-Heyo, I have another WTNV story for you guys! Thanks so much if you reviewed the first one. It made my day because I love this series so much. I just bought the book and it's great so far! Anyway, this is another modern AU and a sequel to the first one. If you like it, please review, and let me know what you liked about it. I take requests too! Enjoy!-

-Hot Chocolate-

Carlos was freaking out.

Because, oh my God, he had kissed Cecil Palmer, the crazy senior in charge of morning announcements at Night Vale High, and he wasn't even sure why he'd done it. Sure, the other boy had a ginormous crush on him, but that was hardly a reason to kiss someone, right? Well, it was only a kiss on the cheek, but still. That counted. And yeah, they'd met and talked in Calculus and other classes since that day, but that was HARDLY reason for someone to kiss someone else. And, okay, sure, Cecil was pretty hot. Very hot. Distractingly hot.

But that was HARDLY A REASON to KISS SOMEONE.

Carlos had to be losing his mind. He was a nerdy junior who let out fangirl squeals when he found out it was a lab day in Biology class. He was a too-thin, dull-eyed, baggy-clothed geek. He hardly deserved the attention of Cecil. Yet, Cecil seemed to be completely taken by Carlos. Carlos couldn't figure out what to do now. After the kiss, Cecil hadn't done anything that showed that he thought they were now boyfriends. He talked to Carlos, yes, and grinned goofily the whole time, but nothing else. For all his enthusiasm for the world in general, Cecil was obnoxiously shy around Carlos. It was very endearing, but also very frustrating. How was Carlos supposed to know what Cecil was thinking?

Anyway, he was thinking all of these things on that particular Friday night, for two reasons: one, he was at a school football game and he knew that Cecil came to football games for his friend in color-guard, Dana. And two, because, yep, he could see Cecil now. He was walking at the bottom of the metal bleachers, hands in the pockets of his skinny jeans. Carlos took the next few seconds to stare, unnoticed. Cecil looked as breathtaking as ever, all soft in his black-and-white Night Vale High hoodie and violet-rimmed glasses. He had this adorable black scarf on, with thick purple stripes. Dear God, why did he have to look so amazing all the time?!

Carlos had enough time to think all of this (and feel lame in his plain, gray jacket and black sweatpants), before Cecil glanced up and saw him. A wonderful smile spread across his face and he waved. Carlos waved back, feeling like his face was heating up in embarrassment. Then Cecil started climbing up the steps of the bleachers, past other people all bundled up in the cold, and Carlos muttered, "damn." Because his hair was a mess, it was shoved into a beanie that stated SCIENCE with a freaking heart next to it across the front, and he knew he looked bad, jeez...

"Hi!" Cecil greeted cheerily, once he was right beside Carlos in all his glory. A chilly wind teased his white-blonde hair.

"Hey," Carlos replied, with a small smile.

"Mind if I sit here?"

"No, you can sit."

"Not saving it for anyone?"

"I didn't come with anyone."

Cecil sat down next to Carlos, close enough for their arms to brush a bit. "Why'd you come alone?" he asked curiously. Cecil was not afraid to ask such questions, even if the answer was, "I'm a giant nerd with no friends."

Carlos didn't say this though. He just shrugged. "I kinda wanted to just...watch," he answered lamely. He gestured at the game below.

"Oh, okay." Cecil looked at Carlos again and his eyes widened. Grinning broadly, he pointed. "I love your hat!"

Carlos blinked, taken aback. "Really?"

"Yeah! It's so cute." Blushing at his own words, Cecil shuffled his feet on the metal floor beneath him.

Carlos mirrored the blush. "Thanks."

There was a moment of silence. People cheered and the smell of food from the concession stand wafted up to them. The sky was steadily darkening to darker blues and purples at the edges. Nervousness trembled inside of Carlos.

"So, how're you—?"

"Do you want—?"

They blinked at each other, before snickering at the awkward interruptions. Cecil waved a hand. "Sorry, you go first."

"No, it's fine," Carlos replied, shaking his head. "You go."

Cecil pointed with a thumb at someone behind him, a woman sipping from a styrofoam cup. "I was gonna ask if you wanted to get hot chocolate," he explained. "It's kinda cold."

It WAS cold. Football games were always cold. Carlos did want hot chocolate; it was a good way to stay warm. (but he was secretly thinking of another good way to stay warm, which was cuddling with Cecil, which he wanted to do so badly all of a sudden, which he ultimately didn't do.) He just nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great."

"Okay, cool."

They stood up together, but then Carlos paused. "Wait." He pushed his hands into his jacket and pants pockets. Empty. "I don't have any money with me," he explained.

"Well, I do," Cecil answered brightly. "I'll pay."

"...thanks, Cecil."

Cecil stuck his hands in his hoodie pocket and rocked a little on his feet; he looked like he loved hearing Carlos say, "Cecil." "No problem."

Weaving between people, waving cheerfully at the marching band as they passed (Dana, who had a fuzzy, cat-eared beanie on, yelled, "CECIL I WANT YOUR SCARF!" and Cecil shouted back, "DANA I WANT YOUR HAT!"), the two headed down toward the concession stands. At the Night Vale football field, the bleachers were designed with the stands built into the back of it. There were two: one for the band boosters and one for the football team. Cecil always went to the band one, because Dana was his friend and she was, of course, color-guard in the band. Carlos followed Cecil down the ramp from the main bleachers and around to the stand's window.

It was brightly lit from the inside lighting, radiating warmth and a busy bustle of movement. There was quite a crowd today and the workers inside were having a hard time keeping up. They darted back and forth between making food and taking orders, flustered. Carlos felt kinda guilty for adding to their workload. They added themselves to the line, which was about ten people long at the moment. Carlos stared at Cecil as discreetly as possible, and Cecil failed at trying not to stare at Carlos. It was always awkward when two people had a crush on each other, but only one crush was known about.

"So you and Dana are friends?" Carlos asked. It was decent way to start a conversation, other than, "please let me kiss you."

Cecil smiled. "Yeah. I met her when I was a freshman. She's awesome."

"That's cool. She's in my Bio class."

"I know. She told me about you before."

Carlos's eyebrows rose. "She did?"

"Yeah, um." Cecil kicked at the pavement beneath them absently. "I asked if she knew you once and she said she had you in class. That was back when I was a full-blown stalker."

"Oh yeah," Carlos replied teasingly. "You WERE a stalker. You still are a stalker."

"Am not!"

"You totally are. You said I have amazing shoes on the announcements yesterday." Carlos let himself smirk, a facial expression he didn't do much because nerds look weird when they try to smirk. Maybe he didn't look weird though, because at the action, Cecil gazed longingly at his mouth. His heartbeat jumped.

"Owning amazing shoes has nothing to do with me stalking you," Cecil stated matter-of-factly. "I was making an observation."

Carlos arched a brow, something he also didn't do much. "You make a LOT of observations, Ceec," he commented lightly.

Cecil gaped at him in amazement then and Carlos glanced around. "What?"

"Did you just call me 'Ceec?'"

"Uh." Had he really called Cecil 'Ceec?' OUT LOUD? God. "I guess? Sorry, if you don't want—"

"Oh my God, I love it!" Cecil was smiling a truly ice-melting smile, lavender eyes alive with cheerfulness. "You have a nickname for me!" he laughed, and, like he forgot himself for a second, he scooped Carlos up into a hug.

Carlos squeaked at the arms folding around him and lifting him against Cecil's chest. His toes were barely touching the ground and he was clinging to Cecil's shoulders for support. Then his heartbeat calmed a little and he started laughing, just because Cecil was laughing too. He even sneakily nosed into Cecil's scarf, and smelled fabric and something sweet that could only be Axe body spray. (he didn't know it then, but it was Axe Apollo and it would quickly become his favorite) Wooziness claimed his mind.

Cecil seemed to remember what he was doing and hastily set Carlos back onto the ground again. Clearing his throat, he fiddled with his scarf. "Sorry."

Carlos's body felt like it was being magnetically pulled back into Cecil. He missed the warmth already. "It's fine," he replied. "I don't mind." Then he tried for lightheartedness. "I wasn't cold for a second, so..."

Cecil looked like Carlos had proposed. He wasn't able to form words, so he smiled at the ground and bumped their shoulders together in wordless affection. Carlos felt like they were on the edge of something that wasn't friendship, but he didn't mind. Being on the edge was great, but he bet going over would feel even better.

The front of the line came faster than he thought it would. They ordered and waited while the hot chocolate was poured into steaming cups. Cecil paid, and Carlos thanked him again. He thought he saw the frizzy-haired woman glance knowingly between them, but he couldn't be sure. Were the two that noticeable, outside of school? Inside school, yes they were always noticed thanks to Cecil, but here? Carlos's face warmed self-consciously at the thought.

As they headed back toward the bleachers, Carlos cradled his cup in cold fingers and listened to Cecil talk. Cecil could talk a lot. Right now, he was going on about Dana and how she loved marching, but hadn't been able to convince him to join too. There were quite a few hand gestures involved and quiet swearing when he burnt his tongue on the hot drink. Carlos blew on his own drink and just listened. He didn't mind that Cecil talked a lot. It was worth it, to hear Cecil's smooth, velvety voice form different words. He had a great announcements-voice, an even better excited-voice, and Christ, his I'm-actually-talking-to-Carlos-voice...

It was hard to push the thoughts of Cecil out of his mind, but Carlos tried as they climbed back up the ramp to the stands. They passed by the band again ("CECIL I'M THROWING MY HAT DOWN TO YOU SO TRADE ME YOUR SCARF!" "OKAY I CAN'T GET THE SCARF OFF NOW BUT I'LL TAKE THE HAT ANYWAY! THANKS DANA!") and continued back toward their seats. Cecil pulled the highlighter-yellow hat on, the two cat ears sticking up above his head and long, braided tassels dangling. A shock of blonde hair poked out.

"That IS a great hat," Carlos admitted.

"I know, right?" Cecil replied, and flicked a cat ear with his index finger.

After climbing the metal stairs, they finally made it back to their place. Carlos winced when he sat on the cold bench, but it was either that or sit on Cecil's lap, and he wouldn't admit to himself how badly he'd like to do that. Carefully sipping his hot chocolate, he watched Cecil sit down beside him and prop a foot on the bench in front. He wondered if they'd talk about more things other than what he really wanted to talk about. So he asked a question.

"Cecil, do you wear contacts?"

Cecil glanced over at him, brow furrowing. "Why would I wear contacts at the same time I'm wearing glasses?" he asked slowly, pointing to his own face and the glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"No, not for seeing," Carlos replied. "I meant, like, colored ones."

Cecil shook his head. "I never wear contacts. I don't really like the colored ones."

Gazing at the other boy's hypnotic and strange, violet eyes, Carlos couldn't believe this. "Then how're your eyes like that?" he asked.

"Like what?" Cecil asked, sounding a bit self-conscious.

"You know...purple."

"Oh. I dunno, actually," Cecil answered. "I was born with them. They started out blue, you know, how some babies do, but then they turned purple later. I think I scared my eye doctor."

Carlos snorted into his hot chocolate, imagining Cecil's doctor freaking out over the teen's odd coloring. "Is that why you wear purple a lot?" he asked. "Because it matches?"

"Actually, no," Cecil admitted. "I just really like purple."

For some reason, this made Carlos snort again. Of course Cecil wouldn't think to match his eye color. He just liked purple that much. Carlos forgot himself then too. "You're amazing, Ceec," he said, but not in the teasing, teenagery way. He said it fondly and with a softness in his voice.

Cecil ducked his head bashfully and picked at the rim of the bench. "You called me 'Ceec' again," he mumbled.

Affection wormed its way into Carlos's heart and melted it. How lucky he was, to have this person notice him and have feelings for him. He'd never known how lucky he was. An idea surfaced in his mind, a foolish, incredible idea. He couldn't do it, no way, but yes, maybe he could, maybe... Palms suddenly sweaty, he set his cup down on the bench beside him. Then he scolded his hands for shaking so bad as he leaned his shoulder on Cecil's. "Cecil?"

Cecil's body jumped slightly at the contact and he looked surprised at how close Carlos suddenly was. "What?" he asked, open and kind.

Without letting himself think, Carlos touched Cecil's cheek. Cecil's eyes went round in astonishment and then Carlos was—was leaning in, and the clouds of their breath mixed in the air. "C—Carlos," Cecil stammered, voice pitching down at their closeness and sending shivers up Carlos's spine.

That was right before their lips touched and they didn't need to talk anymore.

Carlos felt his body tremble, felt fireworks in his stomach and sparks across his eyelids, as he softly kissed Cecil. The other boy's lips were wonderfully soft on his own. At first, Cecil was frozen in shock. Carlos could imagine Cecil staring like a moron even as Carlos kissed him. Then Cecil hummed from the back of his throat and, holy crap, his lips were moving with Carlos's and it was unlike anything Carlos had ever experienced. Cecil was angling his head just right, and he wasn't attacking Carlos like a crazed fangirl, and when Carlos nervously parted his lips to deepen the kiss, so did Cecil. Carlos saw stars.

Cecil's cup was shaking slightly in his grasp. Wordlessly, Carlos took it from him and left it on the bench beside his. He didn't break the kiss once. Pressing their sides together, he drowned himself in Cecil. The blonde tasted like hot chocolate and his scent of Axe was washing over Carlos's senses. He felt Cecil's hand tentatively rest on the small of his back. It wasn't enough. Carlos pushed the hat off Cecil's head and ran his fingers through his hair. Cecil made a pleased sound, prompting butterflies in Carlos's stomach. The last time he'd kissed like this...Hell, there'd never been another time he kissed like this. It was extraordinary.

It ended, and Carlos rested his forehead on Cecil's as he caught his breath. He was aware of the twilight eyes on him but he could only look down at Cecil's scarf. Cecil touched his lips in wonder. "Y—you kissed me," he said dumbly.

"Uhh." Carlos swallowed, but didn't move his hands from Cecil's neck. "Yeah."

"You KISSED me," Cecil repeated in growing urgency.

Carlos cringed. "That bad?"

"BAD?" Cecil responded by kissing Carlos again, a hot press of their lips that made Carlos's heart bounce up and down. More confident now, Cecil pulled Carlos in by the arm around his waist and cupped Carlos's cheek with his free hand. Mind going numb, Carlos sighed blissfully into Cecil's mouth. Breaking it, Cecil beamed elatedly. "It was perfect," he declared. "YOU'RE perfect. Everything's perfect." He gave a little squeak of delight. "You kissed me!"

Carlos's heart couldn't take much more of these—what did they call it again?—"feels." He actually giggled. "I'm not perfect," he denied.

"Yes, you are," Cecil argued.

"No, I'm not."

"Have you seen your hair?"

"Have you seen YOU?"

Cecil's ears turned pink and he brushed a black curl from Carlos's face. "Yeah, but," he began mischievously, "you haven't seen my tattoos yet."

Carlos gaped. "You have tattoos?"

"Maybe? Why? Does that bother you?" Cecil asked worriedly.

On the contrary, Carlos was imagining every single place on Cecil's body that could be tattooed and it drove him mad. "No," he laughed breathlessly. "Not at all. I wasn't expecting it, that's all." Now bold and drunk from Cecil, he nuzzled into Cecil's scarf, nose grazing skin. "I think it's kinda hot," he added in a shy mumble.

Cecil shivered. "R—really?"

"Mm." Carlos basked in Cecil's warmth distractedly.

"So it's not gonna, like, weird you out or...?"

"No." Carlos hugged Cecil around the waist. "I have a thing for tattoos," he teased.

Cecil gave a weak little "oh" and held Carlos around his shoulders. A tiny kiss was placed on Carlos's head. "...soooo can I call you my boyfriend now, orrrr...?"

Carlos smiled. "Yes, Cecil, you can call me your boyfriend. As long as I can call you mine."

Cecil almost fell off the bench, he was so happy. His words also wouldn't work.

"Oh okay, then, um, that's, yeah, um...Neat."