I'm Back! And I'm Better

You had heard only bits and snippets of their childhood on the Isle and from what you understood, Carlos had it the very worst. This broke your heart and you wanted to make him feel as loved and wanted to make up for all the years missed out on.

“Just call him on Christmas and tell him to meet you. And to get the point across, wear a bow. Just a bow.” Mal cackled as Evie smacked her shoulder. “Stop! He would faint.” Evie giggled.

As Mal and Evie continued with their shenanigans, you racked your brain for ideas when it hit you. Next week was the yearly Christmas fundraiser put on by Auradon Prep. Any talent was welcome and encouraged to join. 

“Guys!” Evie and Mal went quiet. Your eyes were filled with excitement and determination. “I’m gonna sing a song for him. At the show.” You nodded, becoming more and more excited at the idea.

Evie gasped. “And I can make you a special outfit! He won’t be able to keep his eyes off of you!” She squealed, quickly pulling out a sewing tape measure. “As long as he waits to put his hands on you until later.” Mal snickered, leaning against the wall. 

You smiled, allowing Evie to begin taking your measurements. You knew exactly what to sing. 

---

That was last week and you would never be able to repay Evie. She had put all other projects on hold, sewing your dress and making sure that it was perfect. And boy, you felt perfect. 

You focused on taking deep calming breaths, not even watching the talent going on stage before you. “(Y/N)!” Mal whispered, coming from the stairs that led to the audience, Evie right on her heels. “Ooh girl! You look so good!” Evie praised even though she had seen you everyday for the last week. 

Evie had sewn you a red dress that hugged your body in the right ways and stopped mid thigh. It was off the shoulder with sleeves that covered above your elbow to your wrist and a classic fuzzy white trim on the top of the bodice. It screamed sexy Christmas.

“We got him here, right there.” Mal pointed through the curtains, leading you to peak through the folds, quickly spotting the familiar white haired boy in the audience next to Jay. Mal put her hand on your shoulder, grabbing your attention. “All we had to do was tell him you’re performing and he nearly knocked us over trying to get here.” She winked at you, making you flush and match your dress.

The sound of applause from the audience and Fairy Godmother on the mic, thanking the performer, made you all turn your heads. “Up next, (Y/N)!” Evie and Mal whispered good lucks behind you before darting back into the audience the way they came.

You smoothed down your dress and walked out onstage, nearly being blinded by the lights. You reached center stage and adjusted the mic stand to your height. Once ready, you took a shaky breath and nodded to the audio guy in the wings who began the track.

Gazing over the audience, you met Carlos’s eyes and held his gaze as your cue for the first verse came.

I don't want a lot for Christmas There is just one thing I need I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree I just want you for my own More than you could ever know Make my wish come true All I want for Christmas is you

You sang loud and clear, carrying notes flawlessly all while holding eye contact with Carlos, desperately hoping your message would come across clearly.

Yeah I don't want a lot for Christmas There is just one thing I need (and I) Don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree I don't need to hang my stocking there upon the fireplace Santa Claus won't make me happy with a toy on Christmas Day

The beat picked up and you got lost in the rhythm, allowing yourself to smile and sway to the beat. You broke eye contact with Carlos and focused on the rest of the crowd, putting every bit of emotion behind your performance.

I just want you for my own More than you could ever know Make my wish come true All I want for Christmas is you You, baby

You glanced at Carlos who was focused on you, cheeks flushed. You shot him a wink, flushing yourself as a smile spread across his face. In return, a wide victorious smile crossed yours.

You continued with the song, getting lost in the lyrics and emotions. So lost, in fact, you didn’t notice Mal, Evie, and Jay shoving their way through the crowd, dragging Carlos to where he would be right in front of the stage. He didn’t resist, not wanting to miss a single second of your song.

Soon the song was coming to an end and you met Carlos’s gaze again, him being closer than he was before. You took a leap of faith and pulled the mic off the stand and strutted to the end of the stage, easing yourself down gracefully.

You looked and met Carlos’s eyes again and suddenly felt more shy face to face. 

All I want for Christmas (all I really want) is you, baby All I want (I want) for Christmas (all I really want) is you, baby

You were barely singing, your voice being carried softly by the mic. You stopped in front of Carlos as the music ended, the crowd clapping and whistling louder than before.

You squeaked as Carlos pulled you in for a tight but gentle hug. You hugged him back before pulling away and placing a hand on his jaw. “Merry Christmas, Carlos.” You murmured, feeling like you two were the only people in the world.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

He would want to settle down but it would take him a while to not be nervous that the next day it could all be destroyed. He has little experience cooking but with a little help from you, he could learn more and get better. Cleaning isn’t his favorite thing to do but he makes do.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He would be sad and nervous, having spent the previous days practicing what he would say but would try as soon as possible to get privacy to do it. He would try to stay friends with his ex but would respect their wishes if they told him no even if it hurt him.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

He would be a bit nervous about commitment but he would make sure that this is something he wants 100% before following through. Marriage doesn’t exactly mean what is used to in this world but if he’s been with his partner for a long time, he would secretly want to get married and make it special for the both of them.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

When it comes to you, he is firm but gentle in both ways. He would snap emotionally if he was stressed and angry or his partner wasn’t listening to him. The most physically he would do is tug you away for privacy or shake your shoulders in an attempt to get you to listen to him.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He is touch starved when it comes to hugs from his favorite people. He is big on hello and goodbye hugs. He would put his face either into your neck or hair and close his eyes, taking just a moment of peace. They’re long and very tight. 

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

He would want to be alone with you the first time he says it. He would ask Rick how to know if he loves someone and takes Rick’s advice of “You’ll just know. You’ll feel it with your entire chest.” He would relay this to you.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

He would be adamant he’s not jealous, just protective. No one else buys this. He would stick by your side and give dirty looks to his opponent. 

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

He would be almost too gentle but at his partner’s insistence, he would be more passionate. Again, forehead and cheek kisses. He likes regular kisses that maybe last a little too long, that leave him red and breathless but also fleeting kisses to his cheek or shoulder.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

He’s great around kids, having experience with Judith and the other kids. He’s pretty good about getting the kids focused on one project and keeping them safe and distracted.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

He would try to tug you back into bed if you get up first but would try and let you sleep for as long as possible. He’s not the best cook but makes coffee in bed, sitting in comfortable silence. Too many times it gets too comfortable and leads to both of you rushing to get ready, giggling and cracking jokes.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Nights are usually rather quiet, him winding down by reading comics with you until either one or both of you can’t keep your eyes open. Like above, he’s a big cuddlebug. 

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

He can be aloof at times so it would have to be his partner that starts talking about themselves and slowly he would reciprocate with his own. He wouldn’t immediately dump all of his info on you but would make sure you were responding and he was learning about you as well. It would take a while for him to get deep. 

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

H’s an angry boy. He tries to not snap at you but if he does, he’s quick to apologize once he’s cooled off.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He would remember you mentioning if you really liked something, especially if he was going on a run later, to keep an eye out for it. 

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

It’s a tie between the moment he realized his feelings were reciprocated and the first night everyone was in their own house in Alexandria, the hope that you could build something solid.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Very. He won’t leave you alone with someone he doesn’t trust, shooting warning glares at that person and keeping a hand over his weapon. He would find any defense on his behalf heartwarming but do not put yourself in danger in the process. He hates that.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

A lot. He would go to the adults in his group like Maggie and Glenn or Michonne and Rick for advice and ideas of how to make yall’s special day even more special.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

He would be overprotective to a fault. It could cause issues and stress. He’s also incredibly stubborn.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Ya’ll already know that his eye is a big insecurity. It would take a long time for his partner to even see him without the bandage. His partner will have to reassure him that he is still worthy of love and that it doesn’t and never will scare them.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

It would be a slow and gradual thing that he didn’t realize was happening until it was too late. This would come to the surface the first time his partner spent an extended amount of time either at Hilltop or the Kingdom. 

“I didn't realize I couldn’t live without you until I had to.”

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He likes to play wrestle his partner, always being careful not to really hurt them. This almost always turns into him “cheating” and tickling his partner into submission. One of his greatest kept secrets is that he is also secretly ticklish. 

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

A partner that is too naïve. A bit of naivety is a breath of fresh air but he likes a partner he knows can defend themselves and hold their own if they need to.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)