Summary:

Bruno introduces Gabriela to his pets. Things get a little out of hand and they have their first fight. Gabriela leaves in tears.

-o-o-

Written in both Bruno's and Gabriela's POV.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"What are your plans for the day? I don't have any appointments today, so do you want to spend some time together?" I ask Gabriela after we've finished breakfast. The rest of my family, including the babies accompanied by their parents, have already gone off with their activities in town and we're the only ones left at home. She shrugs as Casita takes away the plates she's placed on the counter. "I think I'm free today. I don't exactly help out at the store now, given Lucía's taken over the work for me."

I hum. "Hm. They moved their wedding date, right?"

"Yeah. I think we're forgoing the customary three-year mourning. I mean, we'll still keep our darker clothes in rotation, but seeing as we've broken all of the rules, they're getting married in two weeks."

I drum my fingers on the counter. "So…is your brother going to invite me to the wedding?"

Gabriela laughs. "I'll remind him to send you the invite, but just in case he doesn't, you're my date."

"I'll make sure we don't overshadow the bride and groom," I tease. She rolls her eyes at me. "Ha. Ha. I doubt that we will."

"Have you forgotten I'm Bruno Madrigal?" I wave my fingers at her. "The magical seer of the Madrigal family? I see your future."

Gabriela sticks her tongue out at me. "Whatever, cariño. So, back to the discussion. What do you have planned for us today?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Bruno brings me upstairs to his room, which is hidden in a niche in the tower wing of the house. I stare at the image on his door, the glower a stark contrast to the nervous man beside me. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears. Whatever playful banter earlier is now overshadowed again by the dream I had of him. "Wait, what are we doing here?"

"Oh…um…there's something I wanted to show you. I believe you've already met one of them yesterday..."

I gulp. I feel warm all of a sudden. He opens the door and gently leads me into his room. My heart jumps when the door shuts behind us. "This way."

"Quite a lot of sand…in here." I try to find something to distract me from whatever thoughts racing in my mind. Bruno, shirtless, pulling me towards the water.

"Yeah. You know how I deal with the future, so it's like sand in an hourglass…" Casita turns off the waterfall of sand to let us through, and I stare up at the vastness of his room. It's as Julián described…well, whatever I had managed to listen to, anyway. "What's up there?"

Bruno looks up. "Oh, that? That's where my vision cave is. I do my visions there."

"A lot of stairs to get there…" He whispers something in my ear and I blush red.

Bruno laughs. "I'm used to it, mi vida. But we're not going there today." We stop in front of a large rock. "My secret bedroom is behind here. Whatever you do, don't make any sudden noises."

He covers my eyes. My breathing starts to accelerate. Bruno's eyes darken and he kisses me, and every part of me is on fire. He slowly navigates me into the room. The loss of my eyesight is making me anxious and I silently cuss under my breath. I can't read his mind this way if I'm too distracted. And he lifts me and I wrap my legs around him. He bites back a moan against my lips and I feel his lust growing…

"Okay, I'll remove my hands now." It turns me on and I tease him, and he starts showering me with words of adoration as he watches me move against him…

I hear soft squeaks. He takes his hands off from my eyes and I blink at the sudden light. I gasp in surprise at the sight, and all of the rats scampering around stop to look at me, curious. Bruno picks one up and scratches it behind its ear. And I fall apart in his arms. "Welcome to my bedroom, mi amor. I'd like you to meet my pets."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

We're both sitting on the floor of his room. Bruno lets one of his rats rest on top of my head and I hold still. My mind was in a different direction altogether earlier, so I was relieved when I realized we weren't going to do anything…scandalous.

But if I'm being honest, maybe I'm a little disappointed. Just barely.

The rat starts to groom itself, then burrows into my hair. I laugh and he immediately takes it off my head. "Whoops. Looks like Milagrosa thinks you need a makeover of sorts."

"Is this why your hair looks like a rat's nest every time I see you?"

Bruno snorts. "Ha. Ha. Very funny, Gabriela." He reaches into his pocket and offers a piece of an arepa from breakfast to Milagrosa. She takes it and jumps off Bruno's hand. "So, what do you think? Julián mentioned before that you didn't mind rats."

"Eh, I'm neither for nor against them, maybe because I don't interact with them the way you do."

"Makes sense," Bruno says as we watch his pet rats run around the room, climbing things and exploring. It's cute. "You know, they used to be the only friends I've got ever since I got my gift." I frown and hug my knees together. "That's so sad, Bruno…"

He shakes his head. "It's okay. I've gotten used to it. I'm not for everyone after all." Bruno scoots himself a little closer and nudges me. "Hey. Don't be sad, mi vida. I don't feel as bad as I did when I was younger."

"I can't help it, cariño," I huff, pouting at him. "Just because you're okay with it doesn't mean I'm okay with it. How would you feel if someone called your loved one 'hijo del diablo' or 'maldito'?"

Bruno softens. "I'd feel terrible."

"Exactly. And I feel terrible. I hear everyone's thoughts all the time and it irks me. They don't know you as I do, how you have your little quirks, that underneath that mysterious vibe is a vulnerable, sweet man who…has a lot of pet rats," I chuckle. "...loves his sisters as much as playing pranks on them, takes good care of his family, and…"

He doesn't let me finish my sentence. Bruno takes my face in his hands and kisses me. "Enough, mi vida, I get it," Bruno smiles. "This is why I don't mind being called those names as much these days." He leans his forehead against mine. We stare at each other, his green eyes into my own, and I'm not sure if I'm imagining things, but I see his pupils dilate. "I have a wonderful family. I have good friends. And…I have you." I feel his hot breath as leans forward to kiss me again. "Gabriela, querida, te amo tanto."

My stomach is in knots. Dream Bruno comes back into my mind. There's no escaping it. It doesn't help when the real Bruno is kissing me. I'm trying to tell myself to stop before it gets out of hand.

But I don't stop. And Bruno is not slowing down either.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Bruno, wait," Gabriela gasps. "We can't…"

I don't recall how we both ended up on my bed. We were on the floor, talking, and the next thing I know, we were kissing. I nuzzle my face into the crook of her neck and she gasps. I feel the heat radiating off her skin. I'm too drunk on her lips, her scent…to care how we even got here.

What were we doing again earlier?

Gabriela tries again to get my attention. "Cariño…¡Ay!" She yelps when I nibble on her earlobe. I try to suppress a chuckle at her reaction. "You make such cute noises, mi vida."

"Bruno, I'm serious. We ca–" Her sentence is cut short when I lean forward to kiss her again. Her breath hitches when I run my tongue on her bottom lip.

Wait. Stop. This is going somewhere way too fast… My mind is yelling at me. Gabriela's mouth partly opens and everything spirals out of control. She moans into my mouth when I deepen the kiss and her hands tug at my curls, pulling me closer to her.

Bruno, no. No. No. What are you doing? I'm drowning in her, and I don't care. I feel the bed shift underneath us. Do I want this? Does she want this? I find myself running a hand on her shoulder, slipping the sleeves of her dress down her arm…and before anything further can happen, Gabriela gets a grip and pushes me off. She immediately stands up and backs away from me.

"I…I'm sorry!" She says, flushed and breathing heavily, and runs out of my room, leaving me a mess. What…? Clarity comes to my senses. I've misinterpreted her actions and done something she wasn't comfortable with. We've only been together for a day. I pick myself up to chase after her. "Gabriela! Querida, wait!"

She's almost near my door when I manage to reach her. I grab her by her wrist to stop her, the force turns her around to face me. Gabriela's face becomes pale, and her eyes are wide. She's terrified.

My panic is replaced with worry at the sight. She's shrinking into herself. "Mi amor, are you okay? I didn't…"

*Slap*

The shock breaks my grip on her wrist. My face stings. I'm speechless. She's slapped me. Hard. I stare at her, visibly confused. She covers her mouth when she realizes that she's hurt me.

"I…I have to leave." Gabriela's lip is quivering. I try to reach out to her, but she backs away. "I…I…I'm sorry, Bruno…"

"Gabriela, wait, talk to me–"

Her eyes have me frozen where I'm standing and she leaves me alone without another word.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

I race back home, trying to calm myself down enough to stop the tears threatening to spill. The way Bruno looked at me, all confused and lost, weighs heavily on my conscience.

I've hurt him. I'm horrified that I've slapped him when he's done nothing wrong. I panicked. I didn't mean to. I swear I didn't.

The house is quiet when I arrive. Papá and Julián are still at the store. I let myself in, lock the front door and climb up the stairs to my room. My bedsheet is still on the floor as I left it that morning. I pick it up and wrap myself with it. I sink face-first into my pillow and cry.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Glossary of terms (in order of appearance in-text):

Hijo del diablo- son of the devil
Maldito- damned/cursed
Te amo tanto- I love you so much