A/N: This was written as an alternate ending to "A Masterful Deception". If you plan to read it, then mind there are spoilers ahead. Otherwise, enjoy!
Not letting go of her hand, Bruno walked Mirabel straight to his room. He opened the door for her, and, placing his hand on the small of her back, gently led her inside.
While her Tio fiddled with the lock, the girl settled down on his couch, making herself comfortable. Leaning her head back, she let out a frustrated sigh.
"Can you believe them?" she asked incredulously, closing her eyes for a moment.
Bruno sat next to her, his legs crossed in front of him. He held up his arm, inviting his niece for a side embrace. In response, she leaned slightly forward, allowing him to put his arm around her shoulders.
"Well, this was awkward," said the man as he pulled her closer.
The girl gave a throaty groan, still irritated about the family meeting. Earlier today, upon Abuela's request, all the Madrigals gathered in the living room. Their goal? Pestering Mirabel and Bruno about the nature of their relationship. Because apparently they'd been acting suspicious enough for the whole family to notice. In the end, Abuela agreed to give the duo the benefit of a doubt. But she didn't go down without a fight, making them swear that their gestures were purely familial and platonic.
Unable to hold in all her thoughts and emotions any longer, Mirabel let them run freely. In front of like the only person who would understand.
"What's the deal with this stupid condition they gave us?" Mirabel gestured in agitation, her speech more rapid than usual. "Tone down the physical affection. This is so unfair! Did Abuela also mean the house or just the town?"
"Dunno," said Bruno, his tone a little distant. "We can try and see."
Mirabel puffed out a long sigh to slow her rapid heartbeat.
"So now what? If I want to give you a hug or a kiss, we will need to hide?" She snorted, having just thought of something. "Now it'll actually feel like we're having a fling!"
This time, she got no reply. The man just sat there in silence, fidgeting mindlessly with the leather string of her necklace. The same emerald butterfly pendant he made her for her birthday.
"You okay?" she asked in a soft voice. Her fingers lightly brushed his leg in an attempt to get his attention. "This meeting must have been very stressful for you."
Being much older than she was, Bruno was indeed the one who received most of the blame for their inappropriate behavior. Even though Mirabel wanted to share the responsibility, he wouldn't let her. Moreover, during Abuela's questioning, the girl learned that this wasn't the first interrogation her Tio was subjected to. After everything he was forced to go through, she felt sorry for him, wanted to help him release the tension.
Bruno looked down and smiled warmly at Mirabel, loving how considerate and observant this girl was. He placed a feathery kiss on her temple and whispered into her hair,
"Nah, I've seen worse. I was more worried about you."
In response, she leaned further into him, feeling his warm body against her.
"It's fine, I can handle my family." Thinking again about what he'd just said, the girl frowned. "Wait, what do you mean you've seen worse?"
Mirabel felt the man's chest rise and fall as he gave a heartfelt chuckle.
"Oh, you should've seen the other meetings! I still remember how your family interrogated my hermanas' boyfriends. Every man who wished to marry in, they had to go through with this."
Bruno took a deep breath and continued in a low voice.
"For your dad, it went rough. He always got himself into troubles, see. So, your Abuela asked why he dated your mom. As a reason implying an unlimited supply of healing Arepas."
"Mi Dios, she didn't!" Mirabel put the hand to her face. "It must have been embarrassing."
"It was." Her Tio grinned. "Your Mama was sure Agustin's gonna dump her. But he didn't – he stayed. Later, he laughed that this was like an initiation. To see if he's worth being a part of the family."
This new piece of information made Mirabel's mind drift into a new direction. It sounded familiar, the way Abuela accused her father of using her mother for his own gain. It reminded the girl of how Bruno was questioned.
"So, we really were treated like a couple, huh?"
Bruno raised an eyebrow and smiled to himself, staring blankly ahead.
"I guess so," he said softly.
His hand moved lower, now caressing the bare skin on Mirabel's upper arm. Evidently, he was done telling his story, so the girl went on with her earlier rant. This time, with less arm-waving and less yelling.
"What's their problem with us, anyway?" she asked into the void, not really waiting for an answer. "We've been touchy-feely with each other for so long, and everything was fine. But once we dance together on your birthday, that's where they draw the line? Gosh, I wish they'd told us."
She gave a bitter-sweet laugh. Notes of regret could be heard in her tone.
"What would you do?" asked Bruno with a note of hesitance. "Not dance with me?"
In his mind, he recalled the celebratory party and the time they shared. He used to hate his birthdays, associating them with strangers talking to him one after another, women he never met asking him to dance, people begging him for visions just to entertain themselves.
This year, however, Mirabel was there with him. Together, they danced like there was no tomorrow. Bruno's hands held onto her waist. Her arms crossed around his neck, resting comfortably on his shoulders. Their cheeks were touching as they swung in the rhythm of the music.
"No," said Mirabel firmly. She shook her head. "I'd get mentally prepared. For the questioning, I mean."
Visibly relieved, Bruno stretched his muscles and adjusted his seating position. Now, he was the one thinking back to the family gathering. From among all the things that were said there, one stuck out for him the most.
"Y'know, I can't believe they noticed – and remembered! – so many details from our past. Like, when we started our late strolls around the Encanto, or lying together on the living room couch, or telling jokes they couldn't understand. This was so long ago but also feels like it happened yesterday. Brings back memories."
He sighed in content, once again appreciating all the time he got to spend with Mirabel. After over a decade apart, this still wasn't nearly enough.
"Right?" asked his niece with a snort. "I mean, Pa can't even recall where he put his socks, but he remembered what your plays were all about. And he apparently looked into them for double-meaning. Because they clearly mean something more than meets the eye."
She referred to the last rat telenovela that Agustin watched. The one about a niece and her estranged uncle who were in love but refused to admit this to their family. Even though it turned out that Bruno wrote this play to cope with his past trauma, he was still assumed to have the worst possible intentions.
Her Tio pulled away just far enough to see the girl's expression. There was a huge grin on his face.
"Hah – yes, Mirabel. I am secretly in love with you. That's why all my telenovelas are about forbidden love. The main characters? They're us, definitely."
They both laughed out loud at the absurdity of such assumptions. When they stopped, Mirabel noticed that Bruno's fingers were no longer stroking her arm. In a reassuring gesture, she placed her hand on top of his, adding her own twist to his story.
"Can you imagine? If we were secretly a couple, we wouldn't be stupid enough to be so obvious. We'd hide in our rooms, behind the closed doors, and do whatever the hell we wanted."
They laughed again, but this time they both sounded awkward and embarrassed. Before any of them knew, their laughter became forced rather than genuine. As it slowed down, Bruno and Mirabel looked at one another. For a heartbeat, they just stared.
"Yeah, right," they said dismissively, dropping their gaze. There was another series of nervous chuckles.
But then, they glanced up once more.
The laughter died out.
They looked each other in the eyes.
Bruno's sight travelled lower. It lingered on Mirabel's lips. His pupils dilated slightly, taking in the view. Absently, he moved his tongue over his lower lip, fleetingly wondering if she'd noticed.
It didn't matter, because next moment the girl leaned forward and brushed her lips over his. Just as she did so many times before, whenever Bruno said or did something that made her warm inside. What she didn't expect, though, was her Tio tentatively following with a delicate kiss of his own. His soft mouth barely touched hers. It was gone before she could truly savor the moment.
Mirabel's initial disorientation was soon replaced with a feeling of loss and longing. Before the girl could think about what she was doing, she chased after his retreating form. She captured his lower lip between hers, sucking on it lightly. She was treading on new, unexplored ground now. And yet, instead of being scared, Mirabel was excited about what she could possibly find.
She felt his strong arm move from her shoulder to the back of her neck. Her own hands went up to rest on his chest, discovering how fun it was to trace small circles there. To sense the thick fabric of his ruana but also the bones and muscles that hid underneath.
It didn't take long for Bruno to respond, taking over the initiative. His free hand found Mirabel's hip, adjusting their positions to have better access. He ran his tongue teasingly over her upper lip, giving it just a slight brush. Hearing his niece hum in approval, he repeated the gesture, more forcefully this time. He could taste a faint flavor of the sweet bread that she had for breakfast.
But Mirabel wanted more. When she sensed his hand travel under the hem of her shirt, it sent shivers go up her spine. All of a sudden, she felt that they weren't nearly close enough. She moved her hands to cup his cheeks and tilted her head to deepen the kiss. The smell of his aftershave combined with sweat made her legs feel weak.
Bruno's breaths came in gasps. He was having trouble catching breath, and yet the man refused to let go. Only when Mirabel's lips left his with a quiet sound, had he realized how out of breath they both truly were. They panted like they ran a marathon; their heads too close to see the other's expression.
His clouded mind only now registered the positions of his hands. The man's pulse increased further when he felt hot, bare skin under his fingertips. Gently, he removed his palm from under his niece's blouse and placed it over her elbow, holding it with equal affection. His eyes closed on their own when he felt Mirabel's thumb gently rub his scratchy stubble, her other hand now pressing lightly against his shoulder for support.
"Wow," he whispered, leaning back to look at her. His eyes were full of silent adoration.
"Wow," she repeated, smiling at him lovingly, her cheeks flushed.
"Um – G-Guess we weren't honest? Not – earlier?" Bruno asked, masking his worry with a chuckle.
"Not intentionally," came Mirabel's honest reply.
Taking comfort in her words, he pulled the girl in for a full body hug. They put their arms tightly around one another, absorbing each other's warmth. Bruno was feeling blissful, having properly addressed his feelings for the first time and having them returned straight back at him. Still, the fact that they were now hiding something huge from their beloved family was at the back of his mind the entire time. He knew Mirabel well enough to realize that she was worried about this, too. He was scared for them both.
But they could deal with this later. At this moment, Bruno was content with simply sitting there and holding the woman he loved dearly. Same as always and yet so differently.
