#camilo

This was inspired by the song ‘Home’ from Good Neighbours

The golden light of the setting sun spilled into the quiet streets of Encanto, bathing everything in a warm glow. The Madrigal household was bustling with its usual energy, but tonight, you and Camilo found yourselves tucked away from the chaos, seeking a quiet corner of the world just for the two of you.

You sat together on the stone steps of a small garden behind Casita, the vibrant flowers swaying gently in the evening breeze. The laughter and lively chatter of the family drifted from the house in the distance, but here, in this small sanctuary, everything felt peaceful. Almost like the world had paused just for you.

Camilo stretched out beside you, his head resting comfortably in your lap, arms loosely folded across his chest. His usually mischievous expression was softer tonight, his face tilted up towards the sky where the stars were just beginning to appear. The fading light cast a soft glow on his features, and for a moment, the trickster you knew so well seemed completely at ease.

"You know," he murmured, voice quiet, almost as if speaking too loudly would break the spell of the moment, "I could get used to this."

You ran your fingers through his curls absentmindedly, a small smile tugging at the corner of your lips. His hair was soft, and the way he leaned into your touch made your heart swell with a warmth that felt like it had always been there, waiting to bloom.

"Used to what?" you asked, though you already knew what he meant.

"This." He sighed, eyes still focused on the dimming sky. "Being here with you. Not having to be anyone else. Just... me."

There was something so simple yet profound in his words, the way they settled into the quiet air between you. Camilo, the boy with a thousand faces, always shifting, always changing to fit the needs of everyone around him—finally at peace, just as he was.

You let the silence stretch, comfortable and full, the only sound between you being the soft rustling of leaves and the distant murmur of the evening. There was no need for anything more. The world felt whole like this—complete in the way his head rested in your lap, in the way the air seemed to hum with a gentle, unspoken understanding.

After a while, Camilo shifted, turning his head slightly to look up at you. His golden-brown eyes shimmered with something softer than usual, something tender that made your heart skip a beat. "You know, you kind of remind me of Casita," he said, his voice teasing but with an edge of sincerity.

"Casita?" You raised an eyebrow, amused. "How so?"

"Well," he grinned, his trademark playfulness sneaking back into his tone, "being around you... it just feels like home."

You felt a warmth rise to your cheeks at his words, but before you could respond, Camilo sat up, his face just inches from yours now. The smile on his lips was soft, genuine. It wasn’t one of his usual exaggerated grins or cheeky smirks—it was something quieter, something real.

"And I mean it," he added, his voice a little lower, eyes never leaving yours. "Whenever I’m with you... I don’t have to put on a face. I don’t have to be everything for everyone. I can just be me."

You swallowed, heart racing as you held his gaze. The weight of his words hung between you, thick with the kind of vulnerability that came so rarely. Camilo was always quick with a joke, quick to shift into someone else when things got too serious—but not now. Not with you.

He reached for your hand, his fingers brushing yours softly before intertwining with them. His touch was warm, grounding, like the sun itself had wrapped you both in its embrace, refusing to let the moment slip away.

"You feel like home to me too, Camilo," you whispered, your voice barely audible over the soft breeze.

For a moment, neither of you spoke. The world around you seemed to fade into nothing, leaving just the two of you in your own little universe. The sky had darkened now, the stars twinkling above like a thousand tiny promises, but all you could focus on was the boy in front of you—the boy who, despite all his masks and faces, was always himself with you.

Camilo smiled again, that same soft smile that made your heart flutter. He pulled you closer, pressing his forehead gently against yours. "Then I guess," he murmured, his breath warm against your skin, "we’re home."

And in that moment, as the world around you faded into soft darkness, you knew that no matter where life took you, as long as you were with Camilo, you’d always be home.