As much as I question myself why I ship Evie and Carlos, I also question myself on why I ship Mal and Carlos. They had that one moment in the "Ways To Be Wicked" music video that me and some people went crazy over at the time of its release... and I wrote "Ways To Be Wicked" in my Forever Wicked series. Geez. I may be a shipper, but I always question myself whenever I ship a couple that is SUPER unlikely. But now that I got that off my chest... here's a new Marlos story. Enjoy.

I've done a similar scene like this in two previous Marlos stories - one here in FanFiction, one over at Wattpad - but this time, this scene is center of the story. That "girl talk" scene in Descendants 2... just beautiful. One of the best moments in the the movies.

Leave a review after reading, please. Feedback is always appreciated.

The pressures of being the King's girlfriend. The reporters, the camera flashes, and the endless questions. Leaving Ben to live "free" on the Isle of the Lost. Her (ex) boyfriend kidnapped by her arch-rival Uma. Saving said ex-boyfriend and returning him to Auradon. The past few days have been, to put it lightly, eventful for Mal. Worse, she now has to make a choice. Go to the Royal Cotillion and give Ben a second chance, or go back to the Isle and face an angry Uma? It's not an easy choice for her, however.

She couldn't even talk to Ben, who had to leave with Jane to work on the secret "surprise" for Mal for Cotillion.

Seeing how dispirited the purple-haired sorceress is from everything that has happened recently, Evie decides to have another talk with her best friend about Cotillion. She starts leading Mal back to their dorm so they can have this talk in private.

"We need to talk," Evie said quietly.

"No," Carlos spoke up.

Mal and Evie stop and look at the white-haired dog lover, surprised by the fierce tone in his voice.

"Excuse me?" Evie reacted.

"You two are always wandering off on your own, whispering to each other, caught up in your little... girl talk," Carlos said, having had enough of the two girls keeping him out of the loop. "Well, Jay and I are tired of it."

"I'm not," Jay said bluntly.

Carlos glares at Jay. Jay shrugs in an unapologetic manner. Carlos feels alone on this, but he continues to persist.

"We're your family, too, Mal," Carlos said wholeheartedly. "We've been through a lot, together. We're not stopping that now."

Mal and Evie were surprised to see this side of Carlos. Six months ago, he was like the obedient little puppy of the gang. He was always so shy, so timid, and never stands up for himself. Whenever Mal calls for him, he runs towards her like a dog, obeying her every command. But now, he speaks up for once and talks with so much heart and maturity. It's this surprising personal development for Carlos that convinces Mal and Evie to stay here and think about keeping their girl talk to themselves.

Mal may even be more surprised than Evie was. There she is, just staring at the 15-year-old tech prodigy and absorbing his words into her mind. "We're your family, too," he said. The way he said it, it was not only honest but also full of heart. As he looks at her with that strong but pleading look in his eyes, she can't help but nod in agreement. The four VKs, they are like family to each other.

Carlos, still holding Dude in his arms, sits down on the grass and gestures everyone to do the same.

"C'mon, sit," he asked nicely.

Mal, Evie, and Jay sit down on the grass as Carlos insisted so they can start their "girl talk." They were quiet to start, though, as they were expecting Carlos to be the one to start. With all eyes directed at him, Carlos struggles to find the right words to begin this conversation. He doesn't know what to say.

"I don't know how to start girl talk," Carlos admitted.

"Well, this was dumb," Jay said, eager to get out of this conversation.

Jay stands up to leave, only for Carlos to pull him back down. Carlos gives Jay a scolding glare before turning his attention back to the person who needs this girl talk the most. Mal.

Mal looks away from Carlos and stares into space. This time, all eyes are on her. Ever since she returned from rescuing Ben, she has been mostly silent and holding something back. Unable to repress her feelings anymore, her eyes begin to water as she whimpers to express her internal pain and struggle. She doesn't even try to fight back her emotions. It hurt to hold it back. Evie places an assuring hand on her shoulder, but that could only help so much.

"I... I don't... I'm a mess. I'm such a mess," Mal cried. "I mean, six months ago, I was stealing candy from babies and scaring little children. Now, everyone wants me to be this Lady of the Court and I have no idea how to keep up the act."

"Then don't," said Carlos.

Mal looks back at her white-haired friend. She's crying, showing her vulnerability, right in front of him, in front of her friends. Despite that, Carlos says something simple and straightforward. Don't keep up the act, he said.

"I don't know if I can," Mal said sadly.

"You don't have to, if it hurts you," said Carlos. "Just be you. There's nothing wrong with you, Mal. It doesn't matter whether you're on the Isle or here in Auradon. Just be yourself. It's the only way for people to accept you."

"You believe that?" Mal asked. A slight uplifting tone seeped through her sad voice.

"Why wouldn't I?" Carlos replied with a little smile. "We didn't listen to you before, but we're listening to you now. And now that I'm listening, all I can tell you is this. Don't pretend to be someone you're not."

"He's right," Evie agreed. "The four of us, we're always gonna be the kids from the Isle. I tried to forget it, to not linger on the past, but I can't. Once I went back to the Isle, it all just came back to me. I was reminded of who I am, of who we are. Those were our roots. We did whatever we could to survive, to make the best of the worst situations. It made us who we are."

"We can't fake it," Carlos added.

"Yeah," Evie agreed.

"Can I? How can I? How can I not... I don't know," Mal said, struggling to respond to all this. "I thought I wanted to be who Ben and this kingdom wanted to be. To be someone who can be accepted. To live up to the expectations of... here... and feel better about myself for it. But I can't."

"Mal, if Ben doesn't love you for who you really are, then he's not the one," said Carlos.

"I like that," Evie responded.

"Give him a chance," Carlos said to his purple-haired friend.

Mal looks at Carlos again. A few minutes ago, she was holding in so many negative emotions that it was hurting her. A few seconds ago, she is crying her heart out and expressing how she truly feels about the future that Ben is presenting to her. Now, she feels... calm. Her heart still aches and her mind still hurts from her emotional episode, but Carlos has helped make her feel a little better. Instead of a stern lecture or a loud scolding, he just sits there calmly and talks to her in the most gentle of voices. He doesn't judge her. He doesn't complain about her personal issues. He listened to her and he gave her a simple answer. Maybe a simple answer is all she needed. Probably.

The ache in Mal's chest slowly disappears and it is being replaced with a soft feeling. She continues to shed tears, her frown stays on her face, but she can feel her heart beating with a calming and pleasant rhythm. She may not be all better, but the pain in her chest is being erased quicker than she would expect, if it was possible. But Carlos has made it possible.

Evie says to her best friend, "I'm gonna make changes to your dress. If you're up for it, only if you're up for it, it will be waiting for you."

"And hey, if it doesn't work out, if Ben's not smart enough to love you, then we'll drive you back to the Isle tomorrow," Jay offered, finally attempting to provide comforting words. "Um, how's that?"

"Nice," Carlos commented.

"Very," Evie agreed.

Evie, Jay, and Carlos decide to give Mal some space and time to think about Cotillion. They've said all that needed to be said, all that they could think should have been said. All that is left is for Mal to make a final decision. Give Ben a second chance, or go back to where she was born? Is she willing to try the former, or is choosing the latter what she really wants?

"Carlos," Mal called suddenly.

Evie, Jay, and Carlos stop walking and look back at Mal.

"Can you... can you stay here with me for a minute?" Mal asked.

"Uh, sure," Carlos answered.

"Ooh, more girl talk," Dude said.

"Just Carlos," Mal clarified.

"Ouch," Dude reacted.

Carlos gives Dude to Evie. Evie and Jay continue to walk away, while Carlos sits back down on the grass next to Mal.

It was quiet for the next few seconds. Mal's just twiddling her thumbs together and hanging her head. The right side of her lip is twitching and she sounds like she's trying to breathe calmly. No more tears are streaming down her face, which is a good sign. She glances at him from time to time, looking away immediately after each time. Carlos tries reading her face, but he couldn't tell what's on her mind. Is it something I said, he wondered.

"What is it?" Carlos asked finally, curious.

"If Ben doesn't love me for me, then he's not the one. I like that, too," said Mal.

"Well, it's kinda the truth," said Carlos. "He can't claim to love you if he doesn't love you for the real you."

"What about you?" asked Mal.

"What do you mean?" Carlos responded.

"Do you love me, for who I am?" Mal asked.

"Mal, I..." Carlos paused. "What are you really asking?"

"Do you?" Mal repeated.

Carlos was confused. Despite the leftover shine in her eyes left behind by her tears and the half-frown on her lips, he can't read her. The question she just asked him. What does it mean? At first, Carlos assumed that she was simply asking if he accepted her for who she really is, as the malevolent but good-hearted Mal who helped him embrace the idea of becoming good. But something in her voice and the look in her eyes made him feel that the question meant something else. That other meaning is what's scaring Carlos. He feels as if he knows what that second meaning is, but at the same time, he doesn't. Even without speaking, Mal is looking growing more and more desperate for his answer. It's amazing how much one simple look can tell you, but concerning at the same time.

"Mal, of course, I accept you for who you are," Carlos said honestly, but also with uncertainty. "But I don't understand what you're really asking of me. I mean, I... you... it sounds like you're..."

Mal interrupts Carlos by pulling him closer to her with one hand on his cheek and planting her lips right on his. Carlos' eyes widened with shock and confusion. He wanted to pull away, but he couldn't. Either he's frozen in shock or Mal's lips have a tight hold of his own lips. Maybe it's both. Mal's lips part from Carlos' a few seconds later. While Carlos' eyes are still wide open from the shock, Mal is biting her lower lip and looking down with what could be regret or unease on her face.

Mal's hand descends from Carlos' face and wraps around his own hand. She leans a little closer, much to Carlos' discomfort. Not that he could express it. He's still frozen.

"I'll go to Cotillion," Mal decided. "Not for Ben. Not for me. But for you."

"Uh..." Carlos still couldn't say anything.

"Just do me one favor," said Mal. "Go and ask Jane out."

"Uh, o-o-okay?" Carlos replied nervously, still overwhelmed.

Mal's lips curve into a genuine smile. It was a small smile, but it was real. She gets up and walks the opposite direction where Evie and Jay went. Carlos just sits there, trying to absorb what just happened.

Mal kissed me? He wondered. But why?

Girl Talk. What a title, am I right? To be honest, I don't know where I'm taking this story. I wanted this to be a one-shot, but considering that I'm also writing a multi-chapter Carvie story, I wanted to expand this Marlos story into more chapters. I'm thinking about taking this plot all the way to Descendants 3, but this chapter is mainly to get things started.

Leave a review and let me know what you think of this so far. I would appreciate it.