I Would Have You In My Dreams Forevermore (Bruno Madrigal x female reader)

Communication and Normalicy

I followed Bruno. Felix and Agustin stayed by my side as we entered the house. I set my guitar down by the one Pepa and Felix gave me ten years prior. Glancing nervously at Bruno, his eyebrows knitted together and a frown upon his lips, he held out his hand. Taking it lightly we walked up to my room. Sitting on my bed, he sighed.

"Sit." He said patting the spot next to him. I reluctantly sat down and looked at him. "Pepa talked to me once she got back." He stated.

I gulped and looked away. "What did she talk to you about?" I said, my voice barely a whisper.

"You know what she talked to me about. Don't play dumb, you are too smart for that."

"Bruno, I-" I began, still avoiding his gaze.

"Look at me, please. I need you to talk to me, and I need to see what you're feeling."

I looked at him and he moved a few hairs behind my ears. "Why did you think that my love for you was conditional?"

"Because you left. You left without saying anything." I said looking at him. "You made promises you didn't keep, you left your ring, Bruno, what was I supposed to think?"

His head dropped and he let out a deep breath. I gently reached a hand out and placed it in his hair, allowing my fingertips to trace along his scalp.

"I know that's not the case now, but ten years of guilt is hard to get out of. Especially when I knew if I told you, that it would hurt you." I gently lifted his head. "And that is a whole other problem, and a hefty guilt that has been crushing me."

He let out a wavering breath, his green eyes filled with tears. "You've been letting me heal while I've been hurting you, haven't you. The journals aren't helping you at all."

"They hurt, but I'm happy seeing you grow and realize what has hindered you." I said with a sad smile.

"No. No, you can't say that." He said, "You can't just say you're happy with my growth when it is keeping you from getting better. You should have said something, you should have told me."

"I don't want to send you back to where you were before, I don't want to see you fall into that place again."

"It's the place where you have been living for a long time, and I understand why you don't want me there, but I don't want you there either." He said sorrowfully. "You give so much, so little of your life has been you allowing yourself the pleasures that come with it."

"Pepa reminded me today that I was forced into this way of living, Bruno. I didn't have a choice, you do." I said looking away. His hand caught my cheek as I went to do so. Gently he turned my head back towards him.

"You have a choice as well. Now you do, at least. Look at me and let me help you." He said softly, moving closer towards me. "You always have helped me, no matter what." He took my hand and held it up, showing me my wedding band. "But this ring means that I need to help you. It means you are my responsibility, just like I am yours."

"Bruno-" I said softly, the sadness in my voice traveled to his ears.

"Never will my love for you be conditional. And today, starting now, this whole 'we have to work on ourselves first' ends. It's a condition, and I'm not going to have you think that if you have trouble bettering yourself that I won't love you." He kissed my hand and brought it to his face. "I do love you, every messy emotion and tough patch you're going through."

"But Br-" I began and he shook his head.

"I know we agreed to work on ourselves, but it's not working, is it?"