Carlos De Vil

Auradon Prep was calm for once — the moon high above the royal blue towers, the sounds of laughter from the courtyard fading into quiet. Most students were already in their dorms, lights dimmed, curfews met. But not you.

You stood outside Carlos’s dorm door, your hoodie pulled up and heart racing. You’d done this before, of course — sneaking down the hallway after hours, padding softly on the marble floor, trying not to get caught by Fairy Godmother’s late-night patrols. But tonight felt different.

Jay was gone — off with the R.O.A.R. team for a late practice match — which meant the dorm was finally all Carlos’s. No loud music, no video games blaring, no teasing interruptions. Just you, and him, and the kind of peace you both rarely got since coming to Auradon.

You tapped lightly on the door.It creaked open almost instantly.

Carlos stood there in a loose white T-shirt and gray sweatpants, his red-and-white hair a little messy, a soft grin spreading across his face when he saw you.“Hey,” he whispered, stepping aside to let you in."You’re lucky Jay’s not here. He’d never let me live this down.”

You giggled as you slipped past him, the scent of his cologne — clean, a little like mint and motor oil — wrapping around you. The dorm looked surprisingly neat for once: textbooks stacked on Jay’s desk, Dude curled up on the rug, and the string of fairy lights above Carlos’s bed glowing dimly.

“Couldn’t sleep,” you murmured, kicking off your shoes."And I missed you.”

Carlos’s smile softened.“You know, you could’ve just said that instead of risking detention.”

“I like living dangerously,” you teased.

He laughed quietly — that breathless, boyish sound that made your chest feel warm. He shut the door gently, then crossed to you, hands finding your waist as if it was the most natural thing in the world.“You’re freezing,” he said, his voice low, almost a whisper.

You shrugged. “Guess you’ll have to fix that.”

And he did — pulling you down with him onto his bed, tucking you against his chest. His heartbeat thudded softly beneath your ear, steady and comforting. You felt his arm curl around you, holding you close, as if he was afraid you might slip away.

“Remember when we first got here?” he said after a moment, his voice muffled in your hair."I was terrified of… everything. The rules, the people, the idea that I didn’t belong.”

You smiled into his shirt."And now?”

“Now…” he sighed, tilting his head so his cheek rested on top of yours.“Now I think I belong wherever you are.”

You looked up at him — at the faint pink coloring his cheeks, at the way his eyes softened when they met yours. For all his genius and bravery, Carlos still had that shy, uncertain heart when it came to you. You brushed a thumb along his jawline.

“Good,” you whispered."Because I’m not going anywhere.”

He smiled — that small, sleepy grin that melted every wall he’d ever built. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead.

“Stay the night,” he murmured, half-asleep already. “Just for a little while.”

And so you did — tangled up in his arms, the soft hum of the fairy lights above you, Dude snoring at the foot of the bed. Outside, Auradon slept in peace, but in that small dorm room, it felt like your own little world — quiet, safe, and filled with the kind of love only Carlos could give.