oh, something you'd write?
right at the top of my head i see harry playing pirate cupid to get carlos and jay together. harlos shenanigans as in harry's over the top advice like horrible pick up lines, raccoon eyes and hosting a party and carlos being so desperate to ask jay out before he loses his chance that he actually goes along with the madness and jay at some point figures out whats happening but lets it happen just out of pure amusement, to see how far carlos is willing to go bc its endearing. they eventually talk about it, fluffy and flustered dialogue and they do go on that date in the end
Ok Sofia, you killed me with this because now I have a WHOLE fic in my head that I just couldn't stop writing. Flustered Carlos, comin' right up 😉
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Let's Put U and I Together
AO3 LINK
"Hey, Harry?"
"Yeah?" Harry sighs, clearly bored as he glances from the book splayed in his lap.
Carlos stifles a giggle, his fingers fiddling with the pages of his textbook.
"Are you...a carbon sample?"
Harry flicks out the tip of his tongue, his brow furrowing harshly as he thinks.
"Am I...wha?"
"You know, a carbon sample. Like from a life form." Carlos nods, his lips twitching into a smile. He looks so excited, Harry couldn't dare disappoint him.
"I...guess? You tell me, Pup. Am I?"
Carlos grin spreads wide. "I would think so. Cause I want to date you!" Carlos bursts, his laugh loud and boisterous. "Get it? Cause you’re a-”
“Yeah, yeah,” Harry interrupts with a groan. “I get it.”
Carlos frowns. “So...you don’t like it? M-my pickup line? I thought it was a good one.”
Harry perks a brow. “Pickup line? What do ye need one of those for?”
Carlos bites his lip, watching Harry silently for a minute before looking back down at his textbook and flipping through some pages. He pauses and points at a certain page, quirking a smile to himself before catching Harry’s eye again.
“You make me hotter than sulfur hydroxide mixed with ethyl acetate!”
Harry’s eyes widen, and he shakes his head as Carlos giggles gleefully.
“Isn’t that great? It’s perfect! Who wouldn’t melt at that one?”
“Pup, I can’t understand a fuckin’ word ye just said.” Harry snickers, but guilt pools in his gut instantly when he sees Carlos’ face fall.
“So...you don’t think it would work?”
“Work for what??” Harry groans, slamming his book shut. “Are ye tryin’ to pick me up or somethin’? I didn’t know I was yer type to be honest.”
“No! Not that!” Carlos startles, scrambling off the bed and dropping his book in the process. He yelps and jumps back when the heavy spin clunks to the floor. “I-I was just...practicing. On you. For...someone else.”
“Oh yeah?” Harry’s brows rise curiously. “Who’s the someone, then? Spill, puppy.”
Carlos stills, his mouth gaped open. He swallows thickly but stays silent, even as Harry leans in expectantly.
The door swings open just then, distracting Harry, and Carlos lets out a breath as Jay strolls in, smiling wickedly at the two boys at Carlos’ bed.
“Whoops, hey guys! Am I...interrupting? Cause I can-”
Jay thumbs back towards the door, and Carlos lets a shocked squeak escape before shaking his head vigorously.
“Nononono! W-we’re studying! Just...just studying!” He lunges forward to snatch his book from the ground, holding it out in front of him as he glances from Jay to Harry, eyes blown wide. “Tell him, Harry!”
“Actually...”
Harry snaps his book closed and slides off the bed, ignoring Carlos’ pointed glare. He smirks at Jay, noticing immediately when the teasing smile slips from the boy’s face. He grabs for Carlos’ hand, yanking him close and relishing in the heat rising behind Jay’s eyes at the action.
“Pup’s helping with meh party plannin’,” Harry replies as he starts leading Carlos to the door. “The room’s all yers, Jay. Don’t miss us too much!” He adds with a waggle of his fingers.
Carlos watches Jay’s face twist in confusion as they pass him by, his own face mirroring the same emotions as soon as the door closes behind them.
“What the hell, Harry?!”
Harry just chuckles and continues walking.
“Don’ worry, puppy. I’ve got a plan.”
-----
Carlos does his best to huddle himself into the farthest corner of the dining room. The party is in full swing already. It took less than an hour for the entire castle to fill with people, practically shoulder to shoulder in every room and even outside. The music is booming so loud Carlos’ feet are a little tingly and numb, the strong vibrations from the sound already shaking him to the core. It’s the absolute perfect setting to just make himself...disappear. And if Harry can’t find him...well, then he won’t need to follow through with the plan.
Carlos sighs at the very thought. The plan. If he had the guts to speak up against Harry, he would have shut it down from the second Harry’s eyes lit up after he confronted Carlos about his feelings for Jay. But the pirate was rambling on about the party and “getting Carlos and Jay alone” and “love confessions” before Carlos even had time to process what was going on. And now he’s stuck at this party, waiting for Harry to launch this setup into action, and his mind is reeling with fear and anxiety and a slew of worst case scenarios of all the ways tonight could go terribly, TERRIBLY wrong for him.
Which is why it’s better to hide from Harry now to avoid all of this. It’s for the best, obviously. For everyone. He can continue to tuck away every romantic thought he has for Jay, and Jay can remain blissfully unaware of how Carlos feels, and Harry can go back to minding his own damn business and staying out of Carlos’ love life. Win-win-win.
If only fucking fate agreed with him.
“Oy, pup! There y’are. I swear, if I didn’t know any better I might think yer hidin’ from me or somethin’.”
Carlos scoffs lightly, refusing to look Harry in the eye as he settles beside him on the sofa, grinning wildly.
“Jay jus’ got here. I saw ‘im walkin’ in with some of his Tourney mates. Ye ready?” He asks with a waggle of his eyebrows.
Carlos chews on the corner of his mouth and tries to tuck his trembling hands in his lap, but Harry notices immediately, his brow furrowing with concern.
“C’mon, pup. Yer ready for this! What did we talk about?”
“Jus-we...I can...” He pauses to suck in a quick breath through his teeth. “All I have to do is...ask him if we can talk, and then be honest. Tell him how I feel.”
Harry nods. “Trus’ me pup. It’s gonna work better then ye think.” He grabs Carlos’ shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. “I promise, yeh’ve got nothin’ te worry about.”
“B-but,” Carlos bites down on his quivering lip. “Don’t you think, a pickup line might work better? I mean, Jay uses them ALL the time, he probably relates to them better than just, talking about feelings! Like, I could tell him he’s hotter than a Bunsen burner-”
“Puuuup!” Harry groans, dropping his head in his hands. “We’ve been over this! That’s not gonna work. Just, just follow the plan, ok? I didn’t spend all day helpin’ ye talk through what ta say fer nothin’.”
Carlos juts a pout, but finally relents, his shoulders sagging as he forces a weak nod. Harry smugs happily, giving Carlos a firm smack on the back.
“Atta boy! Stay right here, ok?” Harry jumps up, exagerrating a skip towards the door. “I’ll bring ye yer boy in just a sec!”
Carlos fights down a huff as Harry disappears through the doorway. He fixes his gaze on the now empty entrance, dragging a hand down his face as he pictures the boy walking through it that makes his heart flutter, greeting Carlos with the same casual grin that always sends his stomach tumbling. He has no idea how he’s going to get it together enough to tell Jay the truth. Just the idea is enough to have Carlos’ heart thudding right through his chest.
Carlos takes a deep breath and straightens himself upright, chin tipped with his best fake confident smile pointed at the door. If he’s going to get through this, he’ll have to improvise.
And he makes that decision at the best possible time, because Harry is stumbling through the doorway then, laughing heartily alongside Jay as pulls him by the arm into the room where Carlos is seated.
“Oy! See?? I told ya I knew where pup was hidin’.”
Harry gestures to Carlos, but Jay pays him no mind, his smile already so broad and warm and directed right at Carlos.
And Carlos smiles back, a warm pricking heat settling in his chest, which is only getting worse with each step his best friend is taking towards him. By the time Jay is beside him, Carlos feels like his whole torso is on fire, and he silently hopes his cheeks aren’t as red as his insides must be.
“Hey C!” Jay’s grin only brightens as he plops himself down on the couch next to Carlos. “I’m glad Harry knew where to find you. It’d probably been hours before I found you without his help.”
Jay turns back to Harry, who’s now smirking proudly, and Carlos sneaks a glare his way when the pirate fucking winks at him. Subtle.
“Not a problem, Jay! I wouldn’t want ye both missin’ out on a good time cause ye spent the whole night lookin’ fer each other,” Harry coos dramatically, casting a gentlemanly bow in their direction. “But if ye don’ need me anymore, I should see what meh lil’ Gilly’s up to. Lemme find him and we’ll be back in two shakes!” He emphasizes with two fingers in the air as he backs out the door. Carlos rolls his eyes and Jay bursts into a laugh as they watch the pirate go, letting it die slowly as they shift into an uncomfortable silence.
Carlos lets his gaze drift down to his lap, where his fingers are tangling and untangling as he thinks. He knows Jay’s watching him curiously, and he really needs to say something before Jay starts worrying if something might actually be wrong.
“C-”
“So, you know something?” Carlos interjects. He looks up into Jay’s widened eyes. They’re almost inky black, so deep and dark and beautiful. He quickly looks away before he risks getting lost in them. “I think...bunsen burners. They’re. Hot.”
Jay perks a brow. “Yeah?”
“I mean. Not as hot as you. You’re hot. Like a bunsen burner. No! Hotter. Bunsen burners are hot, like really hot. Cause they’re on fire! With gas. A gas flame. And you’re...you’re hotter, than that. Than a Bunsen Burner.”
Carlos knows he must be red now. His face is hot and he’s near breathless from his outburst. He buries his head in his hands immediately, muffling an embarassed groan. That was most definitely NOT the smooth pickup line he had thought it was going to be.
He hears a faint chuckle, and dares a peek through his fingers. Jay’s bright white smile is aimed right at Carlos, and he tips his head to spy at Carlos as soon as he sees the teen looking his way. Carlos yips and tries to hide again, but Jay grabs his hands then, pulling them down and away from his face.
“So. You think I’m hot? I mean, I think that’s pretty safe to assume, right? After the number of times you just said it.” Jay’s tone is a little teasing, but Carlos relaxes at his sincere smile.
“Yeah...but. It-It’s not just that,” Carlos stammers. He pauses, taking a deep breath as Jay smirks slightly at him. There’s no point in stopping now.
“The thing is...I’m n-nothing, special. Nothing. Just a nerd, with my books. I-I could. I would. Just, disappear, if it were up to just me.”
Jay frowns immediately at that, lunging closer to Carlos.
“C! You know that’s not true. Don’t say that!” He tries to wrap an arm around Carlos, but Carlos pulls away with a firm shake of his head. “But C, you’re so speci-”
“Jay, I’m not.” He repeats, pursing his lips tightly. “I’m just. I’m table sugar.”
Jay sits straight up, brows raised. “You’re...what??”
“S-sugar,” Carlos shrugs casually. “You know, it’s plain stuff. It just...it sits in a bowl in the kitchen. It’s useful, sure, but people ignore it, mostly. No one cares about sugar. If it’s there or not.”
He sighs, taking in Jay’s befuddled expression. Maybe this won’t work.
“Alone, I mean. No one cares about just sugar alone. Does that make sense? I’m sorry, it doesn’t,” he answers himself, waving at Jay to not answer. Jay clamps his mouth shut, eyes still intently focused on Carlos.
“I’m trying to make a point, I promise. I think it’ll make sense.”
Jay fights back a smile, lips curling on their own accord. But he manages to bite them in tightly and nod, satisfying Carlos enough to urge him to continue.
“You, Jay? You. You are...not. Table sugar. Not even close. You...are...y-you’re really, something.”
Carlos looks up at Jay then, a soft smile on his lips. Jay’s flushing a little, cheeks and neck pinked, and Carlos tries not to look too delighted at the reaction, but truthfully he feels like he could burst.
“You’re potassim chlorate!” he shouts, a little loud, a little suddenly. Jay startles and stares at Carlos in shock.
“I’m. I’m, what now?”
“I-it’s a really cool compound,” Carlos continues, trying to reassure Jay. “Potassium chlorate. It’s white, crystalline...really pretty.” Carlos blushes at his words, glancing quickly at Jay. “It’s kind of. Volatile, I guess. But not in a bad way!” He jumps in. “Like, in a way that makes everything it comes close to, kind of, come...to life? Maybe, wake up, is a better way to describe it. It’s helpful combined in a lot of ways. It’s...pretty amazing.”
Jay grins as Carlos continues, his chest puffing proudly at the description Carlos is painting of him. And Carlos smiles back.
“And so...with table sugar...”
Jay perks up immediately at that, his eyes lit up and at full attention.
“Sugar has a, special, reaction to Potassium Chlorate,” Carlos emphasizes. “So, like, when you add them together, they create this really intense...heat energy. It actually, it makes this really super hot, crazy beautiful purple flame. Their reaction is SO hot, it actually makes fire! It’s the coolest thing.”
“Purple flame?” Jay snickers. “So, they make a Mal? Seriously, an extra fiery purple fire fits our baby dragon to a T.”
Carlos’ face drops, and he shakes his head emphatically.
“No, no no!” Carlos huffs, his frustration clear on his face. “That’s not - ok, that is good for Mal, but that’s not what I meant! I was talking about you and me, Jay! Us!”
Carlos points back and forth between them, is expression grim. Until he sees Jay’s still even smile, and his finger slows to a stop in his lap.
“So...” Jay starts slowly. “You think we’re...hot, together?”
Carlos’ breath hitches. “It’s not...I mean that’s how you...I feel like...”
But Carlos is interrupted by Jay’s hand looping around his neck, pulling him in close.
“Chill, C. You’re a little heated,” Jay chuckles, his breath washing over Carlos’ face. “You’re right. We are hot together.”
Carlos’ face softens at that, and he launches forward, capturing Jay’s lips in a firm but fast kiss. But when he tries to lean away, Jay pushes him back in with the hand still at his nape, kissing him again and slowing their lips into a more passionate movement. It’s some time before they finally break away again, both a little dazed and a lot breathless.
“Oyyyy! Finally! Took ye long enough, lads!”
Carlos and Jay both jerk towards the door, pushing away from each other awkwardly to adjust themselves as Harry struts in, Gil tucked under his arm. Both are smiling broadly.
“You were right Harry! They are sucking face like fishes!” Gil muses, looking at Carlos and Jay. “I guess you both really like each other!”
“That they do, Gilly,” Harry agrees, kissing the blonde’s temple. “An’ they’re lucky they’ve got someone like me to save their pathetic, mooning lil’ asses.”
Carlos and Jay roll their eyes, but Gil stares at Harry with wide-eyed admiration.
“That’s great, Harry! You should maybe do you next, huh? Set yourself up with Ben? You’re mooning’s getting a little pathetic, too!”
Harry slaps a hand over Gil’s mouth, grumbling as Carlos and Jay both burst into laughter. He retreats out of the room swiftly, now tugging Gil behind him with a yelp. Jay lets his hand slip to Carlos’ waist as their laughter fades, scooping the boy to halfway sit on his lap.
“Well that was pretty great, but I guess we do owe Harry, don’t we?” He grins when Carlos wraps his arms around Jay’s neck, his fingers teasingly pulling at Jay’s hair.
“I guess,” Carlos sighs, pouting a little. “I hated his plan, but it pretty much worked. But, can we thank him later maybe?”
“Sure,” Jay teases a smirk. “What should we do until then?”
Carlos leans back in, pressing his lips softly to Jay’s. “How about, we just pick up where we left off? Hot stuff,” He adds, perking a brow.
Jay snorts, pecking at Carlos’ lips again. “You got it, sugar.”
