing to pull you along.

"But how?!" you questioned, finally starting to walk without her help again. "He was dead, he was..."

Seeing Casita took your next words right out of your mouth.

You remembered.

"Everybody! (Y/N) is ok, I... I brought her back!"

You sat on the floor of the foyer, heart racing.

He stabbed me in the stomach. He stabbed me, and then Camilo was there. That wonderful idiot that lied to me and broke his promise. And then... nothing.

"(Y/N)? She's alive?!" Pepa cried, racing down the steps along with Julieta, while Bruno lurked in the shadows of the background.

"Wha-" Pepa had scooped you into her arms before you could finish speaking, clutching you to her chest like you weighed no more than a loaf of bread.

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you," she breathed, finally setting you down but still holding you tightly. "You saved my boy, my Cami. Thank you so much."

You gently hugged her back, your heart racing. 

"You're welcome. Why is everyone so..."

"Excited?" she asked, pulling away. "You've been gone for a year. We bought you were gone for good, little one."

"A year?!" you cried, shocked. "That's why everything looks so strange, and Casita is back! That's why-"

You were interrupted again, this time by Jude.

He scooped you into an embrace like Pepa, holding you close.

"Hermanita," he whispered, pulling back briefly before looking at your face as if to make sure you were really there. He had dark circles under his eyes, as though he hardly slept. "I love you, (Y/N). I love you, and I'm so, so sorry. I should have saved you, but I was too obsessed with Isabela... I didn't think it was that bad." Tears were flowing freely from his deep, melancholy eyes, eyes that used to be so joyful and full of love. Now they just looked tortured. "You still have your bruise? Oh..."

"She must not have aged at all," Julieta murmured, stepping forward and gently taking your face in her hands when Jude finally set you down, still holding your hand. "All the wounds her papa gave her are still there." She practically spit the word "papa" out. "He's gone now, so you won't have to worry anymore."

You nodded, confused but grateful, and asked the question that had been plaguing you for the past few minutes.

"I'm sorry, but... where's Camilo?"

They looked at each other, nobody wanting to speak. Everyone refused to meet your eye.

"Where is he?" you asked, raising your voice slightly.

Isabela stepped up from behind Jude, meeting your gaze. She wasn't frightened.

"He... well, you won't be happy to hear this. Camilo isn't... doing to well. He spends most of the time in his room or on the hill. And he's hardly been eating or sleeping. There's just nothing we can do to help him. But now that you're back, well..."

"Camilo!" Delores shouted through his door. She must have heard you talking.

Your eyes widened as the door creaked open, revealing an exhausted, angry Camilo. He glared at Delores.

"What?" he asked, in the grumpy voice you had grown to hold dear. "What do you want?"

And then suddenly he was looking towards you, revealing dark circles under his eyes and a tortured look to his face, like he hadn't smiled in a long, long time.

And then your eyes connected, and the world ceased to exist.