Work Text:
It wasn’t a secret that Jay and Carlos were best friends. They trusted each other more than they trusted anyone. But that was where their relationship ended at. Friends. Best friends. They knew that, but to everyone else? Well...there were a few misconceptions.
1. Melody
Melody hadn’t really noticed Jay and Carlos ever since they’d joined her marine biology class at Auradon. They mostly kept to themselves, talking with their heads bowed close together and Carlos occasionally answering whatever questions the teacher posed.
Then the whole coronation debacle happened and Melody found herself paying slightly more attention to the pair. Not out of suspicion or disdain, more out of curiousity than anything.
The lab was organized into desks that could seat 2 person per desk - Jay and Carlos obviously sat together. But what piqued Melody’s interest was exactly how close the 2 were sitting. While she and her own lab partner had a bit of space in between them, Jay and Carlos sat a hair’s breadth apart. She thought she’d even seen Jay’s ankle hooked around Carlos’ once.
Melody smiled as she watched them talk in low voices, Jay saying something to make Carlos chuckle and nudge him gently. They really made a cute couple.
“Now, class, I’d like you to get into pairs-” The class rejoiced as they all turned to talk to their lab partners. “With someone other than your lab partner!”
“What?!” Jay exclaimed, “Why? What’s the point of having lab partners if we can’t even work with them?”
The teacher gave Jay an incredulous look and he grumbled but sat down, giving Carlos an apologetic look.
“Jay, it’s fine. I’ll see you later for tourney practice.” Carlos said, nudging his best friend lightly.
As the class began to pair up, Melody took her books and reluctantly walked up to Carlos’ desk.
“Mind if I work with you?” She asked, placing her books on the table and pulling her long, black hair into a ponytail. Carlos smiled politely and gestured to the stool.
“No, go ahead.”
Melody sat down and opened her textbook and binder. She’d never been the best at note taking, her handwriting looking more like scribbles than anything. Maybe she could get a tip or two from Carlos.
Once class ended, Melody packed up her books and turned to Carlos.
“You’re a really great lab partner, Carlos, I can see why Jay didn’t want to pair with someone else.” Carlos smiled bashfully. “You guys make a really cute couple.”
Carlos paused, his hand hovering over his notebook as he reached to put it inside his bag. “I-I’m sorry?”
“You and Jay. You guys are really cute together.” Melody packed up all her things and put her backpack on her back. “Bye! See you tomorrow.”
Carlos stood there, stock still. A couple? Him and Jay? That was ridiculous...right?
“Hey, ready to go?” Jay’s voice, and a heavy arm wrapped around his shoulder, drew him out of his stupor. “What’s up, dude? You look like you saw a ghost or something.”
Carlos looked at Jay and shook himself out of his trance, scoffing and shrugging.
“Nothing. Let’s get going.” Carlos said, stuffing his notebook in his bag and walking with Jay to the tourney field.
2. Evangeline
Evangeline had always been taught to trust a person’s character rather than their appearance, it’s what her parents taught her. That’s why when Prince Ben announced that he would be bringing over four kids from the Isle of the Lost over to Auradon, she’d been slightly concerned but overall, not too bothered. They were just teenagers like her, only...slightly different.
It was one sunny morning when Evangeline saw them as she was walking to her locker.
The first thing she noticed was the clothes. The shorter one was clad in a pair of black shorts and a red, black, and white leather jacket with what looked to be a faux fur collar - she refused to believe it was real fur. The taller one was wearing a yellow and red sleeveless top and red leather pants. Not really ensembles that you see everyday at Auradon prep. The sons of Cruella De Vil and Jafar. Evangeline felt a spike of distrust and fear course through her before she began to chastise herself. She hadn’t spoken a word to either one of them and already she was making judgements. Her mother would’ve been disappointed.
The second thing she noticed was how the two were standing. The taller of the two was standing close to the shorter one, their feet barely two inches apart and his forearm braced against the locker next to the one the shorter boy was standing at. They were laughing together about something, Evangeline couldn’t hear from where she was standing. The way they were stood and the way they interacted with each other seemed...sweet. Almost as if they were a couple.
Evangeline smiled at the thought but quickly moved on, not giving the matter too much thought.
As Evangeline worked her way through her classes, she heard mixed things about the new kids.
“Maleficent’s daughter? She’s a total nutjob.”
“That new girl, Evie? She’s hot but she seems a little empty-headed if you know what I mean.”
“Everyone’s being kind of mean to the new kids. It’s not like they knew what their parents were gonna do.”
“Audrey told me she saw those two new guys from the Isle and they were all over each other.”
She rolled her eyes and tried not to listen to all the gossip, focusing on her own work and her own friends. But the last one stuck with her - after what she’d seen that morning at the lockers, it definitely seemed plausible.
So, Evangeline was known around Auradon for being immeasurably kind and understanding. But she was also known to some as a girl who very quickly jumped to conclusions.
Jay had been eyeing a wristwatch with a slim black strap ever since he’d first spotted it sitting on the wrist of a gorgeous dark-skinned girl in his English class.
‘It would look perfect on Carlos.’ He thought idly as he glanced at the girl in question from across the hall. He tucked a strand of hair behind his ear before approaching the girl, eyes hooded and his trademark smirk pasted on his face. This was going to be easy.
He swaggered up to the girl and rested his shoulder against the locker next to hers, giving her an obvious once over and moving his head slightly, flipping his hair away from his face. Carlos said that made him look charming and he trusted his best friend’s opinion.
“Hey, gorgeous. I’m Jay.” He said, his voice almost like a low purr.
Evangeline turned from her locker and saw one of the villain kids standing next to her, Jay she’d learned. She recalled seeing him and one of the other kids, Evie, sitting together in her English class. Her eyes scanned Jay’s posture and facial expression and she frowned, raising an eyebrow. Was he...flirting with her? He probably wasn’t, after all he was dating that other guy from the Isle, wasn’t he?
“Evangeline. It’s nice to meet you.” She said, forcing a small smile. “We have English together, right?”
“Mhm, but I’ve seen you around and I’m just saying...I think you and I could have chemistry together.” Jay said, one corner of his mouth moving up into his trademark grin as his hand slowly inched closer to her left wrist. Almost got it .
“Excuse me?” Jay’s finger caught hold of the buckle on the watch and he slowly began to release it. Just two more seconds and…
“Maybe I should clarify.” Jay said, taking hold of her wrist gently and maneuvering the watch off, slipping it into the underside of his wrist band out of sight before slipping his hand back into his pocket. “You’re hot, I’m hot. We could be hot together.” Maybe he could even get a date out of this one.
Evangeline saw red.
“I...I can’t believe you! It is people just like you who disgust me!” Evangeline exclaimed, slamming her locker shut and holding her books close to her chest, not noticing the fact that her wrist was now bare. Jay looked startled and took a step back, his shoulders tightening and lips tensing into a thin line.
“What do you mean by ‘people just like me’, huh? A villain?” Jay cried back, sure it was what he was but it still hurt to be generalized.
“No. I couldn’t care less who your parents are,” Evangeline continued, her eyes narrowing into dark slits filled with disdain. “I mean people like you who try to cheat on their boyfriends by flirting with other girls!” Evangeline looked just over Jay’s left shoulder at Carlos who was talking to Mal by her locker.
“Boyfr-” Jay turned to see who Evangeline was talking about, locking eyes with Carlos who waved at him pleasantly. “What the hell are you-” But when he’d turned back around, Evangeline was gone in a huff, stomping down the corridor, leaving a confused Jay behind.
Jay was reeling after that conversation but he shook it off. The people on Auradon were weird and he guessed Evangeline was no exception. At least he’d got what he’d wanted.
He turned and walked towards Carlos and Mal, brandishing his new loot.
“Hey, ‘Los, I got something for you!”
3. Jane
After the coronation, Jane had been afraid to show her face at school. Her mother and father had seriously reamed her in for the stunt she pulled. Most of the people who considered themselves her friends had ditched her because of what she’d done. All but two people. Lonnie and Carlos.
Carlos .
Jane’s stomach filled with butterflies at even the thought of his name. Though at first she’d been apprehensive about the villains staying in Auradon - after all, who hadn’t been? - she realised that they were just kids. While Jane still feared them and their capabilities, she knew that there was no use in labelling them as evil just yet.
Especially not Carlos, who’s perfect platinum white hair seemed to form a halo around his head in the sun. So maybe Jane had a little crush.
There was just one thing keeping her from acting on her crush. And his name was Jay.
Ever since they’d arrived, Jane hadn’t been able to deduce the nature of their relationship. She’d seen them around the school in class and in the halls and each time what she saw left her baffled.
The first time she saw them after the coronation, she’d been with Audrey who was nattering about one thing or another. Jay and Carlos were walking down the hall together, so close together that they almost seemed like one unit. Audrey stopped talking.
“They’re totally dating.” Jane whirled her head around to face her friend, looking at her inquisitively.
“What? How do you know?” Jane asked, hoping Audrey didn’t notice how quickly she responded.
Audrey opened her compact and began applying her lip gloss. “Just look at them.”
Jane turned again to look at Jay and Carlos. Jay now had his arm wrapped around the shorter boy’s shoulders and was ruffling his hair playfully, a giant smile on his - and Carlos’ - face. She felt her heart sink slightly. Well, there goes yet another potential boyfriend.
The second time she saw them, well saw Jay , was a little more confusing. He was leaning against the lockers talking to Evangeline, Queen Tiana’s daughter. It looked like he was...flirting with her?
Jane furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she watched the scene play out. Were Jay and Carlos not actually dating? Or maybe they were dating and Jay was cheating. Did it make her a terrible person that some part of her hoped that, if they even were dating, Jay was simply being unfaithful? Maybe then Carlos would need a shoulder to cry on.
She then watched as Evangeline chewed him out and stormed off, her shoes making loud ‘click’ sounds as she walked away. Jay looked confused for a moment before turning around, a satisfied smirk settled on his face. Before Jay could catch her staring, Jane hurried off, her books hugged tightly to her chest.
As she walked off to her next class, she heard Jay call out for Carlos. Maybe they really were dating? Relationships were confusing she realised. Maybe she didn’t need one after all.
She turned to look over her shoulder and spotted Mal, Jay, and Carlos standing by Carlos’ locker. Jay was standing close to Carlos, an arm around his waist as he presented him with something Jane couldn’t see. She sighed and turned back around.
Maybe she’d get a cat or something.
4. Lonnie
She normally never left things until the last minute but Lonnie had been so distracted by her new position as captain of the Swords and Shields team that she momentarily let her schoolwork lag behind. Not one to disappoint, Lonnie decided to spend the entire day at the library to finish her homework.
Lonnie walked into the library, laptop in tow, and saw Jay and Carlos sitting on one of the couches, Carlos’ legs spread out on the couch and on top of Jay’s legs. Jay’s arm was resting on Carlos’ knees as he played on his phone. Lonnie smiled fondly at the pair.
“Hey, guys.” She said quietly, sitting down next to Jay and tapping Carlos’ shoe gently to get his attention. The boy looked up from his book and smiled, saluting her in a greeting. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Lonnie attempting to focus on typing up her essay for her History of Woodsmen and Pirates class.
A few minutes passed and Lonnie was almost done with her essay when she heard quiet chuckles coming from Carlos. She peered over at her friends who’d, up until now, been mostly quiet. She saw Jay’s fingers moving along Carlos’ calf, a mischievous smirk on his face as he watched Carlos squirm and attempt to escape his grasp.
“Jay! Quit it!” Carlos snorted, squirming fruitlessly in Jay’s hold. The librarian shushed them but couldn’t hide her own smile.
“It’s not my fault that you’re so ridiculously ticklish.” Jay whispered with a nonchalant shrug as he moved his hands up to tickle Carlos’ sides, causing the shorter boy to almost cry out in laughter. Lonnie laughed at the two and rolled her eyes.
She knew they weren’t dating but on days like this, she often wondered why. They were perfect for each other.
Lonnie had spent countless lunches sitting by Jay listening to him talk about Carlos endlessly for the entire period. Not to mention the fact that every morning without fail in their shared robotic engineering class, Carlos would find some way, shape, or form to talk about Jay. It was so clear that they liked each other - Lonnie just wished they could see that.
As she typed out the last few words of her essay, she formulated a plan.
Jay and Carlos ended their tickle fight with Carlos calling for a truce and Jay sitting up properly, pulling Carlos up so he was sitting upright with his arm around the smaller boys shoulders.
“Fine, but don’t think you’re escaping this so easy next time.” Jay said, punching his shoulder lightly and grinning. Lonnie smirked.
“You guys are adorable but I really need to get this essay done, would you mind finding somewhere else to be all coupley?” Lonnie asked, batting her eyelashes as if she were none the wiser of the real nature of their relationship.
“Coupley?!” Both boys explained, much to the chagrin of the librarian who’d given up on shushing them.
Lonnie raised an eyebrow and brushed her hair back. “Yeah. Why are you two so surprised?” She asked, a hint of a laugh in her voice. Jay and Carlos stared at her with wide, curious eyes.
“Half the school thinks you’re dating. Can’t say I blame them, you’re always all over each other.” Lonnie said casually as she typed her last full stop and hit ‘save’ on her computer. Lonnie looked up and saw the bright red flushes on Carlos and Jay’s faces and she smiled sheepishly. “I take it I shouldn’t have said anything? I’m sorry guys, I ramble.”
“N-No, it’s fine.” Jay said, voice surprisingly low. Carlos nodded but averted his gaze, looking down at the carpet which was suddenly looking very interesting right about now.
Lonnie packed her computer away and stood up, brushing off her skirt and looking at them.
“You know if you two were together...no one here would care, right? I mean...I know you guys had it tough on the Isle but here, no one would judge you. If that’s what you’re worried about.” Lonnie said, shooting them both a kind smile and a wave before turning to leave the library.
So yeah, maybe Lonnie overstepped but she did what her instincts told her to. She took action. After all, it’s what her mom did and that turned out pretty well for her, didn’t it?
+ 1. Carlos and Jay
Carlos and Jay left the library a few minutes after Lonnie, making sure to keep some distance between them. The air between the two was tense. Both boys wanted to say something, they just didn’t know what or how to start.
“That was uh...pretty crazy, right?” Carlos started weakly, “Lonnie thinking we were dating and all…” Jay replied with a weak chuckle and a nod.
“Yeah. Crazy.” Jay mumbled, before sighing. “This is ridiculous, man. You’re my best bro! Ever since Mal and I decided you were cool enough to be a part of our crew back on the Isle.” Jay’s arm twitched, almost reaching out and wrapping itself around Carlos - a reflex - but Jay refrained, holding onto his own wrist. Carlos smiled at the memory.
“I’m glad that you two ‘decided I was cool enough’.” Carlos joked, nudging Jay lightly with his shoulder and tensing up. He didn’t know if that was okay to do after... that conversation.
“You’re more than cool enough, man. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” Carlos smiled at Jay’s admission and paused when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned and saw Jay looking at him, his dark eyes bore a kind of intensity he didn’t think he’d ever seen before. “Seriously, you keep me together when I’m down, you help me out with studying and homework even though you have like a million other things to do, you joined Swords and Shields with me even though you hate sports...you’re like...my rock, dude.”
Carlos blushed heavily and smiled, looking away from Jay and rolling his eyes, hoping to diffuse the sudden electricity that had built up between them.
“C’mon, man, you’re starting to sound sappy.” Carlos attempted to start walking in the direction of their dorms when he felt Jay’s hand grasp his own. “Jay?”
Jay glanced down at their hands. His heart was beating a mile a minute. He didn’t know why he felt more nervous in this minute than he’d ever felt talking to any other girl he’d ever talked to.
“‘Los...I feel more comfortable around you than I feel around anyone,” Carlos opened his mouth to speak but Jay interrupted. “When we were on the Isle, we were so focused on surviving and shit, there wasn’t really time for anything other than a quick fling. I never wanted that with you. And I knew I wanted something , I just never knew what. I thought I just loved you like...as a friend, you know? But then we got here and all of a sudden Mal was falling in love and so was Evie and we were surrounded by all this positivity and…” Carlos cut him off.
“Jay, are you trying to say…”
“I don’t know what I’m trying to say, all this shit is so fucking confusing!” Jay exclaimed, letting go of Carlos’ hand to run his fingers through his hair. Carlos missed the warmth that Jay’s hand provided. “All I know is that...I see you and I feel happier than I ever felt stealing some pointless shit or flirting with some cheerleader. And you do all this shit that makes me feel good inside, you know? Like when you smile and your whole face just lights up or when I steal something for you and you look at me like I just gave you the most valuable thing in the world. If that means that I like you then, I guess-”
Before Jay could finish his sentence, there’s a hand in his pulling him close and a pair of soft lips gently touching his own. Carlos was kissing him. Okay, this he could deal with.
Carlos tentatively placed a hand on Jay’s shoulder and squeezed it gently as they kissed, an electric shock surging through him when he felt Jay reach for his waist, pulling him closer.
When Jay had been monologuing to Carlos, he’d had an epiphany. The past few weeks - or the past few years actually - Carlos had been confused about what his feelings were for Jay, ever since the first time he’d made the taller boy laugh. All he knew was that it felt so nice whenever Jay would casually wrap his arms around him at lunch or when he’d scoot closer to him on the bed when they were watching a movie or whenever Jay returned to the dorm with something new he’d gotten for Carlos. Now he knew what that feeling was. Love.
As Jay was speaking, Carlos was gearing himself up to just do it . Just kiss him. So he did. And honestly? Fireworks.
They pulled away with a soft smack and Carlos sighed, his eyes fluttering open and gazing into Jay’s own.
“You guess…?” Carlos asked quietly, a soft chuckle following. Jay grinned and wrapped his arms fully around him, his hands meeting at the small of Carlos’ back.
“I guess that means I like you.” Jay said quietly, feeling lighter than he’d ever felt before.
“Well, then, I guess I like you too.” Carlos replied before leaning in for another sweet kiss.