To be honest, Jay didn't think the love cookie would work at all.

But when it did, Jay decided to keep the rest of it, "just in case".

He had stuffed it into his gym bag just as Carlos was walking into the locker room, nerves jangled and as pale as his hair. Carlos always looked ready to fall apart before every game, and today was no different.

Except for the fact that it was against their biggest rivals.

Carlos went to his locker and rested his head against it. It was sort of a ritual. It was his way of anchoring himself and calming him down momentarily. He did that for a few more minutes before finally opening the locker. He pulled out all his equipment and clutched it to his chest tightly.

"We'll do great today, Carlos," Jay clapped Carlos on the shoulder and squeezed before removing his beanie. He was about to put it in his locker, where it'd be safe, when Jay turned back towards Carlos. The safest place he knew.

"Um, hey, take this...for good luck," he cleared his throat awkwardly, not one for gestures such as these. It was probably the closest to romantic as he'd get. And Carlos just looked at him, his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide. Jay tried not thinking about how soft his lips looked and just placed his beanie in Carlos' hand.

"But I probably won't even play, Coach never puts me in," Carlos sputtered, trying to hand Jay his beanie back. But Jay wouldn't take it.

"He'll put you in today."

"How can you be so sure, though?"

"Have I ever let you down, 'los?" and with that, Jay headed to his locker and pulled out the rest of his equipment.

It was true, Jay never let Carlos down. And that was one of the reasons Carlos loved him, he realized.

Jay was always there when Carlos needed him.

And right now, Carlos needed Jay to know just what he thought of him.

The Fighting Knights were warming up, and Carlos was warming the bench. Jay sat next to him as Coach Jenkins gave them the game plan on how to execute a flawless win against the Falcons. Carlos knew it was a bad time to admit his feelings, and so he looked at the ground steadily, feeling his diaphragm flutter familiarly and dreading the panic attack that was bound to come.

When Coach Jenkins finished his spiel, he sent Chad Charming on to the field. Coach called Akio, about to take him out to put Jay in, when Jay jumped up and pulled Carlos with him.

"What about my buddy here, Coach?"

Oh no, Carlos sat down almost immediately. He would not be the reason the Fighting Knights lost to the Falcons. Not today. He didn't want to drop the "I love you" bomb after the team lost and Jay was feeling as though it was his fault (as he always did when the team lost). It'd just ruin everything.

But Coach was not having it, not one bit. Carlos hadn't even proven himself to the Coach yet that he deserved to be put in. But Jay wasn't going to take no for an answer. Carlos had improved immensely under the watchful eye of Ben, and Jay wanted Carlos to show everyone that.

"Coach, he's been practicing!"

"Jay -"

"And you said yourself, a team is made up of a bunch of parts -"

Carlos butted in, "Jay, um - I'm not that good."

"Well, he's kinda like my brain." Jay finished his pitch as though Carlos hadn't even said anything. And Carlos didn't say anything in response for a minute. Jay really thought of Carlos that highly? To consider him a part of himself?

Maybe Jay did love Carlos as well, after all. It was a constant fear of Carlos' that Jay didn't, and was only being nice to him because he was so small and always the target of bullying from Auradon's student body.

Coach sighed and looked towards the field, quickly scanning the players to see who they could do without. It's worth a shot, Coach Jenkins thought, and the team hasn't beaten the Falcons in years. What could possibly happen? Spotting one, he called out to Amir, who quickly ran off the field. Carlos was in, and it was all because of Jay.

Carlos didn't know whether to punch Jay or kiss him, and he didn't have time to decide because it was go time. "Don't worry, bro, I got your back," Jay squeezed Carlos against him and started towards the field.

"What about my front?" It was a real question, and Jay could hear the genuine concern in Carlos' voice, but Jay laughed anyway. He knew Carlos would do well. Great, even.

With one last look at the bench, Carlos squeezed Jay's hat (which was wedged between his shoulder pads and his undershirt) and headed onto the field.

There was twenty-three seconds left of the game. The Fighting Knights and the Falcons were tied and they needed one more point to win.

Carlos was making his way up the field, towards the opposing teams net when he was hip-checked to the ground by a Falcon. He landed hard on his face, knocking the wind out of him and for a moment, he just laid there. I'm an idiot, he lamented to himself. I look like a total dork, and Jay… Jay was right there, grabbing a fistful of Carlos' jersey and hauling him to his feet.

Jay was determined to win, and he was determined to show everyone that Carlos wasn't just a benchwarmer. He had skills and deserved to be there.

They enter the Kill Zone, Jay's hand firmly on Carlos' upper arm. Dragon Fire shoots at them at warp speed, Carlos' shield blocking some and Jay's quick maneuvering blocking the rest.

The two move as a unit, as if they had been moving like one for their whole lives, and only split when they're within range of the opposing net. Carlos is disappointed when they break contact, but a fierce look from Jay sends him towards the enemy.

They have a game to win.

Thinking on his feet, Carlos turns around quickly. If he planned it out correctly, they'd be able to set Ben up with a perfect shot at the net.

"JAY!" He calls, holding up his shield. He hopes Jay understands what he's trying to do.

"CARLOS!" Jay yells back in response, letting Carlos know that he understands and agrees completely. He dishes the ball hard towards Carlos' shield, where it goes flying right into the air and above Carlos

"Go up!" Carlos instructs Jay, dropping quickly to the ground and bracing himself for Jay's feet to connect with his back. But they don't. Jay jumps over him instead and hits the ball down, Ben waiting in the wings to hit the ball straight into the net.

The crowd is instantly a choatic mess, screaming and cheering so loudly that Jay can barely hear Carlos calling out for him.

Carlos was shouting, "I love you! I love you!" over and over, but Jay didn't hear it.