Mirabel's Miracle (Mirabel x Male!OC)

Chapter 10: Picnic By The River

Manuel's POV:
Several hours after I'd gathered up the courage to call Mirabel and officially ask her out, I'd finally finished setting up a romantic picnic for us down by the river, and was now waiting outside her house.

She emerged only moments later, wearing a brand new dress. Her usually untamed black curls had been pulled back so that they framed her face at just the right angle.

She looked absolutely stunning, and I didn't waste a moment in telling her so.

"You look beautiful," I whispered, lifting her hand to my lips and kissing her knuckles softly. "Is that a new dress?"

She nodded shyly. "Mama bought it for me," she said, giving me a little twirl. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," I said confidently. "It's the new you."

She blushed softly as she reached for my hand, intertwining our fingers.

"So would you mind telling me where we're going?" she asked nervously. "You weren't exactly clear over the phone.."

"It's a surprise.." I whispered softly, leading her through the village and down to the river. "I promise you'll love it, but first you have to close your eyes.."

She raised a nervous eyebrow but did as I asked, letting me guide her to the spot by the river where I'd set up the picnic.

"Can I open my eyes now?" she asked.

I chuckled softly. "Alright.. now."

Mirabel's POV:
I opened my eyes to find that Manuel had taken me down to the river, where he'd also managed to set up a beautiful picnic for us along the riverbank.

I gasped softly, my smile widening. "Oh, Manuel.. this is absolutely beautiful. Thank you."

"Not nearly as beautiful as you, mi vida," he whispered, leading me over to the picnic blanket and helping me take a seat on the grass.

I looked around. In the highest trees, he'd somehow managed to hang fairy lights, which almost made his chocolate brown eyes sparkle as he sat next to me on the blanket.

And even just the view itself was absolutely breathtaking. The sun had just barely begun to set, creating a warm and comforting glow over the river. It was truly beautiful.

I watched intently as he pulled a fresh bottle of sparkling cider from the basket, popping the cork as one would a bottle of champagne and pouring it into two glasses.

"Cheers," he whispered, handing me a glass of cider.

"To the start of something new and beautiful," I said.

"I wasn't quite sure what you liked so I made a little bit of all your favorites," he chuckled, pulling several containers of food from the basket. "Now, I know my arepas might not be as good as your mother's, but I still tried my best to follow her recipe."

"I'm sure they're lovely," I whispered, taking a bite of the one he offered me.

After we'd finished eating, I helped him clean everything up and put it back into the basket. But it was clear that neither of us were ready for this night to end.

"Dance with me?" he asked, pulling his MP3 player from his pocket and setting it on top of the basket as he reached for my hand, which I gladly accepted.

He pulled me close to him as we swayed together to the music that was playing softly in the background.

"You know I love you, right?" he asked suddenly as his hand came to rest on my cheek.

"I love you too," I whispered. "So much."

"You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that," he chuckled. "I've loved you since the moment I first laid eyes on you at your gift ceremony ten years ago."

"Really?" I asked. "That long?"

He nodded. "Yes. And even though my heart broke at you not receiving your gift, I knew you were just as special without one. You truly are a wonder, mi vida, and you certainly don't need some magical gift to prove that. You're a gift all your own.."

I blushed softly. "You really mean that?" I asked.

He nodded once again. Of course I do," he said. "I could tell you were special from the moment I first laid eyes on you. I knew you were one of a kind."

I smiled sheepishly as we watched the river sparkle in the moonlight, neither of us realizing how late it had gotten.

"Well, I guess I should probably be taking you home now, huh?" he asked sadly, letting go of my hand.

I nodded slowly. "It would probably be best," I muttered. "Wouldn't want Abuela getting the wrong idea or anything.."

He nodded, gathering the basket and lights before reaching for my hand again. We walked home in complete silence, neither of us wanting to speak to ruin the moment as we reached my house.

"Thanks, Manuel. I had a really great time tonight.." I whispered, letting go of his hand.

"So did I," he said, smiling sheepishly.

I sighed. "So I guess this is goodnight then?" I asked, turning around to head back inside. "Goodnight, Manuel.."

Manuel's POV:
The words left my mouth before I even had time to properly think about what was happening.

"Mirabel, wait!" I called after her.

And without another word, I gathered her in my arms, kissing her passionately. "I just couldn't let you say goodnight without doing that first," I whispered. "Goodnight, Mirabel.."