✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

FELICIA HAD TO COVER her mouth from allowing any more giggles to slip out, for camilo was doing an exceptional job of acting out one of bruno's written scenes.

     "alas, we must part ways, hernando!", camilo sniffled, feigning a damsel in distress.

     "BUT WHY, ALEXANDRA?! ¡¡TE AMO!!", camilo proclaimed, now acting as the main character's unwanted lover.

     rolling his eyes and muttering beneath his breath, camilo had perfectly displayed how the love was one-sided.

     felicia clapped as the scene had ended with the madrigal dramatically bowing.

     "I could watch you for hours! you're very talented, camilo".

     before the fifteen year-old could even say his thanks, his parents had bursted through the door with a big smile on their faces.

"mamí?? pa—"

"we heard that felicia was over and we just wanted to know how the date went!!", pepa interrupted, taking a seat beside felicia on camilo's bed, as she took notice of the girl's familiar outfit.

camilo's face fell into an unimpressed expression, as félix had wrung his arm around his oldest son's shoulders.

"oh, it was great!! I mean...I accidentally fell into the river, but camilo was a well-mannered gentleman, and helped me with my wounds and stuff", felicia informed.

"oh goodness! I did hear something about healing your scrapped palms from julieta earlier", pepa mentioned.

"why are you guys still here then?", camilo lowly muttered, causing his father to just outwardly smile, as he slyly leaned down a little to whisper in his son's ear.

"your mother wanted to persuade felicia to stay over for dinner".

camilo softly groaned, "not this again..."

     "also, the tea you made me last time was phenomenal!! camilo brings me tea too whenever I'm stressed. look how much you two have in common already!", pepa exclaimed.

     "I'm glad you like it, señora pepa. if you'd like, I could make it for you anytime, or just tell you the recipe so that it's more conveni—"

     "oh, but it's not the same if you don't make it for me!", pepa stated, "so how about you stay for dinner and make the tea for me again. if you don't mind, of course".

"I-I don't mind! not at all", felicia replied, as even though the girl had a hard time saying no to people, she actually felt a little burst of happiness because her crush's mother liked her tea.

"by the way, what do you think about painti—"

"I HEARD FROM THE RATS THAT FELICIA'S HERE!", antonio shouted, bursting through camilo's door, as he had two rats and chipsi the capybara standing right beside him.

"hello antonio", felicia waved with a smile.

the youngest madrigal sped towards felicia and embraced her tightly.

"I missed you, phoebe, and penelope. how are you??"

     "I'm doing great. how're you, antonio??"

     "you can just call me toñito. it's a nickname that my family calls me", the five year-old answered, "by the way, can we read together today?"

     félix playfully gasped, as he looked at his youngest with betrayal.

     "I thought reading was our thing?!"

antonio glanced at his father for a moment before ignoring him and looking back at felicia, who was still embracing the boy.

     "hey hey hey, I'M supposed to be hanging out with felicia today! why's everyone just barging into my room and interrupting our date?", camilo sassily questioned, placing a hand on his hip.

"date? what do you me your date? it's OUR date", antonio giggled, "isn't that right, felicia?"

"umm...I..."

"oh don't mind them, felicia. come, let's go have dinner. today it's just us, julieta, augustín, and bruno. the rest are either out with mamá or at a friend's house", pepa explained, placing her palm against felicia's back, as she ushered her towards the exit.

     before camilo could even attempt to grab the sixteen year-old's hand, antonio had arrived beside felicia — clutching onto her hand — with his pets surrounding them.

     camilo's draw dropped, as antonio briefly looked back to give his brother a shrug.

     meanwhile, félix had only patted the fifteen year-old's shoulder, sighing.

     "it's okay, camilo...you'll have your time with her soon", félix said, before his sorrowful expression drastically changed into a teasing grin, "but after she hangs out with the rest of us first!!"

     boisterously laughing, the man strolled out of the teenager's room, leaving him to dwell on the fact that his family had just stolen his crush.

     "¡ay, dios mío! at least I'll be able to sit by her during dinner..."

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

camilo was on the right end of the table between bruno and augustín, meanwhile the rest of his family were crowded around felicia.

     "and that's how we found out that tío bruno lived in the walls for ten years!", antonio exclaimed with a bright smile on his face.

felicia remained speechless, as she made brief eye contact who bruno, who just awkwardly let out a few dry chuckles.

"we're not crazy, I promise", ausgutín chimed in, as antonio had then proceeded to say, "and then when he came out of the walls, our house crashed down and we had to rebuild it".

"toñito darling, why don't you save your...lovely stories for after dinner", pepa mumbled, encouraging for the boy to finish eating his food first, as felicia was then distracted by félix.

"ah, speaking of food — I forgot to thank you the last time you came over".

"what for, señor félix??"

"for the tres leches birthday cake of course!! I would've believed that camilo had made it if there wasn't the pretty writing and decorations on top", the fifty-four year old answered.

     "wow, thanks papá", camilo sarcastically muttered, feeling unjust towards the fact that HIS crush that HE'S on a date with, is sitting beside HIS FAMILY rather than HIM.

     "oh...it's nothing really. camilo did most of the work anyways!! I'm just glad that you liked the cake", felicia politely replied.

     "speaking of birthdays, camilo, you're turning sixteen soon aren't you?", his mother asked.

     "oh really? geez, what are the odds!"

"but doesn't your birthday happen once a year on the same date? what do you mean—"

     "we should hold a party!!", antonio suggested, accidentally cutting off bruno.

"that sounds like a great idea!! a party for my little camilo", pepa cooed, earning an embarrassed groan from the boy.

"mamí...", he softly whined, to which felicia had only snickered, much to camilo's chagrin.

"aside from that, we can work out the details of it later. you'll be coming though, right, felicia?", pepa asked, putting the girl on the spot.

     "ah, y-yeah! of course", felicia nodded, mentally noting that she should perhaps start preparing a gift for the boy — with mirabel's help of course.

     pepa had then picked up her cup of green tea with honey, happily sipping, as no cloud was going to appear over her head today.

once dinner was done and over with, felicia bonded over books with félix and antonio, meanwhile pepa made the sixteen year-old promise to paint with her sometime soon.

     "alright, are you all done taking up our date time?! isn't it my turn now??", camilo huffed, as he intruded into his brother's room, witnessing him sitting on felicia's lap, as she was reading to him.

his dad was then leaning on a tree trunk across from them, quietly reading to his lovely wife.

"ay, camilo...you're ruining reading time", félix teased.

steam would've emitted from the boy's ears if it were possible, for he was this close to just stealing felicia away from his family. actually, stealing's the wrong word. it was supposed to be THEIR date, so he's technically just taking her back.

"a-ah...apologies, but I think it's about time I go home...my mother and sisters are probably waiting for me", felicia meekly chimed in.

"awww!! does that mean that you won't finish the story??", antonio pouted.

"how about I finish it with you next time? and next time we can paint together, señora pepa".

"you're such a sweetheart, felicia. oh, come give me a hug before you go", pepa demanded, as a sun shone above her head — with felicia enjoying the tight embrace.

"come on, princesa. let's go", camilo urged, offering his hand out, as antonio clutched onto the girl's leg before letting her go.

the sixteen year-old more willing placed her hand in camilo's this time, as she was starting to get used to the physical contact.

"bye felicia!!", camilo's family shouted, as the girl simply waved goodbye with a smile.

camilo excitedly dragged the girl away, as he took his time walking her home.

"I'm sorry about them", the boy started off, "you don't have to bother with them the next time you come ove—"

"it's okay! I liked hanging out with them", felicia intercepted.

camilo halted in his footsteps, as he raised a brow in suspicion, making felicia confused.

"wha—"

leaning in, felicia flinched at the closeness, wondering what was wrong. to her, it was somewhat intimidating that the boy had just suddenly decided to stick his cute face right up in her vision.

"so you like hanging out with them more than you do with me?", camilo softly questioned.

felicia struggled to answer, for her eyes kept trying to dart away from camilo's questioning gaze.

"t-that's not it!! I like hanging out with your family, but I also like hanging out with you..."

camilo finally leaned back, allowing felicia to sigh a breath of relief.

"mhm~", camilo playfully responded, secretly happy that felicia had admitted that she liked hanging out with him.

     although, the girl was worried that camilo was doubtful of her answer. hence on their way home, the sixteen year-old silently thought of a way to prove it to him.

     camilo obliviously paused in front of the coffee shop, expecting to see felicia's adorable smile with a verbal goodbye. however, it never came.

     "princesa, we're h—is something wrong?"

     felicia felt her palms sweat, as she released her hand from camilo's in a hasty manner.

"umm...can...can you close your eyes for me please?", felicia quietly requested.

"huh? okay..."

complying, camilo wondered if his crush was about to kiss him. though to his surprise, it was something much better.

     arms snaking around camilo's body, felicia's chin had rested snuggly against the crook of the boy's neck. her braids kept her hair out of the way, allowing camilo's lips to gently graze his own ruana.

"thank you for taking me on a date today, camilo. I really like hanging out with you...I mean it", she mumbled, her voice a bit muffled due to the fact that her lips were pressed against camilo's white button up collar.

     loosening her grip, felicia swiftly rushed inside before camilo could even say anything.

     standing out there for a good minute, the madrigal dragged his feet back towards casita with a stupid smile on his face.

     "camilo!! your heart's beating too loud!", dolores harshly whispered.

     rolling his eyes, camilo just sassily glared at his sister for ruining his mood.

     "yeah, let me just turn it off real quick!"

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧