𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐎 𝐌. 𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒

everything will be alright

CTTO: strawberryuji

━━˶꒱ pairing :: camilo x filipina!reader

━━༉‧₊˚✧ summary :: during a party , camilo sees y/n sneak off somewhere and decides to follow her .

━━彡☆ a/n :: this fic may be out of context since it was originally made for my original encanto character ( which i may or may not be talking about in the future hehe ). her mother is physically and emotionally abusive and her father got shot in front of her whilst fleeing from the philippines. reader is filipino. he / him pronouns for camilo and she / her pronouns for reader <33

━━*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ genre and warning(s) :: hurt and comfort , intrusive/harmful thoughts , mentions of death , angst , emotionally abusive mother >:(

"Y/N...?"

The Filipino girl lifted her head from her knees to look up at the doorway and the figure in front of it, eyes squinting at the light since it had gotten used to the dark. Tears dripped down to her fluffy [insert colour]-coloured skirt, a small darker spot forming on it. She felt sore, heavy, and completely numb. Something warm rolled down her soft cheeks and once again, she found herself crying.

"I'm sorry, mahal [love]." She managed to choke out. Camilo slowly sat down right next to the girl, gently guiding her head and placing it on his chest. He had a bewildered look on his face. What could've happened to his sol to make her this upset? She was fine earlier, he made sure of it.

Once the crying died down, Camilo softly whispered,

"Do you want to talk about it? I thought tonight was going great... what happened?" Quiet, muffled sounds of what appeared to be music and sniffles filled the stagnant room, and it was as if time froze. Small particles of dust slowly danced around his room, illuminated by the full moon outside his window.

"I'm so s-sorry for ru-ining tonight, Camilo. It's just... It's just that— I don't know. I keep mess-ing up, nakakainis na [it's frustrating already]. And I'm always trying- I'm always trying to do things better and I'm sorry that it didn't work this time— I-I'm sorry."

There was another wave of salty tears released and the slightly shorter girl raised her hands and brought it to her face, unsuccessfully wiping the tears away. She apologised profusely as her sobs got louder.

"And what if mama was right? What if everyone would be happier if I didn't exist? What if I got shot instead of papa and I d-died? Would that make her happy? I just want her to be h-happy... I just want to be loved by her as she loved me before. I want to be... I want to be h-held by her and feel her warmth, just like the good old days. I don't understand Cami, what did I do wrong? I continue giving so much, and it's never returned and I'm l-left, like this. Years of me giving pieces of myself to her until... until there's nothing left, and I'm alone."

What are you talking about?

You didn't do anything wrong.

Camilo felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. The young Madrigal just sat there, eyebrows knit together and green eyes wide. He couldn't just sit here and do nothing while she was suffering so much.

And then he realised.

Her troubles were far much greater than anything else he had faced before, and for once, he didn't know how to make her smile.

He threaded his fingers throughout her [hair type], [hair colour] hair, kissing the top of her head tenderly.

"You aren't alone, Y/N. You have me, and Mirabel, and Dolores, and Antonio, and the entire familia. I don't know what you're going through, but I love you. I love you so much I don't even think you know. I had no idea how bad it was, I'm sorry I let you go through all of this by yourself."

Until there's nothing left.

That's what caused such panic in his eyes, what had caused his already broken heart to sink to the bottom of his stomach. There was something about the way she said it that terrified him, it raised forbidden thoughts that were sealed to the back of his brain. What if she was suffering more than he thought, and that he wasn't there when she needed him? What if someday, she'll leave him and it'll hurt so much, so much more than anything else would?

Y/N stayed quiet the entire time, and it worried Camilo that she took it the wrong way. Unknowingly, tears sprinted and collected in this lower lash line and he tried his hardest not to let them out.

"Mi amor, por favor, please listen to me, okay?" Camilo's voice was desperate, a complete 180 from his usual tone. His hands haven't stopped raking their way through her soft hair and he kisses her wet cheeks. "You aren't alone, you never were. Who needs a mother like that, who would tell her only child that she would be better off dead? You have a better family here, people who know and cherish your worth and who will give as much as you do to them. And most importantly, you have me. I love you with everything I have. You can take everything from me, and I would give it to you willingly. You are not obligated to stay with your mother if it's only hurting you. I know it's hard mi vida, I know."

He pauses as her tears start afresh, and pulls her closer than he did before, letting her rest her head on his chest. Later, Y/N would tease him and ask how the Great Camilo Madrigal had gotten so wise. For now, though, she'd let his words sink in as he murmurs soft praises and words of love and comfort, letting her cry into his arms once more.

˙˚˙ᵕ꒳ᵕ˙˚˙‧̍̊

Once the music desiccated and the atmosphere in Casita had stilled, Camilo helped the shorter girl up, legs shaky from disuse. Y/N apologised softly and he brushed it off with a bright smile and says that her punishment is one kiss, due and payable immediately. Instead, she littered small pecks on his cheeks, nose, and forehead, soft hands caressing his sun-kissed face. Y/N planted a soft kiss on his lips which left butterflies in the taller boy's stomach.

"Thank you so much, Camilo."

~ ˙˚˙ᵕ꒳ᵕ˙˚˙‧̍̊

Cautiously, they both got out of the shapeshifter's room.

Loud, heavy footsteps that banged against the wooden floor came closer towards the two. Mirabel suddenly stopped in front of the pair, placing her hands on her knees as she panted heavily, chest rising and falling. Dolores quietly trailed behind her prima, a small smile plastered on her face.

"Y/N, there you are! There are some leftover arepas in the kitchen, I thought you would want some, so I placed it aside!"

Y/N's head spun with excitement as she heard that sentence. Maybe Camilo was right. She was so busy smiling that she hasn't noticed Camilo running down the stairs into the kitchen full speed. Mirabel's shouts bounced off the walls of Casita as a chase for the leftover arepas started and Dolores covered her ears, silent chuckles leaving her plump lips.

Maybe everything will be alright after all.

fin.