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freddieslater · 2 years

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Rowing the Rarepair Rowboat: Bevie | Ben Florian/Evie Grimhilde (Descendants)

Requested by anonymous

Ben gives her a funny look, then ducks his head as he laughs. Evie stares at him, open-mouthed. Her face begins to flush as he tries to apologise and compose himself.

"What?" she demands. "What did I say?"

"Nothing! It's..." He clears his throat and looks up at her from beneath his lashes. God, it's unfair for them to be so naturally pretty. She would kill for eyelashes like that.

Oh no. She's staring. She is definitely staring, and he probably thinks she's really weird. She tries to keep her face a mask of offence rather than admiration.

"You..." Ben's tongue pokes out between his lips and he looks away from her, cheeks dimpled with a smile. "Well, you called me cute."

Her neck and face burn harder than before with the flames of utter embarrassment. She bites down on her tongue as she tries to think of how to salvation this humiliation; what would her mother do?

Well, for her it wouldn't be an embarrassment. She would grasp this moment between her wrinkled little claws and brainwash the pretty prince into marrying her and making her queen. That's what she would say to her. Charm him. Make him fall in love.

"Oh," she breathes, then swallows. Her throat's oddly scratchy. She flexes her fingers in her lap, finding comfort in the familiar material of her dress. "Um... sorry?"

"No, it's fine," Ben says with a shrug. "Not often I hear that, so I'll take it, even if it was an accident."

He flashes her a grin. Her mother hisses in her head like a poisonous little snake. She's doing it without even trying, he's falling for her.

Except he's not. He's her friend. He's a prince. He's Ben. The soon-to-be King of Auradon. Of course he isn't falling for her, how could he? She's an airhead with a wicked witch of a mother. At least, that's what everyone else has been saying since she got to Auradon.

"Hey, you okay?" Ben asks, putting down his own pen as he peers at her in concern. "It's really not a big deal. It's an easy mistake. Learning a new language is really hard."

"No one else here seems to find it hard," she mutters bitterly. Why can she not just be like the rest of them? By all rights, she's supposed to be a princess, and yet she has never felt more like an outsider than she does in a castle full of royalty.

"Hey." Ben reaches out and rests a hand on top of hers. She freezes, unsure of what to do. "It's not just you, I promise. Everyone has trouble with something. Just, no one likes to admit it."

She wants to believe him. To believe that it really isn't just her who has these problems and that everyone else isn't as perfect as they seem. After all, everyone for so long thought her own mother was a perfect queen, perfect wife and perfect stepmother until the illusion shattered like a broken mirror.

"So, it's taking some time to learn a new language," Ben continues softly. "That's normal. In fact, it took me an extra three months more than everyone else to learn how to talk at all. My father blames it on my mama's insistence on me learning both French and English."

Evie finally looks at him, surprised. He smiles and nods to confirm he's being entirely honest. She's not sure he's even capable of telling a lie. He's far too good and honest for that. Like his mother, she's heard.

"And, not only that, but I had to spend months practising to even get on the Tourney team. As it turns out, I'm not a natural at sports."

"No," Evie says, now certain he must be exaggerating, but he nods even more firmly. "But -- you're amazing at Tourney! You're the captain of the team!"

"Because I kept practising," Ben says. "I worked really hard. And while it really bothered me that Chad and Li'l always seemed to just know what they were doing on the field while I would be falling over or kicking grass, I didn't let it stop me."

He raises his eyebrows pointedly and she gets what he's trying to say.

She takes a deep breath, filling her lungs with air while he fills her head with confidence. He's right. It was one little mistake. Hardly the end of the world. She just needs to keep trying. Eventually, it'll all be worth it.

"Okay," she says, and he smiles brightly, taking his hand back to pick up his pen again. She oddly misses the feeling of it on her own. "So, what did I say?"

"Tu es mignon," Ben says so smoothly. "Your pronunciation was great, though, especially since you didn't even know what you were saying."

She repeats what he said, then smiles to herself proudly. "Well, at least I now know one phrase. And it makes you smile, so it's obviously a good one to know."

Ben shakes his head lightly at her as he laughs again. She swears his own cheeks look rather flushed. He isn't protesting the compliment though.

"I should still probably teach you how to say something other than that, though. Like... Je ne peux pas m’empêcher de penser à toi."

Evie blinks. "Uh... could you maybe... say that again... slowly?"

Ben just smiles to himself like he has some inside secret, rubbing at his bottom lip with his thumb. "It's okay, we'll get there in time. Let's stick to the basics for now. Sound good?"

She breathes a sigh of relief and nods, smiling back at him as she poises her pen once again over her paper. "Yes."

"J’aime ton sourire," Ben exhales softly.

Before she can ask for a translation and a repeat, he brushes it off and begins explaining simple greetings to her, and the way that verbs and nouns and pronouns all work in French. They're probably sitting there in the library going over it for at least an hour or two more, with Evie actually laughing at her mistakes but not getting upset over them.

#descendants #ben florian #evie grimhilde #ben x evie #evie x ben #bevie #rowing the rarepair rowboat #rarepair rowboat #I just think they're perfect for each other #like descendants would've made WAY more sense if evie was the main character and had the whole romance with ben #she wanted A PRINCE #HE'S RIGHT THERE #also please let me know if any of the french is wrong I had to use a couple of different websites to ensure I didn't mess any translations #up but you know what the internet is like something might still be wrong especially since I am in no way fluent #not even slightly

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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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