Hii! Thank you so much for the prompt! It was "golden hour". I know it was a May prompts list but I decided that fall is also a great season for golden hours and the perfect timeline for some early pining Seblos...I hope you like it!! 💕
Carlos stepped out of the school building and instantly raised a hand to shield his eyes from the light of the sinking sun.
It was late Wednesday afternoon and he was finally satisfied with his choreography for Getcha Head In The Game and was ready to show it to the dancers tomorrow. So he had packed up his things and decided it was time to go home.
Squinting against the early autumn sun which painted everything on the school ground in a soft hue, he was just about to round the corner when he spotted someone sitting on one of the benches next to the parking lot.
Hair almost golden in the light where it was falling into his face, Seb was scribbling something into a notebook. Carlos' heart skipped a beat at the sight and he stopped in his tracks, contemplating if he should go home or turn around and seize his chance to talk to the other boy.
After an embarrassingly long moment of contemplation, he decided to be brave and go for the latter.
"Hey," Carlos said when he was in earshot.
Seb looked up, seeming startled for a second but then his face broke out into a smile.
"Hey Carlos!"
Carlos stopped in front of him and pulled at the straps of his backpack, feeling the sudden need to hold onto something.
"I'm surprised to still see you here? Rehearsal let out an hour ago," he pointed out.
"Oh, yeah," Seb chuckled and closed his notebook. "My sister was supposed to pick me up but then she got busy, so -" he checked his phone with a frown, "- she won't be here for another twenty minutes."
"Oh okay. That...sucks," Carlos said and took a seat next to the other boy, placing his backpack beside him.
He couldn't imagine living that far away from school and always relying on someone from his family to chauffeur him around. Spending four hours trapped in a car with them every day sounded horrible to Carlos.
But then again, Seb's family seemed to be the complete opposite of his from all the little stories he had picked up here and there, so Seb probably didn't mind having his sister as his driver.
"You know, you could've also waited in the bomb shelter, I'm there for at least another hour after rehearsal every day," Carlos said.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he instantly groaned internally. God, why did he have to say it like that? Now Seb probably thought he expected him to hang out with him after rehearsals. Which - yes, Carlos had spent the past month since the start of the drama club rehearsals trying to get as many opportunities as possible to interact with the other boy. And having company instead of being all alone sounded more appealing than he was ready to admit. But still. If there was one thing he did not want, it was to scare the other boy off.
"Oh, I didn't even think about that. But I'll definitely remember it next time," Seb interrupted his thoughts. "I need to practice some of the piano arrangements anyway, so I could do that while I wait," he said with a smile.
Carlos smiled back in relief.
"Sounds like a plan," he said, suddenly thinking that this might have been a mistake to suggest because there was no way he would be able to focus on anything if Seb Matthew-Smith was playing the piano in the same room where he was working on his choreographies. But maybe that was a sacrifice he was willing to make.
They both sat in silence for a minute, watching the sun slowly disappear behind the mountains. It was quiet apart from the noise of cars in the distance.
Carlos stole a sideways glance at the boy next to him. Seb's hair was still illuminated by the last rays of sunshine, making it light up in an almost fairy-like glow.
He wanted to reach out and touch it, run his hand through it to find out if it was as soft as it looked - but he stopped himself, curling his hand into a fist by his side.
Get yourself together, Rodriguez, he scolded himself.
"You don't have to wait with me by the way," Seb interrupted the silence, a frown on his face. "I don't want to like, make you get home late for dinner or anything."
Carlos waved him off. "Don't worry, you're not. Nobody else is home today so I can basically eat dinner whenever I want," he explained.
Eat dinner meaning heat up some leftovers or order take out for the third time this week.
"Oh. I'm sorry," Seb said, his face falling slightly.
Carlos shrugged and smiled. "No worries, I'm kind of used to that," he said.
That only deepened the frown on Seb's face and he seemed conflicted for a moment before he asked
"Do you want to come with us? I am sure nobody would mind if there was one more person at the dinner table."
Carlos' eyes widened. Did - did Seb Matthew-Smith really just invite him over to his house? To eat with his family? Oh god. This couldn't be happening. He wasn't prepared! And he didn't even have an outfit prepared, and….
"Oh, er - thank you, but - I think I have a bunch of homework to catch up on, so," he stuttered out.
He smiled tentatively, hoping he didn't just offend Seb by declining his offer. Luckily it didn't seem like it as Seb just smiled and nodded.
"Oh, honestly same. Like, that worksheet from Mr Mazzara's class?" he shuddered. "I've been putting it off for days but I think I finally have to face it today."
"Yeah," Carlos chuckled, pretending he knew what Seb was talking about. Crap, he probably really should catch up on all the homework he had put off in favour of working on choreographies for the show this week. There was no way Mr Mazzara's homework was the only one that had flown past his head.
Before he could come up with another conversation topic, a grey car turned into the parking lot.
"Oh, that's my sister," Seb said, getting up from the bench and slinging his backpack over one shoulder as the car parked.
Carlos got up as well, figuring he had no reason to stay any longer if Seb was leaving.
"Thanks for waiting with me," Seb said, turning to go.
Carlos smiled. "No problem. See you tomorrow, Seb."
Seb smiled and waved, then he walked over to the car to open the passenger door and disappeared inside. Carlos caught a glimpse of a head of curly blonde hair next to him before the car backed out of the parking spot.
He watched as they drove away, then he started his walk home. But not before he fished his phone out of his pocket and put his earbuds in, scrolling through his music library to find a specific song he was looking for.
Then he pressed play and started walking, humming along to the lyrics with a smile as he made his way through the streets of Salt Lake.
I used to get sad
And lonely when the sun went down
But it's different now
'Cause I love the light that I found in you
Baby, don't you know
That you're my golden hour
The color of my sky
You set my world on fire
And I know, I know everything's gonna be alright
lyrics from "Golden Hour" by Kacey Musgraves! (adore that song)
SUNNY I AM THE WORST. I finished this several days ago and then COMPLETELY FORGOT TO POST IT. I am so so sorry this took so long! I hope you like it! It's set just before 1x05 because Homecoming can be so personal.
Carlos tapped his foot anxiously, arms crossed in front of his chest. The line for Homecoming tickets was moving excruciatingly slow, and he seemed to be the only person in line who was alone. Almost everyone else was partnered up, giggling and excited about spending an evening with their special someone. Carlos’ stomach churned. This was a stupid, stupid idea. He should just step out of line and forget about the whole thing. It wasn’t like Seb would say yes anyway. Seb was cute and funny and sweet and was about to be a star, once the world saw him as Sharpay. Carlos, on the other hand, was abrasive and loud, simultaneously too much and not enough. There was no way Seb would be even a little bit interested in him, let alone enough to dance with him in front of the whole school.
He sighed, just about to give up and leave the line, when he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. He swiveled around to see Ashlyn standing behind him, a wide smile on her face.
“Carlos!” She exclaimed, her brown eyes bright with excitement. “Are you going to Homecoming?”
“A-Ashlyn, hi,” he swallowed thickly. “Uh, no, I'm not. I was thinking of asking someone, but it’s stupid. He’ll just say ‘no’ anyway. So, I’m just going to–”
“Okay, two things,” Ashlyn cut him off, her smile fading into more of an unimpressed, exasperated look. “One, who said you need a date to go to Homecoming? I’m going by myself. We can dance together, as friends. And two, if you’re talking about a certain blonde farmboy, he’s going to say 'yes'.”
Carlos blanched. “How did you know I was talking about Seb?”
She chuckled. “Come on, you’re not exactly subtle. You realize he’s the only person you haven’t once snapped at during rehearsals?”
“Oh.” He felt his cheeks burn. “I didn’t realize.” Was it really that obvious? Did Seb know?
“No, Seb doesn’t know,” she rolled her eyes, seemingly reading his mind. “He’s a little oblivious.”
Carlos dropped his head into his hands. It was hopeless. If he was really as obvious as Ashlyn said, surely Seb would’ve said something by now, "Unless he just doesn’t like me back.”
“So, I guess Seb isn’t the only oblivious one,” Ashlyn shook her head, amused and affectionate. “Come on, you’d have to be blind or EJ not to notice that Seb has a crush on you! The boy has no poker face.”
Carlos’ breath caught. “You really think he likes me?”
“I know he likes you.” Ashlyn smiled again, and it was warm and comforting and Carlos felt slightly more at ease. “But if you’re still nervous, do you want to practice on me?”
He blinked at her. “Practice?”
“Yeah, you know, pretend I’m Seb and ask me to homecoming,” she explained. “We have to do something to pass the time in this ridiculous line, and it might make you feel better.”
Carlos sighed and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Alright, I guess we can try.
“Go on then.” She nodded encouragingly, motioning for him to continue.
“Okay, uh,” he cleared his throat. “Hi, Seb.”
Ashlyn plastered a too-big smile on her face and spoke in an overly soft tone. “Hi, Carlos!”
“He does not sound like that,” Carlos huffed. “You sound like Snow White.”
She smirked. “Oh, sorry, I was going for Cinderella.”
“He doesn’t sound like Cinderella either,” Carlos insisted.
“He kinda does.”
“He does not!” His voice rose up, and a few other people in line turned their heads towards them.
“Carlos,” she put a hand on her hip. “Stop stalling and ask me to Homecoming already.”
“Okay, okay,” he took a deep breath. “Seb. Y’know, homecoming is next week.”
“Oh, yeah!” Ashlyn nodded, over-enthusiastic, and batted her eyes at him. “Are you going with anyone?”
"Actually…” He hesitated. Even though it wasn’t real, the same anxieties bubbled up in his chest. “I have an extra ticket,” he blurted. “Would you like to go with me?"
Ashlyn raised an eyebrow. “An extra ticket? You want him to know you like him, right?”
“I–” Carlos hesitated. “I don’t want to come on too strong.”
“Carlos,” she shook her head. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard all day. And I’ve talked to EJ twice.”
“Well, you don’t have to be mean about it!” Carlos snapped, defensive.
“I just mean that, judging by the way Seb looks at you when you’re not looking, it would be very difficult for you to come on too strong,” Ashlyn explained.
“The–” His voice cracked. “The way he looks at me?”
She nodded. “He’s into you, trust me. Just try asking normally.”
“Okay.” Carlos took a deep breath. “Seb, will you go to Homecoming with me?”
“Oh, Carlos!” Ashlyn spoke again in her exaggerated impression of Seb, swooning dramatically. “Of course, I will! You’re so handsome and charming—”
“Alright, that’s enough.” Carlos gave her a gentle shove. “He doesn’t act like that.”
She laughed. “Whatever you say.”
He fell silent for a moment as they shuffled up in line. Somehow they’d almost gotten to the front of the line in the short time they’d been talking. Carlos’ stomach tightened, and he considered stepping out of line. But he looked at Ashlyn, at the expectant, eager look on her face, and he couldn't do it.
“You really think he’ll say 'yes'?”
“I know he will,” she answered. “And when he does, I expect you to save at least one dance for me.”
29. “I know I’ve kissed you like, ten times, but another ten, please.”
They barely remember how they got here. One moment they were chatting with the others in the living room, the next they were hiding in their bedroom, door locked and lips pressed against each other. Seb was up against the door as Carlos had his hands on either side of his boyfriend. It made the blonde feel safe.
Once they pulled away for the fifth time within that hour, Seb muttered, his lips still brushing against Carlos’, “Maybe… maybe we should head back to the others?” He asked, but his dark blue eyes said something very different as they kept staring into Carlos’ brown once.
“Or maybe we could stay here for a bit longer?” The slightly taller boy suggested.
Seb bit his lip for a quick second before releasing it, his hand sneaking up to the nape of his boyfriends neck and he tugged on the hair lightly before pulling him into another heated kiss.
This went on for longer than they had originally intended. They were supposed to be good hosts for their friends who had come to New York for New Years Eve to visit the couple, but it wasn’t their fault that after having been alone in the city for… a few months… they had become a bit extra attached to each other.
“Okay, yeah, maybe we should head back?” Carlos muttered this time, but his boyfriend pulled him into yet another kiss before whispering against his lips,
“I know I’ve kissed you like, ten times, but another ten, please.” The brunette knew he couldn’t say no to him.
“Nine more, the last one is gonna be saved for midnight,” Carlos teased. Seb rolled his eyes fondly before nodding.
“Deal.”
And with that, Carlos leaned in again and kissed his boyfriend 9 more times.
By the end of the night they were no longer seen as boyfriends as the correct term is, well, fiancés.
7. “What? Does that feel good?”
“What? Does that feel good?” Seb asked Carlos with a confused look. The two were in Carlos’ bedroom.
“Yeah, it’s great and it usually makes you feel incredible and very relaxed after!” His boyfriend responded.
“Really?”
“Really, here let me show you,”
Carlos gestured for Seb to sit down on the chair by the desk, which he did before he stood behind him and softly began to massage his shoulders. The farm boy who’s used to hard work every day felt how he truly began to relax and he moaned softly.
“Yeah, okay, I get it, please keep going. You got magical hands,” He groaned, making the brunette laugh as he kept massaging him. Carlos stopped for a quick moment to lean forward and kiss Seb’s cheek.
“Anything for my prince,” he whispered teasingly before going back to massaging him. Seb turned red, but with a bright smile on his face as he kept enjoying it. As long as he doesn’t think about what Carlos said out of context, he’ll be fine.
17. “Your lips are so soft. I could kiss them all day.”
Seb and Carlos were always seen as the sweet and innocent couple of the group, well, that was until one little discovery made by one Kourtney Greene.
“Come on, no one's gonna walk in here.” Carlos said quietly as he and Seb were sneaking off during the little break they were having from rehearsals. It was just the week after Carlos’ birthday and the only thing that was going through the recently turned 16 year olds head was ‘Seb, Seb, Seb’.
The brunette pulled his boyfriend into the supply closet, and pushed him lightly against the wall once the door was closed. Seb smirked as he raised an eyebrow at Carlos who as soon as he saw the smirk leaned and kissed him lovingly with a touch of passion. Seb smiled a bit into the kiss as he happily kissed back, wrapping his arms around Carlos’ neck, his hands going into the carefully styled, but soft brown hair. Pulling him in a little closer. The choreographer wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s waist, happily moving closer to him.
After a few minutes the slightly taller boy barely pulled away so their lips were still brushing against each other, just to get a bit of air.
“Your lips are so soft. I could kiss them all day.” Carlos muttered.
“I wouldn’t complain if you did,” Seb whispered back teasingly, but right after they heard from beside them,
“You probably wouldn’t but I would,” Seb’s on-stage mother said with a raised eyebrow, making her stage-son blush, hiding his face in the crook of his boyfriend’s neck.
“Whoops?” Carlos said innocently.
“Lumiére, the others need you, now stop corrupting my son,”
36. "You're the first person I think about when I wake up." 🥰
Thank you so much Mia! This is nothing but tooth rotting fluff! I hope you like it.
They’re sitting on the couch, golden evening sun filtering in and gently warming their skin. It’s late spring, practically summer. Beauty and the Beast closed a week ago, the semester is almost over, and it’s a Friday, so they don’t have much to do. Seb’s mom is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and soon enough they'll have to wash up and help set the table, but that won’t be for at least another half an hour. For now, they’re content to lean against each other and scroll on their phones.
“Hey,” Carlos says, breaking the quiet. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything, always,” Seb answers, barely looking up from his phone.
“Why do you always text me first thing in the morning?” Carlos has his phone open to their text thread, and Seb reads his own message from that morning over his boyfriend’s shoulder.
Good Morning, my love. 💖🌈🐄 (5:02 AM)
“Uh,” Seb frowns, brows knit together in confusion. He’d sent that text first thing in the morning. As always, he shut off his alarm, sat up in bed, rubbed his eyes, and grabbed his phone to text Carlos. As always, it was his first waking thought. “Because I want to say good morning to you?”
“But you could wait,” Carlos insists. “You know I’m not awake when you send those texts. You could wait until I'm awake.”
“That’s true,” Seb shifts nervously under his boyfriend’s weight. “I can stop if you want. If you don’t like it.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Carlos lifts himself up off of Seb’s chest, twisting to look him in the eye. For the millionth time, Seb finds himself caught off guard by just how deep and dark Carlos’ eyes are. He shakes the thought away. “I promise I love it. I was just curious.”
“Oh.” Seb smiles. That’s a much easier question than Seb realized, with a simple, obvious answer. “Well, that’s because you’re the first person I think about when I wake up."
Carlos blushes and rolls the rest of his body so he’s flat on his stomach, chin resting on Seb’s chest. “Really?”
“Mmmhmm,” Seb nods. “And it’s not just people. I think of you before anything else.”
Carlos adjusts his glasses. “Even before the cows?”
“Even before the cows.” Seb rolls his eyes playfully. “And when I think of you, I want to talk to you or text you as soon as possible. I get too excited to wait even a second."
“Well, you’re adorable,” Carlos beams at him. “And for the record, you’re the first thing I think of every morning, too.”
Seb rolls his eyes. “Only because you wake up to my texts.”
“That’s not true!"
Seb gives him a skeptical look.
“Alright, fine,” Carlos exhales loudly. “How about this? You are the last thing I think about at night. And you know that’s not because of texts, since you go to sleep before me.”
Seb’s stomach flips. “Oh.”
“Yeah, oh.” Carlos chuckles. “You big dummy.”
“Your big dummy,” Seb corrects. “Also, in my defense, you’re usually thinking about a dozen things at once, so forgive me for assuming I’d have to share space in your brain.”
“Normally that would be true,” Carlos concedes. “But thinking about you takes a lot of brain space. I have to think about your voice and your smile and your eyes and your laugh and your piano playing.” He pauses for a moment. “You’re kind of a lot to process, honey.”
Seb blinks. “You really think that much about me?”
Carlos raises an eyebrow. “Are you telling me you don’t think that much about me?”
“Of course I do.” There’s nothing Seb thinks about more—all day every day, but especially in the mornings, when it’s quiet and the sky is pink and somehow his feelings always feel bigger than the sunrise itself. “Sometimes I even tell the cows about you.”
Carlos scrunches up his face. “Is that why Milky White always licks me?”
“Nah,” Seb smirks. “She just loves you, and I can’t really blame her for that. You’re very easy to love.”
Carlos doesn’t say anything. He just stares at Seb, brown eyes wide and shocked behind his tortoiseshell frames.
Seb blinks at him. “What?”
“I—“ Carlos shakes his head. “Is it just Milky White?”
Seb cocks his head to the side. “What?”
“Is it just Milky White who loves me?” Carlos asks again. "Do you love me?"
“Oh.” Seb clears his throat. “I, uh—“
“Because I love you,” Carlos adds, quickly, voice going up an octave how it always does when he's nervous or stressed.
“Oh,” Seb lets out a shaky breath. “In that case, of course I love you. I was just—“
“Scared?” Carlos finishes. “Me too.”
“But I guess we don’t need to be,” Seb breaks into a grin. “I love you. I love you. God, I feel like I’ve been holding that in for months.”
“Months?”
Seb falters. “Months," he affirms. "I knew I loved you over Spring Break.”
“When we were fighting?” Carlos frowns.
“When I realized it would kill me to lose you,” Seb says, voice quiet. “I was miserable, Carlos, and I never want to feel like that again. When you sang me that song and we worked everything out, I made a vow to myself that I would never come so close to losing you again.”
Once more, words seem to evade Carlos for a moment, but the look in his eyes speaks volumes: soft, vulnerable, open.
“You weren’t going to lose me,” Carlos finally says, voice firm, but heavy with emotion. “And you never will. I love you so much.”
“I love you so much, too.”
Carlos hums, a small smile pulling at his lips. “Just when I think you can’t possibly get any more amazing, you just have to go and prove me wrong.”
Seb feels his cheeks burning. He's hardly processed that Carlos loves him, and he's never gotten used to Carlos complimenting him so freely. It feels too good to be true, like an impossible dream. And yet, somehow, it's real. “Amazing?”
Carlos pulls himself forward, so he’s only inches from Seb’s lips. “Absolutely amazing.” Before Seb can say anything in response, Carlos is surging forward and closing the small distance between them.
The kiss is soft and slow and Seb melts into it, bringing his arms up to grasp at Carlos’ waist. He finds himself lost in it, the rest of the world fading into nothing but white noise, and all he wants is more contact. Electricity sparks through him, and he chases the feeling.
He deepens the kiss, letting his lips fall open slightly in invitation. Carlos’ tongue sneaks out, licking along Seb’s bottom lip—not slow, exactly, but deliberate, careful. Seb, impatient and wanting, moves his hands up Carlos’ spine and into his hair, about to use his new leverage to pull Carlos in and deepen the kiss.
“Carlos! Seb!” Seb’s mom calls from the kitchen. "Wash up and come set the table!"
All too soon Carlos is moving up and away from Seb, Seb’s hands sliding back down his body. “We better go help your mom,” he says, breathless, hovering over Seb.
“Yeah,” Seb nods. “Probably should.”
Carlos shifts to lift himself up and back the rest of the way, but Seb doesn’t let him. Instead, Seb tightens his grip on Carlos’ waist and pulls him back in. “One more,” he mumbles against Carlos’ lips.
“Sebastian!” His mother calls again, louder this time. “I’m not gonna ask again!”
I like shiny things (but I'd marry you with paper rings)
Just a soft little proposal fic. 1k. tooth-rotting fluff. written in two sittings, one of which was at 2 AM.
Seb wakes up slowly, with his head buried in his pillow. He’s not sure how early it is, but he knows it’s too early by the chill he feels, even through the blankets. He rolls over, feeling blindly for the warmth of his boyfriend, but is met with empty sheets. He groans, cracking his eyes open just enough to tell that Carlos is indeed nowhere to be found. Unusual, given the early hour, and definitely unwelcome. Seb grunts, forcing himself to sit up. He runs his hand along Carlos’ side of the bed—it’s still somewhat warm, so Carlos hasn’t been up long. Maybe Seb can still convince him to come back to bed. He reluctantly rolls out of bed and shuffles down the short hallway to their kitchen, where he finds Carlos.
Carlos is standing still in the middle of the kitchen. He’s wearing one of Seb’s thick flannel jackets—navy blue with orange stripes. It’s a little baggy on him, and Seb smiles at the sight of it, knowing how Carlos loved to wear his flannels on cold mornings. “They keep me warm,” he always said. “Just like a hug from you.”
“Come back to bed, baby,” Seb says as he reaches his boyfriend. “It’s still early.”
“I—“ Carlos slowly turns around. He hasn’t put his glasses on yet (he won’t until he washes his face), and his hair is curling in wild directions. Seb wants to run a hand through it, but Carlos is still talking. “I was, uh, just going to start the coffee.”
“Coffee can–” Seb cuts off when he finally noticed the small, familiar box in Carlos’ hands, and his stomach drops. “…Wait?”
“I didn’t…” Carlos looks at him with shining, confused eyes. “I just grabbed the—why would you keep this in your pocket?!”
“Good question,” Seb chuckles nervously, his heart suddenly thundering in his chest. “I should’ve known better with how you like to steal my clothes.”
“Is it…” Carlos takes a deep breath. “I mean it’s what I think it is, right?”
Seb nods. “If you think it’s my grandpop’s wedding ring, then, uh. Yeah.” He asked his parents for it the last time they visited the farm. He thought about buying a new ring, something flashier and more Carlos, but in all the memories of his grandparents, he has, this ring is there. It’s catching the summer sunlight in the barn, glinting in the firelight during the winter, cold against his hand when his grandpop adjusted his sticky five-year-old fingers on the piano.
“You’re we’re going to ask me to marry you?” Carlos sniffs. His hands are shaking.
Seb nods again. “That was the plan.”
“Well,” Carlos swallows, and shoves the box into Seb’s hands. “Go on then.”
“What?”
“Ask me.”
“Right now?” Seb blinks. They’re standing next to the sink where last night’s dirty dinner dishes are still soaking and there’s a hole in the toe of the socks he’s wearing, and the light on the coffee maker won’t stop flashing because Carlos never finished starting it. “In the middle of our kitchen? Wearing our pajamas? ” He runs his thumb over the top of the box. “Don’t you want something a little…fancier?”
“I just want you,” his voice comes out breathy and soft.
Seb looks at his boyfriend. Carlos’ brown eyes are wide and warm and there is so much love in them. He takes a deep breath. Here goes nothing. “Okay. I don’t have much of a speech prepared—“
“It doesn’t matter what you say,” Carlos shakes his head, a smile already pulling at his lips. “It’s us. It’ll be perfect no matter what.”
Seb flushes slightly. There’s so much love in those words, and Seb can hardly believe how lucky he is. “Carlos,” he starts. “You’re insane. And impatient. And ridiculous. I could’ve done this in a nice restaurant, or over a picnic, or literally anywhere other than our kitchen next to some dirty dishes. But that’s what I love about you. You never wait, you never hide, and you never give up–I’m sure no matter how big a fight I put up about this, you would’ve eventually won. Because that’s who you are. And I love you so so much for it. I want to spend the rest of my life just trying to keep up with you.” He drops to one knee and opens the box. Tears are already rolling down both their faces. “Will you—”
“Yes! Yes yes yes yes!”
Carlos surges forward before Seb can make it to his feet and they end up in a pile of the floor, with Carlos on top of Seb, peppering kisses all over his face and neck, before finally capturing his lips. It tastes like salt from their tears and they’re both smiling too wide for it to be a proper kiss, but it doesn’t matter.
“Marry me?” Seb finishes, when Carlos finally pulls back and they both sit up.
Carlos extends his left arm, his hand shaking, and Seb slides the onto his finger. It’s a little loose, and they’ll have to get it resized, but the gold band sparkles beautifully against his tan skin.
“It’s not much,” he says, as Carlos examines the simple band, shifting his hand to see how it catches the light. “But it represents seventy years of marriage. My grandpop never took it off.”
“Sebastian,” Carlos looks at him, brown eyes soft and watery. “It’s perfect. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Seb punctuates his statement with another kiss, this one longer and deeper than the first. Carlos’ hand comes up to cradle Seb’s face, and the cold shock of metal sends a shiver down his spine. They kiss slowly, languidly, neither one willing to pull away too soon and break the moment, no matter how uncomfortable the kitchen floor gets.
“We’re getting married,” Carlos whispers when they finally break apart for oxygen. He rests his forehead against Seb’s. “You’re my fiancé.” Both their eyes are closed, but Seb can hear the giggle in Carlos’ voice.
“We’re getting married,” Seb echoes.
They’re quiet for a long moment, just listening to the sound of their own breathing, of their hearts beating together in perfect time.
It’s Seb who opens his eyes and breaks the moment first. “Can we go back to bed now?”
“That we can.” Carlos pulls himself to his feet, nimble as always, and offers a hand to Seb.
Seb reaches for the coffee maker.
“What are you doing?” Carlos asks, eyebrow raised.
“We should probably turn it off,” Seb shrugs. “I think it’s a fire hazard to leave it on when you’re sleeping.”
"Honey," Carlos smirks. “Who said anything about sleeping?”
21. “Do you like what you see?” “You know I always do.”
This turned out to just be a short drabble, but I hope you like it all the same! Pure wedding fluff and cuteness and a healthy dose of Wildcat Chaos.
Seb stood in front of his (childhood) bedroom mirror, early afternoon light streaming in from the window. He smoothed down his collar and straightened his buttons before running a hand through his hair. Tousled, but not too tousled. He looked relaxed and handsome, he couldn't deny that.
He turned from the mirror at the sound of shuffling behind him, signaling someone had come through the door. “Do you like what you see?”
Carlos beamed at him, leaning against the door frame. “You know I always do.”
“Really?” Seb pulled at the sleeve of his dark blue button-up. “I know this isn’t exactly what you imagined today would be like.” Seb glanced back at his reflection, at the simple linen shirt and cream-colored pants he was wearing.
“Seb,” Carlos sighed, stepping forward into the room to stand next to Seb at the mirror. Carlos was dressed equally casually, in a burnt orange shirt that complemented the deep blue Seb wore and similar light-colored pants. “First of all, you know I love you in blue.”
“It brings out my eyes, I know.” He rolled his eyes, but it was all fond.
“Exactly,” Carlos pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “And secondly, this was my idea."
In the mirror, Seb’s reflection nodded. It had been Carlos’ idea, the day before. They were tearing their hair out trying to set a date that all their friends would somehow be able to make, some magical day when all their schedules would line up.
“Too bad we can’t just get married tomorrow,” Seb joked. “While everyone is still in Salt Lake.”
Carlos didn’t laugh. “Why can’t we?”
"But," Seb argued. "Nobody down there knows we’re doing this. We could still back out.”
"I want to do this today," Carlos continued. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't."
“But I know how much planning you already did and—"
“And what?” Carlos frowned. “You think because we’re not in overpriced tuxes we’ll only wear once, and we didn’t pay hundreds of dollars for a cake that turns out to be mostly fondant, that I don’t want this? That I need all the fancy bells and whistles to be happy?”
“I…” Seb swallowed. “I don’t know."
“Seb, look at me.” Carlos put two hands on either side of Seb’s face and pulled his gaze away from the mirror. “I love you. I want you to be my husband more than anything. And I don’t want to wait another second to make that happen. Okay?"
“But what about your dream wedding?” Seb asked. They’d gone through this the night before, when the idea had first come up, Seb expressing all the same insecurities and Carlos shutting each one down with soft kisses. But it hadn’t fully set in how serious Carlos had been until an hour ago, when he called Ashlyn.
“My dream wedding isn’t the fancy stuff,” Carlos rolled his eyes. “Not anymore. It’s getting to marry the love of my life surrounded by everyone I care about.”
“Oh,” Seb blushed. “Mine too.”
“Then come on,” Carlos took his hand. “Let’s go get married.”
Carlos dragged Seb out of the farmhouse and out to the grazing meadow where all their friends, Carlos' sisters, and Seb’s family were. There were a couple of picnic tables and Seb’s father had rolled out the grill. They caught Ashlyn’s eye and Seb shot her a wink. She grinned at them over a plastic cup of root beer.
Their friends and family (except for Ashlyn, who they had asked to officiate) all thought this was just a barbecue, to take advantage of the nice weather, and then all being in town at the same time.
“Ahem,” Carlos cleared his throat. “Can I have everyone’s attention please?”
Everyone continued to talk.
“Hey!” Carlos yelled, dropping into what they called Choreographer Voice. “Pay Attention!”
Everyone quieted down.
“Seb and I have a bit of a surprise for you all,” Carlos squeezed Seb’s hand, which he had managed to hold onto all the way downstairs and across the meadow. “This isn’t just a barbecue.”
Their friends looked around in confusion, murmuring to each other for a moment before Carlos continued.
“We’re getting married.”
“Uh,” EJ cocked his head to the side. “We all know that already.”
“We’re getting married right now,” Seb clarified. “This is our wedding.”
Carlos threw up some jazz hands. "Surprise!"
To say all hell broke loose would be an understatement. Shouts of “What?!” and “Oh my God!” and “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me! I thought we were best friends!” and "Mama is going to kill you, Carlito!" all blended together.
Seb turned to his fiancé, leaning in and speaking quietly so only he could hear. “You still sure about this?”
Carlos grinned. “Baby, I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
is it the look in your eyes or is it this dancing juice (who cares, baby)
A soft little pre-wedding seblos drabble for y'all. Nothing but fluff and sweetness! cw for drinking/alcohol
Seb was inconsolable, blubbering like a toddler who was overdue for a nap.
“This is all your fault,” Kourtney said, jabbing a finger at EJ.
“Are you kidding?” EJ crossed his arms. “How is it my fault?”
“It was your idea to get vodka shots,” Ashlyn insisted. “Therefore, this is your fault.”
“How was I supposed to know that Seb would be an emotional drunk?!” EJ shook his head. He turned to Big Red. “Besides, you’re the one who told Seb that Carlos isn’t single.”
“Well, he’s not.”
Seb let out a wail, face down on the bar top.
EJ rolled his eyes and patted his friend gently on the back. “It’s okay, Sebby.”
“No, it’s not!” Seb groaned, voice muffled. “How could Carlos be engaged!”
Kourtney grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him up. “Hon, that bar is disgusting.”
“I don’t care.”
“You will.”
“Seb, listen to me,” EJ grabbed Seb’s head and forced him to make eye contact. “Carlos is engaged to you.”
Seb’s eyes widened. “To me?” He looked completely in awe.
“Yes, to you,” EJ confirmed. “He loves you. We’re all back in Salt Lake for your wedding this weekend, remember?”
“Wow!” Seb beamed. “I’m so lucky!”
“I’m sure he feels the same,” Kourtney patted Seb on the shoulder.
“I want to see him!” Seb jumped off the barstool, wobbling slightly. Big Red and EJ reached out to steady him before he ended up on his ass. “I want to see Carlos!”
“Carlos is on his way,” Kourtney informed him gently. It was true—she had texted him as soon as Seb had started to freak out.
Seb pouted. “Why isn’t he here now?”
“Because he wanted to do karaoke,” Ashlyn explained. Although the Wildcats had started the night as one group, Carlos, Gina, Ricky, and Nini had split off half an hour ago. The rest of the group was supposed to eventually make their way over, but Seb had started melting down before they could. “And you wanted to stay with EJ and do shots.” She tossed a glare her cousin’s way.
“Again, how was I supposed to know he would start crying!” EJ threw his hands up in exasperation.
“Because he’s Seb,” a voice cut through the cacophony of the bar. They all turned to see Carlos and the rest standing behind them. “Seb cries at Disney movies.”
“Everyone cries at Disney movies,” EJ argued.
“Uh, no,” Gina smirked. “But it’s cute that you just admitted that you do.”
EJ blushed. “Like you didn’t have a complete breakdown when we watched Inside Out.”
“Shut up.”
Carlos rolled his eyes at both of them and approached Seb.
“Hey, honey,” he said gently. “I heard you wanted to see me.”
Seb nodded vigorously. “Is it true?”
“Is what true?”
“Are we really getting married?” Seb asked, blue eyes wide and slightly watery.
Carlos smiled indulgently. “We are. In two days we will be Mr. and Mr. Matthew-Smith Rodriguez.”
Seb shook his head, a blinding smile on his face. “That’s impossible. How could someone as amazing as you possibly be marrying me?”
Carlos chuckled softly. “Because you’re pretty amazing, too.”
Seb flushed. “You mean it?”
Carlos rolled his eyes, and grabbed Seb’s left hand, and held it in front of his face. “Look, see? I bought you this ring.”
Seb’s eyes bugged.
Carlos held up his own hand, showing off his matching ring. “And I’ve got one, too.”
Seb grabbed Carlos’s hand, running his finger over the ring. “I can’t believe you want to marry me.”
“More than anything,” Carlos smiled and pressed a kiss to his temple. “I love you.”
Seb grinned. “I love you, too.”
Carlos squeezed his hand. “Ready to go home?”
“Aw, come on,” Gina complained. “It’s still early.”
“And my husband-to-be is plastered,” Carlos huffed. He glanced around at all his friends. “None of you are allowed to have more than one glass of champagne at the rehearsal dinner tomorrow.”
EJ sighed. “I guess that’s fair.”
“Especially you.” Carlos gave him a withering look before turning back to his fiancé. “Come on, I’ll drive.”
With that, Carlos pulled them both out of the bar and down the street towards his car, where he settled Seb into the passenger seat, buckling him in and kissing him on the cheek.
“You just rest, okay? I’ll wake you up when we’re home.”
Seb hummed in affirmation.
Carlos walked around the car and slid into the driver’s seat, and settled in for the two-hour drive back to the Matthew-Smith’s.
“Love you,” Seb mumbled. "Night."
Carlos smiled softly and slid the key into the ignition. "Sweet dreams, mi amor.”
Don't ask me why this took me all day to write and post because I don't know how or why that happened. Hope you like it!
Carlos is pretty sure he’s died and gone to—
Well, actually, he’s not entirely sure if this is heaven or hell. He hopes it’s heaven, because if it’s heaven, that means he’ll eventually get his hands on Seb, to touch him and kiss him and show him just how much he likes what he sees.
Realistically, however, it’s hell. He watches, transfixed, as Seb walks into Slices with Ashlyn and Natalie, sashaying towards the Wildcats’ tables with confidence. It’s the dead of summer, early August with temperatures in the triple digits, but Carlos wasn’t sweating until Seb came through the door. He’s wearing a crop top—light pink, form-fitting, small sleeves tight over his upper arms, leaving his stomach exposed from just above his belly button down—a pair of blue denim cutoffs—low on his hips and short enough for the pockets to be visible, and frayed as though he cut up a pair of jeans himself (which he probably did)—and white sneakers. The icing on the proverbial cake is the pair of plastic heart-shaped sunglasses perched on his head, the dark pink of the frames stark against his blonde hair.
“You’re drooling,” Gina says, amused lilt to her voice.
Carlos blushes. “Like you were any better when EJ walked in here wearing a tank top.”
EJ laughs. Gina glares at him.
Finally, Seb and the girls reach their table. Ashlyn slides in across from Carlos and Gina, next to EJ, and Natalie sits down at the table across the aisle from them, but Seb stays on his feet, electing instead to lean against the table, right in front of Carlos.
“So,” he says, snapping his gum—because of course, he’s chewing gum, even though they're here for lunch—between his front teeth. “How do I look?”
Carlos sucks in a breath. “Good. You look good.”
Seb’s overconfident mask slips for a second. “Really? It’s not showing too much skin?”
Carlos shakes his head vigorously, eyes tracking over every inch of exposed skin. “Not from where I’m sitting.” He wants to put his hands and lips everywhere he can see, and maybe some of the few places he can’t.
Seb grins. “Good.” He slides into the booth right next to Carlos, squishing in so close he’s practically in Carlos’ lap, and Carlos could move closer to Gina, but instead, he hooks an arm around Seb’s waist, letting his hand gently brush against his exposed abdomen, gratified when he feels the muscles there tense against his fingers.
“Is everyone else here?” Seb asks, looking around. The rest of the Wildcats are scattered at various tables, save for Big Red, Kourtney, and Howie, who are all working.
“Yes, honey,” Carlos rolls his eyes. “You made quite the entrance.”
Seb grins, picking up Carlos’ glass of ice water. “Never underestimate the power of being fashionably late. You taught me that.” He lifts the drink to his lips and takes a long sip. Carlos never knew it was possible to be jealous of a straw.
“That’s my water,” is all he manages to say.
“So?” Seb shrugs, eyes glinting. We’re going to make out later, he doesn’t say, but Carlos hears it anyway. “You know you’re going to want to steal some of my Coke when Kourtney brings it.”
“That’s fair.” Not to mention, Carlos isn’t actually upset about the water. (It’s not water he wants.)
But he can’t have what he wants, not here, surrounded by all their friends, in a restaurant.
“Damn, Sebby!” Kourtney is beaming at him, setting a Coke down on the table, and Carlos doesn’t even know when she got to their table. “You look amazing! I knew that crop top would be perfect!”
Seb flushes. “As always, you were right,” he agrees. “Thanks for the extra push, Kourt.”
“Pssh,” she waves him off. “That’s what besties are for.”
Carlos isn’t surprised that Kourtney was involved in this–she was involved in most of Seb’s more exciting fashion choices. He should probably thank her for it sometime. Or ask her why she likes to torture him. Instead, he stays quiet, lets her joke with Seb about it before walking back to the kitchen to put in their orders.
In fact, he stays quiet for most of the rest of the hangout. He’s too distracted to follow the wildcats’ chaotic, overlapping conversation too closely, so instead, he lets it wash over him like pleasant background noise. The brunt of his focus is on Seb–Seb, who is so close to him, who is dressed like that, Seb who he can’t touch–at least, not in the ways he really wants.
Seb, who seems completely oblivious.
Seb leans into Carlos even more, sitting sideways in the booth, so his back is pressed against Carlos, wiggling and shifting against him. Carlos swallows, tries to tighten his arm around his boyfriend so he’ll stop moving. But Seb turns his head and there’s that glint in his eyes again, and oh, he’s doing it on purpose. Not so oblivious after all.
Carlos leans in so he can whisper in Seb’s ear. “Two can play at this game,” he breathes against Seb’s neck, quiet enough that no one else notices. He drags his hand up from its resting place near Seb’s belly button, up under his shirt, until his palm is flat against the ridges of Seb’s chest.
Seb shudders slightly, and Carlos can feel his heart rate rising. “Carlos…”
“You started it.”
“Then I guess I have to finish it, too.” Seb winks at him, before sliding away from him. Carlos can’t help the small whine that leaves him at the loss of contact. “We have to go,” Seb announces.
“What?” Ricky frowns. “But we’ve only been here like an hour.”
“Yeah, but it’s such a long drive to the farm,” Seb says, standing up from the table.
Ashlyn narrows her eyes. “I thought you said you were going to spend tonight at Carlos’ place.”
Seb’s eyes widen because, of course, he’s a terrible liar.
“We are,” Carlos says, jumping up and into the conversation. “But Seb left some stuff at his place, so we have to go there first.”
“So you’re going there and back?” EJ frowns. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Yeah, well,” Carlos shrugs. “My boyfriend’s a blonde.”
“Hey!”
“Sorry, Sweetie.” He gives Seb’s hand a squeeze. I’ll make it up to you.
They say their goodbyes, waving over their shoulders at Kourtney and Big Red on their way out, and then they’re on the sidewalk outside of Slices. Alone at last. They reach Carlos’ car, the air between them buzzing with electricity. Seb pulls on their interlocked hands, pressing a soft kiss to Carlos’ lips before pulling away. It is meant to be a promise, more than a kiss, an acknowledgment that there will be more later.
But Seb tastes like sweet like Cherry Coke and Carlos can’t hold himself back any longer now that he’s gotten a taste. He drops Seb’s hand and pushes him up against the side of car with force, pressing their lips together in a bruising kiss. Seb is pliant under his touch, letting him take as much as he wants. And he take he does. He catches Seb’s bottom lip between his teeth, and Seb moans into his mouth. His hands run along Seb’s exposed skin, warm from the summer heat, pushing up the bottom edge of the crop top as his touch creeps higher and higher.
Carlos would be content to keep kissing Seb forever, but they’re interrupted by a loud thumping sound. Carlos reluctantly pulls away from his boyfriend, and turns towards find the source of the noise. He sees the rest of the Wildcats, looking out the window of Slices, watching them with wide eyes.
