Would You Be So Kind?

Ch. 2: How Are Your Lungs?

*Julieta's POV*

It's been 3 years of this. Three WHOLE years trying to get Y/N to finally confess her feelings for Pepa. Me and Bruno have known since the beginning - ok I've known since the beginning. Bruno didn't know until I told him that evening after Pepa had turned in for the night. Needless to say once the lightbulb turned on, it became blatantly obvious.

It took Y/N a while to realize it herself- but the moment she did, we could tell. Dios mío, the whole Encanto knew. Suddenly you could see the longing in her eyes every time she watched Pepa walk away, the flush of her cheeks as Pepa would come her direction.

The whole Encanto watched as poor Y/N dreamed of what it might be like, while my sister remained utterly clueless. How she doesn't know is beyond me. Part of me thinks she knows, but she's denied it so long it's she'd never consider it an option.

Anyways. It's been three years of this ridiculousness with Bruno planting seeds to push them together. And honestly, I think the shenanigans might be getting a tad much considering the scene in front of me.

Bruno and Augustin (who had been hanging around Casita quite often these days) had this grand idea of involving Casita in their dirty work. As soon as Y/N walked into the kitchen, Pepa turned to go greet her with an embrace as usual. Only Casita lifted tiles just enough to trip Pepa, Y/N served the hero as usual catching her around the waist just before she hits the floor.

I was quite impressed, I really thought Bruno had finally pushed them close enough. Y/N and Pepa held close to one another, noses so close they nearly touched, and Y/N couldn't take her eyes off my sister. Then Bruno and Augustin peek just a smidge too far around the corner of the doorway, into Pepa's peripheral vision.

"BRUNO!! WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU??" And just like that- the moments over, Pepa screaming and running after the two boys all the way across the yard now. Y/N and I are left watching them try to escape through the kitchen window, Pepa's cloud persistently thundering above. I see this golden opportunity, and take it as quickly as I can.

"You know I see how you look at her Y/N." Simple, matter of fact. Cant hide it anymore.

Y/N looks at me, shocked, not sure how to answer that. I give her a smirk, and she knows more in that moment than words can say.

"I have a question. How are your lungs? Are they in pain?" Y/N asks me, looking out the window and nudging her head in Augustine's direction. I looked back at Y/N, not fully sure where she's going with this.

"I don't know what you mean? Are you ok?" Y/N looks back out the window, her line of sight directly on my sister, who's managed to catch up to Poot Bruno in the field.

"Mine are aching. I kinda like it though. You should understand that feeling all too well." It clicks. This is the closest to a confession she's ever really going to give me. And she's managed to call me out on my own feelings without ever really saying a word. I've been in love with Augustin for months.

"If she would be so kind as to fall in love with me, that would make this all so much easier. It's only fair- she's got to feel butterflies somewhere. I know you know that I like her, but that's not enough. It won't ever really be enough." Y/N's gaze never left Pepa. She looks absolutely smitten, love struck. Lonely.

"You should tell her. Bruno's been trying for ages to bring you two together. I think you'd make a beautiful couple." It's then that Y/N turns my direction. She looks so sad, all I can do is bring her into an embrace, just holding her close. If she was Pepa, there would be the softest rainfall. Pepa always has had a light rainfall, just enough to mix with and conceal her tears when she was sad. No thunder like when she became angry, just soft and steady.

I pull back and hold Y/N's cheek with my right hand, my other softly gripping hers. "Let's make it a deal. We both tell them how we feel. I'll tell Augustine, and you finally tell Pepa."

Y/N hesitates. A lone tear escapes her eye and she breaks away from my embrace. "I can't tell Pepa how I feel. Your Mama would never allow it, and she's so hard on Pepa as it is." Y/N's expression softens, "Julieta, you can be with Augustin. You two could be yourselves and Señora Madrigal would be thrilled. But me and Pepa.... Besides, Pepa doesn't feel about me the way I do her. I'm her friend, nothing more. And I'm not sure I could ever ask her to be. You see how she and your Mama are already, I can't ask her to add any more pressure to that relationship than already is. Señora Madrigal can never know, and neither can Pepa."

I can't help but let my own tears escape for them both. It doesn't feel right. They both deserve to be happy.

"You think after all this time with our familia, our Mama would disapprove? Y/N...if she disapproved she would have made that known to you many years ago. She's hard on Pepa, but she wants her to be happy. And you make her happy."

Realization hits Y/N like a train, and it's written across her face. "Wait. Julieta, exactly how many of you know that I- that I've been in love with her?"

At this point all I can do is laugh. I can't believe how blind Y/N and my sister both are. A match made in heaven hm.

"The entire encanto knows! It's not hard to tell when you look at her like a glance in your direction could send you into a lovestruck coma, dear. At this point over half the community has bets placed on who will confess first."

"You and Bruno bet on me didn't you."

"Well duh. I love my sister, but out of an entire Encanto of people who see the way you look at her, somehow she's the only one oblivious." Y/N finally laughs, bringing back the joyful girl we all know and love. "What would you tell me to do if it was the other way around?"

"That you and Augustin are a perfect match. That it's so painfully obvious how much you love him, and you shouldn't let anything hold you back. That life is too short for the what if's, so live it."

I've never been prouder to call Y/N my friend than in that moment. "Then take your own advice, and let's live."

Y/N and I turn back toward the window. Pepa and the boys seem to have made up, her cloud now out of sight, and are on their way back toward Casita.

"Well. Here's to living." Y/N smirks, and turns toward the door, leaving me alone in the kitchen for the first time this afternoon.