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finitevoid · 1 year

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these prompts are so fucking funny and I absolutely MUST know your answers to the following for any of the Core Four (or if another character speaks to you, go for it)....... 13, 16, 22, 24, 29, 34 and 38

@sparrowmoth THANK YOU SPARROW <33 THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN. i threw some twst in the mix for spice, but its mostly various combos of the rotten ot4. i, uh. wrote a bunch of little drabbles. bon apetit

13. Who would smoke weed in a confessionary?

"I mean, does she have a rule against it?" Ruggie asks, wiggling his fingers. His hair is mussed-- artfully, though Riddle is loathe to admit it-- and his clothes are rumpled. Likely from the manhandling Riddle gave him as he dragged him outside by the wrist a few minutes ago. Ruggie's chin is balanced on his palm, elbow leaning on his bent knees, looking for all purposes like the patron saint of not-giving-a-damn.

"Well--" Riddle puffs his chest out, before deflating in defeat. "No. Not that specifically. But--! You got thrown out of a church!"

Ruggie tips his face towards the sky, squinting in thought. His legs are splayed over the church steps, and the stained glass behind him is bathing him all kinds of colors. It's beautiful; it makes him understand the artists of yore, trying to capture their muse. Riddle hates it with a passion.

"Worth it."

"You are such a bad influence!" Riddle cries. "I mean-- drugs! Illicit substances! In a place of worship!"

"I'm s'possed to confess my crimes, right? What better way than by showin' him exactly what I've been doing?"

Riddle shoves at his shoulder. "You're the worst!"

"Yeah, but Queenie," he sways into Riddle's space, filling the air in front of Riddle's face with warmth, with the smell of him. "Which one of us is out here with me?"

Riddle smacks the back of his head. Ruggie just laughs.

16. Who would be best at drag?

Jay poses dramatically in the mirror, the eyeliner and glitter covering his eyes anything but tasteful. He buries a hand in his hair, fluffing the ends up, pursing his lips in a mockery of coyness.

Behind him, Mal cackles like a hyena. Evie is surveying her work with a critical eye, sweeping him over. Stepping closer to him, she grips him by the straps of his remarkably stupidly short dress. When he's standing still enough for her tastes, she sweeps a necklace from her pocket, glittering silver.

It's cold around his neck. He turns to survey himself again, eyeing the way it brings out the warm tones in his skin. "Oh, yeah," he says, cocking a hip. "I look hot!"

Mal buries her face in her pillow to muffle the hysterical screams of mirth she's giving out. But what does she know, anyway?

22. Who lets the intrusive thoughts win constantly?

Evie eyes herself critically in the pitifully small screen of her phone. She has the camera on, pointed at herself, squinting past pixels and smudges to get a good look at her appearance. She curses herself for forgetting her compact; she's in the trenches at this very fancy, very Auradon party without it.

Well, she needs to reapply her lipstick, that much is obvious. And she should probably excuse herself to the little girl's room to re-do her hair. It's starting to look a little... frizzy. And oh, God, is that a pimple--?!

Carlos shouts, with the kind of rage that levels happy little kingdoms like Auradon, "Oh my God, you did not just drop your fucking pickle into my drink!"

Mal laces her hands behind her head, smirking in self-satisfaction. "Well, you said you didn't want to eat it."

"I don't want to drink it either, you little shit--"

"I can always feed it to you like a baby bird?"

Carlos stands, grabs his water glass, and dumps it over Mal's head. She gasps, her perfectly curled and style hair plastered to her skin. Her eyes are flaring, but she's stifling laughter, even as she launches herself over the table with a shout of, "De Vil--!"

Evie sighs into her hands. Well, at least she's not worried about how she looks, anymore.

24. Who goes to a haunted place only to start yelling at the ghosts to try to challenge them?

"Come on out, little ghosties!" Mal shouts. Jay presses a palm over her mouth, trying and failing to quiet her. She merely grips his palm and yanks it away from her face. "The big, mean, evil faerie is here! Come and get me! I'm not scared of you! My mom's the mistress of all evil, bitches! You're nothing!"

"Big?" Jay asks, raising an eyebrow.

Mal whirls on him, jabbing a finger to his chest. "Say that again, and I'll turn you into a ghost."

He holds up his hands in surrender, but his grin gives up the game. "Girl, you like me way too much for that."

"Girl?"

"What, you want me to call you pet names in front of the ghosties? What would you prefer? Baby? Sweetheart?" He slowly wraps his arms around her middle, nosing against her cheek as she hisses putridly at him. "Honey-bunches? Schnookums?"

She guffaws, shoving his face away with her hand. "You're gonna wish you were a ghost by the time I'm done with you, asshole!" She squirms, but he holds steady. When a ghost-- an actor in a morphsuit, as far as he can tell-- jerks out at them, she jumps about a foot in the air with a two-toned, piercing shriek.

She calms, cheeks blazing pink as she stares at the actor in embarrassment. As if it's, like, cringe of her to fall for the whole game of a haunted house?

"Come on, miss evil-faeirie, let's not get thrown out of the haunted house, yeah?"

She snarls at him again, but holds his hand all the way to the end.

29. Who gets arrested the quickest?

Worth it, Evie mouths. She's visible through the window of the cop car, cheek spattered with a splash of dark blood. She looks utterly at home, sighing in lazy contentment. Then, with a start, she sits up, opening the door.

"Puppy? Take my bag, will you?" She says, handing him her blue, sequined purse. He takes it, nearly pitching forward from the sheer unexpected weight. He let's out a loud, annoyed groan, hefting it up. It clinks audibly.

"How many knives?"

"In there? Oh, honey, too many to count."

The cop comes around the corner, slamming the door shut. Evie laughs into her palm, eyes little half-moon circles of mirth. He says, "I don't want to see you again, Grimhilde."

Sickly sweet, Evie drawls, "Of course not, officer."

34. Who’s been accused of murder?

The lunch table goes deathly quiet. Jay meets Evie's eyes first, then Carlos', then Mal's. As one, they turn to face Chad Charming. He's holding his lunch tray defiantly, sticking his chin out with an arrogant swagger.

"Dude. You realize nobody can die on the Isle, right?"

Chad balks at them. "Really? Oh, thank God. So you haven't killed anyone! I was starting to get worried."

"What?" Evie says. "Worried?"

Mal says, "Do you really think a bunch of Villain Kid's wouldn't take advantage of the fact that corpses don't last?"

Chad's starting to go chalky white.

Evie balances her chin on her hand, sighing wistfully. "I miss being able to get kill the creepy men. It was cathartic, you know?"

"One time I threw Harry into the sea," Carlos adds, tapping away at his phone.

Chad's eyes are shuttered with open fear. Swallowing visibly, he manages, "But not you, Jay?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Why do you think Carlos threw Harry into the sea?"

38. Who accidentally ate 400mg worth of edibles?

"I'm fine," Carlos slurs, sinking into the couch. It's a considerable feat, considering that, before, he'd been sunk so far into it that you could barely see him. He's dressed in one of Jay's sweatshirts, hood pulled up over his head and drawstring tight. His cheeks are flushed and his pupils are blown wide, and he keeps blinking, slowly, and then startling up.

"Yeah, I'm gonna be honest, you really don't seem fine." Mal replies. "Why does it smell like weed? Is that why you're like this?"

"Did you know," Carlos says sharply, with the kind of abrupt cadence of someone deeply inconvenienced, "that cannabis can be cooked into baked goods?"

"Uh oh, you're being a smartass." She presses the back of her hand to his forehead, and he whines. "Very ominous. Never a good sign."

"Shut the fuck up," he mutters, yanking the nearest blanket over his head.

Mal leans over the back of the couch, pitching herself forward. The couch digs into her stomach, her feet hovering off the ground as her face lands in the mess of blankets and pillows on the couch. It's almost nestlike, honestly. She pulls herself up onto her elbows, legs dangling free.

"Did the puppy eat too many pot brownies?" She cooes, reaching out to tap condescendingly at where she thinks his cheek is. He snarls wordlessly. She snorts. "Stay here. I'll get your dumbass some water and food. It'll sober you up."

As she turns toward the kitchen, so weakly she can barely hear it, there's a soft hiss of, "Thanks."

#i think sometimes i need to get just contextless banter and shenanigans out of my system so they dont bleed into my melodramatic novels #so thank you for this #descendants #twisted wonderland #riddleruggie #rotten ot4 #carvie #marlos #jal #jayvie #my writing*

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thebluestbluewords · 1 year

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Anything You Like (the Carlos/Evie part)

more of my silly little soulmate AU from my silly little polyshipweek fic, Carlos/Evie pre-relationship. Probably makes more sense if you’re familiar with the Isle of the Lost book canon.

"You don't have a soulmate yet?"

"Not yet," Evie echos, pulling a strand of hair out of her braid to frame her face. They're sitting in selfishness class, and she's got a tiny makeup mirror in her hand. There's something extra-complicated about her hair today. Some sort of extra woven part. It looks sturdy, like it could be a rope braiding pattern. It makes Carlos's fingers itch to try and replicate it, and he'd really like to get a look at the underside to see how the pattern carries through, but it's not very evil to ask someone if you can touch their braid, so he's holding back. "I'm waiting for the right person, I guess."

Evie's the prettiest girl in school, and Carlos is pretty sure that she could be the right person for whoever she wants to try and leave a mark on. That's not an out-loud sort of thought though, so he holds that back too.

"That's cool," he says instead, swinging his feet under the desk. The stools in selfishness class are really tall, to encourage them all to sit up straight and elongate their legs and spine to look their best. It's frustrating being one of the only people whose feet can't touch the ground, but it makes fidgeting easier. "My only mark so far is one from my cousin."

"You have a cousin?"

Carlos kicks one foot out. Feels how it pulls him off balance, on the edge of his seat. His mark is on his left side, a smear of red-orange on one leg where he'd been picked up once as a toddler, and Diego's bare hand had brushed his leg. Their parents hadn't been as furious as expected about the mark, because apparently family marking family was okay, and not a sign of weakness like anyone else leaving marks on each other would be. "Yeah. He's older. He picked me up as a baby, left a mark on my leg."

Evie's eyes flicker down in her mirror. "You don't keep it visible?" she asks, brows arching up in surprise. She's really pretty.

Carlos tucks both his feet on the rung of the stool, balancing. "Nah. Not usually. S'too much like a weakness, right? If people know I have a soulmate then he could be a target too. Even though it’s just a family soulmark."

"I don't think you're a target." Evie says, brow furrowing for a moment before smoothing out again. She's good at keeping her face smooth and pretty. Unreadable. She's going to be a great villain someday. She’s way better than anyone else in the class.

"Well, not anymore," Carlos says, almost cheerfully. He's still proud of this one. "Not since I stole some chemicals from weird science and sort of threw some fireballs at the twins."

Evie tilts her head this time, instead of wrinkling her face. It makes her look kind of like the robot butler who’s on the old TV shows that come in sometimes. "Who?"

Evie's new, and a girl, and a pretty one at that. She’s probably one of the only people in their class who wouldn’t know who the twins are. "Junior and Third. The Gaston twins. They were fine, the fire wasn't very big."

"But they stopped bothering you after that?"

"I mean, yeah? Setting people on fire usually makes them stop bothering me. Unless it's my mom, but she doesn't really mind what I do, so long as I get my chores done. If anyone's bothering you I could steal more magnesium and set them on fire too, if you want."

"Thanks, but nobody's bothering me right now."

"But they were before, right?"

Evie frowns. "Don't--"

Carlos hooks his feet through the rungs of the stool for balance and leans over so he can whisper more effectively. It’s not like it’s a secret who Evie has a one-sided blood feud with, but it never hurts to try and keep things on the down-low at school. "Mal and Jay were giving you shit, right? We could get them to leave you alone. I know where they live."

Evie looks over her shoulder first, but she leans in too. There’s not much space between them. They’re not quite soulmate-close, because Evie’s basically the closest thing to a princess that they have on the isle, and she likes to be proper, but still. Friendship-close.

It’s nice.

“Mal lives in Maleficent's castle, doesn't she?" Evie whispers. “I’ve seen go in there all the time.”

"Well, yeah.” Carlos whispers back, trying not to let his voice crack. It’s been doing that a bunch lately. It’s super annoying. “Sometimes. But I know where she lives when she's not there."

Evie’s mouth drops open the tiniest bit. "How?"

"I followed her home,” Carlos says proudly, forgetting to keep his voice down. “She’s the worst, right, so I wanted to see if I could glue her front door shut and keep her out of school for a while.”

Evie frowns. "You did not,” she says. “I see you leave school every day, and you run right to Hell Hall to feed that gray cat that hangs out there. I live across from you, remember?"

Right. "You're at school when I leave, how d'you know?"

Evie rolls her eyes, and then remembers that she’s supposed to be proper and relaxes her face again. "Castle schooled, remember? I saw you every day for nine years."

Damnit. Making friends is easier when they don’t live nearby and he can just lie to them. “Right. I followed her home from the market one time, after school. She stays in one of the warehouses with her henchmen."

“Henchmen?" Evie says doubtfully. "I've only seen her with one boy."

"Henchman, singular then. They stay in a warehouse not far from the bridge, near the apple vendor. If you wanna do something to get back at them, I could help."

"I don't need to get back at them."

"Why not? Mal locked you in my mom's closet, remember?"

“And then you let me out, and it was fine,” Evie says, twirling the piece of hair she’s got hanging out of her braid as she talks. Around and around and around until it slips off her finger in a spiraling curl, and then she catches it with her fingertips to twirl it again. Even her nervous habits are princess-y. “I don't need to get back at her because of it. Maybe I just want to go to school and not cause trouble."

"You're scared?" Carlos asks. It might be a stupid question, but usually nobody at school will ever admit to being scared of anything, so it’s sort of crazy that Evie’s visibly nervous about confronting Mal and her henchman. Usually it feels like he’s the only one who’s ever scared of anything. But maybe this is what friends are supposed to do, and it’s okay to be nervous around each other. Evie’s already been nice to him once, and maybe she’ll keep being nice, and they can be nervous together sometimes.

Evie freezes. “I'm what?"

Or maybe not. Evie’s probably being nice because she wants him to fix something for her. It was probably stupid to think that she’d want to show her real emotions to Carlos, of all people. So that’s fine. He can be normal about this.

“Of Mal?” Carlos asks, putting as much of an incredulous, almost mocking tone in his voice as he possibly can. “Seriously?"

Evie’s cheeks are so pink he’d almost think she was marked that way. “Oh, like you can say anything,” she snaps. “I've seen the way you hide from her in the hall."

Carlos tips his head to the side, and lets his face go flat and blank like he usually does at school. It’s safer. Maybe Evie can be a friend outside of school, but it’s stupid to think she could be anything other than a reluctant ally while they’re here. “I hide from her because she steals my lunch. What's your excuse, princess?"

Evie snaps her mirror shut. “Oh look, class is starting." she says sweetly, and turns around to face the front. “I can’t talk anymore. Too bad.”

Ugh.

"I'll meet you by the school gate later.” Carlos whispers, and gets a tiny nod in return.

Maybe Evie’s not the worst ally after all.

#my fic #descendants fic #descendants #carlos de vil #evie grimhilde #carvie #because they’re a deeply underrated ship and I think they deserve this #polyshipweek23 #soulmate AU

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sparrowmoth · 1 year

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Red Days, Blue Nights • [AO3]

Teen | Drabble | Carvie | Resurrection, Dark Devotion, Mild Horror

A/N: A little gift for my lovely friend @infiniteecosmos. <3 Please note that dialogue is presented in an experimental style in this fic (insp. the novel NW by Zadie Smith). Also, "Red Day" is my original concept for how Valentine's Day might be "celebrated" on the Isle.

CW: Mild thematic horror, referenced child abuse, implied MCD (and resurrection), blood mention

On the Isle, they call it Red Day, for all the blood in the streets. Death. More than usual. Screaming, crying, all what’s familiar—just more. More for some, that is, but not for Carlos. Never less than blood and tears and so much noise it turns to static, glasses clinking, bottles dropping, shards all scattered, deathly silence, heavy breaths.

He hears footsteps as the last thing sometimes, smells her breath as she starts to speak—probably cursing him to live. And he does. But he dies first. On Red Day or Monday or some winter evening or a sunny afternoon. He doesn’t always track the date, you know—it doesn’t matter. But that day, it must have been in February—

That day, when he returned, it was to thinking he was still dead, in a dream he had between of sleeping warm beneath cloud cover—thick blue night air pulled up to his shoulders, the scent of flowers in the grass—the dark sheen grass that spilled like oceans, like her hair—

Just like her hair.

She was laying beside him.

— Evie.

— Carlos.

He slips back into present with that single whisper, hearing his name as assurance he is. He takes a slow breath, swallows a gasp—feels the pain and the pleasure of Evie tracing her fingers over spiderweb cracks. His skull had split open. He remembers the feeling.

The bones are still healing, quicker surely from that touch.

There is a little magic even here on the island—but only ever from Good, only ever from Love, only ever from such words that are spoken like poison, spat on the floor—should never be felt—

Evie pulls back her hand and lets it rest on Carlos’ shoulder. She kisses his forehead, leaving red where the blood was. She pulls back altogether and her bedroom opens up, moonlight showing through the windows—fuzzy, muted white, tinted golden from the barrier.

He should be waking under soil or on the shoreline or an alley.

She knows what he’s thinking.

— I know where to look.

When she can’t find him, she means. He doesn’t press for more. Some children get coffins or tucked into bed, some children are garbage and he knows which he is. Evie doesn’t like to say it—

But she’ll have thrown out his old clothes.

They’re not ones to waste, but sometimes, sometimes—

There’s not patches to be made, not even rags or bandage strips.

— I was going to wait to give this to you.

And there’s the proof of her guilt, the proof of what she’s thinking. She’s got something to replace, something to make up for—like she hadn’t dragged his corpse home, cleaned him, changed his clothes, made him comfy there beside her with his skin still blue and cold.

— It’s not my birthday.

Probably not. His mother never told him.

Evie tosses her hair and rolls her eyes skyward—all the way through the ceiling, all the way through the barrier. Then she cracks a little smile and takes a seat there beside him, on the edge of the bed.

She’s gotten something from her dresser drawer.

It’s sitting in her lap, wrapped neatly in paper—butcher’s paper, clearly used. That’s traditional for Red Day. It must be getting close.

He pushes up against the pillows, brain spinning in his skull but the bed at least feels solid. Not as hard as the floor, just solid. He plants his palms flat, pressed to the sheets, lets his spine curl back until the pillows mold around him, and finally reaches for the present—

It’s weighted in his hands, wetness seeping through the paper.

— Whose is it?

He asks that, having not peeled back the paper. There’s just—and he’s not one for the mystic—but there’s just this… feeling he gets, when there’s a heart in his hands. Like he can still feel it beating.

— Cruella.

She says that and never “your mother.”

She says that and he smiles, and she leans in to kiss him, and there’s blood stains on her nightgown—old and new, because he knows now that she hasn’t laid beside him the whole night, waiting.

He doesn’t say that he loves her, because that word isn’t theirs.

They are the children of monsters.

They might be monsters, themselves.

Thank you for reading! Reblogs are always appreciated. If you’d like to leave a kudos or comment on AO3, I’d really love that, as well! ♥

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hexenwrites · 1 year

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Carlos: I will find us a covered wagon and horses. Carlos: If you two can manage to not kill each other while I'm gone. Mal: Oh, please. We're not children. *Carlos leaves* Mal, casually: ...Eat shit and die. Evie, also casually: Yes, fuck you.

#mal #carlos de vil #evie #evie daughter of the evil queen #disney descendants #isle of the lost #isle of the lost incorrect quotes #incorrect quotes #carvie #carlos and mal are friends #best friends #best friend life #mal wishes diego was here instead.#instead of who didn't matter.#either way the situation would be imporved.#hexenwrites

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camscendants · 2 years

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More Punk! Evie but also with Carlos

#it kinda looking like they��re holding hands wasn’t intentional but I welcome it #disney descendants #descendants #disney descendants 2 #descendants 2 #descendants 3 #disney descendants 3 #descendants evie #evie grimhilde #carlos oscar de vil #Carlos de vil #carvie #drawing #my drawing #art #my art #punk

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telli1206 · 1 year

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How To Get A Date For Christmas

Happy Holidays @auradon-bore-a-don! I’m your @descendantsgiftexchange Secret Santa. Please enjoy a little Carvie fake dating with Jaylos and Bevie sprinkled in 😊 I hope you like it, and I hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday season so far!

AO3 Link

Carlos stares at Evie, an incredulous look in his eye. She smiles back sheepishly, nervously folding and unfolding the fluffy mound of red and green in her hands.

“You’re kidding,” Carlos snorts, crossing his arms.

“Please? Carlos, come on,” Evie pleads, walking across Carlos’ room to drop the items on his bed. She spreads them out, and his eyes widen as he takes in the garishness now laid out in front of him.

“They’re not that bad, see?” She gestures toward the two sweaters, tracing her fingers along the bumpy letters. “It’s just a gingerbread man and lady. And yours has a bite taken out of it! Right there.” She jabs sharply at one side of the sweater. “That’s why yours says naughty and mine is nice.”

Carlos frowns as he walks slowly toward the bed, pausing to hover just above the garish Christmas sweaters. He can’t hide his grimace as he touches the scratchy fabric, almost gagging at the huge ugly smiles and massive gingerbread heads plastered right on the front of each sweater.

“No. Just…just NO. Those are hideous, Eves, I’m sorry. I’m not wearing that, even for you.”

Evie frowns, her hands flying to her hips. She starts to tap her heel furiously, and Carlos can feel himself recoil as her features grow stern.

“Carlos De Vil, I’m doing this for you, you know. Don’t you want to see Jay’s face when we show up to school all cute and coupley?”

Carlos scoffs. “As if you’re not doing this too just to see if our precious king just might turn green with envy?”

Evie bites her lip, fighting back the urge to smile at the thought.

“Ok, so we both want the same thing. That means we’re doing it. It’s the best plan we’ve got.”

“Um, no we’re NOT.”

“Carlos Oscar…”

-----

Carlos sighs and scratches at his chest. Even with a soft t-shirt underneath, the damn sweater is still itchy as hell and he hates it. But he accepts his fate and walks quietly next to Evie towards the quad. She’s humming happily to herself and still looking too smug and satisfied to be moving forward with the plan.

But before they reach the main area, she stops suddenly, pausing Carlos with a hand to his arm.

“They’re here,” she affirms with a twinkle in her eye. She presents her hand to Carlos, palm up.

Carlos quirks a small smile and slaps his hand in hers.

“Let’s do this.”

Evie smiles brightly and gives Carlos’ hand a squeeze. She lets her head drop to his shoulder as they walk, nuzzling her hair against his neck and exhaling softly.

It’s a gesture full of comfort and intimacy. Even Carlos can’t help feeling a slight flutter in his chest at how sweetly Evie is cuddling into him. He plants a light kiss into her hair before his eyes start to wander, searching the quad for the only two people they want to make sure are seeing their display.

And he’s not disappointed. There’s no mistaking the heat in Jay’s eyes at the moment. His glare is burning through Evie like he wants to actually set her on fire. And honestly, Carlos doesn’t feel like he should be getting tingly at the thought of his best friend incinerating in a poof of jealousy flames.

But he’s pretty sure Evie won’t care once she sees that Ben’s watching them, too, from his spot next to Jay. He looks frozen, with his eyes wide and mouth tipped open. There’s no anger there, from what Carlos can tell. He looks…almost, sad. He meets Carlos’ eye for a moment, and it causes a sudden pool of guilt to churn in his stomach. As if it wasn’t his right to touch Evie the way he is. His grip loosens a little on her hand, enough for her to notice and tilt her head up at her in confusion.

No. He steels himself, tightening his grip with one hand and leaning in to brush some silky curls out of Evie’s eyes with the other. When they finally reach the table where their friends are sitting, Mal’s already chuckling, arms crossed and head tilted as she gives them both a curious once-over.

“Well well, this is new,” she quips, waving a finger at their clasped hands. “Since when did you two start getting all lovey-dovey?”

Carlos shrugs, and Evie looks up at him with a warm smile before dropping her head back to his shoulder. “We’ve always been close, Mal. You know that. It just seemed like the right time to give this a shot. Don’t you think?”

“Everyone could use a little romance around the holidays, Mal,” Evie chimes in. She lifts Carlos’ hand to her lips and gives it a playful kiss, throwing Mal a wink.

Her eyes dart just behind Mal when she hears a grunt, just in time to catch Jay’s death stare. She quickly moves her gaze back to Mal, swallowing nervously and forcing a smile back onto her face.

“It’s refreshing to know that a boy wants me, you know? And Carlos was very clear with his intentions,” Evie explained, giving Carlos a wide smile as she spoke. “He just came right up to me and told me that he wanted to take me out. And how could I say no to that?”

Carlos grins at Evie, his hand placed carefully on her shoulder, stroking it lightly with his thumb. He doesn’t dare attempt a glance at Ben again. The soulful look in his eyes was painful enough when they first approached. But he can hear the king’s soft breathing as they stand there, and he’s sure he’s still hanging onto every word they say. So he wants to make this count.

“Well, who doesn’t like honesty, right Eves?” He asks, and his lips quirk at her eager nod. “I don’t think there’s anything better than just being upfront when you’re interested in someone. I mean, I know it’s an attractive quality to me, so I figured it would work for you, too.”

“You thought right, Lossy,” Evie hums happily, leaning in to peck his check. Mal groans and rolls her eyes, so Evie responds by sticking out her tongue. “Now, now,” she tuts. “Don’t be getting all jealous of our Christmas romance, Mally. Maybe if you stop wasting time hating on us, you can find your own date to the Holly Days Dance.”

“So that’s what this is about??” Mal practically screeches, smacking her hands down on the table. She smirks at them proudly, as if she’s just made some major discovery. “This is just so you’re not going solo and forced to stand by the punch bowl all night?! Come on! That’s lame even for you two.”

“I never said that.” Evie’s curt now, and she gives Carlos’ hand a tug to pull him along. “I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer. We’ll see you later.”

She moves away quickly with Carlos in tow, and in just a few seconds they’re already halfway back across the quad. Evie bites her lip, feeling anxious about their sudden exit but still refusing to look back at the friends they left behind.

“D-d-do you think that was even enough?” Carlos stutters, sounding nervous. Unlike Evie, he keeps looking back at the table over and over.

“I hope so. I think so. Yes, yes, I think it had to be,” Evie finally confirms, talking through her decision and nodding repeatedly. “If they think they lost their chance to go to the dance with us, they’ll make their move, I know it. Just, trust me, ok?”

Carlos sighs, dropping Evie’s hand to fully sling his backpack over his shoulder.

“If you say so, Eves. But I’ll believe it when I see it.”

-----

A full day of classes drag on, feeling longer than usual because Carlos has had not one single encounter with Jay. He’s used to running into the boy often, even though they only have one shared class. Jay tends to linger the halls every chance he gets, sometimes bullshitting with his Tourney mates, and other times leaning girl after girl against the lockers, unabashedly flirting with them and beaming with pride at how flushed and speechless he can render them with a few choice words and finger-brushing touches.

And despite such a busy social schedule between classes, most of Jay’s time is still spent with Carlos. He always makes time to talk to him, even going so far as to wait for him after class so they can walk or go to lunch together.

But none of that has happened today, and Carlos can only assume that he and Evie’s plan has completely backfired and Jay’s taken to ignoring him instead. He should have known there was no such thing as making the school flirt jealous. As if Jay would ever care enough about him to actually admit his feelings and give up his chances with every other kid in the school?? Carlos just feels stupid now.

He’s so busy lamenting his luck he doesn’t even notice the open closet door jutting out into the hallway until he’s almost run into it. He quickly shifts his hips to move around it, but almost topples when he feels a tug on his hips, pulling him backward and into the closet in one swift movement.

A tiny yelp escapes him when his back slams against some shelving, and at the same time he’s engulfed in darkness as the door is slammed closed. His breaths become short and frantic as he tries to adjust his eyes to the inky blankness. His hands then start clamoring for balance on the shelves behind his back so he doesn’t trip over something he can’t see.

When feels a short puff of breath on his face, he freezes. “What the f-wh-who’s there?? Fu-S-say something!”

He inhales sharply when he feels someone grab his wrist. His hand is pulled in front of him then, and something…scratchy. And sharp? Is shoved into it.

“What the hell is…”

He blinks when a bright light floods his vision. His eyes instantly focus on his hand.

Mistletoe?

“You know what that means, right?”

Carlos blinks again, his eyes following the voice in front of him.

“Jay?”

He’s smiling, and so, so close. With a bright white smile and dark, silky tendrils loose and framing his perfectly tanned face. He looks so good.

Oh shit, he’s talking.

“W-what?”

Jay chuckles and sets his phone down on the shelf behind Carlos, with his flashlight facing up and offering a faint backlight. He points at Carlos’ hand then, making Carlos glance back down.

“That. You know what it means?”

“You mean, mistletoe?” Carlos furrows his brow, trying to make sense of what Jay’s asking. “Isn’t it for kis-”

Carlos is cut off by insistent lips suddenly pressing against his own. He lets out a grunt in surprise, but Jay continues to surge forward, wrapping a hand around the base of Carlos’ neck to press them together more firmly. His mouth makes quick work of parting Carlos’ open, and in just a few seconds Jay’s kisses are already impossibly deep, swallowing pleased groans that Carlos can barely hear that he’s making.

Carlos isn’t exactly sure why this is happening, but at the moment, he doesn’t even care. Making out with Jay in this closet, with his back aching and arched awkwardly against the shelves, is fucking hot. And he doesn’t want it to stop. So he grips Jay’s vest tightly to keep him close, tilting his head back so his mouth opens even wider, welcoming Jay’s assault as much as he possibly can.

When Jay finally breaks the kiss, they’re both beyond breathless and sucking in air like they’re dying for it. Carlos lets his head drop back on the shelf behind him while he’s still panting, and Jay takes the opportunity to kiss down the fully bared column of Carlos’ throat, one hand still threaded in his curls and keeping him still.

“I want you,” Jay mumbles, his lips still on Carlos’ skin.

But Carlos is too far gone on Jay’s touch. He doesn’t even know Jay is speaking until he pulls away, using his hand in Carlos’ curls to tip his face back up.

“I want you,” he says more clearly. And Carlos blinks up at him.

“What?” He croaks. And Jay smiles, pressing another kiss to his lips.

“You like it when people are upfront with you, right? Clear intentions? I’m making myself fucking crystal clear, ‘Los. I. Want. You.”

He taps his finger to the tip of Carlos’ nose with his last three words, a satisfied smirk on his face when he sees the lustful haze still in Carlos’ eyes.

“Just, answer me this, ok?” He dips down closer, almost nose to nose with Carlos, and grins wider when the boy finally manages a slight nod.

“Would you rather be my date to the dance, or Evie’s?”

Carlos swallows, his eyes widening with surprise. Date?? He and Jay have had more than their fair share of hookups, but never one date. Jay’s never asked him. How in the hell could Evie’s plan be working out this well already?

“I…well, but. There’s Evie, and-”

“Right,” Jay cuts in. He drops his gaze to Carlos’ mouth, rubbing his lower lip softly with his thumb.

“There’s Evie. Don’t get me wrong, you know I love the girl. But…not with you. I don’t see it.”

He reaches up and wraps a finger around one of Carlos’ dangling curls, smirking proudly when Carlos can’t stop himself from blushing.

“But what I do see, is us having a blast at that dance. Together. You and me,” he adds pointedly, throwing Carlos a wink.

Carlos chews his lip a bit, then slowly starts to open his mouth to speak. But before he can utter a word, Jay pulls back, clearing space between them and removing all physical contact. Carlos can only squeak at the loss, sputtering out his surprise when Jay opens the closet door and lets the daylight flood in.

“So, let me know what you think?” Jay asks, offering Carlos his best flirting smile. It doesn’t reach his eyes though, and Carlos has known Jay long enough to see when his confidence is wavering. He smiles back and nods quietly.

Jay turns to leave, but stops suddenly, giving Carlos one last look over his shoulder.

“You know, I’d hate to disappoint Evie. I know you don’t like to either. But, you should do what makes you happy.”

Jay drops his arm from the door then, and is back in front of Carlos in one long stride. Carlos holds his breath as he watches Jay approach, and he reaches out to softly stroke Carlos’ cheek.

“And, if Evie is what makes you happy, that’s ok, too.” Jay smiles softly, and this time Carlos can see that it’s sincere.

“But I figured you should know how I feel, too, so do what you want with that. Just…if you being happy includes me, let me know. Ok?”

Carlos snorts at that, and Jay grins before spinning quickly on his heel and walking quickly out the door, closing it behind him and leaving Carlos in the dark, alone. He hugs his chest and leans back against the shelves, closing his eyes and enjoying the unexpected moment.

This…this is everything he wanted. Their plan couldn’t have worked better, to be honest. A confession of feelings from Jay? He didn’t even think that was possible, let alone the offer of a date.

He smiles to himself, breathing out a happy sigh before finally reaching for the door. He has to find Evie and tell her the news.

He can only hope things are working out as well for her, too.

-----

“Hello??”

Evie takes a cautious step into the dark classroom. She looks around, confused. Why would it be empty? She glances down at her phone, reading the email again to make sure she’s in the right room. But when she turns around to check the door number, the lights suddenly flick on.

And standing there in front of her, is Ben.

“Oh! Ben!” Her hand flies to her chest as a surprised gasp escapes her. “I’m sorry. Am I interrupting something? I thought there was a dance committee meeting in here, but maybe I was wrong. Let me just…”

Evie clambers back towards the door as she rambles, her arms flailing as she flusters through her words. But when Ben reaches out to grab her arm, she stops short.

“No! Sorry, I just…” Ben drops his hand quickly, shooting out a palm in front of her instead to ask Evie to stay. She obliges, but perks a confused brow as she keeps her eyes on Ben.

Ben drops his hand and lets his eyes fall to his feet. “I’m sorry, I actually asked Audrey to send you that email,” he confesses, wringing his fingers nervously in front of him.

Evie’s eyes go wide at his confession. “You did? But, why would you do that?”

Ben looks up again, his lips twitching slightly into a smile. He doesn’t speak, and instead just extends his arm to point over Evie’s shoulder. When she spins to follow it, her eyes land on something sitting on the first table in front of her. It’s a huge bouquet, bursting with the most elegant display of full red flowers she’s ever seen, placed in a deep blue vase and adorned with a beautiful gold bow.

A small squeal of delight escapes her, and she quickly covers her mouth to try to mask her excitement. When she whirls back around to face been, he’s smiling brightly.

“That-That’s for me?” Evie squeaks, pointing back at the flowers.

Ben nods eagerly. “Of course! They’re called Poinsettias. The quintessential holiday flower.”

He steps forward, closing in on Evie. She bites her lip, holding back her growing smile when they’re finally standing toe to toe.

“They’re the most beautiful red color, aren’t they? Just like that red lipstick you wear that I love so much. I just…felt like you needed to have them. Since they make me think of you.”

Evie can’t resist a smile at that, letting her lips spread wide until her teeth are gleaming.

“Really? Ben, that’s so, so sweet of you! You didn’t have to-”

Suddenly, Ben’s cupping her cheek in his hand, and all words are lost to Evie. She stares into hazel eyes, mesmerized by the flecks of gold and green as Ben’s thumb strokes her cheek.

“I did have to. Because I wanted you to know how beautiful I think you are. Inside and out. And, that I’m thinking about you, Evie. I think about you a lot, actually.”

Evie doesn’t think she can smile any wider, she feels like she could burst.

“You do?”

Ben nods again, dipping his head closer.

“Yes, I do. And today, I realized I might lose my chance with you. I really don’t want that to happen, Evie.”

Evie tips her head closer to Ben, until their foreheads are almost touching. But she looks up in surprise when she feels Ben’s hand slip from her face. He takes a step back, a serious look on his face.

“Are you going to the dance with Carlos?” He asks, concern growing in his features. “Do you…like him?”

Evie’s smile fades as her mouth drops open. She sits there a moment in silence, just staring at Ben and trying to think of what to say. But nothing’s coming to her. Her mind’s a blank, and there’s a beautiful king in front her, looking for answers.

“I-I…Well, I mean, of course I like Carlos,” she starts, but she scrambles when Ben starts to frown. “No! I mean, I don’t know if I like him like that, but I do like him! And he asked me to the dance, but..I don’t know. Just, if maybe-”

Evie didn’t even realize she was gesturing, but her hands’ flurried movements are suddenly stilled when Ben grips them both in his.

“So, do I still have a chance then?”

Ben’s tone is almost pleading, and he’s looking deep into Evie’s eyes now. She can feel his soft, warm hands around hers. They’re so comforting, and she silently wishes he could hold onto her forever.

But she’s been silent for too long, and she can feel his hands slip away. She snaps her mouth closed, only then realizing it had been open a while and she had been gaping at him.

“Sorry, this is too much for you right now, I think,” Ben says finally with a sympathetic smile. “I’ll give you some time, to think it over, ok?”

He steps back further, smiling when he notices Evie’s sad expression. “I meant everything I said. And if you don’t end up having a date to the dance, I would love for you to consider me, Evie.”

He straightens his jacket and offers Evie a warm smile, which she finally returns.

“Enjoy the flowers,” he adds with a gentlemanly tip of his crown. Evie giggles lightly at the sweet gesture, nodding happily and giving Ben a little wave as he walks away. But as soon as he’s gone, she scoops up the flowers and dashes out the door, making a beeline for the boy’s dorms.

She needs to find Carlos. Immediately.

-----

That night, Evie and Carlos arrive at the dining hall for dinner, arm in arm. They stand in the doorway for a moment, eyes searching, until they spot Jay, Ben and Mal at a table in the far corner.

Carlos stands up straight, crooking his arm to allow Evie’s to rest more gracefully in its crease. He lets out a nervous exhale before giving her a stiff smile.

“Ok. Commence with part 2?”

She smiles back. “Yep! Operation breakup has begun.”

They share a quick nod, moving their bodies closer as they start to walk. When they’re spotted by their friends, Evie lets her other hand drop to Carlos’ bicep, giving it a loving squeeze just as they reach the table.

Mal, tilts her head at them, already smirking as she eyes them up and down.

“Ah! The happy couple has arrived,” she announced with a clap of her hands. “Please, will you join us? But do keep the affection at bay, if you don’t mind. The rest of us singletons are trying to eat.”

Evie rolls her eyes as she drops her hands from Carlos, sliding in next to Mal and bumping her harshly enough with her hip to prompt a tiny yelp of pain.

“Just shut it, will you Mal?” She snips. Then she turns to Carlos with a sweet smile. “Lossy and I already grabbed dinner after our movie date. We just decided to sneak in her for a little dessert.”

Evie scrunches her nose cutely when Carlos throws her an air kiss and waves as he walks away toward the dessert table. But she quickly scowls when Mal starts making loud fake gagging sounds in her direction.

Choosing to ignore Mal’s display, Evie turns her attention to Jay and Ben, who seem to be lost in whispered conversation. She grins widely as she leans in their direction.

“Boys? Everything ok?” Evie asks in her sweetest, high-pitched voice.

Jay and Ben stop talking instantly, turning their bodies toward Evie and plastering on obvious fake smiles.

“Yep. Just peachy,” Jay grits through his overly toothy grin.

Ben elbows him hard. “Yes! We’re great, thanks Evie,” he replies, in a voice much nicer than Jay’s. “I hope you and Carlos enjoyed your…um…date.”

Evie feels warmth creeping up her neck. Of course Ben could make her blush with just a few nice words. She wishes she could keep her cool just for a few more minutes.

Luckily Carlos arrives just then, placing a plate in front of her and kissing her on the cheek before sliding in next to her.

“It was nice, thank you Ben,” she answers, smiling at him before turning back to Carlos and placing her hand on top of his on the table.

“What’s this, Lossy?” She asks, poking the odd-looking dessert. It looks like a faint yellow custard, cupped inside a white ceramic bowl.

“Oh! It’s a mango and coconut tart. Try it!” He insists, lifting her hand and placing a spoon in it.

Her smile drops immediately. “Coconut?” She asks curtly, her lips tipping into a frown.

“Um, yes?” Carlos shoots back, his brows knitting together when he sees her growing angry. “And mango. Delicious. Taste it.”

Her grabs her hand holding the spoon, moving it to the cup before she rips it away from him.

“Coconut??” She asks again, raising her voice.

“Yes? What is up with you Evie?” He snaps back, pulling away from her.

Jay, Ben and Mal are gaping at them now, as is half of the dining hall. Evie almost breaks into a smug smile but manages to school her features and glare back at Carlos instead.

“What is up, is that you know I’m allergic to coconut, Carlos! I’ve told you no less than one hundred times. Are you trying to kill me?”

Carlos purses his lips and stares heatedly at Evie. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Carlos was truly annoyed with her.

But she does, so she returns his glare, clenching her teeth and gripping her spoon with a tight, angry fist.

“No,” he quips, “I wasn’t trying to kill you, Eves. But would it actually kill you to try something besides a boring ass plain vanilla cupcake once in a while? I was trying to broaden your horizons a little.”

Evie snorts and crosses her arms. “Broaden my horizons by putting me in the hospital? If that’s my only option, I’ll gladly take my cupcake, thank you.”

The tables goes silent then, with Carlos and Evie still focused on each other. The anger in the air is almost palpable, and Mal, Jay and Ben are entranced by it, unable to do anything but stare silently at the couple.

Finally, Carlos releases an exasperated sigh.

“Look,” he starts, “Maybe this isn’t going to work after all. I’m obviously not what you want. I thought it would be fun to be adventurous. Try something new. And you’re just happy with the same old stuff.”

Evie scrunches her nose, feigning a look of disgust. “Excuse me. Maybe what I’m happy with is someone that is thinking about me and what I want. And not making me feel stupid for not wanting to have a deadly reaction to food I can’t eat.”

“You’re being a little dramatic, don’t you think?”

“No, I think you’re just being insensitive.”

“Well, I think we’re over then.”

“I think so, too. I’m glad we agree on that, at least.”

Mal blinks, her head whipping back and forth from Evie to Carlos.

“Wait, what the fuck??” Mal stands up, slamming her hands down on the table. “That’s it? You’re done? Over…coconut?”

Evie shrugs, her face blank and emotionless.

“I guess so. That’s it.” She stands, letting her eyes glance over everyone but Carlos. “Is anyone in the mood to get a cupcake with me?”

There’s a beat of silence as everyone continues to stare in shock. And then, Ben clears his throat and moves slowly to stand with Evie. She quickly turns his way and smiles brightly.

“I’d love to join you, Evie. May I?”

He extends his arm, which Evie happily accepts.

“Why thank you, Ben! Such a gentleman, willing to go with me to get something I want.”

Her eyes flash to Carlos, and he rolls his eyes at her before turning away, his gaze falling on Jay.

“Jay, want to try something new with me? This tart looks amazing.”

Jay smirks, sliding his chair right up to Carlos, so close that their legs are brushing together.

“Bring it on, ‘Los. I’ll try anything once. Or maybe twice if you ask nicely.”

He winks and Carlos instantly flushes, ducking his face to hide a shy smile as they start to dig into the dessert in front of them.

Mal is still standing, her mouth agape as she watches Ben and Evie leave, then turns to stare at Jay and Carlos. After a minute of quiet shock, she shakes her head before bursting into laughter, finally sliding out of her seat and making a move to leave.

“Mal?” Evie looks confused as she returns to the table, Ben sliding in quickly to the seat now open next to hers. “You’re leaving?”

“Oh yeah, I’m outta here,” she snickers, smirking wickedly at Evie. “You lovebirds enjoy yourselves.”

She steps around the table, but leans in close to Evie just before she leaves.

“Smooth, princess,” she mumbles just under her breath. “Remind me to never underestimate you and Carlos.”

Evie gives a slight nod, quirking a smile as Mal stands and throws Carlos a wink.

“Teen love, right? Crazy as fuck,” she adds, still laughing to herself all the way out the door.

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