"Hey Carlos!"
"Leave me alone Chad."
"Yo freak!"
"I have nothing to say to you, now will you please leave me alone."
"Villain!"
Carlos turned to smart back at Chad, only to have something thrown in his face. Chad was gone before Carlos even began screaming.
-_- T-T -_- T-T -_- T-T
Ben, Mel, Evie, and Jay were walking along the school's grounds with Ben's parents, you know, getting to know each other and all that. It had been a year since the Lost Children had begun attending school here in Auradon, Ben and Mel had split up around eleven months ago but still remained best friends and, not long after, Ben had begun courting Carlos; they had been dating for the past nine months. Anyways, the group were talking and just enjoying the warm summer air when Ben starting running as if Mel's mother was just behind his heels, the others exchanged looks before running and not long after began to hear the bloodcurdling screams of someone in pain. Rushing forth, they turned the corner to see Ben crouching protectively around Carlos, growling at them as Carlos buried his face in his hands, agonized screams fleeing his mouth.
"Ben," Belle tried to reason with her enraged son. "Let us help. Please?"
Ben reluctantly allowed his mother to ease towards Carlos. Mine, he thought, my Mate. Protect Mate. Love Mate. Hurt who dared touch and hurt Mate.
"Carlos? Please honey, let me see."
It took a few minutes of coaxing before Carlos removed his hands and everyone gasped while Ben gave an enraged snarl. The skin around his eyes were a mess: thin trails of blood oozed from his eyes while the top layer of flesh was melted and the rest charred.
"Carlos," screamed Evie while, at the same moment, Mel screamed, "Run! Go get help!" Jay turned round and dashed off to find their Headmistress. Belle was trying to comfort Carlos while Mel hugged a sobbing Evie close and Beast desperately tried holding back his infuriated and frenzied son.
Around five minutes later, Jay was seen rushing around a corner whilst a winded, but determined, Fairy Godmother raced behind him.
"Oh my snicker-doodle," gasps the fairy, "what happened?"
"I-it w-was Chad," whimpers Carlos, speaking for the first time, "I w-wa-s tr-in-g t-o f-f-find-d y-you gu-uy-s and h-he c-c-c-c-co-rnered me he-ere. He was ca-rr-ing a bo-tt-le but I di-dn-t th-ink of it. When h-e tri-ed ta-lki-n-g-g-g, I-I-I tried to wa-lk a-way bu-t he … … … th-rew the li-qui-d-d-d i-n m-y fa-ce … … … a-n-d … … … IT BURNS!"
The other three exchanged faces. "What? What is it?"
"Well Mrs. Fey, people think Mel had it bad because she's Maleficent's daughter; truth is … … … Carlos had it worse. Evie would receive chores, I would get grounded, and Mel would have to do that weird staring contest with her mom for hours. Carlos though, he … … … would get locked in the closet for hours at first, but when that no longer worked, he would get beatings; they got so bad that by the time he was ten, he wouldn't even flinch if he broke a few bones. To make things worse, his mother hated that he inherited his aunt's ability to do dealer magic, the magic that can only be achieved by making deals with others. Shockingly, Cruella was related to Ursula, but when she didn't inherit, she was driven mad. So … … … for him to … … … be screaming, his face must … … … really burn."
Even the former king flinched at Ben's snarling roar. Mrs. Fey whipped out her wand and began chanting and Carlos' face began healing. "I've done as much as I can do, but he'll still have scars and there's nothing I can do to give him his sight back."
"Can't he deal himself new eyes?"
"No I can't, nor can someone make a deal on my behalf. Dealer magic doesn't work like that, I can use it on others but never myself in any shape or form."
By now Ben had crouched to pull Carlos deep into his embrace, allowing Carlos to cuddle into his boyfriend. "I'll avenge you, I swear it."
-_- T-T -_- T-T -_- T-T
"I wish you could've been there, Ben challenged Chad to a boxing match. They had to drag Chad to the infirmary, he was black and blue all over, it was quite funny really. They said he'll be lucky if he wakes by next week."
"Don't forget Mel. Chad made the mistake of saying, he was proud of what he had done and Ben … … … changed. His skin began rippling as he grew taller, his muscles became ripped and fur sprouted, he even grew a pair of horns; and that voice … … … all deep and gruntle and … … … just … … … sexy. And to think, it was all for you Carlos."
It was three days since Carlos had lost his sight, and his friends, especially Ben, had tried to get Carlos to even smile or even talk, they could see he was slowly falling into depression.
"OH I'VE HAD ENOUGH," Ben yelled getting the attention of the entire cafeteria. "Say something Carlos, please."
"What would you have me say? I'm glad I can't see anything? I'm glad I can't see my friends or my boyfriend? I'm glad this happened to me? I'm glad -"
"Stop right there. You know that you have people who love you. Your friends love you. I love you."
"And how do I know you won't get tired of me … … … of the freak."
"*Sigh* I was hoping to do this another way but … … ..."
Carlos could hear Ben moving around, the soft pop of something opening, and several gasps, Evie, Mel, and Jay included, but as he was about to ask … … …
"Carlos … … … I know we've only dated for nine months, but I see you as my Mate. I'll always be there for you, I'll always love you - forever. I don't care that you can't see. You're not a freak, and you are never to call yourself one - ever; anyone who wants to call you that, yourself included, will have to go through me first. Carlos? I love you. Will … … … you … … … marry … … … me?"
"You … … … y-y-you want to m-m-m-ar-ry-y-y m-me-e?"
"Very much so."
"... … … YES! YES I'LL MARRY YOU, GLADLY!"
The cafeteria exploded into cheers and wolf cries as Ben picked Carlos up by his waste and twirling him around, Ben's own cheers overpowering all others, before sliding a ring onto Carlos' right ring finger and pulling him into a demanding, searing kiss as the outside world faded into the background, leaving only the newly engaged couple to themselves.
-_- T-T -_- T-T -_- T-T
∽10 Years Later∽
"Mommy! Daddy! Wake up! It's my birday! I's tree!"
King Ben of Auradon chuckled at his daughter's antics before kissing his husband, his Queen. "Good morning love."
"Morning. Now let me sleep."
"Whys mommy being mean?"
"You're brother kept mommy up all night."
(Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Carlos? A mommy? I know what you're thinking, but come on. Not many males have magic now-a-days, as it turns out, those who do are able to conceive, carry, and give birth. With the right person of course.)
Their daughter, Lyra, jumped from the bed to glare at her mommy's baby bump, not that she understood what the bump exactly was, she just notices her daddy touching it when they speak of her brother. Lyra thought it was weird for a baby to be in mommy's stomach … that's where the food goes. She knew babies didn't come from "special hugs" like her aunt Mel said, that was just stupid and silly. But don't they come from the sky in baskets carried by birds like her aunt Effie says? "Stop being mean to mommy baby. Not nice," she shouts.
Her mommy laughs as he ruffles her hair. "Why don't you take your daddy to play? Let me sleep a little longer and we'll do something special later before your party, just the two of us. Kay?"
"Come daddy! Let mommy sleep!"
Ben laughs at his eager daughter before kissing Carlos again. "I'm coming. Sleep well hun, we'll be waiting."
Before he goes back to sleep, Carlos thinks of his family. He's had trials for sure, but he thinks he would do it all again if this was the outcome. "You are so loved already," he tells his unborn son, "you have a family that loves you and can't wait to meet you."
Carlos sighs in happiness before closing his eyes and allowing himself to be claimed by Morpheus and his world of sleep and dreams with a smile gracing his lips.
"This is the life."