Maria

Tightrope

Bruno is seventeen and he is just so tired.

He had been trying not to do visions, since the vision that showed Agustin's house on fire.

But Mama had caught wind of it and had told him he had to spend the whole day doing visions.

So he did.

He'd spent the whole day in his tower, telling people their futures.

Some were actually glad about it.

Most were not.

His latest was Emilio Flores, asking if he'd lose his hair that he was so proud of.

Bruno didn't need to have a vision to know that he most likely would, he saw his father after all.

But that resulted in Emilio yelling at him and running away.

Bruno's vision blurred and he clung to the wall of his vision cave.

He knew that none of his hermana's food would heal this headache.

He knew he just had to let it pass.

All he could do was hope that no one else would come up to see him.

"Bruno?"

He wanted to perk up. Despite what he had just said about not wanting anyone else to come up and see him, Maria was different. She wasn't just anyone...

But he could barely manage a weak smile at her.

"Are you okay?" She asked, concern in her voice almost tangible.

"I'm okay..." His vision darkened a bit but he tried to keep smiling. "Do you want a vision..."

"Even if I did...I would not expect you to do it in this condition!" She yelled, and he couldn't help wincing.

Her expression became one of remorse.

"I am so sorry..." She said, dropping her voice to a whisper.

It did little to help. She neared him gently, and he couldn't help the whimper.

"Is this a regular thing?" She asked.

But he's in too much pain and all he can do is throw himself at her.

he'd be embarrassed enough he'd hide from her for the next week if he was in his right mind.

But all he was thinking about was pain.

And Maria was there.

Her presence was comforting.

She made a surprised noise and he tried to pull away, wanting to apologize, but she shook her head, making a clicking noise with her tongue.

She pulled him closer and he can't resist it anymore.

Maria is basically cradling him and he can do nothing else but crave the contact.

His eyes slip close to the strands of an unfamiliar song in a beautiful voice.

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Maria had come to Casita Madrigal to ask if Bruno wanted to go team up and try to cheer up Agustin. They didn't really need to, she was realizing. Julieta had beaten them to it.

But Senora Alma had told her that Bruno was helping the Encanto.

She'd guess the older woman saw something on her face that made her relent and say Bruno could use a break.