AN: Hiii, this time this AN will be short! Just wanted to thank you all for such love for this story! We are already at 6K, it's simply unbelievable man! <33 I cannot be more thankful for all of this, I truly have the need to thank you for all of this.
Today's chapter will be more.. emotional? I don't know, but at least it'll make Bruno and Maru's friendship a bit closer :). The next chapter will be happier and more fun, don't worry!
Also, this is the longest chapter published so far! Around 2K words, I think!
I just realized that I had some bug of sorts and the chapter was published for a moment yesterday, sorry!!!
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The Past
- So... Bruno is the "Tejo Friend"-
-...-
-...-
-Yep-
- Joder... Eso explica algunas cosas-
For Pepa finding out about this was a punishment for herself, remembering how earlier she told Maru to ask out the guy she played Tejo with, only to find out it was her brother Bruno... Damn. Let's say it seemed impossible for those two to be friends from Pepa's perspective, first with such different personalities and then how Pepa wanted her friendships away from her siblings' antics, especially the green ruana wearing one.
-We really didn't speak about it, and the town didn't really care, so we had no need to tell it around- Maru shrugged, making it a simple explanation while Bruno anxiously sat on the floor with the rat in his hands.
The conversation about both being friends and last night's mess with the rats had to be moved towards morning, being called by Doña Alma for breakfast and walking while they talked
-Yeah...- It was weird to see Bruno silent again, him being more talkative during their conversations in the Tejo field and Maru's room.
-NIÑOS A DESAYUNAR- Alma truly has an attention-calling yell, it was impossible to ignore and made the three kids almost have a heart attack because of how sudden it was.
The talk couldn't continue more, after breakfast everyone will have to go back to their chores, so it is futile to even continue that conversation; even if Pepa wanted her friends away from family, Maru is already friends with Bruno too, plus because of her chores she barely sees most friends, so does it even make a difference? At least Felix tends to visit constantly.
They eventually reached the table, being also impulsed with help of Casita so they wouldn't be yelled at again, Casita Madrigal was truly a savior at the moment.
-Buenos Dias- Got sang in unison by the three kids, then joined by Julieta that helped her mother with breakfast, soon Pepa and Marulanda joined to help, while Bruno who always messed up things silently helped with setting the dishes
-Pepita, Marulandita, how was your sleepover yesterday?-
Alma questioned while sitting down, the triplets and the visitor following after to sit down, it was a reflex.
This home... Attracted magic and life and it all was just wonderful, but when one gets the chance to be in front of them without the towns lense, it has a tiny tense ambient, from first minute morning until the last break of dawn, and Marulanda wasn't stupid to realize what, or who was the reason, it just made her feel wearier or some attitudes around, it was a bittersweet mix that only confused Marulanda and that made Bruno more anxious than ever.
-It was great Doña Alma thank you very much for letting me stay a night- Natural reflexes, it was scary how a child's words and actions change so much in front of someone with such power, it was a mix of respect, fear, and wonder about the magic.
-Ay niña, tu decime cuando visitas y con gusto te recibimos, sabes que eres mas que bienvenida-
-Muchas Gracias-
Conversations in the table continued for a while, mostly the Madrigal women and an eventual mentioning of Bruno, who simply was unable to eat at a decent pace, he wasn't hungry, and Maru picked up with that fastly.
-Pss Flaco- Maru mumbled but it wasn't enough, eventually throwing a piece of curd cheese at his head, and that did win his attention. -Not hungry?-
He shook his head, already giving his answer.
-Do you want me to take it?-
Another no, then he moved his ruana, revealing one rat or two, he was giving the food to the rats.
-That's okay-
She smiled, the conversation was soft so no one paid attention, it was okay.
-Meet you in an hour at my house?-
With a more frenetic nod, it was expected he felt bad.
As breakfast ended, goodbyes were made and Maru went back home with her stuff plus tons of food Alma send for the Salazar's. Job for the wedding was almost done, and Maru had already done everything in her capacities, which meant, she was finally free of workloads for a while.
-Hola pa', ma' anda en la tienda verda'?- Maru greeted her father, Luis Carlos, with a kiss on the cheek; she grabbed a plate and server two arepas de huevo, seemed like that was the breakfast at the Salazar's.
-Buena' mi niña, si, tu mamá anda en la tienda con Elena, le andan probando el vestido- Elena, her brother's fiancee, the daughter of the local priest and now future wife of the second or third most important family in Encanto, that woman is the luckiest around here, and so is Jacobo, they make a nice pair. - A ve' si ahi encuentras a mi futuro yerno en la boda de Jacobito y Elena- He laughed, a strange laugh that's always rough thanks to tobacco and his strong voice.
-Ya va' a querer tu pa', I'm going to die alone along 20 chigüiros - She laughed back, a simple dumb convo between father and daughter. Luis Carlos already knew about the vision, not all the details, but like the rest of the family, the only thing they knew is that Marulanda asked for a reading and got told that in the future she'll marry.
-How was the sleepover at the Madrigals?- He asked, then noticed Maru taking two arepas de huevo, and everyone in the house knew what that meant :
"Marulanda will not leave her room for more than 2 hours and will come back happier than ever"
No one dared to ask cause everyone knew, she was talking with the seer, no one took it too seriously, Maru barely had friends and this was a win for her and the family too.
And as one sees it... The contrast between the two families was a little sad, seeing which one of them was happy behind the "cameras".
-Eh, estuvo bien, they were very nice and have good food, but not better than mom's- a simple answer, another kiss, and then goodbye, Maru was gone and left to her room with a plate in hand.
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-Hi...-
After 40 minutes of waiting, Bruno arrived at Marulanda's window, the same girl immediately walked towards the window and got out of the room, offering one of the two arepas de huevo for both to eat.
-Hey! Wanna go and play some Tejo? Plus, eat the arepa, you ate barely anything at your house- The worry from Maru was translated as a more cheerful mood, it may not fix him up as Julieta food does, but at least it would help the hunger and also the heart.
-Yes, thanks...- He began eating in silence, remaining the composture while sitting down in the grass while they finished eating.
Maru looked at his ruana, heavily ruined by the ripped threads caused by Bruno's anxiety and the rats. -I just got an idea Flaquito, I'll be back in a second - She patted his hair slightly, leaving him the other arepa for him to eat too.
She grabbed everything from her working apron and shoved it all in her bag, green tones threads, pins, needles, and even some cocadas that she had saved in her room to eat alone. She jumped out of the window startling Bruno, who already finished eating, and simply sat down with one of the rats in hand.
-Ya llego por quien llorabas, flaco- She laughed as he noticed his reaction, simply taking his forearm and leading him around, the rat run again back inside his poncho.
-Can I ask something Flaquito?-
-Sure- even in such low energy and motivation, he tried to answer her properly as he has always done during 3 weeks of friendship.
-Why rats? Why not a Chigüiro or maybe Birds?- That made Bruno chuckle, that was a good start to make him feel better; one could understand if one heard the curly boy, but no one did, well... Almost no one.
-I also don't know, at some point, I became more in tune with rats when I got my gift- He shrugged, it was also a mystery for him but he never minded the new company.
-It's a miracle you haven't got rabies...-
-Honestly, I have the same question, its magical town I guess?-
-Yeah let's just settle with that. Is this the same rat as yesterday?- The rat was calmer than she expected, probably by the fact it was hiding in Bruno at this moment.
-Ah, yes-
-Does it have a name?-
-... No?-
- Then let's give it one, go think some ideas while we walk-
Making him focus on something else was a great idea so far, and at least it made him feel happier or less overwhelmed.
The walk was silent, except for Bruno's muttering, who was talking towards the rat trying to decide some names, as they already arrived at the Mini-Tejo field, Maru set her bag on the floor and threw herself down into the grass. -Flaco, veni' - she patted the grass beside her, signaling for him to sit too, and he surprisingly obeyed with ease, something he usually doesn't do at all with such ease, he wanted to tell someone, and the rats weren't the best idea for now.
-Give me your ruana-
At that moment he truly stopped obeying easily, not understanding the intentions at first and then realizing the stuff in the bag. - Oh, thank you, you don't have to fix it, I tend to damage it with ease- He grabbed the rat inside his ruana, holding it gently and placing it on the grass, he took the ruana off, showing his dark reddish clothes correctly and skinny self way more.
-It doesn't matter, it's better now than ever to give this some fixing- She grabbed the needle and various green and gold-toned spools of thread, checking which ones fit and matched better with Bruno's ruana colors.
-Now, what name have you chosen for our friendly rat?- The rat was laying at the grass beside both of them, considerably calm and silent, making Maru's job of passing the thread through the needle easier.
-I was thinking of Cinnamon, but it doesn't fit because its fur is grey-
-Who says it doesn't fit? My name is a surname and a place and you don't see me complaining- That was quite true... But being honest, it sounds better as a name.
-But it does fit you-
-Then the name Cinnamon will also fit the rat then-
-Fine, Cinnamon it is-
-Good-
It took some more minutes to talk again, Maru softly humming some melody while fixing the poncho with some calm, Bruno just stayed silent while Cinnamon climbed Bruno over and over again.
-So, want to take it all off your chest?- The fixing was almost done, so now Maru could pay him the attention he needed at the moment, such mention Bruno simply stayed silent, eventually, he was already on the verge of tears again.
-Well...-
The rest of the morning and afternoon was tears from a sad seer, finally spitting such bad feeling after being screamed at Pepa, Maru couldn't take sides because one never knows what the other sees, so all she could do was comfort him and hug him, it was the first time she hugged him and was nice, and Bruno's day went better than before.
A fixed poncho, a newly named rat, a very needed hug, and a friendship flourishing into new closer ways, so many stuff that became a sleepover's aftermath.