The Archer's Legacy

★彡02|29 - "Y/n, look at me."彡★

As if waking from a daze, Evie nailed her gaze on Y/n for a moment. Then she walked over to the girl, took her by the shoulders and pushed her to sit down on the sofa as she started talking. "Let's get those wounds bandaged before anything happens to them."

As she walked away to get the bandages, Y/n trailed her neck with her fingers a bit self-consciously. Grimacing — but not because of pain — she looked at Carlos. "Is it too bad?"

Carlos felt something in his stomach get all mushy at the way Y/n looked so adorably concerned. He gave a half-smile. "Not too bad. They look like more surface-level cuts but it's still better if we bandage them, lest we want anything to go in there and get it inflammatory." While he was still talking, Carlos had started softly tracing the wounds that Y/n had on her hands, as if trying to soothe the pain that wasn't even there.

The girl looked at the boy's hands, so delicately touching hers, before speaking softly. "Carlos?"

"Hmm?" the boy looked up to meet her gaze.

Y/n's cheeks flamed with embarrassment. What did I even want? A dry "what are you doing"? Clearing her throat awkwardly, she moved her hands to her lap. "Sorry, I don't know what I wanted. "

Carlos glanced down at her hands, a bit confused. "Oh," he let out, slowly realising what he'd been doing. Did she not want me to touch her hands? Was that too weird? Dang it, she probably doesn't like me that way... From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Y/n again, who Evie had now started fussing around. I still want to ask her to Cotillion, though... I don't know, is that bad? That she probably doesn't like me but I still want to ask her? He shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts away. Not the time, Carlos. You can focus on that when you get back to Auradon...

But somehow, his eyes met Y/n's again. But what if they don't even stay long enough for the Cotillion? His heart clenched at the thought but he kept his mouth shut and didn't say anything, instead following Evie with his eyes when she fussed around the girl he liked.

At the same time, Y/n noticed how Carlos was looking at Evie. It was almost as if she was a code he wanted — needed — to understand. She could practically see the cogs of problem-solving turning in his head and her heart ached a bit. He's probably going to go to Cotillion with Evie, isn't he? And all this time I thought Evie and Doug had something going on.

Leaning back into the worn and soft cushion, she closed her eyes. Maybe it is best if Ash and I go back to the North? It's safer for everyone and I won't be all up in their business anymore.

All the while, Evie had been inspecting both Carlos and Y/n, it not escaping her notice how they were looking at each other. Spinning around as soon as she was finished with Y/n's wounds, she beamed at Jay. "Jay, could you help me a bit?"

"Sure, with what?" the boy responded immediately and the two exited the room, leaving Y/n and Carlos, oh so conveniently, alone together.

At first they both just sat there, not entirely sure of what had just happened. Slowly, Y/n adjusted herself so she was sitting in a way that faced Carlos. Carlos did the same, only he had to turn to the right instead of the left in order to face Y/n on the red couch.

"Y/n, uhh, I have to tell you something," Carlos started awkwardly, his eyes flitting from his hands on his lap to the girl in front of him. "I, uhh..."

"It's okay, Carlos," Y/n said a little sadly. "You don't have to torture yourself." She looked away, inspecting the drawings on the walls so Carlos couldn't see the slight tears in her eyes. "I know you like Evie."

Carlos fell silent, dumbstruck. How could this beautiful, amazing, kind, selfless girl in front of him think that he could ever like anyone besides her? "Evie?" he finally let out, flabbergasted. "Evie? Y/n, I don't—" He stood up, pacing a few steps as he tried to pull himself together. Finally he stopped, deciding to crouch in front of Y/n so he could look the girl directly in the eyes as he spoke.

Carefully, he took her hands into his. "Y/n, look at me," he said softly, almost pleadingly.

The girl sniffled, furiously blinking to stop the tears from falling before making eye contact with the boy. Carlos smiled as she did so, giving her hands the slightest squeeze so as to not hurt her while giving her the message that he was with her and he wouldn't let go.

He took a deep breath before speaking. "You are the coolest, most gorgeous and considerate girl I've ever had the honour of knowing." He smiled. "And I have liked you for a very, very long time now. So, if you'll do me the honour and if you can stay, I'd like you to be my date for Cotillion. And if it goes well, I'd hope that I'd get to go on other dates with you, too."

Y/n stared at the boy. The kind, funny boy just crouching in front of her and spilling his heart so trustingly, even though he must've known well how easily it could be broken. The girl couldn't help but let out a relieved giggle. "Yes, Carlos! Yes, of course I'll be your date for Cotillion," she beamed, standing up and pulling the boy up with her. She sniffled again, her frown she'd put on to keep the tears from falling fading away. "Oh, I can't believe it! This whole time I've been so worried that you like somebody else — while I actually really, really like you, too — and that I'd endanger you somehow if I said it." Her happiness ceased in a moment. "No, no, no, this is very bad." She drew herself away from the boy. "I can't like you. You'll be in danger, Carlos. I can't do this to you." Y/n stopped a few steps away from Carlos and clutched her shaking hands together in front of herself. I can't do this to you, please understand.

Carlos stepped forward calmly. "What if I want to do this to myself?" He took her hands again, encasing them completely in his own. "Y/n, I'd gladly be in danger if it's for you."

Y/n looked at her hands between them, her heart seeming to beat out of her chest while she struggled to make sense of her feelings. It wasn't rational to fight Carlos but her heart was fighting back with every weapon at its disposal. Every blink of an eye, every memory, every breath she took yearned for the boy in front of her.

She let out a breath. Her heart felt both light and heavy as she looked up at Carlos with a determined expression. "Alright, then. We'll make this work."