When a Butterfly Flaps its Wings | Encanto Fanfic

Camilo

He couldn’t stop thinking about that night. About the fight, and the confirmation that Camilo had long since lost the favourite cousin position.

Liar.

Liar.

You’re a fucking liar Camilo!

That was all he was, a liar. Every personality, every shape he took was just another lie to the ever-growing pile. Who was Camilo, if not a bunch of lies tied together into the facsimile of a person?

I’m not Camilo. I’m Jose, I’m Maria, I’m Abuela, I’m Papa. I’m Mirabel.

Was his base form even really him? Was that just a lie too?

He didn’t even know anymore.

Why would Mirabel trust him, if he didn’t even trust himself?

The last time I did you promised me we would always be best friends.

In a way, that was the last time he had trusted himself as well. Trusted that he would be enough. Just him. Not Camilo-as-Papa or Camilo-as-Luisa. It was the last time he had felt confident in himself and Mirabel as the Madrigal ‘twins’, friends forever.

But then everything changed when Mirabel didn’t get her gift. Suddenly, Mirabel no longer joined him on his chores and Camilo felt like he was rubbing it into her face every time he was around her. How could he not when he got a gift and she didn’t.

He felt unworthy, like a fraud. Out of the two of them, Mirabel deserved a gift more. He felt guilty every time they hung out.

So Camilo just… distanced himself.

And then, by the time he realized his mistake, it was too late. The distance between them had grown so much that even though their relationship had improved, it had never gone back to how it once was.

“Oh, Camilo.” Dolores had said as she stroked his hair soothingly. She had followed him into town after he had run away from Mirabel. “You have to look at it from her perspective. She didn’t get a gift and suddenly her best friend stopped hanging out with her. She thought you hated her.”

He turned the corner only to run into Mirabel herself.

“Camilo? What are you doing walking around as me?”

He looked down at his hands, surprised to see that he had shifted into Mirabel at some point. When had he even changed form? He hadn’t even noticed. That’s never really happened before.

He looked up nervously at Mirabel, changing back to his base form. “Mirabel! I was actually looking for you. We need to talk.”

“Just apologize to her.” Dolores said, “I’m sure she would appreciate it.”

Apologizing was easier said than done, when it seemed like the last thing Mirabel wanted to do was talk to him. Did she really dislike him that much?

“I’m sorry.”

Mirabel froze, finally looking at him with full attention. “What?”

“I’m sorry for everything. For being such an ass. For breaking our friendship promise and your trust in me. I’m sorry.”

“Camilo?”

“I was stupid and put my discomfort above your feelings, and that was wrong. I should’ve supported you. I just wish there was some way to make it up to you.”

“Camilo…” Mirabel sniffled, looking at him with wide eyes.

“For what it's worth,” Camilo said, “You will always be my favourite cousin.”

“Camilo, I’m sorry too,” Mirabel said, rubbing her eyes. “I shouldn’t have said those things to you. It was really cruel.”

“No,” Camilo said, looking at the floor. “I think I need to hear that.”

“You’re my favourite cousin too,” Mirabel said after a small pause. She gave him a small grin, “After Antonio, of course.”

Camilo laughed, “That’s fair. Antonio is the best.”

He paused.

“Wait, I thought Dolores was your favourite?”

“Oh my god,” Mirabel said, horrified. “Dolores! Where is she? She’s in danger.”

Camilo’s blood ran cold. “What?! What do you mean? Is she okay?”

“Bruno had a vision,” Mirabel whispered to him. “He had a vision of Dolores crying.”

Camilo calmed down. “Oh. She’s probably just upset about Mari-”

He cut himself off before he revealed his sister’s crush on Isabela's fiance. It wasn't his secret to tell.

Mirabel gave a terrified look. “The last time Bruno had a vision like that, we almost fell off a cliff.”

What? “Well, shit.”

“Yeah.”

“We have to find Dolores. Now.” Camilo said, feeling faint.

The two of them went around asking people if they had seen Dolores, but nobody had. Eventually, they made it to an isolated part of town. Barely anyone was around, and everyone they came across seemed… off. Shifty.

They found Delores being dragged down the street from her wrist by a large man, Señor Alejandro. Behind her, another man, Señor Velez, was manhandling someone wearing Mirabel’s ruana.

Camilo’s blood boiled. How dare these people hurt his sister

He barely heard Mirabel quietly gasp behind him. “Bruno?”

“Hey!” Camilo shouted, and moved towards the men holding his sister, despite Mirabel’s worried protests. “What are you doing with my sister? Let her go!”

A/N: forgot to update over here lol. Heres Camilo and Mirabel’s reconcilliation. Next chapter is super fun so hope you enjoy that too.

I update over on ao3 first if you wanna pop by over there :)