If You Really Cared

(Day 41-42: Friday Evening- Saturday Morning)

"Soo," Carlos starts as he and Jay sit down at the table with some Gatorade. "You know that holiday on the calendar that happens tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Jay slowly replies. "What about it?"

"So, Jane told me all about it, and I think the holiday is kind of interesting."

"You do?" Jay doubts. "A holiday dedicated to people who are dating, and you find that interesting when you're still single?"

"Oh," Carlos comments. "So, you do know about it."

Jay leans back in his chair, "Personally, I think I'm really going to hate this weekend, all of the couples being couply and all of the singles trying to find an exclusive, permanent partner." before he takes a sip from his red drink. "Why are you bringing this up, anyway?"

"I know that we're not actually a thing or anything," Carlos eyes the table as he explains, "but I was just thinking that maybe we could do something special anyway"

"Special how?" Jay questions suspiciously. "Like go out to a movie or something?"

"No. Of course, not," he defends before looking back up at him. "Just that maybe with the things we already do… that maybe we could make it more interesting?"

Jay frowns at him for a minute, "You're asking me to hurt you again, aren't you?" and when Carlos fails to respond Jay shakes his head in frustration. "We've talked about this. I don't like to hurt people, and I especially don't want to hurt someone I care about."

"But I want you to," Carlos defies. "It's different if I want it." Jay places a hand to his forehead. "Come on. You've been so agonizingly careful with me since you found out. You're not even doing the small things you used to do anymore."

"Yeah," Jay frustrates, lowering his arm down onto the table. "Because when someone I care about tells me I've been hurting them, I stop."

"If you really cared about me," he nearly yells, "then you would hurt me."

Jay looks at him for a long minute, trying to calm down and put his thoughts into order, "The way your mother treated you, that's not how people treat the ones they care about." He stresses, "You hear me? She never cared about you. She never loved you. What she did was wrong. You have to know that."

"I don't care." Carlos feels his face warm up, and his next words are unsteady, "I still want it, and I want you to be able to be the one to do it."

Jay shuts his eyes and lets out an irritable breath, "Okay. We can try something."

"Really?" Carlos almost smiles.

"But not this weekend," Jay stresses. "I want to learn more about this stuff first."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Jay says as he stands from the table. "No. Seriously. Don't mention it. If you do, I might just change my mind." Carlos nods. "Can you offer any tips on researching?"

Carlos smiles, "Only type key words into the search engine. If you ask it a direct question, it's just going to be searching for the word 'what' first."

"Okay. I'll remember that."

Carlos laughs, "Good luck."

The next day Ben grins when the door opens, "Good morning."

"Ugh." Mal complains, "It's like eight A.M."

"I'm sorry." Ben recognizes, "I know I should have probably let you sleep in for another hour or two, but I come bearing gifts." He takes a large, heart-shaped box out from behind his back, "Well… one gift actually, but these chocolates do have multiple flavors that I think you may enjoy, including but not limited to strawberry cream."

Mal smiles as she takes the red box, "What's the occasion?"

"Well, it's Valentine's Day," he reminds her.

"Oh. Yeah… I'm been meaning to look that up." She looks over her shoulder, "Eves. Do you know what Valentine's Day is?"

"Not particularly," Evie answers. "But a girl did stop by last week wanting me to make her a dress for some date she's going on, and she should be picking it up this afternoon."

"It's a holiday for couples, for them to spend time together." Mal returns her attention to him, "Sorry. I should have assumed that villains don't celebrate a lot of holidays."

"Well, so long as there's strawberry chocolates," Mal says as she cuts the plastic off with her fingernail, before she opens the box and eats one. "Then I can find myself celebrating this holiday more often."

Ben smiles, "I have a lot of homework and documents to work on today, unfortunately, but I'd really like us to spend some time together when I'm finished."

"Sure," Mal smiles. "What time?"

"How about I pick you up for dinner around six, afterwards we can watch a movie together, and then— if you'd like— you could stay over for the night?"

Mal notices his unsure expression, as he rubs his hands together nervously, "By spend the night together, do you mean just spending the night together or do you mean 'spend the night together'?"

Ben sees the air quotes and laughs, "Nothing so daring, I promise. I mean, if you wanted to do something, then we could, but I really just want to spend some time with you." He sees her hesitance. "I know that we've only just started dating and that this may be a little forward, but with the trial coming up and everything… I just want one night where I can be next to you, hold you, and not be afraid that you'd be taken away from me."

Mal nods in understanding, but then she remembers, "What about your roommate?"

"Doug?" Ben questions. "He can stay with someone else tonight." He gestures, "What about Jay and Carlos?"

"Jay and Carlos?" Mal uneasily laughs. "You want Doug to stay with them?"

"You make it sound like such a horrible idea," he replies insecurely.

"No. It's not that." Mal tries to explain, "They just really like their privacy. I don't know if they'd be up for it."

Ben smiles, "Well, it can't hurt to ask."

Mal fakes a grin, "No. I suppose it can't."

"So, you will spend the night with me?" he asks again.

"Yeah," Mal slightly nods. "I'd be okay with that."

"And six o'clock works for dinner?" he questions.

"Yes."

"Good." He kisses her goodbye on the cheek, "See you then— Make sure to dress nice."

- So, what do you think of our ships? Any predictions? If so, I'd love to hear them.