(Author's Note: Hello my readers, and welcome to our next installment.

Hope you guys enjoy:)

Chapter Sixteen: Triplet Time

Concept: It has been far too long since the Madrigal Triplets have been able to spend time together…and they weren't going to waste the opportunity given back to them. A few new factors have been brought up since their reunion…Bruno's health being the prime (and, for once, GOOD) source.

"PEPA! Knock it off!"

"NEVEEEEEERRRRR!"

Julieta couldn't stop laughing even if she wanted to.

As magnificent as it was to have Bruno back after a decade of separation (and even THAT didn't feel like it did justice to the Madrigal Triplets being reunited after so many years), it wasn't easy to find out where he had been.

Within the walls of Casita. No sunlight, no human company (excluding the occasional visit from Dolores), no one able to help him through the pains of his Gift…the list goes on.

The biggest issue (at least to Julieta)? The fact that he didn't have anywhere CLOSE to a healthy amount of food.

This has been an ongoing "debate" for their entire lives. It didn't matter that Bruno said that he "didn't have a large appetite" (which she knew was a lie). It didn't even matter that he was surprisingly physically capable for someone his size (1). In Julieta's humble opinion, Bruno never had enough meat on his bones. She always tried to fatten him up since they were children but he, somehow, always managed to stay JUST below where Julieta wanted him to be. Then…he came out of the walls, looking thinner than Julieta had seen him look since they were children (as if a light breeze could knock him over).

To say that she didn't cry when she realized this would be an absolute lie.

As much as Julieta wanted to sit Bruno down and feed him until she was satisfied, she knew that she couldn't. After spending so long with only just enough food to push back starvation, Bruno's appetite was balancing on a delicate edge. Feeding him too much too soon would do more harm than good. The road wasn't quick or easy…but it was doable.

"Pepita!" Julieta called, just barely able to hold back her laughter, "Leave Bruno alone. He just ate and I don't want to "return it" to us." Although she rolled her eyes and sighed (dramatically), Pepa set Bruno back on the ground and released her hands from his stomach. In the weeks to rebuild Casita and the months that followed since the magic returned, Julieta had enlisted the entire family's aid in making sure that Bruno was brought back to a healthy state. From hydration to mental health to getting him proper sunlight, not a day went by without someone helping Bruno.

It was as Bruno placed his hands on his knees and caught his breath from Pepa's tickle attack that Julieta got another look at the reward for her hard work.

A nice bit of fat in his stomach, spreading just a bit past his waist. "Bruno's Barriga", as everyone called it (to Bruno's complete and utter embarrassment).

Bruno turned to glare at his sister, "That wasn't funny, Pepa!" The taller triplet just laughed out loud.

"I disagree, Brunito. And clearly, you do too, since you were laughing so hard." Bruno's glare only continued, which only made Pepa laugh harder. While her siblings were focused on her, Julieta quickly wiped the moisture building up in her eyes. She couldn't help herself; this was too nostalgic for her. Things were a little…tense between the triplets since Bruno's return. Not out of any sense of (real) anger, but because all three of them didn't know how to act around one another after so long…and were terrified of doing or saying the wrong thing and ruining everything all over again.

After all these months, however, that tension was long gone. Now they could tease and fight without fear.

"Don't be too mad at our hermana, Bruno," Julieta spoke up, "You know she's only playing."

"Doesn't mean it's not annoying," Bruno muttered as he continued to glare at Pepa who, in a moment of maturity, promptly stuck her tongue out at him.

"You LOVE it!"

"I DON'T "love" being swung around by my sister, who keeps grabbing for my stomach of all things! It's weird!"

Setting down the rag in hand, Julieta gently grabbed Bruno's arm, "No, it's appreciation."

"For what?"

Julieta's eyes grew misty as she ran a hand through his hair, "For having our hermano back with us again. Not to mention seeing just how healthy he's become again."

Bruno looked to the ground, trying to hide his blushing cheeks with his hair, "O-Oh."

Pepa moved over to grab Bruno's other arm, a small cloud above her head as she tangled her fingers with his, "She's right, you know. Sometimes…s-sometimes I feel worried that I'm just dreaming, you know? It's as if things are just too good to be true." The cloud above her darkened as she wiped a tear from her eye, "I've had dreams like this over the last decade, you know. Having you back with us again…only I woke up, and it was like having another piece of my heart ripped away."

By this point, Bruno looked mere seconds away from bursting into tears, "P-Pepa, I…I-I didn't-," Pepa covered his mouth.

"No. Don't apologize. Please. WE'RE the ones who should be sorry…for not being sisters you could trust."

"W-WHAT?! T-That's not true!"

"But it is," Julieta spoke up, "I know that you hid because you didn't trust the actions of Mama and the villagers…but you also didn't trust the rest of us to stand up for Mirabel. You thought you'd be all alone and you didn't believe that you'd be able to do it yourself…so you left." Bruno's silence and guilty look were all the answers that they needed, "Regardless of our reasons or justifications, we weren't the sisters you deserve. That's why we're working to be better for you…and why we're so happy to see you get better." Although he still felt embarrassed, Bruno at least picked his head up a bit.

Then…he chuckled.

"How is it that an argument about my stomach turned into such an emotional talk?" (2) Both women started laughing. Not only at the truth of Bruno's statement but at their brother's ability to always saw something awkward…that was unexplainably always able to ease the tension in the room (when it was just them, at least).

"Probably because of this ADORABLE little barriga of yours!" Instead of directly grabbing Bruno's stomach like Pepa, Julieta threw an arm around his shoulders and smushed his cheeks with his other hand, "It makes our precious hermanito look just. So. CUTE!"

"Juli," Bruno whined as his eldest sister's (familiar) teasing. Though he tried to move away, Pepa (who had begun laughing) prevented him from doing so by hugging both of her siblings.

"Not to mention how perfectly it goes with his beautiful hair-."

Bruno pulled his head away, trying to get his sister away from his hair, "Knock it off."

"-spectacular eyes-."

"Juli."

"-adorable nose-," she poked him in the face, which got him floundering around like a fish out of water.

"Julieta, we're literally FIFTY! Don't you think that we're too old for this?!"

"NEVER!" Julieta grabbed her brother by the cheeks and began pressing kisses against his face, "Mi hermanito precioso! Un hombre tan guapo! Tan grande que apenas puedo manejarlo!" Although Bruno tried to pull away, Julieta's grip on his face was tight…as well as Pepa's arms around the both of them.

(His sisters were always stronger than him)

"Okay, okay…I'll make you guys a deal," Bruno called out, "Let me go now…and I will eat something of your choice right now."

Julieta pulled away with a raised eyebrow, "Are you trying to manipulate my desire to feed you?"

"Is it working?" Bruno replied with an innocent expression on his face (one that his sisters saw through immediately). Pepa immediately started laughing, knowing that Bruno had their hermana right where he wanted her.

Which was absolutely true.

"Fine," Julieta released Bruno and stood up straighter (as if she wasn't being successfully manipulated), "Pepa, can you sit with him while I make us a snack?"

"So I get to play with Bruno's barriga AND get some food?! Gladly!" Pepa wrapped her hands around Bruno's middle and pulled him down to the table.

"Hey! I said this was only if you guys stopped doing that!"

"ACTUALLY, that was about Julieta touching your face and me hugging you. You didn't say ANYTHING about not getting to play with my new favorite toy."

"PEPA!"

"Hush you."

Julieta giggled as she listened to her siblings fighting behind her. For a moment, it was like they were teenagers again. Julieta cooking some food while Pepa and Bruno (playfully) fought behind her. It took every last ounce of her self-control to keep the tears from falling.

Nostalgic tears could fall later. Right now, she had some delicious food to make.

(Author's Note: Annnnnnnnd scene!

(1): I feel like not many of this fandom appreciate Bruno's physicality. As a malnourished fifty-year-old, he was able to outrun someone almost a quarter his age (I know that he technically had a head start, but it's still impressive that he was able to stay away from her as long as he did). Not to mention that he caught a falling Mirabel with one arm. I looked it up. Someone her age would (on average) weigh around one hundred and fifteen pounds. Catching someone like that mid-fall and holding them like that with one arm is VERY impressive (and it's not like he dropped her; the floor gave up on him).

I'm just saying…Bruno couldn't have been healthy when he left the walls, but he's quite faster and stronger than he looks:/

(2): This was EXACTLY my thoughts as I wrote this chapter. I originally planned for it to be more simple/humor-filled about a chubby Bruno Madrigal (I've read a lot of stories like that and wanted to try my hand at it)…but a heartfelt talk between the triplets just came out of nowhere:/

-Hope you guys enjoyed this (admittedly short) one. I'm trying to put together a more consistent updating schedule for my stories in the future. However, I AM also going to be starting a new job soon…so just be patient with me while I adapt.

Constructive criticism ONLY…no flames, please.

Review, Favorite, Follow, and I'll see you guys next time:)