Beautiful Bruises ~ Camilo Madrigal x Reader

You're Mine

"I'll show her."

"Here we are," Jude announced, beckoning to your house. His eyes roved over it, filled with bittersweet memories.

Before your mama had left, life had almost been normal. When your papa was in a good mood, you would all sit in the living room and tell stories late into the night.

You remembered your papa's laugh, even though the memory was quickly fading. You hadn't heard him laugh since your mama had left.

And you would never hear him laugh again.

You squeezed your eyes shut to purge the memories from your mind, even as they became clearer.

The night before your mama had left, he had broken her finger. You were hiding tearfully behind the railings of the steps, watching it go down in the kitchen. The firelight had reflected in your mama's hateful eyes, and you had known something was going to change even before you woke up the next morning and found her gone.

Your papa had gone on a rampage - tearing through your room, as though some small part of her was left there.

That was the first time he had really hurt you.

"Hey! (Y/N)! Snap out of it!" Camilo gripped your shoulders and shook you urgently, his eyes searching yours. "What's going on?"

Jude shouldered him out of the way, pulling you into a firm hug and leaning down to whisper in your ear.

"I know. It happens to me, too. It's the price you must pay for coming back from the dead. But the nightmares and hallucinations- they get better, trust me. They hurt a little less each time." He patted your back reassuringly before releasing you. "You've got this."

You took a deep breath, struggling to get a grip on your emotions. Struggling to stop shaking.

"What's wrong, Cariño?" Camilo asked softly, gently taking your hand. "What happened?"

You shook your head, walking after Jude and tugging him along.

"Nothing. Let's keep going."

Jude stopped once he reached the door, his fingers brushing the handle absently, quivering.

You stepped forward, placing your hand on his arm.

"It's all right. Camilo can show me whatever it is."

Jude took a quaky breath and nodded, smiling you gratefully before turning to the shape-shifter.

"Don't show her any of the... other things," he said in a low tone, assuming you couldn't hear. You scowled slightly, wondering what the "other things" were. "Just that one entry in his notebook, got it?"

He nodded, swallowing hard, before Jude patted his shoulder and walked off.

"Come on," he said, and stepped inside the house before you had the chance to ask him any questions.

He led the way to your papa's bedroom, coated in dust and exactly the way it had been when you last saw it. Clearly it had hardly been touched since you... died.

"Here," he muttered, thrusting a notebook from one of the drawers into your hand. It was opened to a certain page, and Camilo respectfully stood a few feet away as you began skimming over it. It was addressed for 2 - oh... 3 years ago.

Dear Jude,

I write this letter for when you are older and able to handle more responsibility- when you are a man. It is time you learned my story, and why I hold so much malice in my heart for the Madrigals. In time, you will learn to despise them as well.

When I was a young boy, barely old enough to feed myself, my papa, your Abuelo, went out on a mission to capture people fleeing our city. I decided to come along, hiding in his satchel. I watched as they killed a man who approached them, and this terrified me. I managed to get out of the satchel, falling into a river which swept me downstream. When I finally managed to emerge, scraped and bruised, I saw our men thrown over the mountains to their death.

I haven't seen my family since.

The Madrigals did this, with their horrible magic. But I have learned something valuable, something great. Their magic will not, cannot touch us. We are so unclean and unfit that it refuses to enchant such people, merely because of our ancestry. And the magic reflects the inner person.

I have seen the way you act around that Madrigal girl, son. But you are only 17 as of now. That will change.

Especially when you realize this: the magic reflects the inner person. A Madrigal will never truly care for you. 

You set the notebook down on the dresser with shaky hands.

A Madrigal will never truly care for you.

Was your papa right?

"(Y/N)? Is everything ok?" Camilo called from behind you.

You took a deep breath, smoothing your hair out before turning and nodding.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Everything's fine."

He came closer, his eyes searching.

"It's not true," he said softly, his arms winding around your waist and grounding you to him. "I love you, Cariño. And nothing will ever change that."

You closed your eyes as he leaned his forehead against yours, wishing this moment could stay forever.

"You don't know that." The words slipped out accidentally, making you cringe. All you seemed to be doing was pushing away the ones that cared about you most.

When you opened your eyes, he was smiling sadly, hurt reflected in his eyes.

"But I do. Even if I wanted to, (Y/N), I couldn't stop loving you. Not if it was the only thing in the entire world that could save me." His lips brushed yours as he spoke, sending butterflies fluttering down your spine. "My biggest fear is that I'll lose you. You are my everything, Cariño. The only girl in the world. And that's forever." His words were fervent and possessive - his voice low and passionate.

Your heart raced as he leaned in, daring to smile against your lips and make your face go red as he pulled you flush against him.

"You're mine, forever."

And then he brought his lips to yours.