Captain JJ

Thankfully, the curse doesn’t work on Oscar's siblings. He was immensely happy when he realized that the other Aphrodite kids just see him normally.

His older brother George rubbed his back when Oscar confessed that he was terrified he would never find love because he would always be guessing if someone sees him for him and not just how they want him to look.

His other brother, Charles, told him that he felt the same way with his charmspeak. Back when he didn't know how to control it, he felt like he was manipulating everyone to like him or do his bidding.

"Maybe you could learn how to turn it off?"

Oscar tried. His first summer at Camp Halfblood, the one after discovering the curse and subsequently opening the doors to monster attacks, he poured over every book in the library and storeroom in hopes for a clue. He prayed to his mother every night. He even mustered up the courage to ask Mr. D who told Oscar to get him alcohol and he'll tell. Alas, Oscar never got answers and his hair smelled of sulfur the whole day.

Oscar shook his head. "I don't think I can."

And so, Oscar just learned to deal with it. He brushes off romantic advances and resigns himself to a life of never being truly loved. It's fine. It's a bit of a rebellion against Aphrodite too; the Goddess of Love's son not finding love because of a 'blessing' she gave him. She never even interacted with him aside from birthing him 18 years ago and when she claimed him when he arrived in Camp Halfblood with a seashell shining above his head.

There was an attempt to make the gods be more present in their children's lives but of course, gods will be gods. At least Oscar gets yearly birthday gifts which is more than what other kids get from their own godly parents.

In Oscar's final summer at Camp Halfblood, before he leaves for New Rome, Logan, a son of Aeolus, approaches him as he was polishing armor with Yuki, a child of Hestia.

"Hey, Chiron's looking for you."

Oscar and Logan make their way to the Big House, chatting as they walk. Logan had been Oscar's first friend outside of his cabin. Oscar arrived a week after Logan did and they've been close ever since. They've even decided to room together when they attend New Rome University in the fall.

Oscar had asked how Logan sees him when they were 14. He'd been harboring a small crush on the blond and wanted to know if Logan truly sees him before making a move. Logan described Oscar as having brown hair- Oscar's heart soars- green eyes and tan skin- and immediately drops.

Oscar forces a smile. Logan drags him to an Apollo kid to try and sketch what he looks like by Oscar describing himself. It doesn't work. Logan holds him as he cries.

"Why's Chiron calling me anyway?" Oscar asks as they near the Big House.

"Who knows? Maybe you've been chosen for a quest," Logan teases as he bumps Oscar's shoulder with his.

Oscar just laughs. For the six years that Oscar has spent in Camp Halfblood, no one had been called for a quest.

In fact, the last quest had been given ten years ago when Lewis Hamilton, a son of Hermes, was prophesized to stop a war between the Greek demigods and their Roman counterparts. After that, it's been peaceful. Well, as peaceful as it could be for a halfblood.

And besides, a child of Aphrodite being chosen for a quest? Especially one who's been cursed by her? Hilarious.

Chiron probably just wants to ask him to teach Pegasus riding again. Oscar's the best at camp.

But then Oscar finds himself in the attic, breathing in the smell of mildew and rotting wood, and staring into the eyes of Fernando Alonso.

Fernando had hosted the Oracle of Delphi for a total of 24 years. For the 10 that no prophecies were made, no demigod currently in camp had ever seen him. Everyone just assumed he retired. Others thought he was dead.

"Did you live here all this time?" Oscar couldn't help but ask.

Fernando rolls his eyes and leans back on his lawn chair. "I am only repeating this once so listen closely."

"Choosing to be mysterious, I see," Oscar mutters to himself before Fernando's eyes glow green as his jaw basically unhinges and green mist pours out with a hiss.

The child of love in a masquerade

With air and missives in his aid

In the search for Leo's armor

Freed by the hands of the smooth operator

"What the fuck does that even mean?"

Fernando, coughing from either the mist or his old age, Oscar can't tell, just shrugs and smirks. Oscar shuts the attic trapdoor, leaving Fernando humming Sade to himself.

"The prophecy is quite easy, Oscar. I was correct in deducing that it was you being talked about," Chiron says as Oscar recounts the prophecy.

"Because who else is a child of love with a permanent mask, basically?" Oscar says wryly.

Chiron ignores him. "The prophecy says that you will be aided by air and missives. Any idea what that could be?"

While Oscar was researching on information about the curse, he read about Orestes who, in order to end his House's curse, went to trial before Athena. Oscar had the idea that if he were sent on a quest, and if he did well, someone would take pity on him and remove his curse.

Despite summers going by without a prophecy to fulfill, Oscar read up on everything that can help him in the unlikely scenario that he was sent on one. The hope dwindled to almost nothing as Oscar grew older but on the bright side, Oscar's really good at critical thinking now.

"A quest is usually taken by three people. The air and missives should be my companions."

Chiron smiles. "Very good. I assume you already have your companions in mind?"

"Pretty much."

⋆.˚ ☼⋆𓇼｡𖦹˙༄.°

Ten days later, Oscar finds himself in Madrid. What is he doing in Madrid? Ask Liam.

The quest started off rockily. Oscar chose Logan, as a son of Aeolus, and their other friend Liam, a son of Hermes, to be his companions. Considering that they're his closest friends in Camp Halfblood, Oscar was pretty sure that they were the air and missive in the prophecy.

Figuring out the latter part of the prophecy was trickier. Chiron refused to give them any hints. Logan then brought up an absurd idea.

"Oscar, you said that Fernando was humming the Sade song when you left, right? What if that was a hint?"

With no more ideas or suggestions, the trio decided to start there. Chiron stopped them from attempting to go to Nigeria, talking ominously about other gods and deities. They decide to start with England, where the singer currently lives.

Liam was the only current Hermes kid who had the power to teleport. However, he can only do short distances and needed recovery periods in between each journey, especially when teleporting with another person, let alone two.

Oscar, Logan, and Liam had to figure out a way to get to England. Since Logan was the son of the god of wind, they figured that they could ride a plane. However, after a series of monster slaying and chases, and Liam being transformed into a sweater by a pissed-off goddess, the arrival of the last prophesized hero, Lewis Hamilton, basically saved their quest.

Liam was starstruck meeting his older brother and practically vibrated with pride when Lewis was impressed with his teleportation ability.

"I flit from New Rome to England when needed. Roscoe and Coco can help you out." Lewis says and whistles. Two giant winged bulldogs zip out of the sky and land next to Lewis.

Oscar has never read about winged bulldogs but with Lewis' success in his quest, the gods agreed to grant him a wish. Roscoe and Coco were probably it.

"Our names will be written in history." Liam says as he holds onto Coco as they fly over the North Atlantic Ocean. "We're the first heroes to ride flying bulldogs for a quest."

England was trickier. Shit weather, accents thicker than Oscar's or Liam's, English food, oh- and two chimeras in Sunderland.

Oscar felt the heat of a chimera crowding him in a corner. His sword was on the ground 3 feet away and he had no way of getting to it without going through the monster. Out of the corner of his eye, Oscar sees Liam and Logan running towards him, the other chimera in hot pursuit.

Oscar reaches out a hand, fingers grazing Liam's, as the chimera bellows fire in the spot Oscar used to be.

The trio stumble out into a park, the climate immediately different from England's. Oscar had no time to figure out where they were before Liam collapses.

Oscar and Logan shove ambrosia down Liam's throat and hope he doesn't choke and lay him out on a nearby bench. Joggers and passersby don't pay them any mind, though they look at Oscar, but they steer clear of these teenagers who look like they were homeless.

Only Logan had his backpack; Oscar's was burned by the chimera and Liam left his in England so they only had the money Logan brought.

Logan left to buy clothes for them to change into and some food and Oscar stayed to look after Liam. They had deduced that they were somewhere in Spain, what with the weather and language around them. Oh, and the Spanish flag waving from a nearby building.

The sun was beating down so Oscar moved Liam under a shady tree, propping his jacket under his head for a bit of cushion and leans back against the bark. It had barely been ten minutes since Oscar closed his eyes when-

"Hello. English?"

Oscar cracks one eye open when he sees the most gorgeous man he had ever seen in his entire life. And he knows a lot of gorgeous people.

The guy only looked a few years older than him, maybe about 21 years old. His hair was majestic and his bone structure borderline regal. He looked like he would be on the cover of a romance novel. The top three buttons on his white linen shirt were also unbuttoned.

This must be a trap. And Liam is still out cold.

Oscar narrows his eyes and feels the shift of the dagger he strapped on his leg. "Australian, actually."

The guy smiles, amused. "I meant the language." He clears his throat and hands Oscar a piece of paper. "Um anyway, I hope you do not find this weird but I saw you from the bench and drew you. I hope you do not mind."

Oscar's eyes widened. The sketch was good, amazing even, but what surprised Oscar was that he was staring at himself. His swoopy hair, his moles, even the soot on his face and the tear on his shirt.

It was Oscar.

Before Oscar could reply, not that he had anything coherent to say, the guy's phone blares Smooth Operator by Sade.

"Ah, I need to meet my family. I have to go. You can keep the drawing."

He was a few steps away when Oscar had the mind to call out. "Wait! What's your name?"

"Carlos." He grins and winks. "But you can call me smooth operator."

"Oscar."

After Carlos leaves, Oscar bites back a grin and looks down at the drawing. The paper had clearly been torn out of a sketchbook. Oscar was in the middle of the page, legs stretched out as he leaned back against the tree. His neck was bared; Carlos even got the moles on his throat.

Oscar wasn't the only subject Carlos drew. On the bottom right of the page was a sketch of a fountain. In its center was a woman on a chariot pulled by two lions.

Lions.

Leo's armor.

And what did Carlos tell Oscar to call him?

When Logan came back, shopping bags in hand, Oscar gripped his shoulders with a wild look in his eyes. He rapidly told Logan about what happened and how it aligned with the prophecy.

They look at Liam, still passed out but looking better than he did.

"Liam, you lucky son of a bitch."

⋆.˚ ☼⋆𓇼｡𖦹˙༄.°

The quest was a success. Leo's armor was actually the Nemean Lion's pelt. Heracles had apparently lost a wager against Cibele and had to give her the pelt. Oscar challenged her to another one to win it back.

Oscar wagered that a mortal will pick him over Cibele no matter how much she changes her appearance.

Logan and Liam both cringe. Everybody knew about the story of the Apple of Discord and Oscar was basically recreating it.

Oscar and Cibele both flirted with the same person at different times. In the end, Oscar was one picked by the mortal to go on a date with.

Cibele was thankfully in a good mood when Oscar won and cackled when Oscar told her about his curse.

"Dear boy, your mother gave you that blessing to make sure that only one who can love and is worthy of you can see you."

Oscar was taken aback. "So this really isn't a curse? My mum doesn't hate me?"

Cibele leans towards him. "I think she's just very protective of you." The goddess shrugs. "I'd wager that you'll be able to control the blessing once you kiss the worthy one."

She eyes the pelt in Logan's arms. Logan holds it closer to his body as Liam frantically says, "Nope. No more wagers."

Heracles was delighted when the trio returns the pelt. He brushes Oscar off when he tells Heracles not to enter any more wagers. He sends them back to Camp Halfblood with a snap of his fingers in thanks.

For the first time in two weeks, Oscar could finally sleep in his own bunk. Logan and Liam were great friends but Logan snores and Liam was particularly bitchy when woken up.

The high of a successful quest lasted all throughout summer. But as one quest ends, another begins.

Oscar finished folding the moving boxes in his new apartment. It was barely furnished, and there was only a mattress on the floor in his bedroom but once Logan gets there tomorrow, Oscar wouldn't feel as bad because Logan most likely doesn't have a bed too.

He decides to head out and explore New Rome before the sun fully sets and get a bite to eat. The apartment he and Logan chose was right next to a park. As he walks through the path, the peace and quiet allows him to think back on that summer.

Oscar survived to adulthood as a demigod. Once he graduates from New Rome University, his scent is barely noticeable enough for monsters to continue coming after him. He can live normally out in the world like Lewis. And, Cibele told him that he can control his curse/blessing when he kisses the worthy one.

Oscar feels his face heat up. With all the excitement of finishing the quest, enjoying the last weeks of summer as a camper, moving to a new city and starting university, Carlos had carved a small space in Oscar's mind.

Oscar smiles. When Oscar's older and safe enough, maybe he could book a trip to Madrid.

Oscar had walked a loop around the park when he realizes that he left his wallet back in the apartment. When he unlocks the door, Oscar almost thinks that he went to the wrong place.

The apartment was fully furnished, all the junk and trash Oscar accumulated while unpacking was gone. The apartment looked like something out of a magazine catalogue. On the walls were framed pictures of Oscar and Logan, their families and friends and framed posters of the racecars they bonded over.

Oscar opens the fridge in the kitchen and found it stock full of all of his and Logan's favorite food and drinks. Before he opens his bedroom, he peeks into Logan's. It was bare but there was a bedframe.

Finally, Oscar opens his bedroom door and almost chokes.

When Oscar was seven, his babysitter brought him to play in the park. He was thirsty so she went to buy a drink from a nearby food truck and left him on a picnic table to draw while he waits.

Oscar remembers the scent of roses and the loveliest woman he had ever seen smiling down at him. He had been taught about stranger danger but this woman wasn't a stranger. He didn't know who she was but she was safe.

She sat with him and stroked his hair as he showed her his drawings.

"Why are the animals angry, cupcake?"

"They didn't want to be drawn, mum."

She giggles when Oscar shows her his 'masterpiece'- a page completely covered in black paint.

"And this is my room! Or what I want it to be." Oscar flips the page to a floorplan of his dream bedroom. He points out the massive tub in the en-suite bathroom.

"It needs to be shaped like a seashell because you were one, mum!"

She puts a hand to her heart dramatically. "I was a seashell?"

Oscar nods and points out the other features in his room. "There's a giant window on one wall and my bed is a racecar. And my lamp is a kangaroo because I'm Australian."

When Oscar's babysitter gets back, the woman is gone. But Oscar knew she was real. He could still smell roses.

His room was exactly how Oscar wanted it to be when he was a kid but more grown up. The giant window, the shell-shaped pool he could see from the open door of his en-suite (An en-suite! There wasn't an en-suite in his room when Oscar left!)

His bed wasn't a racecar but carved in the mahogany were racecars, pegasi, doves, and seashells. Oscar laughs when he sees the kangaroo lamp on the nightstand.

Next to the lamp was Carlos' sketch and beside it were two coupons for a bakery a few blocks away and a small pink note.

Get yourself a cupcake, cupcake ⁠♡

xoxo Mum

"Thanks mum." Oscar smiles and pickets the coupons.

The bakery his mother got him coupons to was a small quaint one with French architecture. It was right across a small courtyard with a fountain in the middle. Children ran around playing, a faun sang for spare change, and lares floated and roamed about, the glare of their ghostly bodies hitting Oscar's eyes when caught by the rays of the setting sun.

When Oscar finally rubbed the sunspots out of his eyes, he sees a guy with a sketchbook in his hand gaping at him.

The guy only looked a few years older than him, maybe about 21 years old. His hair was majestic and his bone structure borderline regal. He looked like he would be on the cover of a romance novel. The top three buttons on his linen shirt were also unbuttoned. But this time, he was in blue.

"Oscar?"

"Carlos," Oscar breathed out. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here."

"You're a demigod?"

Carlos shakes his head. "Let me introduce myself properly this time. My name is Carlos Sainz. I am a legacy of Neptune." He rolls up his sleeve to show a tattoo of a trident and ten stripes on his arm.

The tattoo just makes Carlos even hotter. Oscar tamps down the voice in his brain begging him to jump the guy.

"I'm Oscar Piastri. Son of Aphrodite. Or Venus, I guess."

Carlos smiles. "Ah, so that is why you are very pretty."

Oscar rolls his eyes, ignoring the heat on his cheeks. "Very smooth, smooth operator."

Carlos just laughs. "It is true!"

Oscar stares at Carlos. To ask or not to ask? "Hey, when you drew me back in the summer, is that how you actually see me?"

Carlos' eyebrows furrow. "Of course. I am not very good at drawing things I cannot see."

Something starts growing in Oscar's chest. "Carlos, can you tell me what I look like?"

Carlos pulls off the confused puppy look very well but complies. "You have brown hair, very swoopy like swoosh. And you are very pale and you have moles here, here, here-" he points at every mole Oscar has. "Your eyes are brown but they are like honey with the sunset. And you have bunny teeth. Very cute."

Oscar feels himself tear up with relief? Overwhelm? Maybe. Oscar just knows that he is so, so happy right now.

"Are you okay?" Carlos asks in alarm.

Carlos blinks. "Just- um. Wondering if you knew anything about him."

"Uh, I know that his African rock python has been shedding its skin an abnormal amount for its age and size?"

Carlos shudders. “No- no, not about his… no. I meant… Has he said he is bringing anyone to the Earth Day thing?”

Every year, the zoo throws a conservation-focused fundraiser and gala for the foundation’s big donors and sponsors. The senior keepers all get tickets and plus-ones too; it’s the one thing people get excited about around here that isn’t animals.

“Uh… Not a clue, mate,” Alex says. He’s a little disappointed. This isn’t so much gossip as it is Carlos asking for love advice. “I have a way you could find out, though!”

“Really?” Carlos’ eyes get wide.

“Yeah. Go over to the reptile house and ask him.”

Carlos goes pale. “Uh, no. I cannot. There’s really no need for that, actually. Just… Could you ask? For me?”

And here come the puppy-dog eyes. Heinous. Alex takes another bite of his Milky Way and shakes his head.

...

Let the record show that Alex isn't anyone's errand boy, so he really wasn't planning on talking to Oscar today. Carlos is an adult and can put on his big boy pants and ask. But then Alex got an emergency call to the reptile house. 

Bert, the zoo’s blue-tongued skink, inexplicably had its tongue turn red. You just can’t have a red-tongued blue-tongued skink, so this case had skyrocketed to the top of his priorities list. Alex was assigned to take some blood samples for the lab, and it just so happens that Oscar’s the reptile wrangler on call for questioning. 

After the basic “Has Bert been eating/sleeping/behaving erratically" questions out of the way, Alex takes the little guy’s blood and decides he’ll help Carlos out a bit. He’s feeling charitable.

“So,” Alex starts, putting down the syringe, “I was in the break room earlier talking to Carlos, the small mammal guy, and-”

“Ugh, he’s kind of a jackass, isn’t he?” Oscar says, gingerly picking up Bert. The scaly guy nuzzles into his arms and quickly makes himself comfortable. It would be quite cute, if Bert were a cat and not something so scaly and slick. Alex loves helping all zoo animals, but he’d be lying if he didn’t still have his preferences. 

“Oh, is he?” Alex asks, trying to sound nonchalant as he scrawls down some notes. “Not to me. Or to the meerkats I was helping him out with earlier. What’s the tea?”

Oscar absently scratches Bert behind the ears. Er, behind the space where his ears would be, if he had any. “He’s just… pretentious,” he grumbles. “I don’t know, it’s not like I care, but… I swear, he takes the long route to his station every morning just to avoid the reptile house.” 

Alex stops even pretending to write. “Oh yeah?”

Oscar’s on a roll. He wouldn’t be ranting this much if he didn’t care. “He thinks he’s better than everyone else here because he’s all… popular with the field trippers,” he scoffs, putting Bert back in his transport cage. “But the kids only visit his exhibits so often because he’s cute.”

“What?” Alex asks. “Why would the eight-year-olds care that he’s cute?”

Oscar blanches. “What?”

There it is.

“You said the only reason kids-”

“Because his animals are cute,” Oscar emphatically corrects.

Oh boy. This is good. Alex tries his best not to smile too wide. “You definitely said-”

Oscar goes as red as Bert’s tongue. “Animals! I said animals. He works with the small mammals, mate. They’re cute. Kids like cute animals.”

Alex decides to let him off easy for that one. It’s the least he can do after that embarrassing display. He’s not just a great vet and a great gossip-getter, he’s also a great friend.

…

And because Alex is such a great friend, he swings by the meerkat habitat on his way to his scheduled zebra maternity appointment. Luckily, Carlos is there, refilling water bowls and replacing enrichment toys.

“So,” Alex says, leaning over the railing, “I may have gotten some information about one Oscar the Reptile Wrangler.”

Carlos is in front of him in an instant. “What? What-uh, what did you hear? Did he, uh, do you think he would want to-”

“I think he’d be receptive to an invitation,” Alex says.

It’s very sweet, the way Carlos’ eyes light up. “Really? You think- Um, do you know which car is his in the parking lot? My shift is almost over, I could meet him there and then-”

“He’s working a reptile show in a half hour,” Alex says. “I think your best shot is to approach him then.”

Carlos goes a few shades paler. “Um. I-I think I will just try to catch him in the parking lot.”

“I really think you should approach him at the reptile show,” Alex says, a little more forcefully this time. “He loves what he does. I think he’d appreciate you meeting him there.”

Carlos clicks his mouth shut and nods. Alex can see him swallow. He gives him a, “Just consider it, mate!” over his shoulder before he high-tails it to his next appointment. 

…

Alex manages to wrap up his equine ultrasound just in time to check out the very end of the reptile show. Oscar’s got an African ball python on his shoulders, showing it off to a small group of kids oohing and ahhing and eeking as it curls around his arm.

Standing off to the side, Carlos has turned up. He’s changed out of his uniform, but he doesn’t look any less nervous than he did when Alex last saw him. Alex shoots him a reassuring smile and a thumbs up and takes an empty seat on the risers. He’s far enough away to not intrude, but close enough that he can still hear their conversation. 

The children eventually dissipate, and Carlos wobbles up to Oscar. “Hello, Oscar.”

Oscar blinks. His snake blinks, too. “Hello.”

Carlos speaks slowly. “You. Um. You are wearing a snake.”

“Hm? Oh, Ernie?” He moves his arm a little closer. Ernie ventures a bit into Carlos’ space. “You want to pet him?”

“No please,” Carlos says quickly, stiff as a board. “I mean… no, thank you.” 

Alex is technically off the clock, but this is better than anything on Netflix right now. He just wishes he had popcorn.

Carlos takes a sharp inhale. “I, er, IwaswonderingifyouhadadatetotheEarthDaygala.” He just stands there after, like he’s bracing himself for impact. Like Oscar's going to sic Ernie on him. Poor guy.

But Oscar just stares at him. Ernie stares, too. Alex has been staring this whole time. “I thought you hated me.” 

Carlos reacts to this like he’s just been told the sky is green. Or that meerkats live in above-ground nests instead of burrows. “What? Of course not! Why would you…”

Oscar shrugs. “I mean, I think we’ve talked like, once, in the breakroom. And you always take the long way to your exhibits to avoid the reptile house.”

“Oh,” Carlos says softly. “I, uh. That wasn’t because of you. Just. Erm...”

Oscar seems to get it, then. Alex covers his mouth with his hand. He’d figured it out ages ago. “You’re scared of snakes?”

Carlos shrugs sheepishly. “Your animals eat my animals for breakfast. Can you blame me for being intimidated?”

Oscar smiles. “Hold out your finger.”

Carlos goes another three shades paler, but does what he’s told. In turn, Oscar holds Ernie out. The snake sticks out his skinny, forked tongue and licks the tip of Carlos’ pointer finger. 

“See? He likes you,” Oscar says. “He’s giving you a little kiss.”

Alex decides not to clarify that a snake’s tongue is more like its nose. He suspects they both know that, anyway, but are a tad too busy staring at each other with goofy, blinding smiles.

That’s probably Alex’s cue to leave, then. He slides out of his seat and makes his way to the exit. He turns back before he reaches the turnstiles; the lovebirds are talking and laughing, and Ernie’s got his tail wrapped around Carlos’ fingers. Cute.

He will be coming to visit any day now-- Piñon heard his tías talking over dinner. They said he is bringing a surprise with him. Piñon hopes it is a new toy. He still has the last one Carlos brought him. It is a plush iguana. He keeps it tucked into his dog bed to sleep with every night.

...

Look who it is, Piñon! 

Days later and it is finally time! Abuelo opens the door for him, and Piñon runs down the long driveway to meet him. Carlos! It’s Carlos! 

He smells the exact same, like pine trees and cinnamon. It’s Piñon’s favorite smell! Carlos crouches down to hug him, but Piñon can’t keep still. He’s too excited. He plants his paws on Carlos’ shoulder and gives him a big lick across his cheek. Carlos laughs. That’s Piñon’s favorite sound.

“I want you to meet someone,” Carlos tells Piñon. Piñon has so much energy. He’s already thinking of all the fun things they will do together this week. 

Carlos stands up, and Piñon notices he is not alone. Is this the surprise his tías were talking about? This is not a toy. It is a man. He is standing straight, with his hands stiff at his sides. 

Carlos turns to the man. “Oscar, this is my dog, Piñon.” 

Oscar waves. “Hi Piñon.”

Carlos scoffs. “Aye, he doesn’t bite! Give him a pet!”

Piñon huffs. Carlos is right, he does not bite. He is a very good dog. 

“Right, just… nerves, you know?” Oscar reaches down and gives him a quick scratch. He has long claws. Sharper than Carlos’. 

Before Piñon can turn his attention back to Carlos, they both walk around him back to the house. The last time Carlos came home, they had a wrestling match right there on the front lawn, before Carlos even said hello to Abuelo and Abuela. Now it seems like he needs to bring Oscar inside right away. 

Piñon’s ears flop as he follows them inside. 

They have dinner, and Carlos doesn’t reach under the table to pat Piñon’s head. He is holding Oscar’s hand under the table. He pats Oscar’s knee, rubbing his thumb over his skin. There’s no laughing at the table like there usually is. Everyone seems nervous. Abuelo is quiet. He looks at Oscar with narrowed eyes. Carlos is even too distracted to give Piñon his scraps from his plate.

Piñon goes to bed early. He cuddles with his iguana and hopes Oscar is gone by morning.

But Oscar is not gone the next morning. Piñon overhears his abuela saying that Oscar is staying with Carlos for the whole trip. 

Carlos takes Piñon hiking. But Oscar is there, and the two take up the entire trail. Piñon usually likes to walk right next to Carlos, but now he has to walk either in front or behind them. 

They go to the lake, but Carlos barely joins Piñon in the water, too busy chatting with Oscar on shore. Piñon is forced to chase the ducks all on his own. 

They go on a Sunday drive, but Oscar takes the seat next to Carlos, and Piñon has to sit in the back seat again. Drives are not near as fun from the back seat. Carlos and Oscar talk the whole time. Piñon curls up by himself.

They park at an overlook, one where Carlos used to bring Piñon all the time. They would sit together on the bench, and Carlos would tell Piñon about the scary moments he had driving his car in a circle. Or about how he chose a new team, and about how he was nervous about doing his very best. Piñon would put two paws on Carlos’ legs and cuddle close. That always seemed to make Carlos feel better.

But now, Oscar is here, so it makes the whole thing less special. Now Oscar is on the bench with Carlos, and Piñon is on the ground with the bugs.

“I’m sorry. I’m… not the best with first impressions.”

“You’re doing great,” Carlos says, rubbing Oscar’s leg. “My dad… he’ll come around. They all will.”

Oscar huffs, curling and uncurling his fingers. “I just… I really want them to like me.”

“Piñon!” Carlos calls, and it makes Piñon’s tail wag. He can’t help it. “You like Oscar, don’t you?”

Piñon blinks, and his tail droops. He certainly does not like Oscar. Oscar, who takes the front seat and all of Carlos’ pats and the rest of his best friend’s time and attention. 

“Oscar, give Piñon some love,” Carlos urges. “If you rub him behind his ears, you will become his new best friend.” Oscar moves to scratch Piñon’s ears again. Piñon moves away. 

“It’s alright, Piñon,” Oscar says. He has a strange voice. It is not like Carlos’ or Abuela’s or anyone else he knows. He looks and acts different, too. “I just… want to…”

Piñon growls, low and scary. He doesn’t normally bark, but he lets one out just to lay down the law. He wants Oscar to go back where he came from. 

Oscar looks surprised. Piñon watches his face fall. Piñon hates to be mean to people, but Oscar needs to know that he has overstayed his welcome.  

“Piñon!” Carlos shouts. He never has to use that voice with Piñon. He is angry. Piñon has been a bad dog.

They drive silently the whole ride home. Carlos doesn’t even roll down the window. 

When they get home, Carlos and Oscar go into Carlos’ room and shut the door. Piñon hears them talk. Carlos leaves and talks to Abuelo. They argue. Home doesn’t feel like home should. Nobody is laughing. No one is spending time in the living room together. Piñon is left to curl up by the couch, all alone.

Piñon is woken up by footsteps. Intruder? Piñon’s ears stick up. He is on high alert.

But the shadows clear and the figure comes into view. It’s Oscar. He walks very slowly. He notices Piñon. 

“Hey, Piñon,” Oscar whispers. “Sorry, I… I won’t try anything, I promise.”

Piñon tilts his head. It’s late. The moon is high in the sky outside the living room window. His family is never awake when it’s this late. 

Oscar walks to the kitchen. Fills up a glass of water and drinks it all in one gulp. He walks over to the couch and flops down. He buries his head in his hands. 

Piñon tilts his head. He has seen Carlos look like this before, last year. When he was tired all the time. When he stayed up late with Abuelo and Caco to read paper after paper around the dinner table. 

“I can’t sleep,” Oscar whispers. “And I don’t want to wake Carlos up.” 

Piñon didn’t ask, but he blinks anyway. 

“I just… I knew this was going to be a hard sell to his family.” Oscar rubs his face. “I thought… if I could get one person to like me on this trip, it would feel like a success.”

Piñon lifts his head. 

“And now everyone’s seen that I’m just… the complete opposite of Carlos and a total phony and that I can’t make him happy and…”

Oscar takes a long breath in and out.

“I love him. I wouldn’t have… this trip has been so scary for me, but I’m doing it because I love him.”

Oscar loves Carlos? Piñon loves Carlos, too. And Piñon also does scary things because he loves Carlos. Carlos tells him that he is so brave every time he goes to the vet. 

Maybe Oscar and Piñon are more alike than he thought.

Oscar huffs a quiet laugh to himself, watery. “I’m talking to a dog. A dog who doesn’t even like me.”

Piñon blinks. Slowly, he stretches from his bed, padding over to the couch. Gently, he hoists himself on the couch and lays his head on Oscar’s lap. Oscar gives a little oh in surprise. Slowly, Oscar rubs the top of Piñon’s head with the pad of his thumb. Piñon licks Oscar’s knee. He hopes that it says sorry for barking at you earlier.

Oscar keeps talking softly about the things he loves about Carlos. “Don’t tell him this,” he whispers, “but I’ve always loved how you can bring up something like golf or cycling and he can just go on for hours about it.” Piñon wags his tail, just a quick swipe because he is quite tired. He likes it when Carlos talks, too.

“He talks about you a lot, you know,” Oscar says. Piñon’s ears pick up. “I think he was most excited for me to meet you.” 

Carlos really must love Oscar if he was excited for him to meet Piñon. Carlos doesn’t let Piñon meet just anyone. Carlos says he saves Piñon for just the most special people in his life.

If Oscar loves Carlos, and Carlos loves Oscar, then Piñon loves Oscar, too. 

He cuddles a bit deeper into Oscar’s lap. He can feel Oscar relax a little more under him.

…

“Oscar?” 

Piñon opens his eyes, groggy. It is still very early. The sun is not even over the horizon yet.

Oscar wakes up, too. “Hm? Oh.” 

“What are you doing out here? I woke up and you were not…”

“I couldn’t sleep. I, uh, came out here, and… Piñon-”

“Piñon came up to you?” Carlos asks. “You... fell asleep like that? Together?”

“Yeah, it was like… he knew that I could use a cuddle.”

He can hear the hope in Carlos’ voice. “You two are friends now?”

Piñon licks Oscar’s leg. He can see Carlos beam from above him. 

Oscar shuffles, patting the space next to him for Carlos to sit. Carlos sits and Piñon scoots so he’s sprawled over both of their laps. They both laugh softly, combing their hands through Piñon’s fur. It is a great feeling. 

Maybe later they can all play together by the pond. Carlos can teach Oscar how to throw the frisbee just right to make Piñon run for miles. And Oscar can tell Carlos how much he loves him while Piñon naps between them. 

Slowly, gently, Piñon falls back asleep.