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zafirosreverie · 2 years

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El lugar sin límites (Julieta x Fem!Reader) part 3

warning: long post ahead

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"Are you sure I'm not bothering you?" you asked as you threw a shawl over your shoulders

"Not at all" Mirabel said "I really don't have much to do"

The girl with glasses smiled at you, but you could see a hint of sadness in her eyes. After breakfast, she offered to give you a tour of the town. You had really thought about venturing out on your own, getting lost for a while without people knowing you or getting an idea of you for the simple fact of being accompanied by a Madrigal, but after listening to the tasks that each of them had and remembering that the girl didn't have a gift, you could recognize in her tone the hidden need to want to feel helpful, to want to feel needed. So you accepted.

"Alright, then I'm right behind you" you said

You followed the girl out of the house, with Atila on your heels. For a moment you allowed yourself to get lost in her animated and slightly accelerated conversation, she seemed to have so much to show and tell you, not really knowing where to start. Maybe it had to do with having someone who really wanted to hear what Mirabel Madrigal had to say, instead of using her as an encyclopedia of her family.

“And that's the bakery” she told you, her voice becoming less friendly “I used to go buy some delicious cinnamon rolls but…I don't go that often anymore”

“Oh? Did they change the recipe?” you asked carefully, worried about the sudden change in her mood

“No…well, I don't know” she answered awkwardly “let's just say that…the service leaves a lot to be desired”

You didn't trust the answer very much, but you knew it wasn't your place to meddle, she would have her reason to act so upset with that place and you weren't one to push the issue. You nodded firmly and quickly looked for something to distract her, asking about a wall that had a drawing of the entire family. Fortunately, she seemed to welcome the change and her smile came back quick and easy as she took your hand and pulled you over.

Unfortunately, your luck seemed to follow you wherever you went. As soon as the girl started telling you stories about her sisters and cousins, a man approached you. Look, you weren't stupid, you had felt the lascivious looks of the men (and some women) while you were walking, but he was the first to approach. You'd at least give him a point for bravery.

Mirabel trailed off mid-sentence when she noticed the change in your posture and she almost swore the air grew colder. She barely had time to react when Atila stepped in front of her, his posture seemingly relaxed. She had to look at you a few times to convince herself that you were the same person who had been walking with her because it was hard for her to believe that someone could go from being kind and warm to an equally beautiful but cold and almost dangerous creature so quickly.

"You're not from around here, are you precious?" the man told you in a poor attempt to appear gallant "my eyes would remember such beauty"

"Indeed, I'm not from here" you deadpanned "That's why this nice young lady was giving me a tour, so if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you'd go."

"Oh don't worry beautiful, I can give you a better tour than that silly little girl" He smiled at you in what he probably thought was a seductive face.

Mirabel crossed her arms and frowned. Sure, she'd been used to the townspeople looking down on her for not having a magical gift, but you'd think things would change a bit after all the candle mess. It pained her to admit that many had actually begun to revert to old patterns.

Atila growled and got into an attack stance while you stepped slightly in front of the girl as if to protect her. The man had the decency to flinch noticeably when you raised an eyebrow.

"I think you misunderstood me, sir" you said dryly, "so I'll ask you nicely again, back off and let us get on with our business."

Mirabel looked at you in surprise and she really didn't know if it was the wolf or you that scared the man to death, but he quickly walked away after he mumbled a quick “have a nice day”. The atmosphere around you changed again the moment he was gone and both you and Atila relaxed. You turned to her and smiled kindly at her, as if nothing had happened.

"I'm sorry about that, Mirabel" you said "you were saying?"

The girl blinked a little and giggled, picking up her short story about how Camilo had gotten stuck while he was trying to get out of a window. You paid due attention to her stories and laughed heartily, making her feel safe and relaxed and the incident quickly faded from her memory.

You walked a while longer, while she happily greeted a few people to whom you only offered a breve polite nod. At some point, Atila left your side to walk around you and walk beside her, causing you to look at him curiously.

“And then Isabela- what? I have something in the skirt?” Mirabel asked, searching for any out-of-place thread or stain on the fabric as she noticed your gaze on her.

"No, no" you laughed a little "sorry, it's just...Atila is on your side"

The girl with glasses looked at the huge wolf for a moment. She was used to Parce, but the jaguar was always with Antonio, which gave everyone a sense of security, knowing that nothing would happen to them. But here, there was no such mediator and for the first time, she realized the danger she could be in.

"Don't be scared" you told her, putting a hand on her shoulder to calm her down "he won't hurt you"

There was a promise in your voice and for the second time that day, the girl was surprised to discover that she felt safe with you, as if you could defend her from absolutely everything. Perhaps it was your hand on her shoulder, the obviously close relationship you had with your wolves, or the gleam in the gaze of the animal in front of her, she didn't know, but she dared to reach out to him.

Much to the surprise of both of you, Atila bowed his head, letting the girl's hand sink into his fur for a moment before leaning further into her touch. He almost looked like a tame, trained dog. Mirabel giggled a little and reached down to pet him better once the fear faded.

"Curious" you said, smiling a little "Neither Atila nor Asena usually show much affection to someone other than me...he seems to like you" you explained

"Awwww, I feel special" Mirabel said, laughing when the wolf licked her face "I like you too, boy."

You were silent for a moment, enjoying the rare scene before you. You hadn't seen Atila act like this since he was younger and your father had brought him and Asena to your house, it was quite sweet. However, your furry friend suddenly separated from her and growled at something behind you. The girl's mind stopped completely and a feeling of anger suddenly flooded her as the two of you turned around.

You barely caught sight of Agustin and the blonde girl before they slipped out of there upon noticing your presence. You worried when Mirabel jumped up and clenched her fists, digging her nails hard into her palms.

"Are you okay?"

You really didn't want to be nosy, there was no reason why this should matter to you, but you had only been here two days and it was already painfully obvious that something was up between that blonde girl and the rest of the family. In the end, it was Mirabel's defeated sigh that made you take the risk.

"Is something wrong with that woman?" you asked carefully "I noticed that yesterday she was looking at me strangely, also that everyone tensed up when she went to breakfast today and... well, no one has really introduced her as part of the family"

"That's because she isn't!" Mirabel yelled

You and Atila jumped a bit at the girl's outburst and glanced at each other before you gently guided her to a nearby fountain, making her sit up and allowing the wolf to rest his head on her thigh in an attempt to comfort her. The girl in glasses took several breaths to calm down before sighing and petting Atila absently.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell” she said “it's just…she's so, so” she growled in frustration

"It's alright" you told her "breathe.. you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I'm here to listen to you"

Mirabel looked at the ground for a few moments, trying to collect her thoughts. A part of her knew that she shouldn't discuss this with someone she had just met, but the stress and emotional toll on her was becoming too much for her.

"Aurora Rodríguez" she murmured "the baker's daughter"

Both you and Atila sensed that what was coming out of her was important, so you quickly blocked out all sounds around you other than her voice and gave her your full attention. Mirabel spent the next hour telling you everything, from how they had obtained the miracle, how the expectations and generational trauma had affected her family so much, and how the townspeople had put so much on Alma's shoulders that it had caused the matriarch to hurt her family for years.

She told you how she had spent the last 10 years of her life as an outcast, the damned one, the not special one. She told you about the candle, how her fight with her grandmother had brought everything down and how the townspeople had helped. She told you about the subtle but deadly way Aurora had gotten into their lives and your blood boiled at the thought of how easily Agustín had allowed someone like that to come between him and his family. No wonder Julieta tensed up every time she saw the blonde.

Still, you didn't say anything, allowing the girl, the youngest on her side from what you knew, to unburden with you everything that she carried inside. After finishing, it was clear that both she and her sisters had long since stopped feeling compassion for their father and wanted only the best for their mother.

Once her head stopped spinning, she realized what she had done. The guilt swept over her as she realized that she had betrayed her mother's trust. It took you many tries to get her to calm down and you assured her that not a single word would come out of you. She thought it was really weird and a bit unsettling the way you made her feel safe enough to break free like that. But she decided not to think too much about it and she smiled at you gratefully.

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You smiled a little as you silently watched Mirabel and Atila playing with some children who had approached you at some point. From what you understood, the girl was practically the nanny of the town, the person that most of the children approached to have a good time and it was not something strange, really, that girl had an angel for them.

The youngest of Julieta's daughters had been a bit surprised when, instead of asking the children to leave as had been her original plan, you asked her permission to join in their games (although in the end, you had preferred to sit, watching from a safe distance). The children had been fascinated by you and of course Atila and she was surprised to see how the wolf once again looked like a playful pup.

You had told her that he and Asena both loved children, but you had a painfully sad smile on your face as you said it. She didn't comment out of respect, but it made her wonder how many mysteries and wounds you carried. She was finding it a bit difficult to keep up with all the faces you had shown her in a single day, but one thing was certain in her mind: you were someone she could easily see herself having permanently in her life.

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"Julieta!"

The healer jumped a bit when her brother-in-law appeared in front of her. Either Felix had become adept at tiptoeing or she had been quite distracted. Probably the second.

All-day her mind had been divided. On one hand, she couldn't stop her blood from boiling when she remembered the ease and impudence with which Aurora had come to breakfast, as if it was their duty to have a plate ready for her at all hours. But on the other, her pulse quickened every time she thought of you and your peculiar but effective way of helping her.

As much as she thought about it, she couldn't find a single reason why you, a beautiful young woman she just met, would feel any kind of empathy for her. You didn't even know what was happening and yet…yet you had protected her, you had given her the opportunity to have breakfast in peace as she hadn't been able to for months. Everything about you was confusing her too much.

But she wasn't confused enough to miss the painfully obvious way the man stood in one spot to block a crucial part of her view. How unfortunate it was that she had already seen what Félix was trying to hide: Agustín and Aurora, strolling together with their arms linked. If she was honest, a part of her was more upset with Felix than with Agustín.

Her husband was slowly sticking a dagger into her chest, yes, but her brother-in-law…Felix used to be her best friend, they had met when she was 6 and he was 7. He had been the first to want to be friends with her just because he wanted, not caring about her gift and she had been so grateful when the boy accepted her siblings into their dynamic. When Felix came back with a black eye or a bloody nose for defending Bruno, Julieta made sure to prepare his favorite food and she still remembers the happiness she felt when her best friend started dating her sister.

And now? Now he was covering for her husband.

It hurt, yes, but she supposed that after so many years, after a lifetime by her sister's side, moving away from her a little every time she and Pepa argued, it was natural that he was no longer her best friend. Perhaps he had stopped being one years ago.

Still, she decided she didn't have the strength to start a scene here, so she simply humored the man in front of her, acting as if she hadn't seen the love of her life with another woman.

"Hello Felix" she smiled, a little forced

“You look beautiful today” he said, moving a bit more to block her view.

“Thanks…can I help you?”

"No, no" he hastened to say "I just stopped by to see how you were"

"I'm fine"

She was aware that she wasn't making things easy for her brother-in-law, who seemed increasingly desperate to think of any excuse to keep her eyes on him, but at that moment she allowed herself to be a little cruel with him, even if it was just a few seconds.

“Felix” she said after watching him squirm nervously for a few more moments “do you think you could finish my shift? I forgot that I have to go buy some groceries, you know before it gets dark.”

The man breathed a sigh of relief and quickly walked around the table, glad he didn't have to think of any more lies. The truth was that he had been too tempted to break Agustín's nose from the moment things started with Aurora, but he didn't want to make things more difficult for Julieta. Maybe they weren't as close anymore as when they were kids, but he still thought of her as his best friend and just wanted to protect her.

"Go" he told her "I'll pick up here and take everything to Casita"

"Thank you" she smiled at him and quickly walked away.

Perhaps she should have thought better of it.

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"Are you sure you don't need help?" Mirabel asked you.

You had spent the whole day with her and the children and despite Atila's resilient nature, even he seemed a bit tired after carrying several children on his back, so you had asked her to take him back to Casita while you looked for Asena. The she-wolf hadn't gone with you, but you knew she had left the house. You trusted her not to hurt anyone, but you didn't trust people not to try to hurt her.

"Yes, yes, don't worry" you said "Take Atila back please, I think he needs some water"

Mirabel looked at the wolf lying at her feet, who only raised his head to look back at her. It was still impressive to you how quickly he had grown attached to the girl in just one day, but after the strange feelings her mother had made you feel that morning, you didn't feel it was your place to judge him.

"Okay, but don't come back late, I have the feeling that we will have unwelcome visitors and I don't want to deal with her alone" she told you

You laughed a little at the not-so-subtle disgusted face she made at the thought of Aurora. You couldn't blame her, after what she told you, you too had come to hate the girl y ni siquiera tenías vela en ese entierro (and you didn't even have a candle at that funeral).

"I’ll be back soon" you promised

You watched as the girl with glasses and your furry friend turned to head back to the Madrigal house, before heading off in the opposite direction. If you were honest, you had no idea where to start looking for Asena, but something in you told you that you should go to the market. Who knows, maybe she was hungry or she had found something interesting lying around. Either way, you weren't one to ignore your instincts.

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Julieta tried to control her breathing as she subtly quickened her pace. From the moment she'd walked away from Felix, she'd been able to feel a pair of eyes on her, but she'd chalked it up to her increasing stress level. It wasn't until she was walking back that she could see a couple of men watching her.

At first, she tried not to show her concern, because most likely they were just people who, like her, had gone to the market at a late hour and she didn't want to make a ridiculous scene. It was what the mountains opening had brought, that not many, but some new people had arrived and not all of them were beautiful and kind like you.

She blushed a little at the thought. It really wasn't the time to be thinking about you, much less such inappropriate things. You were a guest in her house, you were destined to be married, and you were so much younger than her. Besides, she was not going to walk the same path as Agustín.

The brunette gasped as she realized that she had reached a dead end. She mentally cursed herself for losing in her thoughts like that, especially at a time when she should be fully alert. She quickly turned around to get out of there, but her suspicions were confirmed when the men cornered her. So they had been following her. She didn't know what they wanted from her, but their sinister smiles told her it was better not to find out.

Julieta backed up a bit until her back hit the wall and her pulse quickened as she dropped the things she was carrying and watched helplessly as they drew closer. Thankfully, heaven seemed to take pity on her and sent an angel. A furry, four-legged and quite, quite aggressive angel.

Both she and the men jumped when they heard a growl and looked up to find one of your wolves (she wasn't entirely sure if it was the male or the female) watching them from one of the roofs of the houses adjoining the alley.

The wolf dove to the ground, landing right in front of her and growling menacingly at the pair of men who slowly began to back away. She didn't know if it was just fear that made her overperceive things, but she could almost swear the animal looked twice as big as she had that morning.

"Let's go" one of the men said "the old lady has nice curves but it's not worth having those fangs on the neck for her"

"You're right, we'll find better chicks in the next town" answered the other and they both ran out of there like a soul from the devil.

Julieta felt her stomach churn as she understood the weight of their words and what they had intended to do to her. The only consolation she could find was that they had apparently been passing through, that they weren't part of Encanto. That and the ball of fur on her hand.

The woman looked down, still too shaken to make a sound, to watch as the huge, ferocious creature that had saved her life seconds ago rubbed its head against the palm of her trembling hand. She almost looked like a domestic dog, a completely different creature.

"Thank you" she whispered, scratching her gently behind the ears.

"Asena?"

The healer felt her soul leave her body from fright at the sudden voice, but the wolf didn't seem to detect danger, because she just sat next to her as you appeared around the corner.

You had to admit that, of all the things you expected to find Asena doing, being caressed by Julieta wasn't one of them. It seemed that the only thing that felt familiar to you on this day had been, ironically, the leering looks from the men and the frowns from the women.

However, you didn't have time to think about it when you noticed the woman's agitated state. You quickly approached her and your concern only increased when you noticed the mess at her feet. There were fruits and vegetables scattered everywhere and she seemed to be having trouble remembering how to breathe properly.

"Hey, hey, calm down" you said softly "breathe with me"

Julieta swallowed and had to close her eyes when you took her hand and rested it on your chest. She concentrated on trying to match the rise and fall of your chest, feeling her head slowly stop spinning. Things had changed so fast and she could still feel a bit of adrenaline and fear in her veins, but your scent and your body heat were doing wonders for her.

"That's it, breathe" you said when she opened her eyes again "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes" she whispered, looking at the place where the men had been "...now I am."

You looked at her for a moment before following her line of sight. There was nothing there, but you knew that people didn't get agitated like that out of the blue, something must have happened, something serious enough that Asena felt it and decided to come to her. But you decided not to press for the moment, not wanting to stress the poor woman more.

She immediately missed your warmth as you pulled away to collect the things at her feet. For a moment she contemplated asking you if you had powers you hadn't told them about yet, because she couldn't see another explanation for the way you managed to replace the fear she felt with something both warmer and more dangerous.

"W-what were you doing here?" she asked you when you got up

"I was looking for Asena" you said simply "but I think you beat me to it" you smiled

Julieta was well aware of the tactic you were using, and she recognized your words for what they were: attempts to calm her down, to let her know that whatever had happened was over, that she was safe. She thanked you internally and decided to humor you, if only for the sake of her own sanity.

"Technically, she found me" she told you.

"Would you look at that? first, your youngest daughter steals Atila from me and now you steal Asena" you joked "you Madrigal women have something that my wolves love"

The brunette giggled and tried not to blush too much as you approached her, offering your hand to pull her out of there. She could feel her pulse quicken again as you laced your fingers with hers, in an attempt to make her feel safe. And when she leaned closer to you, taking your arm with her other hand as well, you tried not to flinch when you remembered how you hugged Fernando in the same way, the love you had lost long ago. He had protected you many times, it was your turn to protect someone else.

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“Tía, can you help me with this?”

You watched with curiosity as Dolores diverted the older woman's attention from the empanadas she was making. The girl had been waiting for you two at the door when you and Julieta arrived. The brunette had immediately let go of your hand the moment she saw her niece and her cheeks had lit up adorably.

Asena had left with Atila, the two of them lounging on the grass by the corral where Cuervo was, and you had followed both women into the kitchen, not taking no for an answer when you offered to help. Overall, it had been kind of fun. Julieta and Dolores had a beautiful dynamic where at times they would seem close friends and then mother and daughter and it had been a delight to see the ease and familiarity with which they moved with each other.

However, Dolores' mood changed drastically and from one moment to the next she had been trying to get her aunt's attention, asking her basic questions about cooking or showing her the empanadas that the older woman had previously approved. She seemed to want to prevent Julieta from looking out the window, so you did, and immediately it all made sense.

Agustín and Aurora were walking together, joking and laughing loudly. It was obvious from the way the blonde glanced sideways at Casita from time to time, that she was doing it on purpose, that she wanted someone to see her, Julieta if possible. Again, you didn't feel like it was your place to intervene, but after spending the morning with the healer, the day with Mirabel, and hearing firsthand how much this was hurting them, you decided you couldn't sit idly by.

"Julieta" you called her carefully, moving to cover the window with your body "At breakfast, I noticed that your nephew's jaguar was lying next to him and I was wondering...do you think Asena and Atila can join us for dinner today?"

The woman was surprised and for a moment the no was ready to leave her lips. Although Alma hadn't said it out loud, everyone knew that she didn't like having animals near when they ate, so Parce was only allowed to share a meal with Antonio per day. However, there was something in the mischievous sparkle in your eyes that made her reconsider. She supposed she owed it to Asena.

"Of course" she smiled at you, feeling a shiver go through her body when you smiled back.

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The best decision of her life.

Julieta was not stupid, she knew that Aurora would go to dinner, like every night in recent months, but she didn't expect your wolves to be on her own side. She could almost swear that they understood what was going on or that you had at least given them instructions when you went for them after finishing cooking. Because if not, she didn't understand how everything was turning out so perfect for her.

Asena was sitting at her feet, functioning as a barrier between her and Agustín because you had decided to sit next to Aurora. Although her mother was about to protest, the truth is that she preferred not to say anything once she noticed what was happening. Every time Agustín tried to grab her hand under the table or get closer to her than necessary, Asena growled dangerously at him and Aurora seemed two seconds away from fainting from the simple but imposing presence of Atila next to her.

She had no way of knowing, but you seemed pretty proud by the obvious nerves on both of their faces and she had to hide her smile behind her crystal glass. It was the first time in months that she had actually laughed at dinner and enjoyed it properly.

Isabela, Dolores, Mirabel, and Luisa looked at the older woman and then at you before looking at each other with knowing smiles. You didn't know it, but at that moment, you became part of Julieta's protection squad as far as the four girls respected.

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"Thank you" Mirabel told you later when you were getting ready to go to sleep

"For what?"

“What you did for mom…and for not ratting me out”

"No problem" you smiled at her "I have dealt with many Auroras in my life, and I will gladly help you deal with her whenever you need"

The girl returned your smile and silently watched as you lay back, Asena at the foot of your bed and Atila at the foot of hers. She didn't say it out loud, but she mentally also thanked you for bringing her mother's smile back.

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@emril-osvigne @ilovekazuhaa

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