CTTO: secret-sscociety
Pairing(s): Camilo Madrigal x reader
Warnings: maybe a little angst, touch starvation and anxiety, small injury
His hand was right there, you could easily grab it and appease the cold trembling on your own, but his whole family was right there, they would see if you did, what if he got embarrassed and let it go?
You two had been dating for a few weeks already and it had quickly became a routine for you to have breakfast with the Madrigals and then shadow Camilo most of the day, but as comfortable as you had grown around each other, you still couldn't work up the courage to express your affection to him the way you so badly wanted to.
Maybe it was fear of appearing clingy, or maybe it was simply something you weren't used to. Hugs, kisses or anything of the sort weren't common around your house, they were limited to congratulations given on birthdays or other celebrations on the most awkward way.
For Camilo those actions came so easily, he could cradle your face and graze your fingers without getting dizzy in over thoughts. He was so natural with it and yet you so desperately wanted more.
"Amor," Camilo called, pulling you out of your thoughts by putting his hand on your shoulder. Everyone was standing up from the table, "we have to go."
You nodded, leaving your napkin back on the table and trying not to think of the warmth that irradiated from his hand. He walked to the village with you trailing behind, your eyes once again set on his hand that moved back and forward.
It wasn't always like that, you weren't constantly craving for his touch like you were that day, most of the time you were perfectly content just having him close, but sometimes you woke up with an insatiable thirst for those moments when he layed sprawled on the grass and pulled you on top of him to cuddle. Those moments you weren't brave enough to ask for.
Submerged in a comfortable silence, you two made your way to the Gonzalez' house, a young couple who had recently had a baby and were completely exhausted, as it often happens with first time parents. Luckily for them, Camilo and you were the two most reliable babysitters in Encanto and you had no issue with having the baby for a couple hours so they could have some rest.
With a blanket, you secured the baby to Camilo's chest, making sure she was comfortable and protected from the sun, and tried not to blush at the way he gazed upon you as you did.
He liked looking at you, he wasn't too shy to admit it, he liked the frown on your face when you were focused and your expression when you were lost in thought. He knew the exact number of freckles on your face and the particular curl of your eyelashes, he knew where to find the tiny scar on your eyebrow from when you were little and had memorized the shape of your Cupid's bow. God, you were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
Slowly, almost timidly, he brought a hand up to your face and moved a strand of hair out of your forehead. That's exactly what you meant, his caresses were so effortless and yet they made all the air escape from your lungs. Camilo never said it out loud, fearing that it would make you stop, but he adored the way you leaned into his touch.
Contraire to your nervous assumptions, he loved touching you, everything from grazing your hand when he walked beside you to cuddling with you at night before you went home, he lived for every hug, every kiss, every waking moment when he could hold your hand.
What troubled his mind was the thought that you didn't like to be touched, or maybe not as much as he wanted to do it. You never seemed to respond badly to his caresses, but you never initiated those moments and honestly he preferred to control his urges than to accidentally trespass your personal space.
Once the baby was settled against Camilo, you both started to go wherever he was needed. Most days went by like that, you two babysitting one or two kids together while you trailed behind him to wherever he needed to go and tried to make yourself useful.
"I think she's hungry," you said when the baby started crying, growing more loud by the second despite of Camilo's coos.
"Maybe she's sick of being around you," he suggested mockingly.
"Oh, she's tied to your chest, but she's sick of being around me," you responded in the same tone.
"You're right," he nodded while still rocking the baby, "she's tired of me, so you should carry her instead."
"You could've just said you were tired, lazy," you mocked while, carefully, removing the baby from the blanket around your boyfriend, shyly grazing his chest in the process.
The baby kept crying as you walked back to casa Madrigal to make her a bottle, while you gently rocked her trying to sooth her in the meantime. Camilo stared at you the whole way, making sure you didn't trip over anything, that the sun didn't sting on your eyes.
Once in the kitchen, you both settled the baby on the dinner table, on top of the blanket and Camilo's ruana. He entertained her while you warmed the milk and the bottle, trying not to get distracted by the way Camilo talked to the baby and she somehow responded in gibberish baby talk.
But your efforts were unsuccessful.
You looked at him tickle the baby's tummy as you blindly reached out to grab the pot, placing your hand right on the hot metal instead of the handle, "ah!" You cried out, making Camilo turn into you in the initial shock and then jumping towards you.
"What happened? Let me see."
You pulled your red hand out of his reach, hiding the painful grimace on your face and the tears welling up in your eyes.
"Amor."
You held your hand close to your chest, it wasn't your intention to push Camilo away but your first instinct was to stop his comforting of your injury.
"Y/N, amor..." he called again, placing a hand on your arm.
"Leave me alone, Camilo!"
He stood silent for a good second, even the baby had stopped wailing for a moment. You had your back turned against him, with anger tears coming down your cheeks quietly and he feared he had broken the rule he had set himself when it came to touching you.
Still, he knew you well enough to know it wasn't him you were mad at for having gotten hurt, but at yourself, so he decided not to surpass your boundaries anymore. Instead, he filled a bowl with cold water for you to submerge your hand into, which you did without complaining.
It was a long while until he worked up the courage to approach you again, after he fed the baby and put her down to sleep in the same place on the table. This time you didn't squirm away from his touch when he grabbed your arm to have you turn around in his direction.
You avoided his eyes, but they were too busy inspecting the burn. Thankfully, it wasn't too bad, the cold water had done wonders to it. He looked into your face, the tear stained cheeks and the obvious pain you had suffered, and decided to taunt his fate once more.
Softly, he brought your hand up to his lips, placing a kiss on the inside of your wrist. Once he felt you leaning into it, the way he loved so much, he traveled his kisses up to your face. He erased the path of your tears with his lips, making your breath hitch.
Camilo wrapped an arm around you, embracing you softly, and you happily melted into him, hiding your face in his chest as you whimpered softly and the tears came back to your eyes. Upon seeing your reaction, he wondered if maybe you liked his touch more than you let on, so he simply held you against him for as long as you allowed him to.
"Can we do this more often?" You were brave enough to ask, referring to the hug and the kisses.
Camilo smiled, for your question was an answer to his prayers.
"Yes, mi vida."