Beautiful Bruises ~ Camilo Madrigal x Reader

Shot

"You're walking."

"We're finally half-way," CJ said gleefully as he took long strides over the hills. He had transformed into a long-legged man, making it easy for him to stay ahead of you and Carlos. You could tell it made your friend furious.

"Only?!" Carlos cried, gripping his stallion's mane tighter. You gently patted Apples' neck, pitying the poor horse. You had been traveling for nearly a day now, and you were both getting a little uneasy.

CJ laughed, tossing his head back and once again reminding you of Camilo. A tight knot gathered in your throat, and you struggled to swallow, forcing the boy out of your mind. You would save him. He would be ok.

"It was a joke, pretty boy. By the way, who cut your hair? Your mother?"

Carlos clenched his jaw, and you scowled. Lucía had cut it, and you knew the main reason Carlos hated CJ was because he had burnt down her childhood home.

"How. Far. Are. We."

"Oh, all right. We should be there in a few minutes -or hours, if you keep up at that pace," CJ added with an eye roll, easily keeping ahead of you.

"We don't want to tire out the horses," you said dryly. Your tactic with this boy was to act as ignorant as possible - you didn't want to know if he had any redeeming qualities, or any painful secrets or a disturbing backstory. You couldn't allow the evil boy to grow on you - he didn't deserve a place in anyone's heart, if he was as horrible as Carlos made it seem. If his own family didn't even go looking for him, he must have been pretty awful.

"Look over there - see that settlement?" CJ asked, pointing. As you and Carlos crested the hill, you saw a gathering of tents - but nothing like your papa's old settlement. The tents were made from some sort of animal skin blowing gently in the breeze, whereas the other settlement had been all hard bricks and uncomfortable tarps. "That's where your father said I would find your mother's people. Right before I killed him."

Your nails bit into your hand, and you spun on him suddenly.

"Why did you do that? What's wrong with you?"

CJ scowled, shrinking back to his usual Camilo-like height.

"You think I wanted to? He was going to kill me - he found out who I was, and that I had magic. He remembered that he used to trust me, and my magic, because he thought it was harmless. But then I "destroyed" that trust by wrecking a house. On accident."

Carlos snorted, face growing red with pent-up anger.

"Sure. Some accident that was - not sure how you accidentally set a packet of fireworks on fire inside a house that isn't yours."

"I was a kid! I thought they would just make a cool light show, and..." CJ trailed off, his face saddening. "I wanted to impress Lucía. Show her something pretty."

Carlos' face contorted, and he leapt off his horse, tackling CJ to the ground. Your eyes widened, and you quickly dismounted Apples and ran over to stop them, but before you could, the two were shot.

Two identical arrows were buried in their chests, and you stood frozen as you watched their eyes turn grey and lifeless.

"I'm assuming we won't have to do the same to you?"