AN: I hope this chapter is okay. I like Agustin a lot, so I tried to make him as in character as possible. Let me know what you think and thanks again for reading :)
Disclaimer: Disney owns Encanto.
It was a perfectly normal day in Encanto when Agustin made his way downstairs. It was nearing lunch and he had recently finished helping Félix clean up around the house. There were still a few odds and ends to take care of, such as replacing some of the candles that had burned down to nubs, but that could wait until after they'd eaten. Moving towards the kitchen, he could hear his wife humming to herself while preparing the food they were about to partake in. It was soft and sweet, something he'd heard countless times before and yet still found himself entranced by. The melody seemed to seep into his heart, soothing any aches that may linger in his soul much as her food does with his joints. Sighing contently, the brown-eyed man moved forward until he was able to wrap a loving arm around his beloved's shoulders. She leaned into him, love shining on her face as she scooped up an empanada and held it up to his lips.
"I tried a new recipe." She explained as he took a bite, used to this kind of behavior from the woman he loved. "What do you think?"
"Hmm," He hummed in thought, carefully chewing his food before pulling the woman closer to kiss her on the cheek. "It's even better than usual, mi amor, you've outdone yourself once again."
With a brilliant smile, Julieta returned the affection before playfully shoving him away.
"Good." She said, placing a platter into his hands. "Now make yourself useful and take these to the table, the others will be back any minute and I have to finish up here."
Carefully hauling the platter full of food into the dining room, Agustin noticed his daughters arriving with their cousins. Soon, the entire family was gathered and the food was being passed around so everyone could get their share. Time passed by with friendly banter and good food, everyone simply enjoying the warmth that came from being around family. All too soon, though, it was time to get back to work. The familia dispersed, heading off to their designated tasks while Agustin fetched a ladder and fresh candles so he could finish up with the work he'd been doing before lunch.
The job went rather smoothly, considering how accident-prone he tended to be, and soon he was nearly done. Just one more candle remained and he carefully maneuvered the ladder into position before climbing up to the candelabra. Unfortunately, he had misjudged and ended up several feet short of where he needed to be. Not wanting to waste time, Agustin figured with how tall he was if he leaned off the ladder just a little further than usual he should be able to reach. The man smiled proudly as he set the candle in place. See, there was no need to go all the way down, it's fine. Well, it was fine until he overbalanced and found the ladder and, by extension, himself tipping towards the ground.
"Ahh!" He cried, body contorting to block the fall as best he could.
Luckily for him, Casita rose the floor up to meet him, making a ramp for him to slide down. When he came to a stop, Agustin panted slightly before thankfully patting the floor. He may have a few bruises but it was far better than the broken bones he would likely have received if the house hadn't interfered.
"Thank you, Casita." The middle-aged man stated, slowly rising to his feet. "That could have ended badly if not for you."
Taking a few more moments to calm his frayed nerves, Agustin glanced uneasily at the ladder, he hoped that he wouldn't have to do any chores involving high places for a while. Then, he picked it up and carried it back to where they kept it when not in use. He knew that he wouldn't be mentioning this particular event to his wife. She would just fret over him and Julieta had enough on her plate without constantly having to worry about him. Agustin was simply glad that no one had been around to see his clumsiness.
Later, upon finding a note placed carefully upon the piano, he realized he was wrong.
Don't put yourself at risk, your safety should always come first.
Someone had obviously seen the ladder incident but it didn't cause him to feel embarrassed as he thought it would. No, instead he felt warmth wash over him. This unknown person cared enough about his health to scold him for putting himself in a dangerous situation. It was rather funny when he thought about it, those words are something he could easily see himself telling his daughters and yet, here they were, directed at him. Agustin smiled peacefully, tucking the note into the pocket of his vest. He would have to be more careful. As pleasant as it is to know he had someone watching over him, it wouldn't do to cause them worry. After all, this person was willing to do these small acts of kindness for la familia Madrigal with no desire of recognition... the least Agustin could do was heed his words.
-XXX-XXX-XXX-
Mirabel was sick. She'd been sick for a few days now and Agustin didn't know what to do. He was the one watching her while everyone else fulfilled their duties in town but she didn't seem to be getting any better. Her fever was high, worryingly so, and his little girl wasn't able to keep anything down. It was times like these where he wished Juli's food could cure illness and not only injuries. Still, that didn't mean he wasn't schooled in caring for sick teenagers. He's had over twenty years of being a father at this point and he'd learned a thing or two in that time.
Carefully placing the bowl of soup on the tray, the concerned father made his way up to the nursery where his youngest hija was currently attempting to rest, though he doubted she was getting much sleep. He knew it would only be a matter of time before she awoke once more, unable to rest peacefully as the illness ravaged her body. He also knew that she would fight tooth and nail against the soup but she had to try and eat to regain her strength. So, schooling his features into calm resolve, Agustin opened the door once he'd made it to her room.
"Miraboo, are you awake?" He whispered, not wanting to disturb the fifteen-year-old if she was finally sleeping.
"Si, Papi," She croaked, voice hoarse as she attempted to push herself up on her pillows.
Agustin sighed wearily, wishing that he hadn't been correct in his assumptions that his little girl was unable to rest. Moving forward, he placed the tray on her bedside table, ignoring the way her nose scrunched up in distaste as he placed a cool hand against his daughter's flaming forehead.
"Ay, your fever is still too high." He murmured, reaching for the basin of water on the floor and wringing out the towel that resided there before placing it on Mirabel's head. "Are you feeling any better at all, mija?"
"A little," Came the whispered response and he felt the slightest hint of relief wash over him.
"That's good." The elder answered, reaching out to help his child into a better position. "Do you think you could try eating something, chiquita?"
Agustin could see the internal debate happening in the girl's head. Deciding to wait it out, the dark-eyed man remained silent, not wanting to pressure his beloved daughter into a decision. Moments later, Mirabel sighed and nodded, resolve filling her fever-bright eyes.
"That's good." He stated, sitting on the bed beside the girl as he took the bowl in his hands, ready to help feed his child. "You need to keep your strength up... can't fight this fever if you don't eat."
To be fair, Agustin didn't remember the last time he'd eaten himself. He was far too worried about Mira to deal with such inconsequential things as eating and sleeping. The bags under his eyes were proof of that. He'd spied himself in the mirror just that morning and couldn't help but compare himself with his cuñado. Bruno was well known for his sleep-deprived look, not that it was his fault mind you. He knew the poor man had nightmares of the things he'd seen while gazing into the future. Agustin only hoped that wherever Bruno was now that he was able to get some well-deserved rest. Anyways, that wasn't the point. The point was that his daughter was more important than anything else and he wouldn't rest until he saw her well again.
Mirabel managed to finish about half the bowl before turning her head away. Agustin didn't force her, simply setting the soup to the side and re-wetting the towel on her forehead. He prayed she'd be able to keep the simple meal down. As his hija settled into a more comfy position, seemingly fine for the moment, her father decided to take the food back to the kitchen and grab the book he'd left in the parlor. After asking the teen if she'd be okay alone for a few minutes, to which he got a positive response, Agustin exited the room. He didn't get very far, however, for as soon as the door closed behind him the man felt himself sway. Bracing against the wall, he stayed there for several moments, waiting for the dizzy spell to pass.
Upon opening his eyes, he was greeted with Casita moving a note over to rest at his feet. Sighing, he knelt to pick it up, silently dreading what he'd find.
Make sure you care for yourself even as you care for others.
Huh, in all honesty, he'd been expecting far worse. The escritor misterioso worded his concern in a touching, friendly manner rather than chewing him out as he'd feared they would. They also stated a valid point... if he didn't take care of himself, how was he supposed to care for his daughter? What if she needed him and he passed out from exhaustion? Deciding to fix his error, Agustin carefully peeked into his daughter's room once more. She seemed to be resting comfortably at the moment, it should give him enough time to grab a quick snack from the kitchen while he dropped off the bowl. After that, well, he can always bring a few blankets into the nursery. He's sure Mirabel wouldn't mind if he took a quick nap on the floor while she rested.
-XXX-XXX-XXX-
A week later Mirabel was fully recovered and her father had managed to catch up on the sleep he'd missed while looking after her. It was now a normal Monday morning in the Madrigal household as the familia went about their business, Agustin trying to help out wherever he could. He chopped wood, helped repair anything that was broken, and helped anyone that may have needed another pair of hands. Still, he felt as if he weren't doing enough. His wife and daughters were all so skilled with what they did. Even Mirabel, who had no gift, was such a skilled seamstress that she had more work than she could finish in a day. Wandering over to his suegra, Agustin waited until he could get the older woman's attention.
"Is there anything else I can do to help?" He asked once she was finished with her previous discussion. "I've finished chopping the wood and nobody else seems to need me at the moment."
"I'm afraid not, Agustin." The elder replied, eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm sure the others have things well in hand. You wouldn't want to get in their way, now would you?"
His shoulders slumped and he was just about to turn away when Alma's face softened and she caught his arm. He looked back at her, a silent question shining in his confused eyes.
"On second thought," She voiced, an air of importance surrounding her. "I just remembered that I needed to speak to Señor Ramírez about a new fence. He may not see the point but Luisa can't be spending all day chasing his donkeys, she has more important things to do. However, he lives at the far end of town and my old bones are bothering me today."
By now, Agustin could understand where the conversation was heading and found a smile gracing his features. It was clear that his mother-in-law had noticed how misplaced he felt and was offering an olive branch of sorts. Well, if that's how things were, he would gladly take the opportunity. He wanted to be useful like the rest of his familia, even if he was prone to accidents... he just needed a way to prove himself.
"If you would be so kind as to go in my place, I would greatly appreciate it." Abuela continued, smiling upon seeing his determined expression. "And make sure you don't take no for an answer. That fence has needed to be built for months, there is no reason to have the beasts wandering all over town."
"I'll make sure he understands, Abuela, don't worry!" Agustin exclaimed, rushing off so fast that he nearly tripped over his own feet.
Glancing back, he noticed the gray-haired woman chuckling behind her hand as she watched him with fond eyes. He thought the woman wouldn't be able to understand, that she would be as impatient as she sometimes is with the non-magical members of their family... it seems she was feeling charitable today. That's good, maybe she was finally beginning to understand that their family were more than just tools to be used for helping the village. Passing his youngest daughter, he didn't fail to notice the beaming smile on her face as she helped her madre pass out food. It appears that charity didn't extend only to him, he thought happily, waving as he hurried by.
By the time he'd finished convincing Señor Ramírez to let them build a new enclosure for the donkeys, it was nearing supper time. The mustached man had just enough time to wash up before it was time to sit down at the table. He wasn't upset though, it was a good day's work and he felt as if he'd truly contributed. That was something he struggled with at times. Always being surrounded by the exceptional was bound to make one feel as if they were unceptional. That was a sentiment he'd shared with his daughter on numerous occasions whenever she was feeling excluded. Even so, he found it hard to listen to his own words when he told her that she was just as special as the rest of their family. He meant every word when those words were aimed at his beautiful daughter. But for him, there were still times he felt like an outcast in his own home.
"Mi corazón, are you alright?" He heard Julieta ask, effectively snapping him out of his reverie.
Raising his head to glance around, he realized that everyone had finished eating while he'd been lost in thought. He smiled, nodding in reassurance before quickly scarfing down his food, nearly choking as he did so.
"Slow down, Agustin, there's no rush. The food won't disappear," She joked, glancing around before leaning in as if to reveal a deep secret. "Camilo isn't here so you don't need to worry about him stealing it all."
That earned her a soft chuckle as he finally took a moment to breathe, letting out an adoring sigh as he caught her hand with his.
"Have I told you today that I love you, mi amor?" He asked, standing in order to embrace his wife.
"Not in the last half-hour." She replied with a cheeky smile, returning the hug before planting a short kiss on his lips.
He smiled, nuzzling into Julieta. She always had a way of making him feel better. No matter where his thoughts roamed, his amada seemed to know exactly how to bring him back to the present. They spent a few more minutes enjoying each other's company before parting ways once more, him to check on the kids while she finished cleaning up the table. It was when he was making his way upstairs that he noticed another note sitting on the banister. Reaching forward, he took the paper in hand, his heart filling with warmth as he read the scribbled words.
You don't need a gift to belong in the family.
As a single tear fell from his eye, Agustin felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He had nothing to prove. He is and has been a part of this family for a long time. Gift or no gift, it didn't matter. His little Mirabel is perfect just the way she is... why should he be any different?
AN: Hope you liked it, don't forget to review :)
