Were You Expecting Flowers? ✔️

15

Oh, I'm feeling fragile can't you see
Closed my heart up like a locket
Now it's getting hard to breathe
___________________

"DID YOU want to talk about something?" I asked Carlos.

"No." He answered simply, "I just enjoy your company."

"Oh. Well, alright."

We sat down on the fallen log. A few moments passed. We were quiet, but there was not a single hint of awkwardness in the air. I liked that we were comfortable enough with each other to not feel the need to start a random conversation.

I looked around me. The green in the canvas left me breathless. The Isle was a rainbow of different shades of grey, so this was a nice change of things.

"Do you really think I can stay?" Carlos mumbled.

"In Auradon? Of course." I answered.

"Are you staying?" He asked.

The answer came to me sooner than I expected. "Yeah."

He smiled. Dude started barking, and Carlos placed him down on the floor. The small dog started rolling around in the dirt, causing Carlos and I to laugh.

"So." Carlos said, facing me, "What else don't you know?"

"Huh?"

"Well," He continued, "You didn't know what a hug was."

"I did." I corrected him, "But... I've never really... had one? That is, until Evie hugged me yesterday. I think I know everything else?"

He sat up. "Oh." He said, "What did you think of the hug, then?"

I thought for a second, feeling corny. "It was nice. But I guess I wasn't expecting Evie's, so my brain literally just shut down and I went limp."

He laughed. "It's awfully sad that hugging isn't a thing in your life."

Dude stopped at our feet, then let out a long whine. He leaped onto my lap, catching me by surprise. For a second, I had to worry if the mutt could somehow smell the weapon I have hidden under my trousers. But Dude started to snuggle and the cuteness made my thoughts scatter.

"Dude likes you." Carlos remarked, scooting closer to me.

I smiled down at the dog and started petting the top of its brown head. Carlos started resting his head on my shoulder, eyes fluttered close, smile content. I froze.

A strange feeling stirred up inside my stomach, gripping at my chest, crawling up my back like it was about to overflow. What is happening to me?

As if sensing my body tense up, Carlos moved away, and suddenly the feeling became empty, silenced.

"Did I make you uncomfortable?"

How does he come up with all these questions I don't have the answer to? My mind went blank. And instead of coming up with a response, my brain started noticing the little features on his face. The worry laced through his eyebrows. The crinkles by his eyes, and his freckles that caressed his cheeks and the top of his nose-

"Brae? You okay?"

I shook myself back to reality. "Ye- yeah, I am."

He moved a little further away. "Tell me what's wrong." He said, half demandingly.

"I don't know." I murmured, as Dude started whining again, "It was just really weird, to let you- or anyone, that close to me."

"I won't do it again." Carlos promised.