𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 | Isabela x Reader

Scared To Be Lonely

With soft hands and gentle fingers, your face is wiped clean from the blood on it. "I guess I wasn't the only one after all." The most ethereal voice speaks, and you immediately recognize it as Dolores.

When your eyes slowly start to readjust, there she was in all her glory, looking down at you with what seemed like familiarity in her own orbs.

"What... do you mean by you're not the only one?" You whisper as embarrassment slowly starts to sink in with how close you were to one another.

Dolores simply smiles as you start to move consciously under her gaze, noticing your heart slowly starting to pace as well. "I share the same disease as you. Except, yours are chrysanthemums and mine are gardenias."

She slowly picks one of the yellow chrysanthemums that had barely been stained by your blood, stroking its petals gently.

With slightly furrowed brows, you search her eyes. "What... What exactly's wrong with us?"

She pushes your hair back, fixing it up before handing you a small bottle filled with clear but also shimmering liquid. "Your Abuelita's the one who helped me; tame the flowers forming inside before it suffocated me completely. But it doesn't permanently get rid of it."

Taking the cover off quickly, you get a whiff of it before looking back at Dolores. "This is what helped?"

A swift nod is sent your way, and you liked the way her bun bounced perfectly along with the movement. It really was so adorable, everything about Dolores even. "And what's the cause? Of whatever this disease is..." You ask as you drink the liquid down to the very last drop.

"Unrequited love." She declares before coming closer and taking your hand, placing it just on top of her chest to feel her heartbeat. "Truth be told, I'm in love with Mariano... But, you also do this to me." She whispers, already hearing your heart race faster at the simple touch of her body.

Her heart, drumming against your fingertips makes you feel ecstatic, as if you had just won the lottery, or even won life in general. "You're in love with Isa... But you have feelings for me too, yes?"

A pause in silence engulfs the two of you before you look her in the eyes. In love with Isabela... hearing it being proclaimed so certainly had scared you. Dolores didn't even ask, she already knew. And maybe it was because of her gift, or maybe it was just plain obvious... but that finally made you acknowledge your feelings for Isabela.

"Yes... but what is it you're suggesting?" You ask, already knowing Dolores would give a direct answer. The woman knows what she wants, and she does her best to get it by every possible means.

Leaning closer, she pulls you into a hug, hands grasping the back of your shirt desperately. "Date me. Maybe, we could get better together. Our sickness, our pain... It'll only go away until our love is requited. I do like you..."

"But we don't like each other enough." You whisper, slowly wrapping your arms around her small frame, enjoying the comfort of her presence and voice so close.

She pulls away, a small frown on her face, her usual big round eyes narrowing slightly at your words. "That's why we try. I like you just enough that you take the pain away in my chest."

Gently placing her lips on your cheek, you feel her breath hit the same spot just as she moves away slightly, for your faces to be inches apart. "Are you sure? Have you thought of this enough?"

"I've never been more sure." She whispers, a reassuring smile on her lips. Slowly, she gets up and offers her hand for you to take.

You take it, getting up with her help and slowly gaining strength again. Having her hand in yours was warm, a warmth you've always wondered about when it was explained in numerous romance books.

Now you knew why so many people wanted to be loved; why Isabela, so wanted to be loved, by everyone and anyone. Dolores intertwines your fingers, smiling as she appreciates how soft your hands were.

"If you don't mind me asking..." You whisper as you slowly walk together, not at all in a rush to go back to the crowd of people in the field. "Why do you like me? We've barely talked."

Suddenly, her face flushes, and god did you like seeing her look so sheepish. That look on her face would probably be a one-in-a-million moment because Dolores was usually so confident when it came to love.

"Well... Sometimes I purposely listened in on you. At first, it was because Abuela was worried about Mirabel hanging out with you. Until I slowly found myself looking for your voice. It gave me a sense of comfort." She starts, playing with your intertwined fingers shyly.

"Whenever you were so honest, whether it was to yourself or those around you, I found myself getting more drawn to you. One rarely comes across someone as strong-willed as you." Dolores pauses before she places a soft kiss on the back of your hand while her gaze remains pointed at you.

Your cheeks burn up, instantly falling for her sudden intimacy with you. "The way you defend people you dislike with just the same amount of passion for those you love... I couldn't help but imagine just how amazing of a lover you'd be..."

When she looks back at you again, playfulness dances in her eyes, a smirk on her lips. "Also, the way you talked about me to Mirabel was so cute. You don't mention my name but it was just so obvious."

You pull your hand away from her own, crouching down and covering your face completely. "Oh god, please, if you're real... Take me now." Dolores laughs out loud, enjoying how shy you were around her.

Claiming your hand once again, she pulls you up and right into her arms. Her scent enveloped you once again, and it felt like a drug; the more that you breathed it in, the more you got hooked.

And just as you pull away slowly, leaves rustle quickly, Isabela appearing behind them as if it were exactly timed to be seen with Dolores so intimately.

Her brows furrow as she looks at either of you repeatedly, the only sound that could be heard was the trees blowing with the breeze.

Until she decides to break it. "I've been looking for you, you suddenly disappeared. We were supposed to take pictures since we won most of the games." She states, her eyes not leaving your conjoined hands.

Feeling fidgety under her steel gaze, Dolores rubs her thumb affectionately against your hand as she feels it. "Right, sorry... We, uhm..." You whisper, unable to think of what to say, to somehow explain what was going on.

"We went for a short walk." Dolores covers, noticing Isabela's fake smile plastered on her face before she walks closer, taking your other free hand on her own.

Isabela says her next phrase shortly, monotoned and serious. "Then it's about time the two of you headed back. Let's go."

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A/N: I wanted it to be Isabela too 😭 but I thought: hey, maybe a great plot twist would be that Dolores is fucking dy!ng toooo! And that it'll be heart-wrenching and probably a rollercoaster of emotions for Isa, the reader, and Dolores LMAO

I had already planned for this to be a love..... square kinda. Since I teased that Dolores was a crush. So this is practically the first, or maybe second step lol. Anw, hope y'all enjoyed this chapter.

Jealous Isa is always *chef's kiss*

Please vote <3 it motivates me a lot!