Chapter Text
He did everything else other kids did
Like playing or read
There was something wrong with him
Mirabel had a lot of problems, so she usually didn’t focus too much on ones that didn’t make enough sense. She already had to keep herself from being too upset about not having a gift, so it was too much to worry about her gender, or her feelings about other people.
That being said, sometimes she couldn’t help the pit in her stomach as she stared at Camilo, her cousin, her used-to-be best friend (before he was stolen away to work, and work, and work).
Now, though, after Casita was fixed and people were allowed to relax and worry about themselves instead of just the rest of the village, after Mirabel had worked through the ‘gift’ problems and everything was… better now…
Camilo wanted to rekindle their friendship that had slowly tapered off.
Mirabel couldn’t help the questions swirling in her head as Camilo included her, as the two sat and chatted while eating Julieta’s food, as Mirabel blushed slightly when Camilo leaned against her with a fake yawn when someone asked him for help.
Mirabel waved Camilo off with a smile when the other quickly walked off to help someone with their kid, something he loved doing.
Mirabel wondered how Camilo thought of her- normally? Best friends? Just a couple of cousins?
Mirabel didn’t think of Camilo that way, though. Mirabel wanted to be Camilo’s novio .
Which was an odd thought, because Mirabel was a girl, obviously. Everyone called her prima , sobrina , hermana , hija …
She looked like the women in her family, and had the parts too.
But all her fantasies about Camilo had the word novio along with it.
Mirabel wanted to be her cousin’s boyfriend, and it was all she could think about when night came and she stared at the ceiling with widened eyes.
She didn’t have anyone to speak to about it, though. She couldn’t really talk to her sisters, or cousins, or tio, or tia, or mom…
Imagine talking to Camilo about this! She’d be shunned from their home for a completely different reason.
Mirabel curled up on herself and sighed.
She stared off into the air as she wondered what she was supposed to do, thrashing a bit out of annoyance.
Mirabel couldn’t sleep! Her mind was working a thousand miles a minute, and her body was NOT allowing her sleep.
The next morning, Mirabel was groggy after some fitful bursts of sleep that barely helped, and grabbing breakfast was annoying. She gave Camilo a forced smile when he grabbed food alongside her, and was happy when he didn’t seem to notice how terrible Mirabel felt.
She picked at her food a little when they all sat together, making real conversation instead of Abuela dictating jobs for everyone to do.
And then Luisa was tapping her shoulder softly.
Mirabel blinked up at Luisa, tilting her head. “Huh…?”
“Um… Dolores says you had trouble sleeping last night… do you want to… go for a walk with me?”
Luisa.
Mirabel thought long and hard on if Luisa was a good fit to talk to about her problems, until she noticed Luisa looking uncomfortable at just how Mirabel was squinting at her without any words.
“Mirabel-?”
“Oh! Um… sure.”
Mirabel hugged herself as she followed her sister to a familiar courtyard, watching as Luisa idled around a little bit.
She still seemed to have trouble with talks, but it was nice to know that Mirabel had helped Luisa so much.
Luisa wanted to return the favor, it seemed.
“So… you’ve seemed off recently…” Luisa started slowly, trailing off a bit.
Mirabel glanced away, unable to look at Luisa.
“I guess so…”
“Things are getting better, but… I know it can’t just change. That… change takes time. I still… struggle. But um… You seem… What’s wrong?”
Mirabel looked up finally at Luisa, and her body nearly buckled under the flood of emotions that slapped against her.
Luisa was so worried… and she’d been open to Mirabel in this very courtyard before, so really, Mirabel needed to just let it out.
“... I was using... I was using our family’s problems before to ignore others… And I’m glad things are starting to be fixed but…” Mirabel looked away again. “... now I have nothing to distract me…”
Luisa’s shoulders slumped slightly, enough for Mirabel to notice.
Mirabel tried to wipe some tears stuck in her eyes, hands giving little trembles.
She yelped when Luisa hugged her again, before sighing as she tried to hug back and relax into the hold.
“I’m here for you, Mirabel… I want to help you like you helped me…”
Mirabel didn’t know what to say. She just cried as she held onto her sister, thankful that the other was there for her. Mirabel felt warm and loved.
She wasn’t sure if Luisa could know her problems, but she was at least happy that someone knew something was up.
Luisa finally gently put her down, and smiled at Mirabel, waiting.
Mirabel blinked up at her sister, wondering what on earth she was waiting for.
“Huh?”
“I’m here to listen!”
Mirabel’s cheeks went hot, and she quickly shook her head. “Oh- no no, I’m not sure- I mean-”
Luisa frowned. “Mirabel, you’re holding a lot inside you right now, I can tell. I don’t want you to… crack under your own pressure.”
Mirabel sighed, hugging herself tighter. “Luisa… I don’t know. I don’t want to put too much on you, it’s my own problems…”
Luisa’s frown got deeper. “I know my limits, Mirabel. And I know yours too. You’re at your limit, and I want to help you.”
Mirabel stared up at her sister, with a broken expression that Luisa took in. The older sister didn’t say anything. “... Mirabel, um… I just want you to know I’m here.”
Mirabel looked away again, slowly walking a little away from Luisa. As she stared down at the ground, she whispered, quiet. “ ¿Y si yo fuera tu hermano? ”
Luisa paused, taking in the question.
What if I was your brother?
She didn’t understand the question, not really. Luisa mulled over the words Mirabel had said, and then finally came to a decision.
“Well, then you’d be my favorite hermano .”
Mirabel snorted and smiled softly. “Thanks, Luisa… I’m not sure what I’m feeling, but…”
Luisa smiled and nodded. “I’m here to help.”
Mirabel moved to give Luisa her own hug, sighing softly. “Thank you…” She whispered.
When they went separate ways, Mirabel sat on the railing of the bridge on the way back, holding on and sighing as she watched the sky.
She had always been different from the rest of her family- Normal when everyone else was Not.
But now everyone else was normal and SHE wasn’t.
Why was she always the one out of bounds, always the outsider looking in?
Mirabel sighed and decided to head home, not really in the mood to be out when she felt horrible, like… Like she needed to hide.
She wondered if Bruno felt similar, before.
Well, this wasn’t the same. No one was making her feel that way because she wasn’t letting anyone know, but Bruno was made to feel bad by everyone else.
She’d have to ask the other. She wanted to see her Tio Bruno anyways, and…
As much as Luisa was amazing, and obviously wanted to help, Bruno was no doubt a little easier to ask.
Hell, maybe he’d look into the future for her.
… Okay now Mirabel was just thinking of using him, that was rude. Mirabel groaned and made her way to see Bruno, thankful that the other was usually easy to find.
Watching REAL telenovelas.
Mirabel took a deep breath and entered her home, hoping she wouldn’t get stopped by anyone on her way…