Despite the fact that Carlos was comfortable and warm he woke at his usual time, he tried to roll over so he could slip out the cosy duvet but there was something wrapped tightly around him.
Squinting in the darkness Carlos managed to shift enough to see Jay's peaceful sleeping face inches from his own; a shot of heat shot across the De Vil's face, Jay's arms were wound protectively him and was pressing their half-naked bodies together.
During the night the shirt Carlos was wearing had ridden up, revelling his flat stomach and his small boxers weren't helping cover any modesty.
Carlos began to wriggle but Jay's grip was too strong, so he placed his hands firmly on the Arabian's muscled chest and pushed away as hard as he could.
By some miracle it worked and the small De Vil was able to escape from the bed; in the darkness he managed to make his way to the door, managing to find a dressing gown hanging on the end of the bed.
The whole townhouse was dark but there was a delicious smell coming from one of the rooms on the ground floor and it made Carlos's stomach growl angrily.
The smell was coming from the kitchen where one man was cooking a huge array of foods; he was a stick thin man with honey coloured hair and flour on his cravat.
Carlos lingered at the door, his stomach knotted hungrily, not wanting to disturb the man who was obviously very busy but before he could turn away to go back to bed Dude appeared at his ankles and barked happily.
"Allo?" the man approached the door.
A wide smile spread his face when he spotted Carlos, "bonjour my little one!" he greeted happily, "I am Lumiere."
"I'm Carlos." The small De Vil said quietly.
Lumiere ushered Carlos into the kitchen; the tables were filled plates of pastries, pots of jams and jellies and several boxes of cereals.
"what's all this for?" Carlos asked, eyeing a container of yogurt covered strawberries.
Lumiere looked up from his mixing bowl, "it is breakfast."
Carlos frowned, normally for breakfast his mother would eat some scrambled egg white and he would have nothing, he hadn't seen so much food just for breakfast and he's never been in the cafeteria at Auradon Prep.
"taste." Lumiere held out a warm croissant.
It was still hot, buttery and flakey, Carlos devoured it with three bites.
Over the next hour Carlos stayed in the kitchen, tasting everything till his stomach hurt, helping Lumiere make even more food for when everyone else woke up.
President Beast was first awake, Clogworth, the portly gentleman from the previous night, presented him with a huge mug of coffee.
Ben appeared with Mal, who began to help herself to all the strawberries and Ben piled eggs on his plate.
Belle came in with Evie, looking flawless as ever.
Finally Jay came stumbling downstairs looking dishevelled and cast Carlos a strange look.
They all made pleasant convocation while they all ate, Carlos watched with a pleasant feeling; there was no shouting, Lumiere kept bringing in toast and coffee and the small De Vil didn't want to move from his chair.
"so, what happened last night?" Beast finally asked.
Carlos paused, his orange juice halfway to his lips, he had hoped the situation would have just been avoided, like school.
The five teenagers looked at each other, trying to figure out how to explain, so Evie took a deep breath but Carlos cut across her.
"it's my fault." He said.
Beast nodded seriously, "yes you said that last night, but how?"
"Carlos was being bullied." Ben told his dad and Carlos felt like sinking into the ground.
Belle choked on her tea, "bullied?" she gasped, "by who?" her warm, worried eyes set on the small De Vil.
"pretty much everyone." Ben replied.
"we tried to help but it wasn't enough." Mal added, still looking annoyed that her plan hadn't worked.
"we just -" "Enough!" Carlos shouted, silencing everyone.
It was bad enough that he was being bullied, now they were talking about it like it wasn't something to be embarrassed by the situation, it infuriated Carlos but he didn't know how to talk about it without feeling like a lowly human being.
"Carlos, calm down." Jay said in a low, soothing voice.
President Beast slowly approached the slightly shaking De Vil, a soft fatherly look on his face, "son, I know it may not look like it but people bullied me."
Carlos didn't believe him.
"it's hard but if you told us -"
"don't patronise me." Carlos snapped.
Beast looked surprised and for a long time nobody moved before the President huffed deeply and turned to Ben, "you said it was the Tourney team."
"yeah, but we don't know who or why." Ben shrugged.
Belle was wringing her napkin, looking distressed but Carlos looked about ready to faint but the matter was dropped down the moment, much to Carlos's pleasure.
After a long breakfast everyone went back to their rooms; Carlos was still wound up from the convocation at breakfast so he slammed about at getting ready for the day.
Suddenly there was a tall shadow looming over him, he turned around in a panic but it was only Jay; the Arabian had a worried look on his face, his dark eyes set on Carlos's face.
"w-what?" Carlos breathed.
Jay was silent, a shiver ran up the small De Vil's spine as he looked into Jay's deep, concerned eyes, "what's the matter?" Carlos asked again.
"who did it?" Jay asked in a serious, sharp voice.
Carlos flushed, and not just because Jay was so close to him, and looked away momentarily, "it doesn't matter." He mumbled.
Jay forced him to look up, holding his chin in place, "you almost died."
"don't be overdramatic." Carlos said softly but Jay ignored him.
"everything up till now was petty but this is serious. Now tell me who did it." Jay demanded.
Carlos managed to tear himself away, placing himself on the other side of the bed, "it doesn't matter because even if I tell you they won't get in trouble!" he snapped, getting annoyed again.
Jay pushed his hair from his face, "do you know who's involved now, who cares about you! The ass-hat who did this won't be able to walk once were done, let alone be allowed to stay in the school!" he was breathing hard.
Tears stung Carlos's eyes, still getting used to having people actually caring about what happened to him.
It was, it was.." Carlos took a shaking breath, "it was Chad Charming." He rushed out.
An uncomfortable silence followed until Jay flushed a dark colour of red and stormed out of the room, Carlos close behind.
Squinting in the darkness Carlos managed to shift enough to see Jay's peaceful sleeping face inches from his own; a shot of heat shot across the De Vil's face, Jay's arms were wound protectively him and was pressing their half-naked bodies together.
During the night the shirt Carlos was wearing had ridden up, revelling his flat stomach and his small boxers weren't helping cover any modesty.
Carlos began to wriggle but Jay's grip was too strong, so he placed his hands firmly on the Arabian's muscled chest and pushed away as hard as he could.
By some miracle it worked and the small De Vil was able to escape from the bed; in the darkness he managed to make his way to the door, managing to find a dressing gown hanging on the end of the bed.
The whole townhouse was dark but there was a delicious smell coming from one of the rooms on the ground floor and it made Carlos's stomach growl angrily.
The smell was coming from the kitchen where one man was cooking a huge array of foods; he was a stick thin man with honey coloured hair and flour on his cravat.
Carlos lingered at the door, his stomach knotted hungrily, not wanting to disturb the man who was obviously very busy but before he could turn away to go back to bed Dude appeared at his ankles and barked happily.
"Allo?" the man approached the door.
A wide smile spread his face when he spotted Carlos, "bonjour my little one!" he greeted happily, "I am Lumiere."
"I'm Carlos." The small De Vil said quietly.
Lumiere ushered Carlos into the kitchen; the tables were filled plates of pastries, pots of jams and jellies and several boxes of cereals.
"what's all this for?" Carlos asked, eyeing a container of yogurt covered strawberries.
Lumiere looked up from his mixing bowl, "it is breakfast."
Carlos frowned, normally for breakfast his mother would eat some scrambled egg white and he would have nothing, he hadn't seen so much food just for breakfast and he's never been in the cafeteria at Auradon Prep.
"taste." Lumiere held out a warm croissant.
It was still hot, buttery and flakey, Carlos devoured it with three bites.
Over the next hour Carlos stayed in the kitchen, tasting everything till his stomach hurt, helping Lumiere make even more food for when everyone else woke up.
President Beast was first awake, Clogworth, the portly gentleman from the previous night, presented him with a huge mug of coffee.
Ben appeared with Mal, who began to help herself to all the strawberries and Ben piled eggs on his plate.
Belle came in with Evie, looking flawless as ever.
Finally Jay came stumbling downstairs looking dishevelled and cast Carlos a strange look.
They all made pleasant convocation while they all ate, Carlos watched with a pleasant feeling; there was no shouting, Lumiere kept bringing in toast and coffee and the small De Vil didn't want to move from his chair.
"so, what happened last night?" Beast finally asked.
Carlos paused, his orange juice halfway to his lips, he had hoped the situation would have just been avoided, like school.
The five teenagers looked at each other, trying to figure out how to explain, so Evie took a deep breath but Carlos cut across her.
"it's my fault." He said.
Beast nodded seriously, "yes you said that last night, but how?"
"Carlos was being bullied." Ben told his dad and Carlos felt like sinking into the ground.
Belle choked on her tea, "bullied?" she gasped, "by who?" her warm, worried eyes set on the small De Vil.
"pretty much everyone." Ben replied.
"we tried to help but it wasn't enough." Mal added, still looking annoyed that her plan hadn't worked.
"we just -" "Enough!" Carlos shouted, silencing everyone.
It was bad enough that he was being bullied, now they were talking about it like it wasn't something to be embarrassed by the situation, it infuriated Carlos but he didn't know how to talk about it without feeling like a lowly human being.
"Carlos, calm down." Jay said in a low, soothing voice.
President Beast slowly approached the slightly shaking De Vil, a soft fatherly look on his face, "son, I know it may not look like it but people bullied me."
Carlos didn't believe him.
"it's hard but if you told us -"
"don't patronise me." Carlos snapped.
Beast looked surprised and for a long time nobody moved before the President huffed deeply and turned to Ben, "you said it was the Tourney team."
"yeah, but we don't know who or why." Ben shrugged.
Belle was wringing her napkin, looking distressed but Carlos looked about ready to faint but the matter was dropped down the moment, much to Carlos's pleasure.
After a long breakfast everyone went back to their rooms; Carlos was still wound up from the convocation at breakfast so he slammed about at getting ready for the day.
Suddenly there was a tall shadow looming over him, he turned around in a panic but it was only Jay; the Arabian had a worried look on his face, his dark eyes set on Carlos's face.
"w-what?" Carlos breathed.
Jay was silent, a shiver ran up the small De Vil's spine as he looked into Jay's deep, concerned eyes, "what's the matter?" Carlos asked again.
"who did it?" Jay asked in a serious, sharp voice.
Carlos flushed, and not just because Jay was so close to him, and looked away momentarily, "it doesn't matter." He mumbled.
Jay forced him to look up, holding his chin in place, "you almost died."
"don't be overdramatic." Carlos said softly but Jay ignored him.
"everything up till now was petty but this is serious. Now tell me who did it." Jay demanded.
Carlos managed to tear himself away, placing himself on the other side of the bed, "it doesn't matter because even if I tell you they won't get in trouble!" he snapped, getting annoyed again.
Jay pushed his hair from his face, "do you know who's involved now, who cares about you! The ass-hat who did this won't be able to walk once were done, let alone be allowed to stay in the school!" he was breathing hard.
Tears stung Carlos's eyes, still getting used to having people actually caring about what happened to him.
It was, it was.." Carlos took a shaking breath, "it was Chad Charming." He rushed out.
An uncomfortable silence followed until Jay flushed a dark colour of red and stormed out of the room, Carlos close behind.